Philip
pe Auclair of France Football on the chances of “schizophrenic” Arsenal producing their best to topple European giants Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
James Olley, chief football writer of the London Evening Standard, examines Arsene Wenger’s claim that if his team are able to beat Bayern Munich, then Arsenal can go on and win the Champions League.
CHRIS WATHAN of the Western Mail says that planning ahead has been a significant part of the Capital One Cup finalists’ success
By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES
SOME CLUBS have found it difficult going on impossible to appoint – and keep – the right manager. Swansea City have made the task seem so easy you wonder why others have such problems.
Chris Wathan of the Western Mail has covered the rise and rise of Swansea, from the time they needed to beat Hull City in the final match of 2002/03 to avoid relegation to the Conference to the Capital One Cup final where they will play Bradford City on February 24; the prize for the winners is qualification for the Europa League.
Brian Flynn was the manager when Swansea defeated Hull 4-2 to retain their Football League status. Since then there has been a succession of managers who have each taken the club forward, yet Wathan believes the change of ownership in 2002 was the catalyst for enabling the Swans to proceed and prosper. Wathan said: “If I had to pinpoint a moment that changed Swansea’s fortunes it would be when the club was taken over.”
A group of local businessmen bought out the Australian, Tony Petty, with the Swansea Supporters’ Trust owning 20 per cent of the club. “That model still exists today,” said Wathan. ”Along with keeping their League status, that was a key point. It keeps a connection between the city and the club.”
Since then, Swansea have had five managers – Kenny Jackett, Roberto Martinez, Paulo Sousa, Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup – with chairman Huw Jenkins rewarded for giving them an opportunity to step up.
Wathan said: “Swansea’s philosophy has been – why are clubs so obsessed with giving managers second chances? Why not give them a first chance? Jackett was a number two at Watford and Queens Park Rangers, Swansea was his first senior job and he brought a lot of professionalism to the club. Martinez had never been a manager before and the hand of Roberto is still evident now.
“Paulo Sousa had been in charge at QPR for only six months and although there were criticisms of the job he did, the side still managed the club’s
highest league position for 27 years and came very close to the Championship play-offs. Rodgers had done well at Watford, but was sacked by Reading…it was a gamble but only in the context of knowing which way the board wanted to take the club forward.”
Laudrup was on the market for nine months after he quit Real Mallorca on a point of principle after his assistant Erik Larsen, who now works with him at Swansea, was sacked. Having managed Brondby, Getafe, Spartak Moscow and Mallorca, the Dane was given his chance by Jenkins in the Barclays Premier League.
Wathan said: “They do things with a common-sense approach, a sort of succession planning. They almost know what they want before things reach a crisis point. They had already researched Laudrup and had him lined up before Rodgers left for Liverpool. The process had started and I’ve no doubt they have already thought about what will happen when Laudrup eventually moves on.”
The former Denmark international is doing an exceptional job, Swansea proving that entertaining football can also be successful. “Swansea, being the size of a club that they are, know they cannot rely on a manager being there forever. That’s not being negative or defeatist, it’s a realistic approach which means they can move on easier than those who bury their heads in the sand. “
Wathan said Swansea are “absolutely fantastic” to work with, a sentiment echoed by football writers from English national newspapers who have covered the club this season. “They always say how accommodating the club are and a lot of that comes from the fact many of the players and staff have been there from League Two. They’ve always been open, helpful and friendly to deal with and we all know how difficult it can be at various clubs.”
The press facilities at the Liberty Stadium are first class unlike, Wathan said, their previous home Vetch Field “where you had to lean out of the window to see who was taking a corner.”
To help establish close relationships with the media, there has been a Christmas seven-a-side game between the press and staff. “We have a meal and few drinks afterwards. For one reason or another we haven’t had a game with Michael yet and he’s been teasing us, saying we are running scared and that he’s going to nutmeg everyone.”
Laudrup, one of the few players to have played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, was one of the finest forwards of his generation, winning 104 caps for Denmark in the Eighties and Nineties. “I’ve absolutely no doubt he’ll do what he promised,” said Wathan.
“The games are fun and a good bonding exercise. When Martinez was manager, there was a goalkeeping coach called Iñaki Bergara who, among others, played for Real Sociedad so to score past him was nice. Paulo Sousa, who went to three major finals with Portugal as an attacking midfielder, also played in goal against us, claiming a groin injury.
