From racing his siblings round the backyard as a toddler to celebrating his sole World Championship crown with his tearful dad on the back of his bike, motorcycling and family were the inseparable constants in Nicky Hayden's life.

Raised in a biking family in the same Kentucky town that was home to seven Nascar drivers and actor Johnny Depp, Hayden and his siblings would spend four hours a day riding on their own home circuit from the age of three.
Practice made perfect. One of only six men to win the MotoGP title this century, Hayden provided the sport with one of its most memorable finales when he pipped Valentino Rossi to the 2006 crown.
Hayden, who has died at the age of 35, five days after a collision with a car while cycling in Italy, never again got close to the championship but remained one of the sport's most popular riders.
"When I was a little kid I never wanted to be a firefighter or anything else - just a world champion," he said.
"The idea of growing up to be a world champion, it just seemed so far away. But dream big, and dreams do come true."
Hayden, along with brothers Tommy and Roger, turned professional after years of home schooling on the track at 'Earl's Lane' - the name for their home in Owensboro, nestled on the Ohio river.
It was no fluke that all three became pro riders. Dad Earl was a dirt track racer for more than 20 years and mum Rose and sisters Jenny and Kathleen also competed.
"I was bred into it. Bikes are more than just a job for us. It's a way of life," Hayden told the BBC in 2013.
"When I won the title I went to my pit box before the awards ceremony, and there was the banner that said, 'Nicky Hayden, World Champion,' and I just lost it.
"My parents gave up a lot, and there are a lot of bumps and bruises and it hurts sometimes. So you definitely have to be prepared to suffer a bit.
"It's not always just a big cupcake ride."
Family remained foremost for Hayden, who would often make the long trip back to Kentucky from Europe throughout the season to spend time with them.
He listed the 2001 Springfield TT - a dirt-bike race which saw all three brothers finish on the podium - as one of his career highlights, despite the fact that Tommy won.
His three-word Twitter biography perhaps sums it up best: "Bikes and Family."
With his distinctive Appalachian twang and broad smile, Hayden was popular the world over for his friendly, self-deprecating charm as much as his speed.
Former team-mate Rossi called Hayden "one of my best friends in racing" earlier this week.
"He never changed, from the first moment I met him as a 17-year-old kid to world champion," said former BBC commentator Steve Parrish.
"He was very relaxed. He had an amazing year when he won the championship - I don't think I've ever seen anyone more joyous to win a title.
"His dad got on the back of his bike, they were both in tears. That's the overriding memory of Nicky that I will remember. It was a dream picture - he achieved the greatest title in motorcycle racing.
"I never heard anyone have a bad word to say about him which in racing is unusual, most riders at one time or another cross swords with other riders. It's the name of the game."
He left MotoGP at the end of the 2015 season to join Honda in World Superbike, and raced in Italy the weekend before his accident.
Last year Hayden got engaged to his girlfriend, actress Jackie Marin, who was with him in hospital, along with Rose and Tommy.
Former MotoGP rider James Toseland said there was "nobody better in the sport."
"He has my complete respect," he said. "He was always the first on the track at every test, and the last off it.
"He was a guy with so much dedication, passion, drive and motivation and was so humble with it all, even after being a world champion. It never changed him one bit.
"Nicky was the shining star among the three successful brothers, but if you were in a bar with all three of them you wouldn't know that. They were all so close.
"The glass was always half full with him. He had that confidence and a natural, ambitious personality, he was infectious.
"His biggest achievement is not the trophies he won, or the championship, it was the respect he got from his peers. The way everybody talks about Nicky Hayden speaks volumes for the type of person he was."


Wigan Athletic stretched their unbeaten run in League One to 18 games as they saw off a resilient 10-man Rochdale.

Everton loanee Conor McAleny poked home the only goal of the game midway through the second half after Yanic Wildschut's initial effort hit the bar.
Rochdale played for almost an hour with 10 men after Ian Henderson was sent off for kicking out at Jason Pearce.
Henderson's red card was his second in three games, having been sent off in Rochdale's win at Oldham.
Dale goalkeeper Josh Lillis kept the score goalless with a string of fine saves until McAleny, who came on as a half-time substitute, was left with the easiest of finishes into an empty net.
The striker should have made it 2-0 late on but struck the ball straight at Lillis when clean through.
Second-placed Wigan are now just one point behind leaders Burton Albion who travel to Millwall on Monday evening.
Wigan Athletic manager Gary Caldwell told BBC Radio Manchester:
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"The score reads 1-0 and that's the most important thing at this stage, that we are winning games.
"I thought we showed great desire and determination in a game where both teams didn't look at their best, but we managed to grind it out and get over the line.
(On the red card) "I think Jason Pearce has tried to win the ball and clearly fouled him. That's a yellow card in anybody's book. I'd be very disappointed if any of my players reacted the way their player reacted. You can't do that in football, everybody knows that. I think the referee got it spot on."
Rochdale boss Keith Hill told BBC Radio Manchester:
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"It's difficult enough with 11 players against Wigan, but when you're down to 10 men, unfairly as well, it probably gives Wigan more of an opportunity to win the game.
"The way the referee came to decision with the fourth official is beyond me, because I don't think the referee saw anything.
"Wigan have got a very good squad of players and are capable of winning the league, but I thought we were a fair match today, even with 10 men.
"I think we're in great form. We haven't had a good result today, but if we take our form into the next seven games, we'll pick up points."


Michael Bisping has said becoming Britain's first UFC champion would mean "everything" to him.

The 37-year-old from Lancashire has been a mixed martial arts fighter for 12 years, but gets his first title shot when he faces middleweight champion Luke Rockhold of America on Saturday.
"A world title has eluded the UK so far," he told BBC Three.
"The sport's grown in the UK and is still growing. A UK champion would help push the sport to the next level."
Watch on BBC Three: Bisping, Dana White and an entertaining press conference
Bisping is reportedly one of the UFC's best-paid competitors with more than $6m (£4.1m) in career earnings, but does not have the same notoriety in Britain as he does in the US.
He was a late replacement to face Rockhold in the main event at UFC 199 in Las Vegas, after Chris Weidman pulled out with a herniated disc.
"I want to be world champion for personal reasons," he said. "But I want to represent the UK and England. I'm proud to represent Britain on a world stage."
Bisping has won 29 of his 36 career fights, but had always fallen short of earning a title shot.
His last opportunity to become number one contender came against Rockhold, when he was forced into a submission by the American in the second round of a bout in November 2014.
But the former plasterer has gone on to win three successive fights - including February's unanimous decision win over former champion Anderson Silva in London.
"My confidence is high. Now I get to fight Rockhold, I get to get revenge and redemption and set the record straight," he said. "And I get to be world champion all at the same time. I've got a lot to play for.
"I've fought in hostile territory before and - I may regret saying this - but I think there will be a few people on my side. The support I'm feeling for this fight is tremendous."


When the curtain falls on opening night, there will be a collective sigh of relief at the newly-refurbished Theatre Royal in Dumfries.

Not least because now, 10 months before the building reopens following its renovation, there is no curtain.
But that is a minor hurdle for the volunteers who have already raised the £1.9m needed to fund the comprehensive facelift.
In their final push to finish the theatre, The Guild of Players, the volunteers who own the building, are breaking with the fundraising norm.
They hope to raise about £20,000 in cash donations but they have also appealed for donations of the physical items they need to create a working theatre.
In addition to a good quality stage curtain, the guild has drawn up a wish list of items including computers for a media suite, a washing machine for cleaning costumes and a industrial freezer for storing interval ice cream.
Group member Kristen Layne said: "In terms of props and theatre-type things, we have a tonne of that which will be going back in. We are certainly not starting from scratch.
"What we need is things like tables and chairs in the bar. We have always just had folding tables because we had multi-use rooms.
"And we'll have a much bigger lobby - we never had room before for chairs and counters."
The guild hope they can persuade businesses to donate large items and that individual supporters will make cash donations.
They are also looking to make money from selling props, costumes and other theatre paraphernalia which has accumulated in the building.
In their first jumble sale they raised £800. Amongst the items on sale were ties in "50 shades of grey" and about 60 waistcoats.
Ms Layne said: "Things like that get accumulated but it wasn't until we got it all accumulated at our new base at the Crichton that we realised we had so many duplicates."
Built in 1792, the Theatre Royal is acknowledged as the oldest working theatre in Scotland but it has been closed for the last year.
The group received a series of grants and donations, including an award of £322,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to finance building work which will see the theatre expand into two neighbouring houses.
They hope to open the theatre for the 2015 pantomime season, before an official opening in early 2016.


More than 150 years after the first Welsh settlers landed in Argentina, a woman from Conwy county has helped end the mystery of one of the first arrivals in Patagonia.

