FWA National Golf Day, Sept 29

Posted on September 2, 2014 by fwa

This year’s FWA National Golf Day, again generously sponsored by Vauxhall, returns to the beautiful Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire on Monday September 29.

Reception and bacon butties from 9.30am, tee off times will be from around 11am, with late afternoon prize giving buffet meal.

The format will follow previous years with teams of four, stableford format with best two scores on each hole counting to the team prize. There is also an individual competition for FWA members.

Numbers are limited to 18 teams, so if you are interested in playing as an individual, bringing a guest or entering a team please contact Ralph Ellis using the FWA Contact Form

“Can you do 30 seconds, Mike?”

Posted on August 1, 2014 by fwa

Henry Winter, Football Correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, looks back on the career of BBC chief football correspondent Mike Ingham, who retired after the World Cup.

Football hurtles back with indecent haste, but a friendly face – and familiar voice – will be absent from the Press room for the first time in 30 years.

Mike Ingham, the revered BBC chief football correspondent, has retired and his professionalism, perspective and journalistic principles will be missed by reporters, commentators, managers and players alike.

“I never intended to be a commentator,” recalled Ingham, who moved from Radio Derby in 1979 to BBC Sport on Two which evolved into Radio Five Live. “I wanted to present Sport on Two and then maybe Grandstand. For the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 they told me there wasn’t a role for the presenter on Sport on Two. People like Terry Wogan presented it. I was devastated. Mike Lewis, the head of radio sport, rang me just before he got on a plane for LA and said: ‘Mike, next season, we’d like you to go out on the road to be a football commentator.

“So I took a tape recorder to a few non-League games and sat at the back of the stand, practising. The first game I did that season was Ron Atkinson’s Manchester United against Watford with Graham Taylor, who became a great friend. The end of that season ended with me going to Heysel with Peter Jones and Emlyn Hughes for the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus. Heysel was horrific, a very numbing experience.

“My sister married an Italian. When I got married, half of the people there were Italians and I felt very close at that particular time to the Italians. That made it doubly hard for me to cope with. Peter was anchoring the whole thing. I had to keep going downstairs. This is a horrible thing to say, but I was counting the bodies, and had to keep coming back and say this is the latest figure.

“I saw blankets being pulled over people’s faces. A lot of the people I saw were built like weightlifters, huge stocky men, but they had still had the life crushed out of them. I don’t think the game should have been played. I was expecting the game to be called off but apparently they (Uefa) were worried about security.

“Peter grabbed my arm and said: ‘This is still a European Cup final.’ We did it. I don’t remember anything about the game. It was my worst moment in football without question. I wasn’t at Hillsborough. I was at Villa Park in 89, covering the Norwich-Everton semi. I remember interviewing Pat Nevin, who scored the only goal. Neither of us could really focus on doing the interview. We’ve often talked about it since.”

They worked together in Brazil where Ingham bowed out from the BBC after the final, drawing on all the expertise acquired during an ‘apprenticeship’ learning under masters like Jones and Bryon Butler. “Peter always said to me: ‘Light and shade’ and ‘don’t try to mention every player’s name, just an overview’. Bryon said: ‘Gears, gears, gears; just use the gearbox to build up (a move)’. Alan Parry was always fantastic on the radio doing the guttural. He said: ‘I always take a deep breath if I think something (like a goal) is on. Then I have the lung-power.’ Cliff Morgan always used to go on about ‘breathing, son, breathing, like the great opera singers’. He used to punch me in the stomach and say’ that’s where it comes from’.”

Ingham noticed a particular broadcast technique in Brazil. “One of the reasons why some of the commentators go “gooooooooaaal’ is so they can work out who scored. It gives them thinking time. My worst mistake was the last Euro final (2012) when I gave one of the Spain goals to Cesc Fabregas and not Jordi Alba over on the far side. I called it too soon.”

A rare mistake. Ingham has played eloquent witness to so many historic footballing events. “My best moment? Probably Liverpool in the (2005) European Cup final in Istanbul. They were out of it. We even said (Hernan) ‘Crespo wins the European Cup for AC Milan’. We had John Toshack in the commentary team and at half-time John said: ‘This is what he (Rafa Benitez) has got to do now tactically’.”
Toshack suggested Benitez should bring Didi Hamann on and push Steven Gerrard on. “He did,” continued Ingham.

“Alan (Green) and I took turns (22-and-a-half minutes each per half). I started the second half with it 3-0 to Milan and in my period of commentary, I got the three Liverpool goals. It was quite staggering. After the first goal, I said something like ‘Gerrard has given Liverpool a lifeline, something to believe in’. I remember the scenes afterwards. Although I’m not a Liverpool fan, there was an old tear in the eye that night.

“We then flew straight to America for England’s tour. We were in Chicago when Kieran Richardson scored (twice against the US). It was the only time when I finished commentating the first half and started the second half because I was so jet-lagged. I thought unless I get my bit out of the way I’m going to fall asleep!”

