Frandad's got skills

Frandad in a good kickabout in the patio, wearing Man U shorts and kicking a Barca ball. He foxed his grandson with some fancy footwork and dazzling skills. His unrivalled ability to keep the ball from rolling away by keeping his foot on the ball, with a truly velvety touch, stunned all onlookers, who had flocked to their balconies to witness this marvellous feat of sporting skill. Thank goodness yours truly was on hand with a camera to record this for all eternity: And to put this skill into perspective, some examples of famous footballers (and otherwise famous folk) who fail to manage the same level of amazing ball-on-foot trickery that Frans displayed:

Here's Diego Maradona, the greatest, not quite managing to control the ball with the same verve and efficiency as Frans.

And then there's David Beckham, not widely known for his exquisite skills, but at least he manages to actually get his foot on the ball. But compare the strain on his face, and his lack of balance, to the ease and grace of Frans' control, and you'll further appreciate the superiority displayed by our 59-year-old friend from rural Holland.

Talk of Frans' unequalled footballing prowess has also made it to the higher echelons on international politics. This is Nicolas Sarkozy struggling to equal Frans' ball skills. True, the slippery soles of his Ferragamos probably caused this particular goof, but the annoyed look on Gordon Brown's face and Arsene Wenger's nervous laugh lead me to believe Nicolas had been trying over and over again to get his foot to stay on the ball.

And women the world over have also been trying. Here's one brave Canadian woman's effort: