tv supper
Juande Ramos clearly has no sense of humour.
Otherwise he wouldn't have called for an end to the transfer window at the beginning of the football season.
Nope, he'd have called for a transfer window every Monday night or so, for say just an hour so that we could marvel at the caffeine and Red Bull-fuelled creation that Sky Sports News' Jim White has become.
Monday night was big enough anyway with both Manchester clubs spending over £30 million on a player apiece.
But everything Sky did on Monday, or White, was bigger than this world has ever seen before.
"There you have it", he said at one point as the cameras focused on Old Trafford. "They're closing the curtains!", he said at one point before explaining it was because United had been were watching Sky: "like every football fan up and down the country" as the cameras panned onto their windows.
There was the infamous text allegedly from Joey Barton. "I've known Joey for years and we always have a special relationship with him here at Sky", said our Jim.
The text reportedly said: "I don't want to comment on speculation but I don't want to leave Newcastle. I owe the club and fans a lot for all I have put them through."
In Barton speak that more like likely read: "sayin nowt 2nite m8 ....."
I loved the reporter with three mobile telephones who revealed that he had been texted by Premier League players all night: "Some of whom can't believe what is going on, and are desperate for their clubs to get a piece of the action, and others who are waiting for moves".
Yeah right.
"Don't focus on the text messages!", he barked at the director who was attempting a close up. Yikes that was close!
His text messages probably read something like: "Your tea is going cold love..." and: "Want to meet the girl of your dreams then text...", and "your Scooby Doo ring-tone has been dispatched".
"What do you think Tottenham are making of all of this?", he was asked by one of the anchors- no rhyming slang intended.
"I wouldn't want to comment on Tottenham's behalf..." he replied. Brilliant!
Loved the way Sky put the reasoning behind Manchester City's move for Dimitar Berbatov down to: "a smokescreen to enable them to get Robinho". You couldn't make this up.
Honest I'd not been watching any more than an hour. But I was hooked.
The bloke outside The City of Manchester Stadium was competing all night with a bunch of hooded hoodlems up well past their bed-time.
The poor fella at the Tottenham training ground was standing in progressive darkness as not a lot went on.
And poor Rob Dorsett had the job of standing outside Stoke's ground trying to make the signings of Danny Higginbotham, Tom Soares and Michael Tonge sound like world-beaters.
Blip blip blip....what's this....
A text message.
Another text. "Mr Howell your Sky bill has had to rise by £1 a month to cover the rising cost of caffeine."
blip blip blip
"Bill, . have just been reading Descarts Meditations on First Philosophy when he argues that even the most dire skepticism is overcome by the certainty of one's own existence as a thinking thing- all the best Marlon."
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Bill - totally agree with you. That studio-based Sky Sports reporter who claimed to be receiving text messages and having phone conversations with all of football's high and mighty was a laughing stock.
I thought it was fascinating how he claimed that he was dashing off to ring Wenger or Peter Kenyon every couple of minutes yet he was sat in that same seat all night.
Transfer window deadline day - the day when Sky Sports News suddenly turns into one of the greatest comedy shows on TV!
Very funny. I can imagine the sort of messages that were coming in from players: "Hi, I'm Gareth from Solihull.... I wouldn't mind some deadline day transfer action"
a good read that was bill credit where credits due these blogs are improving. as for that jim white, he must of got through a fair few red bulls that night.
No comment.
Hi Bill ,
I assume in your closing paragraph you are referring to the famous French philosopher Descartes.
Perhaps you need a Red Bull ! : )
Bill, brilliant blog. Agree with all of it.
Sky are the biggest laughing stock of all
Not sure about"progressive" darkness, but ignore the observation about "Descarts"(Marlon September 9th.)We cognoscenti knew that you were referring to the 19th century West Bromwich idealist philosopher,Arthur Descarts,who said,memorably,"I think,therefore I yam".
But...spot on about the unspeakable Jim White and his NCO barkings.Something should be done about the overwhelming of our public life by talentless Scotsmen.Jocks away.
Does Juande Ramos have a sense of humour.?After hearing him yesterday,on Sky Sports News,giving his first interview in English,I bloody well hope he has.Amazingly, the brooding, chiselled- featured,hombre sounds like a cross between Mickey Mouse and Kate Bush.He won't need to sign Castrato from Villareal and Berbatov's desperation to get away from Spurs was explained in one.
Come on you Loyons!
From the time of Bills last blog, one can assume either that he he is on holiday or no longer writes for the mail, personally me hopes it is the later
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