So for my second appearance in the British media within a week, I sent my story into the Guardian’s Fiver, which is a satirical look at football sent out each day at, roughly speaking 5pm (hence the name) and well worth reading.
Anyway they’ve been running a series about the cushiest job you’ve ever had, so I wrote about my couple of summer jobs working at Wimbledon. I should point out that I did not write the bit about American readers, despite it being in quotes. They inserted it as part of an ongoing friendly jab at their many US-based readers.
Anyway, take it away…
TONIGHT’S TV AND RADIO
ITV 1: London Soccer Night (11.10pm)
“I once had a cushy number at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club,” trumpets Nick Patience, kicking off another day of your brilliant jobs.Five: John Barnes’s Football (1.25am)
“That’s Wimbledon for those particularly slow on the uptake/your American readers.Portuguese Football – Porto v Vitoria Setubal (2.05am)
“All it involved was sitting in a commentary box on Centre Court and ensuring that only those with a press pass came in to watch the tennis.Dutch Football – Feyenoord v Ajax (3.40am)
“Better still, they employed two of us – but only needed one to stand guard at any given time.Argentinian Football (5.10am)
“We were also given press passes and, being fairly keen photographers, we were able to snap away with the pros on Centre, No1 and other courts.Sky Sports 1: Spanish Cup Football – Betis v Bilbao (10.30pm)
“Close-ups of Martina’s muscular forearms stay with me to this day.J League Weekly (12.30pm)
“We only had to get to work before play started, which was usually 2pm, too…Sky Sports 3: Live Women’s Football – England v Scotland (7.30pm)
“…and the food vouchers we were given in addition to £30 quid a day were also good for lunches of the liquid variety.BBC Radio Five: Sport on Five (7pm)
“In addition to watching the entirety of Wimbledon 89 and 90 close up, I was also able to take great pleasure in ejecting Gerry Williams (where is he now?) from the press box.Talksport: Kick Off (7pm)
“He was attempting to erect his shiny new Sky TV (or whatever they were called then) tripod and do a piece to camera, but I wasn’t having any of it. As we shoved him out we told him bluntly there’d be no pieces to camera on our watch!Newstalk 106 (www.newstalk106.ie): Off the ball with Ger Gilroy (7pm)
“Good times!” Any more cushy numbers out there? Or is it time for a new TV and radio riff? As always the.boss@guardian.co.uk is willing and waiting to be serviced.