Category Archives: Features

SWANSEA HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT LAUDRUP’S SUCCESSOR

Posted on by
1

CHRIS WATHAN of the Western Mail says that planning ahead has been a significant part of the Capital One Cup finalists’ success

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

SOME CLUBS have found it difficult going on impossible to appoint – and keep – the right manager. Swansea City have made the task seem so easy you wonder why others have such problems.

Chris Wathan of the Western Mail has covered the rise and rise of Swansea, from the time they needed to beat Hull City in the final match of 2002/03 to avoid relegation to the Conference to the Capital One Cup final where they will play Bradford City on February 24; the prize for the winners is qualification for the Europa League.

Brian Flynn was the manager when Swansea defeated Hull 4-2 to retain their Football League status. Since then there has been a succession of managers who have each taken the club forward, yet Wathan believes the change of ownership in 2002 was the catalyst for enabling the Swans to proceed and prosper. Wathan said: “If I had to pinpoint a moment that changed Swansea’s fortunes it would be when the club was taken over.”

A group of local businessmen bought out the Australian, Tony Petty, with the Swansea Supporters’ Trust owning 20 per cent of the club. “That model still exists today,” said Wathan. ”Along with keeping their League status, that was a key point. It keeps a connection between the city and the club.”

Since then, Swansea have had five managers – Kenny Jackett, Roberto Martinez, Paulo Sousa, Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup – with chairman Huw Jenkins rewarded for giving them an opportunity to step up.

Wathan said: “Swansea’s philosophy has been – why are clubs so obsessed with giving managers second chances? Why not give them a first chance? Jackett was a number two at Watford and Queens Park Rangers, Swansea was his first senior job and he brought a lot of professionalism to the club. Martinez had never been a manager before and the hand of Roberto is still evident now.

“Paulo Sousa had been in charge at QPR for only six months and although there were criticisms of the job he did, the side still managed the club’s
highest league position for 27 years and came very close to the Championship play-offs. Rodgers had done well at Watford, but was sacked by Reading…it was a gamble but only in the context of knowing which way the board wanted to take the club forward.”

Laudrup was on the market for nine months after he quit Real Mallorca on a point of principle after his assistant Erik Larsen, who now works with him at Swansea, was sacked. Having managed Brondby, Getafe, Spartak Moscow and Mallorca, the Dane was given his chance by Jenkins in the Barclays Premier League.

Wathan said: “They do things with a common-sense approach, a sort of succession planning. They almost know what they want before things reach a crisis point. They had already researched Laudrup and had him lined up before Rodgers left for Liverpool. The process had started and I’ve no doubt they have already thought about what will happen when Laudrup eventually moves on.”

The former Denmark international is doing an exceptional job, Swansea proving that entertaining football can also be successful. “Swansea, being the size of a club that they are, know they cannot rely on a manager being there forever. That’s not being negative or defeatist, it’s a realistic approach which means they can move on easier than those who bury their heads in the sand. “

Wathan said Swansea are “absolutely fantastic” to work with, a sentiment echoed by football writers from English national newspapers who have covered the club this season. “They always say how accommodating the club are and a lot of that comes from the fact many of the players and staff have been there from League Two. They’ve always been open, helpful and friendly to deal with and we all know how difficult it can be at various clubs.”

The press facilities at the Liberty Stadium are first class unlike, Wathan said, their previous home Vetch Field “where you had to lean out of the window to see who was taking a corner.”

To help establish close relationships with the media, there has been a Christmas seven-a-side game between the press and staff. “We have a meal and few drinks afterwards. For one reason or another we haven’t had a game with Michael yet and he’s been teasing us, saying we are running scared and that he’s going to nutmeg everyone.”

Laudrup, one of the few players to have played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, was one of the finest forwards of his generation, winning 104 caps for Denmark in the Eighties and Nineties. “I’ve absolutely no doubt he’ll do what he promised,” said Wathan.
“The games are fun and a good bonding exercise. When Martinez was manager, there was a goalkeeping coach called Iñaki Bergara who, among others, played for Real Sociedad so to score past him was nice. Paulo Sousa, who went to three major finals with Portugal as an attacking midfielder, also played in goal against us, claiming a groin injury.
“That didn’t stop him, on one occasion, becoming rush-goalie, taking everyone on before rounding the keeper to score.
“This sort of thing illustrates the good relationship that has been maintained between the club and the media. Swansea are very much a community club…I did a interview with goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel who has played in Germany and Austria and he said how much he liked the family club atmosphere at Swansea.”

The coming days will be Wathan’s busiest period of the season as the countdown to the Capital One Cup final begins, with supplements, features and back-page leads to take care of. “The Western Mail is a national paper so what we’ll do is not quite to the extent of the South Wales Evening Post which is mainly a Swansea paper, but we’ll certainly have a field day with the final.”

Next season, Swansea are set to be joined by Cardiff City in the Barclays Premier League for the first time. It is a rivalry that could politely be described as intense and Wathan said: “From a journalist’s point of view the Welsh patch is a fantastic one. It would be tremendous for newspapers to have two clubs in the top division even if Swansea fans may be split about this. Some would love to see the clubs playing each other in the Barclays Premier League as it’s never happened before while others prefer Cardiff to be just below them, but it’s hard to see it staying this way because of the way they are playing.”

In March 1978 John Toshack, 28, became the youngest manager in the Football League and under him Swansea rose from the old Fourth Division to the First Division in four years. The team of Dai Davies, Robbie and Leighton James and Alan Curtis finished sixth in their first season in Division One and Wathan said: “I did an article a couple of weeks back speculating that the current team was their greatest of all-time. Toshack’s team played some great football and even led the division for a while, but the way Swansea have done it now…the way they are playing and winning admirers everywhere…this is probably a better achievement. “If they manage a first major trophy in their centenary season it will be difficult to argue against them.”

