P.J. Davitt's Blog, page 13
April 1, 2019
Middlesbrough (a) – Paddy’s video take down
Paddy reflects on Norwich City’s 1-0 Championship away win at Middlesbrough which moved the Canaries five points and reviews the national media reaction.
WATCH HERE
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February 9, 2019
Opinion: Lambert and Farke united by more than shared history
Paul Lambert’s return as Ipswich Town boss provides a fascinating contrast with Daniel Farke. Paddy Davitt detects plenty of common ground between the rivals.
Let me share a joke I had with Paul Lambert when he was at the very peak of his powers at Norwich City.
It was May 2011. A warm evening in the Fine City.
The location: City Hall just before Lambert led his players onto the balcony to take the acclaim of the thousands gathered below. The Scot had followed up a League One title triumph with a remarkable promotion to the Premier League. Lambert was king of all he surveyed.
I told him that night, after a second consecutive promotion, he deserved to be awarded the Honorary Freedom of the City.
Paul Lambert enjoyed that champagne feeling of promotion success at Norwich City Picture: Chris Radburn/PA
Lambert replied, ‘so they should’ but with a smile so wide that suggested he did not expect it any time soon and in all honesty could think of nothing worse than having such prestigious recognition bestowed upon him.
The genius of Lambert was an ability to deflect all the praise outward; towards his players or those ‘marvellous’ supporters, while the spotlight remained firmly fixed on him and his alchemist’s touch.
Lambert was reluctant to be front of house yet no-one was in any doubt who was the boss.
Maybe the sands were already shifting on that balmy May evening, as the intoxicating aroma of success hung in the night sky and thoughts turned to what lay ahead in the big time.
Nelson Oliveira crossed Daniel Farke to his cost at Norwich City. Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images
Literally 13 months later, Lambert was gone. A toxic parting of the ways facilitated a move to Aston Villa after comfortably keeping City in the top flight at his first attempt. Few present at Carrow Road for the final game of that season would forget how he was feted by the travelling Villa support, when the speculation was starting to circle this magic carpet ride was about to hit terra firma.
Lambert deserved what he clearly felt at the time was a step up in his managerial career.
His body of work alongside Ian Culverhouse and those unheralded players during the previous few seasons was remarkable. In that there is a clear parallel with the way Daniel Farke has bucked the trend to manoeuvre his Norwich City to top spot in the Championship.
The same dream realised by Lambert is now within his grasp over these coming months. Do that and Farke would be heralded in the same manner; probably from the same balcony in truth.
But this weekend their paths cross for the first time. Old and new, the past and the present, top versus bottom. The strands are deliciously varied, the sub-plots guaranteed to elevate this derby above any other since those play-off tussles in 2015.
Lambert, of course, knows exactly what it feels like to mastermind two thumping victories over the old enemy. An aggregate 9-2 victory in that Championship promotion-winning season is still revered to this day. The savage intensity of City’s 5-1 win at Portman Road, just two games before that Premier League-clinching date at Portsmouth, was arguably Lambert’s highpoint.
Now the Scot seeks to dent his old club’s bid to repeat that achievement.
There are those who will inevitably voice their anger Lambert could ever have countenanced crossing the East Anglian divide, via a circuitous route. Given his mastery at forging a siege mentality – the ‘us against the rest’ outlook that powered a glorious ascent when he wore green and yellow – it would be a huge mistake to make this weekend all about Lambert.
That would be to risk giving him and his relegation-threatened side a psychological lift.
Motivation will be high enough to end a wretched run in this neighbourly squabble that dates back to April 2009, without trying to divert the focus away from Norwich’s quest to take another step on the road to promotion.
In the fullness of time, when Lambert and Farke for that matter have long since departed, the Scot’s achievements at Norwich will stand the test. For that, the Hall of Famer should retain a special place in the modern day history of the club. But this is now Farke’s time.
What we witnessed in such thrilling fashion at Elland Road was a team on the cusp of attaining a prize so unexpected it evokes memories of the way Lambert’s fearless group swept through two divisions.
Paul Lambert returns to Carrow Road as Aston Villa boss for the first time. Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images
His team was full of streetwise hustlers, whereas Farke has moulded a unit rich in youth and astute overseas recruits.
