Ray Winstone's just been on The Danny Baker Show on BBC Radio 5 Live - I expect his floating head to pop out in front of me with betting odds for West Ham v Man City.

You've got about 20 minutes of listening time remaining - thanks for your "Can we have our ball back?" messages. Sadly trees can't return balls back from the clasp of their branches, I found out during my youth.

This morning we are working in tandem with The Danny Baker Show on BBC Radio 5 live and asking you to share your interesting anecdotes around having to ask the eternal question: "Can we have our ball back please?"

Nick Barlow:, external It was always about sending your mum to ask the neighbours for the ball back when it went over the fence for the third or forth time!

Tim Ward:, external Through a taxi window (I'd like to say it was aimed for but it wasn't), I had to pay the bloke minimum fare for it back. £1.80 for a £3 ball!

Gareth Jenkin:, external Neighbour cleaning the inside of his car, shot took a deflection and bounced off the inside of his car door, off his face and into the car smashing his rear view mirror. Whoops! Sent our mate's mum to ask for it back.

Get in touch on Twitter using #bbcfootball,, external send us a text on 81111 (UK only), or post a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook, external or Google+ pages., external

Liverpool full-back Jose Enrique started in the 3-2 win against QPR last week, but was not involved in the 3-0 defeat against Real Madrid.

That gave him time to do a bit of a shop. And with still six days to go before Halloween, the Spaniard has made sure that he beats the supermarket crowds on Merseyside to the necessary accessories...

"Ready for Halloween with our pumpkins," tweeted the defender. , external

Image source, Jose Enrique

This morning we are working in tandem with Danny Baker on BBC Radio 5 live and asking you to share your interesting anecdotes around having to ask the eternal question: "Can we have our ball back please?"

Tom from Runcorn: My brand new sponge ball went over the evil old lady at the bottom of the street's garden. So I got my dad to walk me down so she wouldn't kill me, she appreciated my honesty in not jumping over and gave us biscuits. Result!

Get in touch on Twitter using #bbcfootball,, external send us a text on 81111 (UK only), or post a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook, external or Google+ pages., external

Staying with El Clasico (do you blame us?) we today see La Liga's top goalscorer face the league's meanest goalkeeper nicknamed the 'Brick Wall' by Marca., external

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has 15 league goals in seven games, while Barcelona keeper Claudio Bravo is yet to concede a goal in eight appearances.

Real have scored 30 league goals, the most in the division, while no one has managed to breach Barca's backline.

Image source, Marca

Football Focus
BBC Sport

Football Focus begins its preview of the weekend's footballing action from 12:10 BST with Peter Schmeichel and Martin Keown on the sofa.

Then you can follow the goals as they go in with Steve Claridge and John Hartson on Final Score, available on the Red Button from 14:30, from 16:00 on BBC One for viewers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while viewers in Scotland can watch Sportscene from 16:00.

Later, Ruud Gullit and Danny Murphy will be in the studio for Match of the Day from 22:25.

And on Sunday, Match of the Day 2 Extra gets under way at 12:15 on BBC One, with Match of the Day 2 to follow at 22:30 for viewers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and at 23:20 for viewers in Scotland.

Image source, The Times

Luis Suarez is the cover star of today's sport section of The Times.

Ahead of today's El Clasico [17:00 BST kick-off with live text here on BBC Sport], Barca defender Gerard Pique, external reveals how he has been in awe of the Uruguayan since his arrival at the Nou Camp and is excited at the prospect of him making his long-awaited debut.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman says his players are dreaming of the Champions League.

Koeman believes £11m summer signing Dusan Tadic is the key man for the Saints according to the Daily Express., external

The 25-year-old Serbian scored one and assisted four goals in the Saints 8-0 thrashing of Sunderland which moved his side to third in the table ahead of today's visit of Stoke.

This morning we are working in tandem with The Danny Baker Show on BBC Radio 5 live and asking you to share your interesting anecdotes around having to ask the eternal question: "Can we have our ball back please?"

Scotty:, external Neighbour as a kid refused to give our ball back. We held his prized garden gnomes hostage until he did.

Ben Garland:, external Asking for our countless balls back from our German neighbours to be given a bin bag full of our stabbed footballs!

Peter Collins:, external For any team that went up against the great Barcelona under Pep Guardiola, can we have the ball, a ball, any ball back was a common complaint!

Get in touch on Twitter using #bbcfootball,, external send us a text on 81111 (UK only), or post a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook, external or Google+ pages., external

Image source, AFP

So where was I? Oh yes, Saturday's papers.

The Daily Express , externalsays Mario Balotelli will start for Liverpool against Hull.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is set to keep faith with the Italian despite his rather poor display against Real Madrid that saw Balotelli substituted at half-time in the 3-0 defeat.

Didn't one newspaper state on Friday that Balotelli had 68 days to save his Anfield career - make that 67.

Image source, (C) British Broadcasting Corporation

Hey fans of outrageous sporting moments and the FA Cup.

This week saw people salivate over Erik Lamela's wondrous 'rabona' effort against Ast.... Astera... the Greek side in the Europa League.

