Category Archives: FWA Q&A

FWA Q&A: Neil Moxley

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NEIL MOXLEY of the Daily Mail on failing to tell Karren Brady where to go…a punch-up over Norah Jones…and champagne with Peter Reid

Your first ever newspaper?
Solihull Times. I had match reports printed before then. I still have the clipping from the Daily Star report, Birmingham City 2 Hartlepool 1 from c. 1990 written under the watchful eye of John Curtis, from the Press Association, bless him. John is now 55 years old and dyes his hair. I hope I get that far.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
Through college, I did loads of jobs, mainly involving bar-work. I was a sleeping partner in a printing firm. The recession has done for that, though.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
Playing alongside Coventry City’s Steve Sedgley for Birmingham County’s Under-18s side. I wasn’t bad, I could run all day. (Twenty-five years ago)

Most memorable match covered?
Despite my Midlands’ experience, probably the Sunderland v Charlton play-off final in 1998. It had everything.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Me, horribly hungover, wearing an Aston Villa strip, standing in a field in the middle of Sweden, c. 1996. A press game in which I was anchoring (!) a midfield which boasted Trevor Brooking, (ex-England, brilliant) Nigel Kennedy, (internationally-acclaimed violinist, utterly useless) and a Villa fan called Trevor. (decent, man-mountain) myself and the Birmingham Mail’s Birmingham City correspondent Colin Tattum had stupidly been involved in a mass brawl during a Sunday League match with Trevor’s team four days previously. Unknown to me, he’s a Villa fan. Then he turns up in a dressing-room in Helsingborg. Honestly, he was a huge bloke. I saw him and thought: “Here we go….” Only in football…

Best stadium?
Alliance Arena just pips the Emirates – because you can park there.

…and the worst?
Springfield Park, Wigan. Flea-pit. I fell over on the grass bank in the away end once. Not happy. It was a match in December. I went home covered in mud.

Your best-ever scoop.
Not for me to say, but….I liked the one about Derby’s players being asked to give evidence about George Burley’s drinking habits as the power-brokers attempted to lever him out of Pride Park. I know it was a good one as Neil Custis from the Sun still congratulates me on it.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Not filing first time at the Aston Villa v Birmingham City derby match in March 2003 because I couldn’t get a line. The office took wire copy. Never mind, there was only a head-butt, two sending-offs, a career-threatening injury and all hell breaking loose at Villa Park.

Biggest mistake?
Not telling Karren Brady just where to go on the numerous occasions she phoned me to tell me how much money she was going to take off me for a variety of stories she didn’t like. She never did.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Mr Tumble, Justin Fletcher off CBeebies. My brother thinks that’s hilarious.

Most media friendly manager?
Steve Bruce was always helpful, although very capable of dishing out the odd tongue-lashing. But Peter Reid remains brilliant. He spotted me and a group of pals in the Tall Trees in Yarm once and sent over two bottles of bubbly. That went down well. Then he spotted me in Yarm 85 with my girlfriend at the time, and sent over a bottle of wine. Then….well, you get the picture. Honestly, I spent two wonderful seasons watching Sunderland half-cut. As did Reidy, to be fair….

Best-ever player?
Trevor Francis. Gary Rowett, then of Leicester, stopped for a chat at Belvoir Drive one day. He sent his regards to TF who was managing Birmingham at the time with the words: ‘Tell him he’s still the best finisher at the club.” Francis was about 50 years old at the time. Apart from that, Christophe Dugarry. His performance in a game against Southampton in 2003 still sends shivers down the spine. As Gordon Strachan pointed out afterwards, he operated on another planet to anyone else that day.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
I really liked Manchester United’s double-winning team of 1994. It had a wonderful balance. And AC Milan’s vintage of the same year would have given Barcelona of today a decent game.

Best pre-match grub?
If I wasn’t driving home, Manchester City. I’ll say Chelsea for the food. Outstanding. Arsenal again beaten into third with Villa a close fourth.

Best meal had on your travels?
One overlooking Lake Zurich with Janine Self, (then of the Sun) David Moore, (Mirror) and John Wragg. (Express) I have no idea of the name of the restaurant.

…and the worst?
A delightful meal in Brittany with Villa which was ruined by two unnamed journalists almost coming to blows over the relative merits of Norah Jones. I kid ye not.

Best hotel stayed in?
I think it was the Palace of the Golden Horses in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia. It was helped by the fact that Chelsea, Newcastle and Birmingham all stayed there for the Asia Cup.

…and the worst?
Hotel number two in Lovech, Bulgaria. Villa commandeered hotel number one. Richard Gibson, from the Press Association, almost got himself beaten up for attempting to drink a bottle of water the hotel staff said he couldn’t have.

Favourite football writer?
I’ll leave the Sunday Supplement crew alone. The ones I like, I’ve told to their faces. I’ve more time for the scufflers who provide the pontificators with their platforms. But then, I would say that, wouldn’t I?

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Martin Tyler. Consistently strikes the right tone. Sorry, I don’t like live football on radio. I appreciate the benefit of immediacy, but I still think the game is essentially a visual spectacle.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
You are media managers. We will write about your club, like it or not. Why not shape the news how you want it, instead of keeping us at arms’ length? It’s madness.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
Australia v England, SCG, Boxing Day. Done Rangers v Celtic thanks to Alex McLeish and former Rangers’ chief executive Martin Bain.

Last book read?
‘Up Pohnpei’ by Paul Watson. An attempt by to find the real soul of football. Genuine idea, neatly written. Enjoyable.

Favourite current TV programme?
I’ve got a bizarre fascination with ‘Wheeler Dealers’ at the moment. Other than that, ‘Homeland’ by a country mile.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
Everton legend Dixie Dean’s autograph. He signed a Football Writers’ menu for my father in 1976. It’s framed on my wall. A collector said it was the only one he’d ever seen and offered me £750. Assuming I don’t fall on hard times and I need the cash, I’d like to leave it to the club if it’s the only one about. Failing that, I also have a programme from one of Randolph Turpin’s last fights on home soil before he fought Sugar Ray Robinson. The Leamington Spa boy up against Jan de Bruin at the Coventry Butts Arena in 1951 two months before he won the world title against Robinson in London. Really pleased to have that in my possession. Turpin’s is a great – but very sad – story.

