Category Archives:

My Week: Janine Self

Posted on by

You can read the winceyette pyjama-wearing, long distance driving Janine’s glamorous job in the People and Daily Mail.

Sunday November 20
Door to door, the commute takes about 30 seconds. Roll out of bed, stagger down corridor, enter office, plonk down in front of PC. None of this “what shall I wear” malarky. Winceyette pyjamas and hair rollers meet the dress code at Self Towers. Hah, you thought this job was glamorous? My first task of this working day (weekends are working days, generally) is to put the finishing touch to part of my match order from the previous day.

Having already written 750 words after the game for The People, I am now on Daily Mail duty, completing the Monday morning Match Zone box. I need to find a Top Tweet from the West Brom v Bolton game. Easy in theory, ridiculously hard in practice. Finally, after sending out a series of Twitter maydays, I’m pointed in the direction of someone who I’m assured is the real Phil Gartside. Hope so anyway, although his tweet is so banal it can’t be fake. Can it?

Match Zone sent, breakfast consumed (croissant and coffee) then it’s time to write a 400 word match report which will go on Mail on-line at 10.30pm. Pressures of space mean that there is simply no room for most Saturday matches in the Monday paper.

Now for the second part of my working day. I’m off to the Mail office to do a night news desk shift. The commute is slightly longer and I decide against turning up in either the winceyette pyjamas or the hair rollers. Door to door it’s 145 miles one way and the journey becomes a pigging one thanks to thick fog. Arrive in Kensington for 5.0ish. The simplest way to describe the job is that you are a conduit between reporting staff and the production desk. The only late sport tonight is the tennis at the O2 – Rafa Nadal’s press conference starts at past midnight and the Mail’s erudite tennis correspondent, Mike Dickson, is on the case. Leave the office at 1.0am for the short drive home. At least the fog has cleared.

Monday November 21
Knackered. Then again, I tumbled into bed at 4.0am. Unlike the song, I actually quite like Mondays. It’s usually an invoice-sending, money-chasing, books-updating slob-out day of catching up except when I’m on podcast duty (more of that later).

First though, I log on to socqer.com to answer a couple of questions. It’s one of the projects that I’m involved with – a football questions and answers site, which has been launched quite recently. Questions range from the in-depth to the inane and so do the answers.

After that I have one more task. I am on the committee of the Sports Journalists’ Association and every week the website publishes the week’s sporting quotes. Usual contributor, Ian Cole, is up to his neck in organising the SJA’s prestigious Sports Awards lunch on December 7 so I have stepped off the bench. My favourite is Gary Neville’s brilliant description of David Luiz – he looks like he’s being controlled by a ten-year-old on a Playstation. My day finishes in front of the tv, watching Tottenham toy with Aston Villa.

Tuesday November 22
A morning of leaf-sweeping, an afternoon as a domestic goddess and then it’s Birmingham v Burnley for the Mail. Arrive early, tuck in to cajun chicken, sweet potato fries and Mediterranean vegetables – excellent fare considering that the club have no money and are in the Championship. The press room is virtually empty – many journalists have decamped to the FA Cup replay at Stourbridge. Nice to catch up with Darren in the Burnley press office and to poke fun at the slugs on the upper lips of Chris and Andy in the Birmingham press office. Birmingham win 2-1 with an injury-time goal – some 20 minutes AFTER I have sent my match report. I pick up the phone and talk the goal through with the sub-editor who is handling my copy. Wait for managers – both excellent value – then do a 350 word re-write and head home. I’m always hyper after a night match so stay up and watch the Champions League highlights. Napoli are quite good.

Wednesday November 23
Day off – apart from answering socqer.com questions, exchanging twitter banter, taking several phone calls and speaking to a man about a book. And does watching Chelsea labour in Leverkusen count as work?

Thursday November 24
Alarm goes off at 5.0am. A crazy day. First, podcast. This is my chance to sit on a red sofa and pontificate with the BT Life’s A Pitch panel and mine host, the multi-faceted Michael Calvin. Mike’s show is bi-weekly and there are a dozen or so journalists who contribute regularly. I’m a late stand-in today and my fellow “pundits” are Ian Ridley, author extraordinaire, and old chum John Cross of the Mirror. There is one logistical problem. I live in the Midlands and the BT headquarters is next to St Paul’s tube station. And I have to be there for 9.30am.

I hit the road at quarter to six, breathe a sigh of relief that there is no fog, ice or rain, just pitch-blackness and pull up at Perivale tube station at 8.30am, giving me time to check the morning headlines. Then it’s 35 minutes on the Central Line. The guys at BT are great. Opt for a strong cup of coffee but decline the offer of a sausage sandwich as we talk about what we’re going to talk about. Today Chelsea crisis, Manchester United blip in Europe, Crystal Palace, Birmingham City, transfer watch and manager of the season, so far (I go for Chris Powell at Charlton). We head to the studio around 10.0am then it’s make-up, lights, action.

As soon as we finish, I am off. The Mail have asked me to cover Mick McCarthy’s pre-match press conference, at Wolves’ training ground, at 2.0pm. Wolves are playing Chelsea, after all. I drive away from Perivale tube station at midday, which means I am not so much cutting it fine as embarking on mission impossible. Luckily, the way MM operates is to speak to the tv guys first, then radio, and finally written. I arrive at Compton at 2.25pm to find Mick still talking to the cameras. Phew.

Mick’s on fine form, too, accepting with good grace that he will spend a lot more time on the subject of Chelsea than the subject of Wolves. He gives the written press 20 minutes, finishing off with a message of encouragement for Matt Jarvis, whose form has dipped since his England call-up. The consensus is to keep the Jarvis line for Saturday morning as the match preview.

I realise as I’m driving home that I have not actually eaten anything but a banana all day. Thankfully there is a cold sausage lurking in the fridge when I get home. So far my working day has been 13 hours long and I’ve driven about 320 miles. Write my Wolves story for the Mail and crash out.

Friday November 25
While I am a freelance (available to work for anyone, in other words), my two regular newspaper gigs are for The People and the Mail. This weekend Aston Villa play at Swansea on Sunday so I’m on preview duty for The People, which means a trip down to Villa’s training ground – A SHORT DRIVE AWAY.

