Author Archives: FWA News Editor

GERRARD NAMED AS FWA TRIBUTE HONOUREE

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Steven Gerrard has been named as the honouree at the FWA Tribute Award this year, which takes place at the Savoy hotel in London.

The accolade is given out to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the national game and will be presented at the gala dinner on January 20.

The award was won by Paul Scholes and Gary Neville last year; the first time in which the award was won by two players.

Gerrard won the FWA footballer of the year award in 2009 after leading Liverpool to a second place finish in the Premier League in the 2008/09 season.

The England midfielder scored 24 goals for his club that season including seven in the UEFA Champions League before the Reds were knocked out by Chelsea in the quarter-finals.

After spending his whole career at Anfield the only domestic honour to evade Gerrard is a Premier League title.

Liverpool’s captain has three League Cup winners’ medals, two FA Cups and two Community Shields to his name along with one UEFA Cup.

Arguably his greatest honour as a club player came in Istanbul in 2005 where he led Liverpool to Champions League glory after a penalty shootout against AC Milan, despite being 3-0 down at half-time.

The 32-year-old has made 411 league appearances for Liverpool, while representing his country on 98 occasions and captaining England 23 times.

FWA Q&A: TOM HOPKINSON

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TOM HOPKINSON of the People on packing Hula Hoops and Hobs Nobs…the missing dentist’s chair…and no Kidding, looking like Ronaldo

Your first ever job in journalism?
I had three months on the Coalville, Ashby and Swadlincote Times but have always felt my first proper job was on the Romford Recorder. So many on Fleet Street got their breaks with the Recorder Series – it was and I’m sure still is a fantastic training ground – and I got mine when I replaced the man who replaced my People colleague, Dave Kidd. I’ll be for ever grateful to Peter Butcher, our sports editor, for showing me the ropes and making sure I had skin thick enough for what was to follow. He once read one of my intros to the rest of the office, turned to me, scowled and asked: “Are you proud of that?” “Less so now than I was five minutes ago,” I replied.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
I did have a couple of short-term jobs after leaving college, the worst of which was undoubtedly packing Hula Hoops at the KP factory in Ashby-de-la-Zouch. One of the jobs there meant sitting at a conveyor belt watching thousands of crisps passing by, and I promise this is true, if there were any I deemed not round enough for public consumption I had to throw them in a bin. Or eat them. The salt on your clothes at the end of a shift was horrific and it was years before I could bring myself to eat a Hula Hoop again. Packing Chocolate HobNobs down the road at McVitie’s was much more enjoyable, albeit dangerous for someone with such a sweet tooth.

Most memorable match?
As a reporter, probably Tottenham’s victory over AC Milan at San Siro in February 2011. Great atmosphere, a really good game and then came the fireworks at the final whistle when Gennaro Gattuso, who’d been simmering all night, boiled over and butted Joe Jordan. We cleaned up in the mixed zone afterwards and then a big group of us rounded off the night with a very enjoyable meal at Picanha’s Churrascaria, a regular post-match haunt for players from both Milan sides. As a fan, Derby’s 3-3 draw with Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup in 1993. A thrilling match.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
It has already been done and I never tire of seeing it – Paul Gascoigne’s goal against Scotland during Euro ’96 and the celebration which followed. After the Asia Trophy final in Hong Kong in 2011, a bunch of us headed to Banana Joe’s on a pilgrimage to see the infamous dentist’s chair. Sadly, we couldn’t pay proper homage to Gazza, Teddy Sheringham and Co, because it’s no longer there.

Best stadium?
When it’s full, San Siro. Old-school grandeur.

…and the worst?
Fratton Park. Awful place to work.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Still waiting for it.

Biggest mistake?
I was on ‘Andre Villas-Boas for Chelsea’ fairly early but, a few weeks after writing it, allowed myself to be convinced by a mate on another paper that Guus Hiddink was getting the job instead. We both filed for the Sunday that the Dutchman would be named later in the week; my paper ran it on the back, his didn’t use it at all. A couple of days on, AVB was confirmed. I was gutted, but learned a valuable lesson: trust yourself and your contacts.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
I wouldn’t say mistaken, but there was a time a few years ago when I was often told I looked like Adam Garcia, the actor, or Kelly Whatshisname, the journalist-hating frontman from Stereophonics. These days Dave Kidd’s the only person who tells me I’m a ringer for anyone. He regularly asks if I’ve met the Italian Tom Hopkinson yet – apparently he’s a journalist as well – and he’s adamant I look like Ronaldo. I’ve never bothered to ask which one, but assume he’s talking fat Brazilian rather than pretty-boy Portuguese.