As well as chronicling historic times, Ingham also elicited the opinions of the history-makers. “I did the last radio interview with George Best. I went down to Champneys to see him. We’d always got on well. George was great mates with Denis Law and he knew I knew Denis. One day, I was covering the Scotland-West Germany game in Mexico (86) with Denis and we were walking up the stairs in the ground. There was this big kerfuffle on the stairs behind me, and I turned round and there was this guy giving Denis a big bear-hug. We walked on. I said: ‘Who was that?’ ‘Alfredo Di Stefano,’ said Denis. One of the great kicks for me was to sit next to people I grew up admiring.

“Which manager have I enjoyed interviewing most? Probably Cloughie simply because you had to wait about seven hours for the interview. If you had an appointment with Mr Clough at 11am at the City Ground you took that with a pinch of salt. He’d finally appear at 6pm with a squash racket under his arm and say: ‘Are we working?’ That was always his first line: ‘Are we working?’ With virtually any other manager you’d have given up but you knew it would be worth your while. Cloughie was always going to give you gold-dust.

“Cloughie’s probably the only manager – I guess also Fergie to an extent – where you had to think through every word of your question. You had to be so aware. If you said to him: ‘Brian, people will say…’ He’d say: ‘What people?’ Cloughie didn’t have any journalistic background like Graham Taylor (whose father wrote for the ‘Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph’), but part of him thought: ‘I could do your job, I’d be brilliant at doing what you do.’

“I always remember when he was doing a column in Derby and a local journalist, Mike Carey, was sent to ghost-write the piece for him. Cloughie was always thinking of what he was going to say. At the end of the second or third week, Carey walked in on the Thursday for the Friday edition and Brian looked up and said: ‘Michael, I’ve got your intro for you this week. Have you got your pen? I want to you to say for the first line: ‘What a week it’s been for saying ‘Bugger me’.”

“The managers I loved were the ones like Jim Smith at Portsmouth and Billy Bremner at Leeds who would sit and talk to you for an hour after the interview. And not just talk at you either but have a proper conversation. Graham Taylor was like that.

“Who was the most awkward manager to interview? That’s a difficult question.” Kenny Dalglish? “The thing about Kenny is I love him to bits. I’m a huge fan of Kenny and I know he listens to the radio as well! He was a challenge.” So was another Liverpool manager. “Joe Fagan was a lovely bloke, but was not going to get involved in any hyperbole. I remember interviewing him after they beat Panathinaikos to get to the (1985) European Cup final, saying: ‘What a moment for the club, Joe, and what a moment for you.’ He said to me: ‘Well, we’ve got to beat Ipswich on Saturday first’. That was hopeless for the morning interviews!”

Players? “I’ve enjoyed being host broadcaster at the World Cup and being able to meet the England players in a very intimate environment (around the hotel) and being able to scratch the surface with them. David Beckham always used to light up the room when he came in. Stevie G really, really grew into it. He has that charisma to him.

“One of the most interesting characters to interview, who opened up more when you got away from football, was Ashley Cole. We’d talk about music. Yet Ashley was always reluctant to do the interview.”
He wasn’t the only one. “Charlotte (Nicol, BBC producer) was always trying to get Scholesy to do interviews. It was like pulling teeth. She once said to Scholesy: ‘Would you rather have a tooth out or do a radio interview?’ ‘I’d rather have a tooth out,’ Scholesy said.'”

Wayne Rooney was always more forthcoming. “I remember interviewing Rooney for the first time at the Lowry in Manchester before Euro 2004. He was being almost minded (by five PR people). I’ve said to him since about the strides he’s made and the way we’ve seen him change each tournament. He’s a future England captain. He’s matured. He’s never, ever shirked his media responsibilities, certainly not with us.”

Ingham was present at England’s Baden Baden hotel before the 2006 World Cup when Rooney returned from a scan to declare himself fit for action. “I was slightly compromised. I was in a privileged position. We are in the England hotel. Are we supposed to be reporting on things we see? But it was such an instinctive thing. We were aware he was coming back. Sven (-Goran Eriksson) had said to Charlotte: ‘I think we’re going to have some good news.’ We knew Rooney was on his way.

“When he walked in, the kit-man was waiting for him. I was there, in reception. No one else was there. The kit-man put his arms round Rooney and said: ‘The Big Man is back.’ And then Rooney said: ‘The Big Man is back in town.’ He added that line. We had our little studio around the corner, we were live, and I went on and gave that quote. I know Rooney is slightly embarrassed about that quote. He’s possibly even tried to deny it but it was there.”

Ingham sighed when reflecting on England. “My first tournament with them was 1990 and they’ve gone backwards each tournament. I’m not sure how they’re going to turn it around. There’s a Catch 22. Every time there’s an under-achievement it makes it worse next time round. They’re not used to succeeding like the Germans. The problem in Brazil was that we went to Portugal and Miami with everything geared to the first game. It was such a kick in the stomach when they didn’t get anything against Italy. When I looked at them close up in the tunnel against Uruguay before the second game, I didn’t fancy them.