Advice to any would-be football writer?
I read Rob Shepherd’s advice [which was ‘go into television’] and he’s beaten me to the punchline. Otherwise contacts, contacts, contacts. Finding people to talk honestly about what’s really going on behind-the-scenes is worth its’ weight in gold.

FWA Q&A: Mark Ogden

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The Daily Telegraph’s MARK OGDEN on broken flower pots…being a Happy Monday…and spending £300 on average wine…

Your first ever newspaper?
I did a week of work experience at the Rochdale Observer, writing about broken flower pots and a few rioting Wrexham fans, then started off at the Weekly News and Sunday Post.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
I did try to re-launch my failed football career with a few games for Rochdale reserves, but they only paid £5 travelling expenses, so it wasn’t really worth it. The one thing it made me realise, though, was how hard footballers train and how there is pretty much zero enjoyment in the sport as a profession. You are flogged every morning for two hours on the training ground and then some halfwit manager rants and raves about the odd stray pass. The next time a player walks past in the mixed zone, just think about the bollocking he might just have had in front of his team-mates for
something or nothing.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
Playing with, and against, Paul Scholes as a kid was about as good as it got. I’m sure his memories of me finishing off his passes still out-rank all he has ever achieved at Manchester United….

Most memorable match covered?
For drama, controversy and the rare sense of actually feeling as though you had just witnessed a deception that would rumble on for days and weeks, I’d go for the World Cup play-off between France and the Republic of Ireland in Paris in Nov 2009, when Thierry Henry’s handball ended Irish hopes of a place in South Africa. Henry’s carefully-manufactured good guy image went out of the window that night, but the reaction of France coach Raymond Domenech and his massively smug press officer after the game almost caused a riot among the Irish journalists. There were 20,000 Irish fans in Paris that night, but there wasn’t a hint of trouble, despite the way their team had lost, which is probably the only reason we were able to flag down a taxi at 2am outside the stadium. The trains, obviously, had stopped running before the end of extra-time.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
The guy who nicked my laptop bag — laptop still in it — outside a bar in Cape Town during the World Cup. Strictly speaking, not football, but he left me without a laptop for the World Cup quarter-final between Germany and Argentina, so thanks for that.

Best stadium?
I love the Allianz Arena, even though the wifi doesn’t work in the press box and the last two visits have ended with Carlos Tevez refusing to warm-up for Man City and Wayne Rooney’s suffering the ankle injury that pretty much ruined his World Cup. Old Trafford and Anfield on big European nights take some beating too.

…and the worst?
The Lokomotivi Stadium in Tbilisi takes some beating, especially in March when it is absolutely freezing. Went there with Republic of Ireland in 2003 and we arrived to see an old guy with broken glasses and a soldering iron, attempting to connect the phone lines. They obviously didn’t work. Kevin Kilbane was hit by a knife thrown from the crowd that day, so it wasn’t exactly uneventful.

Your best ever scoop?
Not really one for me to answer, but I still get people coming up to me about the tale of two scarf-wearing cockerels being arrested and placed in the cells at Ewood Park last season. It was a protest against Venky’s. Not sure if the birds lived to see another day…

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Endured an absolute nightmare at Ibrox when Rangers played United in last season’s Champions League group stage. Wifi didn’t work and 3G was also useless. It was as though some kind of blocking signal had been imposed on the surrounding area because it affected everybody. Had to use copy that night, which never happens. Thankfully, it doesn’t appear as though I’ll be needing to go to Ibrox again in the near future…

Biggest mistake?
Thinking that Twitter was a worthwhile exercise.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Usually Bez from the Happy Mondays, even when I am not carrying my maracas.

Most media friendly manager?
Roberto Martinez at Wigan is a good guy with a sound grasp of media requirements and demands. Lower down the leagues, it is easy to nominate the likes of Brian Horton, Gary Megson or Phil Brown, but the Barclays Premier League is a different environment altogether and Martinez handles it really well.

Best ever player?
Diego Maradona, but I retain a soft spot for Marco van Basten.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
I’m not going to nominate teams I never saw, such as Brazil 1970 for obvious reasons, so I’ll go for the current Spain team. Club wise, I still think the AC Milan team of Gullit, Van Basten and
Rijkaard would have given Barcelona a run for their money, so I’ll go for them.

Best pre-match grub?
Bayern Munich

Best meal had on your travels?
Shared a great meal of ribs and steak with Neil Custis, Chris Wheeler and Jeremy Cross at Ditka’s in Chicago last summer. Had some great meals in South Africa, but this one was just shaded it.

…and the worst?
We were recommended ‘the best Chinese restaurant’ in Macau during the 2007 Man Utd tour of Asia, so went along expecting exactly that. If you like your chicken full of bones and gristle, then this was the place. Also, did an average bottle of wine which one person (no names) ordered three times. Before realising it was a £100 a bottle…

Best hotel stayed in?
Probably the Radisson in Philadelphia. Great location, great bar, great city. The Marriott in Bucharest was surprisingly good

…and the worst?
Although The Maxwell in Seattle had no bar, restaurant or food (try putting up with that for seven nights..) it would be harsh to rank it below those that I have stayed at in Tirana and Bydgoszcz. But just for sheer dreariness, the hotel (forgotten the name) we used in Aalborg on a Champions League trip wins every time.

Favourite football writer?
Don’t really have a favourite, and I’m not going down the road of bigging up everybody at the Telegraph, but if the likes of Paul Joyce, Neil Moxley or Simon Mullock write something, then I don’t need to be told that it will be right.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
I still think Clive Tyldesley gets it right more often than most on the big occasions, while John Murray and Ian Dennis are the best on Five Live, even if they don’t shout about it.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs
and football writers what would it be? Just feed us properly and we will love you for evermore.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquaio, somewhere in Las Vegas.

