³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

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You would have been better asking Kevin Davies for self defence tips.. He doesn't score many..

Did Robbie Williams do the wee girl bit and hide when you Koeman'd the penalty??

Efan Ekoku

Some cracking anecdotes all round there Dan. Five minutes for an interview doesn't seem like a lot. Do you feel the pressure more if there's a short amount of time? I imagine that if one question turns out to have sounded better in your head that it does at the time, that could be half your interview gone. How long do you normally get to interview players for Focus?

davies will be in the world cup squad based on cappello's "strategy" when picking players. so will scott flinders, tony hibbert, leon osman etc. why? because they play every game. better to have a useless player in the squad because he plays regularly eh fabio?

Good blog as usual.

Delighted at your choice of chicken and mushroom, by far the best pie out there!

Just a question dan, is Rooney taller or stockier in real life compared to on the tele? They alwas seem
to be. I met some of the United team a few years back, and Solskjaer was a lot taller than he looks
on the tele and on the pitch, always thought he was a shortarse until then!

Afternoon

Great blog again.

Did you ask George Michael for a shoot out? Did you also get chance to find out if Rooneys hair loss is helping him score more goals with his head?

Gary Kelly

"We need space for Rooney" barked another - pointing at the vast expanse of floor that could have easily supported about 30 Twister mats"

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What a superb unit of measurement.
Were you standing three kerplunk baords away from him?

Irreverent as usual... good blog though!

Have you ever met any footballers or managers who have acted the diva?

@1
lmaoooooo great blog

Most Primadonna moment of many suffered when following Leeds during the Ridsdale era was when we checked into our hotel in Troyes for a UEFA cup game, only to find out that the team were in the same hotel. The Manager was very apologetic as he told us we couldn't go to our room as it was on the floor ABOVE the Leeds players who were having their pre match nap and didn't want to be disturbed by people walking around on the floor above them!
I compalined vociferously in my best French about these poncy Englishmen, and got comped a free early dinner with wine! We then had to sneak out of the hotel in our Leeds shirts to get to the match whilst avoiding the Manager.

Tony Currie

More of a pastie man myself, though I do have a nice chicken and gravy puff pastry number waiting in the fridge at home. My usual supermarket does a pack of two chicken and mushroom lattices that are a bit like a cross between a pie and a pastie. Lovely. They do chicken and ham ones as well, and chicken tikka for those who like to mess with the rules of food. It shouldn't be allowed. What next? A sausage curry?

Dan, will you be inviting Phil Brown on for Saturday? Considering he got Hull promoted, kept them in the PL and still had a decent chance of keeping them up this season, sacking him does seem ungrateful, disloyal and probably foolish.

top blog... interesting anecdotes...
Dan... would u call rooney a diva in your blog if you believed it to be the case? I think not. That would be quite a mistake for sports writer. Its safer to go with past washed up celebrity anecdotes...

Fun and creative. You are a veritable blog artist. I just went back & checked on another blog of yours "Winning hearts & minds" re taking 2x girls to footie for first time. Same thing. Quality. Very enjoyable read. You clearly enjoy language.

It's true #11, those footballers hate to be disturbed. My mates and I once decided to go and watch Cardiff train, back when they used to train in a grubby old park near my old school, so I'd have been about fourteen. The players were all doing laps of the pitch, and we applauded and cheered as they went past. When they next came round, Graham Kavanagh cut our cheering short by telling us to 'get jogging or eff off'. To this day I regret choosing the latter option.

#12 if you're going to play the 'rules of food' card then the lattice has no place in the pastry domain, my friend. For what is a lattice if it isn't a pasty with some of the pastry missing?

Jose Dominguez

Dan, I bet you wished you'd have taken a bottle of Henderson's when you spotted the free pies!

You must be joking
''It certainly got the World Cup juices flowing but football has to keep a careful eye on itself or the new Maradonas of this generation could very easily become pre-Maradonas!''

That happened a good few years ago me thinks, the pampering for footballers has reached epic levels. Is there nothing they dont have done for them? I met a fella who worked for chelsea and some of the things he was telling me was quite shocking, Id be embarrassed if I had that level of bum wiping going on in my life.

CAnt beat a steak and ale pie tho,

Ruel Fox


They might not have the entourage that the other celebs have, but they have a life so far removed from reality its a bit sad really.

