• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

My Football Writer

My Football Writer Norwich City news… comment… analysis

Norwich City – news, comment and analysis

Find the best betting sites
  • Home
  • About us
  • The Team
  • Archives Index
  • Patreon
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contact us

Weekend chores, the Masters or McNally’s Twitter call to arms? In the end all roads lead t’North

13th April 2015 By Stewart Lewis 5 Comments

Please share

There I was on Friday afternoon, responsibly planning the weekend.  Watch some Masters, listen to Radio Norfolk commentary from the Macron, and chip away at that growing list of outstanding chores.

Then it popped up: the tweet announcing that tickets would on sale at the gate.  A casual check of train times – not so bad really, and a hefty discount for online booking.  It’s a deal too good to miss!  And there’s always Sunday for those chores, isn’t there?

Yes, this had to be done.  So I headed for Bolton, more and more yellow shirts and scarves in evidence at each stage, culminating with the rail replacement bus from Manchester (the things we do for our team).

Another fine new stadium, and this time with a special microclimate: the upper tier of the South Stand must be 15 degrees colder than anywhere else in the country.  But heartened by a dominant first 20 minutes, with JonnyHowson and Graham Dorrans running the show, City take an early lead.

Then out of the blue – ‘against the run of play’ would be a serious understatement – Bolton equalise.

Goals do change games. Suddenly Bolton had belief and a spring in their step and we all remembered there was a home crowd.

We pressed but never regained our early fluency.  With the officials seemingly deciding they should give Bolton a hand in the second half, it looked to be one of those days.

Then we produced our 93rd minute blow to the nether regions of Watford and Middlesbrough.  No sympathy for them, though I hope no cats got seriously kicked in the households of their fans.

A word about two things: Alex Neil’s substitutions, and the winning goal.

The subs were positive in nature and timing, and smart.  I’m sure many think Whittaker was taken off for mistakes.  Yes, he made a couple – but I reckon that move had another reason.

Heskey made little all-round impact but was a source of potential danger by winning everything in the air against Russ.  The change brought on Ryan Bennett to fix that, while releasing Russ as yet another attacking force.

By the way, if you see film of the winning goal, look out for Russ.  His reaction, trying to see if Hooper’s shot would go in then realising it had, is priceless.

Now, I have about as much right to call Gary Hooper ‘a fellow striker’ as I have to call Mick Dennis ‘a fellow journalist’, i.e. very little.  However, let me draw on my long career in the West Fulham League (Division 5) to say that was a real striker’s goal.

Hooper anticipated Jerome’s flick-on, adjusted when the ball bounced awkwardly, and found the only way to get it past the keeper into the net.  Few midfielders would have converted that chance.

From conversion to commentary.  The world of sport, just not cricket, is poorer for the passing of Richie Benaud.  A dignified and charming man, a great player and captain (before my time – honest), and a model commentator. So many pundits in other sports, including football, could benefit from following his example.

Just to watch and learn from a bit of film of Benaud doesn’t seem too much to ask of our current pundits.  But he made it even easier, by spelling out the principles he used in television commentary.

One is: “If you can add to the picture, do so.” In other words, give insight if you can, and keep quiet if you can’t. Remember it’s not radio, and the viewers can already see if there’s been a good shot.  On my knees, I beg the people in ITV football to follow that.

Among his other principles were “There’s no team called ‘we’ or ‘they’”, and “No-one ever complained about silence”.

On top of the professionalism he had an engaging wit.  Commentating on Glenn McGrath getting out for a typical paltry score, he quietly added: “dismissed for two, just 98 runs short of his century”.

Hopefully we’ll see his like again, but it’s not the current trend.   (I genuinely believe Glenn Hoddle could add more than “That’s a good shot” or “That’s a good save”, but he seems to have been instructed not to.)

Of course, there’s an exception to every rule.  Chris Goreham ignores all Richie Benaud’s maxims about objectivity – and we wouldn’t have it any other way.


Please share

Filed Under: Column, Stewart Lewis

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jim Davies says

    13th April 2015 at 9:16 am

    Couldn’t agree more about ITV commentators. Andy Townsend used to drive me wild with his explanations of what players should have done (he, of course, always got things right on the pitch, and never made a mistake). I even emailed ITV to complain about him, so I’m claiming credit for his contract not being renewed. Now, if only I can do the same for Michael Owen on BT!

