FWA Q&A: Jacqui Oatley

Posted on June 10, 2013 by FWA News Editor

JACQUI OATLEY of BBC Radio 5 Live on when she made Wenger lose the will to live…laughing at a guest’s name…and cold cabbage in Donetsk

Have you ever worked in a profession other than football?
Yes, I accidentally fell into intellectual property. I did a German degree before travelling round the world for a year, expecting to know what I wanted to do by the end of it. But I still had no idea. I didn’t realise that a career in football was a realistic option. I moved to London and, via a language agency, became sales and marketing manager for an intellectual property software company, later becoming key account manager protecting clients’ brands on the internet. But when I dislocated my knee cap and ruptured the ligaments playing football, I was told I could never play again. During my 10 months on crutches the football fires burnt inside me, so I researched the prospect of working in sports journalism. I started doing hospital radio, took evening courses in print journalism and radio production, followed by several months of full-time unpaid work experience (I’d given up my flat and job and was sleeping on friends’ floors) before moving up to Sheffield to do a one-year postgrad in broadcast journalism and freelancing as a non-league reporter for BBC Radio Leeds. I loved every minute of it.

Most memorable match?
I’m lucky to have been to so many top football matches, including major tournaments around the world. It’s incredibly difficult to pick out one match but commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live at the World Cup in South Africa was a real career highlight. I had to pinch myself that I was there to work, especially as it was in the country of my mother’s birth and I’d been there several times to visit family. My first match was England’s Group C rivals Algeria v Slovenia in Polokwane – a fantastic experience – and I followed it up with several more commentaries in different cities around South Africa, including the beautiful Cape Town. Another highlight was the 2012 Olympics and Team GB women’s victory over Brazil at Wembley in front of 70,000 people, demonstrating how far the game had developed both on and off the pitch.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
So many to choose from but I’ll go for Gazza’s wonderful goal for England against Scotland at Euro 96, but I’d start watching a couple of minutes earlier when Gary McAllister’s penalty was saved by David Seaman (justice was done as Tony Adams had won the ball cleanly from Gordon Durie). Cue wild celebrations all over the country.

Best stadium?
I loved both the Allianz Arena in Munich and the Donbass Arena in Donetsk, the latter because it looks like a spaceship at night. For old school charm you can’t beat Craven Cottage by the Thames. Their fans by the press box are always up for a friendly chat.

…and the worst?
That has to be Amstetten in Austria where England’s women played a World Cup qualifier in 2005. The venue was more of a community ground than a football stadium and my ISDN line, which I needed to report for 5 Live, was in the main building’s office about 50 yards away from the edge of the stadium. I could barely see any of the action, let alone the four goals England scored. The England women have had to play in some dreadful grounds over the years…

Your personal new-tech disaster?
The only real nightmare I’ve had, touch wood, was a lovely interview Arsene Wenger gave me for 5 Live before Arsenal’s final match at Highbury. This was in the days when he did separate interviews for radio, TV, written press, etc. A Capital Radio reporter and I had plenty of time with a relaxed, friendly Wenger as he waxed lyrical about the history of the famous old ground and the magical feeling he had when he walked into the Marble Halls to see the bust of Herbert Chapman. To my horror, I discovered afterwards that there had been a technical problem with the equipment and it hadn’t recorded properly. To compound matters, the Capital Radio lad had a hiss on his recording so neither was usable. Around 45 minutes later, after he’d completed several further rounds of interviews on the same subject, I persuaded a tired Arsene to give me a couple more minutes. It was a generous gesture from one of my favourite interviewees, but of course he was losing the will to live by that point and the interview was very different. A stressful day.

Biggest mistake?
Being unable to contain my laughter when I was presenting a non-league segment on BBC Radio Leeds in my early days of broadcasting. My telephone guest had an unusual name which still makes me laugh to this day. I was paranoid that I’d laugh when I introduced him and that’s precisely what happened. I was in bits while trying to sound normal and had to pretend we’d lost the line and move on. Embarrassingly unprofessional in hindsight, I just lost it.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
The tea lady in the Old Trafford press room. I’ve been mistaken for Juliette Ferrington a few times and she’s had the same, seeing as we’re the only regular female football reporters on 5 Live. Outside of football, I’ve been mistaken for both Anthea Turner and her sister, Wendy, but not for a few years.

Most media friendly manager?
As I mentioned, Arsene Wenger is great to interview. He’ll hardly ever snap at a reporter or refuse to answer a question and gives fully considered answers. Although I was at the pre-Bayern Munich press conference last season which shocked a few of us. He was angry about a newspaper headline that day. Roberto Martinez is a gem – such a nice, calm, friendly man who treats reporters with respect.

Best ever player?
Difficult to tell as I didn’t see enough of Pele, and tragically nobody got to see enough of Duncan Edwards, but Maradona was the greatest when I was little and remains so. Messi may well become the greatest ever but not before he’s won the World Cup, or at least come close.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
This would be easier to answer if I were 100 years old. Barcelona around 2011 were phenomenal, although it’s impossible to say they were the best as football has evolved so much in different ways since Manchester United in the 60s, Ajax in the 70s and AC Milan in the 80s. Then there’s the United side which won the treble in 99, they weren’t too bad. In terms of international teams, I’ve seen videos of the Brazil 1970 team and the likes of Pele, Jairzinho and Tostao could play a bit. Wow. Although so too can Xavi and Iniesta and they’ve won three major trophies in a row.

Best pre-match grub?
It’s between Arsenal and Chelsea…..I’ll go for Chelsea because of the variety on offer. Salad, hot food, sandwiches, etc.

Best meal had on your travels?
A restaurant in Shanghai, China, at the Women’s World Cup in 2007 with other media folk. I remember being starving for the entire tournament as we were travelling and filming so much between matches, plus I was working for radio too, so was always on the go. We could never just find something quick and easy to eat so often went without.

…and the worst?
My hotel breakfast in Donetsk after a Spurs match the night before. It was more of a youth hostel than a hotel. I slept on a mattress on the floor and there were no windows, no power sockets and the shower didn’t work so you could imagine the standard of breakfast. I was famished as I couldn’t get late dinner the night before and found there was cold cabbage and other similarly unappetising offerings for breakfast. Again, I went without.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
I’ve always wanted to go to the Masters golf at Augusta. That course always looks stunning so to see a British winner there, preferably Justin Rose or Luke Donald, would be perfect. I’d also love to see England win an Ashes Test at the MCG in Melbourne. I’ve seen an Aussie Rules match there and I’ve watched England beat the Aussies at Lord’s, but an Ashes victory at “the G” would be lovely, thanks.

Last book read?
“Footballer” by Kelly Smith, England’s greatest ever female player. It was frustrating to read about the struggles of such a richly talented footballer growing up in an era when women’s football wasn’t respected in England. She had to go to America to become a full-time professional where her talent was recognised, although she suffered with several injuries as well as alcoholism. A very good read.

Favourite current TV programme?
In terms of football it would be Football Focus. I don’t get much time to watch non-sport programmes but I do like Location, Location, Location, usually while hanging up the washing and entertaining my toddler at the same time. Have I Got News For You is another long-standing favourite. I love satire.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
Not one item in particular apart from signed shirts from my own club. I also have signed Fulham and Blackburn shirts from my first ever Match of the Day commentary which evoke mixed memories.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Work extremely hard and treat people well. It’s a very tough profession to make a living out of so when you’re starting out you can’t afford to pick and choose which days you fancy working around social commitments. You have to be prepared to travel to where the work is, maybe move to another part of the country or beyond and work all the anti-social hours going. Oh, and you may have to do it for very little pay, if any, initially. Those with an aptitude for the job and the confidence to make contacts and ask for phone numbers will progress, those who don’t fancy working too many Saturdays and moan about their lot won’t get very far. Also, a sense of humour definitely helps in this business.

CHELSEA FANS HAPPY BUT A SECOND DIVORCE SEEMS LIKELY

Posted on June 4, 2013 by FWA News Editor

Fleet Street sceptical about the return of the Special One

WHAT IS undeniable is that Jose Mourinho’s return to Chelsea will make football writers’ jobs easier. Confrontation yes, but dull he isn’t. And we can expect to see the best side of Mourinho when he is officially unveiled at a press conference on Monday. The Special One will be the Charismatic One…the Smiling One.

Yet for many the phrase “charm offensive” will be more fitting for Mourinho who has the ability to charm and offend in frustratingly equal proportions. A coach who has been hugely successful at FC Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and, in the eyes of some, “only” successful at Real Madrid has made a habit, almost an art form, of making enemies among the press, his players, his clubs’ powerbrokers, opponents and referees (plus an ambulance service).