Think we need to be fair to footballers in this instance (if not in many others). I've had limited dealings with the 'top' names in the sport but of those I have met (Giggs, Ginola, G Neville, Shearer, A Cole and a few others) they have generally been completely down to earth. If anything, they are usually quite apologetic about all of the security and PA people and find it something of an embarassment.

George Michael and a loo frustratingly the wrong side of the divide?
Naughty naughty Mr Walker.

Yuri Zhirkov

I am enjoying the new board game inspired units of measurement, however I dont think Kerplunk uses a board, I would call it more of a tower. Also, surely it would be a unit of height i.e. Rooneys bouncer was 31/2 Kerplunks tall (and probably 4 wide!)

Duncan Ferguson

Here is that celebrated day when we laughed in the face of Williams security guard. Me being a Stoke fan made our victory even more sweet...

Check out the helmet gallery

Was the George Michael 'half the joint' pun intentional?

# 12 ... Dont agree with lattices.. anything that can encase either savoury or sweet fillings are cheating.. unless its at the same time!

Big John Hartson was easily the nicest footballer I've ever met.. great guy and took a load of jerseys off the few of us who were there and went into the Celtic changing room and came back 10mins later with the full team's signatures on them.. He used to do that for this guy a couple of times a week for raffles at the nearby hospital..

Justin Edinburgh.

I must have missed something in an earlier blog, whats with putting a random players name at the end a post??? confused!

Sorry but I don't actually believe your story about Robbie Williams's security guard saying 'you better let him win'! Sounds like you were desperate to drop another name and it's the only thing you could come up with...

P.S Why do you have to be Indiana Jones to find this blog every week. If I didn't link from Dan's Twitter I would need a map and the Staff of Ra to find it.

Great Blog as usual.

I wonder if Wayne Rooney will become more of a hindrence rather than a help at The World Cup with his ever growing Entourage replacing that of Mr Beckham. And is anyone else worried that we are picking a strike partner for him rather than a striker that scores goals like Darren Bent? Hes got 19 already this season up at Sunderland but because he didnt seem to "gel" in 65 minutes with Wayne Rooney then he's overlooked. I would pick him over Heskey or Cole anyday of the week.

"As he then went in goal I jogged to get the ball that had rolled around the corner."

Great to read that the significance of the penalty shoot out was such that orthodox office gait was ignored.

Dalian Atkinson

Dan, just saw you on the Sport Relief vid training up on the bike. You seriously need to get some meat on those bones, your legs look like two little twigs. Keep eating.

Very interesting read, Dan. Great job as usual.

It’s scenarios like the one you describe that make me glad I support a lower league ‘less fashionable’ team. The amount of hangers-on amaze me!

Footballers are unfortunately becoming more and more sheltered and removed from reality. We had a young lad on loan from a Premier League club, yet to break into their first team, he had the Range Rover, earrings, you know the rest and came across as a real ‘Big-Time Charlie’. I fear that this is the next generation of footballer.

That being said, I’d agree with #24, that every so often you run into a player that bucks the trend and it really makes a difference!

Zoumana Bakayogo

#16 anightatthechopra - I have to agree with you mate, the missing pastry is sacrilege! It's like those 'healthy' pizzas that you can get at Pizza Express with the middle cut out and replaced by a salad....what's that all about??!!

Dan, did Robbie blaze his missed penalties wide, or are you a bit of a demon between the sticks?? He's supposed to be a fairly decent player, kudos on the victory

Ludek Miklosko

Stop talking about food...!

Did you get to touch/smell the World Cup? It was there, right? How big is its entourage?

Joe Parkinson

Dan Walker

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³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s Best

Read your blog for the first time ever.....and the last. The dumbing down of the Beeb continues.It looks like anyone who can type, not write, can get a blog on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳. The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ wants to save money so is cutting content. I hope you are not paid for this drivel,if you are then you should be cut.

35. At 10:58am on 18 Mar 2010, Spurs Ron wrote:
Read your blog for the first time ever.....and the last. The dumbing down of the Beeb continues.It looks like anyone who can type, not write, can get a blog on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳. The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ wants to save money so is cutting content. I hope you are not paid for this drivel,if you are then you should be cut.

