Even in non-contact sports like tennis, people are always going out of the game for long periods Boris Becker’s wrist Agassi’s thingy Steffi Graf’s whatsit Monica Seles’s … “If you are for smoking, then presumably you are also for a connection with sport?”"Ah!” said Adrian “That’s all old hat now. Our new line is that sport is dangerous, and we in smoking want no more to do with a potential killer like contact sport.”"Hold on,” I said. “You’re saying that sport is the dangerous one, not smoking?”"Smoking causes disease,” said Adrian “We all know that We have as good as admitted it.

“I think it’s an excellent idea if smoking and sport are separated.”"So you are acting for the sports people in this? You’re on the side of health?”"No, no I am acting for the tobacco industry.”"Just a mo,” I said. I’m talking about the sports-and-smoking saga.”That made sense. Adrian was always likely to be seenwhere the smell of money was, and the news that smoking sponsorship was going to be banned from sporting events had sent waves of worry round the world of sport.”I take it you are all in favour of sponsorship being retained, and smoking logos being splashed all over the place?” I said.”Good Lord, no,” said Adrian. And never seen my name connected with it once.”"The Michael Howard story?” I said. “I didn’t know you were connected with that?”"That’s not a story,” said Adrian disgustedly “That’s a long-drawn-out obituary notice. Isn’t that an achievement ?”"Max Clifford is a contradiction in terms,” said Adrian, not answering the question directly, as is the wont of PR men. “He is a PR man who is better known than most of his clients.

Now, the PR man should always stay in the shadows and never be seen, but dear old Max has not always been totally able to resist the lure of the limelight and goes on TV and radio as often as you like Max Clifford has, in a sense, become his own client. Unwise, Max.”"And how about you, oh man in the shadows?”Adrian looked round him and lowered his voice.”Me? I’ve got the big news story of the week Up and running. “Dear old Max,” he said.It was the tone of voice that PR people use when they are about to put someone down.”You don’t approve of Max Clifford?” I said. “But I distinctly remember Max Clifford before the election saying that he was going to bring the Tory government down And now they are down.