LCS Meeting Thursday 7th December 2017 On a very cold and wet Thursday night in December, and with the promise of snow, about 95 very hardy souls turned out to hear the last LCS speaker of 2017, Brian Scovell. The county had the Charles Palmer Suite decorated for Christmas, so I thought you might like to see the tree. Our December speaker author and journalist Brian Scovell To start with a traditional greeting at this time of year, the Cricket Society committee, wish all our members, guests, visitors and all their families a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, we want to thank, Phil Wright, John Stew, Zoe, Lindsey and all the catering crew, for setting out the room so well for our monthly meetings. We would also wish Wasim and all the county staff the compliments of the season, and to the playing staff we hope that 2018 is a lot better for them all. Brian with some of his books that he worked very hard to sell at the mid-point. Howard is obviously enjoying the pre-meeting chat with Brian. Howard starting the meeting with a very impressive CV of achievement’s that Brian had accomplished in his long and distinguished career as a journalist and author. Never before as one of our speakers sent me his CV, so I have included all Brian’s achievements at the end of my report, it makes inspiring reading and it would seem he had very little time to be away from a typewriter. Brian had brought with him lots of newspaper cuttings and he used these to talk about his views on the game of cricket. Here Brian is holding an article about Ben Stokes, Brian asked the audience what they thought about the background to Stokes not going on the Ashes tour. He then went on to talk about his views on how players should conduct themselves when on night’s out. Brian also asked what we thought about the idea of sides having a curfew imposed. Brain has spent nearly 40 years writing on cricket and football for the Daily Sketch and the Daily Mail. One of my front row mates holding up his Friends of Grace Road Christmas cards. As you can tell not as many as normal were at the meeting, but with a threat of snow in the forecast not to surprising Brian spoke a lot about football of which I know nothing, so I will not attempt to relate any of his comments, come to think about it, I don’t know that much about cricket either. Considering the weather and the time of year the raffle took a very respectable £73.30, my thanks go again to Colin Cuthbertson for the additional contribution. I would like to thank Janet, Phil and Bob for their help in selling the raffle tickets every month. Janet and Phil are on holiday for the January meeting, very poor timing, I must say, so I’ll be recruiting another two people in the raffle brigade. I need to make a plea for prizes, I’m always in need of more prizes, so if you do get those unused or unwanted Christmas presents, please do think of me before giving them to a charity shop. As always there was the usual Q&A session Part of my committee duties include talking to the speaker prior the actual meeting. During one of these conversations, Brian mentioned that he had met Henry Kissinger. So here Brian is telling us about that. Society treasurer Robin Whait gave the formal vote of thanks on behalf of the membership. I would like to send my personal compliments of the season, to the three people who look at this short report. Everyone have a great holiday season and see you all next year. The next society meeting is on Thursday 11th January 2018, when Foxes batsman Paul Horton will be entertaining us. Phil Veasey On behalf of the LCS committee. Brian’s CV is included below Born St. Lawrence, Isle of Wight. Education Ventnor College, Elgin Academy. Left school at 15 after gaining 7 O Levels and went on to pass 4 A Levels through post courses. Later gained the Proficiency Certificate of the National Council for the Training of Journalists and a National Diploma. Newspapers Isle of Wight Mercury, (1950-3) (part time football reporter while still at school); Isle of Wight Guardian, (1953-7) (junior reporter); Wolverhampton Express and Star, (1957-8); Norwich Evening News, (1958-9 (sports reporter); Press Association, (1959-0) (sport); Daily Sketch (cricket and football reporter), (1960-71); Daily Mail, (1971-2000) (ditto); and now freelance. Awards Wombwell Cricket Lovers' Cricket Writer of the Year, (1965) Highly commended British Sports Journalism Award, (1990) Elected Life Member of the Football Writers' Association, (2001) also Life Member of the Cricket Writers' Club, (1996) Longest serving Committee member