In 1995, construction workers in Puerto Madryn unearthed human remains.
Physiological evidence as well as artefacts found nearby suggested they were those of Catherine Roberts, who arrived in Argentina aboard the Mimosa on 28 July 1865 along with 152 other Welsh people looking for a new life.
But a positive DNA identification only became possible this year after researchers traced her descendants to Nia Olwen Ritchie in Cerrigydrudion.
Now, firefighter Nia's 12,000-mile (19,300km) journey to discover her ancestor is to be shown in a documentary for Argentinian television.
Ricardo Preve, producer of The Patagonian Bones, said: "The mystery of Catherine Roberts's bones was a detective story that needed solving and it has captivated me for some time now.
"Finding Nia was essential to confirming the DNA connection but we did not bank on the help she was able to give us on the ground in Wales and her wonderful enthusiasm in helping to tell this intriguing story."
Catherine Roberts was 36 in 1865 when she paid the princely sum of Â£12 for her journey from Liverpool to Patagonia.
The ageing clipper Mimosa had not been designed to carry passengers and the voyage took two months.
Conditions upon arrival were little better and apart from a small advance party, the region of the Chubut Valley where they landed was completely uncolonised.
Chronicles of the earliest Welsh settlers detail how Catherine was the first of the newcomers to die on Patagonian soil, although they do not mention exactly where she was buried.
Suspicions were first raised that the skeleton discovered in 1995 may have been hers when a ring and button discovered in the grave were found to have been of Welsh origin.
The chronicles also describe how the earliest Welsh coffins were constructed from pine salvaged from a shipwreck - fragments of the same Scotch Pine were found in Catherine's grave.
Examinations of the bones found they were of the correct age and size, and also revealed a distinctive abnormality of the jaw bone which can be seen in the only known photograph of Catherine, taken shortly before she set sail.
Despite world-renowned forensic anthropologist Dr Carlos Vullo managing to sequence female DNA from the skeleton, the trail went cold because none of Catherine's female descendants could be traced.
Eventually a 10-year "woman hunt" led Ricardo Preve and Dr Vullo to Nia.
"I was amazed to be contacted in this way but fascinated by the story of my ancestor and really wanted to help where I could," Nia said.
"Before I flew to Argentina in April for the DNA testing I welcomed Ricardo Preve to north Wales and during March I showed him various locations for his documentary, including the ruins of Catherine's home in Llandrillo and the chapel where her mother is buried.
"At that stage we did not know if the bones belonged to Catherine but all the early signs looked positive.
"I was absolutely thrilled when they were confirmed.
"It is a fitting end to her story and wonderful to know that she can be properly laid to rest now and not end her days in a research lab."
From those first 153 settlers, today it is thought there are about 50,000 people with Welsh heritage in Patagonia - about 5,000 of those are Welsh-speakers.
Mr Preve is now hoping to sign an agreement with UK broadcasters so English and Welsh versions of the documentary can be shown in time for the 150th anniversary of the migration in July.


Lewis Hamilton says he feels no tension with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg despite their crash together at the previous race in Spain.

The two talked on their arrival in Monaco on Wednesday ahead of Sunday's race and Hamilton said the incident was in the past.
"It's fine," said Hamilton. "In the past, there would have been tension but there was just pure respect.
"I said, 'I still have all the respect for you,' and he said the same."
Hamilton added: "It doesn't change anything about how we approach racing."
BBC Radio 5 live In Short: Me & Rosberg are cool - Hamilton
That is a change from the aftermath of previous incidents between the two, after which there has been lingering bad feeling.
Asked why it was different now, Hamilton said: "It is always good to discuss things. As a team we did, in Barcelona and then at the factory I guess individually, and then Nico and I spoke just now.
"But I didn't feel we had to, because there is no issue. we just move on, there is nothing you can do about the past."
He added: "We didn't talk through the incident. We don't need to. We know what happened. We experienced it. We know how we felt about it before.
"We are not like the more emotional beings on the planet who talk about things, we don't do that.
"We arrived very cool and chilled and spoke. All we need to know is the respect is still there and we are going to keep racing. And that's all we had to say.
"We have a long career left with racing with another.  You have to assume there is going to be more but we are competitors and we're racing.
"There are going to be lots of close encounters and we are just going to try our best that affects our results. Every scenario is different. This is the one we are faced with now. We are getting past it in a positive manner."
In contrast, Rosberg refused to say whether he and Hamilton had discussed the incident and its aftermath.
"If we have spoken or not, that needs to be kept internal," he said. "But it is a thing of the past now.
"I am going to take the same approach as always and do what's necessary to try to win this grand prix, which is what I have come here to do."
Hamilton is 43 points behind Rosberg heading into the Monaco weekend after a difficult start to the season, and has not won a race since he clinched the title at the US Grand Prix last October.
He said: "If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, there will be many more opportunities. There are opportunities still there.
"There are still 16 races and you have to look at that. The glass, rather than it being half full is 10% full. And there is still the rest of that to fill up."
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The daily commute from Finchley to Russell Square by Behnaz Mozakka was for a job she loved.

Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital was her destination on 7 July, where she worked as a biomedical officer.
The Iranian-born 47-year-old had lived in Finchley for 13 years.
And her death on the Piccadilly Line Tube train that morning has devastated her family.
Her husband, Nader Mozakka, whom she had met while they were at university in Tehran and married in 1979, said: "She was a very peaceful person and hated violence. She was hugely loved. This has left a big hole in our lives."
The family were initially told she had survived for up to 45 minutes after the explosion, but at the inquest in October 2010, it was revealed that she had died instantly.
Speaking in court at the inquest five years after her death, Mrs Mozakka's daughter Saba, who was 24 when she lost her mother, said that she, her father Nader and her brother Saeed had been "shattered" by the death.
"Following her murder, we were forced to sell our family home, because the reality of living there without her was too painful to cope with.
"The three of us now live separately, and while we are still very close to the family and love each other dearly, our glue has been taken away from us," she said.
Miss Mozakka said she had suffered post traumatic stress disorder after her mother's murder and missed her every day.
"I cannot imagine marrying without my mother being there to plan and share my day. I cannot fathom having a family without her, my mother, to support me."
She said although her mother loved her job and was very good at it, her priority was the family and, in 1991, she gave up science to take a job at Save the Children so that she could spend more time with them.
"She never thought twice about making sacrifices for her family. My mother was very devoted to us, her family."
Eight years later, Mrs Mozakka started work at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.
Laura Hamilton, who worked with Mrs Mozakka for more than four years at the hospital, said Mrs Mozakka - who was known as Nazy - had started working there a week before her and had helped her settle in.
"She really was like the mum of the lab, helping out with any problems, a friendly shoulder when you needed some advice.
"She was such a kind and caring person, with something nice to say about everyone."
The inquest heard that the hospital created a roof garden in memory of Mrs Mozakka.
"This is a beautiful garden which is a tribute to my mum, who loved the outdoors and always felt very passionately that staff did not have enough green space," her daughter said.
She said that following the death, Mrs Mozakka's mother became extremely unwell and never recovered.
She said she had worked hard to keep her mother's memory alive, working with the government to design and create a permanent memorial to the victims of the 7/7 bombings in London's Hyde Park.
"While I am incredibly proud of what we have managed to achieve, I wished every day, during every single meeting, every single board meeting, that I didn't have to be involved in this project.
"The horror and brutality of having someone you love so much hurt in this way can never be explained," she said.


British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton has "unfinished business" in the tour decider against New Zealand.

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Welshman Warburton missed the series-clinching third Test win over Australia in 2013 with a hamstring injury.
"It feels like all the sacrifice over the past four years and all the little things I have done have come to this moment," Warburton told BBC Sport.
The Lions were easily beaten by the All Blacks in the first Test but claimed victory in the second.
Warburton was on the bench for the opener in Auckland, which ended 30-15 to the hosts, having suffered an ankle injury against the Provincial Barbarians, but returned to the starting XV for the thrilling 24-21 triumph in Wellington.
The 28-year-old has been beset by injuries in recent years, missing six weeks at the end of the domestic season with a knee injury, while in October 2016 he suffered a fractured cheekbone that put him out of action for three weeks.
"I am delighted that my body has held up more than anything," said the Cardiff Blues flanker. "That is half the battle with me, my fitness.
"I was delighted when I heard my name read out for the third Test and to have the chance to finish a Test series and potentially to win it.
"For me four years ago does feel like unfinished business because I was gutted I could not play that third game - even though I was over the moon and it was a career highlight to win, you still, as a player want to be involved in that and have your small contribution to the game.
"So for the past four years in the back of my mind I have set my sights on this tour and I wanted to be in the Test team and play in the last game."
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Rangers have demanded an independent investigation into the "shameful scenes" at the Scottish Cup final.

A statement from the club says Rangers FC players and backroom staff were physically and verbally assaulted when Hibernian fans invaded the pitch at the end of Saturday's game.
The club said it was "incomprehensible" that no-one from the Scottish FA or Hibernian had condemned the violence.
It also hit out at Nicola Sturgeon for not condemning Hibs fans.
The statement accused the football authorities of trying to "gloss over" the incident.
Hibs won the cup final at Hampden Stadium 3-2.
The Edinburgh club's first cup win since 1902 was marred by thousands of fans invading the pitch at full-time.
The police brought horses on to the Hampden pitch to control the crowds, including a section from the Rangers end of the ground.
The pitch invasion delayed the presentation of the trophy and there was no lap of honour for Hibs players.
Rangers players were not able to pick up their cup final medals.
A Rangers statement on Sunday evening said: "We have not even had the courtesy of any contact whatsoever from Hibernian to ask after the wellbeing of those who were attacked by their club's supporters."
It continued: "What unfolded on Saturday cannot and must not be put down to exuberance. That is a complete insult to Rangers, our supporters, and those individuals who were intimidated and attacked."
The Rangers statement goes on to condemn the failure of the Scottish FA's "inadequate" security arrangements.
The Glasgow club acknowledged that a "tiny minority" of their supporters encroached on to the pitch but said this was after "prolonged and severe provocation and in order to protect our players and officials who were being visibly attacked in front of them".
Rangers added: "It is to be hoped that all of Scottish football will share Rangers' disgust and any attempts to attach blame to our supporters for the disgraceful and violent behaviour, which led to our players and fans fearing for their safety, will not be accepted or tolerated by this club."
The statement said the Rangers fans were "goaded and threatened" by Hibs fans who had rushed to their end of the ground. It said it was "preposterous to suggest Rangers fans were somehow to blame as some commentators appear anxious to do".
The Rangers statement also hit out at Scottish government ministers, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who had passed comment on social media without condemning the behaviour of Hibs fans.
Ms Sturgeon, whose husband Peter Murrell is a Hibs supporter, wrote on Twitter: "Congratulations @HibsOfficial - my other half @PeterMurrell is just one of thousands of happy Hibees tonight. #ScottishCupFinal."
Media outlets, including the BBC, were also targeted in the Rangers statement.
After Saturday's game, Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan said: "Scottish FA is appalled by the scenes of disorder on the field immediately after full time and at the contemptible behaviour that ensued.
"What should have been an historic, memorable Scottish Cup final will now, sadly, be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
"The Scottish FA, along with Police Scotland and the stadium management have initiated a full investigation into the scenes that unfolded to understand how such a volume of supporters were able to enter the field."
Police Scotland has set up a specialist team to investigate the disorder and said 11 arrests had so far been made for minor offences.


