The Best Writers – Something To Aim For With Tottenham on HotspurHQ

International break week gives me a chance to step back from the Spurs whirlwind and consider some wider issues. I am relatively new to this blog writing lark. About 6 months in now. I have plenty of experience of drafting and writing in a disciplined style. For several years I used to draft legislation, guidance for staff and appeals to Social Security Commissioners, often working to rigid in-house styles, tight deadlines and demanding editors. This is entirely different.

[Photo: Jav The_DoC_66]I love the independence of building my own website at life2too.com and in the case of Hotspur HQ, working with an editor who allows a great deal of freedom but provides valuable feedback. The best thing about it is that I can be biased, unlike writers for national newspapers or broadcasters. The whole point of HotspurHQ  is that it is decidedly and unashamedly biased in favour of Tottenham Hotspur FC. We do it because we love the club and even if at times I get frustrated, disappointed or angry, whatever I write is intended to help or entertain the club, supporters and management in some way.

Having a go at this makes you appreciate that there are some really good writers out there who set the bar for this sort of thing. The Times is lucky enough to have more than one of them. The tabloids can be real fun reads for gossip and sensational reports but for me, the greatest concentration of the best writing is in the Times. Simon Barnes regularly produces articles of high quality. He is not afraid to express an opinion, which whether you agree with it or not, is invariably well argued. He recently wrote a very perceptive and honest piece generated by the recent speculation about Wayne Rooney’s future which for me admirably summed up the England star and how he has been treated over the years. It ended thus;

“Rooney has gone on to be a very good footballer indeed, but always a fag paper shy of greatness. He is, in a favourite phrase of mine (Kipling’s originally), first class of the second class. That is why he got shunted to left midfield when Christiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United. So now, as the transfer talk collects around Rooney, we can look back at a career that peaked early. Sven Goran Eriksson, when England manager, compared Rooney to the young Pele. Pele trained on to become the greatest. Rooney didn’t. No blame attaches to Rooney, to his club manager, to various England managers, even to those of us who admired him not wisely but too well (my underlining). Rooney has brought us some great sport over the years, but the best bit was in Portugal nine years ago.”

The Times also has Mathew Sayed and Giles Smith. I said in a recent blog that Rio Ferdinand’s treatment of the referee in the Madrid game was tantamount to assault. It is gratifying to know that a respected writer for the Times agrees. Smith wrote under the heading ‘Don’t stand so close to me…unless your Rio’. Smith describes it as “such contempt for officialdom, coupled with borderline physical menace”. He finishes with, “If you inadvertently brush an opponent’s chest with your passing studs, you can expect the ultimate sanction. If you deliberately brush he referee’s nose with your sarcastically applauding hands, you can expect no sanction at all. That’s one confusing message for UEFA to be sending out”.

That’s my sort of journalism.

Interested in joining the growing group of writers on HotspurHQ.

We have four writers who have contributed to the site since it started last July – Alan, Charlie, Mark and Logan (Editor). All of us are dedicated long-standing Tottenham fans – two are there every week while the other two wish they could be. Our other contributor is Jav who provides the photographs which we use in our articles. He is at White Hart Lane every game with his trusted camera.

If you have an opinion on Tottenham and would like to put it across, then contact Logan at wlhatwhl(at)hotmail.com

If you are interested in becoming involved with HotspurHQ, in any way, then send Logan an e-mail.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Come On You Spurs!