Is there a sports-person who has had as much success as this? - Kevin Maguire, BatleyQ. Is there a list of professional athletic records, ie from the days of the Powderhall sprint, etc? - Padraig O Snodaigh, DublinQ. In their first five games in the Premiership this season, Norwich City scored just one goal, but managed to obtain six points. Is this goal/point ratio some kind of record? - Tim Mickleburgh, GrimsbyQ. How far would one have to walk, cycle or swim to expend the same effort as running a marathon? - David Evans, KnowleIf you know the answers to any of these questions, or have a sporting question of your own you would like answered, write to:Q & ASports DeskIndependent on Sunday40 City RoadLondon EC1Y 2DBFax: 071-956 1894. Tottenham Hotspur .1 Dumitrescu 32 Nottingham Forest. .4Stone 10, Roy 53, 70, Bohinen 79Attendance: 24,558IT WAS a day when Nottingham Forest stepped out of the shadows to show just how quickly these saplings are growing.

As Newcastle took breath in their breathtaking start to the season, Forest closed the gap at the top of the Premiership to two points and while Jurgen Klinsmann may be the Spur of the moment, Bryan Roy demonstrated that he is among the most influential of imports.The Dutchman scored twice to take Forest to their fifth win in seven unbeaten games, condemning Tottenham to their fourth defeat in five matches after they had opened with two wins. Perhaps the FA deducting six points at the start of every month might serve to stiffen them.Forest's performance was at first clever, then clinical, interrupted by a mid-period when they conceded an equaliser and were fortunate not to fall behind, Teddy Sheringham missing his third consecutive penalty. But in Roy's rampant runs from deep, Stan Collymore's expanding awareness of colleagues and Steve Stone's unselfish providing, Forest had the mixture of talents that deserved to win the match.In their best periods, they reeled in the Spurs attack, before countering incisively and exploiting a weakness on the left flank of midfield, in which Gica - as he wishes to be known - Popescu made an isolated home debut. In turn, Forest limited the damage on their own weak right flank with a stronger work ethic.It took them only nine minutes to open the scoring. Collymore, elegant and explosive, crossed from the left and Stone, making amends for an even earlier missed chance, lost Justin Edinburgh and drove home.Tottenham equalised after 32 minutes when Ilie Dumitrescu finally took centre-stage. Taking Edinburgh's pass, he went round Colin Cooper and squeezed home a shot at the near post from a narrow angle.It seemed that now the real Spurs their supporters imagine them to be might stand up. Just before half-time, Dumitrescu was brought down by Des Lyttle but Sheringham's penalty was turned aside by Mark Crossley diving to his right.

Now they will seek a new taker, the Spurs manager Ossie Ardiles said; on this evidence Klinsmann will claim the job, so few other chances did he get to add to his 10 goals.In the second half, the real Spurs did stand up. 'We committed defensive suicide,' said Ardiles, who warned that heads will roll. 'The first three goals were the product of big individual mistakes.'After only four minutes, Stone shrugged off Micky Hazard on the right and Roy dived to head home his low cross. His second came similarly, Edinburgh the Spurs culprit on the left, Roy driving Stone's cross emphatically into the roof of the net with his left foot.'I had a few words at half- time,' Frank Clark, the Forest manager, said. 'I had to raise my voice at Bryan to get him back into position. When he gets the ball and runs at defences he is very difficult to deal with.'So too is Lars Bohinen who crowned the game with a beautifully chipped goal from 25 yards after a penetrating run 12 minutes from time.Forest defended in such depth that Tottenham were restricted to long-range shots by Darren Anderton and the odd speculative, spectacular overhead kick from Klinsmann. Instead they were handed a lesson about the importance of industry to even the most talented of teams when not in possession.It was supposed to be a relief to see football at White Hart Lane, a pleasure even The pleasure was all Forest's.(Photograph omitted).

WHEN Nick Faldo was at peace with himself and the world he wanted the paying cognoscenti to say: 'I saw Nick Faldo play golf.' Unless you are Richard Branson or related to the Wright brothers, you had better hurry up. The former world No 1 who announced here that he will be a card-carrying member of the US Tour next year, had a relatively successful time yesterday in the third round of the Lancome Trophy on a course that probably wouldn't figure in his top 500. He shot 66, a route that he will be taking next season, and then blamed the Fourth Estate for driving him down that road Faldo was in a fury: 'You've ruined it for me,' he said. 'The way you portrayed me made me look stupid with a capital F'Last week he volunteered the view that the European Tour was lagging behind America, most of the courses weren't up to scratch and he was thinking of defecting. In response, Mark James and Mark Roe volunteered the view that Faldo was talking out of his hat. James said that the leading players were 'dominated by money to a ridiculous degree'. Roe accused Faldo of hypocrisy in that it wasn't the quality of the courses that dictated his schedule, but whether he received appearance money.The backlash infuriated Faldo and yesterday he got it off his chest with a vengeance. Asked if his decision to move to America was an easy one, he replied: 'The easiest in the world after the shit thrown at me last week.' Two days ago he said he was 'disgracefully treated' at Woburn Asked to elaborate yesterday he said: 'Yes, by you lot You totally took the wrong end of the stick You've ruined it for me I can't come in and say anything constructively.