Explaining Mourinho’s departure from Stamford Bridge by mutual consent (plus an £18 million compensation cheque) in September 2007, Chelsea said: “The relationship been Jose and the club has broken down.”

When you split with a partner and attempt to get together again, the reasons for the initial split remain, so will it be different second time round for the Portuguese and the Russian? Will Roman Abramovich soften his hands-on approach to his managers? Will Mourinho accept the involvement of technical director Michael Emenalo?

Mourinho will undoubtedly be successful, most Chelsea managers are, and the Blues fans will be as pro-Jose as they were anti-Rafa Benitez.

Fleet Street reacted with guarded optimism as the least surprising managerial appointment of the summer became a reality, yet scepticism was obvious about this particular love being lovelier the second time around.

“What a lovely couple they make,” wrote Oliver Kay in The Times. “Jose Mourinho and Chelsea were always a match in heaven. So were Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, of course, but after their brief, turbulent second marriage they always longed for a third.

“It is only natural to regard the second union of Mourinho and Chelsea as the sequel to a tumultuous, doomed but riotously enjoyable love affair. It will surely end in tears given that both he and Roman Abramovich seem to be even more combustible and more impulsive than at the time of their acrimonious split in September 2007, but the issue is whether, like last time, they can bring each other gratification in the short term that makes every bit of pain feel worthwhile.”

Also in The Times, Matt Dickinson believes Mourinho finds himself back at Stamford Bridge as much because of Abramovich’s failure to tempt Pep Guardiola to succeed Roberto di Matteo and then Rafa Benitez. He wrote: “Chelsea fans rejoice now they have their Jose back and their joy is understandable…[but] it was the return that Chelsea did not want, either, until they got a little desperate. No one was buying into Mourinho’s guff about romance and a place in each other’s hearts.

“Roman Abramovich’s passion was Pep Guardiola. Mourinho wanted Manchester United. For two men so accustomed to getting their own way it must be disconcerting to be united in defeat.

“But let us not pretend this is where he, or Chelsea, wanted to be.”

Writing in the Daily Express, Mick Dennis leaves no one in any doubt that he welcomes Mourinho as much as a Norwich City defeat. He said: “Graceless winner, spiteful loser. He is back. Excuse me if I absent myself from the celebrations. There are countless examples of his nastiness. Many think none of it matters. They accept the euphemisms about what Mourinho is and what he does. With a chuckle they talk of him being ‘a character’…but the saddest excuse for the manner in which Mourinho discards the basic tenets of sport and decency is that ‘he is a winner.’

“Indeed he is. And if that is all that counts then he will be allowed to continue debasing the sport which rewards him so handsomely. Some of us just don’t want to celebrate such a depressing decline.”

Henry Winter takes a more upbeat approach in the Daily Telegraph. Under the headline ‘Welcome back Jose. You have been missed’ Winter takes a romantic view of The Return as he writes: “It was the love affair that never ended. He left. They mourned, falling briefly in the arms of others, hot and cold. Now he is back. It’s Jose Mourinho and Chelsea fans, it’s Mills and Boon and it’s a special relationship that could spell trouble for others.”

But trouble is what Mourinho must avoid. Winter said: “He must heed the gentle warnings of those who respect him as well as basking in the unblinking love of the supporters. A serially shrewd individual, Mourinho needs to consider carefully every interaction. He has history with Premier League referees. He has had issues with Roman Abramovich…he needs to work with, not against, Michael Emenalo.

“Mourinho deserves to be welcomed back. He adds to the excitement. He is an outstanding manager. He will make Chelsea a genuine threat in the title race, arguably favourites. He will make some unpleasant headlines and will find English football is less forgiving this time round. But it is good to see him back.”

James Lawton in The Independent suggests the love affair is a more of a one-way street. He wrote: “In the joyful ceremonials of his resurrection as Chelsea manager we should not for a moment forget that Jose Mourinho is living, swaggering proof that when you fall in love with yourself there is every chance it will prove a life-long romance.

“We should also recognise that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, having been rebuffed by the likes of Pep Guardiola and Juergen Klopp for the most impeccable of reasons, has made his best possible appointment.”

The Sunday Times’ Jonathan Northcroft, speaking on Radio 5Live, thinks it is imperative Mourinho has complete control over team matters, notably transfers. He said: “It was interesting to hear him say he was willing to marry again and it does feel like a couple getting back together. They’ve missed each other, they remember the romance first time round but maybe have forgotten some of the bad times. Let’s remember when he left in 2007 it was because he felt Abramovich was starting to interfere in transfers like Andrei Shevchenko and Mourinho felt he wasn’t able to pick the team…or at least from the squad he wanted.

“Emenalo is in there as Abramovich’s man. He’s been managing transfers for the last couple of years. I think he will have to take a step back. I think the key to it will be Abramovich allowing Mourinho to get on with it because if it [interference] happens again Mourinho’s reaction will be exactly the same.”

Back in the Daily Telegraph, Paul Hayward harbours similar reservations about the second coming of Mourinho. He wrote: “With all this [a multi-talented team] in his favour Mourinho must be confident he can keep Abramovich off his back with rapid progress. A summer splurge by [Manchester] City could alter the rosy picture, but Chelsea are unlikely to hold back either. But there will come a day when Mourinho feels the oligarch above him is exceeding the bounds of acceptable involvement and is messing with his team.

“On that day, blowing kisses to the fans would not save him from Abramovich’s ruthlessness or whims.”

Mourinho has signed a four-year contract which would be unchartered territory for manager and owner if completed. The Guardian’s Owen Gibson wrote: “The odds on Mourinho making it to the end of his four-year contract must be long. The smart money must be on a rollercoaster ride that takes in significant silverware before spectacularly derailing with serious collateral damage.

“The professed aims of stability, youth development and profitability appear almost as far away as ever. But it is a deal most Chelsea fans are only too happy to sign up for.”

In the meantime some dedicated members of the Football Writers’ Association will be leaving their families next month to cover Mourinho II as his return gets underway in Thailand.

FWA Q&A: BOB “the Cat” BEVAN MBE

Posted on June 4, 2013 by FWA News Editor

BOB “the Cat” BEVAN MBE on a Shorthorn…fun with the Fire Brigade in Mauritius…and Duncan Edwards’ autograph

Have you ever worked in a profession other than after dinner speaking?
Trainee rep in a builder’s merchants in Shoreditch, East London, then sub-editor on Lloyd’s List and Shipping Gazette (world’s oldest daily newspaper) rising to Asst Chief Reporter by age 20, sold Kleen-e-zee Brushes round the doors part-time while at the List as we worked afternoons and evenings, Head of PR for Shorthorn Society and produced six editions of the Dairy Shorthorn Jounal (which I’ll show you if you’re not careful), Deputy Editor, Travel Trade Monthly, Head of PR, European Ferries Plc and Chairman Bevan PR Ltd. Now also do stand-up, interviewing, presenting, script and speech writing including poems.

Most memorable match?
Torn between 1966 World Cup Final, Palace 4 Liverpool 3 FA Cup Semi 1990, and (before I went in goal) Unilever 2 Old Wilsonians 4^th XI 8 (Bevan 6 and missed pen).

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Playing in goal at Wembley for Old Burnley v Old Wolves before the Sherpa Van Trophy Final with Bobby Moore and Nobby Stiles. Won 2-0. A rare clean sheet. TVam lost the tape!

Best stadium?
Old Wembley and old Dulwich Hamlet for romance, new Brighton stadium for atmosphere and facilities (that from a Palace supporter).

…and the worst?
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, the first World Cup Final venue which has been preserved in its original form. Penarol play there with nil cover for the fans in a rainy city. Great history and museum though. Also saw a game at Boca Juniors, Buenos Aires, about three years ago. Stadium, largely uncovered, like stepping back 50 years but fantastic atmosphere

Your personal new-tech disaster?
My mate Brian Robinson (who I write with) and I did a spoof on the Archers in a script for a Whitbread promotion and I tapped it into the word processor as we went. Somehow I managed to wipe it and had to spend the evening trying to remember it and tap it in again. Didn’t tell him ‘til I’d done it but he couldn’t think of anything I had forgotten. Promotion eventually got cancelled but we did get the money.

Biggest mistake?
On my first overseas press trip at the age of 19, being unfamiliar with airports, I didn’t realise you had to go through to a departure lounge and I missed the flight to Gothenburg where we were due to board a new car ferry on its maiden voyage to England. Upside was I was sharp enough to get on another flight via Copenhagen and walked up the ship’s gangway about 10 minutes before it sailed to much stick from fellow shipping journos

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Playing cricket for the Lord’s Taverners with such celebs as David Frost I was the one person who didn’t get asked for autographs much to the amusement of the rest of the team. At a game in Kent I said to Willie Rushton: “I will get a few down here because I’m on local TV.” As we walked round the ground a woman pushed past Willie and thrust a book into my hand. As I was nudging Willie and signing the book the woman said: “I am right? You are the weatherman?” I looked round. Willie was heading for the dressing room.