Most media friendly manager?
Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Martinez are gents. And I could listen to Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho all day.

Best ever player?
Igor Stimac. My hero. I remember watching him make Eric Cantona look very ordinary when Manchester United visited Derby for a midweek game in the 90s. And when I met him at the Euros this summer he couldn’t have been more charming, a real raconteur. He did me a great service by recording a video message for my Derby-supporting dad, wishing him a happy Father’s Day and good luck in the London to Brighton bike ride, both of which were on the following Sunday. Suffice it to say, it made my dad’s day … and didn’t cost a penny.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Sorry to be boring: Guardiola’s Barcelona and the 2010 World Cup-winning Spain side.

Best pre-match grub?
Arsenal. Although I’m convinced the portions are getting smaller.

Best meal had on your travels?
For the food and the setting, Cin Cin By The Sea in Barbados this summer will take some beating. Mark Irwin, Andy Mitten, Steve Anglesey and I spent the evening, erm, let’s call it debating, the merits of tactics blogs with the younger members of our party. We were on the island for the legends tournament, which wasn’t the worst trip I’ve been on. Perhaps the most memorable, though, was a night at the Bed Supper Club in Amsterdam with Rob Shepherd. Within four hours of landing the day before the pre-season Amsterdam Tournament kicked off, Shep and I had good Sunday hits in the bag from Jose Mourinho and Manuel Almunia, so we formed the advance party looking for food and drink. The daily boys rocked up a few hours later to find us lying on one of the beds, shoeless as per the requirements of the establishment, and with several empty plates and wine bottles scattered between us. I still chuckle about the looks on their faces as they surveyed the carnage before them.

…and the worst?
Let’s just say I’ve never found a pre-match meal at St Andrew’s particularly tasty. And I’m being very generous at that.

Best hotel stayed in?
For the room, The Savoy in Florence. Amazing hotel, beautiful city. For the views, the Libertas in Dubrovnik. Stunning.

…and the worst?
I’ve no idea what it was called but it was in Lyon on a Champions League trip covering Chelsea. I was an hour from the airport and an hour from the stadium, and I remember saying out loud as I opened the door to my room: “You’ve got to be ******* joking.” That was before I’d seen the dirty bed sheets, too.

Favourite football writer?
Tough question, because there are some seriously talented journalists throughout the ranks who I have big respect for. I don’t want to sit on the fence, though, so I’ll single out Matt Lawton, who’s perhaps the best all-rounder. I always enjoy his match reports and interviews, and he’s a very good story-getter as well.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Five Live’s John Murray.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
I’m sure this will be the answer most have given but increase the chances to mingle with players, managers and staff at training centres. A bit of chat and banter, football-related or otherwise, will always improve things because it humanises both sides a bit more and creates personal relationships. Spurs Lodge was always good for that but Tottenham’s new training ground, as impressive as it is, has taken it away.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
A Boxing Day Ashes Test at the MCG. In the stands with the Barmy Army rather than in the press box. That said, I’m not sure I’ll ever cover or attend a better event than Hatton-Mayweather in Las Vegas in 2007. What a weekend that was.

Last book read?
I’m not an avid reader of sports books but I’ve just polished off two back-to-back. ‘Racing Through The Dark – The Fall and Rise of David Millar’ is a really good read and, before that, ‘A Life Too Short – The Tragedy of Robert Enke’. It’s heart-breaking, but everyone should force themselves to pick it up and see it through to the end. An incredible book.

Favourite current TV programme?
Curb Your Enthusiasm is genius and I’m going to say Friends as well because you can still always find a rerun. I love HBO shows like The Sopranos, Generation Kill, Entourage and The Wire, and I’m looking forward to the second season of Homeland. I do occasionally get out.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
I’ve never really been a collector of memorabilia, but I do still have a couple of trophies from my younger days. Nearly 20 years ago, I was voted Players’ Player of the Year for a half-decent Ratby & Groby Under-16s side and I think I’m right in saying Emile Heskey won the club’s Under-15s award that year as well. Terrific footballers, both.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Enjoy the highs and try to learn from the lows because there will be plenty of both. Work hard but keep a healthy balance with the rest of your life. And bring a back-up plan with you, just in case.

