The "quiet revolution" continues at Aston Villa, with next month's Carling Cup Final against Manchester United bringing back memories of the last time they were a real top-flight force.

In the first Premier League season, 1991-92 they finished second, and beat Manchester United in the 1994 League Cup Final, which they won again two years later, this time against Leeds United.

But, despite a decade of mostly top-half finishes, the club was drifting listlessly when Randy Lerner bought the club in September 2006, a month after Martin O'Neill had become manager.

The internet is alive with rumours that Rafa Benitez has left Liverpool tonight before tonight's Premier League game with Stoke.

It is pure speculation at the moment but it does show just how quickly rumours spread, especially on the micro-blogging website Twitter. That has spooked bookmakers Paddy Power into suspending betting on his departure - although it's not the first time they have taken that step - as odds on him going fell from 22/1 to 4/1 today.

But in a matter as critically important to the club's position and at least short-term performance, should Liverpool FC be more responsive to internet rumour?

Football on the international stage is commonplace these days, with pre-season friendlies and tournaments involving Premier League clubs taking place all over the world.

South America was the only continent not to receive a visit from a Premier League team (and Antartica, where, as Harry Thompson's excellent book informed us, the penguins play cricket).

These tours are often, correctly, seen as a great way of raising revenues - but as important is how football acts as a showcase for the UK's businesses.

Commercially the most important weekend in the rugby league calendar is here - with each game worth at least £250,000 to the winning teams.

It's the Challenge Cup semi-finals, which pit St Helens against Huddersfield Giants, and Warrington versus Wigan.

In pure cash terms, winning the trophy is not that valuable - most of the winnings will be swallowed up by players' bonuses - but a huge amount of revenue can be generated in the weeks leading up to the final.

Today's Liverpool Daily Post front page, For sale on eBay...Tranmere Rovers FC, tells the eye-catching story of how the Wirral club has been posted on the internet auction site with a $10m price tag.

However as soon as Tranmere became aware of the marketing tactic, they had the listing pulled from eBay.

American banker Joe Kosich, who is trying to sell the club on behalf of owner Peter Johnson, said: "The decision to list Tranmere on eBay was taken by me, without the knowledge or consent of Peter Johnson. It was done as a publicity stunt to get Tranmere onto people's radar over here in the US.

Today was the best of times and the worst of times for two big, practically identical, sporting announcements.

Chances are though, that you've only noticed one of them.

This morning it was announced that the 2013 Rugby League World Cup will be hosted by the UK (effectively England), then hours later England was named as the hosts of the 2015 Rugby (union) World Cup.