Last week we spoke to Alex McLeish about Spurs so today the club have made defender James Collins available to the Sunday papers. I know Collins from covering Wales and he is a very good talker. He is brutally honest about his own and Villa’s shortcomings in the defeat at Spurs. It will make a good read for Sunday. Bump into Alex McLeish on the way in and he looks at my boots and my gilet and asks: “Have you left your horse outside?”

He’s being peppered with insults and criticism from every angle but McLeish is a class act as a person even if I am now questioning his sense of humour. Consider bowling up in winceyette pyjamas and hair rollers next time.

Saturday November 26
Match day. West Brom v Tottenham and I’m really looking forward to seeing Spurs “in the flesh”. Food at The Hawthorns is of the pie and pastie variety with delicious creamy things and the strongest, most undrinkable coffee imaginable. Make the fatal mistake of mentioning the diary to the troops. Monday – did the ironing. Tuesday – vacuumed. And so on. Men will be boys, after all. My match order is 750 words on the final whistle and same again, with quotes, at 6.0pm. After a ropey start, Harry Redknapp’s team start to strutt their stuff although West Brom contributed fully to a great match. Even better, both managers are in the press room to give the post-match verdict very quickly. Email the re-write just before 6.0 and head home.

Sunday November 27
On the road 5.30am. Gale force winds and driving rain make the journey more interesting . Back down to London, this time for a day news desk shift on the Mail. Groundhog day for this diary. Miles driven this week – over 1,000. Days worked – most of them. And you thought this job was glamorous.

OVERCOMING THE INTERVIEW BARRIERS

Posted on by

‘THERE ARE MORE BARRIERS THAN EVER TO OVERCOME TO INTERVIEW PLAYERS’ says Daily Telegraph chief sports writer Paul Hayward

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

Paul Hayward this week returned to what many feel is his natural home, the Daily Telegraph, after a six-year absence. While most newspapers are tightening their belts, the Telegraph are again investing in their sports coverage, 21 years after producing the first broadsheet sports supplement.

Hayward said: ‘That was a golden age and it was a great challenge to be part of the revolution. It started as a Monday supplement, then a Saturday and soon there was a sports supplement every day. It put sport at the forefront of the newspaper and we were able to write about sports as never before.

‘There was more space for columns and analysis but then the recession kicked in. The Telegraph are again big and bold, investing in sports journalism which is always attractive while I know Ben Clissitt who is head of sport at the Telegraph from the Guardian.’

Hayward spent three years with the Daily Mail and a further three with the Guardian/Observer after leaving the Telegraph in 2005. He said: ‘I have never changed my style wherever I have worked. I was presumably employed because of how I wrote so there is no point in trying to write like someone else. The Mail taught me a lot. The sports pages are highly disciplined and I learned to get to the point quicker in my columns.’

Football, inevitably, dominates the life of a chief sports writer and self-confessed Brighton fan Hayward said: ‘I’d say football probably accounts for 70 per cent of my writing. You cannot be a sports writer unless you cover football. The only exception I can think of with an iconic sports writer is the great Ian Wooldridge who turned his back on football to a large extent but these days you have to be educated in football.’

As a columnist Hayward is not in the firing line when it comes to finding a back- or front-page lead though he has nothing but admiration for the news hounds who work at the sharp end of the business, searching for stories that clubs would, in many cases, prefer not to be made public.

He said: ‘I feel almost embarrassed sometimes seeing them in action, hanging around car parks and waiting in mixed zones for players. While I am usually in the mixed zone I am not under the constant intense pressure they are to produce stories to feed into the furnace. There are more barriers between the media and players than ever before. They are almost inaccessible with managers, agents or image rights consultants to be overcome.’

While in the past newspapers just competed against their rivals to break stories, the age of new technology means the internet is now a powerful opponent for the print media.

Hayward believes Twitter, the latest platform for breaking news and goal-flashes, can be used to the media’s advantage.

He said: ‘Sports journalists are cunning and have survival instincts. You can use Twitter to your advantage, opening up a market with people who would not necessarily read you. You should use your rival as a friend and a lot of writers have embraced Twitter. While you don’t want to spill the beans with a story, if you give people live observations from press conferences or games they may go on to read the real thing.’

With just about every major sporting event, plus well deserved individual awards on his CV, Hayward can look back on a wealth of happy memories but one occasion stands out. ‘When France won the 1998 World Cup with a multi-racial team and Zinedine Zidane at his peak,’ he said. ‘I was up until 5am in the streets of Paris and it was a wonderful, unforgettable night.’

The changing face of sports coverage is reflected in Hayward’s advice to the next generation of back-page football writers and columnists. ‘You must have ideas,’ he said. ‘Whoever you are interviewing, be it someone with 40 England caps or a player from Eastern Europe, you must find something new and interesting about him.

‘Also, no 21-year-old coming into the business can expect a career as just a writer. You have to take in radio and TV these days – and have plenty of energy.’

FWA Q&A: Andy Dunn

Posted on by

We talk to the Sunday Mirror’s Sports Columnist Andy Dunn about Paolo Di Canio’s push, Eric Cantona’s bank manager and, erm, Made in Chelsea…

Your first ever newspaper?
Crewe and Nantwich Guardian

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
Once worked as a volunteer in a Citizen’s Advice Bureau. Some citizens got some very bad advice. Was hopeless. But apart from that, no.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
Scoring in my first game as University of York captain against Sheffield Uni. Didn’t score many from right-back. Hit the bar with my largely redundant left peg as well. And we won 4-2. Fellow old boys now in the business include Daily Mirror’s David Maddock and The Guardian’s David Conn.

Most memorable match covered?
Covered all major finals of the last 12 years but, even though it was a qualifier, you would have to go some to match Germany 1, England 5. Tight deadlines heighten the thrill. And I remember going to a Munich tobacconist prior to the game with The Sun’s Chief Sports Writer Steven Howard. He bought the biggest cigar I’ve ever seen and sparked it up when the fifth went in.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Paolo Di Canio pushing over referee Paul Alcock. It happened right beneath my press box seat. Funniest thing I’ve seen at a match.

