I WAS suitably appalled when the BBC scrapped an edition of Grandstand last year when they had nothing live to show.

Outrageous, I hooted. Anything is better than nothing.

Well perhaps I was wrong after all if last Saturday's show was anything to go by.

Spared an unseasonal trip to watch Burnley at Wimbledon by the weather meant a rare afternoon in front of the box.

And just my luck, the best the BBC could come up with in the absence of any racing was virtual wall-to-wall coverage of the Great North Cross-Country run.

Dull at the best of times, runaway winners in both of the main races over the most bland course you could never wish to see made the event about as enjoyable as shopping at the sales.

Congratulations to Paula Radcliffe for romping to victory but recorded highlights of her cakewalk in the snow was just too much to bear. Not even final score was worth sitting through that for.