Both leaders have maximised limited resources to compete at the right end of the division on an equal footing with far richer rivals.
But Farke is the polar opposite of Lambert as a character. Lambert’s aura of supreme self-confidence may have been dented, from when he prowled a touchline in his City tracksuit, but looking at this distance he appears to remain a brooding character; a fiercely driven, intense individual.
Farke has his moments, as the water bottle fired against the wall of the away dugout when Onel Hernandez sliced an early clearance at Elland Road testifies, but he prefers carrot rather than stick. Albeit in the manner Lambert’s former lieutenant Russell Martin was jettisoned, or Nelson Oliveira put out to pasture, there is a hidden steeliness. Yet it resides below the surface when under Lambert it routinely erupted.
Farke’s media briefings resemble a focus group. Lambert’s at Norwich were an assault on the senses. An acidic barb and a withering look his stock-in-trade.
The contrast in personality is marked.
So much so, when the two men exchange pleasantries seconds before kick off on Sunday it may be tempting to spot only the differences.
In truth, they have much more in common, beyond a shared goal to get Norwich City to the Premier League against the odds.
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January 23, 2019
Opinion: Spying and social ills. When did football stop being entertainment?
Marcelo Bielsa might be better advised getting his staff to give Elland Road a lick of pink paint ahead of City’s visit.
The Leeds chief reportedly met FA officials in London earlier this week, as the investigation into what is now known as ‘spygate’ stepped up a notch or two.
This, after Norwich City confirmed over the weekend they were one of 11 signatories to a letter urging the EFL for ‘full disclosure’ into the events that led to a member of Bielsa’s backroom set-up apprehended at Derby County’s training ground.
Followed by the Argentine’s bid for a cameo in any re-make of City’s amusing ‘The Office’-themed season ticket renewals’ video, featuring Stuart Webber, Ben Kensell and a selection of players.
Bielsa went full David Brent with a forensically-detailed powerpoint presentation to gathered media, prior to his side’s 2-1 league defeat at Stoke City, that merely fanned the indignation rather than sought to project the idea spying on Championship rivals was an optional extra to the main business of his cutting edge scouting preparations.
City’s pending trip to one of their main promotion foes at the start of next month hardly required any further logs thrown on the bonfire.
Both clubs had already confirmed respective sell-outs for what promises to be a titanic tussle on the pitch; which is where it should stay.
The toxic undercurrent to the news Norwich seek clarification – not sanctions for the record – that spewed across social media is unedifying and encapsulates the worst excesses of the medium.
A platform for communication and education at its best can also be a sewer for vile abuse, a portal for insults from anonymous corners of the football fanspace.
The fact a hashtag #welcomenorwich was spawned in recent days, seeking to make life uncomfortable for Daniel Farke’s squad or the away fans as they travel to the stadium, is something that will no doubt be addressed by the relevant safety authorities.
It should be noted plenty of Leeds supporters sought to quickly caution against the idea.
You can debate elsewhere whether this is a societal problem given expression through football.
The political ferment around the country over our future relationship with mainland Europe, and the divisions that provokes within Parliament and the electorate at large, illustrate these are tense, uncertain times.
What occurs at Elland Road on February 2 should be a showcase of everything that is good about the Championship between two excellent sets of players and astute coaches who have led the way for a number of months.
Leeds were as good as any side to visit Carrow Road earlier in the season.
The Canaries may have still been finding their way, but the tempo and the intensity to Bielsa’s troops was admirable in an emphatic 3-0 away win; particularly given the sizeable disadvantage of those pink walls in the away dressing room, a story that produced much merriment at Norwich’s expense when it first emerged a fortnight or so earlier against West Brom.
The widespread theory behind such a striking choice of colour appears to be that studies have shown pink is said to lower testosterone levels and have a calming effect.
I was reminded of that earlier this week when I received a polite email from a Leeds season ticket holder of 35 years standing.
He suggested Norwich’s attempts to ‘impair player performance’ in such a novel manner could also potentially lead to charges they had breached the EFL Club’s Charter – one of the aspects that collective letter delivered to the Football League recently now seeks to clarify.
A pot or two of pink paint, on the face of it, would seem to be at the opposite end of the spectrum to a pre-meditated spying network overseen by Bielsa to gain an unfair advantage.