TRIGGS – FOOTBALL’S MOST FAMOUS DOG – TELLS ALL ABOUT HER OWNER

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“Dogs don’t talk s***” – Roy Keane

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

IT IS rare that a book, especially a football book, makes you laugh out loud. A private chuckle, yes, but an audible reaction to something you are reading is unusual, not to mention a little embarrassing if you are on a train, as I was.

The girl sitting next to me was intrigued after I completed my laugh-out-loud hat-trick. “What are you reading? It seems very funny.”

“It’s Triggs, the autobiography of Roy Keane’s dog. Roy was the captain of Manchester United and the Republic of Ireland,” I replied, hoping if not believing my answer would somehow justify my behaviour. I am certain if the train had not been so crowded the girl would have moved away.

A book by a talking dog is either going to be as funny as root canal treatment or a gem. Paul Howard has managed to achieve the latter, giving us a telling insight to a person few outside his immediately family really know. Gary Neville tells the story of when he changed his mobile number he sent it to those in his contacts and received a text back from Keane saying “why the **** are you telling me?” Keano doesn’t do friends, not the human variety anyway.

Keane defends his privacy in the way he protected the ball, once having to be dragged away from someone who took a photo of him and one of his children in a hotel swimming pool while on holiday. Yet while he guards his family with military precision and care, he is happy – okay, willing – to be photographed with man’s best friend.

The humour is often subtle and delicately handled, as it had to be. We are, after all, talking about a speaking dog. Howard has certainly done his homework, interviewing people close – well as close as Keane allows – to the former midfielder, enabling Triggs to observe her (yes, Triggs is a she) owner’s reactions to the many controversial incidents during his career. Reality and supposition may be intertwined but the conversations between Keane and Triggs are far more fascinating and funny than the concept of a man talking to his dog might initially appear.

Howard was a sports writer for the Sunday Tribune in Ireland where he wrote a satirical column based on schools rugby. Blackrock College, Ireland’s equivalent of Eton, is nicknamed Rock and Howard invented a character called Ross O’Carroll-Kelly – ROCK. While Howard admits the essentially local humour would not travel outside of Ireland, the books based on ROCK are set to top the million mark in the Republic with stage plays underlining the success of the novels.

“I took a two-year sabbatical but never went back,” said Howard, a former Irish Sports Journalist of the Year. “The newspaper I took a sabbatical from no longer exists. I thought I’d be in journalism forever but every year it seems another paper closes.”

The seeds for the book were sewn during the 2002 World Cup when Keane was sent home from Ireland’s training base in Saipan after the mother of all rows with manager Mick McCarthy. “I was in my hotel room in Japan watching Ireland’s greatest player, possibly ever, walking a labrador down a lane eight time zones away,” said Howard. “It was an iconic image and I feel Roy knew this. There was a defiance about him walking his dog. Most people in the news for the wrong reasons draw the curtains and stay in. Keane arrived home from the Far East and immediately took Triggs for a walk. The gates opened and the pair parted this shoal of paparazzi who were waiting outside.”

Howard had the idea of “what if Triggs was the boss and Roy was the servant?” He initially wrote some conversations between the pair, but put the scheme on hold for two years before selling the idea to a publisher and completing the manuscript.

“For me the humour was in the language. What if footballers, when they talk to each other, spoke exactly the same way they do in front of the television cameras? I challenged myself to write as many football cliches as I could, not ‘over the moon’ or ‘sick as a parrot’ stuff but things like ‘fantastically well’ and ‘ever so well.’ I mean, no young, working class hetrosexual male would ever say ‘ever so well.’ Unless you are a professional footballer.”

Keane comes out of the book ever so well and Howard said: “I am sympathetic to Roy who was, along with Brian O’Driscoll and Sonia O’Sullivan, one of the three most compelling Irish sports personalities of his generation.”

The difference is, Ireland’s rugby captain and the 1995 World Championships 5,000m gold medallist were more open to and with the media.

Recent reports of her death – GrrrRIP ran one headline – were vastly exaggerated and through Triggs the book provides an insight to Keane with a humour that very rarely fails to hit the button. Here are Triggs’ thoughts on Wayne Rooney:

I’ve always regarded professional footballers as, quite frankly, an intellectually inferior breed. This is a world, remember, in which David James is considered an intellectual because he begins sentences with the word ‘ironically’ instead of the word ‘obviously.’

A memory suddenly pops up at me from out of the recent past. It was one afternoon in Roy’s last full season as a Manchester United player and he telephoned Wayne Rooney at home to talk about some team matter or other.

“Can you phone me back later?” Wayne asked him. “It’s just that I’m reading at the moment.”

