PERSPECTIVE UKNORTH
People and their profiles: dukes, archbishops, actors, writers, monks, oddbods, the garish, the gregarious - here they are in single file, chosen by chance, by inclination, or by necessity ... and all reflecting, one hopes, the essential, but indefinable, spark that makes one human being interesting to many. Geoffrey Mather
Language of the lost
In the days of Don Revie and the greatness of Leeds, I watched in awe as commentators described the Soccer action. Here was a debasement of the English language at root level. I did not, at that time, consider that it would survive. It had to die, like a prehistoric animal, preferably in pain. But no! Switch on your television or radio and nothing has changed. The fractured language marches further into the abyss of incomprehensibility.
What I wrote when Revie (affable chap; cold-water shaver, you know) was around involved an amalgamation of all I had ever heard, but the fictitious speakers still sound, to me, like fair examples of the real thing.:
"Well, Len, that was a fantastic game end it must be your best ever: two goals out of three. What was it like?"
"Well, Jimmy, it was, like, great, you know? I mean, tremendous, really Unbelievable, really, and all credit to the lads. They played great."
"Yes, Len, it is certainly a game no-one will ever forget. We'll just play the first goal back in slow motion. It's up the park now and the sweeper's got it and it's coming over to you. Let's just stop it there and see where everybody is. See how the centre half has his right leg in the air: Now watch what follows. Marvellous, marvellous."
"Well, Jimmy, as you. could see there, it was passed over to me and I just hit it first time, like, and that was it. They must have been pig sick. The keeper didn't have a chance. But all credit to my mates. They were grand."
"What do you think, Don?"
"Well, Jimmy, I've had my eye on this lad for a long time, a very long time.
There was only one thing I could -tell him: play your own game, watch the back four, keep pushing it up, witch your marking, and they're bound to come.""Is that what you said to the team, Don?"
. "More or less, Jimmy. It's the only way, really. There've been these tremendous developments in football generally arid that's what it amounts to these days - Keep pushing up, pushing hard. Pressure tells'. Those back four worried me a bit but it was all right on the day. A great game. All credit to the lads."
"Well, now, we have Johnny here, who played such a great part in the victory, too. Johnny, toll me, what is the secret? Because it was your passes that Len latched onto in the 33rd and 58th minutes to give us these two glorious goals which I'm going to play them again in slow motion. There we are... There's the first being set up now."
"Well, Jimmy, as you can see, the lads are pushing up. Grand. Watching the back four. Putting them over hard. A bit high, that one, but he's trapped it, lovely. It's up the park and the goalkeeper's out of position. They keep pushing it up. Pressing hard; And there it is. It couldn't fail, really."
"I’ll just run it again so that Len can give us a bit more about it. Len?"
"Well, Jimmy, as Johnny says, we pushed up hard and you can see it all there – the lads pushing up and we’re watching the back four, putting them over hard, and here I’m inclined to agree with Johnny: it came over a bit high, but not too, and that was it like. It was the same at at Swindon last year. My old manager gave me advice I will never forget because it changed my style. He said, ‘Watch your marking and go for everything; they’re bound to come.’ It was a revelation to me, Jimmy, at the time.""I'll just run it again so that Len can give us a bit more about it. Len?"
"Don?"
"Well, it's good advice for any youngster. Keep going. Don't relax.
Keep putting them over. Watch the Italians - close marking, accurate passing, keep pushing on,"
"True, Don. Len?"
"Well, I would just like to make it plain, Jimmy, that it's a. victory for the lads, a great victory. The other lot got their heads down and they never came up again after half time."
"Is it not difficulty having a £10m price tag on you?"
"Well, Jimmy, not really. I just push it out of my mind, you know? I just play one game at a time."
"Yes, Len, I remember Bob Paisley saying the same thing: only play one game at a time. Don?"
'Well, Jimmy, it's good advice for any manager. Keep plugging away and you'll got results. A lot of people say we should have played Chivers today, He's a. good lad is Martin; but on today's showing, the back marking, play down the
wings, keeping sweepers tight, watching for chances, playing welt up the park, putting them across - it was bound to come. I'm proud of the lads."
"Thank you."(And now the scene moves to the defeated manager.., and what he thinks.)
"Well, Jimmy, diabolical decisions ...aimed to get result ...dead ball situations... left-sided midfield destroyer ...safe pair of hands ...in the box... real test of character... putting it all together...keeping it tight at the back, pushing forward in midfield, hitting quickly on the 'break ...that about sums it up and the lads are pig sick."
"Well, thanks to our team of commentators. That's it for another night and what a tremendous night it has been for English football."Geoffrey Mather © 2004
3 March, 2007