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Di Canio the manager is very different from di Canio the player

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By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

ANDY WARREN did not go as far as to say his job was easy but as the Swindon Town correspondent for the Swindon Advertiser he knows many football writers have a more difficult, challenging time to produce their copy.

Whatever adjectives may be used in association with Paolo di Canio “dull” does not figure on the list. On Saturday he celebrated his first season in charge at the County Ground by leading Town to the League Two title with a 5-0 victory over Port Vale. Along the way (and this is the short list) there was a heated confrontation with Leon Clarke on the touchline that saw the striker loaned out, initially, to Chesterfield, two Football Association touchline bans and nine players were disciplined for enjoying too good a night out after a game against Plymouth.

Warren said: “Paolo certainly guarantees you a back-page lead, there’s no doubt about that.

“He discovered that five players had an unauthorised night out. Most of those were left out of the team that played at Aldershot on the Tuesday. Subsequently he found out that another four players who had not owned up were involved and they were banned from playing at Gillingham the following weekend.”

As a player di Canio was something of a Jekyll and Hyde. In 1998, when he was with Sheffield Wednesday, he was given an 11-game ban by the Football Association for pushing over referee Paul Alcock. Three years later he won the FIFA Fair Play award. During a match against Everton di Canio shunned a goalscoring opportunity and instead caught the ball from a cross as Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard lay injured after he twisted a knee attempting a clearance on the edge of the penalty area. FIFA described the act as “a special act of good sportsmanship.”

The Italian has served two FA bans, the first for a Jose Mourinho-style touchline celebration after a stoppage-time winner against Northampton Town. The other was for comments to a match official. Typically di Canio thanked the FA after his second suspension, claiming watching his team from the stand was good for him. He said: “I give them permission to ban me for the rest of the season. We will win the league anyway. I don’t have homework because usually if I am in the dugout I have to watch the game again as I don’t have a clear picture. If they want to ban me again they can do.”

Di Canio is not the only manager who has had to discipline players for excesses he had also been guilty of and Warren said: “He admits there were high profile moments when he crossed the line of what is acceptable. Maybe the players look at him holding them to account and think ‘hold on, this is a man who pushed over a referee while he played’ but he is a very different person now to the player he was.

“It’s important for Paolo that any player who steps out of line admits what he has done. He sets incredibly high standards for them in terms of professionalism and demands those standards are maintained.”

Di Canio knows how to use the media and Warren is happy to be part of the process that produces story after story. He said: “Paolo talks a lot, he can almost talk you into submission and gives very long answers to questions. His English is very good but not perfect so occasionally things can be lost in translation.”

Many managers claim they never read newspapers. There was a famous occasion when one leading manager told the media: “You know I never read the **** you write…but you went too far this morning.” Di Canio certainly reads the Advertiser and has used his weekly column in the paper to clarify one of two things written about the team. Sometimes Paolo says things in the heat of the moment and he uses his column to explain what he really meant more fully.”

Whatever di Canio says or does, he remains a hero with Swindon fans. “They adore him,” said Warren. “I’ve never come across a manager who is loved as much as Paolo is. It’s not just the club’s supporters, either. The whole town’s behind him. He’s captured the imagination of everyone, not just those involved with football. I doubt if there is a single person in Swindon who doesn’t know who he is.”

Di Canio’s achievements with Town will inevitably alert clubs higher up English football’s pyramid. A manager who is successful, high profile and charismatic is hard to find and Warren said: “He definitely has ambition but at the same time he has clearly fallen in love with Swindon. The target he and the board set was to reach the Championship in three years. The first part of that was achieved in year one and there’s no reason why in two years’ time Swindon can’t be in the Championship with Paolo.

“But I am sure at some time in the future he will move to a bigger club. My dad’s a West Ham fan and I was told I had to like him.”

Warren has obeyed his father’s orders. “For me, Paolo is great to work with. Paolo is not the sort of person you necessarily want to like and he can be a little intense but being with him for 20 minutes you realise the absolute passion he has.”

FWA Interview: John Cross on Robin van Persie

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By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

Image courtesy of Action Images.

IT IS no surprise that Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie has been elected the Footballer of the Year by members of the Football Writers’ Association.

