Category Archives: News

British Sports Books Awards: Results

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Patrick Barclay and Brian Scovell, both members of the FWA Committee of long standing, both had books nominated in the 2011 British Sports Books Awards at the Savoy on May 9. Patrick’s was “Football – Bloody Hell” a biography of Sir ALex Ferguson and Brian’s was “Bill Nicholson: Football’s Perfectionist.”

Brian’s book which has just come out in paperback, was also entered in the Biogaphy Section. Five of our Committe members chose Anthony Clavane’s “Promised Lane The Reinvention of Leeds United” in the Football Section and they were Mike Collett (chairman), Martin Lipton, Glenn Moore, John Ley and Gerry Cox.

Catrine Clay’s “Trautmann’s Journey – From Hitler Youth to FA Legend” won the Biography Award.

Parker named Footballer of the Year

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West Ham midfielder Scott Parker has been voted 2011 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association.

In what was one of the closest contests of recent seasons, Parker topped the poll of journalists ahead of Tottenham defender Gareth Bale, who was last week named the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year.

The England international – who started his career at Charlton before spells with Chelsea and Newcastle ahead of joining the Irons in 2007 – will receive the prestigious accolade, which has been running since 1948, at a gala dinner at the Lancaster London Hotel on May 12.

FWA chairman Steve Bates, chief football writer at The People said: “Scott Parker has been so consistent this season with his performances in a West Ham team battling for Barclays Premier League survival and as such has forced himself back into the England national set-up.

“He has been an inspirational figure for the Irons and hopefully his professionalism will be rewarded with West Ham staying up at the end of the season.

“In what was one of the tightest votes of recent seasons, Scott is certainly a worthy winner and follows in the footsteps of a long line of superb footballers who have been given this prestigious honour.”

Liberty Stadium report, March 2011

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Dylan Thomas famously wrote “Swansea is the graveyard of ambition.” Championship promotion hopefuls Swansea City Football Club beg to differ with the great man.

When Football Writers’ Association national committee members Brian Scovell and Tony Hudd visited the Liberty Stadium to check out their press facilities ahead of the Swans’ push for promotion they found a lively, vibrant club willing and able to meet the challenge of Barclays Premier League football.

With club media and communications officer Jonathan Wilsher, a former local paper football writer, as their guide, the pair were left in no doubt that Swansea are determined to provide the best possible press facilities at their 20,524 capacity stadium.

The present press box, which accommodates 40 seats, all with power points under each desk, will be expanded to meet Premier League criteria. The existing facility is also wired for 3D.

At present, Swansea have two mixed zones, one home, one away, which is near the exit for the visiting team coach. This will become one as the existing home arrangement means interviews being conducted on the main concourse close to the reception area which is unsuitable.

The big press room, which is equipped with work desks and power points, also has toilet facilities. At the moment, reporters and photographers share the room.

This will change with photographers being given their own facilities.

Should Swansea reach the Premier League, the club will do their best to make sure all reporters are given a car parking space and are in the process of purchasing a plot of land that will increase parking capacity.

Brian and Tony wish to place on record their thanks to Jonathan Wilsher for his time and meticulous attention to detail in wanting to improve the club’s press facilities.

Ray Matts Remembered

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The Football Writers’ Association are saddened to hear the news Ray Matts, the long-serving Daily Mail sports reporter and FWA member, passed away after a short illness aged 70.

Ray joined the Daily Mail from the Birmingham Evening Mail as Midlands football reporter in 1980 and would go on to cover both Nottingham Forest’s and Aston Villa’s European Cup victories.

In 1989, Ray took up the position of Motor Racing Correspondent and proved just as popular a figure among Formula One as he had done in football.

Although officially ‘retiring’ in 2006, Ray continued to cover football matches in the Midlands whenever he could.

Ray remained a popular figure both within both sides of the reporting ranks. The late Brian Clough was a close friend, while Martin O’Neill and Ron Atkinson both recently attended a lunch for his 70th birthday.

FWA National Committee member for the Midlands, Ralph Ellis said: “Ray had the wonderful knack of breaking big stories yet still keeping close trust with people.

“He was an inspiration both in print and as a person and will be hugely missed.”

Paul Hetherington, Executive Secretary of the FWA, said: “Ray became a life member of the association during my tenure as chairman, and it was a status I was delighted to award him.

