By Myles Palmer

After West Ham boss Alan Pardew was sacked, and before Alan Curbishley was hired, West Ham skipper Nigel Re-Coker had a medical at Arsenal.

That what I was told before Christmas.

The dynamic midfielder had the medical - and then the deal was called off.

Since I doubt that he failed the medical, it must have been because Curbs said he could not go. But I'm not sure if Curbs said Reo-Coker couldn't leave he scored that late winning goal against Manchester United.

Reo-Coker's agent apparently denies his client had a medical at Arsenal.

But, in the immortal words of Mandy Rice-Davis, he would say that, wouldn't he?

After John Profumo, the Tory Secretary Of State For War, had enjoyed a few parties at Cliveden, Lord Astor's mansion, Astor's name came up in court during the trial of Stephen Ward, a society osteopath who was accused of living off immoral earnings.

The barrister told Miss Rice-Davis that Lord Astor had denied ever meeting her.

So Mandy said, "Well, he would, wouldn't he?"

This reply was later misquoted as, "He would say that, wouldn't he?" and the misquote soon entered into legend.

IT SHOULD be stressed that Mandy Rice-Davis and Nigel Reo-Coker have nothing in common except a hyphen.

Mandy did not play for West Ham United in the Sixties. In fact, she never played professional football for any club.

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