“England teams of the past had substantial characters like ‘Butch’ (Terry Butcher), Peter Shilton and Bryan Robson and you could never have accused their England teams of a mental fragility. There are few characters there now and we expect it to get worse with Gerrard and – we expect – Frank Lampard calling it a day.

“The hope coming to Brazil was that the younger guys would not be carrying that baggage from previous tournaments. I fear now that having been scarred by this tournament whether they can get it out of their system.” They need to become fearless. “Look at the way Costa Rica stepped up to take the penalties in the first shoot-out against Greece: bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

“Look at the way Italy recovered from losing a semi-final and a final on penalties (90 and 94): they then won a World Cup final against France (in 2006). If they can do that, why can’t we? I always remember Terry Venables saying to me when he was managing in Spain that ‘the difference between Spain and England is that England have this mental strength, Spain sometimes don’t’. It’s a complete role reversal.”

As he starts his retirement in the West Country, Ingham admits to certain concerns about the profession he graced for so long, such as the occasional haste and excitability of some behind the microphone. “With commentary now, there’s a tendency sometimes to treat every game like the World Cup final. If you do that, there’s a credibility factor because when you get to the World Cup final where do you go?”

As for the BBC, Ingham mentioned: “I mourn the passing of the correspondent editorial at the end of Sports Report. It was two minutes on an important issue. Like Paul Hayward with a column, I’d go away and write and it was the final word. Everything now is 30 seconds. It doesn’t matter what the story is. It can be ‘Alex Ferguson has left Manchester United, can you do 30 seconds, Mike?’ Or ‘the Grimsby manager has resigned, can you do 30 seconds, Mike?’ This mythical 30 seconds. There’s never been more air-time now to talk about sport and yet I never hear that considered voice piece.

“I will also miss the camaraderie with the Press. To an extent we were competitors with the Press but right from the start, from the days of Jeff Powell and Steve Curry, I was embraced. I’ve always been grateful for that.”

Just as the Press has always been grateful for Mike’s wisdom and company.

Brazil 2014 – a reporter’s guide to safety and security

Posted on May 27, 2014 by FWA News Editor

Essential Do’s and Don’t’s For Reporters Going to Brazil

(by Mike Collett, Reuters global football editor who has visited Brazil six times in three years)

There is no doubt Brazil is a beautiful country, but it is a country with a dark side. We all know it has wonderful beaches, samba music and a fantastic football tradition, but they will count for little if you are held up in broad daylight by some knife-wielding, wild-eyed scumbag lowlife demanding your wallet, mobile phone and laptop.

So to try and help you avoid becoming a victim while you are out there, I’ve put together a guide based on my own experiences with some tips that Reuters journalists have been asked to observe while in Brazil:

1) Most importantly do not resist a robbery attempt. Turn over your valuables quickly and without comment. To try to minimize becoming a target, do not carry or wear valuable items that will attract the attention of thieves. Try to dress down in public and avoid using your phone while walking around in the streets. To minimize your chances of being attacked, please try and follow these tips too:

2) Keep your wits about you. Do not wander around listening to music through your headphones. Do not relax in the street. As Shaw Taylor used to say: “Keep ‘em peeled”

3) Be very careful when withdrawing money from ATM machines as debit card fraud is very common in Brazil at the moment. Avoid ATMs in the airports. Many airport ATMS have been tampered with because so many foreigners use them and often don’t realize until much later their cards have been copied etc.

4) Apart from when you are collecting your accreditation, you should not have to keep your passport on you all the time. Carry a copy instead and leave your passport in a hotel safe or other safe location.

5) Don’t carry around credit cards you don’t need or an excess of cash. Have enough to pay your way for a day and to satisfy a robber if you are held up, and keep the rest somewhere safe. In fact keep a “second wallet” with just cash in it. Leave your main wallet in your hotel safe.

6) Be alert if you go out at night. Maintain control of personal effects like phones and bags in bars and restaurants. Try not to get too drunk !

7) Keep to the main roads: Wealth and poverty are intermingled in Brazil where some of the most dangerous slums are next to the most expensive apartment blocks, and taking a wrong turn can get you into trouble.

8) Try to take taxis from your hotel or from a taxi stand if you need one. Take official taxis at airports.

9) Be wary of pickpockets working a crowd or on public transport.

10) Try not to drive at night, especially long distances. Avoid driving on your own.

11) Don’t open your hotel room door until you positively confirm who is on the other side. Regarding hotels: you can ask whom you like back to your room, and without being silly or sexist about it watch out for this scam. You may meet a very attractive person and invite her back to your room. What you don’t know is that she is working in league with a gang, texts your room number to her accomplices downstairs and she lets them in to your room, so you end up with rather more than you bargained for.

12) Do not walk on beaches or in parks after dark.