 

DAVID MEEK EXPLAINS HOW FERGUSON TURNED ‘VILLAIN’ RONALDO INTO A UNITED HERO (and why Cristiano is better than Messi)

Posted on by
2

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

GEORGE BEST remains the number one player in David Meek’s personal Manchester United hall of fame, followed by Eric Cantona. Yet despite having been at Old Trafford for only two years when he wrote the book Manchester United’s Perfect 10, Cristiano Ronaldo – controversially – made the cut.

The Real Madrid striker faces his former club in the Champions League at the Bernabeu on February 13 before making his first return to Old Trafford on March 5. Meek’s selection of Ronaldo received criticism at the time, but the football writer who covered United for the Manchester Evening News from 1958 to 1995 said: “I knew I was taking a bit of a flyer because all the other players were not only of great quality, they helped the club to success over a period of time. I chose Ronaldo because he had such an exceptional talent, was so exciting and made such an early impact that I felt I had to include him.” Meek added with a laugh: “What brilliant judgment that was.”

Ronaldo went on help United win three Barclays Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups, one Champions League and one Club World Cup plus being chosen as the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year twice. Best’s collection of silverware – two First Division winners’ medals and one European Cup – does not reflect his incredible talent but he quit United at 27, an age when a player is usually at his peak. Meek said: “Best was unique…I made Cantona second for the impact he had at United. He was the catalyst for the first championship in 26 years.”

Meek, a life member of the FWA, is confident Ronaldo will receive a warm reception when Real come to Old Trafford though this is mainly due to the persuasive powers of Sir Alex Ferguson who talked the Portugal international into staying for one more season. He said: “Cristiano will get a good reception because he was well managed and advised by Sir Alex. After five years there were rumours flying around about Real Madrid. I think it was mostly his agent getting busy, but Sir Alex told Cristiano ‘if you go now you’ll leave as a villain in the eyes of the fans because they’ll feel you’re letting them down and going too soon. Give it another year and you’ll leave a hero. Not only will you have contributed to something in that year, you’ll have shown a regard for Manchester United that will reflect well on you.’

“It was very shrewd of Sir Alex. You might say he was being selfish and keeping a great player for another year, but his advice was correct and Cristiano is held in high esteem by United fans.”

It took United’s first Portuguese player a while to win the supporters – and manager – over following his £12.24 million transfer from Sporting Lisbon in 2003. Meek said: “He had a rough beginning in the sense the crowd became impatient with him while the media called him a one trick pony and criticised him for being a diver. It was suggested he’d soon be rumbled and cut down to size in the Premier League. He wasn’t an instant success, but by the second year Sir Alex and his coaches had worked on him, telling him not to go down too easily.

“When I first saw him I never thought he would reach the heights he has, but a year or so later it was obvious he was going to go a long way.”

An ongoing problem for Ronaldo is being born in the same era as Lionel Messi, the Barcelona maestro always seeming to pip his rival for the major individual honours and scoring records. If Ronaldo grabs a hat-trick, Messi will score four, but Meek puts the Real player ahead of the Argentina international. He said: “I know I’m biased, but if I had to cast a vote in the head-to-head…while appreciating the tremendous artistry and effectiveness of Messi I would vote for Ronaldo because he’s carrying the Real Madrid team these days and still playing exceptionally well.

“Messi is surrounded by wonderful players such as Andres Iniesta and Xavi. If you’re even half a player you can play a little bit with people like that around you. Ronaldo has to do it more on his own, just as Cantona carried United for a while until the David Beckham era of youngsters matured. Cantona would score the goal in 1-0 wins.”

Having helped Ronaldo become a world star, Ferguson must now devise a plan to minimise the impact of the £80 million superstar. Meek said: “Sir Alex has never really gone in for man-marking. I think he will prefer cover-marking. Assuming Ronaldo plays from the left wing, in young Rafael United have a very quick Brazilian full-back who will feel he can cope with Ronaldo as well as anyone can. Whoever plays on the wing will have to drop pack and support Rafa while when Ronaldo starts roaming he’ll be picked up by the nearest man. If Sir Alex puts a player on him it would pull the United team structure apart. United are more positive than that, they prefer to impose themselves on opponents.”

For Meek, Manchester United v Real Madrid remains the ultimate European matchup. “They may be playing in the shadow of Barcelona, but United v Real excites me more than United v Barcelona. It’s a matter of history. I remember after the Munich Air Crash and it was Real Madrid who offered to play United in a friendly just to keep United in touch with European football. UEFA gave United a sympathy invitation into the European Cup, but the English authorities blocked this.

“As I understand it, the invitation was made by Real president Santiago Bernabeu to Sir Matt Busby. The game went ahead and I remember Real were awarded a penalty which they didn’t feel was justified. Alfredo di Stefano put the ball down for the penalty and deliberately kicked it over the bar. My respect for Real lingers on.”

For many, the most memorable match between the clubs was the 1967/68 European Cup semi-final second leg in Madrid when Bill Foulkes scored the winner. While Foulkes was one of the most reliable defenders United have had, in a career spanning 688 matches he scored just nine goals.

Meek said: “I asked Bill what he was doing upfield and even he doesn’t know. He just felt something drew him forward. Bill told me when Best stole away down the wing, looked across and saw who it was arriving in the Real penalty area he said to himself ‘he’ll never pass the ball to me.’” But Best did and Foulkes scored with a right foot shot to send United to the final where they defeated Benfica.

Maybe it will be Rio Ferdinand’s turn to grab an unlikely headline with his seventh goal for United in 11 years, but the Barclays Premier League leaders go into the two Champions League ties in better form than Real, who are in turmoil on and off the pitch. “United will be quietly confident they can give Real a surprise,” said Meek, who continues to collaborate with Sir Alex for the manager’s programme notes which he has done since the Scot took charge at Old Trafford.