Joe Hart has been a model of consistency for Manchester City; Wayne Rooney, who was runner-up, and the born-again Paul Scholes, who was third, have been magnificent as Manchester United show their customary best form in the second half of the season during the battle with their noisy neighbours for the Barclays Premier League title.

But in terms of consistency from his first goal of the season against Udinese last August no one has done better than Van Persie who operates in football’s most demanding role. When members of the FWA decide on their choice they should consider “the professional player who by precept and example” is the Footballer of the Year. The yardstick is not whether a player has helped his team to honours, it is about his individual displays over the season.

That has been the case since the FWA was formed in September, 1947 by Charles Buchan, Roy Peskett, John Thompson and Clifford Webb on their way home from Brussels (by boat) after seeing Stanley Matthews, who was to be the first winner – there was 42 members then as opposed to approaching 300 now – lay on all five goals as England beat Belgium 5-2. Long-serving former chairman Dennis Signy said: “Note the word ‘the’ in the original minute. Over 60-plus years this has become, in my opinion, the most prestigious award in football. Others have followed suit with similar awards but this is THE Footballer of the Year.”

FWA members have one vote each. Occasionally the national committee have discussed the possibility of a 1-2-3 system but with little enthusiasm. It can be said with confidence the Footballer of the Year will remain on a one-member one-vote basis. The roll of honour is a Who’s Who of the greats of English football and Van Persie’s name sits comfortably alongside the previous winners.

Steve Bates, the FWA chairman, said: “Robin Van Persie has had a wonderful season and is a worthy winner of our award. He joins a long list of outstanding footballers. His goals have lit up the Barclays Premier League and carried Arsenal to the brink of Champions League qualification.

“The quality of his goals, the consistency with which he has scored and his attacking movements have been an eye-catching feature of Arsenal’s season. This was reflected by the overwhelming margin of his victory.”

John Cross, a self-confessed Gooner who covers Arsenal regularly for the Daily Mirror, underlined the FWA guidelines for voting and said: “When I think of the Footballer of the Year I think of an individual, irrespective of his team’s success. I take into account his influence on his team and when you look at all the candidates, and there have been some outstanding performers this season, Van Persie has had more effect on his side than any other player I can think of.”

The transfer of Thierry Henry to Barcelona in 2007 may have seen the departure of the player many Arsenal fans consider the finest to wear the famous red shirt but it allowed Van Persie to become the main striker rather than supporting the Frenchman from a wider role.

Cross said: “They were two big personalities when they played together first time round. Henry was so good he overshadowed everyone whether he intended to do this or not. Van Persie was not the only player who struggled a little living in the shadow of Henry. It is only since Henry left for Barcelona that Van Persie has really hit the heights. There’s nothing sinister to this, it’s just a natural progression.

“Henry set incredibly high standards for himself and as a player Van Persie or anyone can only learn from the best. Van Persie has done that in terms of dedication and focus. Henry was a big student of the game and used to watch hours and hours of football from around the world, taking something from each game. He would analyse his own displays to learn from mistakes. He would also read just about everything that was written about him in the English media.

“Van Persie has followed a similar route. He has a huge appetite to learn and this is a great quality to possess.”

As a youngster Van Persie had a spikey side to his character which we still see occasionally. He entered Dutch football folklore during his first season with Feyenoord when there was a dispute over a free-kick with Pierre Van Hooijdonk in front of 50,000 fans. The teenager took the set-piece when the elder player was preparing his run-up. When confidence was handed out Van Persie was near the front of the queue.

Incidents with Tim Krul and Gary Caldwell showed Van Persie has plenty of fire in his belly and Cross said: “He’s matured from being a little indisciplined in his early days. Top players need a bit of the devil in them. Van Persie’s desire to win makes him a bad loser and that’s no bad thing. Vince Lombardi, the legendary Green Bay Packers coach, said ‘show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.’ People have accused Arsenal of being a soft touch but not Van Persie.

“He has also changed as a player because when he arrived he was used in a wider position and was something of a supersub for the first couple of years. I never thought of Van Persie as a number nine, only a number 10. I didn’t think he would be a central striker but he has been phenomenal this season. Thirty eight goals in 50 games is an outstanding ratio. In fact throughout his Arsenal career has has averaged almost a goal every other game.”

While Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira may fit the more traditional view of a captain, Cross believes Van Persie’s leadership strengths should not be underestimated. He said: “While he may not bark orders or gee-on his team in a vocal sense, Van Persie leads by example. The way he plays can only insipre his team-mates and I think he has become an excellent captain.”

