Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

One other neat thing about the truncated cricket: it was all over in time for the Community Shield at Wembley, a football match that hallowed tradition and a number of rigidly enforced laws affecting the practice of journalism compel us to call “the traditional curtain-raiser”.

And what was behind the raised curtain was entirely traditional, too: Andy Gray and Martin Tyler, Ashley Cole getting booed, Sir Alex Ferguson getting the hump about something of little consequence, Nani turning somersaults in celebration of a goal in a charity match (somebody have a word) - it was all here, as familiar and cosy as an ancient pair of slippers.

If all that wasn't huggable enough for you, José Mourinho kept popping up in the commercial breaks to say that football on Sky Sports is “special”. He's not really working outside his comfort zone in this campaign, one feels, but it's good to have the buttered Portuguese crumpet back in the English game, albeit in an ambassadorial role, and to note the enduring place that our culture continues to have in his heart.

(If it turns out that he's all over Spanish hoardings at the moment, telling them that La Liga is “especial”, then we'll be cross.)

But there were new things, too. There was Fabio Capello in, seemingly, a new pair of glasses. And there was Michael Owen in, definitely, a new shirt. The bravely appointed Manchester United striker came on late in the game, in a collector's edition quadruple swap that also featured Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. Records don't show if this was the highest combined-age substitution in the history of the traditional curtain-raiser, but, at the very least, it was high enough to qualify for a discount.

“Given enough chances, Michael will score,” Gray said, adopting the first-name familiarity that he uses at those moments when he has real insider information to impart. How many chances, though, is “enough chances”? It's going to be one of the season's most exciting narrative threads.

This time, Owen didn't get enough chances and Chelsea won on penalties. Even so, the more philosophical viewers will have been asking themselves: “Yes - but what did it all actually mean?” Luckily, Gray was on hand to decode the significance of winning the Community Shield, on pens or otherwise. “What it proves,” he explained, “is that you've had a pretty good day at the start of August. Usually.”

Congratulations to Chelsea, then, on a pretty good day at the start of August. Usually.

Brilliant pennage, imo.

[kinboshi]

The Times's is technically fine.  The more standard way of showing possession would be The Times'.  It's probably more a question of style rather than either being more grammatically accurate (although I stand to be corrected on that one).

[RED-DOG]

The Times's is technically fine.  The more standard way of showing possession would be The Times'.  It's probably more a question of style rather than either being more grammatically accurate (although I stand to be corrected on that one).

Try bending over, it's more fun.

[tikay]

sigh, already need to add another. can I have a top 11?

the IRA/Northern Ireland. growing up with your country effectively at war but not officially is a tricky one to explain to people overseas

I was very close to the downing street car bomb when it went off, bloody loud it was

Lol - yes, when you apply yourself to it, it's very difficult!

The NI situation would deffo - 100% - be in one of my two lists, in any list, actually.

I must say, I expected your list to be a bit off the wall, but it was even more so than I expected. I don't think the papacy interests many of us one iota, so that was interesting, ditto the EC & Berlin Wall thing changed some lives more than others. The EC opening up the European Borders has been, possibly, one of the most rewarding & happy things in my lifetime, & has made this country a far better place. East Europeans are such fascinating people.

[dik9]

I suppose it must be regional, I would put the Birmingham Pub Bombings up there somewhere.

[tikay]

glad it's not just me then, he killed 900 people apparently

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones

http://www.culteducation.com/jonestown.html

Wow. I barely recall the story - what a tale!

For that story alone, it was worth trying to consruct the lists.

[RED-DOG]

The OJ Simpson trail. The first of it's kind on TV. I watched every minute of it as it happened and was totally transfixed.

As the details of officer Mark Fuhrman's involvement unfolded, I could see that the prosecution's case was going pear-shaped, but I was still dumbfounded when Simpson beat the wrap.

[kinboshi]

In a similar vein to Jonestown, there was the Waco thing with David Koresh.  Didn't really impact too much on our lives, but it was another news story that proved compulsive viewing - well it did for me anyway.

[Claw75]

I suppose the measure of this for me is 'what were the stories everyone stopped to talk about?' Probably a bit London-centric for me too.

