41.   With the transfer deadline looming, there is speculation Darlington could sell a player to ease debts.

42.   There was speculation on the Feethams terraces even before Alan Noble took over as chairman.

43.   The speculation might have been premature but Rioch has since applied for the job.

44.   There has been speculation that he might have been the ideal Tory candidate for the Hexham seat if he had not already given his allegiance to Langbaurgh.

45.   But by now, speculation was rife about the board, which appeared to have only one serving director, John Brockbank.

46.   There was speculation that former Sunderland manager Denis Smith could be ready to step in if Gray was ousted.

47.   There had been speculation that Mr Patten would miss a self-imposed deadline and postpone publication of the legislation to allow negotiations with Beijing.

48.   There has been considerable speculation about the position both of the Bank of Edinburgh and some of its shareholders.

49.   There was speculation that Barclays may now look to the US for a chief executive, given the limited availability of suitable candidates on this side of the Atlantic.

50.   But he stopped that when there was speculation that she would get a cabinet post if he won.