Best stadium?
The only game I saw in this stadium – England’s desperately scrappy win against Algeria – was a shocker but the backdrop made it memorable. Green Point Stadium, Cape Town.

…and the worst?
In the same tournament, did not like Soccer City. Pretty soulless.

Your best ever scoop?
Could probably claim a few that would be disputed by my fellow journos. Was told by Eric Cantona’s bank manager that he – Eric, not the bank manager – was quitting football. Didn’t believe him…and the King retired the next day.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
When David Beckham scored that late free-kick against Greece, I was filing on the whistle. Computer crashed and I rang tech dept for help. ‘Take the battery out and sit on it for ten minutes, I was told.’

Biggest mistake?
Not exactly a mistake but I almost caused the closure of a prominent local newspaper when I was acting editor by running a front page that libeled the entire borough council.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Yes, Fabio Capello.

Most media friendly manager?
Has to be Harry Redknapp. Arsene Wenger is good but Harry picks up the phone.

Best ever player?
Lionel Messi. No question. His goals against Arsenal at the Nou Camp were simply stunning. A breathtaking player.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Again, no question. Barcelona – especially the vintage that humiliated Manchester United at Wembley. Although England should probably have beaten them in the quarter-finals, I enjoyed covering the World Cup-winning Brazil team of 2002.

Best pre-match grub?
Breakfast at the Emirates ahead of an early kick-off.

Best meal had on your travels?
Covering David Beckham playing for Real Madrid in Beijing, went to a restaurant that served only duck … every single part of the duck. Eyeballs, the lot. It was sensational. And didn’t end up at the quacks.

…and the worst?
Monkey’s brains, South Korea. Duck brains, yes – monkey brains, no.

Best hotel stayed in?
Brenners Park, Baden-Baden. Not only for its grandeur but because we we sharing it with the WAG’s. Now, that was fun.

…and the worst?
Hard to single one out. Tend to forget about them pretty quickly. But I seem to recall the one in Tirana was pretty dire.

Favourite football writer?
Impossible to single one out. There are so many good ones right now.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Again, so many good ones. Like Mike Ingham’s style in particular.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Actually have meetings/seminars with managers/players to discuss the press issues. Not go a through a third party.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
As a chief sports writer, I’ve been fortunate to cover a lot of my dream events, Sydney Olympics, world title fights in Vegas etc. Would love to cover the Melbourne Cup. After that, the Masters.

Last book read?
A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke by Ronald Reng. Good but sad read.

Favourite current TV programme?
I have a strange fascination with Made in Chelsea. I suspect I am in a tiny minority.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
One of the few journalists not to do memorabilia.

Andy Dunn, formerly the Chief Sports Writer of the News of the World, is the Sunday Mirror’s Sports Columnist and regular contributor to BBC Radio Five Live and Sky Sports.

My Week: Colin Young

Posted on by

The non-breakfasting Ireland correspondent of the Daily Mail takes us behind the scenes of the Republic’s qualification for Euro 2012…

Monday November 8
An international week with the Republic of Ireland always starts at Newcastle airport, followed by the joys of a certain low budget airline. Thankfully I always manage to fall asleep on planes as soon as they start to taxi, so I have no idea what all the fuss is about. Myself and my colleague Damian Spellman from the Press Association, another North East football hack, arrive in wind-swept Dublin after midday and head straight to the White Sands Hotel, our regular base for these trips, which is a pleasant mile walk along the coast to the training ground.

First up for the week is a meeting with Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni in Malahide United’s clubhouse. He is in feisty mood at the start of a long week, and he keeps repeating the mantra that Ireland are not favourites. Like us, the Estonia coach will not believe a word of it, but his assistant Marco Tardelli will repeat it also later in the week. After a short break, we head to the Grand Hotel in Malahide for a mixed zone with members of the Ireland squad. Jon Walters appears first for the daily newspapers and his interview will appear in tomorrow’s papers. The words of Stephen Kelly, Stephen Ward and Paul McShane will be held for editions over the next few days.

Tuesday November 9
I missed breakfast this morning but then we had a late start.

It was midday before we made our way back to the training ground and a meeting with Shay Given. Only there is a problem, the Aston Villa is absent from training with a neck strain and has stayed at the team hotel. When the players head straight to the bus after training, it’s clear we don’t have a player to interview. Assistant Marco Tardelli confirms Given’s injury. Turns out he has rested along With Richard Dunne, Keith Fahey and Keith Andrews. None serious, but we have our news story, especially for the back pages of the Irish editions.

Shay can’t provide us with an interview but he gives us a newsline. His absence from the media rota means a shifting in the running order from the mixed zone. So Fulham’s Stephen Kelly, who will start in place of the injured John O’Shea, moves from Wednesday to Tuesday and will be run alongside the Paul McShane interview.

My Irish Daily Mail colleague Philip Quinn sat in on the Ward interview, I sat in on Kelly and McShane, so I have a busy afternoon in my makeshift office with Mr Spellman above the White Sands reception area. With news coming from Sunderland on Connor Wickham’s injury, we both spend several hours tapping away furiously before retiring to the hotel bar for a well-earned pint of the black stuff. Or two.

Wednesday November 10
I missed breakfast today but we had a shot-gun start and a meeting with Mr Given in the clubhouse.

With wind and rain battering us, it was decided, quite rightly, to head indoors for the interviews, which were also carried by TV and radio. After training, Marco was around too with better news of the injured four, who all trained. The final decision Trapattoni must make is whether to start with Walters or Cox upfront as partner for Robbie Keane who is fit again.

The Irish Daily Mail is carrying five pages on the play-offs tomorrow, plus a short back page story, and between us Quinner and I deliver the lot, on top of an interview with Middlesbrough’s Tarmo Kink. So another busy afternoon in the White Sands bashing away at the keyboard. With Mr Spellman en route to Tallinn, I decided to go for a run down the coast road, which was bracing to say the least. Then just as I laid my head in the bath, news came through of Newcastle’s decision to change the name of St James’ Park…

Thursday November 11
I missed breakfast this morning because the kitchen was not even open when I left my hotel.

