THAT WAS THE WEEKEND THAT WAS

RUMOURS Fact and fiction from the Sunday papers The bung-busters are out in force again, with Luton's former Danish international striker, Lars Elstrup, the focus of attention in the Sunday Mirror. The Inland Revenue is allegedly investigating Elstrup's moves from Odense to Luton and back again for fees of over £1m. The player, we discover, has dropped out of football and society, joining a religious cult. Oh well, it beats signing for Arsenal. . .

Kevin Keegan, the Newcastle manager, has warned his players against mixing with major criminals, says the Mail on Sunday. The guest list at the St James' Park players' bar is under strict scrutiny, it seems. The same paper suggests that Newcastle will move for Alan Shearer when his Blackburn contract expires in 1996.

Back-page splash in the People: "The sooner we get the sleaze and the pimps out of football, the better." Alan Smith, the Crystal Palace manager, has probably removed Chris Armstrong's agent from his Christmas-card list, after reports on Saturday that his top striker wants to move to Newcastle.

David Pleat will be the next Arsenal manager, according to the News of the World, when George Graham makes way. In the Sunday Mirror: Jurgen Klinsmann could return to Germany at the end of the season for a player-coach job at his old club, VfB Stuttgart,if Spurs fail to qualify for Europe; while Burnley, without a senior goalkeeper for Saturday's FA Cup tie against Liverpool, could call up 45-year-old Peter Shilton Quote of the weekend: ``That pitch was playable. I've been in football over 25 years andit's become a game for poofters.'' John Burridge, the Manchester City goalkeeper, after his side's game at Spurs was called off. He had been due to play in place of the flu-stricken Andy Dibble.

RECORDS Winning streaks: Premiership: Tottenham Hotspur 4. Endsleigh League: Bristol Rovers 5. Losing streaks: Premiership: Leicester City 3. Endsleigh League: Chester City 5.

Leading scorers (League games only): Premiership: Shearer (Blackburn), Fowler (Liverpool) 20. Endsleigh League: Bennett (Wrexham) 18.

Performance of the weekend Dundee United, who responded to reports that their manager, Ivan Golac, was on the brink of dismissal less than a year after winning the Scottish Cup, by thrashing third-placed Motherwell 6-1 in Scotland's Premier Division.