Last book read?
Apart from reading The Gruffalo every night for the last two years, I’ve been trying to finish off Barry McGuigan’s autobiography. The last book I finished was Nothing to Envy, by Barbara Demick, about North Korea. I have something of an OCD interest in North Korea after a trip to the de-militarized zone in 2009. Also read This is Paradise by Hyok Kang (which Rory Smith still hasn‘t given back to me). I really need to get out more.

Favourite current TV programme?
Been having withdrawal symptoms since Boardwalk Empire finished, so it’s mainly boxed sets — The West Wing usually.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
Don’t really keep stuff. I tend to give programmes to my boy’s school or dump them in the recycling bin.

Advice to any would-be football writer?
Don’t enter the profession with ideas about writing lovely pieces about football without working at it first. And don’t buy into the snobbery about tabloids not being good enough for you. After almost ten years freelancing, you learn that the guys on desks like the Sun are ultra-sharp and professional and anything but flyer-merchants. It would be good for all aspiring football journalists to work for a tabloid for at least six months in order to realise what the job is really about.

FWA Q&A: Guillem Balague

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Guillem BalagueSky Sports’ Spanish football expert and Espanyol fan Guillem Balague on drinking 120-year-old brandy, a frozen Scottish breakfast and an on-air attempted mugging.

Your first ever newspaper?
It was Diari de Barcelona, a Catalan newspaper. I think it’s the oldest newspaper in Spain.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
I used to deliver bread at 4am. I also worked as a barman in a pub in Liverpool.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
I was chosen as the second best goalkeeper in the league I played in as a kid. I was 12 at the time. Perhaps the achievement was slightly tainted as the best goalkeeper was also from our team. Sadly he wasn’t Iker Casillas!

Most memorable match covered?
It has to be the Champions League final in Istanbul when Liverpool beat AC Milan. I wrote a book about it. It was an incredible game to cover as a journalist. For me it was also emotional as I had a lot of friends involved… Rafa Benitez, Luis Garcia, Xabi Alonso and Josemi.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
When Iker Casillas lifted the World Cup in 2010. I never thought it would happen after so many years of promising so much but underachieving. I spoke to Peter Shilton recently and he said that in his day Spain were a mentally weak team. Now we are talking about a side on a different level to the rest.

Best stadium?
For noise and atmosphere when I’ve been there, Anfield. The new stadium of Espanyol, my Spanish club – Estadi Cornellà-Prat – is lovely.

…and the worst?
Real Mallorca’s Iberostar has hardly any atmosphere, neither does Real Sociedad’s Anoeta. Both have athletic tracks which kills the atmosphere. No matter how many people are there the noise disappears.

Your best ever scoop?
I broke the story of Cristiano Ronaldo going to Real Madrid. Not sure if this is a scoop but I am proud that Sir Alex Ferguson has agreed to write a foreword for the book on Pep Guardiola I am writing.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
This is loosely connected to new technology… I was in a Soho street doing a live interview for Spanish radio, a show called El Larguero which has 1.3 million listeners. I was chatting to the presenter and the chairman of Real Madrid. I was on the phone referring to notes that were in my computer when two guys tried to snatch my laptop. I ran away from them and was almost out of breath still on air. I didn’t want to explain what was going on.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Gabriele Marcotti. He’s been confused many times with me. It’s being foreigners I guess.

Most media friendly manager?
Many… Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Rafa Benitez – people don’t know what he is really like – Jose Mourinho… quite a few.

Best ever player?
It has to be Iván de la Peña who played for Espanyol from 2002 to 2011. He was also with Barcelona but played with much more heart for Espanyol.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
At international level what Spain are doing is unbelievable. I’ve seen performances from them which are out of this world. At club level this Barcelona team is different class as much for how they do it as what they are doing… they will be talked about for many years to come.

Best pre-match grub?
Has to be Arsenal, for sure.

Best meal had on your travels?
After Barcelona’s 6-2 victory in El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabeu in May 2009 I went to Asavores in Madrid with an agent friend of mine. We were treated to fantastic meats and fish, ending up with a 120-year-old brandy.

…and the worst?
A frozen breakfast in Glasgow. Yes, frozen. And no, it wasn’t defrosted. It was, I think, a fish with breadcrumbs and it was rock hard. I wondered if it was some kind of Scottish speciality but no, it was frozen.

Favourite football writer?
Gabriele Marcotti, no doubt.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Because I work with them most days on Sky Sports’ Spanish football coverage I know how good Rob Palmer, Gerry Armstrong, Kevin Keating and Terry Gibson are. They are so committed and love the job they do. I would also mention Adrian Durham who presents talkSPORT’s Drivetime show. He is very intelligent and I like what he’s doing.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Open training sessions once a week with a mixed zone for the media. The more friendly you become with players the more difficult it can be to criticise them. It would help the press to get to know and understand players more. I did a Soccerex panel with Gary Neville last month and he was speaking along those lines.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
The NBA finals.

Last book read?
I read the Spanish version. I think the English title is What The Internet Does To Our Minds by Nicholas Carr. It outlines how the internet is making us more superficial as a race.

Favourite current TV programme?
I am revisiting the Wire closely followed by the Walking Dead.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
I have a seat from the old Wembley which is on a wall in my home. Also a thermos flask which Espanyol gave me.

Twitter username: @guillembalague

FWA Q&A: Charlie Wyett

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The Sun’s Charlie Wyett on making sausages…being Pretty…and appearing in EastEnders (sort of)

Your first ever newspaper?
Wisbech Standard in Cambridgeshire.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
No. Joined the profession after completing A levels in 1989. Used to work in my family’s butchers shop as a teenager, spending Saturday mornings making sausages but only ever wanted to be a sports writer.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
Scoring with an excellent 25-yard lob for the Norfolk College of Arts and Technology. Unfortunately, the goalkeeper was my team-mate.