It was darker when I left this morning, than it was last night when I went to bed. I was very good and went to bed early last night but my alarm clock, which is a replica of the chimes of Big Ben, still had to belt out several `Bongs’ before I emerged from a deep slumber. Still, at least I will sleep on the plane. We are heading to Tallinn this morning, which is one of my favourite cities from 12 years of covering the Republic of Ireland, but not with the team who flew out yesterday. A couple of hours after our arrival we will head to the A Le Coq Stadium for a press conference with Robbie Keane and Giovanni Trapattoni. The veteran Italian has done a tremendous job with limited resources player-wise and is like the grandfather of the game, but boy can he be difficult understand on these occasions, with his mixture of Italian, English, Irish, German and Portuguese. Or Trappish as we call it.

Thankfully, for the English and Irish editions, today I will be mainly concentrating on Keane, who has been enjoying himself in the States with LA Galaxy. The Ireland captain will play, despite being virtually ruled out by Trap a month ago after he was forced to miss the final group win over Armenia. In the pre-match press conference, with his manager sat beside him, the former Spurs man is in great form. And the message is quite simple. Ireland have worked too hard, been hurt too many times, particularly in Paris, to throw this all away now. And Robbie is desperate to lead his country in Poland or Ukraine.

Friday November 12
I missed breakfast this morning because match day is always one of quiet contemplation and relaxation.

That, and a late finish in one of Tallinn’s trendier bars, suggests breakfast was never really going to happen in the first place. So after a pleasant snooze, a delightful lunch in a medieval hall in the centre of town (wild boar soup followed by a sea full of smoken fish) myself and some colleagues head to our hotel spa area. Never have I felt so cleansed and cleaned and refreshed. There were enough jacuzzis, saunas, massage showers and pools to float a navy, including a salt sauna, which involves smothering oneself in rock salt and sitting in searing heat. A definite first, but when in Tallinn…

Then finally to match time. And after covering Ireland for 12 years across the globe, I have become accustomed to tension, anxiety and nerves. And that’s just to get the wi-fi working. While the technology lets us all down in the alleged techno capital of Europe, the team and Il Trap do not. Although a little fortunate with one or two refereeing decisions, Ireland blow their opponents away 4-0 and by full-time they are within touching distances of next summer’s finals. It is party time.

Saturday November 13
I made breakfast this morning, although that was only because the breakfast bar had opened by the time myself and several of my Irish newspaper colleagues were heading to bed.

Yes it was that kind of night, although in our defence we left the A Le Coq Arena at one am local time, and the bars of Tallinn were only too pleased to take our custom.

But when the bongs went off on my alarm half an hour ago, it was not particularly pleasant. And the prospect of a three-hour flight to Dublin, a Trapattoni press conference within half an hour of our return, does not exactly set the pulse racing.

However, we will all be professional to the end, we will all be present for the great man’s observations on a very very good night. Just don’t expect him to get carried away.

Sunday November 13
I missed breakfast this morning because it was another late start at a wind-swept Malahide United training ground. No point spoiling a well-deserved lie-in.

I did contact home several times in the morning for running reports on Deerness Valley Under 15s’ game against South Tyneside Jets, and my lad Tom’s team came out 5-0 victors. Who needs their manager eh?

And there were junior games on the many pitches at Malahide too, but we were there to see Marco Tardelli who met us in the car park and was surrounded by a crowd of journalists hanging on his every word through the howling gale. Four hours later, we were back at the Grand Hotel to see Keith Andrews, Stephen Hunt and Simon Cox.

Understandably the mood in the camp is good and light-hearted, which is reflected in the interviews. And that’s just the journos – although one or two of my colleagues are looking rather tired.

Last night was the PFAI annual awards’ dinner. I was down to attend but when guest speaker Roy Keane pulled out, so did I. Some of my colleagues landed at six, went straight from the airport to the Grand to meet Mr Trapattoni for his press conference and then headed out, suited and booted, to the black tie event on the other side of Dublin. The last award was presented just before midnight, by which time some of our number were falling asleep at their table.

There is news of a possible friendly against England in Dublin next June, providing the two avoid each other in the Euro Finals draw on December 2.

Monday November 14
I didn’t make breakfast this morning. But only because I didn’t want to break the habit of the week.

I did grab a croissant from the shop next door after an early start because today is another busy one. It is the North East FWA annual awards dinner next Sunday and as one of the organisers there is work to do, even from here. Nothing major, just sponsors, top table, comedian, MC, auction and raffle, tickets, guests. There are, as Mr Trapattoni would say, small details to cover but they need to be done for the event to, hopefully, run smoothly.

At lunchtime there is a meeting with Richard Dunne. Ten years ago he was one of three unused outfield players in Japan and South Korea. In the summer he will be one of the first names in Trapattoni’s starting line-up. `I can’t stop smiling,’ he said in the Malahide clubhouse. He is one of the Ireland players who really understands what it means to be back at the European Championship finals and his words will make a nice piece tomorrow.

After a very pleasant lunch with my friend and colleague Paul Hyland from the Herald, we head back to the Grand for the latest instalment from Trap and Keane. He names the team – Hunt, Doyle and O’Shea come in for Kelly, Walters and McGeady – and he announces that Robbie Keane has turned down the chance to return to LA Galaxy so he can play (and no doubt celebrate) tomorrow night. The current captain’s decision is in contrast to that of his predecessor and namesake Roy who returned to Manchester United after the first leg win over Iran ten years ago, pulling out of the second leg in Tehran because `the job was done.’ Should make for some interesting copy from my Irish colleagues tomorrow.

Tuesday November 15
I didn’t make breakfast this morning as I didn’t want to spoil my early morning run – incredibly the fourth of this 10-day Euro 2012 adventure.

I am running a marathon for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust next year (venue still to be confirmed and to fit in with the Euro Finals once Ireland have sealed qualification) and the long, long road to fitness has started this week. The run down the coast and around the beaches into Malahide is one of my favourites, providing you can negotiate a route past the fellow joggers, speed walkers, dogs and prams.

After checking up on a couple of stories from the North East patch as usual, it is the traditional late lunch – chicken wings at the Elephant and Castle – followed by a gentle walk down to Lansdowne Road, or the Aviva Stadium as it is now known. The build-up of green-shirted punters in the many bars in the roads leading to the ground suggests the stadium really will be a sell-out tonight, although I’m sure they say that every month.

