A splendid story from Wear Down South, the magazine for sad old Sunderland's southern-based supporters, via film maker David Puttnam.

Now Lord Puttnam of Queensgate, he is also chancellor of Sunderland University - in which capacity he recently presided at an honorary degree ceremony for Prof Clive Booth, head of the Teacher Training Agency.

Formally accepting, Booth spoke of the great honour and the wonderful institution.

"What people have to understand," he continued, "is that Sunderland have become absolutely first division."

Feet shuffled, no-one laughed.

"And I mean first division," added the unsuspecting professor, fearing that his original remark might have been misheard.

The gracious lord - Spurs fan by instinct, Sunderland by adoption - told the tale without mentioning the culprit's name.

Good journalist that he is, the Telegraph's Colin Randall - who writes WDS's "Celebrity Supporters" series - not only discovered his identity but rang the TTA to ask how Prof Booth felt on discovering the gaffe.

"That's the most fascinating question I've ever been asked," said the lady in the press office - so fascinating that for the past two months she has felt wholly unable to answer it.