West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce has suggested that the long-held tradition of managers meeting for a chat after games is slowly fading away.
Allardyce this weekend faces up to Manchester United's Louis van Gaal, whose forebear Sir Alex Ferguson was historically renowned for sharing a glass of wine with opposing managers following the conclusion of the on-field action.
"My office door is always open but the sad thing is that lots of managers don't even bother anymore - and it's not just the foreign managers,' said Allardyce, according to the Daily Star.
"It's another tradition gone out of the window. I can understand it because there's so much media we have to do after a game.
"But it's a chance to talk, isn't it? It's not very long these days, five maybe 10 minutes, but it is a chance to chat that you don't often get. Maybe one day when Van Gaal settles in, he will come along - but it is a shame that it is slipping away from the game."
The Hammers face United on Sunday afternoon at Upton Park.
Christopher Dodd
