As the the Russian athletic federation wears out yet another shredder, and hides its syringes, and Sepp Blatter reaches for his citalopram and stuffs a few more euros under his hospital bed, the credibility of sport has taken a few knocks in recent weeks. 

And yet, after the the horrendous night in Paris, where the Stade de France was one of the many scenes of terror, fear and fatalities, sport showed that whilst being a glorious irrelevance at times such as these, it can also be a beacon of unity, sympathy and comfort .

Tricolours have flown from masts in every corner of every foreign rugby field over the weekend, sympathy and unity has emerged from the expected and most unexpected quarters

England football fans, not your first port of call for European unity and compassion,have pledged to sing “le Marseillaise ” at tommorows match against France at Wembley, makes you feel proud doesn’t it.

Every flag , every minutes silence, every handshake, every gesture of respect and dignity shows those that attempt to terrorise that ultimately they cannot defeat us and our way of life.

To everyone affected by his awful event I offer my heartfelt sympathy and to sport and sports fans everywhere, stay safe, and keep on keeping on