Most memorable match covered?
Have been extremely lucky to cover some cracking games and a recent one which stands out was Arsenal beating Barcelona 2-1 at home last season.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Michael Thomas scoring at Liverpool in the final minute to clinch the title for Arsenal in 1989. Despite being a neutral, remember jumping off my sofa in delight.

Best stadium?
I have a soft spot for Villa Park but my favourite ground is San Siro in Milan.

…and the worst?
A few dodgy ones in the Eastern Counties League and also Southern League. Also, the Dell at Southampton and Colchester’s Layer Road were not great. As a supporter, the away end at Millmoor (Rotherham) was particularly unpleasant. A total dump, in fact.

Your best ever scoop?
Still looking for that one.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Accidentally spell-checking my surname on a match report. Just as my report was heading towards the News International system, I noticed that it read: From Charlie Pretty at Carrow Road. Bit of a contradiction! Thankfully, I stopped it from reaching our sport queue by pulling out all the wires from my laptop.

Biggest mistake?
Have made one or two. . .

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
For some bizarre reason, it does sometimes happen. Am getting John Bishop at the moment. Also Howard Donald from Take That and the actor Willem Dafoe (drunk blokes have pointed at me and shouted Green Goblin). Also Frank Spencer. My Sun colleague Andy Dillon says I look like Dean Gaffney from EastEnders – and he is certainly not being complimentary.

Most media friendly manager?
Harry Redknapp, David Moyes and Alan Pardew are all good. Arsene Wenger used to be. . .

Best ever player?
Thierry Henry in the Barclays Premier League – Lionel Messi is now up there with Maradona on the world stage.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Brazil team in 1982 World Cup were amazing. Barcelona side of the last few seasons is the best club team.

Best pre-match grub?
Chelsea is excellent. As for a restaurant for fans, Delia’s at Norwich is not bad – as you would expect.

Best meal had on your travels?
Ristorante Europa 92 in Modena. Near Ferrari’s Maranello base, it is northern Italian food at its very best. And not that expensive.

…and the worst?
‘Beef bowl’ at Tokyo airport. Truly shocking. And I am not sure it was beef I was actually eating.

Best hotel stayed in?
Always loved staying at the Hotel Elysee when covering the U.S Open in New York. Would recommend it to anyone looking for a hotel in Manhattan.

…and the worst?
A disgusting one-star guest house in Hong Kong. The nearest restaurant was a McDonald’s but the menu was obviously not in English. I pointed at the board and after getting a funny look from the server, I was handed my food. A Happy Meal with a soft toy.

Favourite football writer?
I know it’s a cop-out but have a few.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Clive Tyldesley.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
A closer working relationship between journalists and players.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
Olympics men’s 1500m final

Last book read?
The Rum Diary

Favourite current TV programme?
Homeland on Channel 4

Your most prized football memorabilia?
Always give stuff away.

Advice to any would-be football writer?
Work hard and don’t expect to be covering Barclays Premier League games within two years.

FWA Q&A: Rob Shepherd

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ROB SHEPHERD on working at Harrods…being Quentin Tarantino for an hour…and a flower in his toilet pan

Your first ever newspaper?
After working as a messenger/copy boy for Hayters I joined the Weekly News/Sunday Post in their Fleet Street office; I returned to Hayters as a reporter, then joined my first national -Today – when it launched in 1986.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
Brief stint in a Hackney warehouse; summer job in Way In Living menswear department at Harrods. Started ‘proper’ job as a trainee manager for Nationwide building society…quit after two weeks.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
Playing at South East Counties level for West Ham…and sticking a winning goal past Jan Tomeszewski in a media match in Katowice. Over zealously I celebrated by kissing him on the cheek and saying that’s for 1973 Clown. Big Jan ,by then well into his Fifties, took it very well.

Most memorable match covered?
England v West Germany 1990 World Cup semi -final in Turin.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Paul Gascoigne chipping a ball down the nozzle of a tuba from 20 yards in the warm-up before an England B international in Iceland much to the wrath of the brass band musician; plus the goal Gazza scored a few days earlier In Switzerland when he beat (I swear) seven players en route.

Best stadium?
Nou Camp.

…and the worst?
Has to be Plough Lane but in its way it was fun to work there.

Your best ever scoop?
Breaking the news Terry Venables would quit as England manager whatever outcome of Euro 96 because FA refused to sanction a new contract. Crazy.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Where do we start! Having somehow wiped the interview from the cassette tape I then lost a feature length Ossie Ardiles piece into the ether THREE times while attempting to send from my brand new but very temperamental Tandy 200 (the machine that replaced the portable typewriter). That tops a long list. I ended up ad libbing to copy.

Biggest mistake?
Not always heeding good advice.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Frequently: Morrisey, Quentin Tarantino (at a poolside bar in Antigua….and I strung the guy along for an hour), James May (once), Jeremy Clarkson (often), Brian Woolnough (far too often!), Bert Millichip (by a limo driver in Las Vegas), Eric Joyce MP (the other day) and Desperate Dan (even by my two sons).

Most media friendly manager?
Graham Taylor.

Best ever player?
Maradona.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Club: Dynamo Tbilisi (of early Eighties) & current Barcelona side : Brazil 1970

Best pre-match grub?
Arsenal.

Best meal had on your travels?
A restaurant in Turin called Urbani (several times).

…and the worst?
Anywhere in Albania…although my local café in West Wickham run be three Albanian chaps is fantastic.

Best hotel stayed in?
Forte Villa Sardinia for Italia 90 : Violinists at breakfast; wine and fruit delivered to the bungalow room in after noon….even a fresh flower everyday in the toilet pan …the complex was so good that the day after the draw with Holland some England players came to join US for a libation.

…and the worst?
Hotel Tirana, Albania (1989) / Britannia Manchester (during early Nineties).

Favourite football writer?
Brian Glanville / Martin Samuel.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Brian Moore / Peter Lorenzo.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Get rid of PR robots and bring back press officers.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
Australia v England Ashes Test tour Down Under.

Last book read?
Currently reading Greavsie (Jimmy Greaves’ autobiography) and Kitchen Confidential (Anthony Bourdain).