    Reply
  2. Gary Field says

    13th April 2015 at 9:34 am

    Good on you Stewart for the last minute decision to go.

    It’s one of those, “I wish I was there” games, but I’m delighted for those who were.

    Another season defining moment with the brave decision to go 4-3-3 which, thankfully, paid off.

    On to Leeds who, frankly, are a mess, both on and off the field.

    Here’s hoping for a comfort comfortable night in West Yorkshire (I’m not sure my heart could take another 93rd minute winner) and another three points.

    Reply
  3. Neil N. Pray says

    13th April 2015 at 11:42 pm

    Another of Benaud’s maxims went something like “a drought is a tragedy, the Titanic was a disaster, neither bears any relation to a dropped catch.”
    Maybe, if things go pair-shaped at some point between now and 2pm on May 2nd, we should bear that in mind.
    But if not a tragedy then what? Well, at the very least, a ‘blow to the nether regions,’ that’s for sure.

    Reply
  4. Dave H says

    14th April 2015 at 12:25 am

    Spot on about the microclimate. The Reebok/Macron is the coldest ground I’ve been too. I’ve even been there on a hot summers day & wondered wished I’d had full winter gear. Walsall isn’t far behind though.

    Reply
  5. Dan R says

    14th April 2015 at 8:26 am

    It was the awful Pong I noticed most. Didn’t matter though by 4.56pm…!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

FIND MY FOOTBALL WRITER ON

As featured on NewsNow: Norwich City news” style=

Norwich City News 24/7

#NCFC LATEST

pinkun The Pink Un @pinkun ·
1h

🟡🟢 Trust in the process 👊

💬 There will be no ambiguity under Wagner, once he has the time to embed a check list at #NCFC that as you could see watching Kompany's #Burnley is second nature

https://www.pinkun.com/news/23305036.norwich-city-paddy-davitt-david-wagners-approach/

Reply on Twitter 1622966403178369024 Retweet on Twitter 1622966403178369024 Like on Twitter 1622966403178369024 Twitter 1622966403178369024
fan_banter Fan Banter @fan_banter ·
2h

Football matches live on TV this week - https://fanbanter.co.uk/football-matches-live-on-tv-this-week/

#watfordfc #ncfc #twitterclarets #safc #rufc #wafc #bcfc #rovers #utmp #bristolcity #ccfc #bluebirds #pusb #htafc #hcafc #coyh #ltfc #boro #millwall #qpr #readingfc #twitterblades #scfc #sufc #championship

Reply on Twitter 1622960371102371846 Retweet on Twitter 1622960371102371846 Like on Twitter 1622960371102371846 Twitter 1622960371102371846
norwichcityes Norwich City FC en español @norwichcityes ·
2h

🔜 Ashton Gate

Nuestro último viaje a Bristol fue en octubre de 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣0️⃣

#NCFC

4

Reply on Twitter 1622960127744655361 Retweet on Twitter 1622960127744655361 Like on Twitter 1622960127744655361 Twitter 1622960127744655361
chrisreevo Chris Reeve @chrisreevo ·
2h

1️⃣ Wessi
2️⃣ @DHucks6
3️⃣ @BradJohnson15
4️⃣ @EM10Buendia
5️⃣ Howson

#NCFC

Reply on Twitter 1622948133834555393 Retweet on Twitter 1622948133834555393 Like on Twitter 1622948133834555393 2 Twitter 1622948133834555393
yellabuh Yella @yellabuh ·
2h

JT and Omo at CB next season if we don’t get promoted, he looked solid against Burnley at turf moor #ncfc

Reply on Twitter 1622947922408079360 Retweet on Twitter 1622947922408079360 Like on Twitter 1622947922408079360 Twitter 1622947922408079360
Load More...

Copyright © 2023 21VC Ltd | All rights reserved | Not to be reproduced without prior permission.

Disclaimer: The information on this website consists of personal opinions. Whilst we have taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the information contained on these Web pages is accurate and correct at the time of writing we do not accept any liability whatsover for any loss or damage caused by reliance on this information.

We do not accept any responsibility for information contained in other websites to which this site links. We strongly advise users to check any information before acting or relying on it.

Developed and Hosted by