13) Be careful about using public wifi. Brazil has the world’s second highest incidence of online banking fraud.

14) Do not use a laptop, iPad or iPhone in the back of a taxi as thieves on motorbikes habitually weave through traffic jams looking for robbery opportunities.

15) Take care in stadiums and in press tribunes in stadiums and keep watch over your gear – especially in media work rooms. Professional gangs may have managed to get accreditation or stadium passes, as they have succeeded at doing in many international sporting competitions in Latin America in the past few years. BE VERY ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF THEFT IN STADIUM – IT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM in LATIN AMERICA.

Bear in mind that although we will be in Brazil in June and July, it is the Southern Hemisphere winter and with Brazil being so close to the equator, it gets dark very early in the evening, around 6pm in Rio …. and that makes for a very long , dark evening and night. It takes a bit of getting used to. It can be very sunny and warm with the sun high in the sky around 5.15pm or so, but gets dark and can get very chilly very quickly, so if you are going to be out late afternoon and into the evening, make sure you take some warm clothing with you.

Suarez Humbled by FWA Accolade

Posted on May 16, 2014 by fwa

Pictures: Action Images

Luis Suarez came full circle when he was voted the Footballer of the Year for 2014 by the Football Writers’ Association, who recognised the rehabilitation and dedication of the Liverpool forward.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers collected the prestigious accolade, which has been running since 1948, on behalf of the Uruguay forward, away on holiday ahead of the World Cup, at a gala dinner at the London Lancaster Hotel on May 15.

The 27-year-old topped the poll of 300-plus journalists ahead of team-mate Steven Gerrard, with Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure third.

Suarez netted 31 goals in a remarkable campaign which not only drove Liverpool close to a first league title in 24 years, but also saw the forward put negative headlines of the past firmly behind him.

“It is amazing for me and the club as well,” Suarez said in a pre-recorded interview broadcast on the evening.

“For many years, there have been a lot of big players who have won this prize.

“Thank you so much to all the Football Writers who voted for me because they recognised my work on the pitch, and they know that I try my best to help Liverpool.

“I know that it was a difficult time for me one or two years ago, but I accept that criticism, but then if you concentrate and focus to help the team, everything can be perfect.

“I am an easy guy outside the pitch, and on the pitch I know I changed, but because I love the football, I have fought so hard to stay at this level.”

Barclays PR Shoot 15/05/2014

FWA chairman Andy Dunn, of the Sunday Mirror, felt Suarez’s dedication to his profession was why he proved himself a worthy receipt.

“There are some members who remind quite frequently that in the citation for this award it mentions he is the Footballer of the Year by ‘precept and by example’,” Dunn said.

“Now that part of the citation is important, but I do think what better example is there of someone who maybe realised that they did have issues to address on the field of play and has addressed those issues?

“I think Luis Suarez has done that and I think that is why he fulfills that criteria.

“And, of course, there is that bit that says ‘the Footballer of the Year’ and what a footballer he is, what a footballer we’ve had the privilege to watch, particularly this season.”

Rodgers thanked Suarez – who was also named who was also named the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year for 2013/2014 – for making him a better manager. Barclays PR Shoot 15/05/2014

“On behalf of Luis and all of Liverpool Football Club’s staff, we want to say a big thank you to the Football Writers’ Association,” he said.

“I think everybody knows the struggles he had in the last year. It has been incredibly difficult for him.

“But rehabilitation is always respected in the country – people who want to change for the better and he is certainly someone that was at a real low point at the end of the last season.

“I know that better than anyone. It was a real, real difficult period for him but he went away and, after a difficult summer, the power of Liverpool and the club that it is convinced him to stay.

“Once we got the season under way, he concentrated on his football and we have had a number of outstanding players this season but Luis Suarez has been incredible.”

Rodgers used the speech to thank former manager Kenny Dalglish for signing Suarez, Liverpool’s communication team and managing director Ian Ayre.

First and foremost in the Reds boss’ praise, though, was Suarez, whose performances this season saw them come so close to the title.

“When I came into Liverpool as manager, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard said to me this was the best player that they had played with,” Rodgers added.

“I thought about those two and all the great players they have played with in their career, so I was really interested to see what his play was like close up.

“For me, he has challenged me every day of my life, he’s done everything that you would need to do at the top level of the game as a player.

“Luis Suarez is a winner, his determination is unique, he is absolutely relentless. He is someone that trains every single day of his life – he doesn’t look for an excuse.

“And what people don’t see is that he is a very intelligent man. He is a winner when he crosses the line, but with great intelligence.

“For a young manager like myself coming into a club like Liverpool, I understand the pressures of the club and those pressures include everything that involves managing top players.

“I know for however long I am at Liverpool, whenever I leave I will have become a better manager and a better person because of Luis Suarez and for that I thank him so much.”

Liverpool and England captain Gerrard, who was also away on a pre-World Cup break, is in no doubt where Suarez stands among his peers.