Arsenal’s press relations are first-class but the way football has changed over the past 20 years means it is harder for writers to become close to players. Press conferences tend to be stage managed while the mixed zone (aka a bun fight) after Champions League ties and internationals are often the only chance for journalists to grab a quick chat with top players.

Cross said: “Whenever I’ve been able to talk to Van Persie he’s been very helpful. He’s honest and forthright in his views and always has something to say. He’s taken a back seat recently because of questions about his future but football writers have almost given up asking about this. After a game the other week a reporter from Norway asked me if we’d be talking to Van Persie about it and I told him he’d been asked so many times we wouldn’t bother. What more can he say apart from ‘we’ll see at the end of the season.’?”

Van Persie will sit down with Arsene Wenger next month to discuss his future. The Holland international has another year to run on his contract and while Van Persie loves Arsenal, their history and heritage, the only trophy he has won is a 2005 FA Cup medal as a substitute. With his 29th birthday approaching Van Persie has to decide whether to remain with the club that have helped him become one of the world’s most prolific strikers or try his luck elsewhere.

Having lost Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri last summer Arsenal do not want another high profile departure. Cross said: “I’m not sure if he will sign a new contract in the near future but that does not mean Arsenal will sell him this summer. Arsenal are determined, even if he doesn’t sign a new deal, that he stays another year. I don’t think Arsenal fans would begrudge Van Persie leaving at the end of his contract because they know he has given everything for the cl;ub. But Arsenal will not have their hand forced like they did with Nasri and will want Van Persie to stay until 2013. The club Arsenal fear this summer is Real Madrid.”

Van Persie will be aware that Dutch players such as Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Klass-Jan Huntelaar have not prospered at the Bernabeu in recent years.

Cross added: “I think Jose Mourinho tried to sign Van Persie when he was at Inter Milan but I think whatever happens to Mourinho this summer Real will be keen to sign him.”

More immediately Van Persie will be at the Lancaster London hotel to collect his Footballer of the Year award on May 3.


Table taken from the official Arsenal website.

FORMER GUNNERS WHO WERE THE FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR PAY TRIBUTE TO ROBIN VAN PERSIE

Thierry Henry: “I saw him come in here and at the very beginning he wasn’t the easiest guy to deal with but then I wasn’t either, I guess. It’s amazing to see how he has improved. That tells you how intelligent a player he is. I have total admiration for what he is doing right now. Thank God he is playing for Arsenal and doing well. It’s nice to see a player improve. What RVP is doing now, in terms of not just goals but ratio of goals – apart from Ronaldo and Messi – is ridiculous. He is doing something amazing. That also tells you how important it is for him to not be injured. He has never had a chance to have a full season since he has been here, he was always out for two or three months. For the very first time he can go on a roll and you can see the difference. I can only admire what he’s doing now.”

Dennis Bergkamp: “He has been playing in a role [the main striker] which is very difficult. I think it is easier for a guy like Robin or me to play behind the striker and feed the main striker. Basically he is the one up front who has to make a difference which puts a lot of pressure on him but he can deal with it. He can make the difference time after time and in my opinion that describes a great player. It’s incredible how he has developed himself and players like that deserve trophies. His character and style of play is fantastic.”

Robin van Persie named FWA Footballer of the Year 2012

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Image courtesy of Action Images.

Arsenal captain Robin van Persie has been voted 2012 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association.

The Holland striker, 28, topped the poll of journalists with a landslide victory ahead of Manchester United duo Wayne Rooney in second place and Paul Scholes third with Fulham’s Clint Dempsey fourth.

Van Persie’s 34 goals in all competitions has helped propel the Gunners into the top four of the Barclays Premier League leaving them on the brink of Champions League qualification for next season.

Van Persie – last week named the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year – will receive the prestigious Football Writers’ accolade, which has been running since 1948, at a gala dinner at the Lancaster London Hotel on May 3.

FWA chairman Steve Bates, chief football writer at The People said: “Robin was the overwhelming choice of our members this season and deservedly so after a magnificent campaign for Arsenal.

“The quality of his goals, attacking movement and consistency in a turbulent season for The Gunners has been eye-catching.