I remember the surprised smile that was suddenly slashed across Roy’s face. “What are you reading?” he wondered, always happy to hear about a team-mate making the effort to improve his mind.

“Ceefax,” came the reply.

I always liked Wayne. He was easy company and a great lover of dogs. And anyone expecting a cheap joke here about hookers, young or old, is going to be disappointed. He was, as they say in the parlance, a smashing lad and a top, top player. Yet whenever I think about Wayne, I always think of his mind turning over at the same rate it takes for those teletext pages to refresh themselves.

How did Triggs’ name come about? From Trigger in Only Fools And Horses which also happened to be Jason McAteer’s nickname but the connection is not with the player who famously said he’d rather buy a Bob The Builder CD than Roy Keane’s autobiography. Howard said: “Brian Clough had a labrador called Del Boy which he occasionally brought to training when Roy was with Nottingham Forest. I think Triggs was a compliment to Clough.”

Has Howard had any feedback from Keane? “No.”

Triggs – the autobiography of Roy Keane’s dog by Paul Howard (Orion Books, £9.99).

Brian Woolnough funeral

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The funeral of Daily Star Chief Sports Writer Brian Woolnough will take place at Christ Church, Esher, on Thursday, October 4, at 2pm followed by a celebration of Brian’s life at Sandown Park Racecourse. All are welcome.

The family request no flowers, but donations can be sent to the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK, or the Sam Beare Hospice in Weybridge, Surrey.

BRIAN WOOLNOUGH 1948 – 2012

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A giant of our profession who became part of our Sunday mornings

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

Brian Woolnough, possibly the most famous face in football writing, died today aged 63.

Wooly, as he was known, started on the Esher News, moving to the Evening Post in Hemel Hempstead before starting a 27-year career with The Sun where he became chief football writer. In 2001 he moved to the Daily Star as a sports columnist but became well known to the football world through talkSPORT and Sky Sports where he initially hosted Hold The Back Page in 1994 and, more recently, the Sunday Supplement.

As a football writer Woolnough became one of the first “scufflers”, digging for news and some would say no one has done it better. Popular among colleagues even on rival newspapers, he would greet us with his trademark: “My dear old thing…” At some ungodly hour in the morning at an airport, Woolnough would somehow be in a good mood, unique among Fleet Street’s bleary eyed finest. A long-standing member of the Football Writers’ Association, Wooly seemed incapable of not smiling.

His appearance could be deceptive and Martin Lipton, the Daily Mirror’s football correspondent, said: “When I first met Brian which was 20-odd years ago, I couldn’t believe that this elegant, well-spoken man was actually the chief football writer of The Sun. As I got to know Brian I realised he was a terrific journalist, a fantastic bloke and a wonderful friend for many years.

“We spent a lot of time together in a lot of places. Nobody loved cricket more than Brian, which was his passion. He was so excited when England won the Ashes. He had a great love of life and sport.

“He was a trialblazer in many ways. Apart from being one of the first scufflers, he became the master of the back page story. Then he made the move from the written media to broadcasting where he became such a familiar face all over the country. He became part of our Sunday mornings.

“People looked up to him, he was a proper sports journalist and a proper bloke. He was the life and soul of trips.”

Daily Express football correspondent Mick Dennis, who worked alongside Woolnough at The Sun for a spell, said: “At The Sun Brian was a story-getter and those in the business realise that is the hardest skill. When he developed his second career in broadcasting he made it look very easy.

“What impressed me was that the Sunday Supplement, which he hosted initially with Jimmy Hill…he made sure the show was never all about him. He facilitated football conversations and the programme became a must-watch for fans across the country. He mastered two branches of our profession like nobody else has done.”

Daily Telegraph football correspondent Henry Winter remembers Woolnough the family man as much as Woolnough the football writer. Winter said: “Brian was a big family man. We’d be walking through the dark streets in some far flung place and he’d be talking with such pride about what his sons and how they were doing at university. That’s my abiding memory of Brian. He’d ask how my kids were doing, he was very selfless like that. We’d be at Heathrow at six in the morning clutching all the first editions and the first thing he’d ask is: ‘How the family?’

“He was a high-class scuffler. What I particularly liked about Brian the journalist is that he really cared about the game. He understood how much it meant to people and he’d never belittle it. At the same time he was never so in awe of football people that he wouldn’t ask the hardest question, but he’d do it in such a caring way. That’s why, in his later years, he proved such a great presenter on Sky Sports. He was a natural scuffler and a natural broadcaster.

