Some newspapers are full of coverage today about the BBC strike, identifying those media personalities who had not, or had crossed the picket line. Hats off to most of the Today team , some of the Ten o’oclock news presenters, and key figures of the Newsnight cast for refusing to go on air. Shame on those who didn’t and tried instead to keep us entertained, and their pay cheques coming in. As I tuned in and out of my car radio, it was at times difficult to make out who …
Diego turns 50
That Maradona was among the first Argentine celebrities to grieve publicly over Nestor Kirchner ‘s dead body is not surprising. As I relate in the updated edition of my biography of Maradona , Hand of God , the player not only shared an anti-US ‘Bolivarian revolution’ platform with Kirchner (and with Chaves), but also counted on the former Argentine president’s political support for his controversial appointment as national football coach in the run-up to last year’s World Cup in 2010. I was told that Julio Grondona, the president of the …
Nestor Kirchner rest in peace
So Farewell Nestor Kirchner. Chaves of Venezuela talked of you in terms that made you out to be a 21st version of San Martin, or, even Bolivar. One of your men in the Argentine parliament gave you a similar eulogy suggesting that the whole country should mourn the passing of one of its great political figures. I ‘ve never thought it fair to pass damning judgement on those who have died as it’s hard for them to hit back but I’d like to say just this. Some stocks rose in …
At the Camp Nou
It’s always a joy being back at the Camp Nou to see a live match and Saturday’s Barca vs Valencia was the kind of event that makes it worthwhile. There were close to 90,000 in the stadium which is quite a turn-out for this early stage in the season but then it was an important match. Barca has been floundering a little of late while los ches , as the Valencia players are called, have had an unbeaten run of games, displaying a mixture of attacking football, creative midfield, …
Thought for Today: Belonging
I’m introducing a new occasional item to this website. A thought which I hope may resonate with some of my readers as it resonates with me. This is a short verse from a wonderful book called ‘Eternal Echoes’ by the Irish philosopher writer John O’Donohue. This meditative tome is dedicated ‘for the ones who inhabit lives where belonging is torn and longing is numbered.’ I arise today Blessed be all things wings of breath, delight of eyes, wonder of whisper, intimacy of touch, eternity of soul, urgency of thought, miracle …
On Greene’s trail
My book of the month is Tim Butcher’s Chasing the Devil published by Chatto & Windus. Subtitled, The Search for Africa’s Spirit, this is about a continent I rarely touched as a foreign correspondent, still less as an author. However Graham Greene, who inspired Butcher’s journey across Sierra Leone and Liberia, has formed part of my life since, as a young boy, I was introduced to him for the first time by my father at the Garrick Club. My father was one of Greene’s early editors, and a life-long friend. In WW2 …
Chemistry
Interesting observing Real Madrid and FC Barcelona play in their respective Champions League games this week. Both teams frustrated by the defensive tactics of lesser mortals. But there all comparisons end. What I find hugely striking is the tension and poor chemistry that is evident not just between Mourinho and his players but among the Madrid players themselves. The Madrid players seem not to be enjoying themselves. They also show signs of genuine fear of what Mourinho might do to them. By contrast Barca players , even under pressure, …
Barca without Messi
A good source of mine at FC Barcelona told me a few days ago that he was convinced that Barca will win La Liga and the Champions League this season. But that was before Messi got injured. I wrote not so long ago on the paradox afflicting Guardiola’s Barca. Its current greatness and potential weakness lay in the Argentine star. With Messi firing on all cylinders, Barca as a team is inspired to greatness , with all the other key parts- Xavi, Iniesta, Pujol, Villa- contributing to a collective effort …
The Labour candidate who caught Fire
An interesting story reaches me about one of the candidates for the Labour leadership from a party insider. Not so many years ago the aforementioned candidate was at a celebration party organised by a centre left leaning think tank when he accidentally caught fire off a candle. For a few seconds the poor man (well it wasn’t Diana Abbot, I can tell you) looked like “a chicken on fire, all puffed up and seemingly nowhere to go” my informant tells me. With the help of nearby comrades, the fire was …
Why vote for Miliband the Younger
Voting for Ed Miliband After four days following the Pope around, I am back in the near-secular world, convinced that faith has still a party to play, along with reason, in our society, just as the newly beatified Cardinal Newman always hoped for. First on the agenda- opening a backlog of mail. I find, inter alia, a Christmas catalogue from my favourite charity CAFOD, unsolicited mail from my local Pizza take away and Sushi bar up the hill, and a plethora of material from Labour party leadership candidates begging for …
