Sports reporters - don't you just love 'em

Bob Cass - radio star

I enjoyed this piece by former Sunday People journalist Harold Heys on the Gentleman Ranter's web site.
He has some great anecdotes about old sports reporters including the North-East legend that is Bob Cass. Harold writes:

Bob Cass left the Mirror Manchester subs table to become a sports reporter on The Journal and was invited to do a report on the Sunderland match for BBC Radio Newcastle. Just before the game got under way the studio linkman cut to Bob. ‘And what’s the weather like at Roker Park, Bob?’ All fairly straightforward, you might think. Except that Bob, new to all this radio stuff, thought the chap was just calling for a chat. 'It’s fuckin’ pissin’ down,’ he said. 

More Cass…: when Sunderland played Newcastle the studio man said: ‘And now, let's see what's happening in the big North East derby. At Roker Park… Bob Cass.’

Bob: ‘Thirty minutes in and still goalless as Tommy Cassidy… 35 yards out…(Pause) … It's a long way out if that's what yer thinkin', bonny lad… (Pause)… Fer fuck's seark. It's gan in!’

Sports reporters. You have to love ’em 
Great stuff. Hat tip to George Dearsley

Page-turners keep rolling in

The novels based on newspapers continue to roll in and the list is now updated. Revel Barker, who republishes the excellent Waterhouse on style this Friday (see my last entry), has drawn my attention to his very useful Books About Journalism website. Although not all novels, there are some real gems here including books by former Mirror greats Cassandra and Hugh Cudlipp. There are also regular reviews on Gentlemen Ranters which bills itself as the last pub in Fleet Street and is certainly worth a visit. On the novels front, Craig Lewis recommends According to Bella by Milton Keynes Citizen journalist Sally Murrer and Philip Young asks how I could have missed the Accidental Time Traveller by my former Northern Echo colleague Sharon Griffiths. He cites his favourite as My Turn To Make The Tea by Monica Dickens which is reviewed on his blog Scoop! Journalists in Fiction. Looks like next summer's reading is well and truly sorted.