“He knew exactly what he wanted to say and despite having a producer screaming in his ear, he was always so relaxed. I’d put him up with the top broadcasters that football television has seen.”

Neil Ashton, the football news correspondent of the Daily Mail, spoke of the passion Woolnough had for his job. Ashton said: “He was proud to be in the position he had and rightly so. Brian had enormous pride in whatever he did and had an incredible passion for the job. When I started out he was a very authoritative figure in the industry, his presence almost statesman-like whether he was in the press box, a media conference or a bar. As a young journalist I knew that Brian was more old school and I wasn’t just going to walk in and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Brian Woolnough. Respect had to be earned.”

Ashton has been hosting the Sunday Supplement in recent weeks and said: “Whenever I was on the show with Brian, I watched it back to learn. He always kept the three guests involved in the chat, no one was ever isolated. While I was asked to fill in on the short term, whoever does the job permanently is following someone with immense dignity.”

Mark Irwin, football correspondent of The Sun, recalls that when he was with the Daily Mirror, the football writer he was most likely to receive a late night call about when the first editions dropped was Woolnough. “If he had a story, you knew there was something in it,” said Irwin.

“When I joined The Sun he was chief football writer and everyone looked up to him. He was such a nice fellow, not the Big I Am. To survive for 27 years at The Sun tells you something about Brian. When he got a story, people took note.

“He was also the first of the new TV generation and opened the door for the rest of us, enabling others to cross over from print to broadcasting.”

Patrick Barclay, columnist for the Independent on Sunday and Evening Standard, said: “As a journalist I think he was a giant in our profession. He was our answer to Robin Day or Jeremy Paxman. He would ask the question that other journalists hoped someone else would ask. It is not easy to ask hard questions of our heroes and Brian never shirked it. This had much to do with his genuine love of the England team.

“While professionally he never suffered fools, as a person he was much softer, very kind and considerate. On Sunday Supplement he would, if necessary, gently guide guests away from blunders as much has he could, though it never stopped him from ridiculing me if he thought I’d gone too far and I loved him for that.

“I got to know Brian during the 1984 European Championship, the summer when John Barnes scored his famous goal in Brazil. The leading sports commentators were still in South America as Euro 84 got under way. Brian and I plus a couple of others constituted the English press corps, that’s how much things have changed. At one stage the entire press pack was travelling around in one car armed with a Michelin guide and a piece of paper on which to write our daily 300-word report.

“Brian then went on to master the art of television, becoming a national figure in the football community. He became probably as good a broadcaster as he was journalist, which is saying something.

“Most importantly, he was a good man and a great family man. It is sad he has been denied what would have been a long and happy retirement with his family.”

Daily Star sports editor Howard Wheatcroft said: “Brian was the doyen of his generation of sports journalists and had been the senior figure in football journalism for a long, long time. To my mind he also paved the way for journalists being called upon as pundits.

“When the era of rolling sports news began, such was his standing that he was in demand from virtually day one – and up until the end he was still the best of the lot.

He was a big man in many ways, but he was never arrogant and had an incredible appetite for hard work.”

It is only three months since the death of the Daily Star’s chief football writer Danny Fullbrook at the age of 40, also from cancer, while former FWA chairman Dennis Signy died earlier this year.

In Memoriam: Brian Woolnough

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By ANDY DUNN, FWA Chairman

WE knew this day was coming – but it makes it no easier. Sports journalism has lost a giant of a man.
Brian Woolnough was simply the foremost football reporter of his generation.

When we pay tribute, we should retire the centre seat of the front row at every England press conference.

No journalist was as passionate about England as Wooly. No journalist demanded more from England managers and players than Wooly.

He was an inspiration to us all. And a friend to us all.

A glass of red wine, a bowl of pasta, big day tomorrow. How many times have we heard that over the last three decades? How sad that we will never hear it again.

Brian was a brilliant print journalist. You do not hold down the job as chief football writer on The Sun – and then progress to be Chief Sports Writer of the Daily Star – without being at the very top of your profession.

And he led the way in giving his fellow scribes a bigger platform.

Effortlessly, he became an accomplished broadcaster – both on television and radio. And his wonderful manner has soothed the nerves of countless writers fortunate to appear alongside him on, first, Hold The Back Page, and then, the Sunday Supplement.

He became the voice of our business.

Wooly fought his battle against cancer with a bravery – and, indeed, humour – that amazed us all. And he loved the game – and our game – until his final moments. That passion never died.

And nor will his memory.

