Land of the giants

It has been a busy few months for the obituary writers and December has seen the demise of 3 titans – Peter O'Toole, Nelson Mandela and David Coleman.

Peter O'Toole was one of the greatest actors of his generation, acclaimed for both his stage and screen work. He will forever be remembered for his iconic performance in the David lean epic, 'Lawrence of Arabia', and as the most nominated actor never to win a Best Actor oscar (8 - though he did receive an honorary award from the Academy).

In 1952 he entered RADA along with fellow students, Albert Finney, Alan Bates and Brian Bedford, all of whom went on to achieve far greater success than their mentors had predicted. In fact Peter O'Toole was only cast as T. E. Lawrence in 'Lawrence of Arabia' because Marlon Brando was unavailable and Albert Finney had turned the role down. Other films for which he was nominated for best actor oscars included, 'Becket', 'The Lion in Winter', 'Goodbye, Mr. Chips' and 'The Ruling Class'. 
 

Best known as a Shakespearean actor he was equally adept at lighter roles such as Woody Allen's 'What's New Pussycat?' in which he was able to demonstrate his comedic skills alongside Peter Sellers.

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Think of the few personalities from the 20^th Century who were truly recognisable on the global stage – iconic people who could not walk down any street on this planet without being recognised. There are very few – John F Kennedy, Mohammed Ali, Marilyn Monroe, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Gandhi, Pope John Paul II, possibly Pelé and Nelson Mandela.

Nelson Mandela – Rebel, freedom fighter, campaigner, politician, statesman, father of the South African nation and arguably the most influential person of the last 100 years.

As an influential member within the ANC he spent 27 years behind bars for trying to end white minority rule through violence before his release on 11^th February 1990.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with F. W. de Klerk, then South African President, in 1993 for their efforts to transform South African society. He succeeded de Klerk in 1994 to become the country's first black president, a post that he held for the next 5 years.

Few would argue that sport and politics should never mix but you can understand how many politicians would like to harness the two. Anyone who underestimates the power of sport to unite people never witnessed Nelson Mandela presenting the Rugby World Cup in 1995. His appearance at the final in the green and gold Springbok's shirt and cap was one of the most ingenious and powerful political statements ever seen. For a country that for so long was torn apart and outcast by its apartheid regime Mandela's gesture achieved more than any protest or fine words could in uniting the country and engendering the spirit of forgiveness.

                                 Nelson Mandela presenting the Rugby World Cup to South African captain, Francois Pienaar.

                                            Picture: Reuters

His death at the age of 95 on 5^th December comes at a time when cracks are beginning to emerge in the country he did so much to unite.

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In terms of sporting legends David Coleman was up there with the greats, not as a sportsman but as a broadcaster and commentator for the BBC for over 40 years. A keen runner he joined the BBC in 1954 as a news assistant and sports editor. He first appeared on TV on 6^th May 1954, coincidentally the day that Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute mile, on a show called 'Sportsview'.

He went on to present the BBC flagship sports programme, 'Grandstand', from its outset in 1958 as well as 'Sports review of the Year', 'Sportsnight with Coleman', 'Match of the Day', 'Quiz Ball', and 'Question of Sport'.

Famous for his football and athletics commentaries he had a very easy presentation style and an encyclopedic knowledge of statistics that made his appearance at the teleprinter a joy to watch in days before computers and armies of researchers.

His versatility as a presenter was demonstrated when he was called upon to cover the siege during the 1972 Munich Olympics as well as the memorial service for the victims.

He was also tasked with presenting the triumphant return from the US.

He covered 11 Summer Olympic Games between 1960 and 2000 and 6 Football World Cups before his retirement. In 1968 his commentary was recorded at 200 words a minute which may explain why on occasions enthusiasm would overtake him and he would make gaffs that would be seized upon by his satirists for their 'Colemanballs' collection.

                                                                 David Coleman in the Lenin stadium, Moscow, 1980.

                                                                 Picture: ITV

In December 2000 he was presented with the Olympic Order in recognition of his services, an honour generally reserved for athletes who have competed at the games.