But in all seriousness, the bile and the entrenched rhetoric, from either side of the social media divide, needs to be toned down dramatically in the days ahead.
You can get your fix of that elsewhere in Britain 2019. Football is supposed to be entertainment.
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March 24, 2015
English football is in crisis but Greg Dyke does not have all the answers
Dyke has rolled out his vision in recent days which is designed to give England the best possible chance to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In essence, the FA chief wants to protect genuine homegrown talent by raising the threshold required in Premier League squads, from eight to 12 players in any 25-man pool, and re-defining what constitutes homegrown.
Dyke quotes the example of Chelsea’s midfield maestro, Cesc Fabregas, who was registered as a homegrown player when he joined Arsenal at the age of 16 after being schooled in the famous ‘La Masia’ set-up at Barcelona.
Those who care passionately about the Three Lions will recognise the fervour and sense of national pride that accompanies successful tournament displays by England is now in grave danger for future generations of supporters. Dyke is right to demand change.
The comparable figures for English-qualified players in domestic leagues or even participating in blue-riband European competitions compared to other continental powerhouses like Spain or Germany is unacceptable.
But in the midst of Dyke’s dissection of the problem he merely touches on the one critical contributory factor. Dyke claims nine of the current Premier League’s clubs have not produced a first team regular from their academy over the past three seasons. That criteria may need to be evaluated given the progress of Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Ryan Mason, who were called into the current England squad for a Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania and a friendly in Turin next week against Italy.
But speak to any coaches in an unguarded moment - as I do for a living - who are active within the revamped elite academy system at the top end of the English game and they will tell you it is not fit for purpose. Just ask Dave Shaw what he thinks of Terry Dooley in One Shot at Glory
Young players are being hot-housed in a system which does not prepare them for the Premier League or to compete against their peers emerging through the German or Spanish systems, or even in recent times the successful Belgian crop of talent.
Games at development level take place in an artificial, non-competitive, sterile environment. Only three outfield players over the age of 21 are permitted in any side. That lends itself to age-group football when it is supposed to be the final launchpad for the first team. This is compounded by a chronic lack of depth to the coaching which needs to be world-class to develop world-class raw material.
There are exceptions. Southampton have proved it is possible to develop a number of homegrown prospects. Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Luke Shaw are all prodigiously-gifted examples of what is possible. But Southampton is a beacon of best practice because they are an anomaly, not an industry-standard. Given the bloated sums pumped into the academy system in recent years it is an embarrassment more English-bred players have not emerged. The biggest clubs in the land will continue to buy from overseas because the domestic option is inferior and the ones who do fit the criteria find themselves artificially valued because of their very rarity.
Dyke seeks to flatten some of the obstacles in their path but if they are not bred in the right environment with the right coaching England’s national product will continue to remain inferior well beyond 2022.
March 14, 2015
Sir Alex Ferguson was the last of the managerial tyrants
Arsene Wenger’s longevity is in its own way is admirable but the sustained achievements of Sir Alex Ferguson are unparalleled and epic in scale.
Whether you are red or a shade of blue in England, history will show Ferguson was one of the best British managers to span a fabled timeline from Herbert Chapman to Bill Nicholson, Bill Shankly, Sir Matt Busby, Jock Stein and any other number of managerial greats to prowl the touchline.
Ferguson was a firebrand, a force of nature; that drive and will to succeed, to go again in the wake of the latest triumph must have been instilled in him by his family and his upbringing in the tough working class areas of Govan.
All the anecdotal evidence from those players who were inspired by Ferguson’s work ethic and winning mentality suggest he mellowed in his later working life at Old Trafford; less of the hair dryer, more of the collegiate approach to his craft.
That may have come from a steady stream of titles and cups to sate the restless urge to prove himself, but it perhaps was also a recognition of the more cosmopolitan nature of the Premier League, the influx of continental talent, the development of the academy system, that contrive to produce a modern player who responds to a different incentive that avoiding the wrath of Alex.
Look from a distance at the Premier League now and you struggle to spot any firebrands who remotely resemble Ferguson at his raging best. Jose Mourinho may have his moments but Ferguson was a master.
The huge financial rewards bestowed on young men barely out of their teens, surrounded by coteries of advisors and management companies, create a detachment from not only supporters but the real world. Criticism is a dangerous tool for the modern manager to adopt.