RIP Wooly.

FWA Q&A: Tony Banks

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TONY BANKS of the Daily Express on mixing up the Laudrups…upsetting Harry of Romford Market…and drinking with Scottish oilmen in Qatar…

Your first ever job in journalism?
I worked on the Informer group of free newspapers in Surrey/Middlesex area. Started off doing match reports for nowt for them on Kingstonian in the Isthmian League. Wouldn’ t recommend working for nothing though.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
Worked in a factory making pieces for petrol pumps, then one packing medicines for Unichem for delivery to chemists. Brilliant moment when we arrived for work and factory had burned down, someone had tried to go through the roof with an acetylene cutter to get to the secure hard drugs section. Marvellous.

Most memorable match?
1991 FA Cup semi-final Spurs v Arsenal.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Obviously, one of my goals for the infamous Kew Barges. There were only two so it wouldn’t be a long clip.

Best stadium?
Probably Craven Cottage – or rather the walk to it through Bishops Park on a sunny day after a pint or two in the Bricklayers.

…and the worst?
Really not a fan of San Siro. Cold and austere – and the wi-fi is a nightmare. And Selhurst Park. Always a traffic jam, always windy.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
At Millwall. They had just knocked Southampton out of the cup in a midweek replay. Rewrite written just on deadline. Push button, piece disappears. Can’t find it anywhere – do it again over phone off top of head, stream of consciousness. That original piece is out there still somewhere. If you find it, send it home please. You’ll know it – lumpy, dull intro.

Biggest mistake?
Blimey. Calling Brian Laudrup “Michael” in a press conference. Tons of them. Called Anna Kournikova “Steffi”. Bit frosty after that. Did a line once that while Arsene Wenger shops in Armani, Harry Redknapp (then Pompey) has to make do with Romford Market. He didn’t think that was funny.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Albert Steptoe. By my mum.

Most media friendly manager?
Can’t really look past Harry – mind you, he can look past me. But a big fan of Alan Smith (ex-Palace).

Best ever player?
Lionel Messi.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Brazil 1970 – though never actually saw them live. Barcelona 2009/10.

Best pre-match grub?
Arsenal is very good but Chelsea (got to keep in with Theresa) is top notch now. And sweets!

Best meal had on your travels?
Some lovely cookies in Amsterdam. They were nice.

…and the worst?
Moldova. With Spurs. Uefa Cup. Pre-match banquet. Had the ice-cream. Don’t ask. Some of us still scarred by the experience.

Best hotel stayed in?
Can’t remember the name but it was in Qatar. Amazing. But no bar – only place you could get a drink was in a room on 34th floor. Full of Scottish oilmen who had all, oddly, played for Queen of the South.

…and the worst?
Some place in Moldova a long time ago…..

Favourite football writer?
I’m a fan of the news getters – so Pat Sheehan, John Cross, Kevin Moseley, Shaun Custis.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Martin Tyler. And Brian Moore, of course.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Trust us a bit more. Relax. Mostly we are on your side.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
I’m generally late for events, so probably not the 100 metres final. Done a few GP’s, but fancy Monaco.

Last book read?
Robert MacFarlane “Wild Ways.”

Favourite current TV programme?
Boringly, it’s probably Match of the Day.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
Got a sign from Bradford Park Avenue’s old ground. Meat pies 3d. Doesn’t actually say its from Park Avenue on it, but it is.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
First, be persistent. Then work your nuts off and get numbers in your book. More the better.

GIROUD HAS A GRACE AND HUMILITY JOEY BARTON CAN ONLY PLAGIARISE

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Montpellier make their debut in the Champions League on September 18 against Arsenal who bought the French club’s top scorer Olivier Giroud this summer. As LAURE JAMES reports, while the rugby-loving city is not a hotbed of football the France striker is a class act.

MONTPELLIER’S success is impossible to overestimate. Indeed, it cannot be justified in terms of figures. For once, established parallels between big budgets and silverware do not apply.

The club had never won the domestic title before, with a third-place finish in 1988 their previous best effort. Their average attendance is eighth highest in a league of 20 and their propensity to spend is even less favourable. They have only the 14th highest budget in the French League.

Millionaire (or richer) consortiums are a relatively new phenomenon in France but welcomed by LFP, the league’s governing body who long to see the country once again challenging at the top level, namely the Champions League.

What they had never bargained for was a small, provincial club devoid of any point to prove racing to the top of the division. And staying there. Suddenly Montpellier could cling to a real achievement: a league title, a place in the Champions League, a revenue stream, a star on their chest and a buoyant future.