“That didn’t stop him, on one occasion, becoming rush-goalie, taking everyone on before rounding the keeper to score.
“This sort of thing illustrates the good relationship that has been maintained between the club and the media. Swansea are very much a community club…I did a interview with goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel who has played in Germany and Austria and he said how much he liked the family club atmosphere at Swansea.”
The coming days will be Wathan’s busiest period of the season as the countdown to the Capital One Cup final begins, with supplements, features and back-page leads to take care of. “The Western Mail is a national paper so what we’ll do is not quite to the extent of the South Wales Evening Post which is mainly a Swansea paper, but we’ll certainly have a field day with the final.”
Next season, Swansea are set to be joined by Cardiff City in the Barclays Premier League for the first time. It is a rivalry that could politely be described as intense and Wathan said: “From a journalist’s point of view the Welsh patch is a fantastic one. It would be tremendous for newspapers to have two clubs in the top division even if Swansea fans may be split about this. Some would love to see the clubs playing each other in the Barclays Premier League as it’s never happened before while others prefer Cardiff to be just below them, but it’s hard to see it staying this way because of the way they are playing.”
In March 1978 John Toshack, 28, became the youngest manager in the Football League and under him Swansea rose from the old Fourth Division to the First Division in four years. The team of Dai Davies, Robbie and Leighton James and Alan Curtis finished sixth in their first season in Division One and Wathan said: “I did an article a couple of weeks back speculating that the current team was their greatest of all-time. Toshack’s team played some great football and even led the division for a while, but the way Swansea have done it now…the way they are playing and winning admirers everywhere…this is probably a better achievement. “If they manage a first major trophy in their centenary season it will be difficult to argue against them.”
Martin Lipton says it is “sheer folly” for Chelsea to let Frank Lampard leave the club
The details of the funeral of David Oates are as follow:
Thursday 14 February at 2pm at:
St Mary’s Church
South Ealing Road
W5 5RH
By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES
Sir Alex Ferguson was one of many who paid tribute to Malcolm Brodie MBE, a life member of the Football Writers’ Association, whose funeral was held at Cregagh Presbyterian Church in Belfast yesterday.
The former sports editor of the Belfast Telegraph covered a record 14 World Cup finals and did not miss a Northern Ireland match – home or away – from 1946 to 2009.
Originally from Scotland, Brodie was evacuated during the Second World War from Glasgow to Portadown, Co Armagh, where he began his career in journalism.
Sir Alex said: “Malcolm was a great friend and always good value in terms of his opinion. He was straight talking and one thing I always admired about him, he never changed his accent, which is very difficult living in a place like Belfast.”
Former Northern Ireland internationals Harry Gregg and Pat Jennings were among the mourners.
Gregg, who called Brodie “The Godfather,” said: “Without being disrespectful to the modern sports journalist, Malcolm was the last one of those great trusted reporters. A true professional with a real passion for his craft. I’ll always be grateful for knowing Malcolm the human being.
“He was six years older than me and would have taken a close interest in my career since I was a Coleraine lad breaking through into the Northern Ireland schoolboy side around 1947/48. He had an unbelievable memory and friends right across the world. There was no subject Malcolm could not talk about. I was really glad I got to know Malcolm and spend time with him because he was simply a great human being.”
Jennings won 119 caps for Northern Ireland and Brodie covered every one. He said: “There was nobody who could touch him for what he did in soccer in Northern Ireland. When I was a kid I used to read what Malcolm was writing about in the Belfast Telegraph. As players we always wanted to read what he was writing because we all respected him so much.”
Billy Bingham, a player at the 1958 World Cup finals and the manager in the Eighties, claimed Brodie was like one of the team. He said: “Malcolm was always very supportive to me when I was a player and when I was a manager. When you are a manager you always need all the support you can get from good people and thankfully Malcolm provided it. We went through some rocky times before the good times came with the World Cups in 1982 and 1986 and I’ll always be grateful for the support myself and the team received from Malcolm.
“He was a man that the Northern Ireland public listened to. The 1982 and 1986 World Cups were fantastic experiences and it was great to have Malcolm there with us. He was just like one of the team. He really was. That’s how I saw it and the players would say the same. I remember him being so happy that the Northern Ireland team had qualified for the 1982 finals because it was the first time we did it since 1958 and of course he had covered that.”