It should be a party atmosphere, it should be a straight-forward game and three different match reports for the English and Irish editions (plus back page and player ratings for Dublin). But this is Ireland . . . though no one shed any tears when Trap’s team only drew 1-1.

The mystery of England’s 2000th goal

Posted on by

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

WHEN IS as an own-goal not an own-goal? When it is the 2,000th goal scored by England since they started playing internationals in 1872 apparently.

Even Gareth Barry had conceded his headed winner – no apostrophes needed now – against Sweden was what is commonly known as an oggie.

But the Manchester City midfielder – and just about every football writer covering the friendly – was wrong.

Czech referee Pavel Kralovec has awarded the goal to Barry and the record books will show ‘Gareth Barry’ and not ‘Daniel Majstorovic og.’

Mike Collett, who reported the game for Reuters, was unsure who had the final say on the scorer in a friendly.

He said: “In competitive ties, either internationals or European games, FIFA or UEFA have representatives who rule on such matters.

“I telephoned the Football Association to ask what the process. ‘Good question,’ I was told. ‘We’ll get back to you.’

“They said it was the referee’s decision. They asked him to study the footage and take a view. If the match would have been in a FIFA or UEFA competition, the competitions committee would decide, but in a friendly, it is the referee’s decision.’

And the referee decided it was Barry’s goal.

Collett said: “Fabio Capello didn’t really care about the goalscorer. For him it was just statistics and not important. He said it might be important in 10 years who scored the 2,000th goal, but not now.”

With tens of thousands of pounds sometimes depending on who scores the first goal such details are of immediate financial if not historical importance.

William Hill paid out to any punter who backed Barry as being the first, last or anytime scorer and also on anyone who backed a 1-0 scoreline with Barry scoring.

“The scoreboard at Wembley displayed throughout the game that Gareth Barry was the goalscorer but despite Daniel Majstorovic being credited as having got the final touch. We celebrated a landmark 2,000th England goal by paying out to any punter who backed the City midfielder to score,” said Hill’s spokesman Joe Crilly.

The anorak in Collett also pointed out that England’s first goal was scored by William Kenyon-Slaney in a 4-2 win over Scotland on March 28, 1873 and the 1000th goal came from Jimmy Greaves in a 5-1 win over Wales at Wembley on Nov. 23 1960.

Steve Tongue: My Week

Posted on by

Steve TongueFind out what The Independent on Sunday’s Steve Tongue has been up to with the latest in our My Week series…

Friday November 4

To NUJ chapel meeting regarding the forthcoming merger of sports desks on the Independent, Independent on Sunday and Evening Standard. There have been times in the past 38 years when union subs have felt a luxury but the Indy chapel remains one of the best supported in what we used to call Fleet Street. Militant mood on hearing that there could be up to 20 redundancies overall, the feeling being that resources are already stretched quite tightly enough without losing any more staff. Strong motion sent back to management. Return home to write piece on Fulham’s old boys facing Spurs on Sunday.

Saturday November 5
Unusually the FA have decided that Fabio Capello should meet the Sunday papers on a Saturday, something they had previously insisted was logistically impossible. It will at least prevent any further leaks to Saturday’s Sun. Suits me anyway, being in central London and en route to the late kick-off at QPR. Embarrassing moment at Charing Cross station when the office asks for the Fulham piece I “filed” yesterday evening. Oh no you didn’t, Stephen. Worse, it’s on the laptop I left at home, not the one I have with me – sheer incompetence. American tourists surprised by man doing impression of John Cleese. Saved by phone call to daughter, who calmly selects story and sends it with minimum fuss. What would we old folk do without technically savvy offspring? After that little drama, 1,200 words of Fabio on John Terry, followed by QPR v Man City is a piece of cupcake. Fine game, lively quotes and eventually make a 60th birthday party in the wilds of Hampton Wick.

Sunday November 6
“Day off” with 700 words to write for Indy on QPR game begins by catching up with papers and a Match of the Day recording, making clear everything we missed at the game. Grateful to other papers for guidance on player ratings, it being impossible to watch and report the game as well as assessing 26 players. Shame that’s the only bit the players read. Day continues with work and enjoyment coinciding, watching Wolves v Wigan and Fulham v Spurs, the latter bringing roars in our household at Defoe’s late goal, as son had a 100-1 bet on Bale scoring first in a 3-1 win. Banking on him for my old age. Quick look at Barca but wife seems strangely resistant to three games in a day and insists on final episode of Downton.

Monday November 7
Much more like a proper day off, in between calls and emails trying to sort out some interviews/features for a quiet international week. Still plenty of Monday sports sections to wade through, reflecting on the days when many papers would have had a single football page at most, or in the case of The Times, one match report “By Our Association Football Correspondent”.

Tuesday November 8
Fill in weekend stats in book, reflecting as ever that in school years I used to do that just for fun. Now it’s called “work”. Email from managing editor to all staff inviting voluntary redundancies (at half the rate it used to be). No thank you. Manage to make good inroads into this week’s diary column ‘Outside the Box’ and just before close of play receive joyous news that Brendan Rodgers will see me tomorrow. God bless him and the Swansea City press office.

Wednesday November 9
Uncomfortably early start to get from south-east London to west Wales by lunchtime, made worthwhile by the excellent Mr Rodgers and his press officer, who even ferries me back to Neath station. “There’s no advantage in getting older,” Woody Allen said recently, but here’s one: rail tickets with Club 55 on various western and Midlands trains mean a return from Paddington to Swansea at peak time costs less than £28. An extraordinary bargain, for which the Indy should be duly grateful. Power socket at every seat in “standard” class, Virgin please note, so that 1,400 words can be transcribed on the way back. And the bacon baguette was magnificent. Good day all round.

Thursday November 10
Would love to be heading for Tallinn with the Republic of Ireland for their play-off as they deserve to be at another tournament. Instead, polish off diary column and check carefully that the office have actually received it, then set to work on B. Rodgers for Sunday piece. Check stats laboriously compiled by a workie for second Sunday feature to be written tomorrow. In a quiet international week, no Friday presser to attend, but an evening with fingers and toes crossed awaits, watching the boys in green on TV.