Favourite current TV programme?
Call the Midwife (just finished); Upstairs Downstairs.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
West Ham silk scarf with names of the 1975 FA Cup-winning team (the last all-English side to do so): Day, McDowell, T.Taylor, Lock, Lampard, Holland, Bonds, Brooking, Paddon, A. Taylor Jennings. Sub: Gould (I didn’t need to look that up either!).

What advice would you give any would-be football writer?
Go into television.

Rob Shepherd reports matches for the Sunday Times

FWA: Q&A: Daniel Taylor

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Daniel Taylor, chief football writer of the Guardian, on The Hairdryer…scoring for Manchester City…and staying in a brothel  

Your first ever newspaper?
Newark Advertiser. As Jasper Carrott said during his night at the Palace Theatre: ‘The only town in the world that’s an anagram of . . .’

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
No.

Most memorable match covered?
Getting a visa for Iran v Republic of Ireland was a great trip in 2001. There were 120,000 people in the national stadium in Tehran, a male-only crowd, and it was noisy and sinister. Ireland qualified for the World Cup that night and flying back to Dublin with the team was a long, boozy flight. The pilot actually started tilting the plane at one point to get the players to sit down and stop the party. Put it this way, if it had been a holidaymakers’ flight from Benidorm, there would have been half a dozen police vans waiting on the runway.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
The Hairdryer. Unless you’ve seen it close up, you can’t explain what it’s really like. But no one has ever got Sir Alex Ferguson losing it – properly losing it – on film.

Best stadium?
Barcelona. All the modern new-built stadia tend to look the same these days – big, sweeping, shiny, Ikea-style bowls. Camp Nou’s got soul. Every game there feels like an occasion.

…and the worst?
Maine Road. I liked the stadium, atmosphere etc . . . it was just that midnight walk back to your car, with a laptop bag over your shoulder. A personal count of one carjacking, two smashed passenger windows and several hundred pounds handed over to car ‘minders’ in the years pre-Eastlands.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
I have none. However, in an England-versus-Wales media game at Ninian Park a few years ago I was put through on goal, one on one against a 47-year-old Neville Southall, and for some reason tried to chip him. He plucked it out of the air with a look of utter contempt. I can still remember Gordon Hill, who was on my side, screaming “For f***’s sake, you’ve got to put your foot through that, son.”

Your best ever scoop?
As the man who broke the Bebe to Manchester United story, I’d like to think I have made a lasting contribution to football news. Otherwise, Ronaldo to Real Madrid was a nice one to get, not least because of United’s denials.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
I’ve always somehow managed to get my copy over but Rangers last season, with the wireless dying after five minutes and no phone lines, was as close as it comes. Sitting at my hotel bar at midnight, that was also the night I texted something deeply uncomplimentary about Scottish football, purely because of my wifi gripes, then realised I had tweeted it by accident.

Biggest mistake?
I’d like to think the copytakers were to blame but, freelancing in pre-Guardian days, my match report of a Manchester City game for the Sun began with the words ‘Daniel Taylor scored a last-minute winner . . .’ Clearly, it should have been Gareth Taylor. Though I’d argue that we had a similar first touch.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
There’s a guy on Twitter who sends me messages sometimes reminiscing about our old days together at school. I haven’t got the heart to tell him he’s mixed me up with someone else. If he’s reading this: sorry.

Most media friendly manager?
Martin O’Neill was great with me when I was covering Leicester City in my first football job but, really, when you hear the older journalists talking about what it used to be like in the 60s and 70s, it’s a very different type of ‘media-friendly’ these days. More like ‘media-tolerant.’

Best ever player?
Maradona.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
The current Barcelona side probably edge it from that great Real Madrid team of Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo, Raul etc. The Brazil side of 1982 was a schoolboy Panini-collector’s dream.

Best pre-match grub?
Manchester City. A Sunday roast, a glass of red wine. Maybe could do with improving the cake selection but can’t complain too much when they also give you a bag of pick ‘n’ mix to take up to the press box. Second place is close between Arsenal and Chelsea.

Worst meal had on your travels?
At least 80 per cent of work meals in this job are delivered in plastic containers from service stations on the hoof. On that basis, I can safely say avoid the prawn sandwiches from Darrington (A1 southbound). Left me with food poisoning for a week after one game at Middlesbrough.

. . . and the best meal?
Slightly different kind of seafood to be had at Lobster, on Santa Monica pier.

Best hotel stayed in?
Forget it’s name, but Baden-Baden for the 2006 World Cup, once you had got used to the nudists in the sauna.

…and the worst?
Gwangju, after South Korea had just knocked Spain out of the 2002 World Cup. The reception had a library of XXX videos. The lighting was ultra-violet throughout. There was a menu on my bed. It was, in short, a brothel.

Favourite football writer?
Tough question. Martin Samuel perhaps? James Lawton is an incredible writer, too, though I could name many others.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
I don’t really have a favourite. In terms of punditry though, Graeme Souness and Gary Neville show how it should be done – i.e. opinion and insight, often using anecdotal evidence, rather than repeating what you see, Shearer-style.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
1) Be truthful. See the above Ronaldo story. Or, to use one of many other examples, Liverpool’s recent attempts to cover up the Tevez-Carroll swap proposal. All journalists have been through it. Clubs say they want the truth out there but they don’t. They think nothing of being deceitful when it suits them.
2) Clubs should realise that putting up players for proper sit-down interviews can generate great copy and be mutually beneficial.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
A Ryder Cup, in the States, with an away win.

Last book read?
‘Torres: El Niño’ by Luca Caioli

Favourite current TV programme?
Curb Your Enthusiasm

Your most prized football memorabilia?
I collect way too much stuff – programmes and ticket stubs mainly – but the most prized is probably a framed 1979 European Cup winner’s shirt, signed by the match-winner Trevor Francis.

What advice would you give any would-be football writer? Be prepared for lots of people who don’t work in the industry and don’t therefore know the intricacies, mechanics, politics, briefings, relationships etc telling you via Twitter where you’re going wrong.