Most media friendly manager?
Lots of them because I meet them in good circumstances and we normally have a laugh. Probably have to be Sir Bobby Robson but I also had a special lunch event interviewing and teasing Sir Alex Ferguson and Harry Redknapp and they were great. My mate Lennie Lawrence is also excellent. A natural.

Best ever player?
Jimmy Greaves

Best ever teams (club and international)?
England 1966 World Cup team and Crystal Palace 1991 team under Geoff Thomas who came third in the old Div 1. Wright, Bright, Andy Thorn, Eric Young, Nigel Martyn etc

Best pre-match grub?
Brighton although Palace has improved enormously under the new owners

Best meal had on your travels?
Brighton before the second leg of the Championship play-off Semi this May

…and the worst?
Perhaps in the Kent CCC Committee Tent at Tunbridge Wells 2012. A pork pie and a lump of cheese dumped on one plate. Shouldn’t admit this as I am the 2013 KCCC President. It’s vastly better this year.

Best hotel stayed in?
Le St Geran, Mauritius, and the manager arranged for me to go to an African Club Champions Cup match. I think the home team were called Fire Brigade but sadly I couldn’t get a programme. They lost to a Zambian side.

…and the worst?
The Gate Hotel, Canterbury, this year. Real Fawlty Towers. No telephone in my room and when I tried to book a cab at reception they did not have a telephone that they could ring out on. There were many other faults, the main one being that the manager didn’t care.

Do you have a hobby?
Collecting football programmes, but almost exclusively games I have attended, football and cricket literature and memorabilia and watching football, closely followed by cricket, especially Test Matches

Favourite football writer?
The late Ian Wooldridge even though he had fallen out of love with football and I didn’t always agree with him. Today probably Henry Winter.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Alan Parry.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Football gets so much free publicity it annoys me when clubs ban journos from the ground or refuse to talk to a section of the press. ie Sir Alex and the BBC. It is disrespectful to the fans. Maybe the FWA should set up a Complaints Panel, recognised by clubs and media companies, to rule on disputes? It could include, among others, a member from the FWA, the LMA, the FA, a fan with PR/media experience and a member of the legal profession as chair*.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
Played football at Wembley, cricket at Lord’s and would love to play tennis on the Centre Court at Wimbledon

Favourite non-football sportsman/sportswoman?
Seb Coe.

Last book read?
The Litigators by John Grisham

Favourite current TV programme?
Have I Got News for You

TV show you always switch off?
Anything with Lorraine Kelly

If you could bring one TV series back which would it be?
Morecambe and Wise Show.

Favourite comedian?
Tommy Cooper.

Favourite singer/group?
Rod Stewart (I spoke at his Dad’s 80^th birthday party and gave him a copy of my LP! It was one of football gags) I told him “you must have a lot of rubbish LPs in your house, Mr Stewart. Here’s one you’ll enjoy.” Rod took it quite well.

What really, really annoys you in life?
1. Rudeness to waiters.

2. Bad language in songs and chants at football matches. Clubs should try to change the fashion and use players in that campaign.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
Programme of British Army 1 French Army 3 at Dulwich Hamlet 1956 (Brit team inc. Alan Hodgkinson, Jimmy Armfield, Graham Shaw, Eddie Colman, Bill Foulkes, Duncan Edwards, got his autograph). French Army inc. Just Fontaine – 13 goals in 1958 World Cup Finals and 2 pens in this game.

Advice to anyone coming into the after dinner speaking world?
First time I spoke with Frank McLintock he told jokes about as well as I could play at centre-half. When he asked for advice on the train home I said he should dwell on football stories and his experiences as a famous player, which was what the audience wanted to hear, and leave the gags to the comics. He has since become an excellent after dinner speaker. Not sure whether that was due to my advice though! So the advice is remember why you’ve been asked and talk about that. Ray Parlour does great original and funny stuff about Wenger and doesn’t try to tell gags.

*This is something the FWA have spoken to English football’s stakeholders about.

FWA Q&A: Paul Lennon

Posted on May 28, 2013 by FWA News Editor

Paul Lennon of the Irish Daily Star on a smelly Stafa…taking the Pierce…and why Jack is all right

Have you ever worked in a profession other than football?
In weekly newspapers, The Drogheda Local News and Meath Weekender in Navan, I covered news, features, music and many sports. While football featured prominently, so too did gaelic football and, to a lesser extent, hurling. When I began to work in Dublin, I initially combined football with the two gaelic codes.

Most memorable match?
That’s a tough one. For sheer drama on the big occasion, it’s hard to surpass Manchester United’s 2-1 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich in 1999. Considering that Alex Ferguson selected a lob-sided midfield, was without the suspended Roy Keane and Paul Scholes and that United were outplayed for lengthy spells, the last gasp double was truly extraordinary.

From an Irish perspective, I was amongst the Green Army behind Peter Shilton’s goal in the Neckarstadion in Stuttgart in June, 1988 when my Irish Daily Star columnist colleague Ray Houghton headed the ball into the English net. Ireland’s first ever appearance at a major tournament celebrated by a win over the auld enemy in the opening game. ‘Razor’ repeated the feat against Italy in Ireland’s opening match of the 1994 World Cup finals in Giants Stadium. By now, I was amongst the press corps so a degree of decorum was called for – but not too much – when the final whistle sounded.

As in politics, all football is local so when my home town club Drogheda United won its first ever FAI Cup crown in 2005 and then a first league championship two years later, being present each time meant everything to me.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Should it be Diego Maradona’s wonderful solo goal against England (no, not that one) in the 1986 World Cup finals? Maybe Marco van Basten’s volleyed goal for the Netherlands in the Euro 88 final? Or Don Givens’ hat-trick for Ireland against the USSR at a heaving Dalymount Park in a Euro ‘76 qualifier in 1974 (I know, that’s three but they had an inspirational effect on an 11-year-old listening to the late Philip Greene’s commentary on RTE Radio)?

Best stadium?
Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion lives up to its awesome reputation with its four towering stands – that creep almost up to the side of the pitch – rising into the heavens and must make the vast arena really intimidating to any visiting player of a nervous disposition. PSV’s industrial sized electric heaters on the underside of the roof make the Phillips Stadium the finest on the globe on a freezing Dutch night.

…and the worst?
Tirana’s Qemal Stafa stands out for its filthy and smelly state but it’s only right to point out that in 1993 Albania was just emerging from its laugh-a-minute decades of life under Enver Hoxha’s particularly punishing brand of Communism. Cleanliness of sports’ arenas probably wasn’t too high on anybody’s agenda.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
The advent of WIFI and broadband have improved our lot on the road and relieved the pressure to a large degree. But when these two modes of connection and your fall back GPS system decide to collectively mount an imaginary picket on your laptop then you’re in trouble as happened in November, 2011 when Ireland had beaten Estonia 4-0 in Tallinn in their first leg of the Euro 2012 play-off.

With a tight deadline and Giovanni Trapattoni’s post-match press conference running late, the perfect storm was starting to rage. But as always happens on such occasions, a colleague rides to the rescue with Neil O’Riordan of The Irish Sun the knight in shining armour with a working WIFI link.

Biggest mistake?
In my early days, sitting on a story to secure complete proof it was true instead of trusting my instinct and running with it. It happened a few times.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Robert Redford, Pierce Brosnan………Actually, snooker wizard Steve Davis.

Most media friendly manager?
Jack Charlton could have his spats with hacks covering the Ireland team, could be coy enough on the record about team and injury news but he was amazingly frank and open with journalists off the record over a pint or cup of tea. Big Jack trusted you not to break his confidence when he revealed key information on players and tactics and you respected that when you wrote about the team.

Best ever player?
Lionel Messi gets the vote because his consistency of performance despite the defensive strategies in today’s game, the fitness levels of opponents and his refusal to be cowed by thuggish treatment at the hands of some players. And that’s before we consider his goals, passing, dribbling, work-rate…

Best ever teams (club and international)?
The current Spain team whose three consecutive tournament wins between 2008 and 2012 will probably never be equalled. Brazil (1970, 1982 and 2002), Netherlands (1974), France (1982, 1986 and 1998-2000) and Argentina (1978) weren’t bad either. Barcelona of recent seasons are hard to beat but Liverpool of the late seventies and early eighties, Ajax of the early 1970’s, Celtic in 1967 and Juventus of the seventies go close.