9/11 top for sure

death of Diana

King Cross fire

Bishopsgate bombings

Clapham Junction/Paddington rail crashes

Dunblane

are the ones that spring to mind.

Another story that will always stick in my mind because it was very close to home (but no trace can be found on the internet now it would seem). As I child, I lived a few doors down from the local primary school, which I attended for the first year of my education only, before transferring to a Catholic School.  The caretaker there was called Mr Grange, and all the kids really liked him.  The year after I moved schools, one of my former classmates went missing, and a few days later her body was found in the school bins - she had been sexually assaulted and murdered. Mr Grange was charged with her murder and, irrc, broke down and admitted it. Chilling stuff.

[I KNOW IT]

This wasnt news but I remember the massive interest in the " Who shot JR?". Has there ever been such widespread interest in a tv programme since?

[77dave]

Tikay, next time you see Jeff Buff you must ask him about JonesTown. He knows all on the subject

[tikay]

Do you remember the Carl Bridgewater murder case that as a big case during my school days

Yes - the paper-boy who was shot.

4 wrong 'uns, who were committing burglary when disturbed by Carl, all got 25 years minumum, including one who was only 17.

They all got long sentences because it could not be proven who murdered Carl - the same logic as prevailed in the GTR, when they all got 30 years+ because it was never established who hit Jack Mills.

After some years, their sentences (the Bridgewater Four) were quashed, as it was proven that the Police fitted them up.

Interesting story, very tragic, but not in my Top 20.

What would be in your Top 10, Craig?

9/11. I remember the chill down my spine I got after seeing the first plane overhead after this happened.

Death of Diana, The effect that had on people was unbelievable, one of those " you remember where you were when you heard the news"

The break through of the Channel tunnel.

Iranian embassy seige.

Yorkshire Ripper.
 I remember as a kid, me and my mates going to the local phonebox and putting in 2p to listen to the recording of the voice of the Ripper. I believe it was later proved it was not him and someone was arrested for impersonating him, (may be wrong on that)

Poll tax riots

End of the Berlin Wall

IRA/Northern Ireland, even though I was too young to remember the Birmingham pub bombings they were always close to home

think of others later

I always remember the OJ Simpson trial but wouldnt say its in my top 10

The 7/7 bombings probably should be but I was in Vegas at the time and didnt see much news and it may have had more of an impact on me if I was at home.

Great List Craig.

I'd plum forgotten the OJ Simpson Trial - possibly the most compelling TV I've ever seen, bar, perhaps, the Watergate stuff. All the leading figures for the Prosecution & Defence became familiar, I loved every single moment of it, the DNA evidence especially, & the "glove that did not fit", as OJ over-hammed trying to make out it was too small for him. What price would OJ have been on Betfair these days to get off? I was in America during the trial, on some business course, in 'Frisco, & I barely left my hotel room, I just watched the TV non-stop, day after day.

By chance, I was also in Vegas when the 7/7 thing happened. I walked down the Rio Corridor one morning, sad to hear the news, but that's all - sad. But American after American came up to me & expressed genuine sympathy, "we are there for you, man" sorta thing, & I ended up in floods of tears, their concern was wholly genuine. It was the first time, almost in my life, I'd had any empathy for the American people. I still loathe their politicians with a passion, but I now regret being so loathsome to the Ameican people all those years.

[Claw75]

I meant to add 7/7 to my list too. I was working in London that day, and worried about family and friends that would been in and around the areas that were bombed. Obviously the phone networks were jammed, so it was a while before I could get peace of mind.  Also took me nearly four hours to get home from Westminster to Ealing that night.

[kenjude]

I seem to remember that after the storming of the Iranian Embassy siege an ex-SAS top brass complained bitterly to the Beeb about the interruption to the coverage of his beloved snooker.

At the time I would have agreed with him. We only had Pot Black, the UK from Preston, World from Sheffield and the team thingy from the Hexagon, and it was fantastic. All on the Beeb in the days when the Beeb was the proper channel for sport.

Then ITV decided they needed to get in on snooker so we had minor tournaments from other places on and it all got too saturated so became boring. I really can't watch it these days.

[Karabiner]

Charlie Manson