“I enjoy doing this because he always has something to say. It’s 1,000 words now and a bit more than welcoming the directors, manager, players and fans of the visiting team. I take it as a compliment that extracts from his column are lifted as quotes by the national press. I regard that as the barometer as whether they are interesting or not.”

FWA Q&A: Neil Harman

Posted on by
1

NEIL HARMAN on chatting with Sir Matt…Contemplation Point…and wonderful Fox pies

Have you ever worked in a profession other than football?
If you count marking up the newspapers for delivery as a 14-year-old in Leigh-on-Sea and then doing shifts before and after school behind the counter in the same local newsagents, I suppose that’s my only other profession. I left school at 16 and joining the Evening Echo, based in Basildon as a junior sports reporter and from there it has been journalism all the way.

Most memorable match?
Undoubtedly, Liverpool 4, Newcastle United 3 at Anfield on April 3, 1996 Absolutely the most remarkable match, full of adventure whose climax, the stunner by Stan Collymore, who wheeled away towards the Kop, was symptomatic of the match as a whole, a one-touch, two-touch passing move of the rarest quality.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
My conversation with Sir Matt Busby at Billy McNeill’s home in Manchester in 1990. I’d been invited to Billy’s 50th birthday and was second to arrive. Billy introduced me to Sir Matt and we had 15 minutes seated on the sofa together talking football before the room started filling up. I was a little awestruck and managed to keep the conversation going. He said ‘nice to talk to you Neil’ when it was over.

Best stadium?
For atmosphere, intimacy, the closeness of the press box to the pitch, the people and the thrill, it has to be Anfield. A real football stadium. It never disappointed.

…and the worst?
It’s probably the Southendian in me, but I loathed Layer Road, Colchester.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Actually, I survived all right (even sheltering under my desk in Izmir, Turkey in 1991, trying to keep the couplers attached to the to ends of the phone so that my Tandy would operate) but sitting next to Steve Curry of the Express in the back row of the press box at Elland Road after the famous Kevin Keegan outburst in 1996 took some beating. It was a night of high emotion, we were all re-writing quickly and Martin Lipton, now the Mirror chief football writer and then of the Press Association, raced up to the box, tripped over Steve’s electricity cables, which were dragged out of the socket and all of his words disappeared from the screen just as he was about to press ‘Send’. It is safe to say that Mr Curry was not a happy bunny. If memory serves me write he had to ad-lib (I hope younger journalists know what that means).

Biggest mistake?
Thinking that I could keep doing the job the way I had always believed it should be done when a certain regime took over at the Daily Mail in the late 1990s – and hoping that some of my colleagues on the paper at that time would stand up for what was right, rather than what was expedient. I left.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
I was a 17-year-old junior reporter attending a primary school in Billericay to write a story on Mervyn Day, the former West Ham and Orient goalkeeper meeting the kids and when I arrived before he did, most of them thought I was him.

Most media friendly manager?
Ron Atkinson

Best ever player?
My parents used to be season ticket holders at Upton Park and when they took me along, I idolised Bobby Moore. Getting to know him was one of the greatest satisfactions of my life.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Real Madrid of the early 1960s and the Brazilians who won the 1970 World Cup.

Best pre-match grub?
It was all much of a muchness in my day, but I do recall that Bill Fox, when he was Blackburn chairman, allowed the press into the boardroom before matches at the old Ewood Park and their pies were bloody wonderful.

Best meal had on your travels?
During the 1992 European Championship in Sweden; Colin Gibson of the Daily Telegraph, Steve Curry of the Express, Harry Harris of the Mirror, and I stayed at a hotel in the middle of nowhere away from the rest of the England media throng, which had its own lake and we ate the fish they caught from it every night. Stunning cuisine. They had a wooden boat which we used to take in turns to row to the middle of the lake in the evening. We called it Contemplation Point.

…and the worst?
One motorway greasy spoon is hard to differentiate from another, but I’ve had my fair share of those on late, late match nights

Best hotel stayed in?
I loved the Stenungsbaden Yacht Club just outside Gothenburg, for the aforementioned 1992 Europeans (another Gibson triumph). It happened to be the same hotel that the Danish team was in before the final and we made great friends with their manager, Richard Moller-Nielsen, much to the chagrin of the Denmark press corps.

…and the worst?
The hotel wasn’t the worst but sharing with Alan Thompson of the Express on a Cup-Winners’ Cup trip with Bangor City to Madrid in 1985 was an unforgettably awful experience. He sat up most of the night smoking Capstan Full Strength and sipping brandy. I didn’t get a wink of sleep. I loved Tommo though, what a character.

Favourite football writer?
Across the years, Geoffrey Green of The Times, Alan Hoby of the Sunday Express, Jeff Powell (the best match reporter of all) Jeff Farmer and Peter Johnson of the Daily Mail, David Lacey and Daniel Taylor on the Guardian.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Difficult to pick one, I loved the velvety tones of Peter Jones and Bryon Butler on BBC Radio and Mike Ingham continues that tradition; David Coleman and John Motson on the television. So many voices today sound exactly the same to me.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
I don’t cover that much football these days, but it strikes me that a loosening of the PR strings is what is required. We could mix and mingle with the players in my day and I know that’s tough with the 24-hour Sky Sports News types to cater for, but only when the press and the players develop a sense of trust and mutual appreciation can the real stories be told. Otherwise, it’s simply PR dross.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
The Masters in Augusta.

Last book read?
The Seven Deadly Sins, My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong by David Walsh of the Sunday Times on the doping in cycling. A page turner. Brilliant work by a brilliant writer.