“The considerable size of his majority in the votes cast by our members reflected the general view that he has been the season’s most outstanding individual performer.”

We talk to John Cross of The Mirror about a memorable season for FWA Footballer of the Year Robin van Persie…

FWA Q&A: Cathal Dervan

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Cathal Dervan, sports editor of the Irish Sun, on falling out with Roy Keane…tins of sardines in Albania…and why it’s good for football folk to talk…

Your first ever newspaper?
The Meath Chronicle in Market Square, Navan, County Meath. I started covering hurling matches when I was 15 simply because the career guidance teacher in our school was a brother of the Sports Editor. An early introduction to the theory that it’s not what you know but who you know…

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
Other than some time as an 80s DJ, no. I have been known to spin the oldies on the Irish trips – music that is.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
Playing sweeper on the Dunshaughlin Dynamoes reserve team beaten 16-1 by WIndtown United in the Meath and District League sometime around 1983 with a dodgy knee. We still hold the record for the biggest ever defeat in the league’s history.

Most memorable match covered?
Has to be the day Ireland beat England in Stuttgart at Euro 88. I only discovered I was doing the match report, and not the quotes, for the new Irish Daily Star an hour before kick-off. The party in the team hotel that night was something special.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Paul McGrath’s display at centre-half for Ireland against Italy in the Giants Stadium at the 1994 World Cup. Like me, he played at centre-back with a very dodgy knee. There the similarity ends.

Best stadium?
The old Highbury. I became an Arsenal fan back in Dublin the day Charlie George fell to the Wembley turf in 1971 so to work at Highbury as often as I did was a real treat.

…and the worst?
The old Dinamo Bucharest stadium we visited for a European game with St Patrick’s Athletic in 1990- Not long after Ceausescu had fallen with the aid of a few dozen bullets as it happened. No dollars meant no phone – we’ve all been there.

Your best ever scoop?
I did have a hand in the Vinnie Jones for Ireland story and the lads at the Star in London put up the great ‘Vinnie O’Jones’ headline. More recently I revealed that Irish tycoon Denis O’Brien is bankrolling Giovanni Trapattoni’s wage packet.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Freelancing last October before I landed the gig as Irish Sun sports editor, I was covering the Slovakia-Russia game in Zilina for six Irish papers. I closed the laptop lid leaving the press box to walk into the adjacent conference room as Dick Advocaat came up the stairs. The computer has never worked since. Only a kind Czech mate, pun intended, rescued me as he allowed me to use his computer to access Google. The keyboard was a bit different but apparently it improved my copy. I did want to cry that night.

Biggest mistake?
Falling out with Roy Keane at a time when I thought it was clever to be opinionated and loud. I’m still opinionated but just glad I had the chance to make amends with Roy, with the help of Sunderland press guru Louise Wanshaw, a couple of years back in Portugal.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Bizarrely I was mistaken for the then Aston Villa player Kevin Richardson as I making my way into St James’ Park to cover their game with Newcastle United for the Sunderland Echo. And no, I didn’t have a moustache at the time.

Most media friendly manager?
Mick McCarthy. He stood up for me in Italy at the 1990 World Cup when there was a row over payments for access to the players pool and we have been the best of buddies ever since.

Best ever player?
Paul McGrath, without a shadow of a doubt.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
The AC Milan side of Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaard, Baresi and Maldini. Great players, great team. Bias makes me vote for the Ireland side that qualified for the Euros in 1988, our first ever finals. They beat England, drew with Russia and lost to Holland. And you could talk to them without press officers, minders or agents getting in the way.

Best pre-match grub?
I used to love the Indian food at Luton Town when I worked for the Daily Star in London and they were still a club covered by the Daily Star.

Best meal had on your travels?
The most memorable is a visit to an Argentinean steak-house in Amsterdam before an England game against Holland when Rob Shepherd and Joe Lovejoy discussed the Falklands War at length. I was waiting for the chef to carve them up any minute.

…and the worst?
Albania with Ireland. Anyone remember bringing tins of sardines and Jaffa cakes with you on trips to Eastern Europe?

Best hotel stayed in?
Hotel Bristol near Genoa for four days before Ireland played Romania in the 1990 World Cup. Sheer opulence.