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You would base your entire opinion of this man on one blog post!?
That's an over-reaction worthy of any twitchy Premier League chairman. Well done sir.

I actually enjoy Dan's blogs, and a lot of other people do as well, if the majority of posts are anything to go by.

Did your mother never teach you what to do if you don't have anything nice to say?

Pointless article. Why shouldn't top footballers like Rooney be treated in the same fashion as those in Hollywood? Both are the best in the world at what they do, get paid too much and are very well known. Your article should have been as to why treat any celebrity like the royalty. Plus is it not obvious why the aides of famous people ask that you not talk to the celebrity? Im sure it is annoying as hell having everyone want to ask question, all the time. Im sure that you Dan, and I, would be the same if we had the same problem.

"Just a question dan, is Rooney taller or stockier in real life compared to on the tele? They alwas seem
to be. I met some of the United team a few years back, and Solskjaer was a lot taller than he looks
on the tele and on the pitch, always thought he was a shortarse until then!"

I have met him and he looks taller and less stockier in real life. No airs about him and very shy and soft spoken.

I was at the event, and it was really well run. When Rooney arrived the whole place just went crazy but it was great!

Hi Dan, I just wanted to say I'm loving the behind the scenes articles you do - always interesting, and no other beggar ever does them. Keep up the sterling work, and try and get a sly dig in at Dixon on the next FF!

Torben Piechnik

Great to see Ken Monkou getting a shout. The Saints haven't had too many other dutch saxophonists!

Good work as usual Dan. I enjoy your light hearted approach to blogging about football, as it seems do many others based on the amount of posts you usually get. I much prefer it to Sky's over the top, every next story is the biggest story in sport, style. Who says sport should be serious all the time, isn't it meant to be fun and entertaining?

John Burrdige

Dan I am turning into a big fan of yours. Your subject choice to write your blog about is invariably very interesting.

Dan how tall is Rooney. I've heard he is about 5ft 10. Another observation I've made of Rooney is does his hair seem to be growing back a little. Does seem to be thickening up a bit or is that just me?

Anyway Dan keep up the good work, who you tipping fot the World Cup then, and the Prem?

Cheers mate!

I don't think the issue si that we treat Sportsman like film stars, they are just as talented. It's the reverence we treat film stars with in the first place!

Have you found many stars to be the prima donnas that their people set them up to be?

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'Oi Dan,

Still waiting on that dinner money - you better cough up soon or I'll be spinning you round and round by the hood of your jacket.

And when you gonna have my Maffs homework done?

Mark Groves

Yep sums it up really all content no substence and nothing about the guy who you interviewed.

Collie21 you don't understand this is meant to be about 'behind the scenes' - I like these insights and think Dan's blog is good.

Dan, just curious as to which football team you support. Also, which teams do you dislike and for what reasons? (Unfavourable half time meals do not count as a reason)

I don't really know what the point of your article is?
Feels like a facebook status update....basically spam

I like the order in which you went for the pies - obviously the steak pie is nicer cold than the chicken and mushroom...

Free food = good, free booze = better, free booze+me+redbull=no sleep for a week..

Keep em coming

Nolberto Solano

I don't know why people are complaining about this blog it's top quality! Its refreshing to read, blogs don't all have to be Pulitzer winning pieces!

Danny Cadamarteri

Hi Dan,

First time I've commented I think. Really enjoy the blog, fair enough it's obviously not everyone's cup of tea but I hope you get a bit of respect for the fact you don't get paid for it. I do an unpaid blog for a local newspaper so I can empathise with it being a labour of love. Definitely got a face for the internet though so I won't be troubling ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳1 any time soon.

Just wondering - are things like a postgrad journalism degree and in particular shorthand still pre-requisites for working in the print media or can you sneak in the back door (so to speak...) by writing online and shifting across into the more traditional press jobs?

Cheers,

Rodolfo Arruabarrena

#46 Mark Groves

Pick on someone your own size Grovesy, I've told you about this before. Do you really want a reoccurance of the head flushing incident?

Since my first post was removed by the moderators I'll try again!

I'm not the first to point out the lack of content in this post (and blog in general). Which is surprising given the general high standard of football blogs on here. Football is a rich subject and this is the best you can do. I nearly fell asleep reading the first paragraph. You clearly dont know how to structure a piece - the first para should sell it and make me want to read more. Well it didnt. But I persevered but unfortunately it didn't get much better. Well, like others above, I wont bother again.