of the FWA and CWC (40+ years in each) and only person to be Chairman of both. Books Written Everything That's Cricket, (1963) Whose side are you on, Ref? with Norman Burtenshaw, (1973)* The Big Match with Brian Moore, (1976) The Big Match Anthology with Brian Moore, (1978) Diary of a Season with Lawrie McMenemy, (1979)* Not Out with Dickie Bird, (1979)* Trevor Brooking, (1981) Ken Barrington, a Tribute, (1982) Time on the Grass with Bobby Robson, (1982)* Glory, Glory with Bill Nicholson, (1984)* Revelations of a Soccer Manager with Terry Neill, (1985)* And the Next Voice You Will Hear is ... with Ted Croker, (1987)* Gary Sobers, Twenty Years at the Top, (1988)* Handbook of Soccer with Don Howe, (1988)* Beating the Field with Brian Lara, (1994)* Dickie: A Tribute to Umpire Harold Bird, (1996)* Chelsea Azzurri! (1997) Sixty Years on the Back Foot with Clyde Walcott, (1999)* Football Gentry, the Cobbold Brothers, (2004) The England Managers, (2005) 19-90, Jim Laker, (2006) Cricket's Troubled Genius, Brian Lara, (2007) Bill Nicholson: Football's Perfectionist, (2010) Thank You Hermann Goering - The Life of a Sports Writer, (2011) Our Beloved Cricket, (2013) The Conquests of 1966, (2017) * ghosted Total of copies sold: + 250,000. The England Managers; Jim Laker; and Bill Nicholson were all nominated (twice) for the British Sports Books Awards in 2007 and 2011 Events Covered more than 350 Test matches in Test match playing countries (except Pakistan and Bangladesh). Approximately the same number of international football matches including the 1966, 1982, 1986 and 1990 World Cups. (Visited 92 countries.) Other Chairman of the FWA Facilities Committee advising six Premiership clubs and 27 Football League clubs about press facilities, (unpaid). I was Chairman and Secretary of the CWC and am current chairman of the CWC Facilities Committee advising all the Test and major county grounds, (also unpaid). MCC Coach. FA Coach. Ran own cricket club, the Woodpeckers, between 1966-2008 and now Life President, Archivist and Fixture Secretary. Captained four matches for the CWC side against the ECB on the Nursery ground at Lord's and now umpire. Talks I frequently speak at universities, schools, business clubs, cricket clubs, social events and book festivals. Each talk is different; having met and interviewed thousands of famous cricketers and footballers all around the world, in addition to five Prime Ministers, Prince Charles, the Princess of Wales, Henry Kissinger, Enoch Powell and others. Audiences are intrigued and I usually have some interesting and original anecdotes about what it’s like behind the scenes. If required, I can arrange a PowerPoint presentation, but I prefer telling original stories. In Thank You Hermann Goering there is a poignant chapter about my late wife Audrey and our love story. Audrey was well-known artist and a terrific person, (she died on Christmas Day, 2000 aged 58). I know she is still encouraging me and still makes me smile! I also talk about press freedom, the Daily Mail, how journalism has changed and become celebrity-led, how big stories are garnered and projected, and finally, my own story: how I finished up in hospital for two years after a German bombing raid close to a radar station in the Isle of Wight. My mother wanted me to be a banker, but I listened to sports commentators on a portable radio and read the writings of Tom Phillips, the Chief Sports Writer of the Daily Herald. Aged eight, I vowed to become a Fleet Street sports writer, it took a lot of hard work, but I made it at the age of twenty-three, having left school at fifteen. It's an inspiring story for young people. I probably reported more matches than most football writers and much of my football knowledge came from Ron Greenwood. I was a regular attendee at his soirees in his office after matches and after getting to know the man who inspired him, Sir Walter Winterbottom, I took the FA coaching course in 1969 under Bobby Robson. I passed the Preliminary Badge but in those days you had to be a professional to take the Full Badge and I wasn’t. Don Howe, a long time friend, and I wrote a well-received book on coaching The Handbook of Soccer in 1988 and for some reason it sold well in Italy. In my eleven ghosted books I aim to write in simple English telling the story in an interesting way without sensationalising it. A lot of writers who tend to fantasise; I give the reader what I believe it is a true reflection of the subject. My knowledge of the game is still growing; I watch around 15 matches a week on TV as well as going to major games.