Walt Disney's chief executive has warned that a trade war between the US and China would be bad for business.

China is increasingly important for the firm's movie and merchandise sales.
And it says Disneyland Shanghai - its first theme park in mainland China - was one of its "biggest success stories in 2016."
But there are fears protectionist policies being pursued by US President Donald Trump could set off a trade war between the two countries.
During his election campaign, Mr Trump threatened to impose a 45% tariff on Chinese imports, to try and tackle what he sees as an increasingly unbalanced economic relationship between the nations.
"An all-out trade war with China would be damaging to Disney's business and to business in general," Disney's chief executive Bob Iger told CNBC.
He was also critical of an executive order signed by Mr Trump barring migrants and refugees from several Muslim countries.
"We cannot shut our borders to immigrants," he said.
The comments came as Disney reported overall sales unexpectedly falling to $14.8bn (Â£11.8bn) in the three months to the end of December,  which is 3% lower than the same period a year ago.
It blamed a drop in advertising earnings at its cable network ESPN and a 7% fall in revenues at its movie business.
Disney's shares initially dropped 2% in after hours trading.
Since it opened its gates last June, Disneyland Shanghai has received more than 7 million visitors.
The firm reported tickets had been sold out over most of the Lunar New Year holiday period which began ten days ago.


Greece's new left-wing leaders are trying to persuade eurozone officials and governments to renegotiate the terms of their country's €240bn (£182bn) bailout.

They have already had a setback from the European Central Bank, which says it will stop accepting Greek government bonds in return for lending money to Greek banks.
So what do we know so far about Greece's plans to cut its debt, which stands at more than €320bn, around 174% of Greece's economic output?
Greece does not want to extend the programme or receive new payments under the existing programme, which ends on 28 February.
But it does want to receive the profits the European Central Bank (ECB) has made on buying Greek government bonds, government debt traded in the markets. This is money which has been promised to Greece but not yet handed over and is worth €1.9bn.
Greece will not run out of money straight away. The government says it can pay the bills until June when a payment to the ECB of €3.5bn is due on some of those bonds the ECB holds. Tax revenues are now enough to cover government spending apart from debt payments - it's called "primary surplus".
But the end of February could still be problematic. The ECB could cut back on the loans it and the national central bank in Athens make to Greek banks, if the government does not get an extension to the bailout programme. In view of the uncertainty, the ECB has already decided to stop accepting Greek government bonds as collateral for lending to banks.
Key dates for Greek government's diary
ECB money - called reserves - is one of the foundations of a banking system, so they always need it.  But the banks need to borrow more now because deposits are being withdrawn. Private sector deposits at Greek banks fell by €4bn in December according to official figures and banking sources say they fell €11bn in January.
So far the ECB has taken steps that make it a bit harder and more expensive to borrow central bank money.
But if the ECB pulls the plug completely, that could lead to the banks failing. That in turn would mean a severe financial crisis in Greece. The government would then have to consider reintroducing the drachma or draconian restrictions on the movement of funds out of Greece. Most analysts think it won't come to that, but it is conceivable.
If the money from the ECB stops, Greek banks can get funds from the national central bank in the form of emergency liquidity assistance (ELA). But the ECB can veto that and has threatened to do so in the past, ahead of bailout agreements for Ireland and Cyprus.
It has not been spelled out in detail but reports suggest the Greek government would like payments on some of the debt to be linked to Greek economic growth - the more it grows, the more interest is paid. And then bonds held by the ECB would be replaced by "perpetual bonds". Regular interest would be paid indefinitely but they would never be repaid.
Greece's new leaders also want to use Treasury bills - short-term government bonds that do not pay interest until maturity - as a source of funds. The government wants the current €15bn cap on T-bills to be raised by €8bn. But the ECB is reluctant to allow this, according to the Financial Times.
Reports in the Greek media also suggest the government might after all be willing to tap funds agreed as part of the controversial European bailout programme that have not yet been paid.
Meanwhile, there are reports that Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis wants a so-called called "bridging" programme - a four month period in which the ECB would continue to support the Greek banks while a fuller reform programme is developed.
There are options that could ease the repayment burden - reducing interest rates and extending the repayment period or perhaps the debt swap envisaged by the government.
It is possible to argue, though not very convincingly, that it isn't really debt forgiveness, which makes it easier for Germany and others to accept. It has been done before for Greece.
The Greek government's financing proposals are part of wider plan presented to the eurozone finance ministers. Other elements include less stringent budget targets and a new set of economic reforms to be discussed with the Organisation for Economics Cooperation and Development.
Other eurozone finance ministers are very wary of such departures from the plans agreed with previous Greek governments.
There is a large number of different moving parts - political, financial and economic - and a great deal of uncertainty about what will emerge. None of the key players wants Greece to leave the euro, but it might just happen. One German expert said the probability of "Grexit" has climbed from virtually zero to 20%. In other words, still unlikely but certainly possible.
A lawyer at the ECB has suggested there is no legal basis for Greece being forced out of the euro.  And if it were to leave the euro, under the law as it is, it would also have to leave the EU.
In practice, however, a country whose banks were cut off by the ECB would have little choice but to go back to its own currency or introduce capital controls.


A union is considering industrial action over a Translink consultation on railway changes.

Translink is "inviting the public to tell them how they use local NI Railways services to help plan network changes to be introduced this summer".
It focuses on early morning, evening and Saturday services on the Bangor-Portadown, Newry and Larne lines.
Unite said it was a "rubber-stamping exercise designed to provide political cover for damaging austerity cuts".
The union's Davy McMurray said there were "no clear proposals" in Translink's questionnaire for passengers.
"The public information meetings have not been publicly advertised and are timed to exclude the public; for example that (the meeting) in Portadown runs from 7.30am-10am," he said.
"What's worse is that many towns which will be affected by cuts such as Lisburn, Newry and Whitehead have no planned information events at all."
Mr McMurray said it was a "bogus consultation exercise geared to providing a fig leaf for their preordained but undisclosed cuts to bus and rail services".
He said Unite representatives at Translink would meet early next week "to agree an industrial action strategy with the aim of protecting our members' jobs and defending the integrity of Northern Ireland's public transport system".
Translink marketing executive Ciaran Rogan said the consultation was "part of our overall strategy to address current funding challenges".
"An Ulsterbus services consultation is already under way and last week we also launched a voluntary exit scheme that will cut our management, overhead and administration costs by £3.1m annually," he said.
"The information we get from passengers will be very important to us; we want to continue to offer accessible and good value services where customers need them while ensuring we remain efficient and sustainable for the future."
He added: "It is extremely important that our customers participate in this process and contribute to shaping the future of our local train services."
Translink is holding a series of public meetings as part of its consultation that runs until 1 May:


A Labour government could ban companies from paying dividends to shareholders unless they pay workers the living wage, Jeremy Corbyn has said.

He said in a speech to a think tank too much profit from economic growth had gone to those at the top of society.
The Labour leader was explaining his strategy to tackle pay inequality and "institutionalise fairness" in Britain.
He later told the Unite union in Scotland the Tories wanted to "tip the scales further" in favour of bosses.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said Mr Corbyn "seems committed on ripping apart our business sector in pursuit of an egalitarian fantasy".  A Conservative Party spokesman called Labour a "clear threat to our economic security".
Addressing the left-of-centre Fabian Society, Mr Corbyn said: "Only profitable employers will be paying dividends; if they depend on cheap labour for those profits then I think there is a question over whether that is a business model to which we should be turning a blind eye."
CBI chief of staff Matthew Fell said: "The idea of politicians stepping into the relationship between a private company and its shareholders would be a significant intervention, and not one that we would support."
Almost six million workers in the UK are currently paid less than the living wage - an informal benchmark promoted by the Living Wage Foundation, which is currently £8.25 an hour and £9.40 in London.
The government has announced a compulsory National Living Wage for people over 25 starting at £7.20 an hour in April this year, with a target of reaching more than £9 an hour by 2020.
Mr Corbyn said imposing "pay ratios" between those at the top and those at the bottom of a company's pay scale could be another option for creating a fairer society.
He said: "A more equal society is not only fairer, it does better in terms of economic stability and wealth creation."
The Labour leader also used his speech to attack the Conservatives, accusing them of "running the state into the ground" for ideological reasons.
"Their concept of fairness is of a very different order to ours," he said. "Fairness for only a few is not fairness, but privilege."
In his address to Unite's Scottish conference in Glasgow, Mr Corbyn repeated his call, saying companies should "pay the living wage to the workers first and the dividend later on".
He also said a future Labour government would repeal the Trade Union Bill currently going through Parliament, and extend employees' rights.
Mr Corbyn repeated his promise to renationalise the railways, which he said would bring down fares.
And he said the way to cut energy bills for consumers and transition to carbon-free energy was to restore "democratic control" of the energy companies.
Seema Malhotra, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, told the BBC Mr Corbyn was not announcing "something that is Labour policy" adding "it was an idea" to provoke debate.
Mr Corbyn had said party members and supporters would decide whether his proposals were worth adopting.
"Our... membership has doubled since that [general election] defeat in May; our party is in a process of regenerating - a difficult process of adjustment for us all at times, but a huge opportunity to breathe life into all sections of the party and draw on the collective wisdom of all."
BBC News politics reporter Matt Cole said the speech was a way for Mr Corbyn to regain the political initiative following  the shadow cabinet reshuffle over which three of his front-bench team resigned.
He said the "most eye-catching plan", the proposals on dividends, received a warm welcome from Labour supporters happy to move on from what may have seemed like unending internal party rows.