Writing a personal tribute for the FWA programme, he said: “I have been privileged to play alongside some great players during my years at Liverpool, but nobody comes close to Luis. He is not only the best, he’s the best by some distance.

“We have all seen what he’s done this season with his goals and his all-round brilliance and I think it has taken Luis on to a different level.

“Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two best players in the world and have been for the last four or five years, but Luis is tucked right in there behind them now.”

Suarez was also praised on stage by Football Association chairman Greg Dyke, who proposed the toast to the FWA.

Earlier in the evening, which was attended by a number of former winners as well as current players and managers within the game, Jeff Powell, of the Daily Mail, had recalled his memories of the late Sir Tom Finney, who was voted the Footballer of the Year twice, in 1954 and 1957.

There were also FWA Lifetime Membership presentations to Tony Stenson, of the Daily Star Sunday, and renowned Sunday Times columnist Hugh McIlvanney.

Luis Suarez, the Footballer of the Year for 2014

Suarez named FWA Footballer of the Year 2014

Posted on May 5, 2014 by FWA News Editor

Pictures: Action Images

Luis Suarez has been voted the 2014 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association.

The Liverpool striker was a hugely popular winner and topped the poll of journalists with a comprehensive victory over Anfield team-mate Steven Gerrard.

Suarez’s 30 goals helped drive Brendan Rodgers’ men to the top of the Barclays Premier League as Liverpool battle it out with Manchester City for their first title since 1990.

The Uruguay international will be honoured with the prestigious FWA accolade, which has been running since 1948, at a gala dinner at the Lancaster London Hotel on May 15.

FWA chairman Andy Dunn, of the Sunday Mirror, said: “Those members who have been fortunate enough to be working at a match involving Luis Suarez have witnessed an astonishing talent first-hand.

“Tireless endeavour allied to extraordinary imagination makes an irresistible combination. Add ingenious, impudent finishing and you have a footballer who truly quickens the pulse.”

“Luis is a remarkable gifted addition to the long and distinguished list of winners of our award.”
In a poll that saw 10 different players get votes, Suarez collected 52 per cent of the overall vote, ahead of his club captain, Gerrard, with Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure in third place.

Suarez was last week also named Player of the Year by the Professional Footballers’ Association.

Luis Suarez is presented with his award by FWA chairman Andy Dunn.

FWA Tribute to Sir Tom Finney

Posted on February 26, 2014 by fwa

Photography: Action Images

Sir Tom Finney will always have a special place in the history of the Football Writers’ Association.

He became the seventh player to be voted the Footballer of the Year – in 1954 – and when he topped the poll again three years later, he was the first to win the award twice.

But Sir Tom will not just be remembered by football writers for those two honours – he will be remembered for ALWAYS treating our profession with the utmost respect and civility. For a while, he was even one of us.

Sir Tom developed friendships with many writers of his era and encouraged the younger journalists making their way.

He was forever polite, accessible and wonderful, humble company.

His civic funeral takes place on Thursday, February 27, at Preston Minster – and the world of football will stop to pay its respects to one of the greats.

Represented by chairman Andy Dunn, the Football Writers’ Association is honoured to be able to pay its own respects to a man who epitomises everything we value in a footballer.

Honour, skill, humility, brilliance.

RIP Sir Tom Finney.

Football pays its respects to Sir Tom Finney

RIP Sir Tom Finney

Remembering Steve Thomson

Posted on January 29, 2014 by fwa

Steve Thomson, a sports journalist for more than 35 years, has died, aged 61.

The Sports Journalist Association tribute

Thomson, most recently a production journalist at the Daily Telegraph, shared an interest in all sports.

Born in Manchester, he gained a BA in English with American literature at the University of East Anglia in Norwich.

Thomson worked for a local paper in Eccles and covered Swinton rugby league club, before joining the sports desk at the Oxford Mail in the early 1980s before leaving for the Reading Evening Post, where he covered Reading FC.

Later, he joined the Press Association before returning to Reading, then embarking on a career which included a long spell with the Daily and Sunday Telegraph, for whom he covered games all over the country.

His love for sport was matched by his love for the animal world and Steve also wrote features on the birdlife of the Scottish Highlands, Andalucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Israel.

He was also a member of Wokingham RSPB Group, helping to edit their newsletter and organise all their indoor speakers, as well as editing the newsletter of Reading Ramblers’ Club.

Steve Latter, Head of Telegraph Production (Sport), said: “Steve was a highly valued member of the team at Telegraph Sport, where he worked for more than 20 years. He was a hard-working, talented and meticulous journalist with an encyclopedic knowledge of football in particular. He was very much a team player, particularly when it came to turning out for the Telegraph football side in various ‘friendlies’.

“He was a humble person, somewhat shy, but with strong opinions and passions. And he was always great company when we could find our way to the pub for a break. He was always a pleasure to work with and will be sorely missed by all the team.”