…and the worst?
Albania wins again. Tirana. If you were there, you know…

Favourite football writer?
Joe Lovejoy for broadsheets, Rob Shepherd for tabloids and Harry Harris for being Harry Harris.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Mike Ingham on radio, Jonathan Pearce on television. Legends.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Conversation. It’s amazing what happens when people talk to each other openly and without suspicion. Clubs need to realise that.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
The Masters. Thankfully this job has fulfilled all my other sporting ambitions.

Last book read?
The 150,000-word transcript for the tapes of the Jason McAteer book I am about to write. It is hilarious – as you would expect from a man called Trigger.

Favourite current TV programme?
The Big Bang Theory.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
My press pass for Euro 88. Millions in Ireland now claim they were there when Ray Houghton stuck the ball in the English net. I was.

Advice to any would-be football writer?
Learn how to work the internet, study radio and TV and remember – this is not a job, it is a way of life. If you are lucky, and I was, you will be paid to watch football matches. There is nothing better. And be nice to people on the way up – as my granny used to say you will meet them on the way back down.

St George’s Day Delivery for Vauxhall from Stuart Pearce

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Stuart Pearce made a special delivery to a Vauxhall Retailer on St George’s Day to launch England’s new training kit for the European Championship.

Pearce, who was appointed the Interim England Manager in February, hand delivered the new Umbro England training kit to Vauxhall Retailer Pentagon in Burton in a Luton-built Vivaro van.

Vauxhall, the England Team Sponsor, has an agreement to promote merchandise and sell the new St George Flag inspired England collection from St George’s Day until the general release on the 4th of May.

With St George’s Park tailored by Umbro, the new National Football centre, due to open in Burton in August Pentagon was regarded as the ideal location to launch the merchandise agreement.

The Interim England Manager said; “I am delighted to hand over the new Umbro England training kit to Vauxhall.

“Burton will play a pivotal role in the future of English football with the opening of St George’s Park later this summer and what better place to launch this initiative on St George’s Day.”

Duncan Aldred, Chairman and Managing Director of Vauxhall, added; “I’d like to thank Stuart for taking time out of his busy schedule to hand deliver the England training kit.

“Football and cars remain two of the country’s biggest passions and we are all looking forward to an exciting summer of football in Poland and the Ukraine.”

Nick Locker, General Manager at Pentagon Burton, said; “It is a huge honour for us to welcome Stuart Pearce to Burton and we are very excited about the merchandise opportunity with the new England collection.

“Stuart is an iconic figure in the Midlands and we have a number of excited Nottingham Forest fans who have been looking forward to meeting him today and we wish him and the England team every success for the future.”

Vauxhall was announced as the England Team Sponsor in January 2010 in a sponsorship deal that runs until the end of the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

There is a wide selection of England football merchandise available at www.vauxhallmerchandise.co.uk

For more information on Vauxhall sponsorship of England and the other Home Nations go to www.vauxhallfootball.co.uk

My Week: Sam Wallace

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Sam Wallace, football correspondent of the Independent, on a banned electronic cigarette…punny man Shaun Custis…and writing a column sitting on the floor of a crowded train…

MONDAY 16 APRIL
The week really began yesterday, at Wembley for the Chelsea v Tottenham FA Cup semi-final. Sunday is always a big day for live action. On Monday, I talk to my sports editor Matt Gatward about the week ahead and Saturday’s paper, which is important. We talk a lot over the course of any normal day, which I am sure is the best thing about the job for Matt.
Matt and his deputy Marc Padgett run the department with considerable grace under pressure. The sports desk staff produces the Independent and the i newspaper sports pages, every day. Occasionally they are permitted a day off.

That evening is Wigan against Arsenal at the Emirates. Eight minutes in, Arsenal are two goals down and this has become a big story. I mention on Twitter that Arsenal have confirmed Wigan’s away support is the smallest-ever at the Emirates. Usually, making a comment perceived as criticising a club’s support would be to invite torrents of abuse. There is barely a reaction. I mention this to my press box counterparts. “It’s a victimless crime,” observes The Times’ Rory Smith.

Arsenal lose. Arsene Wenger announces that Jack Wilshere is out of Euro 2012. It is a busy night.

TUESDAY 17 APRIL
Under Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea’s Champions League pre-match press conferences have been moved back to 6.45pm. Given that our newspaper’s first edition deadline is 7.30pm at the absolute latest, this presents problems. It gives me little time for the 1,000-word inside piece and the 800-back page lead. But getting it done in time is all part of the fun.