FWA Q&A: John Cross

Posted on by

John Cross Daily Mirror FWA Q&AIn this week’s FWA Q&A, we talk to The Daily Mirror’s John Cross about the dodgy hotels, Arsenal’s Champions League Final loss to Barcelona and having an unused 1966 World Cup Final ticket…

Your first ever newspaper?
Islington Gazette – a brilliant start. I owe my first editor Tony Allcock so much.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
Yes – but only briefly. I was an office junior while waiting for an opening in journalism and also digging drives one summer.

What was your finest achievement playing football?
Captaining Manhattan Lights, my old Sunday team, to the Barnet Junior Cup. We won on penalties. But only after Steve McFadden, Phil Mitchell in EastEnders and a right winger, had thrown a bit of a showbiz strop and stormed off after being substituted.

Most memorable match covered?
I’ve seen Arsenal win amazing games as a fan (Anfield, Old Trafford). But to cover them, probably the Champions League final against Barcelona. Bad result but wrote the most amount of words of any game covered. Nearly 5,000 in one night. So much for lazy journalism.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Arsenal winning the title at Anfield in 1989.

Best stadium?
For memories. I went to Boca Juniors in Argentina. What a setting, what a city, what a holiday.

…and the worst?
Fratton Park. A Premier League ground with non-league facilities.

Your best ever scoop?
The Hartson and Berkovic video. The joys of being a young freelance at the time meant I didn’t get the full credit…

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Too many Wi-Fi disasters to mention!

Biggest mistake?
I had Matt Jansen going to the 2002 World Cup. It was on our back page. He got measured for the suit, Sven watched him – and then decided not to take him. But when it’s on the back page on the day the squad is announced it’s a hard one to justify.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Adrian Chiles – on a regular basis!

Most media friendly manager?
Arsene Wenger. Never dodges a question, has always been respectful. A special mention for Sammy Lee and the late, great George Armstrong. Two gems. George Armstrong would give me a lift home after Arsenal reserve games!

Best ever player?
Thierry Henry gets my vote as player seen/covered live. We also forget how good Cesc Fabregas is.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Arsenal – Invincibles; Spain – glorious to watch

Best pre-match grub?
Arsenal – fantastic food!

Best meal had on your travels?
El Greco – Italian restaurant in Barcelona. To shamelessly name drop, Thierry Henry recommended and booked it for a group of journalists. It was an amazing meal, fabulous occasion.

…and the worst?
On a Tottenham trip to Moldova, the local council held a reception for the travelling journalists. Despite being told not to drink the local water, a few of us couldn’t resist the ice cream. We all came home with a mild case of dysentery!

Best hotel stayed in?
Schloss Elmau resort. A spa hotel just over the German border while covering Euro 2008. Amazing.

…and the worst?
A hotel in Donetsk 11 years ago. UEFA had the best hotel. The press had the second. It was awful. Arsenal had the third best because it had better kitchens. But I’d hate to have seen their hotel if it was worse than ours. The country has come on a great deal. My most ridiculous happening on a trip was in Athens in 2004. The coach driver taking journos between Olympic venues refused to budge even though myself and Charlie Sale (Daily Mail) were trying to reach the 100m final for which we had tickets. In pure frustration, I leant down, grabbed the driver’s foot and pressed it against the pedal. It showed him how much we wanted to make it – and he kindly obliged while the very respectful Chinese journalists at the back of the coach looked on in horror without saying a word.

Favourite football writer?
Oliver Holt. Proud to be his colleague.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Clive Tyldesley – partly influenced by the fact that he’s one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. I love doing radio and TV work. It’s been such an enjoyable part of my career in the past few years. But all of the professionals have my respect. It’s such a tough part of the industry.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Just more open and friendliness. It’s so much harder to criticise those you like.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
I have covered three Olympic Games. You just can’t beat it.

Last book read?
‘Ghosts of Manila’. I love boxing books. But it was purely coincidental that I was reading it just before Joe Frazier’s death. Kevin Mitchell’s ‘War, Baby’ is such a great read. I tried to tell him once how much I loved that book but was a bit worse for wear at an FWA dinner. It came out something like: ‘Ish really, weally, love you, Kevin…’

Favourite current TV programme?
The Wire.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
My Dad’s UNUSED 1966 World Cup Final ticket – still in the original envelope. My Dad went to every England game but got food poisoning and missed the final. I still can’t believe he didn’t go! But he gave me the ticket as a keepsake.

Glenn Moore: My Week

Posted on by

Glenn MooreFind out what The Independent’s Glenn Moore has been up to with the latest in our My Week series…

Friday October 28
I’m normally in The Independent’s Kensington office on Fridays, working on our Saturday sports supplement, but there’s a change of schedule today. I’m up early to finish off a story about ‘The Four Year Plan’, a highly-revealing forthcoming film about QPR in the Briatore/Ecclestone era, then it’s off to the fourth and final day taking the FA’s Youth Award, module 1, one of the new generation courses which focuses on coaching the crucial 5-11 age group. It’s an excellent course, thought-provoking, eye-opening and full of practical advice. I’d recommend it to anyone involved in coaching young players. I’ll be writing about it in the paper in due course.
 
 Saturday October 29
A morning coaching my son’s U10s team which provides the chance to put into practice some of the exercises I picked up on the youth award. Having done a session, then watched them win 5-1, I rush off to cover an unexpectedly high-scoring game, Arsenal’s stunning 5-3 win at Chelsea. Write a piece about Arsenal’s resurrection for The Independent on Sunday.
Sunday October 30
 A stint in the middle, as referee for an U9s match. Fifa issue red and yellow cards at the ready, but no controversy in a 2-2 draw. Followed by watching Spurs v QPR game on TV.
  
 Monday October 31
A day off, and time to catch up with calls and admin. Unusually in this industry I work a three-day week. In practice I am available seven-days-a-week and log the work I do based on quarter-days. So a story which takes me two or three hours will be a quarter-of-a-day’s work. A match is usually three-quarters of a day. The flexibility is obviously handy for the office, but without it I would be heavily restricted in the events I could cover.
  
