What happens to those managers who suddenly find there’s no longer a place for them in the game? Like Michael Henchard, the tragic lead in Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge who dies bankrupt and discredited, one fears that there’s no way that Paul Sturrock will be able to correct his sullied record and that he will see out his Saturdays in front of Jeff Stelling & co. The comparison runs deeper. For the guilt that hangs over Henchard’s head for much of his life after selling his wife and child at market, read Sturrock’s regretful decision to leave the…
All posts tagged Championship Letters
Championship Letters 9: Gary Johnson as Vasily Ivanovich Bazarov
The first signs of restlessness at Ashton Gate for some time have seen Bristol City fans cast doubt on the decision making of their hero Gary Johnson and a sustained dip in form has led to squirming by the Avon Gorge. In Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons, the patriarchal Vasily Ivanovich Bazarov has lost touch with modern ideas, clinging on to traditional values and displaying unquestioning devotion to his nihilist son, Yevgeny. Robin’s fans main quibble of the moment is the continued selection of Johnson’s son Lee, an alleged case of nepotism to place alongside the cases of Graham Wilkins,…
Championship Letters 8: George Boyd as D’Artagnan
A swashbucking display in Forest’s vital 1-0 win over Swansea on Saturday will have immediately endeared him to the East Midlands faithful. Rumours of a fall out with the hard nosed Jim Gannon hastened Boyd’s departure from Peterborough and his confident debut will enhance his chances of a permanent arrangement. My fellow blogger Nick P called for the man of Kent to shear his barnet in a recent comment, but the D’Artagnan factor does a lot to help the energetic front man gain notice.
Championship Letters 7: Raheem Sterling as Pip
Fifteen year old Raheem Sterling’s plucking from QPR’s ranks by mighty Liverpool brings to mind the arrival of a wide eyed Philip Pirrip aka Pip on London streets after his formative years roaming the Kentish marshes in Great Expectations. There is no word that Sterling has ever encountered any Magwitch type characters, but the White City Estate adjacent to Loftus Road has enjoyed a fearsome reputation in days of yore. Let’s hope he fares better than another high profile teenage acquisition by the Reds, that of Wayne Harrison back in 1985.
Championship Letters 6: Jon Parkin as Falstaff
My fellow blogger Ben conjured up the unforgettable phrase lantern-jawed bludgeoners to describe Preston front duo Neil Mellor and Jon Parkin recently. Like Falstaff, the immortal character from Henry IV, Parkin gets about the pitch “for a big lad”, although one suspects Ferguson fils may be looking for more mobility after working with comparative whippets at Posh. If family traits follow, then one would expect young Darren to be absent from Big Jon’s death bed scene as was Prince Hal.
Stanley: As someone who is generally supportive of fan ownership, it is importa...
James Bennett: Absolutely agreed. Social media's a great point - I should have includ...
Kevin Hughes: I read this with a lot of interest. I've possibly been guilty myself o...
Lanterne Rouge: A great overview Lloyd. and interesting that a managerial change hasn'...