Jim Gracey, the Belfast Telegraph sports editor said: “He was sharp, incisive, fiercely competitive, unerringly accurate and his credibility was beyond question.”
Brodie is survived by his widow Margaret and three sons Ian, Stephen and Kenneth.
Kevin Moseley – a brilliantly gifted reporter with contacts of the highest order
By ALEX MONTGOMERY
Kevin Moseley was a brilliantly gifted sports reporter whose news column in the Seventies, Eighties and into the Nineties, was a must read for every sports desk on Fleet Street. When the early edition of the Daily Mirror dropped – in later years it was the Daily Express — more often than not there would be a scramble for the phones to check out and follow up another of his exclusives.
Kevin could spot a weakness, work on it and in time produce copy that in his prime would always entertain, inform us of something we did not know and earn him a reputation for being an outstanding news gatherer, albeit of the old school.
You don’t write about the demise of Sir Alf Ramsey as England manager (Daily Mirror) and prove to be 100 per cent correct or reveal the demons Tony Adams (Daily Express) had to confront when he was at the peak of his career as captain of Arsenal without contacts of the highest order.
Kevin had strategically placed informants. The revelations about Ramsey and Adams stick in the mind, but there were many more which, at the time, would be considered major stories. It was the consistency of his ability to sniff out tales from the world of football that put him in a wee class of his own.
It also took considerable bravery to regularly expose himself to the real possibility that football was capable of denying the undeniable when stories appear they do not like. That intense pressure takes its mental and physical toll.
Kevin could be hard-nosed, if needed, with the pompous, the liars and downright crooked we all have had to deal with, but would go out of his way to help those with holes in their boots.
He was loyal to those he respected and a nightmare to those he felt abused him and his lifestyle. He did not seek awards, though would have won them in the modern era where “scoops” are acknowledged. Appearing on television or radio did not interest him. He would congratulate the success of a rival and be first to demand a celebration which usually meant a long night and an overnight stay in Bexley. He certainly would not offer a compliment to a rival on the expectation of receiving one back.
Kevin was a great friend of mine for nearly 50 years since we met as young reporters at Reg Hayters sports agency just off Fleet Street in Fetter Lane. I recognised then the qualities that would make him such a supreme newsman and formidable rival; his fearlessness and persistence.
He immersed himself in the romance we all felt in working on Fleet Street and it was certain to me he would fit into the national newspaper scene and be successful. Old Reg sent him with England to the World Cup finals in Mexico in 1970 with a stack of assignments for the nationals – plus a Tommy Docherty column to write I think for the then Daily Sketch – oh, and would he please ghost a book with Bobby Moore. It left no time to enjoy Mexico. Wrong. Kevin always found time to smell the roses.
He introduced himself to me as half and half – half English through his mum and half Irish through his dad. He was a committed Republican , a source of the occasional argument between us, fuelled
by my Black Label and his Jamesons. They lasted no longer than the length of a good sleep.
We worked a beat between Ipswich and Norwich in the east, Southampton in the south with London in the middle. There would be glorious overnights and after match drinks with the late Ipswich chairman “Mr John” Cobbold and Sir Bobby Robson at Portman Road; with the late John Bond in some all night Greek restaurant at Norwich, or with Lawrie McMenemy first in his office at the Dell and then down to the long demised Polygon Hotel for coffee, sandwiches and brandy.
There would be trips to Leicester where the late Jimmy Bloomfield was manager or we would break into the Midlands mafia to make ourselves known to Ron Atkinson and Ron Saunders and eventually listen to Jock Wallace where I could be called on as after-match interpreter. As number two or three reporter we covered Southampton’s winning FA Cup campaign of 1976. We were joined by Steve Curry in the latter stages of the run on Wembley when Lawrie labelled us the Freeman Hardy and Willis of football reporting. These memories are not recalled to irritate our successors on the road who are now restrained in their search for information by press conferences. It is just the way it was. So many people so little time.
Kevin successfully dealt with a number of crises in his life including cancer. A few months ago he phoned to say that was in remission and he had been given the all clear. He became very ill a month ago. The cancer had recurred, the family were told. This time the end was inevitable and had to be dealt with by Hilary, his son Luke and daughters Lisa and Sara.
The man is no longer with us, but the memories of our friendship and his outstanding journalism remain.
