Share
The Back Page
*REPOST* Andy Murray: The History Man
•
**This is an episode which was released in July 2018. We are reposting it because it is a fitting reflection on the career of Andy Murray, who announced his imminent retirement from professional tennis on January 11 2019**
Hugh MacDonald has been a journalist for 47 years but the most fulfilling day of his professional life came in the summer of 2013 when he watched Andy Murray win Wimbledon for the first time. Hugh had followed the Murray story for years, got to know the family and became the go-to Andy Murray reporter for media around the world. Around 6pm on July 7, he faced the task of distilling Murray’s achievement into a 1200 word news story for the front page of The Herald newspaper in Scotland. Hugh rose to the occasion and wrote a lucid, powerful and at times deeply emotional piece about the biggest moment in the history of Scottish sport. This is the story behind that article. Enjoy.
Read 'Murray, The History Man' http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13112754.Murray__the_history_man/
More episodes
View all episodes
Sports Writing Masterclass: John Greechan on getting close to the story
09:35John Greechan's top tip - get as close to the story as possible (featuring Maradona and a trip to Buenos Aires)BackPage Mailing List
John Greechan: Revolution - Ange Postecoglou: The Man, The Methods and The Mastery
38:23Welcome to the second episode in the new season of Between the Lines. This is Martin's chat with John Greechan on his excellent new Ange Postecoglou biography. As always, we discuss process and explore John's research trip to Melbourne earlier this year.EnjoyBuy the BookBackPage Mailing List
Andriy Shevchenko and the Making of My Life, My Football
34:29To celebrate the publication of Andriy Shevchenko's autobiography, My Life, My Football, we break down the story behind the book: why it took three years for the English language edition to reach bookstores, the significance of the war in Ukraine, what matters most to an elite footballer like Shevchenko when he tells his story, and what happens when you get two world-class strikers in the same room.This episode features Martin and Neil from BackPage and the Ballon d'Or of translation, Mark Palmer.Find out more about Sheva's book, including where to buy it, here. Find out more about our cover designer, Kulbir Gharra Michael Cox's Athletic piece on Shevchenko, My Game in My WordsGary Lineker's interview with Shevchenko
Arrigo Sacchi And The Making Of The Immortals
24:31In this episode, Neil and Martin talk to Mark Palmer, the translator of The Immortals, Arrigo Sacchi’s memoir of Milan’s 1988-89 season, which ended with the first of two back-to-back European Cup triumphs for the great team of Baresi, Maldini, Rijkaard, Gullit and Van Basten. The Immortals brings to life the training diaries of Sacchi and captures in time one of the greatest club teams in football history. In this interview, we talk about why this – and not an earlier Sacchi autobiography – was the right one for us; Mark’s task in bringing the eccentricities of Arrigo Sacchi to life; and what happened when we went to Sacchi’s hometown to meet the man himself. Buy The Immortals here.
Daniel Gray: Snapshot
26:37Author Daniel Gray and photographer Alan McCredie toured Scotland collecting pictures and that form a charming and true portrait of football in that country, from a European night at Ibrox to the Highland League. This is Martin's conversation with Daniel about how he and Alan found their subjects and what he learned from his travels. Find out more about Snapshot and Nutmeg, the Scottish football periodical that Martin and Daniel mention, here. And please also check out the new BackPage title on Liverpool's Premier League campaign, At The End Of The Storm
Ben Reiter: The Edge
23:56Returning to Between the Lines is Ben Reiter, author of Astroball, to talk about how the story he reported took a shocking turn - and how he went after it in a brilliant new six-part podcast, The Edge.The incredible rise of the Houston Astros from the worst team in baseball to world champions is the story that made Ben's name. When, in November 2019, news of a cheating scandal engulfed the organisation and tarnished their achievements, Ben decided he had to return to the story to discover what happened and what, if anything, he had missed.The result is, in our opinion, the sports podcast of 2020 and you don't need to be a baseball fan to understand or enjoy it.Finally, please check out our latest title, produced in association with The Athletic: At The End Of The Storm - stories from Liverpool's historic title win. It's the perfect gift for the Liverpool fan in your life - and it's out now.
Henry Winter: Wild Swimming with Nigel Pearson
23:01Henry Winter returns to Between The Lines to talk about an interview he did with Nigel Pearson, in which the two men went hiking across Dartmoor and swam in a chalk pit. It makes for great copy and is testament to Winter's skill at relationship building and what he sees as the power of The Times, under whose masthead he writes. Aspiring and developing sportswriters listen up - Henry's breakdown of his intro to this piece is a lesson from the best in how to set up what he calls 'the shop window'.Finally, please check out our latest title, produced in association with The Athletic: At The End Of The Storm - stories from Liverpool's historic title win.
Sebastian Moffett: Japanese Rules
28:35Martin talks to Sebastian Moffett about Japanese Rules, his examination of the intersection of Japanese culture and its emergent football scene at the start of the 21st Century.It's a book Martin leant on while researching his own work on Shunsuke Nakamura and he asks Sebastian about the time he spent living and working in Japan, the techniques he used in the interviews for the book and how it impacted his life and career.Find out about our latest book - At The End of the Storm: Stories From Liverpool's Historic Title Win
Mutiny at Hearts - The Story Behind Our Spotify Original
19:09Welcome to a new episode of Between the Lines. This is the story behind our first Spotify Original podcast, which is out today! It is called 'Mutiny at Hearts' and tells the story of arguably the most explosive press conference in British football history in October 2006 - when three Hearts players led by club captain Steven Pressley turned on the club's megalomaniac owner, Vladimir Romanov.The episode is available exclusively on Spotify.EnjoyLISTEN TO MUTINY AT HEARTS ON SPOTIFY NOW