“It was a reward for his outstanding career as a football writer, his long-standing membership of the FWA and the help and guidance he offered to young journalists.

“Mattsie was a great character who will be sadly missed in press boxes and at our functions.”

Ray Matts’ funeral will be held Monday March 28th, Streetley Crematorium, midday. Afterwards Bloxwich Golf Club.

No flowers.

Donations to British Heart Foundation.

FWA Shortlist for Football Book of the Year

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EACH YEAR, a select band from the national committee of the Football Writers’ Association, take some time out from writing their own words to read as many football books as possible before deciding on the Football Book of the Year, one of the main categories in the increasingly influential British Sports Book Awards. This year’s winner will be announced at a gala dinner at the Savoy Hotel on May 9.

Fifteen or 20 years ago, there were few intelligent, thoughtful and discersive books published about football, with cricket and rugby writers in general waxing far more lyrically, and in greater numbers, than those from our game. But all that has changed.

Now there appears to be more outstanding publications reaching the bookshelves than before and 2010 was no exception. However, the book committee of the FWA had to draw up a shortlist from the dozens of great books that were produced and after lengthy deliberations, their recommendations are listed below.

Mike Collett, chairing the Committee this year said: “What we are looking for is a book that tells a story in a special, unique way, and there were plenty of candidates to chose from before we settled on our final seven. We now have to give very careful consideration to the strengths and merits of these finalists and each one in their own way is superb and a deserving winner. . It is not going to be easy – but its going to be highly enlightening.”

The shortlist is (in author’s alphabetical order):
PATRICK BARCLAY: Football – Bloody Hell ! – The Biography of Alex Ferguson Yellow Jersey
MICHAEL CALVIN: Family – Life Death and Football. Integr8 Publishing
ANTHONY CLAVANE: Promised Land – The Re-Iinvention of Leeds United. Yellow Jersey
CATRINE CLAY: Trautmann’s Journey – From Hitler Youth to FA Cup Legend Yellow Jersey
JAMES MORGAN: In Search of Alan Gilzean – The lost legacy of a Dundee and Spurs legend. Back Page Press
BRIAN SCOVELL: Bill Nicholson – Football’s Perfectionist. John Blake Publishing
JONATHAN WILSON: The Anatomy of England – A History in Ten Matches. Orion Publishing

The committee will make its choice by the end of April with the winner announced by Queens Park Rangers manager Neil Warnock at the dinner at the Savoy on May 9.

Report on FWA North East Dinner

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THE North East Branch of the FWA enjoyed a fantastic 30th anniversary awards evening at Ramside Hall in Durham.

Picking up the North East Player of the Year was Sunderland striker Darren Bent, watched by his manager Steve Bruce, chairman Niall Quinn as well as his team-mates.

Following the sacking of Chris Hughton just days before the awards, Alan Pardew made his first appearance at the event and was given a good reception by both Sunderland and Newcastle fans. His assistant Steve Stone picked up Newcastle United’s Team of the Year Award in Hughton’s absence as well as Young Player of the Year Andy Carroll’s accolade.

A special award went to non league Whitley Bay for winning the FA Vase Trophy for a second successive season while Niall Quinn was awarded the John Fotheringham Memorial Award for his contribution to North East Football.

A toast was raised to former FWA National Secretary Ken Montgomerie who sadly passed away last month.

Amongst those in the room were Phil Brown, John Hendrie, Stephen Pears, Jim Platt, Dennis Tueart, Adam Johnson, Frank Clark and England cricketer Graham Onions

Report on FWA Northern Dinner

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THE 28th Northern FWA Managers’ Awards Dinner was a significant occasion in the association’s history, as the £80,000 barrier was cracked for children’s charities.

The raffle and auction at the function, held at Manchester’s Radisson Edwardian Hotel on November 14, raised £4,500 with The Seashell Trust – formlery the Royal Schools for the Blind – and Friends of Muscular Dystrophy the two charities to benefit this year.

So we have now raised almost £81,000 for children’s causes.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, usually a regular attender of FWA functions, pulled out two days before the event, owing to a business trip to Qatar.

But all the other award-winning managers were present – Newcastle’s Chris Hughton, Blackpool’s Ian Holloway, Simon Grayson at Leeds, Rochdale’s Keith Hill, Ian Chandler from Whitley Bay, the Barrow double act of David Bayliss and Darren Sheridan and Mo Marley of Everton Ladies.

