I had the great pleasure this week of seeing and hearing what goes on behind the scenes at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year show, which tomorrow night takes place in Liverpool.
We’ve all got favourite memories and recollections of the show from over the years. For me, watching my dad’s reaction to England cricketer David Steele being announced winner in 1975, after standing up to Lillee and Thomson during the Ashes series that summer, takes some beating. It was hardly a vintage year for sport to be fair.
But the all-time classic has to be ten years later, when Barry McGuigan was a deserved recipient for winning the world featherweight title against Panamanian boxer Eusabio Pedroza at Loftus Road. It was a classic performance, and even my old man agreed with the voting.
All that was required was for 90-year-old Sir Stanley Rous, already rolled out once that year to present the trophy bearing his name to Scotland at Hampden, to do the honours.
Sir Stanley looked down at the piece of paper, a pronounced “the winner is, Barney McCochrane.”
McGuigan was left desperately trying to keep a straight face as he went to shake hands with Rous, while Frank Bruno, who was sitting next to ‘McCochrane.’ guffawed with laughter. Classic telly.
ONCE upon a time, I used to send odd and interesting photographs for Carl Doran (executive editor for SPOTY) when he was working on A Question of Sport for the picture board round.
Being seasonal, and, given we’ve dedicated space to Carl and his major project this weekend, I thought I’d include one of the photographs he used on Question of Sport.
I’ve made it easier for you by revealing their faces - although there was nothing easy about coaxing them to do this shoot!
THE recent frost might have made the place look quite seasonal, but there has been little in the way of Christmas cheer among the dedicated Junior football fraternity.
Consecutive frozen Saturday’s has had a devastating effect on the Scottish Junior Cup, leaving many ties unplayed or unresolved, and the organisers praying desperately for some better weather.
As a result, the draw - which is scheduled to take place in the offices of the Evening Times - has twice been cancelled.
Hopefully, it can take place this week. In any event, you’ll be hard pushed to find a tie in the next round that doesn’t contain the word ‘or’ at least once.
LAST Sunday’s contest at Easter Road between Hibs and Celtic was a great game to watch.
The champions (elect) went from cruising one minute at 2-0 up, so suddenly having to defend like they haven’t done in ages as Hibs pegged them level, then so-nearly grabbed a dramatic winner, and would have had it not been for Mikael Lustig’s size 10 booing the ball off the line. A great game, arguably the best of the season.
But one or two were getting ahead of themselves, namely, those proclaiming what a great advert the game was for the SPFL. Sorry, it wasn’t.
You need games like that every week to make that claim, not just one a season
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