Matt Lawton of the Daily Mail asks Pep Guardiola the big question about whether he could see himself managing Chelsea one day. Unfortunately it’s a bit of an anti-climax because Guardiola misunderstands the question, which is a surprise because Lawton’s Catalan is excellent.

The format for official Uefa press conferences is terrible. You have to wait for a microphone to ask a question, then there is a translation and then the answer and then more translation and then a Uefa official grabs the microphone off you. It’s like trying to have a conversation with someone on a time-lapse telephone line.
Both pieces have to be tinkered with for the second edition. As I leave Stamford Bridge I walk past the old wooden matchday sign on the Fulham Broadway. It announces “Next opponents: Barcelona”. It really is a privilege to cover these games.

WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL
There should be some respite during the day because the paper will ultimately be full of the live action from the night’s game. My last option for a Saturday interview falls through. My colleague Ian Herbert comes to the rescue. He is going to see Shaun Derry, which works out to be an excellent piece.

The Stamford Bridge press room is packed. Roy Keane, an ITV pundit, is eating a slice of pizza with the same intense expression he once confronted opponents. Michael Regan, the award-winning (so he tells me) Getty photographer, mentions that some of his fellow snappers began queuing for their pitchside places at 2pm.

My colleague James Lawton is told by a Chelsea steward that smoking is prohibited in the stadium. Jim points out that after years of loyalty to Marlboro he is actually smoking an electronic cigarette. The steward is still insistent. It has to go. Jim shakes his head in disbelief. When he started covering football, the players smoked more than the reporters.
The game that night lives up to all expectations. I think Chelsea are excellent. It is an engrossing match.

As the final whistle goes I can hear Shaun Custis of the Sun shouting at me from across the press box. I don’t need to look up from my laptop to know what he’s on about. He’s telling me he’s going to write another match report intro punning on Didier Drogba’s name. Shaun has written more Drogba puns than any person in the English-speaking world. I just hope he doesn’t make a Drog’s dinner of this one.

THURSDAY 19 APRIL
The big games these days get three days of coverage in the newspaper. There is more to follow-up from the game. Drogba’s contract, for instance. He is a free agent at the end of the season.

That evening, I notice a tweet from the BBC reporter Rob Bonnet including quotes from Phil Gartside, the Bolton Wanderers chairman and Football Association board member, who has been interviewed for the following day’s Today programme. Gartside has endorsed Harry Redknapp as England manager. He is the first FA board member to do so. We manage to get a story into our final edition that goes at about 12.30am.

No decent reporter would ever rely on Twitter wholesale, but it can be an excellent way of monitoring what the opposition are up to.

FRIDAY 20 APRIL
Off to Arsenal’s training ground for Arsene Wenger’s weekly press conference. It is also the time of the week when I start to think about my Monday column which has to be written at some point over the weekend, but before the game I am covering on the Sunday.

A decent column has to have a coherent argument. Failing that, an incoherent argument. But it has to say something. Some weeks it is obvious what the column should be, others less so. It occurs to me that I have more ideas for the ‘My Week’ feature requested of me by Chris Davies at the FWA than I have for my column. This is a worry.

Wenger speaks to television and radio reporters first and then separately to the newspaper reporters. He is the kind of man who is always supposed to be in a rush but who answers questions as if he could talk all day. My bet is that he relishes the fierce intellectual jousts he has with us. Or perhaps we just amuse him.

My deadly rival John Cross, from the Daily Mirror, asks Wenger who he is going to vote for in the French presidential elections. I make a mental note that Crossy is probably working on a major, in-depth piece on French politics – in all likelihood, for the New Yorker magazine or something similar.

SATURDAY 21 APRIL
It surprises people when I tell them that Saturday is my day off. As a general rule, I do not work for the Independent on Sunday so this is my one free day. I unwind by drawing the blinds and working my way through a stack of DVDs of games from Germany’s lower leagues that I borrowed from Wenger. That is untrue. I spend the day with my family.

SUNDAY 22 APRIL
I get the 8.20am Virgin train from Euston to Manchester for United’s home game with Everton. I would much rather drive but I have yet to write my Monday column. The train is packed. Like many other passengers, I spend the journey sat on the floor. All of us agree this is outrageous. The ticket inspector arrives. No-one makes a complaint.

