Fans Comment Richard Ewart
Media Mafia 12 December 2004
When are the broadcast media going to get off Everton's back and give them the credit they deserve for what they have done this season?
As a journalist and broadcaster myself, I listen and cringe at some of the rubbish that is pouring from the mouths of commentators and pundits.
There I was listening to the oh so self-opinionated Alan Green on the World Service here in Oz, ready to savour the Derby win when he said: "This will put Everton on 36 points, Jimmy (Armfield), three more and they'll be safe." I could not believe it. Nothing about Everton going second, closing the gap on Chelsea, extending the huge gap over the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle. Nothing above all about Everton's achievement based on spending 50p, compared to the club's around them and their millions.
What's worse is the 'Green attitude' is catching. On SBS television over here they have a pundit called Tony Palumbo — an Italian. His reaction to the Everton win and reaching second place — "It won't last". What does he base that on? Take a look at the evidence and amazing as it might be for we Evertonians to grasp, but it really can last, such is the team spirit and organisation that David Moyes has built.
Two years ago during the season of the magnificent 7th, I was living in Singapore. Same thing there — as Everton produced the results, all the pundits could do was talk about when the run would end, how injuries and a small squad would catch up with the team. As we now know, it didn't.
As I was musing on this wave of negative and unfair reporting, my mind harked back to the Nottingham Forest team of the Brian Clough era. I seem to recall that team was given similar treatment when it was promoted to the old First Division and won the title against the odds.
That then just reinforces my belief that Everton really can stay up there to the end of the season and will make the Greens of this world eat their words. I recall he once was so insulting about Joe Royle when he was manager at Man City, Joe was, very unusually for him, prompted to respond in print. He suggested Alan Green should hold his next birthday party in a phone box, such was his lack of regard within the game.
It saddens me when broadcasters can not give credit where credit is due. I suspect they have their own agendas.
Personally I will continue to savor Sunday mornings here in Australia when my five year old son comes into the bedroom and whispers, "Dad, how did Everton do?" And of course I say, "They won Dan, they won." And I hope that will stick in the pundits throats for the rest of this season and many more to come.
Richard Ewart
Fans Comment sam morrison
Green is the Colour 04/12/13
I'm glad Richard Ewart found the time to criticise Alan Green in his post-derby-success article. To me, Green is a man for whom the word irritating was invented. I was listening to the game on the radio and groaned inwardly when Alan turned up to take us through to half-time. Immediately he bemoaned the standard of football he was watching, emitted a series of sighs and groans, and generally spent the next twenty-two minutes whinging apart from whenever Gerrard got the ball, in which case he began to gush.
No there's no foul in taking pleasure from the derring-do of an excellent player, but Green's attitude was almost that of a proud dad. He deflated again when anyone else got the ball, sounding like he just stepped in a turd. And when Gerrard skied that free kick into the stands, did Alan revert to his standard, "Shocking. Absolutely shocking. At this level, Jimmy..." and so on? That's what I hear from him every week when some hapless soul misplaces a pass. But no, on this occasion Alan simply chuckled indulgently. I could practically hear him rubbing his crotch.
His most transparent bit of antipathy though was his response to Jimmy Armfield mentioning in passing that Everton were currently third. "I don't know how they got there, Jimmy" he said. "I don't know HOW they got there."
It's because we won all those games, you daft prick.
Even the most blinkered Evertonian would accept we're not playing the football that saw Arsenal win the league or Chelsea repeatedly hammer teams 4-0 (apart from us). But to equate that with us "not deserving" to be third - or second! - is crap. Anyone who resented Greece winning the European Cup may disagree, but there's something to be said for the combination of industry and belief. And lest we forget, Everton also occasionally play football. In fairness to Green, I don't think he targets Everton in particular. I think he whinges about everything. I've heard him commentate on cracking games and, at a loss, he'll begin complaining about the tea, the view, his journey home, the weather, etc. I believe he doesn't see himself as a commentator with a job to do but as the gatekeeper to a magical world where those of us who can't watch the game are at his mercy. And that kind of power corrupts. I could do Green's job. I couldn't replace Ingham or Armfield or any of the others, but if all you have to do is turn up and whine at alternating pitches of disbelief or weary resignation then I think I can meet those criteria. As this article demonstrates.
Sam Morrison
©2004 ToffeeWeb
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