There is the well-known story of the Premier League footballer who pinned an official club letter informing him he had been fined for a perceived misdemeanour to his training top in a flagrant disregard for the authority of the manager charged with imposing discipline.
Maybe Ferguson was indeed the last of his type. Now the vogue is to appoint young, hungry operators with the coaching and technical nous to extract the optimum from their own peer group, in many cases. Norwich City appointed 33-year-old Alex Neil in January to lead their Championship charge and his first act was to call time on his own playing days. There is still a place for man-management and psychology, but it is packaged within a consensual rather than confrontational outlook.
Men like Ferguson and Wolston’s academy chief Rob Duncan in One Shot at Glory hail from a different era; one where fear was a part of the toolkit and players deferred through sheer force of personality.
Football is a different game and the Glaswegian was astute enough to realise that when he stepped aside after building a legacy which is a testament to Ferguson the man as much as it is the manager.
March 5, 2015
Harry Kane and Dave Shaw have plenty in common
Kane is a throwback to the bustling strikers of yesteryear packaged in a frame which also harnesses the technical excellence and razor-sharp instincts to flourish in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old’s stunning season for Spurs should lead to a first England international senior debut later this month in the Three Lions’ Euro2016 qualifier against Lithuania or, more likely, the friendly five days later in Italy.
But Kane’s progress to become the focal point of the Spurs’ attack and maybe in time his country’s figurehead has not been without struggle.
Mention Harry Kane to football followers of Norwich City and those with good memories will reply with two words, West Ham. Kane made five appearances in a loan stint interrupted by injury back in the 2012/13 top flight campaign under the guidance of Tottenham stalwart and then Canaries boss Chris Hughton. The blond frontman had made his Spurs’ top flight debut the previous month at Newcastle, but this was the youngster’s first real exposure to the rigours of the Premier League. Hughton blooded Kane straight away in the closing stages of a league game against the Hammers that appeared to be limping towards early season stalemate. The cool predator, the clinical forager found himself one-on-one with Jussi Jaaskelainen in stoppage time but dragged a first time shot on his left foot straight at the grounded Hammers’ keeper.
It was a golden chance for both the youngster and the Canaries. Kane remained a peripheral figure on the fringes of City’s first team before a broken foot injured in a League Cup tie eventually annulled the marriage.
But the striker has blossomed since after a further loan stint at Leicester and more goals in Tottenham’s development structure. The man terrorising Premier League defences now bears no resemblance to the callow teenager who fluffed his big line at Carrow Road.
It is a testament to Kane’s character and his progress that he is now an indispensable part of his boyhood club’s future. Wolston's own rising star striker, Dave Shaw, should use Kane as a role model. One Shot at Glory
Injury altered his upward mobility at Wolston but, like Kane, scoring goals for ‘his’ club remains within reach. The maturity of Kane’s performances now suggest it was arguably those testing formative experiences away from White Hart Lane which shaped the man plundering with such regularity. Very few youngsters earn a passage to the first team in the serene style of a Ryan Giggs or Raheem Sterling. Kane’s early career path is the norm for young professionals graduating through the academy system. But his stirring exploits this season have made him a poster boy for perseverance.
February 28, 2015
Everything you ever wanted to know about professional soccer...but were afraid of the answers
Hello all. First-time novelist, long time soccer/football journalist covering English Premier League & Championship.
Also worked in mainland Europe and a memorable summer stint that took in San Jose Earthquakes, Sacramento and Portland Timbers to get a flavour of the MLS.
Spoken to the biggest characters in the game along the journey and will look to provide some of that insight over coming months in a regular series of blogs to coincide with my first published novel, One Shot at Glory which reveals the dark side to the beautiful game.
Feel free to ask questions and I'll do my very best to provide answers on what's good and what's not so good about the sport at the elite level from my extensive knowledge.
February 4, 2015
Bookbag Talks To PJ Davitt
P J Davitt: What a great question. I must say this is a strange experience for me as I spend my life asking others questions in my day job as a football journalist!
Well, I see boys and girls like me when I was in my teens; people who share a passion for football and reading, perhaps young adults who might not view themselves as voracious readers but love football and would engage with this story. I wasn’t interested in sci-fi or escapism or wizards and goblins (apologies to those who are!), I wanted to read about something that connected with me. A story from the real world I could relate to. I think that’s what we all want from a good yarn.