Best pre-match grub?
Ireland sponsors 3 serve up a very tasty and welcome meal at Dublin’s Dylan Hotel prior to home international games at the Aviva Stadium.

Best meal had on your travels?
During France 98, colleagues Peter Byrne, George Hamilton and Billy George directed Philip Quinn and I to a fine restaurant Le Petit Canard in Paris that lived up to their Irish patrons’ recommendations.

…and the worst?
The long suffering citizens of the states behind the Iron Curtain had, not surprisingly, little interest or the financial ability to serve up top nosh n the early 1990’s following independence from the USSR so Mars bars and bottles of Coke featured highly on more than a few journos’ menus during those days.

Best hotel stayed in?
Due to a mix-up by a travel agent – who had failed to book the hotel designated – I had to be upgraded on arrival at Euro 2008 in Zurich to the Alden Hotel. For a few days, football never felt so good.

…and the worst?
The one in Skopje, Macedonia in 1997 when Mick McCarthy’s 3-5-2 formation made its last ever appearance, Jason McAteer was sent-off for his Bruce Lee kung-fu kick and Ireland lost 3-2 in a World Cup qualifier. The aging kip brought minimalism to extreme, not bothering with curtains in the room and serving coffee and bread but nothing else for breakfast. When I started travelling to cover international and club matches in the early 1990’s eastern Europe was still emerging from the yoke of Communism so the food in various establishments in Bucharest, Sofia and Vilnius was fairly hideous. But as with Skopje, we were probably getting superior grub than most of the locals could afford.

Favourite football writer?
Love the rhythm of the words of Hugh McIlvanney, Patrick Collins, Peter Byrne, James Lawton and the late Con Houlihan.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
The depth of verbal and online abuse of TV and radio commentators from some fans never ceases to amaze me. It’s a tough job when it’s done correctly and that’s the case in the overwhelming majority of cases in Ireland and Britain. George Hamilton, Martin Tyler, John Motson, Alan Green, Gabriel Egan and Greg Allen are all top class. There are very few who are not.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Relations between Irish clubs and the media are quite good.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
NBA play-off final.

Last book read?
‘Boomerang’ by Michael Lewis.

Favourite current TV programme?
‘Match of the Day’ must be the all-timer while ‘Father Ted’ and ‘Fawlty Towers’ almost deliver even if I know every line at this stage.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
The match tickets and programmes from various World Cup finals I have covered are the physical treasures but it’s the memories of goals, games, players and colleagues’ company that are cherished most.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Work hard, listen to older colleagues’ advice, never refuse a marking and never be afraid to ask a question no matter how hard it may be with some managers and players taking great delight in trying to belittle a new kid on the block.

FWA Interview: Graham Hunter

Posted on May 22, 2013 by FWA News Editor

BARCELONA PLAYERS SEE SPEAKING TO THE PRESS AS PART OF THEIR DUTY says award-winning football writer Graham Hunter

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

IT WAS the proudest moment of Graham Hunter’s career as Glenn Moore, chairman of the Football Writers’ Association’s books committee, announced that his ‘Barca: The Making Of The Greatest Team In The World’ had been chosen as the football book of the year at the British Sports Book Awards 2013.

“I am shocked and delighted,” said Hunter whose book pipped Gullem Balague’s biography of Pep Guardiola for the prestigious prize. It is a sign of the times when two books about a Spanish club dominate the voting and Hunter said: “When Terry Venables went to Barcelona [in 1984] and led them to the European Cup final, losing to Steaua Bucharest on penalties, Spanish football was alien to British television.”

Sky Sports changed that perception with La Liga games shown each weekend along with the excellent Revista De La Liga magazine show where Hunter and Balague are regulars.

The awards night at Lord’s was somewhat different to Hunter’s introduction to the world of football writing in 1995 when the Daily Mail opened in Scotland. Hunter had applied for a job, but had heard nothing so decided to pay them a visit to ask why, which did not go down too well.

Hunter said: “I told them my cv was sent three weeks ago and couldn’t believe no one had answered my letter. I wanted to know what was going on.”

What was soon to be going on was the sports editor helping the young upstart to vacate the building.

“They were literally, and I mean literally, holding me by the back of the collar – well, it was sports editor Bryan Cooney – throwing me out of the door when someone came running in and shouted ‘There’s a press conference at Parkhead. It’s a new signing, we don’t know who it is.’”

It was a sliding doors moment because as luck would have it, the Mail were thin on available reporters. One had been sent to Pittodrie to doorstep Willie Miller who had been sacked by Aberdeen, others were elsewhere. In the pre-mobile phone era it was impossible to contact anyone so they stopped throwing Hunter out and instead told him to get along to Celtic.

“It was Pierre van Hooijdonk,” he said. “When I arrived at Parkhead there were two camps in the press room. A growling set of Scottish reporters who were asking ‘who’s this new kid?’ and some Dutch journalists.”

No prizes for guessing who Hunter decided to sit with. “I explained it was my first day and asked where van Hooijdonk was as he was late. They told me this was because he was playing cards with his NAC Breda team-mates until 3am to say goodbye. He had missed his flight and Celtic were pretending there was fog at Schipol Airport, which was why he had been delayed.”

Hunter thanked the Dutch contingent for the background which was not known to the growlers. One Dutch journalist asked him if he was Scottish and when Hunter confirmed yes, he was, he was asked if he could take them to a kilt shop – they wanted van Hooijdonk to wear a kilt for a photo. In return the Dutch pack gave the Scottish rookie chapter and verse on the late van Hooijdonk and to Hunter’s delight at the press conference no Scottish reporter asked why the striker was three hours late. Result.

Returning to the Mail offices with a scoop, Hunter was given a warmer reception than his initial arrival. The editor decided it was the back page lead and those who had tried to throw Hunter out were delighted with his exclusive.

So delighted that he was offered a job – as a rugby reporter. “I did this for about nine months before going over to football,” said Hunter who eventually moved down to London when Cooney became sports editor. Cooney’s approach to the job was effective if not popular with everyone and Hunter’s appointment as football correspondent raised eyebrows to new levels.

Hunter has never shirked a challenge and immersed himself into his new post. “I loved reporting on England, Manchester United, Arsenal and the top clubs…the press pack, in the majority, became people who inspired me.”

He was particularly grateful for the help of Brian Woolnough, who died last year, Steven Howard, and Nigel Clarke “who either saw someone who was young and lost or someone they liked….they took me under their wing.” Football writers never forget those who have helped them and when Hunter was injured on a trip to Luxembourg he remembers how Oliver Holt, Lee Clayton and Paul McCarthy “were brilliant.”

He said: “Our industry is full of remarkable, interesting people and I found working in London a deeply enriching part of my life. I miss the English press scene and adored what I was doing.”

In 2002 Hunter decided to realise an ambition that had started 20 years previously at the 1982 World Cup. “I promised myself I’d go back to Spain,” he said. “The moment I crossed the border from France to Spain I knew it was for me. I’d grown up adoring Spanish football even though finding out information or seeing clips in those days was difficult.

“The idea of going to the city of the club where Steve Archibald [who played for Aberdeen where Hunter was born] played and where Terry Venables had managed made me choose Barcelona.”

The bad news was that Hunter had no job to go to and couldn’t speak a word of Spanish while Louis van Gaal, not the most media friendly of coaches, had just been reappointed. In 2002/03 Barca ended the season sixth, their lowest finish in La Liga in 15 years. For the benefit of anoraks, the starting XI was: Bonano – Gabri, de Boer, Puyol, Sorin – Mendieta, Xavi, Cocu, Riquelme – Saviola, Kluivert.

Hunter said: “In the summer of 2003 Barcelona were close to not even being able to pay anyone’s wages. They were in the midst of a six-year run without a trophy.”

The appointments of Frank Rijkaard and a new president, Joan Laporta, saw a gradual change in Barca’s fortunes. The Dutch coach phased out the old guard and led the Catalan club to the title in 2005 and 2006. By then the team was: Valdes – Oleguer, Puyol, Marquez, van Bronckhorst – Edmilson, van Bommel, Deco – Larsson, Eto’o, Ronaldinho.

In 2008 Pep Guardiola succeeded Rijkaard, the remarkable Messi-inspired Barca side winning 14 trophies in four years, making him the most successful coach in the club’s history.

BY THEN Graham Hunter was fluent in Spanish while the rise and rise of what many observers call the best club team they have ever seen ensured plenty of work for the reporter whose career had started by almost being thrown out of the door.

Sir Winston Churchill said that if you have a job you love you will never do a day’s work in your life and Hunter is one of many football writers who fit that category, the bonus living in a city where the climate is superb while following a club where the working conditions for the media and the attitude towards the press are a million miles from those experienced in Britain.