 Tuesday November 1
I’ve been away for the last three Champions League weeks, to Dortmund, Valencia and Marseille, so I’m happy to stay at home this time, play a 5-a-side match, then watch the matches unfold on TV.  
Wednesday November 2
 A quiet day as my wife is working overseas so I’m solely responsible for childcare. I make some calls to set up a feature or two next week and do some paperwork before channel-hopping the evening’s Champions League games. The way Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are playing I’m not expecting an English Champions League winner this season.  
Thursday November 3
 To Cobham for a press conference with Andre Villas-Boas, Chelsea’s manager. His English is very good but there is a sense he, and we, are still finding out about each other. He’s obviously very good tactically, his man-management is modern and inclusive, and he has a lot of experience in coaching despite his youth. I do wonder, however, whether he has the maturity to cope with the media pressure when results go awry, as they have begun to do recently. This is one of the views I espouse on a stint with the Mirror’s John Cross on Chelsea TV’s Paperview programme which we record at Stamford Bridge in the afternoon. In the evening I call Neil Warnock, the QPR manager, who I assist in writing his weekly column for The Independent. He’s been writing for us for about six years now, through Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, and now QPR, two promotions, one relegation and an administration, and is very good to work with.

FWA Q&A: Ian Ridley

Posted on by

In this week’s FWA Q&A we take to Daily Express football columnist Ian Ridley about England scoops, dodgy computers and that night in Munich… In this week’s FWA Q&A we take to Daily Express football columnist Ian Ridley about England scoops, dodgy computers and that night in Munich…

Your first ever newspaper?
I became Sports Editor of the Worksop Guardian, in Nottinghamshire, in 1977. I say Sports Editor, I was the only member of the staff, covering the Tigers of Worksop Town FC and filling two broadsheet pages a week with the bowls and pigeon racing results. Great grounding.
Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
Journalism is a profession? No, went straight into it from University and have never quite been able to leave, though it’s threatened to leave me a few times. Also done books and scriptwriting, which have kept me sane.
What was your finest achievement playing football?
Scored a goal for the Guardian when we beat the Times in the Fleet Street Midweek League Cup final at Selhurst Park in the 80s. Can’t remember the year but I’m sure Rothman’s Football Yearbook will help you out. Think it was on the cover that year.
Most memorable match covered? Germany 1 England 5 in Munich. I just remember the look of disbelief on the faces of all the English journalists. Was on the Observer at the time and it was a privilege to be asked to write a front page colour piece that turned inside the paper. It’s times like these you learn to love again, as the Foo Fighters sang.
The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
It came in a kick-about among the press at La Manga during an England training camp before the 1998 World Cup when I curled home a shot from 25 yards. Oh, you mean a proper football moment? Ossie Ardiles’ testimonial at White Hart Lane…Hoddle chips forward to Maradona, who cushions it on his thigh before lobbing it perfectly into the path of Mark Falco – who volleys it 20 yards over the bar. The game at its most sublime and ridiculous.
Best stadium?
Always liked Porto’s Dragao stadium. The arches at one end offer a view from on high down the river making the place a great example of how an architect should use location to enhance the stadium, rather than just plonk some anonymous bit of kit down.
…and the worst?
The one in San Marino probably. Have they used all the money they have made over the last 20 years to build a proper one yet? Someone has done well there, I’m sure.
Your best ever scoop?
One that never was. It was a Sunday at the England training camp in La Manga ’98 and I was on the way to the first tee for a round of golf with Joe Melling, the late, great Football Editor of the Mail on Sunday. As we went past the pool, where the England players were sunbathing, Paul Merson, who I was friendly with at the time, called me across. He told me that Gazza was not going to the World Cup and had just trashed Glenn Hoddle’s room in anger at the news. As I was on a Sunday paper at the time, I had no paper to put it in. Mind you, I was on the Independent on Sunday at the time and as Paddy Barclay said, telling the Sindy was the nearest thing to keeping a secret. A few hours later, it broke for the daily papers. These days, I could probably have tweeted it.
Your personal new-tech disaster?
Working for the Daily Telegraph back in the early 90s, I was sent to do a feature on new international team San Marino. In covering their home match against Switzerland, my old Tandy “computer” locked and I lost 750 words of copy five minutes before the final whistle. I had to hastily ad lib a piece by phone. It’s times like these you learn to hate again, as the Foo Fighters didn’t sing.
Biggest mistake?
Can’t think of anything major – but I may have blocked out all the stories and judgments I got wrong. Perhaps there are helpful colleagues and rivals who may have a better memory….
Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else? On a football field, Lionel Messi. Off it, once in Boston, Mass, some bloke in a bar reckoned I looked like Danny Ainge, who played for the Celtics basketball team at the time. A young girl called me Sven recently just because I have grey hair and glasses probably. Would like his money.
Most media friendly manager?
Obviously Harry Redknapp is always very helpful and quote-friendly, along with Ian Holloway at Blackpool, but for someone who keeps taking knocks and coming back with insights and good humour, it has to be Arsene Wenger. You can ask him about anything and he will answer. I am going to ask him for the meaning of life very soon.
Best ever player?
I always preferred Maradona to Pele, in the way I preferred the Stones to the Beatles, because the Argentine made ordinary sides great, whereas Pele gilded great sides. The way it is looking,though, I think Messi can top them both. As for a favourite player: Jimmy Greaves, my idol as a kid.
Best ever teams (club and international)?
Brazil 1970 and the Barcelona of now are the obvious answers, but no less true for that. I also enjoyed Holland of 1974 and Arsenal’s Invincibles.
Best pre-match grub? Am enjoying the rivalry in the press rooms of Arsenal and Manchester City as they vie for the title of best hosts. Not going to say which is better, in case they rest on their laurels. Enjoyed a sea bass teriyaki at the Emirates recently. Hard life, sometimes.
Best meal had on your travels?
Peter Robinson, the legendary secretary of Liverpool, once invited Paddy Barclay to lunch at the Grand Trianon hotel in Versailles. Generously, Paddy asked Peter if I could come along and he agreed. It was succulent. About £200 each as I recall, and it was 1994ish. Don’t think I got the bill through at the Independent on Sunday.
…and the worst?
Probably in Poland. Glenn Hoddle said he had picked a team there because it was “horses for courses.” David Lacey pointed out that in Poland, it was horses for main courses.
Best hotel stayed in?
The Dorint in Baden Baden for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. I was on the Mail on Sunday and for the first time with a paper who could afford somewhere decent. I had the most spacious and elegant room, which was just as well as we were there for around five weeks. Near enough to the Brenner’s Park to observe the England WAGS, far enough away to miss the House of Scouse also ensconced there.
Ian Ridley is an author of sports books and football columnist for the Daily Express. His latest book There’s A Golden Sky: How 20 Years of the Premier League Has Changed Football Forever has just been published by Bloomsbury and available at Amazon and Waterstone’s.