A £2m new health hub in one of the most deprived areas of Swansea has been given the go ahead eight years after it was marked as a "priority".

It will replace the current GP surgery on Pen y Graig Road, Mayhill, which was deemed not fit for purpose in 2007, along with the family centre.
Swansea council said the hub would "transform health and social care for thousands".
The new building should open in October 2017.
In Mayhill every one in two children live in poverty, according to council statistics and Welsh Communities Secretary Carl Sargeant said the new centre would give children the "best start in life".
Surveys indicate the current surgery had a backlog maintenance figure of £127,000 in 2010, with the current 30-year-old family centre vulnerable to vandalism.
Plans for the joint health and family centre were first put forward in October 2012 but hit numerous delays due to funding uncertainties.
Councillors accepted a recent offer of £167,000 of extra grant funding from the Welsh Government for the scheme, on top of a £400,000 grant awarded back in 2012.
The project is being delivered by a partnership between Swansea council and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, who will fund the running of the GP surgery.
Council leader Rob Stewart said: "As well as providing maintained access to expert medical advice in a modern, spacious building, the new complex will also lead to a one-stop-shop for families, offering them advice on parenting, childcare and benefits," he said.
"The current family centre and GP surgery buildings in Mayhill are no longer fit for purpose, so I'm sure residents in that community will be thrilled that work will soon start on constructing the new, integrated complex for their benefit."


Dame Lowell Goddard has written to Home Secretary Amber Rudd to resign as the head of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse.

This is the correspondence which passed between the two on Thursday 4 August.
Dear Home Secretary,
I regret to advise that I am offering you my resignation as Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, with immediate effect. I trust you will accept this decision.
Hon Dame Lowell Goddard QC
Dear Dame Lowell,
Thank you for your letter today, offering your resignation as Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
I know that this will have been a difficult decision for you to make, and something you will have carefully considered. I was sorry to receive your letter, but I accept your decision.
We all recognise that the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse is the most ambitious public inquiry ever established in England and Wales. Under your leadership, the Inquiry has already instituted and made progress on each of its three core projects: the Research Project; the Truth Project; and the Public Hearings Project. I am grateful to you for bringing your experience to bear in devising how the Inquiry will operate, guided by its three fundamental principles: that it will be comprehensive, inclusive, and thorough.
I know how personally committed you have been to ensuring that the Inquiry is a success for those at its heart: the survivors and the victims. You have consistently demonstrated your desire to leave no stone unturned in order that the voices of those victims might be heard. It is a testament to your commitment that you have taken the difficult decision to stand down now, having set the Inquiry firmly on course, and allow someone else to lead it through to the end. With regret, I agree that this is the right decision.
I know you will want to be reassured that work continues without delay, and most importantly that victims and survivors know that the Government's commitment to this Inquiry is undiminished. I want to be absolutely clear. The success of this Inquiry remains an absolute priority for this Government. I am determined to keep the process on track and am taking immediate steps to appoint a new Chair as soon as possible. I will, of course, consult with victims and survivors groups before making a public announcement about the appointment.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your commitment to the Inquiry over the course of the last 16 months. Your hard work will have a lasting impact on the Inquiry and, ultimately, in getting to the truth about the institutional response to child sexual abuse in this country. Of that, you can take pride.
With my thanks and very best wishes for your future endeavours.
Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP
I announce with regret my decision to resign as chair of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, effective from today.
When I was first approached through the British High Commissioner in Wellington in late 2014, and asked to consider taking up the role, I had to think long and hard about it.
After carefully discussing the matter with the home secretary and her officials and seeking the counsel of those people in New Zealand whose opinions mattered to me, I decided that I should undertake the role, given my relevant experience and track record in the area.
It was, however, an incredibly difficult step to take, as it meant relinquishing my career in New Zealand and leaving behind my beloved family.
The conduct of any public inquiry is not an easy task, let alone one of the magnitude of this. Compounding the many difficulties was its legacy of failure which has been very hard to shake off and with hindsight it would have been better to have started completely afresh.
While it has been a struggle in many respects, I am confident there have been achievements and some very real gains for victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse in getting their voices heard.
I have nothing but the greatest of respect for the victims and survivors and have particularly enjoyed working with the Victims and Survivors Consultative Panel which I established."


A woman whose mother was killed by tigers at a Chinese wildlife park has had her lawsuit against the park accepted by a court.

The woman, surnamed Zhao, visited the drive-through Beijing Badaling Wildlife World in July with her family.
CCTV footage showed her leaving her car and shortly after being attacked by a tiger. Her mother tried to help but was mauled to death by other tigers.
Ms Zhao, 32, says the park bore "undeniable responsibility".
She is seeking 1.56m yuan in damages ($0.23m; Â£0.19m) to cover her mother's funeral expenses and her own medical expenses.
In the legal document, Ms Zhao says the park did not launch any rescue effort for her mother and that what her mother did was "an act of bravery for a just cause".
Ms Zhao also says allowing visitors' vehicles into the park was highly dangerous and no necessary safety measures and contingency plans were put in place.
In an interview with the Beijing Times, Ms Zhao said that she left the car because she was feeling dizzy and thought she had already reached a safe zone.
A government report released in August said the park had given sufficient warnings and the main cause of the accident was that Ms Zhao didn't comply with the park's rules.
The lawsuit has been met with incredulity online, with many internet users calling her shameless.


A radical plan to deal with inquests into controversial killings during the Troubles has been put on hold after the Stormont Executive failed to sign off on a request for funding.

3 May 2016 Last updated at 19:28 BST
Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan wanted funding for a five-year programme to hear the inquests, but a proposed bid for the money was not even discussed by executive ministers.
BBC News NI's Home Affairs Correspondent Vincent Kearney reports.


Drayton Manor Theme Park will reopen four days after an 11-year-girl died after falling from a ride.

Evha Jannath, from Leicester, was on a school trip on Tuesday when she fell from a boat on the Splash Canyon ride.
While the park will open on Saturday, the ride will remain shut along with ones that overlook it as a mark respect to her family, officials said.
The park in Staffordshire has been closed since for police and Health and Safety Executive investigations.
Jonathan Hughes, vice-chair of the Staffordshire Branch of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, said the HSE would be talking to staff, the theme park operator, contractors and manufacturers of the ride to see how it operated.
"In addition, they will be looking at the history of the ride - its maintenance records, inspections, tests and details of any works carried out on the ride," he said.
Elsewhere in England, theme park operator Merlin Entertainments confirmed earlier it had reopened the Congo River Rapids at Alton Towers, Legoland Windsor's Vikings River Splash and Thorpe Park's Rumba Rapids, which had all been closed as a precautionary measure following the schoolgirl's death.
An inquest into Evha's death is expected to open next week, after a post-mortem examination which is expected to take place on Monday, Staffordshire Police said.
In a statement, the park said: "The terrible incident on Tuesday has left a family grieving and we continue to offer our deepest thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of Evha Jannath.
"Whilst the HSE and police authority carry on with their important work, we will reopen Drayton Manor Park on Saturday 13th May. We continue to offer support to all those affected, including colleagues, and will provide all necessary assistance to the relevant authorities.
"The Splash Canyon water ride will not be reopened at this time."


The Who have announced that they are planning to record some new songs ahead of a 50th anniversary UK tour.

The rock group, whose hits include Substitute and My Generation, announced The Who Hits 50 tour would include songs from across their career.
"This is the beginning of the long goodbye," said singer Roger Daltrey.
"We can't go on touring forever... it could be open-ended, but it will have a finality to it.
"We'll stop touring before we stop playing." He admitted that touring was "incredibly tough on the body".
Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend revealed the latest tour dates at a launch event at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London's Soho, where they played a short acoustic set.
Arriving on stage carrying a Union Jack mug, Daltrey joked that he was adjusting his hearing aid before launching into Substitute - accompanied by Townshend on a 12-string guitar.
The Who had premiered their rock opera Tommy album at the same tiny venue in 1969.
Townshend said he had recently given Daltrey demo recordings of three new new songs. "Happily he likes them, so we are now considering trying to get into the studio this summer. "
He said they planned to record in a "more basic way" than normal, taking inspiration from Daltrey's recent album with Wilko Johnson.
Townshend added that his songwriting style was "pretty complicated - it's more prog rock than pub rock".
Townshend said The Who's UK tour would include "hits, picks, mixes and misses".
"A lot of our long-term fans are always trying to get us to play songs which are in the back catalogue. There's a slim possibly that we might be able to have a few of those in the mix."
He recalled that for The Who's 25th anniversary tour in 1989, the band had rehearsed around 100 songs.
"We're not going to go to that extent this time. We are hoping that there will be a few nice surprises for people who have seen us many times."
It is thought that some new songs will feature on the tour. The band's last album of new material was 2006's Endless Wire.
The Who have sold more than 100 million records since forming in 1964.  Their best-known albums include My Generation, Tommy and Quadrophenia.
The original line-up included drummer Keith Moon, who died from an accidental overdose in 1978, and bassist John Entwistle who died of a heart attack in 2002.
In 2013, The Who toured the UK with a full-length performance of 1973's Quadrophenia, which inspired the 1979 film of the same name.
The Who Hits 50 UK tour begins at Glasgow SSE Hydro on 30 November and ends at London's The O2 on 17 December.