Clubs here keep the media at arm’s length, dishing out bans for headlines that are not to their liking. Hunter believes the press should have been collectively stronger, standing up to such over-zealous authority that at times has bordered on bullying.

“It should make us embarrassed,” said Hunter. “For some reason, and it’s the fault of our profession, we aren’t unionised enough, we don’t complain enough. In Spain players are generally more eager to speak to the press, more accepting of their duties and see it as an integral part of their job.

“Occasionally they will be p****d off with us, occasionally they will say ‘no’, but generally they view us as people to be judged as we act, not as journalists who therefore must automatically be shunned. They don’t bring a Mastercard machine and say ‘that will be 20,000 euro.’ In my 11 years in Spain no one has ever asked me for money for an interview.

“They see it as part of their duties, it’s part of their culture because they have been educated that way. The clubs tell players they are selling their season tickets…they are promoting their sponsors…and because they have grown up speaking to the press the vast majority of players enjoy it. They respect us, even asking us our point of view.”

Up until the Eighties English-based football writers enjoyed a similar rapport with leading players and managers, but dealings with the press are far more sanitised now.

Two players gain an honourable mention from Hunter – Iker Casillas and Xavi. “Both are high achievers with an enormous amount to say. They are decent people, intelligent, interesting and funny.”

The appreciation of Hunter by his adopted home was shown by an invitation to join the players in the dressing-room after Spain won the 2010 World Cup and again following their Euro 2012 triumph – a scenario unthinkable from an English perspective.

“Their attitude was ‘you’ve put in the miles, you’ve slogged up and down the roads – come in.’ It is exactly the same as I did with England and it says everything about Spain, not me.”

THE IDEA for the book came from the publishers, BackPage Press who “twisted my arm almost to breaking point,” said Hunter. “The co-operation I was given was astonishing. Nobody said ‘no’ and nobody asked for copy approval.

“It was a pleasure to deal with the players and I thoroughly enjoyed telling the story.”

*Barca: The Making Of The Greatest Team In The World by Graham Hunter (BackPage Press, £12.99).

FWA Interview: Geoff Shreeves

Posted on May 20, 2013 by FWA News Editor

‘My job is to ask questions – nobody is interested in my opinions’ – Geoff Shreeves

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

SIR ALEX FERGUSON may not have allowed Geoff Shreeves the last word on his final game at Old Trafford, but the Sky Sports interviewer always has the first word.

A familiar face of the station, Shreeves has been with Sky Sports since 1992, the first season of the Premier League. It can be a thankless task, a no-win job. Ask soft questions and you are accused of avoiding the main issue, ask about a manager’s future and it’s insensitive. Criticised for telling Branislav Ivanovic he was suspended for the 2012 Champions League final, it was hardly Shreeves’ fault the Chelsea defender was unaware of his number of yellow cards.

Shreeves would not have survived 21 years at Sky Sports without being very good at what he does and would-be football journalists and especially players moving into the media world could learn a lot from his interviewing technique and attitude. Some presenters, especially ex-professionals, offer their views and ask: “Do you agree?” Shreeves is old school and does not indulge viewers with his own thoughts. He said: “With all due respect, what do I know? I was schooled well in journalism by people I worked for in that my opinion is of no interest to anybody. I genuinely believe that. It’s my job to ask questions. I enjoyed being on the FWA Live panel and mixing it with an audience, but you will never hear my opinions on matters of football, skill or tactics [on television].”

Football writers appear regularly on television and radio yet none has made the move that Guillem Balague, featured regularly on Sky Sports’ La Liga coverage and the excellent Revista De La Liga show, has managed. Shreeves said: “We are in an interesting period in the media where the job is merging into one. We have Guillem Balague, I love his writing and he is so knowledgeable that he is an accepted pundit on Spanish TV stations. That would never happen in this country [with domestic football] which I find interesting.”

A trap some interviewers fall into is to stick too rigidly to their pre-prepared list of questions when in fact the best questions invariably follow on from an answer. And never make questions longer than the answer. Shreeves said: “If you talk to budding football writers and ask them the most important thing about a question they usually say ‘it should be clear and concise’ or ‘angled towards the person.’ No. It’s in the answer.

“My question could be: ‘So, Sir Alex, you have won Manchester United’s 20^th title and seen off the financial challenge of Manchester City and Chelsea…could you encapsulate the importance of this victory and its wider meaning for football and the social world of this country?’ Or I could ask: ‘What does this mean?’”

When your job is also your hobby it can be difficult to switch off and Shreeves said: “Like everyone in our game, I do masses of research and in fact you are effectively researching every time you go to a game…you see someone, meet somebody…the football media is always working. We joke that we are awake 24/7 and sleep with one eye open, such is the pace of the media now.”

Shreeves has built up a close relationship with the leading managers and players in the Barclays Premier League, yet any friendship does not prevent him from asking a question about a red card or a manager’s future. “It doesn’t bother me remotely. There are times when someone who is a good friend is on the end of a question that is not going to do him or his employment any favours. However, I enjoy the challenge of phrasing those questions correctly.

“You have to look at what makes a good interview. The relationship is key. If there is mutual respect they will accept you have to ask certain questions or take a certain line and not hide behind ‘oh my producer told me to ask this.’

“They know you have a job to do, but you have to be respectful and don’t go hunting headlines. In the final reckoning, when a team, is relegated no one cares whether it’s Geoff Shreeves or whoever asking the questions, nor should they be. They are interested in the answers.”

Shreeves has no ambition to leave the after-match interview area and move inside to present a football chat show or a live broadcast. “It’s a different skill, one that I don’t have. I wouldn’t want to do it because I get a real buzz from talking to people as I do. I love nothing more than interviewing people, listening to them, asking them questions…”

Waving the FWA magic wand, if Shreeves could interview any football personality for 30 minutes with no editorial control…no question off-limits, every question answered, no public relations person ready to quash any controversy… who would it be?

“If they agreed to answer any question openly and honestly it would have to be Sir Alex, the most successful manager we’ve ever seen and the most important figure in my lifetime.”

BALE HUMBLED TO JOIN FWA “LEGENDS”

Posted on May 9, 2013 by FWA News Editor

Photography: Action Images

Scroll down to watch a video of 2013 Footballer of the Year Gareth Bale or Click Here for more exclusive FWA video content

Tottenham midfielder Gareth Bale revealed he felt humbled to have taken his place among the “legends” of the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year.

The Wales international, 23, topped the poll of journalists for 2012/2013 with a narrow victory over Manchester United forward Robin van Persie, who was last year’s recipient when at Arsenal.

Bale’s 25 goals in all competitions have helped take Andre Villas-Boas men into the quarter-finals of the Europa League and kept them in the race to secure a return to the Champions League via a top-four finish in the Barclays Premier League.

The FWA accolade has been running since 1948, when Sir Stanley Matthews was the first recipient of a long list which includes the likes of England World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore, the Charlton brothers, George Best through Kevin Keegan, Eric Cantona, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Christiano Ronaldo.

“When you look at all of the past winners, the legends of the game, this is a massive honour, and to be on the list with them now is a massive privilege,” Bale said as he received his award from FWA chairman Andy Dunn, chief sports writer for the Sunday Mirror ahead of a gala dinner at the Lancaster London Hotel on May 9.

“You always dream of things like this, whether they come true or not is another, but now that it has, it is a massive achievement for me, but one I could have not done without my team or my manager.

“The team has been fantastic this season and we have played some very good stuff, it is always easier to play in a really good team.

“The manager has been fantastic for me, playing me in different positions where I am able to find the space and actually show my stuff. “I have really enjoyed my football and been able to play well.”

Bale was also named Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year by the Professional Footballers’ Association.

“Hopefully there is a lot more (to come),” the Wales forward added.

“I have only just started in my new free role in the middle, so there is still a lot to learn in that position for me, I still need to kind of figure out a few things which is important.

“As I say to myself every season, I want to improve again, there are still things I need to improve, there are things which need working on in more areas than others, and I can do that.”

Chelsea’s Juan Mata was third in the journalists poll, with Bale taking the first place with 53% of the votes ahead of Van Persie. Bale becomes Spurs’ first winner of the FWA award since David Ginola in 1999, and the first Wales international to be selected for English football’s oldest individual trophy since Everton’s Neville Southall in 1985.

Tottenham head into the final two games of the Premier League season still hopeful of securing a top-four finish.

Bale said: “Everyone at Tottenham still believes, we know it is not in our hands, but there are a lot of funny things which can happen in football.

“The main thing is we need to concentrate on ourselves and hope that little bit of luck goes with us.”