Richard Bevan, Chief Executive of the League Managers’ Association, congratulated northern chairman Paul Hetherington and national chairman Steve Bates, on the event.

Bevan said: “Reading the programme, going back to past winners like Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Trevor Cherry and Kenny Dalglish, it was great to read the history of the awards and to join you for the event.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and was honoured to sit at the FWA top table.”

Book Club: ‘Thank You Hermann Goering’

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In his time working for the Daily Sketch and Daily Mail, Brian Scovell probably reported on more Test matches and international football matches than any other English sportswriter. This fascinating, amusing and moving memoir is filled with hundreds of anecdotes and insights into top sports personalities and other public figures, including previously untold stories about Maggie Thatcher, John Major, Princess Diana, Brian Lara, Enoch Powell, and Alan Sugar.

Following a German bombing raid on the Isle of Wight in 1943, Brian spent two years in hospital reading articles by Tom Philips, the leading sports writer of the day. His mother wanted him to be a banker, but in that hospital bed Brian decided to go to Fleet Street, so he has Hermann Goering to thank for the way his life turned out.

England cricket captain Ted Dexter called him ‘Scoop’ and two of his scoops, both outside sport, concerned a secret meeting between Goering and Lord Jellicoe at St Lawrence, in a failed attempt to broker a peace agreement, and a German amphibious raid on a radar station in the same area.

One of the book’s central themes is Brian’s love affair with his wife Audrey, an artist who died in 2000 and continues to inspire his writing. As he contends with the boozy Cobbold brothers, weathers spats with fellow journalists and travels the world (meeting Pope John Paul II and Reverend Canaan Banana on the way) she remains his chief allegiance, more important than newsprint or sport.

THE AUTHOR
Born in 1935 on the Isle of Wight, Brian Scovell was one of the Daily Mail’s longest-serving and best-loved sports writers.He has written 24 previous books, most famously co-authoring the autobiography of the illusive Brian Lara for Corgi, but he has also written about Dickie Bird, Trevor Brooking, Bobby Robson and Ken Barrington. His books about England Managers and Jim Laker were both nominated for the Sports Book of the Year Prize. He lives in Bromley in Kent.

Book Club: Scovell achieves third Double

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Brian Scovell, our longest serving member on the FWA Committee, has achieved a third Double in the season that Tottenham Hotspur won the first Double of the last century. His biography of Bill Nicholson commemorating the 50th anniversary has been widely reviewed and his 25th book has just come out, a memoir entitled “Thank You Hermann Goering – A Life of a Sports Writer.” Frank Keating said of it “a triumph, it’s a terrific piece of work and I read it in one sitting, well, two.”

In 1982 he brought out “Ken Barrington: A Tribute” and “Times on the Grass,” the first autobiography of Bobby Robson and in 2006 his books “The Impossible Job – The England Managers” and “19-90 Jim Laker” were nominated for the British Sports Book Awards.

Ken Montgomery passes away

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IT is with great sadness that we announce the death of Ken Montgomery who passed away on Sunday after a short illness.

Ken, who was 69, was the FWA’s much-valued Executive Secretary for fourteen years having taken over the role from Pat Signy. He reluctantly stepped down from his duties during the summer when he became unwell.

As chief football writer of the Sunday Mirror in his prime years, Ken was a respected journalist with many friends in the game and beyond.

He will be greatly missed by his colleagues on the FWA National Committee and we extend our sincere condolances to his children Leanne and Nial and his grandchildren.

Current National FWA Chairman Steve Bates paid tribute to Ken saying:”The FWA will always appreciate Ken’s tireless work in organising our major functions over the last decade and more.

“Ken was a great help to me and I know our previous chairmen all feel the same. Even though he was no longer ‘on the road’ Ken was still passionate about football – and making sure the FWA was at the forefront of the game. We will miss him.”

The funeral details are as follows:

Tuesday November 23rd 1.30pm

Service and Cremation at Forest Park Cemetary Forest Road, Hainault, Essex, IG6 3HP.

Flowers welcomed but donations encouraged to St Francis Hospice and/or The Poppy Appeal c/o funeral directors H L Hawes and Sons, 106 Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Essex, 1G6 1QE.