As one of the millions who grew up during the Coleman era I would concur that his was one of the most identifiable voices on the BBC when it came to sport. Alan Weeks and Barry Davies possibly commentated on a wider range of sports but David was unflappable as a programme anchor. Certainly he is up there with the elite sports broadcasters who have that great gift of enthusing the public with their love for a particular sport, from that group I would nominate Brian Johnson, John Arlott, Bill McLaren, Dan Mascall, Murray Walker, Peter Alliss, Ron Pickering, Peter O'Sullivan, Cliff Morgan and John McEnroe, to name but a few.

I don't know whether the BBC had a deal with a knitwear company during the 60s and 70s but as a youngster I was very much aware that there were 2 individuals who excelled at wearing a wide range of sweaters, David Coleman and Val Doonican. It must have been around the time that the BBC was moving away from their traditional formal dress code, whether this was the inspiration behind the drive for sweaters on Breakfast TV, who knows.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about David's contribution to sport, undoubtedly he was a fine and fair broadcaster but I fear that this may also have worked against him.

I am not advocating a little less impartiality though I would say that there were occasions during David's commentaries when I felt that he set the sporting aspirations of this country back a couple of decades. I guess it was the essential Britishness of the man that I took issue with. He seemed to give the impression that it was unseemly to win by too great a margin. The sense that it was not so much the winning that was important it was the taking part – try telling that to an Aussie or a German when they are 30 metres from the winning tape. As cyclist, Mark Cavendish, said this year, 'Don't congratulate me on coming runner-up'. For the past 20 years school's policy seems to have followed the principal of 'everyone's a winner'. You don't breed champions by giving everyone a sweetie, hand the bag of sweets to the winner and give them a 20 yard start, that is how you breed champions. We seem to go to extraordinary lengths to beat the competitive instincts out of our children, which rather defeats the object when it comes to non-combative sports.

Here are just a few of his quotes that have sealed his place in broadcasting infamy.

"He is one of the great unknown champions because very little is known about him."

"If that had gone in, it would have been a goal."

"We estimate, and this isn't an estimation, that Greta Waltz is 80 seconds behind."

"He is accelerating all the time. The last lap was run in 64 seconds and the one before in 62."

"And the line-up for the final of the women's 400 metres hurdles includes three Russians, two East Germans, a Pole, a Swede and a Frenchman."

"The front wheel crosses the finish line, closely followed by the back wheel."

"The Republic of China: back in the Olympic Games for the first time."

"That's the fastest time ever run, but it's not as fast as the world record."

"Forest have now lost six matches without winning."

"There is a fine line between serendipity and stalking."

"This evening is a very different evening from the morning we had this morning."

"He's seven seconds ahead and that's a good question."

"I think there is no doubt, she'll probably qualify for the final."

"It's a great advantage to be able to hurdle with both legs."

“He is accelerating all the time. The last lap was run in 64 seconds and the one before that in 62.”

“There is Brendan Foster, by himself with 20,000 people.”

“And here’s Moses Kiptanui – the 19-year-old Kenyan who turned 20 a few weeks ago.”

David Coleman died on 21^st December 2013, aged 87

A tinselled tirade

Yo jingling ho! Here we go again. At last we enter the final few weeks of this year's jollities. Forget the fact that half the high street have been blasting out the Christmas hits album since September. The more enterprising stores even have some hyper-active hospital radio reject espousing the delights of this year's bargain offerings ad infinitum over a Tannoy system that is only marginally better quality than a megaphone. The script may say that the Deluxe box of Belgian Chocolates is a snip at only £195 and yes, everyone should have a mug that stirs itself, but I don't think I could sound as convincingly OTT about something that costs more than I earn in a week or is so typically pointless.

The word 'Exclusive' really needs to be redefined. So many 'Exclusive' in store offers can be found on sale at the same or reduced price, at stores often within a matter of a few hundred yards. In my mind the term 'exclusive' when used in association with the retail sector means 'batteries no included'.

This is the time of year when politicians pat themselves on the back for reducing the unemployment figures substantially by year end, disregarding the fact that they will rise just as quickly once the January Sales have finished. 