The mayor of a small town in Texas has become the first transgender elected official in the state's history, local media report.

Jess Herbst, who became mayor of New Hope last May, made the announcement in an open letter to the town's residents.
"As your Mayor I must tell you about something that has been with me since my earliest memories. I am Transgender," she wrote.
Ms Herbst was appointed mayor following the death of her predecessor.
She had previously been elected to the Town Council as an alderman and road commissioner, according to her statement on the New Hope website.
"I know that transgender people are just coming to light in our society, and we have made great strides in the last few years," she said.
"My daughters have been adamant supporters of me and are proud to tell people their father is transgender," she added.
Ms Herbst has been documenting her experience on her blog, JessHerbst.com.
As the mayor of the small Collin County town, she is the first known openly transgender elected official in Texas history, the Texas Observer reports.
"I will continue as Mayor and hope to do the very best for the town," she said.
Transgender issues have made the headlines in Texas in recent months after Republicans unveiled the so-called "bathroom bill", a proposal that bans transgender people from using public bathrooms of their choice.
Such bills have become a flashpoint in the battle over transgender rights in the US.


Coventry City shelved the likely prospect of relegation from League One for another week as they beat Peterborough United at the Ricoh Arena.

After City keeper Lee Burge had saved a first-half Craig Mackail-Smith penalty, Ruben Lameiras struck the only goal of the game on 51 minutes.
The Portuguese winger collected the ball in space before slotting past Posh goalkeeper Luke McGhee with a left-foot shot into the bottom corner.
Six days on from their Checkatrade Trophy win at Wembley, Coventry would have gone down if they had lost.
But they stay bottom as 23rd-placed Chesterfield also won, beating Port Vale, and Mark Robins' side go into the Easter weekend still 11 points adrift of safety with four games left.
City must win all four to stand any chance of survival - and their task was made harder by Shrewsbury Town's 1-0 home win over Rochdale.
Mid-table Peterborough arrived at the Ricoh Arena looking for their third straight league win, but it was Coventry who did everything but score in the first half.
Jordan Turnbull nearly opened the scoring for the Sky Blues as early as the sixth minute, but his header was cleared off the line, then Stuart Beavon's acrobatic overhead kick hit the post.
Despite City's dominance, Posh were awarded a 38th-minute penalty after Gael Bigirimana fouled Martin Samuelsen, but home keeper Burge, their late Wembley hero, was again on form, saving Mackail-Smith's effort with his feet.
Match ends, Coventry City 1, Peterborough United 0.
Second Half ends, Coventry City 1, Peterborough United 0.
Jack Baldwin (Peterborough United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
George Thomas (Coventry City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Jack Baldwin (Peterborough United).
Stuart Beavon (Coventry City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Michael Smith (Peterborough United).
Attempt missed. Leonardo Da Silva Lopes (Peterborough United) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Foul by Ruben Lameiras (Coventry City).
Chris Forrester (Peterborough United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt saved. George Thomas (Coventry City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Kevin Foley (Coventry City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Kevin Foley (Coventry City).
Martin Samuelsen (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Junior Morias (Peterborough United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Stuart Beavon (Coventry City) because of an injury.
Jodi Jones (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Paul Taylor (Peterborough United).
Corner,  Peterborough United. Conceded by Callum Reilly.
Foul by Stuart Beavon (Coventry City).
Jack Baldwin (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Coventry City. Conceded by Paul Taylor.
Jodi Jones (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Michael Smith (Peterborough United).
Substitution, Peterborough United. Paul Taylor replaces Jerome Binnom-Williams.
Substitution, Coventry City. Callum Reilly replaces Ben Stevenson because of an injury.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Ben Stevenson (Coventry City) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Substitution, Peterborough United. Tom Nichols replaces Craig Mackail-Smith.
Substitution, Peterborough United. Chris Forrester replaces Anthony Grant.
Attempt saved. Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. George Thomas (Coventry City) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Junior Morias (Peterborough United) hits the left post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box.
Attempt missed. Martin Samuelsen (Peterborough United) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Goal!  Coventry City 1, Peterborough United 0. Ruben Lameiras (Coventry City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Stuart Beavon.
Corner,  Coventry City. Conceded by Michael Smith.
Attempt blocked. Junior Morias (Peterborough United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.


A man who executed his sleeping victim in a "cold-blooded, brutal murder" has been jailed for a minimum of 32 years.

Married father-of-two Michael Furniss, 50, shot Andrew Dosiuk three times in the chest as he lay in his bed at his Nottingham home.
In the eight week trial, the prosecution said Furniss was a contract killer but two other men accused of hiring him were cleared.
Furniss was handed a life term with a minimum of 32 years and 11 months.
The judge, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said: "This was a cold-blooded, brutal murder of a defenceless man, asleep in his bed at home."
The court heard Furniss had a key to Mr Dosiuk's Laneham Avenue house and let himself into the building on several aborted attempts to kill him.
On one occasion the killer called at the house while his victim was taking his eight-year-old son to Alton Towers.
Mr Dosiuk, 33, known as "Dosh", was described in court as leading a double life, one a "fairly normal" social and family life, the other in the "murky and destructive" world of drugs.
He was due to be tried for several drugs offences when he died.
On the morning of 11 November last year, Furniss shot his victim three times as he slept, holding the 9mm pistol so close that blood and DNA was found in the barrel of the gun.
"This was a cold-blooded execution," Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said. "It was fortunate that [his son] was not staying over that night."
After the killing, Furniss hid the gun and burnt his clothes.
He later returned to retrieve the weapon with his work lorry which was equipped with a camera, filming him picking it up and stashing it elsewhere, the court was told.
"The prosecution argued that this was a contract killing and you Furniss clearly shot Andrew Dosiuk in the expectation of getting paid," the judge said.
But because two other men were cleared of any involvement, this could not form part of his sentencing.
Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said there was little to mitigate the case except Furniss' age.
The murder was aggravated by the amount of planning that went in to it, the fact that it was in cold blood and the destruction of evidence afterwards, he said.
The 395 days he has spent on remand were taken into account in the sentence.


Buyers of a four-bedroom family home in London need deep pockets - but perhaps not as cavernous as a year ago.

Asking prices in the capital for these top-of-the-ladder properties fell by 8.7% over the past year, according to search site Rightmove. House prices grew much faster in eastern England and the West Midlands than in London, according to Zoopla.
London's annual house price growth for 2016 (3.7%) was below the UK average of 4.5% for the first time since 2008, the Nationwide Building Society says.
So has the London bubble burst? Are bargains to be had? Well, these things are relative.
One new development in Radstock Street in Battersea will see eight large apartments go on the market in February for £3.65m each.
For most people around the UK, that is an eye-watering price for a three-bedroom property. Yet, the developers say these homes will be attractive to downsizers - people aged in their 50s and 60s already owning a home in central London.
The idea of downsizing to a £3m-plus home might make those eyes water a little more, but Louisa Brodie, head of search at Banda Property, says these apartments are "realistically priced".
"They have car parking, a porter, and are brand new. Properties like this are rare to find, and areas like this have a unique selling point," she says. "London is still one of the most desirable places to live, anywhere."
This is surely a sign that London property has been decoupled from the rest of the country for many years.
Despite the drop in activity in London, the average house price in the capital is still £474,000, more than double the typical price of £217,000 in the UK as a whole, according to the latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The slowdown in central London is the result of the most significant change in the housing market in 2016 - a stamp duty surcharge on buy-to-let and second homes.
Since April, anyone buying a home that is not their main residence has had to pay a 3% stamp duty surcharge. This meant that, for second homes or buy-to-let properties, the rate for properties priced at more than £1.5m reaches 15%.
The surcharge led to a burst of activity in March followed by a steep drop in transactions in April - a "hangover" that still persists, according to Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics).
In Scotland, the equivalent tax - the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) - was also up-rated.
The new surcharge, alongside a rise in normal stamp duty costs for £1m-plus homes since 2014, had a bigger impact on the market than the Brexit vote in June, according to experts.
Ray Boulger, of John Charcol mortgage brokers, says it led to many at the expensive end of the market choosing to extend their homes rather than move. This made it more difficult to create chains lower down the market.
Ed Stansfield, chief property economist at Capital Economics, says the housing market recovered "remarkably quickly" after cooling immediately after the UK's vote to leave the EU.
He says a "degree of nerves" surrounding the economy and potential buyers' caution over stretching too far financially had kept a lid on house prices.
Another major factor in the market over the last 12 months, according to the experts, is a lack of homes going on to the market. This supply squeeze has meant that, despite all the other pressures on affordability, prices continued to increase.
The constraint on supply proved to be more problematic than expected, according to Mr Rubinsohn of Rics, whose prediction of a 6% rise in house prices for 2016 looks to be the most accurate.
This trend will continue, he says, spelling more difficulties for first-time buyers whose incomes may fall in real terms. Many will continue to rely on the Bank of Mum and Dad for help with raising a mortgage deposit, while others will look to the government's Help to Buy projects to find somewhere affordable.
Others see first-time buyers as key to the buoyancy of the housing market.
"First-time buyers still underpin the wider market. So long as the government continues to support them either directly via Help to Buy or by further tax changes then the market should not plunge but this is not completely in the gift of politicians who frankly have more pressing matters to attend to," says property buying agent Henry Pryor.
"Like last year if you already own a home then you are probably better off than someone who doesn't. If you don't, then it seems unlikely that 2017 will see a swift solution emerge."
The experts have a relatively wide spread of predictions for 2017 - from price falls overall to rises matching or outstripping the general level of inflation.
Martin Ellis, housing economist at mortgage lender the Halifax, is offering a hedge-your-bets prediction of between a 1% and 4% rise.
"The relatively wide range for the forecast reflects the higher-than-normal degree of uncertainty regarding the prospects for the UK economy next year," he says.
Given that a buying a home is the biggest financial transaction of most people's lives, they - and their mortgage lender - will want some certainty over their job and income before taking the plunge.
Where can I afford to live?


