This week, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, said that he did not believe championship rivals Chelsea would be real contenders next season, due to their aging squad.

Following his comments, a spokesperson for Help the Aged blasted Ferguson, saying that ageism has no place in society, be it in the workplace or in sport.

I think the spokesperson should sit down and shut up on this one. It isn't ageism, it is basic sports sense.

In football, as in most sports, as players get older, their stamina, speed and strength starts to drop. That is a fact. If a team is full of older players, while their experience may help them a little, it won't help them overcome a team of young, fresh players.

Racism, ageism, etc have no place in society, but I don't believe it would be ageism to suggest that all else being equal, a 20 year old would be a better pole-vaulter or sprinter than a 60 year old.

Stating this doesn't make someone ageist. In the first place, it's just sports talk, in the second, wait til the results are in.