FWA Q&A: Brian Scovell

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Former Daily Mail sports writer BRIAN SCOVELL on the Wembley bung bag…being sick at Brighton…and mistaken for Bobby Charlton

Your first ever newspaper?
The defunct Isle of Wight Mercury. My mother wanted me to be a banker – ugh! – but when I spent two years in hospitals after a German bombing raid I read the work of Tom Phillips, the chief sports writer of the Daily Herald, and I vowed I would be another Phillips. I started writing pieces about matches broadcast from a portable radio in the childrens’ ward and when I returned home, I was a regular at Ventnor FC and wrote reports. My mother found one and took it to the editor and said: “My son is a better football writer than your man.” I’d just had a letter published the week before on dogs fouling pavements which upset a lot of angry dog owners but impressed Roy Wearing, the editor. He signed me up and paid me 40p for every report on the second team. I was 14.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
I had to leave school at 15 and despite my football cuttings, there was no opening in the four newspapers in the IOW so I spent two years in the Licence Department of the IOW Council. It worked to my advantage because I had to shout out the names of those who were collecting their road fund licences and talk things through with them and it cured my early shyness.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
Actually getting out there to play with a right leg that only bent by five degrees. I ran the Daily Sketch and Daily Mail teams for almost 30 years and I played my farewell game against the Arsenal staff at Highbury on my 50th birthday (I was then a goalkeeper). We lost 6-2. But the highlight was when Bert Head, who managed Crystal Palace at the time, said “if you had two good legs you could been a pro” after he saw me scoring a hat trick in 12 minutes in a game at the National Recreation Centre. I think he was joking.

Most memorable match covered?
So many but England 4,West Germany 2 at Wembley in 1966 has so many happy memories for me. The Sketch signed Billy Liddell to put his name to a column – to everyone’s astonishment but Bob Findlay, the sports editor, was a fellow Scot – and they gave him two tickets in the main stand. Billy didn’t want the other ticket so my wife Audrey took it and we’d just had our honeymoon on an air cruise around the Greek islands. She was my inspiration and still is after she died from cancer on Christmas Day 2000.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Again, thousands but this one could have been the tackle by Vinnie Jones to end the career of Gary Stevens at White Hart Lane. Because the press box is so ridiculously low few of us saw it but it should be shown at every FA disciplinary meeting to highlight how not to tackle. I still see players diving in like human missiles, both feet up and screaming “I got the ball.” They should get a brain.

Best stadium?
I’ve been lucky to be able to help a lot of clubs about press facilities on behalf of the FWA and last month I visited The Emirates for the first time. So it’s my number one. I had to sit in the front row and hardly saw any of the play in that astonishing 5-2 demolition of Spurs. Some nasty people kept standing up and shouting abuse and the clubs, the PFA, the FA and others all need to bring in regulations to curb this abhorrence. Take their season tickets away after the first warning.

…and the worst?
In terms of watching a game, it was Carrick Rangers v Southampton in a ECWC Cup tie in 1976. We were shown to a small boxlike room suspended above a corner flag facing the sun and an official said: “This is the press box.” I said: “But you can’t see anything. We’ll be blinded by the sun.” He said: “That’s the idea. The team are so bad we don’t want to see them being thrashed.”


Your ever best scoop?
It was England v Cameroon in 1991 at Wembley. The Cameron players were still fuming about not being been paid in the 1990 World Cup and I was told that the game wouldn’t go ahead until their match fees of £2,000 a man were paid, in cash, on arrival at Wembley. The banks were closed and the FA had to ask a Thomas Cook manager to cash a cheque which he did. David Barber, the FA archivist, took the bung bag to Wembley with a police escort and the Cameroon coach left at 6 pm, well behind schedule. It arrived only 45 minutes from the kick-off. My deep throat filled me in with all the details and the rest of the newspapers were left stranded. Next morning, the players flew off at 7.45am and it was impossible to interview any of them. It was the closest to a Wembley match being called off for not providing bungs. The moral is to have a reporter following the visiting team. You can get better stories from the opposition than England.


Your personal new-tech disaster?
Luckily I retired from the Daily Mail when new-tech took over but my greatest cock-up concerned an AC Milan v Spurs match at San Siro. The noise was so deafening that every time I phoned over ad libbed pieces, I couldn’t hear the copy telephonist at the other end so I ploughed on. Near the end I managed to get through to someone on the Mail sports desk and he said: “Your copy has gone to the wrong newspaper. The Express have just passed it on to us.”

Biggest mistake?
I was down for a Brighton match on a freezing day at Withdean and on the morning I felt groggy. I should have stayed in bed but I staggered up to the open air press box and just before the start, I suddenly vomited all over Tony Millard, the radio commentator and his mate sitting below. It was acutely embarrassing but very funny. The St. John’s Ambulance helped me down to the side of the pitch and took me to the portakabin behind the goal, masquerading as a treatment room. By this time the game was in progress and as I lay on a treatment table, I heard lots of gasps: Charlie Oatway, the Brighton captain, had broken a leg. The medics left me and spent the next 20 minutes treating Charlie behind the curtain. A doctor arrived to speak to me and I said: “I don’t think I’ll be sick again.” As I said it, I threw up again, just missing him. “You’ve had a viral infection,” he said. At least I came off better than poor Charlie.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
On an England trip in Budapest a flunkey held the door open and said: “Good afternoon Bobby.” He meant Bobby Charlton. We both had a Ralph Coates hair style at the time.

Most media friendly manager?
They start from Walter Winterbottom right up Harry Redknapp but it would be very unfair to pick out one.

Best ever player?
The Best – George Best.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
The Spurs side under Bill Nicholson in the early Sixties. And Brazil when Pele was king.

Best pre-match grub?
Norwich. I love Delia’s concoctions.

Best meal had on your travels?
It was on a barge in Besancon in France on the day Eric Cantona played against an England U21 side. The bill was £50 a head and that was a long time ago. As one of the very few teetotallers I think I might have subsidised some of the others.

Best hotel stayed in?
The Oberoi in Mumbai.