Click Here to read & watch what Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas had to say about Gareth Bale, the 2013 FWA Footballer of the Year.

FWA Chairman Andy Dunn, of the Sunday Mirror, felt Bale was a deserved winner of the 2013 Footballer of the Year trophy.

“In a contest for votes which took so many late twists and turns, this young man’s penchant for the spectacular captured the imagination,” he said.

“Gareth is a player who is rising inexorably towards thte rarefied levels of world stars such as Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo.

“Twice the PFA Player of the Year and now, still some two months before his 24th birthday, the 2013 FWA Footballer of the Year.

“Let’s hope he lights up the Barclays Premier League for many seasons to come.”

Gareth Bale: Footballer of the Year 2013

Words: Jim van Wijk, FWA National Committee

FWA Interview: Neil Custis on Sir Alex Ferguson

Posted on May 8, 2013 by FWA News Editor

NEIL CUSTIS of The Sun looks back on an unforgettable Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United and says despite the press bans…

“WE HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO BE DOING THE JOB IN A TIME WHEN FERGUSON HAS BEEN AROUND”

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

NEIL CUSTIS, who has covered Manchester United for The Sun for 14 years, is like the newly-crowned Barclays Premier League champions – top of the table. Custis has been banned “about five times” by Sir Alex Ferguson, believed to be a Football Writers’ Association record.

Yet Custis is sad that Ferguson is set to retire at the end of another successful season. The bans and the media rows are all part of a complex man who has managed Manchester United with an iron fist yet behind the occasional anger at headlines or true stories he would rather have not been printed Ferguson will be missed by football writers everywhere.

He refused to speak to the BBC for seven years. The Guardian’s Daniel Taylor was red carded six years ago after his exceptional book “This Is The One – The Uncut Story Of A Football Genius” was published. It was generally full of praise for Ferguson, but reliving some hairdryer moments upset the Scot.

Taylor told football365.com: “He got a press officer to read it on his behalf, who gave it this professional, over-the-top report with sub-headings and everything, and the recommendation of this report was that there’s nothing wrong with it, and it’s completely fair, and he basically said ‘I’ll ban him anyway.’”

At the beginning of the season the Daily Telegraph’s Mark Ogden was banned for revealing [correctly] that Rio Ferdinand would miss the game against Everton because of injury.

More recently one national newspaper was excluded for printing that Antonio Valencia left the training ground on crutches while two others were banned in the wake of stories about Wayne Rooney’s future. Ferguson is the only manager in the Barclays Premier League to snub after-match press conferences with the written media yet for all his extremes Custis said the United manager has given all football writers an era they will never forget.

Custis said: “I think I’m probably top [of the banned table] because I’ve done the job longer than the guys from the other dailies.

“The thing is, I’d get back in, we’d make up and have a laugh about it. I have always got on with him, despite the bans. I’d stand up to him, we’d have rows…battles…I think he enjoyed it, though I’m not sure if I did all the time. I think occasionally reporters would get a ban because he saw them as a threat.

“After my last ban I was stuck in traffic…Ferguson arrived early and I sneaked in at the back. He said ‘Custis, you’re back in and you’re late.’ I replied that I was sorry but I went to The Cliff it’s been so long.

“I shall miss him. Newspapers spend thousands of pounds so football writers can travel around the world with United pre-season and the reason is for the 45 minutes we get with him. He enjoyed the banter, the game he played with the media, the challenge of the press.

“As football writers we have been very fortunate to be doing the job in a time when Ferguson has been around. It’s been the best time to cover Manchester United.

“He would come out with phrases like ‘squeaky bum time’ and ‘football, bloody hell’ that are part of the game’s lexicon.”

Not to mention the hairdryer or Fergie time.

“He has a wonderful way of talking about football that took it away from being just a sport into a drama that encapsulated everybody.”

Luke Edwards of the Daily Telegraph has just been banned by Newcastle United and the publicity this generated surprised Custis because in Manchester such things are a regular occurrence. He said: “People have been discussing the lad who’s been banned by Newcastle and it is wrong to be banned from games. But I thought someone had just invented the wheel.”

The announcement of Ferguson’s retirement came as a surprise, but Custis said in hindsight it should not have been. He said: “I suppose it’s always been on the cards because the guy’s 71 yet he seemed so full of life though he always has the capacity to shock. The thing that made me wonder was the fact he was so emphatic that he wasn’t going, almost too emphatic.

“For me it’s not just what Manchester United have lost, it’s what football has lost. Sir Alex Ferguson can say something mundane and it’s a back page lead plus inside spread. Someone else can reveal they’ve landed on Mars and it wouldn’t have the same impact. OK, I exaggerate, but the guy was the embodiment of the Barclays Premier League…his teams and Ferguson himself have created so much drama that without him the league would not be the same. Ferguson sums up not just what is great about Manchester United, but what is great about English football.

“The reason the Barclays Premier League is so popular around the world is in many ways because of Ferguson.”

When Ferguson was appointed manager of United on November 6, 1986 they were 21st in the old First Division, finishing the season in 11th place. It was four years before Ferguson won his first trophy, the FA Cup – 37 trophies have followed in 23 years.

Cuistis said: “If you want to know about Ferguson’s legacy you just need to walk around Old Trafford and then look at photos of how Old Trafford was when he arrived. It is now a monument to Manchester United and to Ferguson.

“His record will be impossible to beat because nobody will have the chance to beat it, to dominate in the way he has. No one will be given the time to create something that can have such longevity. Ferguson was allowed the time to build a foundation that would need be just tinkered with each year, but not a major overhaul.

“He’ll be remembered as the man who created the modern day Manchester United, the man who put down a marker for all football clubs in how to operate. There is a lot of short-term thinking at clubs now, but United have thought long-term. No other club would have stuck with their manager to the extent United did with Fergie in his early days.

“In the time he’s been in charge Chelsea have had 18 managers, it’s a similar story with Manchester City.” For the record, Real Madrid have had 24.

Many believe that the best job in football is the man who follows Ferguson’s successor. Custis disagrees and said: “Ferguson has said that while people call it ‘the impossible job’ it isn’t. It was an impossible job when he took over given the state Manchester United were in. It seemed impossible that almost 27 years on they’d be in the position they are now.

“The new manager has everything set up for success, from the training ground, the academy, the current squad…far from being an impossible job, it’s the best job.”

Inevitably it is United’s two Champions League successes, won in the most dramatic squeaky bum fashion, that give United fans their greatest moments.

Custis said: “He’s touched so many people’s lives, not least United supporters who were at the Nou Camp in 1999 or in Moscow in 2008. Those memories will remain forever. It’s not just what he’s done for United, but for a whole generation who have stories to be passed on to their children.

“Some have done this for a short time like Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, but he quit after five years because he was finding it a bit tough. One of Ferguson’s finest achievements was keeping the club together amid all the turmoil when the Glazers took over [in 2005]. The fans were in revolt, the club were suddenly in debt, the future was uncertain, but the one person who kept his foot on the ball was Ferguson. He was the glue that held the club together at a very difficult time.”

Covering United has given Custis many unforgettable moments, but one Fergie memory stands out.

“It has to be when he said ‘there are too many Custis’s.”

Neil’s brother Shaun, The Sun’s chief football writer, had been banned by Ferguson who had an identity crisis, saying to Neil: “What are you doing here, you’re banned.”

Custis said: “He tried to throw me out of a press conference for a story Shaun had written. I pointed this out and he replied laughing: ‘There are too many Custis’s.’”

WAS IT REALLY “THE MATTHEWS FINAL”?

Posted on May 7, 2013 by FWA News Editor

DAVID TOSSELL looks back at the 1953 FA Cup final when Blackpool beat Bolton Wanderers 4-3 but…

WAS IT REALLY “THE MATTHEWS FINAL”?

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

IT IS forever known as the Matthews Final – Blackpool 4, Bolton Wanderers 3, May 2, 1953. Stanley Matthews, the first ever Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in 1948, was the most popular player of his generation, more Bobby Charlton than David Beckham in his appeal, but who had twice been on the losing side in FA Cup finals with the Seasiders, in 1948 and 1951. At 38, the clock was ticking – could the man nicknamed the Wizard of the Dribble make it third time lucky?

Nat Lofthouse, the great Bolton and England centre-forward, conceded: “Everybody in England, except the people of Bolton, wanted Stanley to get his medal. We had a huge emotional barrier to break down.”

The country, Bolton excepted, had its wish, but was it really the Matthews Final? Did the emotions of the nation and the media create an image that was more fantasy than reality? Stan Mortensen was credited with a hat-trick and Bill Perry scored the dramatic late winner – even Matthews was to say: “To be honest, I found the whole thing one big embarrassment. Every time I hear the words [Matthews Final] I cringe with embarrassment because quite simply it’s not true.”