Favourite current TV programme?
I’m a bit of an old sentimentalist. I love Call The Midwife

Your most prized football memorabilia?
I have a menu from the Anglo-American Sporting Club which must have been circa 1970-71, signed by Bobby Moore, Alan Mullery, Terry Venables and Colin Bell among others. A treasure for a 13 year old kid.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Try to remain true to yourself, write with honesty, have an opinion, forge relationships, maintain your enthusiasm even in the most trying or circumstances. Never let the bastards grind you down.

Neil Harman was the Daily Mail chief football writer from 1990-97 and also wrote on football in the Mail’s Manchester office in the early 80s having started on the Southend Evening Echo and moving to the Birmingham Evening Mail. He was the Mail’s tennis correspondent from 1986-90 and has been in the same position at the Sunday Telegraph and at The Times, since 2002.

I DON’T LIKE CRITICS, OH NO

Posted on by
28

Don’t you walk thru my words
You got to show some respect*

By JIM WHITE

IF EVER I am feeling a little too pleased with myself, whenever I think that I might have the answer, on the occasions I smugly reckon I have hit the nail right on the head, I have a simple method of pricking my own pomposity: I check out the comments under any piece I have written on the internet. Then I realise that I am, in fact, a worthless illiterate moron with an agenda bigger than Clarence Seedorf’s rear end who should never be employed writing about football again. The other day, beneath a piece I was reasonably pleased with, the first comment was succinct in its analysis: “another ten minutes of my life I’ll never get back. Why anyone pays this jerk for his opinions is one of the great mysteries of life.” And that was one of the more positive comments.

I can at least take comfort that I’m not the only one. Even the most distinguished of our trade are routinely beasted in the comments section. Martin Samuel, Paul Hayward, Patrick Collins: all of them are apparently idiots. I was recently enjoying a piece by Richard Williams which was so brilliantly argued and beautifully composed it should have been immediately placed at the centre of the curriculum of any university journalism course. And the first comment? “Another load of manure from the world’s most boring man. The sooner he retires the better.”

It is everywhere this vituperation. Broadsheet and tabloid, liberal and conservative outlet, every football writer is routinely soaked in vitriol. John Cross wrote a piece on the Mirror website a couple of weeks back saying that he understood Southampton’s owner Nicola Cortese was on the brink of sacking Nigel Adkins and was going to appoint Mauricio Pochettino in his stead. The first three comments under the item were instructive:

“What an absolute piece of garbage story,” read the first.

The second was: “The Mirror understands how to make up stories to make us laugh. Saints fans understand the Mirror is changing hands and that Nicola Cortese is to be appointed consultant to the new board who are about to clean out and clean up the rag. I wonder which story has any truth?”

While the third patrolled new frontiers of literacy to inform us that: “whoever wrot this is a f**k wit haha”.

The truth is whoever wrote this is a first class journalist with first class sources who had provided readers with a first class story. As was evidenced by the turn of events of the very next day.

But the commentators were not interested in such niceties as the truth or accuracy of Cross’s story. All they wanted to do was soak him in verbal ordure. And this is a rough summary of what any football journalist can expect the moment they venture into print these days. Or indeed on to the airwaves.

As Stan Collymore has long been aware. He was obliged recently to defend himself from sneerers on Twitter who had attacked him for being an ex-pro who didn’t go to university. What does he know about journalism? In his very cogently argued riposte, he pointed out how much hard-working pundits like him and Gary Neville bring to our understanding of the game. You wonder, though, whether any of those attacking him would have bothered to listen. They were probably too busy trolling Henry Winter for being a non ex-pro who did go to university. What does a snooty chap like him know about the working man’s game?

Of course, we have long known that Twitter and the comments section of any newspaper website are these days simply an extension of care in the community. They are the province of the goggle-eyed, providing an instant electronic reservoir of green ink for the socially unreliable.

The football section, however, does seem consistently to be the most hate-filled and ugly. And that, given what can be found under any item by Julie Burchill, is saying something. Football writing, it seems, has come to be regarded as an extension of the game, and football writers reckoned to be legitimate targets for the same kind of raw, personalised haranguing to which footballers are now routinely subject. It makes me wonder, perusing what passes for debate in the comments section: has there ever been a time like it?

*With apologies to 10CC’s Dreadlock Holiday

CAPITAL ONE WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR THIS FINAL

Posted on by
Reply

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

SIMON PARKER, the football writer closest to Bradford City, on the rise and rise of the Bantams

“In the future everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes” – Andy Warhol, 1968.

BRADFORD CITY are one win away from securing a place in the Europa League. Old sages may say nothing in football surprises them, but the rise and rise of the Bantams is up there with all the tales of the unexpected the occasionally beautiful game can offer.

Victory over Swansea City in the Capital Cup final at Wembley on February 24 will ensure English football’s most unlikely European qualifiers of their 15 minutes plus Fergie time.

Bradford’s success has changed the lives of the players, manager Phil Parkinson and everyone associated with the club. This true football fairy tale just keeps on going and the reporter closest to Bradford living the dream is Simon Parker, who covers the club for the Telegraph & Argus.

Parker started with the T&A in September 2000. “I had to wait until December to see my first win,” Parker told footballwriters.co.uk. “It’s been not so much a roller-coaster ride as a downhill ride, with two administrations and three relegations. There haven’t been too many high points.”

Until now.

Bradford’s passage to Wembley has thrust the club into the national spotlight and has given Parker a work-load he never dreamed of, not that he’s complaining.

He said: “As you can imagine, we have pullouts and supplements coming out of our ears. In fact, we have had for the last couple of rounds because we all looked at the Arsenal and Aston Villa ties as our big cup final. No one thought we’d still be going…we have plans for a special supplement the week before the final. I’ve already started work on this, speaking to some former players and trying to find every connection possible. Everything’s gone a bit manic, but it makes a change from covering League Two.”