Adam Sills, the Acting Head of Sport at the Telegraph, added: “Steve was a respected and valued member of our team for many years and will be missed by everybody who worked with him.

“His dedication to his job could not be faulted while he was a popular character with all his colleagues.”

MOURINHO HONOURED ON SPECIAL NIGHT AT SAVOY

Posted on January 20, 2014 by fwa

Photography: Action Images

The Special One became The Perfect One as Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was honoured at a star-studded Football Writers’ Association gala tribute evening at the Savoy in London.

Mourinho, who has won a string of domestic and European trophies with FC Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, had just led the Blues to a 3-1 victory over Manchester United to keep them two points behind Barclays Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Frank Lampard paid a personal tribute to Mourinho, with England manager Roy Hodgson among the many guests from the football world present at the annual FWA event.

The Chelsea midfielder said: “There has never been any special over-confidence or arrogance from him. He made us all feel like we could be champions. For me, the main thing about the manager is on the pitch and also the mental stuff around that. He found the perfect way to deal with every individual in his squad, and still does today.

“The individual relationships he builds is something special. He is the one who has all the pluses, I cannot find a fault. He drags every individual up a level, anything that is needed he is the one that takes that one and that is why he one of the most special managers around.”

Mourinho was presented with his award by FWA chairman Andy Dunn, columnist for the Sunday Mirror. Louis van Gaal, the former Barcelona coach now in charge of Holland, also paid tribute to the Portuguese who was clearly humbled to be chosen as the latest recipient for the annual dinner.

Mourinho spoke about his relationship with the press. He said: “It makes me ask again the Football Writers’ Association if I deserve it. I have had some achievements in the English game, but others have, too. I have a good relation with the media and gave them some good headlines in the time we have been together, but I don’t know if I did enough to deserve this award.”

He then paid an emotional tribute to those who have helped him reach the pinnacle of the game. The 50-year-old, who was accompanied by his wife and children – son Jose a promising goalkeeper – said: “Without love and happiness, I could not do my job. My assistant [coaches] are like my brothers, Frank [Lampard] represents my players, without whom I have no career, and Mr [Louis] van Gaal, Mr [Bobby] Robson, my bosses.”

Mourinho believes a settled family life in England has helped him refocus for the challenges ahead. He continued: “The best thing football gave me was to make a decision about my future. Some managers go where they have to go, where the club comes, and sometimes it is not the best move, not what they want to do, but they go.

“I sat down with my wife and family, and said ‘where is the best place for us? Where can we be happier as a family? To be happy as a manager and enjoy more the family and life socially?’ We decided England, after that, for the situation to be perfect it would be Chelsea and I was lucky because the door was open for me.”

Mourinho hopes to continue his career at Chelsea for “many, many” years, but indicated he had no intentions of ever leaving the Premier League. He added: “The principles you have in relation to football and life are absolutely amazing. I love this Chelsea Football Club, which has been the only club to have ever sacked me, we as a family belong to you [in] England. I belong to Chelsea, Chelsea belongs to me, and hopefully we will stay for many, many years.”

He joked: “It is not a threat, but if you sack me, I will stay in England and go to another club, a possible rival.”

FWA chairman Andy Dunn hailed Mourinho’s “remarkable” managerial record.

“There will be some more honours to add because success has followed Jose on every step of his managerial career,” he said.

“That journey has brought him back to the Barclays Premier League and his return has made the competition fiercer, the debates livelier and the press conferences sparkier.

“No-one can deny Jose adds another layer of interest to the world’s most-watched domestic league.

“So thanks to Jose Mourinho, not just for accepting this honour from the FWA, but for continuing to foster a relationship with our members that we believe – whether we are praising or taking you to task – is special.”

Sir Alex Ferguson took the time to write a personal tribute to his old sparing partner for the FWA programme.

“My admiration for him is principally born our of respect for what he has achieved and the manner in which he has achieved it, and I know the regard for each other is mutual,” Ferguson said.

“When Chelsea won the title for the first time in 50 years in his first season, myself and the Manchester United players were proud to form a guard of honour for his team when they came to Old Trafford as champions, and it was nice when he did the same for my United side when we went to Stamford Bridge after finishing on top in 2007.

“But aside from his phenomenal success in leading teams to championship honours in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain, and winning the Champions League with two clubs, he is also magnificent company… witty, amusing, thoughtful, extremely knowledgeable and a wonderful conversationalist. What’s more like myself he appreciates a glass of decent red!

“Unfortunately I will miss sharing the celebration. I will also miss competing against him and trying to outwit him.
“That is now the formidable challenge others will have to face.”

Louis van Gaal worked with Mourinho at Barcelona alongside Sir Bobby Robson.

The Savoy prepares to welcome the guest of honour.

Jose Mourinho receives the 2014 FWA Tribute Award.

FWA Q&A: MARTIN LIPTON

Posted on January 10, 2014 by fwa

Have you ever worked in a profession other than football?
Not since graduating from University. But before that, bar-work, market stalls, and far more knowledge of PVCu windows in hard-wood sub-frames than any normal human being should understand.