In a fascinating and superbly researched book – The Great English Final – David Tossell has separated fact from fiction, including doubts surrounding the scorers of two goals, of one of the greatest games Wembley has ever staged.

THE COVERAGE of the 2012/13 FA Cup final between Manchester City and Wigan Athletic will be intense, supplements published, with television and radio providing a fitting hors d’euvres to a match that retains a special place in the English sporting calendar, despite the growing emphasis on the Barclays Premier League.

In 1953 things were rather different. Media interest in the preparation for the final was minimal, the Evening Gazette reporting that Blackpool were watched by “a couple of dozen men, two women, four press photographers and a dog” during a pre-Wembley training session. A dozen fans were at the station to see Bolton off. There were no “exclusives” or the sort of hard-hitting back page stories demanded now by sports desks.

Sixty years ago football was wary of the presence of television cameras, believing it could affect attendances and 16 Football League games were played on the same day as the final. The BBC secured the rights to televise the Wembley game for a fee of £1,000, the Football Association stating: “The national interest in soccer [yes, soccer] must come first.” However, the Light Programme broadcast only a second-half commentary, having failed to persuade the FA to mirror television’s coverage of the entire game. Ten million people, huddling around five million TV sets, watched the match – more than some finals in recent years have attracted – with as many again listening on the radio. In 1953 the FA Cup final was as much a social event as a football match.

Some things have remained constant, though. Each finalist was allocated 12,500 tickets, underlying the FA’s policy was the feeling that they were simply unwilling to have their national event dominated by the working-class masses that typically made up most clubs’ fan bases. Far better to allow in the lords and colonels who dominated the committee rooms of the amateur game. Ticket prices at Wembley ranged from £2.10s to 3s 6d, with Nat Lofthouse having 97 requests for tickets dropped through his door.

The FA sent Blackpool’s allocation by train, a bemused-looking porter captured by photographers as he pushed his trolley bearing a priceless brown paper package. Blackpool gave 10 tickets to the Blackpool Corporation, the names of the lucky councillors drawn out of a hat by the Mayor. When the Evening Gazette tried to find the names of the recipients they were told: “No comment.”

The players were paid £12 a week, Bolton’s promised win bonus was £25 per player, £5 more than Blackpool’s. Matthews, probably English football’s first superstar, earned £15 a week from a boot sponsorship with the Co-op, the deal requiring him to make personal appearances at stores on the morning of away games between nine and 11.

Future BBC commentator John Motson, who grew up in Lewisham, south-east London, attended one such appearance and said: “Matthews was undoubtedly the most famous footballer in the country. He sat at a table in the store and we all queued up for his autograph. I remember being very shy and just said: ‘Thank you very much.’”

Matthews, the first player to have a ghosted column in a newspaper, the Sunday Express, also promoted Craven cigarettes – “The cigarettes for me” – in newspaper advertisements, despite admitting: “I’ve never smoked in my life.” Emphasising the difference in attitude towards smoking then and now, the last line of Blackpool manager Joe Smith’s team-talk was invariably: “Get two goals up before half-time, lads, so I can enjoy my cigar in the second-half.”

THE DUKE of Edinburgh performed the pre-game ceremonial duties on behalf of The Queen, his wife of five and a half months, his acerbic wit evident even then as he remarked that Bolton’s shiny satin navy britches made them look like “a bunch of pansies.” The kick-off was almost delayed as Blackpool centre-half Harry Johnston, the Footballer of the Year in 1951, had forgotten to take out his dentures and had to dash to the touchline, 12th man Johnny Crosland the lucky recipient of his captain’s choppers. As Johnston later stood in line to receive his winner’s medal he suddenly realised he had not reclaimed his dentures. “Quick John,” he shouted to Crosland. “My teeth, my teeth, I’ve got to meet The Queen.”

Nat Lofthouse gave Bolton a second minute lead, Stan Mortensen equalising on 35 minutes, a goal generously awarded to the striker as it took a significant deflection off Harold Hassell. Going outside full-back Johnny Ball, Mortensen shot left-footed across the goal towards the far post and Hassell, racing back to cover, diverted the ball inside the near post, leaving goalkeeper Stan Hanson helpless. Mortensen’s cup final hat-trick has become established as historical fact, but Kenneth Wolstenholme, the BBC’s commentator, called it as a Hassall own-goal. The keeper seemed likely to have saved Mortensen’s scuffed shot and in modern times the Premier League’s dubious goals committee would most certainly have ruled against Mortensen, though few begrudged the achievement of one of the most popular men in the game.

Five minutes later Bobby Langton is credited with restoring Bolton’s advantage, but again there are doubts about who had the last significant touch. Langton clipped the ball left-footed towards the far post. Arriving late, Willie Moir ran across goalkeeper George Farm’s line of sight. As both men stretched for the ball – Moir with his head, Farm with fist – it continued unimpeded on its path and nestled in the far bottom corner of the net. Wolstenholme said later in his commentary: “We’ve just received confirmation from the Bolton dressing-room that Willie Moir scored the second goal. He must have touched it with his head.” Yet the record books give the goal to Langton.

Eric Bell made it 3-1 after 55 minutes and it seemed as if Matthews was going to be a three-times Wembley loser. But Mortensen struck again in the 68th minute, converting an overhit centre from Matthews that was flapped at by Hanson, allowing the centre-forward to slide between two defenders and steer the ball home from two yards. However, there were signs that belatedly the great man was stepping further towards the front of the stage

With one minute of regulation time remaining referee Sandy Griffiths signalled a Blackpool free-kick, apparently penalising the merest brush by Doug Holden on Jackie Mudie. A group of four Bolton players stood momentarily with hands on hips, looking quizzically at the official – the closest the era ever came to a present day all-too-familiar surrounding of the referee. Mortensen completed his [alleged] hat-trick, blasting the ball past the wall and inside the left post.

In the second minute of stoppage time Matthews made his most significant contribution to the final, slipping slightly as he crossed the ball for Bill Perry to fire home Blackpool’s winner. Matthews was at last able to lift the FA Cup.

There were no after-match TV or radio interviews on the pitch, a handful of photographers capturing Blackpool players with the cup. Remarkably, both teams had booked the Cafe Royal for their post-match banquets, with champagne drunk and humble pie eaten in the finalists’ respective rooms.

A FAMILIAR cry in Fleet Street after a big match has been: “What’s the line?” This time there was only one angle. The News of the World’s headline was: “That Old Matthews Magic Delights The Queen.” The Sunday Chronicle: “Magnificent Matthews,” saying “Matthews 4, Bolton 3 is more correctly the result.”

In the modern day of tabloid reporting, where the events of a game are often prioritised in order to fit around the newspapers’ chosen storyline, such side-steppoing of objectivity is commonplace. In 1953, pre-determining the narrative was rare. And to be sure, it was pre-determined. A week before the final Frank Butler of the News of the World had written: “If they [Blackpool] do win, it will go down in soccer history as the Stanley Matthews final. Never have so many wished so much for one man to get a winner’s medal.”

It is easy to fall into the trap of assuming the tag was applied purely because of what happened on the field, in which case it is also easy to feel sympathy for the overlooked Stan Mortensen and Bill Perry. The Opta report commissioned by The Times to mark the 50th anniversary of the final listed the contribution of Matthews behind, in descending order, Mortensen, Willie Moir, Johnny Wheeler, Ernie Taylor and Perry.

The conclusion the newspaper drew – “Put simply, the Matthews final is a myth” and is based purely on a statistical breakdown of the action, ignoring the environment in which it took place. It is a verdict as flawed as that of the reporters who, in their excitement, sought to credit Matthews with single-handedly winning the game.

Yet while Matthews may not have been Man of the Match, Tossell told footballwriters.co.uk the way the final is remember is still justified. He said: “In my view the Matthews Final is merited, not because of misplaced perception that he won the game single-handedly, although he was clearly the classiest player on the field, but because of the way he dominated the narrative both in the build-up and on the day. It’s impossible in these times to fully appreciate the widespread love – it’s the appropriate word – the public had for Matthews, who was considered a model of all that was good about England.

“It’s apparent in the reverential commentary of Kenneth Wolstenholme throughout. As I mention at one point in the book, it could have been Bolton who scored the last-minute winner yet it might still have reasonably been remembered as the Matthews Final.”

Adapted from The Great English Final by David Tossell (Pitch Publishing, £16.99).

