THIS IS a very important issue, but the fans haven’t been consulted,” David Blatt, London branch chairman of the Football Supporters’ Association, told Newsnight (BBC2) on Wednesday. Otto, Boro old boy made good, is the man in charge of the envied Ajax academy.Price of failureAND FINALLY… four months after Ruud Gullit, the manager, became surplus to requirements at St James’ Park, Ruud Gullit, the autobiography, has become surplus stock at the Newcastle ground. He was top scorer in the 1981-82 season – with four goals.These days he has a job not so much with a future as a job at The Future – as the Ajax youth complex, De Toekomst, is called. The Dutch midfielder spent five seasons distinguishing himself in struggling Boro sides.

“But I don’t think they’re going to, are they?” Certainly not.Otto’s new mottoIN THE likely absence of a footballer of the century award, Heine Otto is happy to have been voted the 27th best player to have worn the red and white of Middlesbrough. She was restricted by the rules of the day to competing in four events – the 100m, 200m, 80m hurdles and 4×100m relay. She held the world records for the high jump and long jump but was precluded from contesting either event. She also, of course, lost the best years of her sporting life to the Second World War.It was Jack Crump, secretary of the Amateur Athletic Federation, who spurred Blankers-Koen to her famous quartet of victories. He said the mother of two was too old, at 30, to do anything other than hope for a medal He was wrong But, then, so was Blankers-Koen.

“When I got home from London I thought people would soon forget,” the golden great- grandmother reflected. The “Flying Dutchwoman” who struck gold four times at the London Olympics in 1948 leapt to her feet, punched the air, and screamed “I’ve won! I’ve won!” when it was brought to her attention – at the International Amateur Athletic Federation’s annual awards gala in Monaco – that she had been voted the female athlete of the century.Not that the octogenarian possesses an ego the size of her towering track and field reputation Far from it She was simply overwhelmed with surprise. She thought she had been invited to the awards press conference merely to talk about her track and field memories in the 20th century. A quarter of an hour passed before the penny suddenly dropped – and a deserved penny too, it has to be said.No other female athlete, before or since, has won four gold medals at a single Olympic Games And Blankers-Koen could have won more. And he has been doing so for pounds 1m less than the pounds 1m salary he was earning at Newcastle.