Montpellier is not a football city. It never has been. Culturally aware, spiced with a greater number of theatre and concert venues per capita than anywhere else in France, the fastest-growing metropolis in the Languedoc region is also home to a young, liberally-minded well-educated population. So, given the magnitude of the rugby team, are Rene Girard’s men criminally under-supported because 98 per cent are egg chasers? No. From experience of the city’s magnificently varied make-up, a little more than half follow rugby while a third are either profiting from their art-house cinema membership or fiercely parading Moroccan flags in areas of deprivation. The rest may be heard, albeit louder than ever before, to be crying “allez, allez!” from Avenue de Heidelberg.

The next, already festering question is whether rising to become champions of France will also prove to be a kiss of death. Will the squad, following more exits of note than acquisitions during the transfer window, be cannon-fodder on the Champions League stage?

Losing top scorer Olivier Giroud, destined to emerge as a household name after signing a significant four-year deal with Arsenal, represents more than the sacrifice of 21 goals in a trophy-winning season. Erudite and charming, youthful and an epicurean, Giroud rebuffs football stereotypes and instead exemplifies the city of Montpellier’s popularity – and population. Crediting his father for developing both his superlative taste in wines and interest in buying up Pic St Loup vineyards, the striker embraces life’s finery. He illustrates why Joe Cole became a Francophile and achieves, with perfect grace and humility, what Joey Barton [on loan to Olympique Marseille] can only plagiarise.

We must also consider manager Rene Girard’s future. Is he likely to be prised away given the job he’s done? Or will he remain at the head of a club’s coaching pyramid which also boasts academy success and a strong scouting network which has the ability to spot a bargain?

Discussions on whether the future will bring minor disintegration rather than sustained prowess are unlikely to trouble Montpellier fans. The championship has brought with it a recognition, at least throughout Europe, upon which it is impossible to place a value. It feels like a distant acquaintance remembering your name. It sparks a sense of pride and validates your obsession, your adoration – not as if it were needed, of course.

Fanaticism, like true love, can wilt as quickly as it deepens or fold as inconspicuously as it cements. But it never really disappears. And now, from afar, my team are champions.

From LIFE’S A PITCH – The Passions Of The Press Box edited by Michael Calvin (Integr8 Books, £10.99). The book is dedicated to the memory of Danny Fulbrook, chief football writer of the Daily Star and a member of the FWA’s national committee. Laure James, who is based in Belfast, is tri-lingual, having both English and French heritage. She contributes regularly to the Daily Mail, Sky Sports and talkSPORT.

TV’s Original Panel was Loud, Brash, Insulting but Hugely Watchable

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By the summer of 1970, Derek Dougan was among the highest profile footballers in Britain, scoring goals for Wolves and Northern Ireland and soon to be elected chairman of the PFA. As DAVID TOSSELL reveals, he was also about to become part of a revolution in televised football along with Malcolm Allison, Pat Crerand and Bob McNab:

IT WAS 1970 when ITV supposedly showed the way forward by presenting football analysis in the style of four blokes enjoying a pint at the local. The ‘World Cup panel’, which added studio-base vibrancy to a tournament already made unthinkingly exotic by colour television and the wonderful Brazilians, is acknowledged as having revolutionised television punditry. It is true to the extent that the panel format henceforward became the standard for televised football, but watching the presenting team on the latest Sky Sports Super Sunday bears little resemblance to the chaos over which Brian Moore attempted to preside in the summer of ’70. It was more Tiswas than Match of the Day.

The man responsible was John Bromley, then head of ITV sport, who asked Moore to stay at home, teaming him as usual with Jimmy Hill. What followed was an inspired piece of alchemy as Derek Dougan, Manchester City coach Malcolm Allison, Manchester United midfielder Pat Crerand and Arsenal and England full-back Bob McNab were thrown into the mix, wearing colours so bright and collars so wide that Moore looked like the John Alderton character, Hedges, trying to control his rowdy and fashion-conscious Class 5c in Please, Sir!. The result was a month of television that was loud, brash, often controversial, sometimes downright insulting and always hugely watchable. For the first time in the broadcasting of sports events, ITV’s figures regularly matched the BBC, which managed to look safe and staid even with Brian Clough as part of its team.