Nice to know that the politicians are finally going to take on the payday loans companies, even if they are prepared to wait until after Christmas by which they will have made enough money to keep them in clover for another year.

I can't say that I have been anticipating a great many surprises this year. Utility bills have risen faster than the cost of living again. Transport costs have risen again. Food prices have risen again. The banks have seen their profits rise again. On the bright side, Andy Murray won Wimbledon which makes him a virtual shoe-in for Sports Personality of the Year (a strange misnomer of an event given the number of previous winners whose single-minded ambition only emphasised the fact that they had suffered a personality bypass). Cliff Richard has proudly announced the release of his 100^th album, chances are it will still come in the top 100 selling albums of the year, a sad reflection on the state of the music industry these days.

Global peace is as far away as comet Ison, the 2km wide chunk of ice that passed incredibly close to the Sun this week (well 1.2 million km which categorises it as a near miss). Placing it in context this is marginally closer that England came to winning the 1^st Ashes test in Brisbane. It was never a good idea to have 2 Ashes series played within 3 months of each other, just another illustration of how corporate greed is demeaning the value of sporting achievement.

Tony Blair's efforts to secure peace in the Middle East at least means he can't screw this country up any more than it already is and doubtless his exploits please his bank manager.

Staying with sport, I am amazed how quietly Sir Alex Ferguson has slipped into the shadows following his retirement. I guess he can now focus his thoughts on his book sales. The Wenger boys still show 'spirit and commitment' but no silverware. There are times when they are brilliant to watch but often they flatter to deceive, much as Chelsea and Manchester City do. Not sure that I welcome the idea of the rights to Champions League coverage being acquired by BT. To get value out of your Sky or BT package you need to be permanently glued to your television set and I am not sure that the unemployed are best placed to afford the cost of the various sports packages.

Just when I thought there were going to be no surprises this year the following slipped under the radar – The UK City of Culture for 2017 will be – HULL. Other than Vladimir Putin being crowned Mr. Gay Universe or Kim Jong Un being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize I do not think I could have been more shocked (or indifferent). The words Hull and culture do not sit easily on the same page. As one local author explained in a radio interview the East Yorkshire town is not twinned with anywhere, though it does have a suicide pact with Beirut. The best thing to come out of Hull remains the M62. It does seem a strange choice to be awarded such an accolade but if there is any place in the country that needs a moral and financial boost then Hull has all the credentials and more. Famous Hullensians include John Prescott, Maureen Lipman, Mick Ronson, The Housemartins, Phillip Larkin, William Wilberforce and J Arthur Rank.

Apart from the City's links to the abolition of slavery it remains one of the poorest places in the UK with one of the highest levels to unemployment. Not only has it given us the Deep and the 4x4 (that's 4 kids by 4 fathers, not the juggernaut car) but it has historically had to stave off invasion from the various tribes across the North Sea as well as West Yorkshire daytrippers who missed the turning for Bridlington or Grimsby. It does have a renowned university and the Hull Truck Company may have a good reputation for inventive theatre which are both positive signs. However, I have never felt the urge to observe a few rusting supermarket trolleys at the bottom of a giant fish tank nor have I understood why this particular part of the country needs its own telephone system. Hopefully this award will bring much needed investment and regeneration to the area but it is a massive challenge and I am not sure that the good people of Hull are ready to be cultured.

I once had to stay in the city overnight on a job that had run very late. I had worked so many hours that it would not have been safe for me to drive home so I rocked up at this hotel around 5 am, the room was small, dirty, the heating 'clanked' continuously and the bedding was grey and smelly (no, it was not Hull prison). It was difficult to tell whether the walls were purposely brown, or just smoke-stained, such was the lighting. Every expense spared by my employer, but beggars can't be chosers at that time of day and I was too dead on my feet to argue. The strange thing was that I felt guilty, because I was convinced that the night porter had pulled someone out of their bed to make way for me.

My tip for next year is to invest in confectionery – if Tie Rack and Sock Shop disappear from our High Street, as seems likely, then there are going to be a lot of dad's, uncle's and aging relatives receiving Werther Originals next Christmas.

Happy New Year.