John Bourn looks back at ITV's neglected trump card, its regional coverage
When ITV’s outgoing director of programmes, David Liddiment, criticised the BBC in a newspaper interview on August 19, their response was cutting: Liddiment was accused of “having presided over the most disastrous period in ITV’s history”.
Should there be a winter break for the Premiership? Two writers air their conflicting views
Yes ~
In the past few years, English football has acquired some continental habits. The ability to pass the ball to someone wearing the same coloured shirt is now quite highly valued. The replacement of beer by pasta in the diet continues apace. Mainland European coaching is taking hold at the highest level. And now the momentum is at last building towards the implementation of a winter break. The Premiership should follow its counterparts in Italy, Germany and France and give the players three weeks off.
David Harrison explains why Watford decided to sell their stadium again after they had just bought it. It wasn't because they didn't like the colour
The trouble with detailing recent boardroom activity at Watford is that the goalposts keep moving – only metaphorically to date, but confidence is dwindling that that is how it will stay. In February 2001, the club confirmed, to widespread local rejoicing, that relocation plans had finally and irrevocably proved fruitless. Three months later they announced they would pay a six-figure sum to buy the ground from the existing freeholders, Punch Taverns, thus “securing their future at Vicarage Road in perpetuity”. Hankies out.
Thursday 1 The Football League lose their court case against ITV Digital on the basis that the TV companies were not contractually bound to pay the full amount owed, £178.5 million of which is outstanding. The League may sue the legal advisers who drew up the contract with Carlton and Granada. Bradford City come out of administration after agreeing a repayment schedule with their creditors. Chairman Geoffrey Richmond is remorseful about the club’s over-spending: “I wish I had played it a different way. It looked right at the time though.” Dave Watson is sacked by Tranmere. Debt-ridden Fiorentina go bust, but may be allowed to restart in Italy’s fourth division.
Is Terry Venables really any good as a coach? Leeds' new manager is the subject of this month's Head to Head
Yes ~
I met Terry Venables once. He’d brought out a rather bizarre board game called The Manager and was trying to sell it as a TV programme. I was hired to answer the quiz questions on it in front of some BBC bigwigs. They didn’t take it up and I had to spend the morning with Eric Hall, so it wasn’t a successful day.