BB: What inspired you to write One Shot at Glory?
PJD: I honestly feel I became a football journalist because that seed was planted from an early age through reading any fictional book I could lay my hands on. From the age of about 10 or 11 if I wasn’t playing football I would be in the library reading books by sports writers like Michael Hardcastle and Brian Glanville. I re-discovered my love of reading again about six years ago and that was the trigger to sit down and write something myself. I was always going to pen a novel in this genre, it was just the practicalities and logistics of devoting the time. I researched it and really couldn’t see anything that was a modern version of the books I used to read in my teens and given my inside knowledge of the game I felt I could really offer readers an insight into a world they never see.
BB: Will we meet Dave Shaw again?
PJD: Would you want to? He is quite a selfish individual. Ha. Definitely. I have a second manuscript in rough form which takes Dave’s story on again as he tries to make it at Wolston and beyond. I am so excited by the possibilities and the fun to be had charting the twists and turns of that main character’s career in years to come. I write for a living for a newspaper publisher but I realised during this process there is something much purer and intrinsically far more enjoyable about writing a novel. At the very start it felt like a daunting challenge but I can’t wait to write many more episodes of Dave Shaw’s life.
BB: Would you ever write about girls football?
PJD: That is a fantastic idea and, yes, it’s something I would consider. I know girls and women’s football in the UK is among the fastest growing participation sports right now, and in my day job as a football journalist I have spoken to many talented young footballers who are getting opportunities within the burgeoning professional game in the UK. Obviously the sport is huge in America as well and I know footballers who are involved in the college system there. That is a really interesting area to explore in the future.
BB: What three books should every football fan read?
PJD: Brian Glanville’s Goalkeepers are Different was published in 1971 and is about a young keeper who makes it into his first team and plays in a big cup final. Glanville is widely-regarded as the doyen of British football journalists and this book is a great way of comparing how much the professional game has changed through the influence of the media and the huge finances now involved.
Any of Michael Hardcastle’s football books are prefect for early teens discovering books and the enjoyment they bring. Goal-getter from 2010 is the tale of Eddie who is promoted to his local school team when his older brother and best player in the school, Matthew, falls ill before a big match.
For older football fans, the best book I have read recently is ex-Manchester United and Republic of Ireland defender Paul McGrath’s brutally frank autobiography, Back from the Brink which charts his battles off the pitch following a tough upbringing in Ireland, to being thrust into the spotlight at Old Trafford.
BB: What advice would you give to aspiring footballers?
PJD: If we are talking about boys and girls who want to make it professionally then it takes a young life of total dedication. Only a fraction of those who start out in the academy system across all the professional clubs in the UK will ever make a career at the top level. Talent alone is not enough. Every young footballer who gets identified and invited to play within a professional academy has the talent, but application is just as important, and with the right coaching and nurturing you increase your odds. Never lose that sense of enjoyment you felt when you first started playing the game for fun because the pressure and the competition gets fierce the further you progress.
But you also have to be realistic and have a good support network around you for when that day might come when you are told you are not good enough and a contingency plan to explore other careers or further education opportunities.
BB: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
PJD: Find your own writing voice. Different authors or genres will always flow in and out of fashion, depending on shifting tastes and fads, but if you are comfortable in your own writing skin that should translate into original, engaging content which people want to read.
BB: We think it’s wonderful that proceeds from the book are being donated to the Trussell Trust. What decided you to do this?
PJD: I think we all have causes or charities that just make a connection with us or we feel strongly about. The Trussell Trust is a national foodbank charity in the UK, which helps set-up and run foodbanks right across the country. Without wanting to clamber onto a soapbox more than a million people used foodbanks in 2014 in a country with the sixth largest economy in the world. You have hard-working people and families not able to afford a basic staple like food so I wanted to raise awareness and hopefully some funds for that cause. The book launched a week before Christmas for a reason, because that time of year is traditionally when you come together with loved ones to celebrate and over-indulge, but the reality for a lot of people is radically different.
BB: We have to ask: how will Norwich City do this season?!