Most memorable match?
Plenty of them. England v Argentina in St Etienne, Liverpool v AC Milan in Istanbul, Chelsea v Bayern Munich in 2012. Great, great games.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Michael Owen’s goal in St Etienne. Nobody really saw it coming.

Best stadium?
The Westfalenstadion (officially Signal Iduna Park) in Dortmund. Never seen a bad game there.

…and the worst?
A few contenders. Think the bottle full of urine in the press box just hands it to Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Wrecking Steve Curry’s laptop in the Elland Road press box as he was filing his match report – but plenty of frustrated screams when let down on edition time.

Biggest mistake?
Trying to head a Ryan Giggs free-kick behind for a corner. Next person to touch the ball was our centre-forward, at the kick-off. But I’ve scored against an international football team…..

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
I was mistaken for a football writer once. Other than that (although there are occasional suggestions of ”Mark Knopfler”), no.

Most media friendly manager?
Plenty. Ian Holloway is great value. Brendan Rodgers, too. And enjoying the return of Jose Mourinho. So far he hasn’t started ducking press conferences, which is a marked and substantial improvement from the latter days of his first incarnation.

Best ever player?
Diego Maradona. He won the World Cup single-handed (literally!) in 1986.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Barcelona under Guardiola. Football as an art-form. The current Spain team – when they try and play, rather than coast through tournaments.

Best pre-match grub?
Stamford Bridge. You would pay a fortune for the food in a top-class restaurant. Wasted on us, but don’t tell anyone…

Best meal had on your travels?
Became a huge fan of the Belthazar Restaurant in Cape Town. Not sure will ever match the restaurant Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail found in Jakarta last summer, though.

And worst?
One I missed, actually. Moldova, Zimbru Kishinev v Spurs, 1999. Buffet including ice-cream in the hotel. Everybody else was laid up for a week with acute food-poisoning. Best miss ever.

Best hotel stayed in?
I didn’t get to Brenner’s Park in Baden Baden. Sheraton in Bangkok last summer was pretty decent. Grand Palladium Imbassai near Salvador was a spectacular setting.

…and the worst?
Moldova again. Choice of running water – freezing cold and clear or warm and brown. Lovely. To be fair, Kishinev had improved out of all recognition from 1999, let alone 1996, when went back with England in World Cup qualifiers in 2012.

Do you have a hobby?
Too much of a football anorak to have time for one. Am something of an amateur psephologist, though.

Favourite football writer?
I grew up reading Brian Glanville and David Lacey. But the best of today more than match their standards. I always read Martin Samuel, Henry Winter, Danny Taylor, Ollie Holt and Ollie Kay. Plus John Cross, Neil Ashton, Matt Law and others for news stories, the lifeblood of the industry.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
John Murray is becoming as good as any commentator, past or present. His love for the game is immense, too.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Press officers are supposed to be facilitators, not screens – the idea is to get coverage of your club, not no coverage. A press conference without a proper line is NOT a good thing.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
The Masters. Followed, closely, by an Ashes series in Australia (though not the most recent one…!)

Favourite non-football sportsman/sports woman?
Shane Warne. Because he was simply brilliant. Even when you didn’t want to watch him bewitching a generation of English batsmen, it was impossible to look away.

Last book read?
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

Favourite current TV programme?
Homeland

TV show you always switch off?
Any “reality” show. Garbage.

If you could bring one TV series back, which would it be?
The West Wing

Favourite comedian?
Lee Mack. Maybe because I married someone from Bolton….

What really, really annoys you?
My own short-temper. But that’s the way I am. And my inability to hole out from five feet. Which normally leads to the short-temper.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
Bizarrely, a credit card signed by Pele. Pathetic, I know. But it meant I sat next to Pele at dinner, once…..

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Work hard, don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do it, work hard, be lucky, work hard, always make the extra call, ask people for advice, be lucky, work hard……

:: Martin Lipton has been Chief Football Writer for the Daily Mirror since 2002, having joined from the Daily Mail where he was ”nominally” Chief Sports Reporter. Also spent four years in various roles at the Press Association including Football Editor and Chief Football Writer, a year in Leicester with UK News and four years covering court, council, football and rugby league for the West Riding News Service in Huddersfield and Halifax.

A tribute to Gerald Mortimer

Posted on January 9, 2014 by fwa

The Football Writers’ Association would like to pay tribute to former member Gerald Mortimer who passed away last week at the age of 77.

Image courtesy of the Derbyshire Evening Telegraph

John Ley writes:

Gerald was the voice of Derby County, through the pages of the Derby Evening Telegraph for more than 30 years, and without doubt one of the most respected football writers around.

An hour in Gerald’s company quickly became two as he spoke with intelligence and thought on Derby County, Derbyshire County Cricket Club and beyond.

