CHEERS, FREDDIE!

In this age of overpaid and overpampered sports stars, who are afraid to enjoy so much as half a shandy for fear of incurring the wrath of "the gaffer," lets raise a glass for Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff.

The front page of the first edition of today's Evening Standard carries a picture of a bleary-eyed Flintoff, fag in one hand and pint of lager in the other.

The paper reports that the Ashes Man of the Series was still knocking back the booze at a central London hotel when most people were heading off to work.

Watching the England team's victory parade, I fear Freddie could topple from the upper deck of the open top bus at any moment.

Andrew Flintoff -- Cricketer, national icon, Lancastrian drunk. We salute you.