PJD: Ha. Better than last season when they were relegated! My growing string of incorrect match predictions this season should tell you I have not yet perfected the act of crystal-ball gazing. They recently changed manager, which usually triggers a positive response. At present they are just hovering on the fringes of the promotion race in the Championship in England as they look to get back to the Premier League at the first attempt. I would expect them to have enough quality in their squad to make the play-offs, but then it is about who is peaking at the right time, who is in form and who has the most luck. One thing you learn with covering Norwich City is that life is never dull.
BB: What’s next for P J Davitt?
PJD: I mentioned it earlier but I want to try and publish the second book in the Dave Shaw series by the end of 2015. The initial feedback has been really positive. This whole process is completely new to me as One Shot at Glory is my first novel so I am really learning on the job – not just about writing a novel but everything that goes with it. For now, I am trying to get the message out there and market the novel to as wide an audience as possible.
BB: We wish you the best of luck, Paddy and thank you for taking the time to chat to us.
Reproduced bookbag.co.uk
February 4 2015
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December 31, 2014
Sky Blues fan takes a Shot at Glory with debut novel
A lifelong Sky Blues fan has put pen to paper on his debut novel – with memories of his beloved club creating the backdrop for his inspiring tale.
Paddy Davitt has penned the story of an ambitious young striker who dreams of playing for his hometown side, before injury threatens to wreck the teenager’s fledgling career.
Former Cardinal Newman School pupil Paddy Davitt, now a chief football writer based in Norfolk, drew heavily on his memories of supporting Coventry City at Highfield Road and, of course, the legendary 1987 FA Cup victory as the basis for his first e-book, One Shot at Glory.
All the proceeds from the first in a series of novels will go to the Trussell Trust, the national charity helping to set up and run much-needed foodbanks.
Paddy said: “You can see how important foodbanks have become in recent years – nearly a million people in this country used a foodbank over the last year and it really brings it home to you how many struggle with something most of us take for granted.
“I just felt if there was anything I could do to raise awareness and some funds for such an important cause, then it was worth trying to get this project off the ground.”
Coventry City fan Paddy Davitt has penned his first novel – One Shot At Glory – which is available on Amazon.
Paddy moved to Norfolk in 2003 to cover the fortunes of Norwich City, but his passion for football writing was sparked by reading fictional football tales in his youth in Coventry.
“When I wasn’t playing football for my school or Sunday League teams, I loved to go to my local library in Jubilee Crescent and read anything I could get my hands on to do with football,” said Paddy.
“It’ll be fairly obvious from the front cover and the opening few pages how much the book is based on my experiences following the Sky Blues in the 1980s and 1990s and those great times in the top league and, of course, the memories of that brilliant day in 1987.
“I’m sure plenty of Coventry fans, young and old, would enjoy a trip down memory lane.”
Reproduced Coventry Evening Telegraph
December 31 2014
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December 23, 2014
Norwich City writer Paddy Davitt launches first novel to raise foodbank funds
The EDP’s chief Norwich City football writer Paddy Davitt has published his debut novel which he hopes will raise funds for those in Norfolk forced to turn to foodbanks.
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Paddy, who joined Archant, publishers of the EDP in 2003, has penned the tale of ambitious young footballer, Dave Shaw, who dreams of playing for his hometown club before injury threatens to wreck his fledgling career.
His first e-book, One Shot at Glory, launched on the Amazon website this week with all the proceeds from the first in a series of novels going to the Trussell Trust, a national charity who sets up and runs foodbanks across Norfolk and the rest of the UK.
Paddy said he had been ‘deeply moved’ by stories of families forced to turn to charity for food aid.
“They really do a remarkable job and you can see how important foodbanks have become in recent years. Nearly a million people in this country used a foodbank over the last year and, particularly at Christmas time when there is so much emphasis on celebrating with family and friends and enjoying yourself, it really brings it home to you how many people struggle with something most of us take for granted.
“I just felt if there was anything I could do to raise awareness and funds for such an important cause then let’s try to do it.”
Paddy, who moved from the Midlands to become a trainee sports reporter in the EDP’s King’s Lynn office, is a lifelong Coventry City fan who developed his passion for football and writing by reading fictional football tales in his youth.
He has covered the fortunes of Norwich City for more than a decade and was named chief Norwich City football writer when the Canaries were promoted to the Premier League in 2011.
Reproduced edp24.co.uk
December 23 2014
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