A French court has backed footballer Karim Benzema as he fights to have a blackmail case over a sex tape dropped.

The Real Madrid forward was placed under formal investigation in 2015 over an alleged bid to blackmail fellow footballer Mathieu Valbuena.
When he and another suspect argued the police had acted dishonestly, their case was rejected by the Appeal Court.
Now another court has backed Karim Benzema's complaint. His lawyer says he expects the case to be thrown out.
"It's definitely a big victory," said lawyer Patrice Spinosi, who told France Info it was a turning point in the investigation.
He said Tuesday's decision by France's highest judicial court - the Court of Cassation - meant that the case would return to the Court of Appeal's examining chamber, which would have no choice but to drop the inquiry.
At the heart of the case was the role of an undercover police officer.
In 2015, a blackmailer got in touch with Mathieu Valbuena, threatening to make the sex tape public. The footballer was asked to appoint a go-between and at that point a police officer was given the task of negotiating on Mr Valbuena's behalf under the false name Lukas.
Three suspects were linked to the blackmail attempt before one of them approached a childhood friend of Karim Benzema for help. Karim Benzema is then alleged to have discussed the sex tape with Mathieu Valbuena during a France team training session in October 2015.
According to Mr Spinosi, the undercover officer had played a "very active role", pushing the two sides towards a deal. Without his involvement no offence would have taken place, he believes.
Prosecutors argue that Karim Benzema urged his colleague to pay the blackmailers although he denies the allegation.
Even if it is eventually thrown out, that could take months.
The Court of Cassation has only ruled on the conduct of police during the investigation rather than on the allegations themselves, commentators say. That will be the task of the Court of Appeal.
Another of Karim Benzema's lawyers, Sylvain Cormier, said "we aren't forgetting the main battle is to prove his innocence".
Since the affair emerged in November 2015, neither footballer has played for their national team.
Karim Benzema joined Real Madrid in 2009 and is seen as one of the club's leading players, helping them to Champions League victory last month in Cardiff.
Mathieu Valbuena's Lyon team finished fourth in France's Ligue 1 last season and reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.


Members of parliament in Burkina Faso have decided to cut their salaries by half.

The move followed heated exchanges on social media after it was revealed that MPs were paid more than $3,000 (Â£1,985) a month.
The average salary in the West African state is about $150 a month.
One MP said the pay cut would promote better governance and rebuild confidence in democracy during a year-long transition to elections.
The former National Assembly in Burkina Faso has been replaced by an interim parliament, the Transitional National Council (CNT), as part of arrangements following the forced resignation of long-serving ruler Blaise Compaore last year.
Mr Compaore seized power in a coup in 1987 and went on to win four disputed elections.
Tens of thousands of people took part in protests in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, in October over moves to allow him to extend his rule, eventually forcing him to step down.
Members of the 90-member CNT have been paid a gross salary plus attendance fees, office allowances, healthcare supplements and fuel costs.
Campaigners, including grassroots political movement Balai Citoyen, have said MPs should not be paid attendance fees and have pointed out the substantial gap between their salaries and average earnings.
Another campaign group, the Coalition Against Costly Life, has said a maximum salary of $900 would be sufficient.
Revelations about MPs' pay prompted angry reactions on social media, with many saying the pay levels amounted to an abuse of power.
A BBC correspondent in the region, Anais Hotin, says that after fighting for a change of government, people in Burkina Faso are determined to put in place a better system to achieve  social justice.
The transitional government is led by Lt-Col Isaac Zida, who was among army officers who took power from Mr Compaore.
He has promised to return Burkina Faso to civilian rule through elections later this year.
Before Lt-Col Zida's appointment as prime minister, the African Union, the United States and several other countries urged the military to hand back power to civilians or face the prospect of economic sanctions.


Luton Town have signed Malta international winger Luke Gambin from Barnet for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract with an option for a further 12 months.
"He's left-footed, which gives us good balance. We've been looking for a left-footer for a while," boss Nathan Jones told the Luton website.
Gambin has six caps, but was suspended for Malta's 2-0 defeat by England at Wembley last October.
He made 23 appearances for Barnet this season, scoring four goals, the last in a 3-1 defeat at Luton on New Year's Eve.
The Hatters are currently sixth in League Two, six points off the automatic promotion places.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.


New Cardiff City boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer masterminded the Bluebirds first win at Newcastle in 51 years as goals from Craig Noone and Fraizer Campbell completed a superb comeback in the FA Cup third round.

Solskjaer made his name as a deadly substitute striker at Manchester United and he introduced Noone and Campbell in the second half to earn Cardiff a place in the fourth round for the first time in four seasons.
Papiss Cisse followed up Moussa Sissoko's effort to score in the 61st minute after Hatem Ben Arfa had hit the woodwork either side of half-time.
But Cardiff were transformed by their replacements as Campbell hit the post before Noone fired in from long range a minute after coming on.
And Solskjaer's former Manchester United team-mate and ex-Sunderland striker Campbell ended a four-game winless run for the Bluebirds with a header 10 minutes from time.
It is the first time that Cardiff have beaten the Magpies in the FA Cup and the result will give the club a huge boost after a difficult period following the sacking of former boss Malky Mackay on 27 December.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won the FA Cup with Manchester United in 1999 and 2004. The 40-year-old's last taste of the competition prior to this game was the 2007 FA Cup final when Chelsea beat United at Wembley.
It is too soon to say whether replacing Mackay with two-time FA Cup winner Solskjaer was the right decision by owner Vincent Tan because Cardiff, sitting just a point above the bottom three in 17th position, face a tough task to lift their Premier League relegation worries.
But there were plenty of signs in this game that he can build on a positive approach with funds promised to him by Tan in the January transfer window.
The visitors looked like they were heading for defeat before Solskjaer's substitutions as the hosts cranked up on the pressure on David Marshall's goal.
However, in front of a crowd of 31,166, Alan Pardew's much-changed team could not add to Cisse's goal and they have now lost their last three games.
Solskjaer, who was appointed on 2 January, made five changes to the side that lost to Arsenal on New Year's Day and they showed controlled possession and had several chances to take the lead early on.
However, in keeping with being the joint lowest scorers away from home in the Premier League, they failed to profit as Don Cowie, Kevin McNaughton and Kim Bo-Kyung wasted good opportunities.
Mark Hudson did find the back of the net from a corner, but his header was ruled out for pushing in the box.
Ben Arfa was one of seven Newcastle changes and his influence grew through the first half, culminating with the French winger cutting in from the right to hit a firm shot against the post from 20 yards.
When: Sunday, 5 January 2014
Where: Wembley Stadium
Time: 1400 GMT
Who: Cousins Martin and Paul Allen, who both played for West Ham, will make the draw after the Hammers face Nottingham Forest.
Fourth round dates: Ties to be played over the weekend of 25 and 26 January 2014
That sparked a better period for the hosts, as Cardiff became sloppy with their passing, and Ben Arfa again hit the woodwork early in the second half when his right-footed shot looped onto the top of the crossbar via a Marshall save.
Solskjaer attempted to wrestle control of the game by introducing Campbell.
But his side went behind within a minute as Sissoko latched onto Yoan Gouffran's through ball and although his shot was blocked, Cisse followed in for his third goal of the season.
Campbell did have an impact as he hit the post after 70 minutes, but it was eclipsed by the contribution of Noone, who collected the ball with his first touch before lashing in from 30 yards.
Campbell was not to be denied, though, as he headed in Peter Whittingham's corner 10 minutes from time.
Although Ben Arfa again went close, it was a smiling Solskjaer who celebrated with his team in front of the travelling fans at the final whistle.
Check out a photo gallery from all of today's FA Cup fixtures on theBBC Sport Facebook page.


Four Scots were among those killed in Friday's shootings in Tunisia, Police Scotland has confirmed.