Despite being England’s 11th biggest city, Bradford is not a hotbed of football, rugby league’s Bradford Bulls the only sporting cause for celebration in the new millennium.

Parker said: “In financial terms, Bradford has been on its uppers for a few years. It’s really struggled and needed a boost like this. Most of the headlines have been negative, for instance there were plans to build a big Westfield shopping centre, but it’s still a big hole in the ground. That typified the feeling that the city centre was going to rack and ruin.

“Now, you talk to people and there’s a real buzz about the place. What City have done is to get people talking about Bradford and the profile has been raised in a very good way. Bradford’s a big city with a large potential fan base. They still get huge crowds by League Two standards. The club have always been pretty good to deal with, though obviously it’s not the Geoffrey Richmond era [when Bradford rubbed shoulders with English football’s elite for two seasons].”

Parker has seen the usual procession of managers coming and going during his time covering the club – Chris Hutchings, Jim Jefferies, Steve Smith (caretaker for two games), Nicky Law, Bryan Robson, Colin Todd, David Wetherall (caretaker for 13 games), Stuart McCall, Wayne Jacobs (caretaker, one game), Peter Taylor, Peter Jackson, Colin Cooper (caretaker for two games) and Parkinson – plus one match in 2003 when senior players Jacobs, Wetherall, Peter Atherton and Dean Windass were in charge of team matters.

The men at the top are Julian Rhodes and Mark Lawn, who have been joint-chairmen since 2007. Parker said: “They are chalk and cheese, complete opposites. Mark is very brash, he says what he thinks and will talk to anyone while Julian is very reserved. When you get to know him he’s a very funny guy, but he’s happy for Mark to have the spotlight.

“Mark’s always good for a quote and doesn’t worry too much if he upsets people. He had a pop at the local council after Bradford beat Arsenal because only one councillor had bothered to say ‘well done.’ He joked about inviting the one councillor on the team bus if they made Wembley.”

The more reserved Parkinson is one of football deep thinkers, as you might expect from a man who has a BSc degree in social sciences from the Open University.

Parker said: “Phil isn’t someone for the cheap sound-bite. He doesn’t ‘lash out’ or anything, but few can analyse a game better. He watches every match two or three times and goes through everything to the nth degree.

“The first time I spoke to him was a couple of days before he got the job [in 2011] and he was fine. He told me: ‘One thing I’ll promise you is that I’ll always ring you back.’ He’s been as good as his word even during recent weeks when the world and his brother were chasing him.”

For all the national interest, the local newspaper remains at the heart of a club like Bradford. The T&A will be there long after Bradford’s Andy Warhol moment has gone and Parker said: “I remember when I covered Southampton and Dave Jones said how important it was to get on with your local paper, joking that it gives you six months longer in the job.”

For all the excitement of reaching Wembley and the financial windfall that will stabilise the club, Parker has two major worries – whether the cup run will affect promotion and if Parkinson will sign a new contract. He said: “We won’t really know until May, but it’s what might happen to the league form. They’ll play 61 games this season and the squad is not accustomed to playing that many.”

Bradford’s League Two match against Wycombe last Saturday was postponed and they have other games to re-arrange. “Minds inevitably wander and they have done already, they’ve won only one point from the last four league games. They haven’t played particularly badly, but you can tell they’ve been distracted.”

Parkinson’s contract ends this summer and though he turned down the chance to speak with Blackpool, reports claim he earns £1,000 per week, which could be trebled in the Championship.

“It’s not just Parkinson, it’s all the coaching staff and quite a few players, too. Most League Two clubs offer short contracts because it’s not viable to have someone tied down for years. If the club can keep the manager the players will stay because they all want to play for him.

“The chairmen seem confident of keeping Parkinson and unless a big club comes in I can see him carrying on because he wants to see the job through here. Bradford is the type of club where if you do get it right, you’ll be remembered forever. They’ve made history by reaching the final, but if they could win promotion as well, Parkinson will be spoken of in the same way that Paul Jewell [who led Bradford into the top division] still is.”

There is a belief in some quarters that sensational back page stories sell newspapers when in fact good news is far more likely to boost circulation figures. Parker said: “Newspaper sales have fallen through the floor in recent years, but Bradford’s cup run has had a huge impact on the T&A. Phil Parkinson made the point that everyone will want a souvenir newspaper so that in years to come they still have that memory. It is something the internet can never give you.

“While I remain a Portsmouth fan, there is an inevitable attachment when you cover a club for 13 years, especially when you have lived through grim times for so long…you start to enjoy the high rides.”

One of the great things about football is that there are times when the game remains inexplicable, even to the most experienced managers and coaches. How on earth can the team ranked 78th in the 92-club English football pyramid beat three Barclays Premier League sides – Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa plus Watford who are pushing for promotion from the Championship – to reach the Capital One Cup final?

Parker said: “There are some very good players here, quite a few are Championship standard. For example, Nathan Doyle, a strong centre midfielder who was at Barnsley…the captain, Gary Jones, who was Mr Rochdale and if you watch League Two he is the midfielder every lower division team wants, he makes them tick and never wastes a pass.”

Can they do it again? Can they add Swansea to their already impressive list of scalps? Parker said: “I’ve written them off time after time. They were one goal down at Watford with five minutes left and won 2-1. At Burton, they were two down with seven minutes remaining – in every round they’ve looked to be out and Parkinson told me: ‘we are like a boxer being punched on the ropes, but we’ve got a hell of a chin.’ They have taken their punishment, but don’t get put down, they just keep digging away.”

