Monthly Archives: May 2005

Brian Clough progress

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So far I have been reading an unhealthy amount of footy related biographies. I don’t want to start approaching players until I feel 100% happy that I know as much as possible. I also would prefer to approach players after the current season has finished, especially given Forest’s predicament. Having said that I’m down to see Jimmy Greaves in a week to see how he found playing with Cloughie on his two England appearances.

As for non footy related celeb’s I have been in contact with Alan Sillitoe, another of Nottingham’s great fathers, Stephen Lowe the playwright for “Old Big ‘Ead in: The Spirit of the Man” whom I will talk to again after I have seen the play, (as well as Colin Tarrant who is the guy with the ominous task of playing Brian.) On the journalist circuit I have been in contact with Hunter Davies and one of Nottingham’s and The Guardian’s finest; Danny Taylor, author of “Deep into the Forest”.

As for the ‘ordinary‘ folk this has included a bus journey through Notts interviewing a man who worked for many years at the Notts Information Centre on Market Square, a guy who has been a steward at the ground for over 20 years (and once saw Martin O’Neil reduced to tears by a certain manager) and ‘the jacket potato man’ who will reveal himself as more than just a potato master as the book goes on.

I had been interviewed by Jeremy Lewis at The Evening Post who promised to run a feature on the book, and more importantly place an advert so I can get in touch with Nottingham folk, but for some reason this has not materialised. Perhaps I have encountered my own Sheriff early on?

There are lots of other adverts/ideas I need to run when I can get a minute such as a hypothetical ‘football Big Brother’, but, I’ll get there sooner or later. What I have realised is that just getting out there and talking to people is changing the shape of this book all the time. But, I don’t want to reveal too much at once…

Finally a big thank you to ‘Tuppers‘, the man responsible for the web design and all these little extras which are making this whole project not only easier, but possible. The next round is on me. [Yes it is. ed.]

Chav to Shav

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I was recently contacted by some researchers for the BBC programme ‘Heaven and Earth‘ concerning the emergence of the ‘Chav’ Identity. They insinuated that they would like me to appear on the programme and explain my views on the Chav phenomenon. What they really meant was ‘tell us everything you know, which we will take the credit for, and we will pass on to the presenters.’ So some advice. Don’t talk until you are paid, unless of course you are bored and enjoy talking. Perhaps I will install that paypal link after all…

The researchers also wanted to know if I knew of any ‘Chav’ hotspots in my local vacinity (despite the fact that I had explained in detail that Chavs do not exist and are a media creation.) Their dilema was simple. They didn’t want to shoot ‘Chavs’ in some of the ‘suggested’ areas around Manchester as they are under- going regeneration and investment (Wythemshaw) but were happy to come to my neck of the woods and shoot local kids on the street. Nottingham fits the stereotype at the moment with gun crime etc. I declined their kind offer.

The finished documentary achieved the usual standard: It failed to ask any serious questions or engage any kind of social or political inquiry. The only people to benefit were a few bored members of the public who got to air their prejudices to a wider audience which they could record and watch over and over again.

Slightly bored of seeing the working class ridiculed I have put forward an alternative stereotype for the media to digest called the Shav. (If you can’t beat them, deflect them) If the CHAV are supposedly Council Housed And Violent then the SHAV are Surrey Homed And Vulgar. It is time to turn the clock back to when the upper stratum were the victims of satire and abuse. You can read more about this (and add or disagree with the definition) at http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Shav