THERE used to be a time when supporting Aston Villa must have been the worst thing in the world.

A middle of the road Premier League team going nowhere under Doug Ellis, they had nothing to aim for.

They were never going to go down and, such is the chasm in quality between first and last in England's top flight, they were never going to challenge for European places either.

Villa may have been rejuvenated under Martin O'Neill - or, perhaps more significantly, billionaire Randy Lerner - but clubs like the old Villa still exist and always will while the Premier League is as it is.

Take Reading. What exactly is the point of their existence?

Of course, they've done well to get where they are. But what are they going to do now?

Not much, it seems - apart from hang around like a bad smell and pocket as much Premier League prize money as they can.

Brainwashed by the capable but misguided Steve Coppell, they've decided that they've achieved as much as they can and just want to maintain that.

They may well have gone as far as they can but it is a concerning sign of the times that ambition is shelved for fear of putting at risk the pot of gold that is Premier League survival.

An FA Cup run would have been a bit risky, so striker Dave Kitson informed us all that they did not give two 'hoots' about that.

They want to concentrate on the league, but of course they don't want to do too well in that because that would put them in Europe. And they wouldn't want that.

The most incredulous thing of all is that Royals fans, blinded by their love of Coppell, call radio phone-ins defending the club's position.

"Our Steve's right, we're not ready for European football," they garble.

So instead they'll stumble on aimlessly until their luck runs out and they go back down to the Championship.

They could have made the most of their elevated status and had some fantastic memories that would have lasted a lifetime - as a Bolton fan who has seen his side venture into Europe twice in the past three seasons, I can assure them of that.

But their stance is indicative of the way the Premier League has become about money, money, money.

English football used to be about hope and glory.

Now it's like a squabble at Ernst and Young's Christmas party.

* As far as introductions to stories go, this was a classic.

The BBC reported: England coach Tony Smith is to apply for a British passport 'to become a true Pom'.

Surely just the rugby league coach's use of the word Pom is enough to make his application null and void.

Smith is an Australian in charge of England, we just have to get used to that.

A piece of paper saying he's British isn't going to change that one iota.

Win the World Cup, however, and maybe it should be arise, Sir Tony...