The heavyweights of the English leagues will be absent from Wembley where Swansea v Bradford will be a breath of fresh air in the inaugural Capital One Cup final. Parker said: “Those who don’t support the top four or five clubs probably get a bit bored with seeing them dominate just about everything. Here you have two teams away from the mainstream who cannot say ‘oh, another trip to Wembley, but I’d rather get in the Champions League.’ It’s all or nothing for Swansea and Bradford on the day and that’s what makes it such a special event.

“Capital One must be delighted. They will always be remembered for having this final.”

FWA Q&A: MIGUEL DELANEY

Posted on by
Reply

MIGUEL DELANEY on super Spain…awesome Ajax…and magnificent McIlvaney

Have you ever worked in a profession other than football?
Sort of, but not really. I was lucky enough to go straight out of university into a job on the sports desk of the now sadly-defunct Irish paper, the Sunday Tribune. And, although they tried to inflict other sports on me that I never had any real interest in, I was always leaning towards football!

Most memorable match?
A few to mention for different reasons. I’m half-Irish, half-Spanish and, as such, there are results stands out for each for both professional and personal reasons: Ireland’s 1-0 over the Netherlands in September 2001, and then Spain’s 1-0 over the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final. I’ve never been as tense. Luckily, I didn’t have to file on the whistle for either. In terms of sheer performance and the sport being played to its highest possible level, hard to look past Barcelona’s 3-1 over Manchester United in the Champions League final. There was one moment in the first-half where, with just three touches on the edge of the box, Messi had nutmegged Vidic and taken Ferdinand out of the game. Barca were so good that, by the hour, you could see United were absolutely shattered from chasing them. There was no way back. As regards drama, Turkey’s 3-2 win – and comeback – over the Czech Republic in Euro 2008 was a pleasure to be at. Ultimately, the 2010 World Cup final is probably top of the list for the tension, the stage and what it meant – both for the sport and for me personally.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Iniesta’s goal against the Netherlands. From a more detached perspective, one of the most perfect goals I’ve ever seen was Hernan Crespo’s in the 2005 Champions League final: an astounding curling through ball from Kaka – that completely took a stretching Jamie Carragher out of the game – followed by a beautiful clipped finish. It was masterful.

Best stadium?
The Bernabeu. Epic dimensions to it. The sheer height of its stands, which seem steeper than Camp Nou, make it incredible.

…and the worst?
Anywhere where it’s difficult to get wifi. There were a few League of Ireland grounds with this problem.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Once had a 50-minute interview, with what I thought was some great material, recorded on the voice programme of my iPhone. I rarely use the connector to charge the phone on the laptop but, in a hotel room with a ridiculously low number of sockets that were all filled, I decided to. As the phone hadn’t been hooked up to the laptop since I bought it, it immediately synched up, updated and wiped everything that had been on it before. I was close to tears.

Biggest mistake?
See above.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Tim Cahill. I’ve actually been stopped on the street for that one.

Most media friendly manager?
Probably Roberto Martinez or Mick McCarthy, in different ways and for different reasons.

Best ever player?
For fundamental ability, I’d say Diego Maradona. I think his basic skill and manipulation of the ball is still just a touch ahead of Leo Messi’s – who is still obviously absolutely incredible. However, I think Messi will apply his ability much better and ultimately end up with a superior career.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Ajax 1970-73 (with Barca 2008-11 running them close) and Spain 2008-12. As regards the latter, people go on about Brazil 1970 but they only had six games in conditions that weren’t conducive to defending. Spain have maintained it for four years and three tournaments and have had to put up with some of the deepest and most extreme backlines any team has ever faced. As such, I certainly don’t buy the ‘boring’ argument. As Euro 2008 and the final of Euro 2012 showed, if you step out against Spain they can rip you apart in the manner of that Brazil team.

Best pre-match grub?
Chelsea, by a distance.

Best meal had on your travels?
Can’t remember the name of the restaurant but Vienna during Euro 2008 was excellent. And I was a big fan of the strudels

…and the worst?
The so-called burgers they gave us in Minsk airport when a connecting flight from Warsaw to Kiev was delayed by 10 hours.

Favourite football writer?
It may be an obvious one but Hugh McIlvanney for the manner in which he manages to mix almost literary description with excellent detail in the most concise sentences. He had a line about the World Cup which, for me, sums up how good he is. “Earlier rounds offer sudden death but this is the only one that offers immortality.” That’s always stayed with me. It says so much in so few words, and in such an elegant way.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
I’d probably go Martin Tyler or Barry Davies. I do like the way Clive Tyldsley attempts to capture a moment, though.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
For clubs to realise that, in an age when players are perceived as being detached from the public, making them more accessible can help their image. As I’m sure many have said, the distance between players and reporters – and, by extension, fans – has grown too great. What’s more, coverage of football seems to be becoming increasingly Americanised (and I don’t mean that in a negative sense) – with one difference: US sports offer superb access and realise this is necessary both to sell, and tell the story of, the game.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
The Olympic 100m final.

Last book read?
David Walsh’s Seven Deadly Sins. Tremendous work and a testament to him. The Lance Armstrong story has absolutely fascinated me, and there are so many human dimensions to it. More worryingly, though, I’m not convinced football is clean.

Favourite current TV programme?
The Sopranos has been off the air for six years but, since I can’t stop myself watching the repeats on Sky Atlantic, does that count? [Tony says yes – Ed]. I don’t think it will ever be bettered, not even by The Wire – which I also love. Greatly enjoyed The Thick of It recently, too.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
The stub for the World Cup final. Ultimately, it’s still the biggest sporting event on earth. It’s an honour to attend it.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Read as much as you can and write as much you can. Persevere too. It’s a tough industry but a rewarding one.

I was a football writer with Ireland’s Sunday Tribune for six years until it sadly went bust in early 2011 (writes Miguel Delaney). Having roved around the British Isles and Europe for them, I made the full-time move to London last year. Now, I primarily work for the Irish Examiner, ESPN and the Independent.