…and the worst?
A toss up between one in Magdeburg and one in Tbilisi, the names of which I erased on the spot.

Favourite football writer?
David Lacey of The Guardian.

Favourite radio/TV commentator
Bryon Butler

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
I put an idea to the Football League called Operation Goodwill some years ago which wouldn’t have cost any money. If they welcomed us in the proper manner they would find us more sympathetic to their needs. I said they should say each day “what story are we giving to the press today?” – not keep stories out. It would require being honest and I’m afraid that is a rare commodity in our game. Chairmen who should face media questions hide away. Some of them don’t even live here. The Football League didn’t even reply yet most of their clubs are almost bust.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
Luckily I’ve been at many of the most eventful cricket matches in the past 50 years and I’ve had a terrific double life. I’m probably the only person who has reported both major sports.

Last book read?
I’m trying to read six books at the same time. I’m on the FWA Books Panel and we select the Best Football Book in the Sports Books Awards. But a book I have re-read to freshen up my anecdotes (like in this piece) is “Thank You Hermann Goering – The Life of a Sports Writer” which I can recommend. If Hermann hadn’t ordered that Luftwaffe raid in 1944 I would have worked in a bank, picking up huge bonuses.

Favourite current TV programme?
Question Time.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
A framed picture of Audrey and Bill Nicholson holding the UEFA Cup.For

What advice would you give any would-be football writer?
I speak at a lot of universities and I say to the students – most of whom don’t seem to read newspapers – be determined, be enthusiastic, be cheeky, cancel your Facebook, give up Twitter and get out to meet people who will help their careers. Look outwards, not inwards. And give up the booze. It’s a rough, tough world out there and they need to make every sacrifice to make the grade. Not many will succeed.

Thank You Hermann Goering – The Life of a Sports Writer is written by Brian Scovell (Amberley Publishing). Brian is a former chairman of the FWA and is a member of the national committee.

FWA Q&A: Matt Law

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Matt Law of the Daily Express on mopping the ceiling, sleeping on a bench and an enjoyable Killing…

Your first ever newspaper?
The Tamworth Herald.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
I was a paper-boy and also once volunteered to clean the school for extra cash, but I was sacked for mopping the ceiling.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
Err, scoring a hat-trick in my last-ever game of five-a-side for the Tamworth Herald before leaving the paper. I realise this is not a particularly ‘fine achievement’.

Most memorable match covered?
Brigg Town versus Tamworth. At that point I knew I was in for the long haul.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Dalian Atkinson’s goal for Aston Villa against Wimbledon when he went around everybody, chipped the keeper and celebrated with an umbrella.

Best stadium?
Villa Park. Obviously.

…and the worst?
St Andrews. Obviously.

Your best ever scoop?
I like to think I played some part in the Twitter revolution by tweeting Theo Walcott had been left out of the England World Cup squad about five hours before it was announced. I went to the hairdresser and switched my phone off after tweeting it and came out with a new haircut and about 2000 new followers inside an hour!

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Touch wood, I’ve been lucky with my laptop. I’ve dropped my phone down the toilet by
accident if that counts?

Biggest mistake?
Leaving my phone anywhere near John Cross is usually pretty bad. I return to find I have sent a host of text messages off to people I then owe an explanation to.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
My near-namesake Matt Lawton. I have been congratulated and abused for stories he has written. I obviously protest more to the abuse.

Most media friendly manager?
Harry Redknapp – the only Barclays Premier League manager who has ever left me a (non-abusive) voicemail.

Best ever player?
Paul ‘god’ McGrath.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
The current Barcelona and Spanish teams are pretty special.

Best pre-match grub?
Arsenal.

Best meal had on your travels?
The restaurant Da Greco in Barcelona is superb and not too expensive.

…and the worst?
I always struggle in Eastern Europe.

Best hotel stayed in?
The Schloss Elmau during the 2008 European Championship in Austria and Switzerland.

…and the worst?
A low was having to sleep on a bench in a shopping centre during the same tournament. I was moved on like a tramp by the police.

Favourite football writer?
Paul Hayward.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Graeme Souness is excellent on Sky’s Champions League coverage and tells it exactly how it is.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football
writers what would it be?
Tell the truth.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
I would love to go to Augusta to watch the Masters.

Last book read?
I’ve just started The Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry.

Favourite current TV programme?
I’ve discovered The Killing quite late.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
I don’t really keep anything.

What advice would you give to any budding football writer?
Be prepared to do anything, anytime, anywhere. It’s usually worth it.

FWA Q&A: Malcolm Brodie MBE

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Malcolm Brodie MBE of the Belfast Telegraph on the best of Best…the wrong result…and covering 14 World Cup finals…

Your first ever newspaper?
Briefly, Portadown News, County Armagh .and then Belfast Telegraph for almost five decades

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
No, I was trained and worked in all aspects of journalism before specialising in sport; then appointed sports editor and football correspondent to create and develop a sports department whose reporters and columnists were given a global canvas for coverage of Irish and main international events.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
Deciding as a young schoolboy I wasn’t good enough to become an established player so opted to enter journalism which would, perhaps, retain my fanatical interest in football. A fortunate step which I never regret– if only you could turn back the clock!.

Most memorable match covered?
Difficult to answer as there have been many glory days with Northern Ireland and the Republic. My choice must be England’s 1966 World Cup win over West Germany at Wembley. An unforgettable day – and night at the Royal Garden Hotel. That scene flashes through my memory every time I walk past Bobby Moore’s statue at the national stadium..

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
George Best’s scintillating performance when Northern Ireland defeated Scotland 1-0 in a 1968 Euro qualifier. Although Dave Clements scored the goal Best’s genius won the day with the finest individual display of artistry ever seen at Windsor Park. He was the ultimate superstar.

Best stadium…and the worst?
Olympic Stadium, Rome and the Kombetar Quemal, Tirana circa 1965.