FWA Q&A: Ian Ladyman

Posted on May 7, 2013 by FWA News Editor

IAN LADYMAN of the Daily Mail on a love letter to the sports editor…breakfast with a tiger (no, really)…and trouble with a pony tail in the USA

Have you ever worked in a profession other than football?
I was a news reporter for the Stoke Sentinel for three fantastic years. It’s a cliche but news is a great grounding. Being shouted at by Sir Alex Ferguson (not that it’s ever happened) is not so scary when you have had to knock on someone’s door and ask them if they will talk about the death of their son/daughter etc. The Sentinel was a great paper, too. Five editions, all of which we worked on live between 7am and 1pm. That meant my great exclusives about cats stuck up trees always got in that day. How exciting. That apart, I once worked nights stacking shelves at Morrisons. I hated it and it hated me. The supervisor took against me because he caught me reading a book on my break. Either that or he took offence at my pony tail. My comrades were okay, though. On my first night one asked me if I was married. I said I wasn’t and he asked if I was divorced. I was 18.

Most memorable match?
World Cup 2002. South Korea versus Poland, Busan. We all know what the co-hosts went on to achieve that summer but they went in to the tournament having never won a World Cup match and with coach Guus Hiddink nicknamed ‘Mr Nil Five’ as that was his team’s most common scoreline. That night, though, they swept Poland off the park 2-0 on the back of the most fanatical home support I have witnessed before or since. Everyone in the stadium wore red and before long everyone in the country did too. Including Neil Custis who watched their quarter-final on the TV in the Seoul main square wearing a bandana and face paint. No, he really did.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
In Gelsenkirchen 2006, I saw Argentina beat Serbia 6-0 and score one of the best goals I have ever seen. Esteban Cambiasso actually scored but it was the 20-odd passes that preceded it that made it so memorable. If you put that on DVD and mailed it to every under-12s football coach in the country then we may win the World Cup again sometime in the next 100 years.

Best stadium?
When I was a kid I loved the old northern grounds at places like Bolton, Blackburn and Burnley. Or maybe my memory is playing tricks. My dad used to ask me each Saturday where I wanted to go and we would head off and pay at the turnstile. A trip to somewhere like Old Trafford or Anfield was a once a season treat. I was so excited about one of those trips that I was sick in the car. These days, in terms of opulence and splendour I would choose the Donbass Arena in Donetsk. Just a shame you have to go to Donetsk to see it. In terms of old-fashioned atmosphere, it’s hard to beat Anfield when the home team have their blood up. About once every three seasons, these days.

…and the worst?
SoccerCity in Jo’Burg. Ugly, charmless and in the middle of nowhere. And every single World Cup Final they have had there has been rubbish.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Back in the days of filing via mobile phone/lap-top connection, I lost my phone down a hole in my desk at Benfica on a Champions League night. I spent a frantic half an hour literally tearing the wooden desk apart while stewards and Portuguese journalists just stared at me. By full-time, there were splinters, nails, screws and bits of plastic strewn all over the press box. A little dramatic, perhaps, given that I was only doing the ratings.

On a personal note, I once wrote a charming, loving and frankly hilarious e-mail to a new girlfriend and sent it to my sports editor Colin Gibson by mistake. Thankfully, I didn’t know her well enough to be suggestive but the e-mail did contain a description of how me and my dad once killed my pet mouse in a bucket of water. Me and the girl didn’t stay together long. Gibson sent the email to every sports desk in Fleet Street and I don’t blame him.

Biggest mistake?
Does the above not count?

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
I once worked on a summer camp in America and some of the kids thought I was a girl. It was that pony tail thing again. Apart from that, at school they said I looked like Steve Hampson, a Wigan Rugby League player. Needless to say, he has a big nose and enormous ears but carries it off rather well.

Most media friendly manager?
Sam Allardyce threatened to come round to my house and kick my door down when he was manager of Notts County and I was the local lad on the Evening Post. Happily he never did it and a professional relationship that began then still endures to this day. He answers the phone when you call his number and that, these days, is all you can ask for.

Best ever player?
Kenny Dalglish.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
The Liverpool team of Barnes, Beardsley and Aldridge was sublime. Football at its telepathic, expansive best. One of my biggest regrets was choosing not to go to Anfield the night they beat Forest 5-0 in Division One in 1988. They would have beaten anyone that night.

Best pre-match grub?
I always love dining at Old Trafford as it’s great fun trying to guess exactly what it is you are actually eating. It also gives you something to do while nobody from the coaching or playing staff will come and talk to you.

Best meal had on your travels?
Once had a 12-course banquet in a private dining room in Moscow when I was on Wales duty. Great food and even Janine [Self] had to stop talking to eat it. The squid and garlic wrapped in spinach leaves I had with [Jim] Holden, [Phil] Shaw and [Sam] Wallace at 7am at Busan fish market was pretty memorable too.

…and the worst?
Still with Wales, watching John Ley eat his third mixed grill of the day in a Cardiff curry house was something I won’t forget. Beef, chicken, lamb and god knows what else smothered in curry. Not a dish you will find in Calcutta that often.

Best hotel stayed in?
I stayed in a cracker in Seoul during the 2002 World Cup but only because the room belonged to Charlie Sale and he was somewhere else for a night. The suite had a view of the five rings of the old Olympic Stadium, an adjoining boardroom (complete with table and six chairs) and a hydraulic bed. I will leave you to guess which of these Charlie had specifically requested. Also on that trip my base was the Lotte Hotel in Busan. An enormous place with its own driving range on the roof and a live tiger in the breakfast room. Yes, really. It had been a gift from a former president. I came down on my first day and had a straight choice between a seat next to the tiger or a table with Paul Stretford on it. You know the punchline.

…and the worst?
Another World Cup and my base in Dortmund in 2006 was pretty rotten. Matt Lawton stayed in it the night he jocked me off the semi-final and made the mistake of bringing his girlfriend. “My balcony in Baden-Baden was bigger than this whole room,” Lawton sniffed. Mind you, he had nicked his Baden-Baden room off Steven Howard so I could believe it. On club duty, I stayed in a hotel in 2000 in Donetsk with Arsenal that was so bad we were advised by the travel company to bring our own bedding and food. Brian Woolnough complained to reception that his bath water was brown. They told him not to drink it.

Favourite football writer?
I loved working with Danny Taylor when he was still a Manchester man as it had always been my ambition to see my stories appear in a broadsheet. Outside those on the Mail, I will always read [Dave] Kidd, [George] Caulkin and [Paul] Hayward and be slightly nervous of Custis jnr, [Simon] Mullock and [Mark] Ogden. At my own place, Alex Kay will be my sports editor one day so I had better mention him, too. Finally, [Ian] Herbert writes wonderfully and has a forensic mind and a love of proper journalism. I just wish he would HURRY UP!!!! [Me too – I am still waiting for his Q&A – Ed]

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
John Murray always makes me feel like I want to leave the radio on. Alan Green sometimes makes me want to turn it off but that doesn’t mean he can’t be terrific value; he can. On TV I was always a Barry Davies fan. In terms of pundits, ITV’s decision to ditch David Pleat was ridiculous. He remains a superb analyst for Radio Five Live and makes some of the younger ex-pros look as lightweight as they undoubtedly are. Gary Neville has raised the bar in terms of studio work. But then somebody had to. Graeme Souness is also terrific.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Judge the individual and not the perception of the industry. It’s not hard. Some people (big love here for Kloss at City, Tyrrell at Everton and McCann at Liverpool) already do that and it’s appreciated. Others (can’t name them all) do not.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
I am lucky enough to have seen England win an Ashes Test away from home and have seen Wigan Warriors win the Grand Final and the Challenge Cup. (That’s rugby league, by the way). I guess I would very much like to travel to the US Masters. I hope Lee Clayton is reading this.

Last book read?
‘Mud Sweat and Tears’ by Moire O’Sullivan. It’s about the experiences of a mountain runner in Ireland. I am, as you can tell, having a mid-life crisis. The sports car is next and then a divorce. Although I would have to get married first. Let’s not rush in to things.

Favourite current TV programme?
I am currently watching the box set of the Danish cop drama ‘The Killing’. I am getting a bit deaf so appreciate the excuse for sub-titles.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
I have one wonderful item but won’t describe it here as I don’t want the burglars to come round again. The signed photo of Willo Flood (14 man City appearances, one goal) is certainly the most ridiculous. I also have an article written by the great John Roberts in the Independent the day after Kenny Dalglish resigned from Liverpool in 1991. It’s only being held together by the frame these days but the way it was written resonated with me at the time and it still does. I met him once (Roberts, not Dalglish) but never mentioned the piece to him. I should have.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Take the job seriously but not yourself. We aren’t saving lives here.

(PS Thanks for omitting the ‘Best Exclusive’ category. It would have been embarrassing to leave it blank.)

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