Mike Collett: My Week

Posted on by


Find out what Reuters Soccer Editor Mike Collett has been up to with the latest in our My Week series…
Thursday Oct 20
The one thing certain about being a journalist is that no two weeks, no two days in fact, are ever the same. As the football editor of Reuters, the world’s largest international news agency, I tend to spend a fair amount of time travelling. This year alone I’ve been to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Poland, Ukraine, Germany, France….and Aldgate in east London where the Reuters sports desk is based. It so happens that writing the diary this week finds me in that rather less than exotique location. Still, it’s not all bad as it’s only a short hop to White Hart Lane in the evening to see the Europa League match between Spurs and Rubin Kazan. The only thing anyone will ever remember about the game is Roman Pavlyuchenko’s stunning blockbuster free kick which gives Spurs a 1-0 win and takes them to the top of the group. Earlier in the day, went to Wembley Stadium for a briefing about Great Britain’s Olympic team, with Stuart Pearce and Hope Powell named as coaches of the men and women’s teams.

Friday Oct 21
Friday always seems the busiest day of the week as I’m either at a manager’s press conference, or like today, co-ordinating Reuters’ coverage of press conferences, talking to reporters about the best lines from the pre-match chats football writers have had with the managers. Main story of the day is a bit of a flyer following yesterday’s press conference at Wembley with the papers reporting that Wayne Rooney could be called up to play for the Olympic team, which is stretching the truth somewhat about what was actually said at Wembley, but is technically true.

Saturday Oct 22
Now this a bit of a rarity – a weekend without going to a match, how will I cope – and what’s worse, how do I get around London Underground on its now traditional weekend of Planned Engineering Works (although my ticket will, naturally, be available on local Replacement Bus Services)? London Underground are trying to get as much done before the Olympics next year as they can – I reckon they could win a gold medal for Planned Engineering Works and for a superb replacement bus effort. They get 0 out of 10 though for closing the District Line between Earls Court and Wimbledon when Fulham and Chelsea are at home. Numpties.

Sunday Oct 23
A red or blue letter day whichever way you want to look at it. Just look at this scoreline: Manchester United 1, Manchester City 6. Or this one: Queens Park Rangers 1 Chelsea 0. That’s why we love the Barclays Premier League. Listen to the pundits, read the four-page spreads in the papers, listen to the managers, tune in to the experts – does anyone really have a clue what’s going to happen next? Unfortunately I’m not at either game, I’m co-ordinating the coverage of the Barclays Premier League and other European soccer which has its own rewards. We do what I believe is a fantastic job on the day’s happenings across the continent – all of which were a darn sight more interesting than New Zealand’s 8-7 win over France in the Rugby World Cup final. That’s a famous soccer scoreline too – at least for the fans of Dulwich Hamlet and St Albans City. In an FA Cup match in 1922 Dulwich beat St Albans 8-7, a bitter-sweet day for Billy Minter. He scored all seven of Saint’s goals and still ended up on the losing side.

Monday Oct 24
Yesterday’s epoch-changing result at Old Trafford demands plenty of follow-up attention. I’m back in Aldgate at the very un-football time of 7am to co-ordinate our plans and get reaction from around the world. I’m in so early there’s no queue for breakfast at Kelly’s, the best run café in Aldgate whose staffing levels at 07.00 would probably see London Transport’s weekend engineering works completed in half the time. It’s a busy day, too, as I am planning to write an analysis of the global appeal of the Barclays Premier League – now regularly watched by 1.4 billion people a week according to Media Analysts Sport+Markt. And they should know. Oh No, what’s this? John Terry back in trouble for allegedly racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. I might be popping back into Kelly’s for a late supper.

Tuesday Oct 25
Back to Wembley for a chat with FA chairman David Bernstein, Club England managing director Adrian Bevington and the FA’s chief executive officer Alex Horne. The FA meet a select band of senior reporters once a month or so for an informal chat about this and that. They’ve been doing it for years in Parliament and as the FA is the governing body of football, why shouldn’t they do it too? The FA has come in for a huge amount of criticism, some of it justified and some of it not, but they are at least making strides to be open and transparent. For that they should be applauded. And at last the wait is over: after four days without a match I get down to Crystal Palace to see them beat Southampton 2-0 in the Carling Cup. They are changing the guard at Crystal Palace and Dougie Freedman has some fine young players together in an emerging team including England Under-20 right back Nathaniel Clyne and up and coming striker Wilfried Zaha. Both could be in the Barclays Premier League soon.

Wednesday Oct 26
One of Australia’s finest food and wine writers, Winsor Dobbin, an old Associated Press sports writer in the 1980s, arrives from his home in Tasmania, determined not to miss the chance of seeing his beloved Norwich City in the Barclays Premier League while they are still there. The way they have started the season suggests he has a fair chance of seeing them next year too. He’s organised some kind of wonderful day out for himself at Carrow Road and might even exchange some culinary tips with Delia. Meanwhile after talking to Rohan Ricketts, Red Star Belgrade coach Robert Prosinecki, the former India boss Steven Constantine and Vancouver Whitecaps’ CEO Paul Barber, who used to work for the FA and Spurs, my analysis of the Barclays Premier League’s global appeal gets some fantastic response. Thanks men.

Thursday Oct 27
So the build-up starts to another weekend which will see me at Chelsea v Arsenal on Saturday and Spurs v QPR on Sunday. Then, after working for 10 days straight, I’m off for a tour of London with the aforementioned Mr Dobbin. We could well kick-off in El Vino’s in Fleet Street for old time’s sake. That might mean an afternoon without football, but I’m sure Winsor will choose a few bottles of the finest wines known to humanity to ease the pain.