Your best ever scoop?
Guadalajara World Cup Mexico,1986. I had just completed an interview with Northern Ireland manager Billy Bingham before the final Group game against Brazil when he remarked: “By the way I’m going out to manage in Saudi Arabia.” Just like that – a throwaway line. He intended doubling the jobs. A quick look at the watch confirmed it was well past the morning paper’s edition times. The Telegraph, as an evening newspaper, a diminishing breed these days, therefore had a free early run.

Your personal new tech disaster?
Impossible to list them all but I operated on the theory one failure to get a lap top connection meant lifting the telephone and dictating. That kept the blood pressure normal.

Biggest mistake?
Missing a goal answering a phone call and filling the wrong result at the end. It was corrected almost instantly but the damage had been done – my thanks to the speed of the PA wire.

Have you ever been mistaken for anybody else?
No, but I’ve been often called a name by irate punters which questioned the marital status of my parents.

Most media friendly manager?
Peter Doherty (Northern Ireland) 1951-62. His man-management technique and motivational skills could not be surpassed. Couldn’t stand phoneys or cheats.

Best ever player?
Pele.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Club – Barcelona 2011 edging Real Madrid of the Sixties; international – Brazil’s 1970 World Cup squad who took the crown from Ferenc Puskas and his 1956 Hungarians.

Best pre-match grub?
Never sample any.

Best meals on my travels and the worst?
Winston Churchill Restaurant, Mexico City and National Hotel, Albania,1965 circa.

Best hotel stayed in?
International Sheraton, Perth, Western Australia.

…and the worst?
Metropole Moscow, circa 1985.

Favourite football writer?
Henry Winter (Daily Telegraph), logical successor to the late Geoffrey Green (The Times).

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Radio: Alan Green (BBC); Television – John Motson (BBC) like the Master, David Coleman, a voice of authority.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
A request for greater transparency, easier access to players and an assurance that club officials and players will pay media the courtesy of returning calls. That is an El Dorado….I must stop dreaming it just won’t happen!

One sporting event outside football you would like to experience?
An England Ashes win over Australia in either in Melbourne or Sydney. To be at either venue on the decisive day must be something special.

Last book read?
My Trade by Andrew Marr.

Favourite current TV programme?
Nothing specific, any documentary suffices.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
A miniature World Cup Trophy together with scroll from FIFA to mark covering 14 World Cup Finals; the inaugural Doug Gardiner Memorial Award from the British Sports Journalists Association for services to the profession; the MBE from The Queen; honorary doctorate from the University of Ulster; Gold Medal signifying Life Membership of the Irish Football Association.

What advice would you give to any budding football writer?
Learn all technical aspects in the new digital era including radio and television; closely study all the football rules and regulations. Present your own assessments in match reports, discard the quotes scenario unless it benefits your story. Stand by your own judgment, do your homework on every project and learn. With the laws of libel – work on the theory “if in doubt leave out.” Being a crusader can by a costly business if you don’t get the facts correct.

Thanks for inviting me to participate.

Malcolm Brodie MBE is a Life Member of the Football Writers’ Association

FWA Q&A: Dave Kidd

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Dave Kidd of the People on nappies, a bar-room brawl and the beauty of Clint Dempsey…

Your first ever newspaper?
The Romford Recorder. The office lobby always smelt of urine but it was a good place to learn.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
Stacked shelves in Superdrug as a student. Rose through ranks to be in charge of loo roll, nappies and sanitary products. Power probably went to my head.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
I went a year unbeaten at Subbuteo.

Most memorable match covered?
Personally it was Chesterfield v Plymouth in 1997. The Sun sent me because Chesterfield were to play in the FA Cup quarter-final a week later ‘just in case anything happened’ and to write four paragraphs if it didn’t. In the final minute Bruce Grobelaar in the Argyle goal was barged into the net, sparking a wild-west bar-room brawl. A proper fight. Five players were sent-off in one match for the first time in the history of the Football League. The referee sang like a canary afterwards and I got what I think was my first ever double-page spread.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Clint Dempsey’s winning goal for Fulham in their epic comeback against Juventus in the Europa League 2010. A thing of unutterable beauty. I think I already have it on at least two DVDs.

Best stadium?
Craven Cottage.

…and the worst?
The Dell at Southampton was always hellish to work at.

Your best ever scoop?
Had a fair few bigger ones but the most amusing was my story that Fulham had sacked former Top of the Pops legend Diddy David Hamilton as their PA announcer. On The Sun, we started a campaign to get the great man reinstated. Fulham capitulated and Diddy is still in position to this day. Crusading journalism at its best.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
I am the world’s youngest Luddite at 38. It’s all a disaster for me.

Biggest mistake?
Getting involved in debates with Liverpool supporters on Twitter.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
My headmaster always thought my name was Brian Kidd.

Most media friendly manager?
Arsene Wenger, pre-match rather than post-match. Always enlightening and never ducks a single question.

Best ever player?
Zinedine Zidane. I spent a whole week watching David Beckham training in a monsoon in China when he first joined Real Madrid and Zidane was so good you were happy to get drenched through every day watching practice sessions.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
From my own living memory. Barcelona at Wembley last May. Brazil in 1982, who made me fall in love with the game as an eight-year-old.

Best pre-match grub?
Arsenal. Bet everyone says that.

Best meal had on your travels?
The best meals are too drunken to remember.

…and the worst?
Covering cricket in Kanpur, India when the state was dry for three days due to a religious festival.

Best hotel stayed in?
I’ve been at Mirror Group too long to remember any!

…and the worst?
Travelodge, Widnes.

Favourite football writer?
Steven Howard. All the better because he’s never on TV, radio or twitter, so everything is fresh.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
John Murray, 5 Live.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Everything.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
An Ashes series in Australia.

Last book read?
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen.

Favourite current TV programme?
I honestly don’t watch anything apart from sport or my wife’s house-hunting shows these days. The woman on A Place In The Sun seems to have a rather nice chest.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
Don’t think I have any.

What advice would you give to any budding football writer?
Tell it like you’d tell your mate in the pub. Entertain the readers. And tell them something they didn’t already know. That’s what you’re there for.