Welcome to Liam “Wrestlemania” Brown’s Barry Norman/Claudia Winkleman impersonation. Finally, I have been asked to join the likes of Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert and become a film critic. Ok, maybe not, but we were kindly handed a copy of Rooney Goal Machine for our consideration, so after popping it on during a lazy Sunday Evening, I’ll tell you what I thought if you should lend me your ears…
Manchester United fans have celebrated icons like Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs for two decades but spare a thought for the countless number of starry eyed kids who fall by the wayside for a variety of reasons – some through no other fault than their own. Belfast boy Gareth Macklin was one of them as Bob Cass from the MailOnline discovered. A treasured photo illustrates the ultimate schoolboy dream. A beaming 14 year old signs the paper which will open the door to a glittering football career with the world’s most famous club. There to witness the moment are two proud parents and Sir Alex Ferguson. That was 16 years ago.
Arrogance can be a word that is difficult to define. Think back to August 19, 2007, a special day for the blue side of Manchester, one that their fans celebrated long into the night. City won that Eastlands derby 1-0 to go top of the table while United were left languishing near the bottom, just one point away from the relegation zone. Hopes were understandably high by City fans that manager Sven Goran Eriksson was going to deliver some sort of trophy to a club that had won nothing for over thirty years. Was that arrogance or mere confidence?
Gonzo journalism has been around for a few years yet the question “What exactly does it mean?” is still asked. Many writers believe that objectivity in journalism is a myth, therefore use the ‘gonzo’ style to write subjectively. It disregards the ‘polished’ edited product favored by the general media and strives for a more gritty approach. It’s a style which was first used by US writer Hunter S. Thompson who explained that “Objective journalism is one of the main reasons American politics has been allowed to be so corrupt for so long. You can’t be objective about Nixon.” Football mad John Nicholson uses that style of writing in his new book We Ate All the Pies – How Football Ate Britain Whole and poses a simple question which no one has bothered to ask before - Why is football so damn popular?
Gonzo journalism has been around for a few years yet the question “What exactly does it mean?” is still asked. Many writers believe that objectivity in journalism is a myth, therefore use the ‘gonzo’ style to write subjectively. It disregards the ‘polished’ edited product favored by the general media and strives for a more gritty approach. It’s a style which was first used by US writer Hunter S. Thompson who explained that “Objective journalism is one of the main reasons American politics has been allowed to be so corrupt for so long. You can’t be objective about Nixon.” Football mad John Nicholson uses that style of writing in his new book We Ate All the Pies – How Football Ate Britain Whole and poses a simple question which no one has bothered to ask before - Why is football so damn popular?
“The more things change the more they remain the same” is a saying which has been around since Adam was a boy. I have no idea where it originally came from but it’s difficult to argue against the truth in it. An entry in the Sunderland Fan Blog which explains how all the grand plans of a club that became known as “The Bank of England” came so close to ending in disaster will send shivers up and down the spine of Manchester United’s cross town rivals and raise questions whether history may be on the verge of repeating itself.