Jim and Ann McQuire from Cumbernauld, and Billy and Lisa Graham from Bankfoot, were among 38 people killed by a gunman with links to Islamic State extremists.
An RAF plane has left the UK for Tunisia to begin the repatriation of the 30 Britons who died in the attack.
The process is expected to take several days, with a joint inquest to follow.
Eight coffins are expected to be flown into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on the C17 transport aircraft on Wednesday.
All UK citizens who were seriously injured in the attack have already been flown home.
A national minute's silence is to be held on Friday at 12:00.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon paid tribute to the Scottish victims on Tuesday.
"My deepest condolences go to the families and friends of James and Ann McQuire from Cumbernauld and Billy and Lisa Graham from Bankfoot following official confirmation that they were killed in the terrorist atrocity that unfolded in Tunisia on Friday," she said.
"The Scottish government, Police Scotland and our partners will continue to do everything we possibly can to provide support to their families and everyone else affected by this incident as they return to Scotland from Tunisia."
The Grahams were visiting the resort to celebrate Mrs Graham's 50th birthday.
Mr Graham, 51, had worked as a turnstile operator at St Johnstone football club for seven years.
Steve Brown, the chairman of the Perth club, said: "This is terrible news and our thoughts go out to the whole family at this time.
"Billy was part of the St Johnstone family and a great ambassador for the club, who always did his job with a smile on his face."
Local councillor John Kellas said there was "great sadness" in the village of Bankfoot.
He said: "Many members of the community have been speaking to me about it, expressing their condolences and support for the family at what must be a very difficult time.
"It's very subdued - they were very well known. Throughout the whole community, because it's a very small village, people have been expressing their support for the family and they would want to convey that."
Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who was Mr and Mrs Graham's MSP, said: "I have spoken with their daughter Holly over the last few very difficult days, and my heart goes out to her at this tragic news.
"Mr and Mrs Graham were simply enjoying a relaxing holiday when they became victims of this wicked crime. There are no words that can explain the awfulness of this act. We must all remain resolute in our determination to defeat terrorism.
"It has been a difficult and protracted process to secure the identification of victims and for Mr and Mrs Graham this has resulted in this terrible news.
"Their loss will be felt by the local community in Bankfoot but most acutely by the family and friends they leave behind. I will give every support I can to their daughter Holly and her family in the period ahead to assist in any way that I can."
Mr McQuire, 67, and his wife, 64, had only booked their holiday a fortnight before leaving. They had recently retired and had been talking about their Tunisian holiday when they attended church on the Sunday before they left.
The congregation of the Church of Scotland at Abronhill, with which the McQuires were heavily involved, was told on Sunday that authorities were "99.9% sure" the McQuires had died in the shooting.
Minister Joyce Keyes said: "I don't think I can make any sense of it at all. My feeling is of numbness.
"They were regular holiday goers since their retirement and were really looking forward to it."
The couple had a son, Stuart, who lives in the town, and Mr McQuire had two sisters who are both members of the congregation.
The Scottish government has held three resilience meetings since the attack, with flags in government buildings flying at half-mast, and Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond chaired a meeting of the UK government's Cobra emergency committee.
Perth and Kinross Council and some local bus companies have announced their own plans for a minutes silence on Friday, and the council and its North Lanarkshire counterpart have opened books of condolence in memory of victims.
North Lanarkshire provost Jim Roberson said: "Mr and Mrs McQuire made a huge contribution to their community through their work with young people. and I feel it only right residents have the opportunity to record their tributes."
The gunman, 23-year-old student Seifeddine Rezgui, was shot dead following the attack on a beach near Sousse. Tunisian authorities have arrested several people on suspicion of helping him.


Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has reshuffled his shadow cabinet and appointed MP Dave Anderson as shadow Northern Ireland secretary.

Mr Anderson replaces Vernon Coaker, who resigned in protest at Mr Corbyn's leadership.
Mr Coaker, who had two spells in the shadow Northern Ireland role, stepped down on Sunday.
In a letter to Mr Corbyn, he said it was "time for the party to unite behind a new leader".
He said a new leader would "ensure our MPs can serve the whole of the electorate as that effective opposition".
Aged 62, Dave Anderson was first elected to parliament in 2005 and has a track record in the trade union movement.
A former coal miner and care worker, he is an honorary life member of the Unison union.
He has an interest in Northern Ireland matters and up until last year served as a member of the Northern Ireland affairs committee.
Dave Anderson told the BBC: "I'm delighted and proud to be asked to serve in this capacity by my leader.
"I have had long and fruitful experience of working with Irish colleagues for many years in the trade union  movement and since coming into Parliament in 2005.
"I will be looking to all of those with whom I have worked across communities and borders to play my small part in facing up to the ongoing challenges facing us in these turbulent times"
Mr Anderson will be familiar with the Northern Ireland political agenda and is on first-name terms with leading politicians in all the main parties.
On his website, he listed one of his achievements as "playing a small part in moving the peace process forward in Northern Ireland - something in which I have been involved for many years, before becoming an MP".
Mr Anderson represents the Blaydon constituency in the north-east of England, and during his time in parliament he has regularly raised issues such as trade union matters, workers' rights and the funding of public services.
A Labour whip in the House of Commons, he is seen as coming from the traditional left-wing section of the party.
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Ian Paisley, who worked with Mr Anderson on the Northern Ireland affairs committee, said he "cares passionately" about the region.
Social Democratic and Labour Party MP Margaret Ritchie, who was sad to see Mr Coaker depart, described the move as a "good appointment".
She said Mr Anderson had a long-term track record with Northern Ireland, particularly when it came to trade union matters.
DUP Strangford MP Jim Shannon described the Mr Anderson as "very affable", and said in the past there were "many things we agreed on and worked together on".
Away from politics, Mr Anderson is a big music and football fan who says he relaxes by staying at his caravan and walking his dog.
However, as a key member of the shadow cabinet, such moments of relaxation may be about to disappear.
His workload just got greater, and in the coming weeks he will have to divide his time between his constituency, the House of Commons, and now Northern Ireland.


German publisher, Axel Springer, has agreed to buy a controlling stake in the US news website Business Insider.

Axel Springer is one of  Europe's largest digital publishing houses, owning multimedia titles such as BILD, WELT, and FAKT.
The company said Business Insider was "vital" in its strategy to broaden its global reach.
Axel Springer, which failed to buy London's Financial Times in July, is paying $343m (£226m) for an 88% stake.
Business Insider was launched in 2007 by the former Wall Street analyst Henry Blodget.
Its focus on younger audiences puts it in the same market as larger youth media outlets like Buzzfeed and Huffington Post.
Adding Business Insider's 76 million visitors will increase Axel Springer's global audience by two-thirds, making it the sixth largest digital publisher.
Axel Springer's chief executive Mathias Doepfner said: "Henry Blodget's way of digital storytelling reaches the decision-makers of tomorrow.''
"The transaction is an essential component of Axel Springer's strategy to grow with digital journalistic offerings in English-language geographies".
It lost out in its attempt to buy the Financial Times to the Japanese media firm Nikkei which paid £844m for the London based group.
Axel Springer now owns 97% of Business Insider with the remaining shares held by Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, through a personal investment company.


Derwin Gray won't say which way he is voting.

The charismatic, former NFL-playing pastor of Transformation Church doesn't want to upset the carefully choreographed racial balance of his evangelical congregation in Charlotte, North Carolina.
But as an African-American man, he sympathises with black voters who feel this election is really about race and class.
Two years ago Pastor Gray was pulled over on the highway by the police. He told me he'd done nothing wrong. The policeman, the pastor recalls, asked him brusquely: "What are you doing here?"
For Mr Gray that innocent-sounding question tipped him into a rage. He was a grown man, paying taxes towards the police officer's salary, driving on a highway also paid for with tax dollars, and driving home from preaching the gospel - he had as much right to be there as anyone.
But Mr Gray knew rage and indignation were not options. He told his 13-year-old son to put his hands up on the seat in front of him and answer the officer politely: "Yes sir, no sir."
Mr Gray adopted the same attitude. "I didn't say what was in my heart," he told me. "I said what I needed to get us home."
The indignity of that choice still smarts, for Mr Grey and for many African Americans. It's such a common experience that the phrase "driving while black" has entered American lexicon.
Mr Gray's story is a reminder of why race is such an important part of this election campaign and particularly so here in North Carolina.
When Charlotte, the state's booming financial centre, exploded in riots in September after a black man was killed by police, many African-Americans said the event simply exposed an existing reality.
Who is ahead in the polls?
48%
Hillary Clinton
44%
Donald Trump
Last updated November 8, 2016
Black voters still feel the Republican party just doesn't address their concerns over discrimination. In North Carolina, as elsewhere, these voters are overwhelmingly Democratic.
But ethnic and class lines are blurring here. This is a state that is changing fast.
It's seen an influx of newcomers. There has been a rapid rise in the Hispanic population, but a lot of well-educated whites from the Midwest have also moved here seeking jobs in the thriving urban centres of Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte.
Many of them lean Democrat.
But poor white voters tip North Carolina's rural areas towards Donald Trump.
These are people who used to work in textile mills that have now shifted jobs to Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Donald Trump promises to make American manufacturing great again and even if rural voters don't quite believe him they think he is more intent on trying than the established politician, Hillary Clinton.
As Sherry Chisenhall, the editor of the Charlotte Observer explained to me, it is a remarkable feature of this campaign that a white Manhattan billionaire can appeal to someone from a deeply rural area of a southern state and somehow make them feel "he gets me, he understand my struggle".
North Carolina is America's newest purple state.
It voted Republican in 2004, Democratic in 2008 and Republican again in 2012.
Donald Trump hopes it will swing red this year because it's almost impossible for him to win the White House if he doesn't win North Carolina.


A man has appeared in court in connection with a series of alleged gunpoint carjackings.