The game is another low-key affair: a 4-4 draw with two late goals for Everton that re-ignite the title race. On the return trip I decide to explore the generosity of the Independent expenses department by getting a £15 first class upgrade.

The first-class carriage is full of people who have been on corporate junkets at Old Trafford. One of them, an American, complains that half-time was not long enough for him to get a beer. Why is it not half an hour, he asks?

It should be said that the vast majority of football fans who email me or get in touch on Twitter are so knowledgeable about the game that they pick me up on the smallest mistake, and occasionally in a good-natured fashion.

The following day involves an early flight to Barcelona for the return leg. I never lose sight of how fortunate I am to attend these games. But, as with all my fellow reporters, it is all about the quality of the work produced. Most of all, I want to do a good job.

Liberty Stadium facilities report

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Brian Scovell reports on our Facilities Committee visit to Swansea City FC on April 17, 2012…

Tony Hudd and I visited the highly impressive Liberty Stadium on a very windy day and we concluded that many of the Barclays Premier League clubs have yet to match its standards. For example, the two press boxes are on the half-way line – the 52-seater higher up and the other one, which has more than 40 working stations along a wide corridor, on a lower level – whereas more clubs are now placing their corporate boxes on the halfway line.

Jonathan Wilsher, the chief press officer, told us a separate entrance, near the VIP entrance, is to built for the media for next season 12 metres from the press room which is perfectly adequate. However, the press room which includes the interview section, is be extended by six metres at the opposite end to accommodate more working spaces. The club are upgrading the standard of the hot meals and refreshments. And the room will be decorated with pictures, memorabilia etc.

A wall or fence, will be installed behind the 40+ working stations to prevent spectators leaning over to read the writers’ copy and engaging in conversation. This area is on the first floor – a top class viewing spot – and no spectators can obstruct the view. There are separate mixed zones with the away team leaving from a different part of the stand.

Extra parking spaces are planned but there is a park and ride from a bigger car park five minutes’ walk away. We learned that the players have been training on astroturf in recent months which might explain why their passing is so Barcelona style! A new grass surface is being used for next season. Ospreys Rugby Club share the stadium and there was no damage to the playing pitch, a tribute to the ground staff.

We have congratulated Reading for their sensational final surge to regain their place in the Barclays Premier League and they are inviting us to come along with our suggestions. The overflow is currently near a corner flag and that subject will be first on the agenda.

Norwich report that they have no plans to improve their facilities at the Carrow Road for next season. West Ham say the same thing. Southampton tell us they will revert back to the original facilities at St. Mary’s Stadium.

FWA Live: Football Writers’ Association unveils Euro 2012 preview event

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The Football Writers’ Association has today launched the first ‘FWA Live’ event – a preview evening featuring a selection of the most respected football writers in the country who will look ahead to this summer’s European Championships in Poland and Ukraine.

FWA Live, in partnership with the National Literacy Association, will take place at the Imagination Gallery in central London on Wednesday, May 16th 2012 from 6:30pm.

Brian Woolnough (Daily Star) will act as the evening’s host and will be joined by a high-class panel comprising of Henry Winter (Daily Telegraph), Shaun Custis (The Sun), Matt Lawton (Daily Mail) and Andy Dunn (Sunday Mirror).

England football legend and BBC broadcaster

Gary Lineker will also be present to add his thoughts to the discussion with Sky Sports News presenter Charlotte Jackson on hand to take questions from the audience.

The debate will range from the panel’s views on England’s chances of success, to selecting their England starting XIs and overall predictions for who will win the competition. The writers will also reflect back on their experiences at previous European Championships and provide ‘behind the scenes’ insights into how teams prepare themselves for one of the biggest stages in European football.

FWA Chairman Steve Bates said: “We are delighted to able to launch our first FWA Live event with such an illustrious line-up of footballing experts. Bringing together the combined experiences and knowledge of these individuals under one roof will provide a thoughtful and entertaining preview of what is set to be a very exciting Euro 2012 competition.”

The event is being staged to raise awareness of the National Literary Association, a partner of the FWA. The National Literacy Association works in partnership with a range of organisations to promote awareness of and support children’s literacy needs. Tickets for the event went on sale today priced at £40, including food and refreshment.

To purchase tickets click here.

FWA Q&A: Neil Moxley

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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