GERRARD IS LIVERPOOL’S GREATEST PLAYER EVER (and Luis Suarez is the best Stevie G has played with)

Posted on by
Reply

By JIM VAN WIJK

Images courtesy of Action Images

Steve Gerrard felt “humbled” to be honoured as the recipient of the 2013 Football Writers’ Association’s award at a gala tribute dinner in London’s Savoy Hotel on Sunday January 20.

The Liverpool and England captain, 32, was presented with the prestigious accolade from FWA chairman Andy Dunn of the Sunday Mirror.

Gerrard – voted the FWA Footballer of the Year in 2009 – was touched to have been recognised for his achievements once again. He said: “This award means a lot because these guys have followed me throughout my career, written about me and scrutinise your performances whenever I have played, to receive this award from the Football Writers’ Association is a very proud night for myself and my family. I feel very flattered and humbled to receive it.”

Tributes were paid at the dinner by former manager Gerard Houllier, who brought Gerrard into the Liverpool first team as a raw youngster, and his long-serving team-mate Jamie Carragher – who hailed Gerrard as Liverpool’s “greatest player ever” as well as former Liverpool captain Gary McAllister, who claimed it had been a “dream come true to play alongside Steven Gerrard.” Former Liverpool manager and Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish also passed on his congratulations via FWA executive secretary Paul McCarthy as he was unable to attend personally.

England manager Roy Hodgson was among the guests and paid his own personal written tribute to Gerrard’s character for the FWA. He said: “I know how good a player he is, how serious a professional he is and I know how inspiring a captain he can be – I saw that during my time at Liverpool, on occasions when things weren’t going so well, he was the one who stepped up and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck by his performances and encouragement to drag people through.

“Steven has a great enthusiasm and passion to play, and that can be infectious to other players. I can see him playing for many years to come… he is young enough in body and mind to look certainly towards 2014 and maybe beyond.”

FWA chairman Andy Dunn felt the evening allowed football to remind itself of just what makes the beautiful game so “enthralling” after what had been a testing year for the national sport.

Dunn said: “Steven Gerrard’s unbroken devotion and service to his club and country should stir the soul, not just of Liverpool fans, but of lovers of the game across the land. Rarely can a player have led his team on the domestic, European and international stage with such distinction. His passion for Liverpool remains undimmed and England has the captain it should have had a long time ago.”

Moving tributes were also made to long-standing FWA members Dennis Signy, Brian Woolnough and Danny Fullbrook, who all passed away recently.

Daily Telegraph football correspondent Henry Winter conducted an engaging Q&A session with the England captain (below) to round off the evening, as Gerrard reminisced on sleeping with the European Cup, recalled when he almost joined Chelsea, asked everyone to lay off his “world-class” Anfield team-mate Luiz Suarez and finally looked ahead to hopes for the England at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

After the dinner had ended, Gerrard took the time to move around the tables as he happily posed for photos and signed autographs – a testament to the professionalism of the England captain.

 

HW: All the football writers were there in Istanbul at half-time ready to file their copy having told their offices: “It’s all over…Shevchenko, Kaka…all these great players are running the show.” And then something special happened. Tell us what went on in the dressing-room with Rafa [Benitez] and the other players.

There was a lot of disappointment because we thought the game was lost, that we couldn’t recover [from 0-3]. There were a lot of sad faces with people staring at their boots but you look around and see the players we had in the dressing-room, people like Jamie [Carragher] and you say to yourself if we can get out there in the second-half and score a goal we’ve got small chance. That’s exactly what happened.

What did Rafa Benitez say?
His first concern was the injury to Steve Finnan who had to come off, so he had to shift a few things around. He told us to just to keep believing, to be more positive…we’d paid Milan too much respect in the first-half. The difference was as much in the Milan team who had outclassed us in the first-half but they collapsed for seven or eight minutes and when we got the first goal and then the second…it gave us the belief .

Was it true someone left the dressing-room door open so you could hear the fans singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone?”
Rafa mentioned it in his team-talk. We thought even if we can’t win the game, the fans who’d paid a lot of money to get there deserve at least a goal and for us to show fighting spirit, which we did.

Did Rafa really say at the celebration party that your marking in the first-half should have been better?
He is a perfectionist and his attention to detail is spot-on. He played a massive part in us winning the Champions League that year. To be honest, it didn’t really matter what he said after that game…

Without being too personal, did you spend the night with the European Cup?
What happened was, the party was over and everyone was leaving…I saw the Cup on its own…[joking] there were a few Scousers about [laughter and applause]…some of whom were related to me so I thought it best if I took it with me.

On a more serious note when you drive through the Shankly Gates and see the Hillsborough names, do you seek out your cousin’s name?
It’s always emotional when you see the 96 names. Last year was a very emotional year for the club but there is light at the end of the tunnel and I’d like to thank all the journalists who have helped us [the the quest for justice].

Tell us about Brendan Rodgers…
He wants to win matches and be successful here. He gave up a top job [at Swansea] where he’d done fantastically well. He had the confidence and character to take this big job where the demands and expectations are there on a daily basis. If you were looking for a young manager to bring us success you’d pick Brendan Rodgers.

And Luis Suarez?
I think he’s world-class, he has everything and we are very lucky to have him [smiling] so I’d like people here to go easy on him. We want him to stay a long time and if Liverpool are to be successful in years to come Luis Suarez will play a big part in that. As a person he’s a very quiet guy, a family man…I am next to him in the dressing-room and every time I ask him what he’s doing he’ll say he’s going to be with his family. But when he goes on the training field or a football pitch he turns into a fighter…a winner…when you are trying to win prizes against the top teams Luis Suarez is someone you’d want in your side.