MALCOLM BRODIE MBE – a man beyond a legend
By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES
Malcolm Brodie, a life member of the Football Writers’ Association, was unique in sports journalism – he had covered 14 World Cups and it would have been 15 had he not been on his honeymoon. He was awarded the Jules Rimet Trophy by FIFA as the journalist who covered more World Cup finals than any other.
Brodie, who awarded an MBE for services to journalism and an honorary doctorate by the University of Ulster, has died at the age of 86. His contribution to sports journalism was unparalleled and though he grew up in Scotland, it was in Northern Ireland that Brodie became the doyen of football writers. Jim Gracey, the current Belfast Telegraph sports editor, said Brodie had “taught a generation, maybe two or three generations everything we know about journalism, including myself.” Everyone who was anyone in football knew Brodie and Gracey said: “When you walked through the press centres at the World Cups everyone knew him, people like Pele and Bobby Charlton…he was on first name terms with them. The man was beyond a legend.”
As a young reporter finding my feet in the world of football writing, I shall never forget the help and encouragement Brodie gave me. He was as far from aloof as is possible and a 10-minute conversation with him was like a masterclass in journalism. Last February, when I asked Brodie to help with the question and answer section for footballwriters.co.uk (reproduced below) typically he replied: “Thanks for asking me to participate.”
TV presenter Eamonn Holmes has similar recollections and said: “Malcolm Brodie – always a kind word for me as a young journalist and even kinder ones as I grew older. I’ll always be thankful I knew him. RIP.”
Brodie “got a foot in the door,” as he put it, at the Belfast Telegraph in 1943 when he saw a vacancy for a copy-taker advertised. At the 1982 World Cup in Spain, where Northern Ireland defeated the host nation,a copy-taker for the Belfast Telegraph became legendary. Brodie told the story: “I started my match report ‘Magnifico, magnifico, magnifico…’ She said: “I heard you the first time.’”
In 1944 he became a news reporter, covering the courts – “I remember being baffled by the legalities” – and attending council meetings at Belfast City Hall. He went on to be appointed Acting Deputy Parliamentary
Correspondent but, after becoming disenchanted with the lack of real authority at Stormont, decided to pursue his dream of working in sports journalism.
Brodie remembered: “The Belfast Telegraph didn’t have a proper sports department at that time so I suggested to them that they should. Billy McClatchey, who was known as ‘Ralph the Rover’, and Jack Magowan helped me form the basis of what is the sports department as it is today.”
His first World Cup was Switzerland 1954 and in a chapter for Forgive Us Our Press Passes, a book in which FWA members wrote a unique chapter with proceeds going to Great Ormond Street Hospital, Brodie wrote: “Switzerland, therefore, was my Jules Rimet trophy baptism. This was the era when football controlled the competition without starting time edicts from television, commercial enterprise or vested outside interests.
“The era when the media had virtually free access to the training camps and not, as happens so often today, be looked upon by the authorities as pariahs to be banished at all costs. Stadiums did not have an overpowering security presence. Yes, there were the flare-ups on the pitches but primarily the World Cup meant football.
“But Switzerland 1954, in an idyllic Alpine setting, was not without its ugly side, pinpointed by the infamous Battle of Berne, where the Brazilians invaded the Hungarian dressing room, went on the rampage, created havoc and tarnished their name – a scar which remains to this day despite their unquestioned supremacy in the competition.
“The Hungarians were by no means innocents. Allegations that Magyars captain Ferenc Puskas, who was injured and watched the match from the dug-out, had thrown a bottle at the Brazilian as he left the pitch could never be proved.
“Only the professionalism of English referee Arthur Ellis, who sent-off three players, ensured the match finished, with the Hungarians winning 4-2. Villain of the piece to the Brazilians but for the neutral it was a classic textbook example of professional refereeing.
“Underlining the freedom given to the press, I reached the corridors of the players’ dressing room shortly after the mayhem ended. The Brazilians shouted and protested behind a closed door as Ellis, from Halifax, was escorted to safety through rows of irate Brazilian supporters by Scottish referee Charlie Faultless.
“Can you imagine a newspaperman loitering near the dressing rooms of a World Cup finals today? No chance. The nearest we get is the so-called mixed zone where journalists wait behind wire for players to emerge from the stadium and be interviewed in an undignified scramble. I find this somewhat embarrassing, like waiting for crumbs of bread to be thrown to the starving.
