Rob Smyth

Benaud in Wisden – A Fitting Memorial

Depending on your age the later Richie Benaud was one of the classiest Australian cricketers to grace the game or for my generation the voice of televised cricket. As is fitting the cricket Bible Wisden over the years has collected, besides his various records with bat and ball, various essays, the reports of the 63 tests he played in and not forgetting the Ashes series that he took part in.

Rob Smyth has drawn together some of the most interesting material from the game that not only Benaud wrote about, but also those written about Benaud from the likes of Jonathan Agnew and Norman Preston.

As one reads, the rich voice of Benaud comes off every page in this short anthology of his career, as cricketer and broadcaster, the book in 197 pages is a fitting tribute. As an anorak of the game and statistics there is a season by season report on his career. One of the statistics that stood out to me is from the 1954-55 when Benaud was opening for the Prime Minister’s XI had a knock of 113 in 96 minutes, when compared to some today struggle to get that score in a day.

Something that Jonathan Agnew touches on in his short piece on Benaud, points out something that cricket commentators everywhere today could do with taking note of and try. “Richie more than anyone – has mastered the art of speaking only when it is absolutely necessary.” Something I wish today’s commentators should do instead of stating the obvious, cricket fans are not stupid.

Benaud in Wisden is a wonderful book, something that you can read at anytime that will always give pleasure. This short anthology is the book any cricket fan would expect Wisden to produce and have done their subject well.… (mais)

Gentlemen and Sledgers – Interesting and Funny

With the summer up on us and a touring Australian Cricket Team about to appear and defend the Ashes which they so easily won, Rob Smyth has brought out Gentleman and Sledgers a history of the Ashes in quotations and confrontations. This is an informative and funny book which not only any cricket fan will enjoy but those with an interest in sports and sports history in general.

From the Obituary to English Cricket placed in the Sporting Times in September 1882 until England won the Ashes in 2005 then lost them again in 2013, there is history and quotation, snippets to laugh at historic games to remember. How the England Captain on the tour of 1883 was presented with the little Urn with ashes of who knows what inside as a response to the infamous obit, and how upon his death in 1943 it was presented to Lords.

I like the way the book is split up in to various eras so you are able to dip in and out of the book often quoting. All the cricket greats are in here from the colossus that was W.G. Grace, Bradman through to Merv Hughes and Flintoff and who can forget Glenn McGrath giving it the ‘I reckon it will be 5 – 0 this time’, how did that one work out for you fella?

Like every cricket fan we all have our favourite sledges from Ashes tours and various quotes from players one of mine is there; Ian Chappell to David Boon ‘In my day 58 beers between London and Sydney would have virtually classified you as a teetotaller’.

Some of the best sledges are usually about a player and some you could not disagree with especially if it is about Geoffrey Boycott, a man who could bore a glass eye to tears when out at the crease. Something Aussie politician Jack Birney saying ‘You have done or Australian cricket what the Boston Strangler did for door-to-door salesman’ this was after Boycott had been out in the middle for 857 minutes without hitting a boundary!

This is a wonderful book that is an excellent reminder of cricket’s past, some great slices of history backed up with some fantastic pictures. This is a must have for all cricket fans and a book that you are able to dip in and out of not just during the summer of cricket. Buy it, Love it!… (mais)

Jumpers for Goalposts – Some Interesting Points

I always smile when I read books that complain that football has changed for the worse that it is not like the old days. In the old days we had ramshakle stadia, crap food, violence on and off the pitch, deaths and people turning away from football. You could rock up to a ground pay at the gate and gain entry some of those even turned up at Old Trafford but then they always had the glory hunting tourist fans well worth punching on derby day. I understand a few headbutted a few City fans fists at that time while the Mancunian reds watched and applauded. Believe me there was nothing fantastic about supporting your team at time back then at times, things have moved on times have changed. Whether for the better or the worst Jumpers for Goalposts examines the rise of ‘modern’ football, or as most Manchester United fans would say the beginning of history in 1992.

Jumpers for Goalposts written by sports journalists Georgina Turner and Rob Smyth (to me a tourist from Kent who supports the RAGs of Old Trafford), before I start Old Trafford was only ever made for cricket. They examine whether football has sold its soul which with the influx of money today is an important question for all fans even those of debt ridden clubs. There are some mistakes in here but that is expected as they are journalists after all, “We all live in a Robbie Fowler house” started at Manchester City when he signed for them and was continued by Liverpool, I know pedant alert.

The chapters are well constructed that cover the money that has come in to football and where it is being spent now and there are some very interesting comparrisons when the authors talk about football players, and therefore False Idols is the most apt chapter title for them. When they cover the amount players are paid on some you can understand the outrage for the mediocre and average players receiving so much but the world class players is a different matter.

When talking of the premier league from its inception in 1992 until 2011 they have clearly argued the point of Greed is Good has been great for some football clubs but an absolute disaster for others. Especially when you think of the ‘arms’ race that goes on first to get to the promised land of the premier league and then more importantly to stay there. Which I doubt there is anyone that would argue against the argument as they set it out especially when you look at our youth teams and more importantly the full England team.

This book guides us through everything that we may need to know about modern football and how it operates especially in relation to money. It also shows up, using plenty of examples, the stupidity of many of the footballers and their arrogance along with their endless riches. It is hard to escape in this book how money now drips through the game getting everywhere like water.

It would have been easy for this book to turn in to a polemic but it is a balanced argument as you can get but does provide the evidence when required. The good thing about the journalists that wrote this book is they are able to give an honest account of football and how much money now floats around in the game without much recall to the fans or at times common sense.

An interesting book always worth a read even if it is just for some of the examples they use through out the book.… (mais)