Allison, evolving into ‘Big Mal’, was the star, irreverent and dashing but with the mind of a brilliant coach to add substance to his style. Dougan played the role of his nemesis, sitting to his right, often choking on the fumes from Allison’s Cuban cigar, and mixing Irish charm and humour with a hard critical edge. Scotland international Crerand, in the manner of his play, was abrasive and energetic, while McNab offered the insight of a player who had been in the England squad until a few days earlier.

‘We need some people who can actually talk lucidly about football,’ had been the guiding principle of Bromley, who changed his mind about using his panellists individually and opted instead to throw them all on screen at once. ‘Crerand and Allison were the baddies,’ he added, ‘and the charming Dougan with the lovely McNab were the goodies. They became folk heroes in four weeks.’

Moore recalled that ‘they gave football punditry a fresh intoxicating sparkle’, while Dougan, looking back years later, said, ‘We were the first four people ever invited on television to actually speak about our sport. The chemistry was right and we used to spark off each other. Not once did we have a rehearsal. Malcolm was the only guy that I have ever worked with who could drink an excess of champagne and not slur his words.’

McNab remembers, ‘People had never seen anything like it although I am not sure we all realised it was ground-breaking at the time. Jimmy tried to control it, but Malcolm would take the piss out of him unmercifully. Actually, we all ended up taking the piss out each other. Without disrespect to Derek, he didn’t have the intellectual football ideas of Malcolm. We noticed that he would start repeating some of the stuff Malcolm said off-camera so sometimes Mal would set him up and say the opposite of what he thought. It was all great fun and we all had a lot of respect and affection for each other.’

McNab also remembers the group whiling away the afternoons at the Hendon Hall hotel before their evening broadcasts. ‘We used to play head tennis and nobody wanted to play on Derek’s team because all you had to do was hit it to his right foot and you would win the point.’

This group of articulate, stylishly dressed men were enthralling viewers who followed football every day of their lives and making the sport easily accessible to those whose interest barely extended to the FA Cup final, the one club game televised live each season. Fan letters and autograph hunters became an even bigger part of their lives. McNab even recalls the group eating in a restaurant one night and being joined by Michael Caine who wanted to ‘have a drink with the lads’.

In Sunshine or In Shadow: A Journey Through The Life of Derek Dougan by David Tossell, published by Pitch Publishing, is available as hardback or eBook at amazon.co.uk.

30th Northern Managers Awards Dinner 2012

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30th NORTHERN MANAGERS AWARDS DINNER 2012 in conjunction with BARCLAYS
Sunday October 21st, Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel
Peter Street, Manchester M2 5GP (formerly The Free Trade Hall)
Reception 6.45pm for 7.30pm. Dress code: LOUNGE SUITS

Master of Ceremonies: VINCE MILLER
Guest speaker: GRAHAM POLL (Former World Cup Referee).

Tickets: £60 (FWA members), £65 (Non members/guests)
Available on a first-come-first-served basis for either tables of 10/11, smaller groups or individuals. Cheques should be made payable to ‘FWA NORTH’ and forwarded to the Secretary ahead of the function.

If you want to stay over you need to contact us for more information.

Cheques and ticket applications to:
Richard Bott (secretary FWA North)
4 Brentwood Close, Smithy Bridge, Littleborough, Lancs. OL15 0ND.

This year there are NINE AWARD-WINNING MANAGERS, as follows:

1 ROBERTO MANCINI (Manchester City) Barclays PL Champions.

2 KENNY DALGLISH (Liverpool) Carling League Cup Winners

3 DAVE JONES (Sheffield Wednesday) npower Lge 1 runners-up

4 SIMON GRAYSON (Huddersfield Town) npower Lge 1 p/off winners

5 STEVE DAVIS (Crewe Alexandra) npower Lge 2 p/off winners

6 JOHN SHERIDAN (Chesterfield) Johnstones Paint Trophy winners

SPECIAL AWARDS:

7 GARY MILLS (York City) FA Carlsberg Trophy winners and Blue Square Bet Premier play-off winners.

8 MICKY MELLON (Fleetwood Town) Blue Square Conference champions).

9 BILLY IRWIN (Dunston UTS) FA Carlsberg Vase winners.

MENU:

Minted lamb neck croquettes with ratatouille vinaigrette micro salad.

(Vegetarian option: Mille fuille of parmesan crisp sunblush tomato and rocket pesto)
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Roasted vine tomato and sweet pepper soup
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Fillet of Cheshire beef with wasabi creamed potato, carrot and parsnip, baby onion tart.

(Vegetarian option: Roast vegetable and pesto cannelloni)
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Wild berry cheesecake with Grey Goose vodka

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Coffee and petit fours