“Hungary qualified to meet Uruguay at rain-lashed Lausanne. What a pity this game was not televised live as it proved to be one of the World Cup classics. The conditions were appalling, the standard awesome. ‘This is what I call football,’ commented Charlie Buchan, the former England and Sunderland defender, publisher of his monthly magazine and my companion in the Press tribune that night. ‘Who said these teams could not play in these conditions – they could perform anywhere. Yes, that is football.’
“Uruguay, inspired by Juan Schiaffino, one of the most accomplished inside forwards of all time, lost 4-2 after extra-time but earlier they had destroyed a mediocre Scotland, managed by Andy Beattie, former left back and manager of Huddersfield Town, in a nightmare occasion at Basel. Beattie resigned because of interference from officialdom, turmoil reigned in the camp and the Scots, who had helped give the game to the world, were given a douche of cold reality and a signal they were not the power many of their patriotic fans imagined them to be.
“The media facilities were efficient if somewhat spartan. Calls had to be placed with a central desk in the media centres; it cost a fortune to have a telephone installed while there were interminable delays on calls, many of which never materialised. Most of us in the overspill for the Germany-Hungary final at the Wankdorf Stadium, Berne, were soaked to the skin as rain fell incessantly. Many correspondents without early deadlines opted to return to hotels and file copy from there. Again it was a question of contacting the international operator which was quite a daunting task, but sometimes Irish charm worked. Latops and instant dialling were a world away. Still, it was fun.”
It was always fun working with Malcom Brodie, as Jim Gracey said – a man beyond a legend.
MALCOLM BRODIE 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 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 (Brazil)
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. The laws of libel working 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.
In December 2012, football writers Steve Bates, Andy Dunn, Ian Ladyman, Neil Custis and Paul McCarthy were joined by Gary Neville and Peter Reid to discuss the 2012/13 Barclays Premier League season so far. Here’s what they had to say…
By Jeff Farmer
The FWA – and the wider football family- has lost a great character and one of its nice guys with the death of former Daily Mirror journalist Dave Horridge.
Dave died last week at the age of 78 after a lengthy battle with debilitating illness.
I was privileged, as the Daily Mail’s man in the Midlands, to work alongside Dave in many press boxes during his 15 year spell in the patch from the early 1970s. He was a great friend and a valued colleague, respected by players, managers,directors and his reporting contemporaries alike.
Dave was a born and bred Scouser who never forgot his roots nor lost that wry sense of humour associated with his home city. His journalistic career began as a photographic messenger and a copy boy on the Liverpool Echo. He moved up to the sport subs desk on the Echo before switching to the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror sports desks in Manchester. In 1963 Dave became the Mirror’s first full-time football reporter on Merseyside – hugely enjoying a golden era of Liverpool and Everton success. He was an original member of the Merseyside Musketeers along with Derek Potter of the Daily Express,Colin Wood of the Mail and Mike Ellis of the Sun.
A decade on Dave moved down the M6 to join the Midlands Mafia of the 1970s – Alan Williams and Joe Melling of the Express, Hugh Jamieson and Bob Driscoll of the Sun, myself on the Mail and the legendary Peter Batt on the People. Dave fitted in quickly with the lot of us – as he did with the local paper brigade of Colin Malam, Dennis Shaw, Ray Matts, Dave Harrison et al. It was a vintage period for Midlands football with Cloughie’s amazing feats at Derby County and Nottingham Forest, Championship and European success at Aston Villa, Big Ron’s adventures at West Bromwich, Bill McGarry’s trophy-winning Wolves and Coventry in European competition.
Dave was a man who easily made friends and worked hard at making contacts. As he was respected by Shankly, Paisley and Kendall on Merseyside, so it was with Clough ,Saunders and Atkinson in the Midlands. Dave often said he was so lucky to have been in the right place at the right time in his career – on Merseyside and in the Midlands at a time of so much success,with titles, Wembleys and European sorties galore.
After the Midlands, Dave went part-time freelance for a few years (to keep in touch with his mates) and moved back to the Wirral. The family media tradition has been carried on by his son David who joined Central ITV as a teenager and is now a talented television sports director with a world-wide portfolio.
Dave Horridge’s funeral is at Landican Cemetery, Arrowe Park Road, Birkenhead CH49 5LW at Midday on Wednesday, January 30.
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