Author Archives: Jimmy Burns

The festival belonged to Barca

As FC Barcelona’s 17 year-old Lamime Yamal celebrated his goal against Real Madrid, a one-word text reached me from an enduring Barca fan  :  ‘Festival !’ As Clasicos go, the latest encounter between two giants of La Liga and historic football club icons of the global game, certainly earned its place in the history books. From a Barca perspective it brought back memories of the golden days of Johan Cruyff, of Guardiola, of the magical moments of teams  inspired by the likes of Ronaldinho and Messi. But it also fuelled …

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Una final de la Eurocopa angloespañola

Una final de la Eurocopa angloespañola en Berlín Escribe Jimmy Burns Marañon Nací en Madrid, hijo de madre española y padre inglés, educado en Inglaterra, pero criado bilingüe y en constante intercambio entre los dos países que heredé.  Soy angloespañol de corazón y alma, y ​​mi lealtad en lo que respecta al fútbol nunca está definida por los prejuicios nacionales sino por mi amor por un juego jugado al máximo, con pasión, belleza y decencia. Ciertamente, como aficionado al fútbol angloespañol, no podría haber esperado una gran final internacional mejor.  …

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An Anglo-Spaniard’s Euro Final

An Anglo-Spaniard’s Euro final  in Berlin I was born in Madrid , the son of a Spanish mother and English father, educated in England, but brought up bilingually and in a constant interchange between  the two countries   I inherited.  I am an Anglo-Spaniard in heart and soul , my loyalties when it comes to football  never defined by national prejudice  but by my love for a game played  at its best , with passion, beauty and decency. Certainly , as an Anglo-Spanish football fan, I couldn’t have hoped for a …

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Stonyhurst Memories

Stonyhurst Memories by Jimmy Burns   Here follows some further Stonyhurst memories of my own prompted by my contemporary John Mulholland and his thoughtful memoir Ferulas and Thuribles– “Although we were all in it together, each individual journey was different.”     World Cup 1966 -my first year at Stonyhurst.   As I write in one of my football books , La Premier League ( published last year in Spanish , English version  due out towards  the end of this year)  I was  in London and recall going to the  Royal …

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Ferulas & Thuribles

My review of John Mulholland’s book ‘Ferulas & Thuribles.’ A worthwhile Stonyhurst memoir Memory may fail us, not least as we enter our twilight years, but as luminaries such as Marcel Proust and T.S Eliot recognised, we carry within us our past, and parts of it can resurface unconsciously, and take shape if mind and body allow us that extra mile in which to reflect and discern. As Eliot wrote in Little Gidding, this use of memory is for liberation-‘not least of love but expanding of love beyond desire , …

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In Memory of the simpatico Terry  Venables

  The former England, Barcelona and Tottenham manager has died aged 80.   I owe to the personable Terry Venables some memorable times together during which his  colourful  insights  provided me with the material for two books of mine that came to be enjoyed by fans  around the world-The Hand of God and Barca. It was Venables that told me how he resigned himself to losing Diego Maradona from his squad soon after taking over the management of FC Barcelona in May 1984. While there had been speculation that  Maradona …

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Mick Jagger at El Clasico

Heading towards Barco Latino , a tapas joint permanently anchored along   London’s Temple Pier , for the live broadcast coverage of the FC Barcelona-Real Madrid on Saturday afternoon, I had to navigate my way through a large pro-Palestine and pro-ceasefire demonstration on both sides of the Embankment. An estimated 100,000  spending their weekend passionately taking sides on  an issue of life and death, contrasting with my own indulgent escape into the world of sport, troubled my conscience  and somewhat defused any excitement I felt about the upcoming football match . …

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British intelligence in twilight of Empire

The subject of my new book A Faithful Spy  , the late MI6 and MI5 officer Walter Bell  was  at the heart of the US/UK WW2  and Cold War intel relationship. His hitherto undisclosed   private papers , on which the book draws , also covers his  posting to Kenya 1949-1952 , to Delhi in 1952-57, West Indies in 1958-1960 , Kenya again in 1961-1967 where he was involved  operationally,  as British intelligence monitored soviet influence on anti-colonial leaders and played a crucial role in  the passing of political power while …

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A Faithful Spy

  I am delighted that my latest book A Faithful Spy ,on the life and times of MI6 and MI5 officer  Walter Bell is being published this autumn . (published by Chisebury October 1 , available in bookshops and amazon.) When Bell died in January 2004, aged ninety-four, the details of his life – not least of his professional career in the British secret services during a defining period in the history of modern espionage and security – remained a well-kept secret. He had been decorated with the US Medal …

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Race & Spanish Football

  I struggle to find any justified excuse for the abuse suffered  by the Real Madrid star Vinicius junior and the way in which a certain high-up in the Spanish La Liga has reacted. The racist nature of chants  by a large group of local fans suffered by  the young Brazilian during  Real Madrid’s  game against Valencia last Sunday  was only too evident. So was the emotional impact it had on the player who was red carded by the referee after being caught up in a tussle provoked by a …

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