A more responsible sportsblog would have something or other to cut & paste  add regarding Roy Keane’s appointment as manager of Ipswich, however, as you already know, you’re not reading that blog. Rather, let’s consider the age old question “who the heck listens to James O’Brien on LBC?”, which can finally be answered with “Frank Lampard’s sister”.  From The Independent’s Mark Hughes :

Stung by press reports that his ex-girlfriend had labelled him “heartless”, the Chelsea and England midfielder telephoned a radio station yesterday to defend his personal conduct following his split with Elen Rives, the mother of his two daughters.

The story was discussed by LBC presenter James O’Brien on his morning phone-in show, prompting the Chelsea captain to call the radio station and berate him. Lampard, 30, said: “My sister just called me and said she was distressed by your comments calling me weak and scum. Is that right?”

O’Brien tried to explain his comments, but Lampard, clearly upset at the intrusion into his private life, said: “You don’t even know me.” The Premier League star was particularly incensed by O’Brien’s suggestion that he was a bad father and added: “Every penny I earn and every yard I run on the football pitch is for my kids. The hardest part of this whole break-up for me is not waking up with my kids every day.

“I hope that one day your wife or girlfriend doesn’t come to you and say, ‘I don’t want to be with you anymore, and unfortunately that means you won’t see the kids for a few days a week.’ That will hurt you.”

O’Brien admitted that it would “break my heart” and the footballer responded: “Yeah, and it’s breaking my heart. Do you think I’m happy?”

Lampard went on to say that yesterday was the first anniversary of his mother’s death. Pat Lampard died of pneumonia aged 58. He added: “That’s had a huge impact on my relationship at home. Today the only reason I ring you is because my sister is distressed. Do you think my sister needs to hear idiots like you … on the radio?”

The presenter said he was unaware of the date’s significance and “apologised unreservedly”. Lampard added: “Sometimes you should think about things before you speak about them.“