And since it's the final qualifying round of the FA Cup, we thought we would treat you to Trevor Sinclair's "outrageous" effort for QPR against Barnsley in 1997 - Tricky Trev got on his bike against the Tykes.

Watch it here.

This morning we are working in tandem with The Danny Baker Show on BBC Radio 5 live and asking you to share your interesting anecdotes around having to ask the eternal question: "Can we have our ball back please?"

Nev Carman:, external Can we have our ball back. It's a constant request on the pitch for Newcastle United. Big day tomorrow. Turning point or tipping point.

Get in touch on Twitter using #bbcfootball,, external send us a text on 81111 (UK only), or post a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook, external or Google+ pages., external

Image source, Getty Images

It's rare you see football autobiographies serialised and mentions of Mario Balotelli in newspapers....

In his autobiography, being serialised in the Daily Mirror, Sergio Aguero says Liverpool striker Balotelli regularly made the headlines for his off-the-pitch antics while at Manchester City because he felt insecure.

During his time at the Etihad Stadium, the Italy striker set off fireworks in his house, threw a dart at a youth team player and amassed parking fines which ran into thousands of pounds.

"A lot of his behaviour, I feel, came from a feeling he had that he was somehow different and maybe a little insecure, " said Aguero., external

"He used to say that nobody loved him and I'm sure he believed that was true, though it was anything but."

More on Balotelli in a bit...

BBC Radio 5 live

You can join BBC Radio 5 live from 12:00 BST for build-up to this weekend's footballing action, with live commentary from the 12:45 kick-off between West Ham and Manchester City to follow.

From 15:00 you can listen to full coverage of Liverpool v Hull, plus updates from around the grounds.

Reaction, reports and results follows in Sports Report from 17:00, before 606 brings you discussion and debate from 18:06.

And on Sunday, BBC Radio 5 live will have full commentary of the 13:30 kick-off between Tottenham v Newcastle and the 16:00 kick-off between Manchester United and Chelsea.

This morning we are working in tandem with The Danny Baker Show on BBC Radio 5 live and asking you to share your interesting anecdotes around having to ask the eternal question: "Can we have our ball back please?"

Guy Janaway:, external Asking for our ball back from an old grumpy Hungarian neighbour who would shout at us in Hungarian instead of giving it back.

Get in touch on Twitter using #bbcfootball,, external send us a text on 81111 (UK only), or post a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook, external or Google+ pages., external

Image source, Getty Images

The Daily Mirror, external reports that Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal is keen to sign Argentina defender Ezequiel Garay.

Van Gaal believes the 28-year-old, who plays for Zenit St Petersburg, is the man to fix the Reds' defence.

So that would be Rojo and Garay - get two more and Van Gaal will be able to build a hotel at Old Trafford... oh hang on... what was that Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville?

Read more football gossip at The Gossip Column.

Before we get stuck into Saturday's newspapers, fancy beating Lawro this week? If so, go to the BBC Football page to check out his latest Premier League predictions.

I'd also advise you to watch the video featuring celebrity predictors Mark Wright (ex The Only Way is Essex) and his Strictly Come Dancing expert dance partner Karen Hauer.

There's a clip of Hauer - in non-football and non-Strictly attire - scoring an absolutely cracking penalty at Scunthorpe's Glanford Park.

Image source, Getty Images

The football weekend actually started on Friday. And what a Friday for Fulham.

The Cottagers moved out of the Championship bottom three with a 3-0 win at home to Charlton.

Former Addick Scott Parker opened the scoring, before a Hugo Rodallega doubled sealed a fourth league win under caretaker boss Kit Symons.

Former Wales defender Symons is hoping to convince Fulham's hierarchy to name him manager full-time, saying: "I haven't checked my phone yet but I am very confident I'll get it.

"It has to be getting more difficult, with the team winning games, for the five-man panel not to see the obvious thing to do for this football club."

Kit on or Kit off, Fulham?

Image source, Getty Images

By the way, Danny Baker's Sausage Sandwich Game star is Barry Hayles. I loved watching Barry. The ex-Fulham striker is now playing non-league for Truro, who put him up for home games in a caravan. It's all about the flush in those structures.

Danny's co-host is oft-BBC football analyst Pat Nevin - if you thought the voice sounded familiar.

BBC Radio 5 live

Right, don't make a cuppa just yet. Our friends at The Danny Baker Show on BBC Radio 5 live, which is under way, are asking:

"Can We Have Our Ball Back Please?"

That's right. Who have you had to ask? Where have you had to collect your ball from? Interesting anecdotes?

I remember at primary school we used to play with a weird small yellow ball - it didn't even look like a football. If it landed within a few feet of the "older kids" they used to decide whether to give it back or kick it on to the roof. You can probably guess what was more fulfilling for them.

Post-school, we used to accidentally kick a ball into neighbours' gardens. Do you knock on the door first? Or just climb the wall/fence aka Eddie Murphy-style in Beverly Hills Cop?

Get in touch on Twitter using #bbcfootball,, external send us a text on 81111 (UK only), or post a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook, external or Google+ pages., external