Is he the best player in the country at the moment? Could the FWA choose him as the Footballer of the Year?
I hope so because he certainly deserves that accolade. I’d go as far as to say he’s the best player I’ve played with and I’ve played with many world-class players.

Was there ever any opportunity for you to go to Chelsea?
It was close, very close. I’ve no regrets I made the decision to stay loyal to Liverpool. A lot of people talk about my loyalty to Liverpool, but what doesn’t get mentioned is their loyalty to me. I’ve been here since I was eight years old and the contracts kept coming. No matter what I’ve done I’ve always had fantastic people around me at the club and Liverpool deserve a big thank you from me.

On England…for how long should football writers book hotels with England at the World Cup in Brazil next year?
I don’t want to raise expectations if and when we get there. At major tournaments you need that bit of luck, the ball bouncing your way and a decision going in your favour. I’ve experienced this with Liverpool…Chelsea did it last year [in the Champions League] and not necessarily all the time does the best team win competitions. If we get there we’ll go with hope and belief. We have big players coming back from injury such as Jack Wilshere, who will play a big part. He’s someone who ticks all the boxes, but we have a batch of young players coming through and hopefully they can peak for the Brazil World Cup.

Is Wayne Rooney still central to England?
He would say himself he hasn’t always hit his high standards at big tournaments, but knowing Wayne as a friend and as a player he’ll feel the disappointment we all shared last summer at Euro 2012. He’ll be looking to guide us to the World Cup and shine in Brazil.

What’s Roy Hodgson like with the players?
We’re all enjoying working under him. England are going in the right direction, we’re growing as a team, we have some tough qualifying ties to come but we’re all in it together and will do our best to get the job done.

FWA Q&A: Steve Bates

Posted on by
1

STEVE BATES of the Sunday People on being a silly Haas…the Baan Rim Pa in Phucket…and the ordinary John Richardson

Have you ever worked in a profession other than football?
I have always been a journalist in adult life, but as a youngster I had a few Saturday jobs. Perhaps the most bizarre was as a 14-year-old  I was the lift operator in a posh Manchester furniture store. Looking back it was like the Grace Brothers in Are You Being Served – but it gave me an early football insight into going up and going down.

Most memorable match?
Few could ever compare with Bayern Munich v Manchester United in the Champions League Final in 1999. At the final whistle it was bedlam, but I can recall Rob Shepherd sat in front of me smoking a large Cuban cigar. I was also at England’s 5-1 win in Munich and the famous Liverpool comeback against AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005, but for sheer instant drama the Nou Camp 1999 will take some beating.

One moment in football you’d put on a DVD?
My son Dominic’s 30-yard top corner screamer for Altrincham Grammar Under-13’s to beat Parrswood School Didsbury in 2005.

Best stadium?
As a football theatre the Bernabeu in Madrid is fantastic.

And the worst?
In 2000 I went to Rio de Janiero for the Fifa Club World Cup and was excited about watching a game in the famous Maracana Stadium, but it was a crumbling wreck and such a disappointment.

Personal new-tech disaster?
Apart from the usual wi-fi problems every journo suffers on deadline, none has been too spectacular. The funniest I recall was in Hong Kong pre season when John Richardson from the Sunday Express was having connectivity problems at a match. A helpful Aussie lady in the press area tried to help asking John which internet provider he was using prompting the now famous reply: “I’m on ordinary!”

Biggest mistake?
Possibly mistaking another FC Basel player for Bernd Haas in the mixed zone following a Champions League game against Manchester United in Switzerland. I’m told I carried on the interview despite him insisting he wasn’t Haas.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Jonny Northcroft from the Sunday Times claims someone recently asked him if I was Ray Lewington. Other than that my pals reckon I have a passing resemblance to Leslie Phillips.

Most media friendly manager?
Sam Allardyce understands the demands of the press and in my opinion always has time for journos.

Best ever player?
As a youngster I just caught the end of George Best’s days at Manchester United and he was mesmerizing.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
The recent Barcelona side and Brazil circa 1970.

Best pre-match grub?
Arsenal.

Best meal had on travels?
At the end of a pre-season Manchester United tour to Japan a few years back myself and some of the guys went to a Tepenyaki restaurant in the Ginza district of Tokyo. The Kobe beef was sensational.

On non-football trips I’d go for the restaurants at The Cliff, Barbados, and the Baan Rim Pa in Phuket, Thailand.

The worst?
In a hotel in Algiers in December 1990 covering England B v Algeria. You could order anything off the menu but everyone got the same – goat from memory.

Best hotel stayed in?
The Shangri-La’s in Bangkok and Singapore stand out. Trump Tower, SoHo New York, not shabby either.

And the worst?
One in Istanbul for the 2005 Champions League Final. Hotels were at a premium, but this one would have been condemned had in been in the UK. Thankfully we were moved after one night.

Favourite football writer?
Toss up really, Paul Hayward (Daily Telegraph)/Martin Samuel (Daily Mail).

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Mike Ingham (BBC Radio 5 Live)/Martin Tyler (Sky Sports)

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
A futile exercise really. There will always be a fundamental difference between how journalists do their jobs and how football clubs would like us to do our jobs.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
Boxing Day Ashes Test Match between Australia and England at the MCG Melbourne.

Last book read?
A Death In Calabria, Michele Giuttari.

Favourite current TV programme?
Homeland which just finished its second series recently. Captivating TV.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
A few years back I paid 500 quid for an arty picture of Pele in full flow at an event in Manchester. The man himself was there and signed it. I recall Gary Neville was at the same event – but he spent a lot more than me.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Talent always shines through so be persistent, develop a thick skin and always be polite no matter how rude and ungracious footballers can be in mixed zones.