That he was a ‘fan’ of the Daily Telegraph helped my relationship with him, as a football writer on the paper, but it soon became clear that while generous with his knowledge, he was not one to suffer fools gladly.

Fittingly, Derby fans gave Gerald a moving round of applause before the Championship game against Wigan.

Gerald’s funeral service takes place at Markeaton Crematorium on Tuesday, January 14, at 10.20am.

Steve Nicholson succeeded Gerald as the DET’s Derby County correspondent and here he writes a moving tribute to the great man.

TO say Gerald Mortimer saw it all with Derby County is no exaggeration.
From Luton to Lisbon, Middlesbrough to Madrid, Grimsby to Geneva he was there covering the club’s fortunes for the Derby Evening Telegraph.
In his 30-plus years as the newspaper’s authoritative voice on the Rams, he filed match reports from Freight Rover Trophy ties watched by a couple of thousand spectators to epic European Cup tussles including one against Real Madrid in front of 120,000 at the Bernabeu Stadium.
He was there for the highs and the lows, from Derby being crowned kings of English football twice in the Seventies to when the club came within minutes of going out of business in the dark days of the early Eighties.
The number of games he attended is in the thousands. In the days when the match report was king and before the demand we see today for quotes and fans’ reaction, his words painted a picture of what happened during the 90 minutes.
In May 1972, Derby beat Liverpool in their final match of the season to go top. They would be crowned champions a week later. A young Steve Powell was handed a shock start against the Reds in place of the injured Ron Webster. Gerald wrote: “Derby’s composure did not suffer by the presence of Steve Powell. He was brilliant. Not brilliant for a 16-year-old: just brilliant.”
Following an 8-2 thrashing of Totenham Hotspur in October 1976, Gerald said: “Derby County treated their supporters to a quarter of an hour of dazzling virtuosity such as they will be lucky to see equalled in their watching lives. During that second-half spell, the Rams scored five goals and not only Tottenham Hotspur but the very fabric of the Baseball Ground reeled before a display of football genius.”
Gerald, who died on Monday, was a stickler for fine English and as I write this piece about my colleague and my friend I find myself wanting to cover the screen in case he is looking down at my grammar and punctuation!
I first met Gerald in October 1985. He was sports editor at the Telegraph and I turned up to be interviewed for the post of sports writer/sub.
He said we should nip across the road to The Smithfield pub for a burger and a beer before I was due to see the editor, Alex Leys. Not a good idea, I thought. I did not want to be smelling of drink when trying to impress Mr Leys but Gerald assured me it would be a useful “net”, to use a cricket term.
“I know the questions he will ask – and I know the answers he will want,” Gerald said.
I got the job and have been here ever since.
Gerald was the football and cricket writer at the time. Apparently, I went to the wrong kind of school to discuss the fine details of cricket, I was informed by Gerald who had been educated at Repton School and Oxford University.
But when it came to football, we shared a thirst and passion for the game.
We spent hours talking about players and teams, past and present, and grounds we had visited.
Gerald was a member of The 92 Club, a society for those who had attended a first-class match on the ground of every professional football club in England and Wales.
He took his ground-hopping to another level by making it a mission to see clubs on each of the grounds they have called home. For example, Brighton at the Goldstone Ground, the Priestfield Stadium, the Withdean Stadium and the Amex.
His mission took the two of us on a midweek trip to London in March 1992, just after Wimbledon had left Plough Lane and become tenants at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park.
“What you doing tonight, Nico?” Gerald asked as we sat in the office mid-afternoon. “Fancy going to watch your team, Everton, play Wimbledon at Selhurst Park? I haven’t seen Wimbledon at Selhurst and I need to tick it off my list.”
We hurtled down the M1 in Gerald’s Saab and somehow made it in time for a 7.30pm kick-off. It was a wet, windy and cold evening. The game, a First Division clash, was awful. A drab goalless draw in front of only 3,569.
Gerald turned to me 10 minutes from the end and said: “We needn’t have bothered coming. I’ve just remembered, I saw Wimbledon play here back in 1975 in an FA Cup replay against Leeds!”
Gerald retired in 2002. He continued to attend Derby’s games at Pride Park Stadium and write a weekly column in the Telegraph.
His determination to go to home games despite a deterioration in his health was evident in recent months. He wanted to observe from the press box and struggled to negotiate the steps. Thank you to the stewards who kindly helped him to his seat.
He was unable to attend the last few home matches. I would arrange to pick him up and he said he would let me know on Saturday morning how he felt.
He would call and say: “Not fit enough for the squad today, Nico.”
“Not even fit enough for the bench?” I would reply.
Gerald would laugh but I knew how much missing matches hurt him. Derby County was such a huge part of his life.
Covering matches at Derby’s home will not be quite the same without Gerald sat in the seat next to me.
He was a font of Derby County knowledge. Succeeding him as the man who covered the Rams for the Telegraph was a daunting task and I will forever be grateful for the help he gave me.

The authentic voice of football writing

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