Leon Ndenu, 23, has been charged with four counts each of robbery and attempted robbery, two counts of assault with intent to rob and possessing a firearm in a public place.
Mr Ndenu, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody by Hull Magistrates' Court.
He will appear before the city's crown court on 3 April.
More on this and other East Yorkshire stories
Police said they were still looking for a second suspect. The charges come after four reports of aggravated vehicle thefts, including a postal van, by two men at several locations in Hull and East Yorkshire on Friday.


Police are investigating the rape of a woman in Queens Park in Glasgow's Southside.

The 19-year-old woman was attacked between 20:30 and 21:00 on Wednesday.
Officers cordoned off an area of the park as part of their investigation, and were believed to be following a positive line of inquiry.
Anyone with information was asked to contact Police Scotland.


A health watchdog has issued guidelines to help parents distinguish between naughtiness and more worrying behaviour in their children that might need medical intervention.

About one in every 20 children aged five to 16 has a conduct disorder - persistent and extreme misbehaviour.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines outline how to spot and treat these conditions.
They say parents should play a central role in this.
While all children can be naughty from time to time, the behaviour of children with conduct disorders is different.
They persistently misbehave - both at home and in school - and their actions can be extreme and harmful.
As well as stealing, fighting or vandalising property, they might hurt people and animals, for example.
Prof Steven Pilling, who helped develop the guidelines, said: "Children with conduct disorders are different. It's not a bit of tantruming or getting into trouble now and then. It's picking up the 14in TV and throwing it through the window."
He said it was important that parents be taught how to handle this type of behaviour.
"Firmness and saying 'No' is not the solution for these children. We need to get parents to switch the focus from being controlling and punitive to encouraging positive behaviour," he said.
About half of children with antisocial behaviour or conduct disorders not only miss out on parts of their childhood but also go on to have serious mental health problems as adults. Some go on to be repeated offenders.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), who jointly developed the guidelines, say early intervention is essential to break this chain.
Prof Peter Fonagy, a professor of psychoanalysis at University College London who co-authored the guidelines, said: "All children can be naughty, defiant and impulsive from time to time, which is perfectly normal. However, some children have extremely difficult and challenging behaviours that are outside the norm for their age.
"Recognising and accurately diagnosing a conduct disorder is vital to ensuring children and their families are able to access the treatment and support they need to manage the condition."
Fiona is a mother of a child with a conduct disorder. She said: "It is not just the child who is affected by a conduct disorder; it can have a significant impact on their brothers or sisters, their parents, family members, teachers and other people they come into contact with.
"Real practical support and advice is needed to help parents manage their child's condition, such as what to say to calm the child when they are very distressed to avoid inflaming the situation."


The stark words hang in the air as Patrick Vieira reflects on one of the most tense moments of his Arsenal playing career, when he was sent off - deeply unjustly, he felt - following a skirmish with Ruud van Nistelrooy.

"At that moment, I hated him," confesses Vieira of the then Manchester United striker.
He is discussing, of course, the infamous Manchester United-Arsenal league match in 2003 which finished goalless but certainly did not lack incident and will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
His expression is bashful, as if he were aware of what a bizarrely severe impulse it is to vocalise more than a decade later, older and wiser and far from the heat of the moment.
Vieira is a genial, friendly man and now a key figure in Manchester City's coaching set-up. Van Nistelrooy, also said to be easy-going, has dabbled with coaching in the Netherlands since retiring from playing in 2012.
Yet embroiled in competition, the sparks of ill-will were easily ignited.
There have been some pretty obvious personality clashes between Premier League footballers over the years. In the sense that football is only a microcosm of life, it shouldn't be so surprising to find people disagree, breed dislikes, and sometimes simply decide they can't stand one another.
Some of the cases have been particularly high profile, as when Luis Suarez was found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra during a stormy Liverpool-Manchester United match at Anfield in 2011.
Chelsea's John Terry and Wayne Bridge could not see eye-to-eye because of an entanglement in their personal lives that emerged in 2010, while in 2001, a long-running feud between Manchester rivals Roy Keane and Alf-Inge Haaland had a particularly vicious conclusion.
Sometimes an enmity develops that is purely about football - a clash of styles and ideology that means a player takes to the pitch very conscious he is coming up against an opponent of whom, to put it generously, he is not particularly fond. It infuses the game with an edge, an energy. Team-mates know about it. Fans can sense it.
Arsenal and Manchester United meet in the Premier League on Saturday and it speaks volumes for where the two teams are now - compared with a decade ago - that the levels of friction are minimal.
That era of rivalry between the two clubs was epitomised by their two charismatic warrior captains - Keane and Vieira. But when the two clubs locked horns in September 2003, the dynamic changed.
It became apparent that one player - Van Nistelrooy - managed to antagonise the entire Arsenal XI and they finally rounded on him in a scene that would not only become infamous but also cost Arsenal the Premier League's biggest ever fine for indiscipline, as well as a string of suspensions.
It started with a penalty. Or rather, a missed penalty.
Van Nistelrooy's run-up was confident, the strike ferocious. Gunners keeper Jens Lehmann plunged to his left. The ball flashed to the goalkeeper's right. Perhaps the most extraordinary thing is the noise the ball made as it hurtled against the frame of the goal. It was a percussive, explosive, smack. It was startling.
Despite the cacophony of gasps, wails and screeches that assailed him from all four sides, that clunk sticks in the mind of Lehmann to this day. "Of course you hear it," he says. "It is so close. In that moment the whole stadium is silent, for that split second."
The Dutchman's miss came at the end of a tense and febrile encounter. Martin Keown's emotions boiled over. He leapt, roaring, into Van Nistelrooy and clumped him on the back of the head - causing the United striker to visibly cower - a moment that has become one of the iconic images of that season, reflecting how profoundly this Arsenal team could not accept losing and how they felt driven to stick up for one another.
Keown was still smarting from the fact that Vieira, Arsenal's captain and heartbeat, had been sent off in the 81st minute. Van Nistelrooy had been implicated in that incident, having jumped clumsily into Vieira, who kicked out in retaliation.
Although the Frenchman wasn't close to making contact - "there were metres and metres between my legs and his body," Vieira would later claim - Van Nistelrooy jerked back, as if recoiling from a jab, and gestured plaintively at the referee.
Vieira's smile was laced with heavy sarcasm as he was shown a red card. The incendiary device was duly planted.
"It's tough, especially in a big moment like that," Vieira explains. "The game was crazy - especially going down to 10 men, and the penalty. You feel like you let the team down. You feel like if you lose it is going to be your fault.
"There are so many emotions going through your mind, and everything is negative. You feel really bad. I was thinking about what had happened and was hoping we would get the draw. But I was so mad about the red card."
Keown could not let it go. Van Nistelrooy had a reputation already among Arsenal's players, which only added to the knife-edge mood. Looking after Vieira was something he had taken on as his personal responsibility.
"I was Patrick Vieira's minder," explains Keown. "People used to target Patrick, and I vowed to be the person who gets there to get in between. Because we can't have this - we're not going to win anything unless we've got Patrick on the pitch.
"But this occasion, yet again, somebody had feigned injury from Patrick, and had gone over. It was that same character, too. I'd already had a few run-ins with him. Now he'd got my mate sent off."
Keown was not the only one to wade into the melee sparked by the final whistle. A gang of Arsenal's players bombarded Van Nistelrooy; hounded him as he stumbled off the pitch. Ray Parlour, Ashley Cole, even Lauren - gentle, unflappable Lauren - were afflicted by red mist.
He, too, lashed out at Van Nistelrooy. "I am very calm, I am very polite, a nice person in general, but I make my mistakes like everyone else," the Cameroonian now explains sheepishly.
"It's just when I go to the pitch I transform myself. I just want to win. Maybe that is why I reacted in that way. We are helping each other like a family. If I see my brother in difficulty I try to help him. Everyone was thinking the same way."
What was it about Van Nistelrooy that riled them so much?
He is, by all accounts, a likeable, positive man. He was a superb goalscorer. Yet he had a reputation among Arsenal's players as being, in the words of one, "sneaky".
They felt he had a tendency to dive, and to niggle them with off-the-ball digs that were cleverly timed to largely go unnoticed. He just wound them up. There was history going into the game and it did not take much for all that pent-up negativity to explode.
Oddly, one of the players who remained notably cool amid the inferno was Keane, Vieira's direct rival in that period, and a player who would later have no qualms about expressing how riled the London team generally made him feel.
"I had a lot of hatred for Arsenal," he says. "I can't think of any other word when I was getting ready to do battle with Arsenal. Hatred was the word. I don't remember liking anybody at Arsenal.
"I knew I had to be at my angriest against them. I didn't feel like that about any other team, but Arsenal brought out something different in me - I behaved myself that day and I regret it."
In the tunnel afterwards Vieira was still stewing. "I had a few more arguments with Van Nistelrooy again after taking a shower, in the tunnel. I was still really mad about it," he says.
Some years later Vieira was approached to take part in an advert for a beer company built around a collection of elite footballers.
During the negotiations, they felt obliged to broach a delicate subject. Would Vieira have a problem with the concept of a shot of him jumping for a ball with Van Nistelrooy?
He was relaxed about it, so set off for Prague where the advert would be filmed. They were the only two footballers there that day. The pair shook hands and, during one of the breaks in filming, conversation turned to that momentous collision at Old Trafford in 2003.
"We talked and we laughed about it," recalls Vieira. At the end of the day, they hugged and went their separate ways.
This article is based on episodes from Amy Lawrence's book 'Invincible: Inside Arsenal's Unbeaten 2003-2004 Season'