Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp and Peter Storrie, the Fratton Park club's chief executive, have been forced to turn down a wedding invitation from an old friend.
Milan Mandaric, Pompey's former owner, kindly invited the duo - and their wives - to his daughter's wedding in London next Saturday.
Once upon a time the Serbian businessman would not have needed to check the Portsmouth fixture list for future Pompey commitments.
He lived through many highs - as well as a few lows - with Redknapp and Storrie as his Fratton Park advisers.
Mandaric (right), now the supremo of Leicester City - who were relegated to League One eight days ago - sent the invites out about six weeks ago, the Mole hears.
The problem is that the Pompey duo have a rather pressing prior engagement on May 17 which they really cannot miss.
They've had to send polite apologies because they'll be at the FA Cup Final for Pompey's clash with Cardiff City at Wembley.
That Gordon Strachan's a real mischief-maker.
He had the Scottish media buzzing on Friday when responding to a question about how well the Celtic manager was sleeping as his team attempt to win their third consecutive title.
"Too well," was the wee man's reply. "It will be self-explanatory soon."
The hacks thought that meant he had a new job and that as a result he was no longer feeling the stress of managing one of the Old Firm.
In fact, Strachan was referring bizarrely to the fact that he had slept through a burglary at his home last Wednesday night.
If Steve Coppell's superstitious he'll know Kingsley the Lion is to blame for Reading's collapse.
Andy Hulbert was Reading's lion mascot until Christmas, when work commitments forced him to vacate the hot suit.
The Royals' fortunes have since nosedived, though Andy says: "I'll still be hoping for a miracle on Sunday."
You couldn't make it up. Which Premier League club's director of football recently made a bid for a young Championship star with the words: "I'm not sure of his name but we want to buy that bright young lad you've got."
The reply: "Which of our three bright young lads?" Cue silence at the other end of the line...
If Aaron Redmond makes his Test debut for New Zealand against England this week he'll be hoping to have more luck than his old man.
Redmond's father Rodney played one Test for the Kiwis against Pakistan in 1973 and hit a hundred in Christchurch.
He was never picked again.
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JONATHAN PEARCE
ALEC STEWART
THE MOLE