"That's a daily occurrence now," he added, mindful of the previous day's accident involving Shay Given. "How did Exeter do three years ago?" was Kerr's response, referring to the spoon-bender's ill-fated time as a director.Kerr was also able to make light of an extraordinary training ground collision in which Richard Dunne up-ended Kevin Doyle, injuring his own shin and thigh. Maybe it was gallows humour - fail to reach the play-offs and this will be manager Brian Kerr's last match - or maybe it was a release from the growing tension. But even the revelation that the squad had watched The Cinderella Man was met with guffaws. The film is about a boxer who reluctantly returns to the ring. Kerr, too, has been trying - and failing - to roll with the blows but he burst into laughter when informed that an Irish broadcaster had flown Uri Geller over to bless the Lansdowne Road pitch. The air was heavy with rain but the mood was lighter as the Republic of Ireland completed their final preparations for tonight's must-win World Cup qualifier against Switzerland. Glendenning was joined in 1938 by Jack Butler, who coached Belgium.More recent Britons to coach foreign finalists include the former England goalkeeper Tony Waiters, who led Canada in 1986, and Roy Hodgson, who coached Switzerland in 1994.British coaches at the World Cup1930: None1934: B Glendenning (Neth), J McRea (Egypt), G Kimpton (Fr)1938: Glendenning, J Butler (Bel)1950: W Winterbottom (Eng), B Jeffrey (US), G Raynor (Swe)1954: Winterbottom, A Beattie (Scot), D Livingstone (Bel)1958 *: Winterbottom, Raynor, P Doherty (N Irl), J Murphy (Wales)1962: Winterbottom1966: A Ramsey (Eng)1970: Ramsey1974: W Ormond (Scot)1978: A MacLeod (Scot)1982: R Greenwood (England), B Bingham (N Ireland), J Stein (Scotland)1986: Bingham, B Robson (Eng), A Ferguson (Scot), T Waiters (Can)1990: Robson, A Roxburgh (Scot), J Charlton (Irl)1994: Charlton, R Hodgson (Swit)1998: G Hoddle (Eng) C Brown (Scot)2002: M McCarthy (Irl)2006: ?* Scotland had a selection committee but, with Matt Busby injured, no coach.

Having been held to a 1-1 draw at home, the Uzbeks need a result in Manama tonight.Houghton hopes to follow a long tradition. Although no home nation entered the World Cup prior to 1950, their coaches did. Englishmen Bob Glendenning and George Kimpton managed the Netherlands and France in the 1934 finals, and Scot Jimmy McRea the Egyptians. Uzbekistan's hopes rest on beating Bahrain in the Asian zone play-off, then defeating the Concacaf play-off representatives, Trinidad & Tobago or Guatemala. His career has now reached Uzbekistan, who are attempting to reach their first World Cup finals.

With England managed by a Swede, the rest of the home nations out of contention and the Republic of Ireland reverting to an Irishman, the responsibility of maintaining the honour of the British coaching fraternity rests - assuming there are no changes at, say, Soho Square - upon the unlikely shoulders of an ex-Fulham reserve now managing the former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan. Bob Houghton briefly managed Bristol City in the 1980s but has usually worked overseas, most notably when leading Malmo to the 1979 European Cup final, where they lost to Nottingham Forest. "That's another one of my records you've broken ugly arse, Michael Owen." Rooney has usurped many of Owen's personal milestones during his three years of trailblazing across the nation's consciousness but the experience of a World Cup and of delivering on the greatest stage of all - twice - is an area where he still remains in the shadow of the Newcastle United forward.. It is not just the appointments of Sven Goran Eriksson, as England manager, and the now-departed Berti Vogts with Scotland, that reflect badly on the prestige of British coaches. Next summer, for the first time since the inaugural World Cup in 1930, football's premier tournament may be conducted without a British managerial voice. Around it is a signature from every one of his international colleagues from the game, plus a line that captures the essence of the torch that was passed that night in Skopje 25 months ago.

The leading scorer in the Polish league last season was Wisla's Tomasz Frankowski, a member of the national squad who face England tonight, but now playing for a Spanish second division club. Wisla felt unable to turn down Elche's offer of about £650,000, while Frankowski is said to have trebled his salary to more than £300,000.. Wayne Rooney has a photograph on his wall of the moment when he became the youngest goalscorer in England's history, in Macedonia. Wisla Krakow are the Chelsea of Polish football.