48. At 1:18pm on 18 Mar 2010, The insightful one wrote:
Collie21 you don't understand this is meant to be about 'behind the scenes' - I like these insights and think Dan's blog is good.

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Actually I understand all too well, I am just incredibly dissappointed that what was once the pinnacle of important information with relevant information and dispersed in a mature way for insightful mature and educated readers has dumbed down even the football to cater for those who can't think for themselves........ it's just a bit depressing. I like wayne rooney as a footballer but I would ask him how the hell he is and would he like to go for a pint, If I saw Robbie williams I would say thanks for the music, lets get together and have a pint. ........I don't understand hero worship, one plays football the other sings.....It's not like they have saved anyones life.

Is Collie21 actually the guy from Harry Enfield and Chums? "I mean, I like Rooney and I'd be 'appy to go for a pint with him down the pub. We'd chat about football and he'd accept that Julian Dicks was the greatest left back of all time. But, if he told me that 3-5-2 with wing backs was better than a 4-4-2 I'd say, oi Wayne, no!"

Anyway, I enjoy the frivolity Dan, keep it up. I am with Mourinho (and not just because I am also special) in loving a bit of custard cream action. How does that grab you?

Dmitry Sychev

#56 Consider that if Dan told us about how the interview went there would be no point in us watching it when it actually goes out. Where's the dumbing down? Do you not like Twister boards as a unit of measurement? Sorry Dan, can we have the exact measurements of the floor space in feet and inches please mate, because we've got a mature and educated reader over here.

I think if you go around asking celebrities to have a pint with you you're a bit wrong in the head, Dan's a professional journalist, not some scary stalker, you numpty. If you don't want to do an 'hero-worshipping' then what are you doing asking people you don't know out for a pint anyway? Any anecdotes about someone who's saved someone's life Dan? We've got a mature and educated reader here, at least let's give him a link to a blog about firemen or surgeons or something.

Speaking as someone with journalistic ambitions, information on what goes on behind the scenes at these sort or events is 100% relevant, but tell you what #56, when the interview goes out with all its relevant content, Dan will put a transcript up and we'll give your mature and educated self a little reading comprehension test at the end to keep you happy.

As the late, great Tony Wilson once said, "You're entitled to your opinion. But it's a [rubbish] opinion".

Glenn Helder

Back with a bang! Great post Dan...

Interesting reading. This may be an obvious question, but did Rooney actually say anything? Or did you sit there in silence with him for 5 minutes?

amusing blog as usual, reading that and the ridiculous raging comments after helps waste a few minutes at least in the race for 5.30.

footballers being treated like film stars? not so sure martin keown would say the same after the grief he got on a night in oxford a couple of weeks back. just an ugly pete sampras.

more of the same next week,

chris kiwomya

I enjoyed that. Never understand people moaning about blogs and their time being wasted etc. hey guys...it's your time.

I like random too.


Chris Whyte.

Seems to me that Rooney is a pretty down to earth and well balanced lad - still with the girlfriend he had since a young teenager and before fame and fortune. He even makes jokes at his own expense, recently crediting his spate of headed goals to the fact he has a bald patch - can you imagine Becks joking about something like that? He'd be off to the nearest clinic paying millions to get the latest hair treatment, either that or he'd take to wearing a bandana at all times.

Pleased to see him doing so well and hope he shines at the WC, but not too much. I am a Jock after all and as you know, we still haven't got over 1966 yet, so I don't think we are ready for another England victory.

Rooney is playing out of his skin this season but that Messi is special. By far the best player in the world, Rooney don’t come close to Messi. (and im an ardent United fan since 1986). Rooney is a top class player doing the business for United but Messi is that one class above. Everything just comes to him, he is so effective and his dribbling is mesmerising. Closest player to him is C Ronaldo!

I would love to go and see the boys go on and win the World Cup but I don’t think the team is strong enough to go the distance. We require a rock solid goalkeeper commanding from the back. Green would be my first choice, I don’t mind the defence, wouldn’t have Johnson as my right back due to his over attacking, being out of position and simply cannot defend style (but who else could we have?) In this case Johnson it will be with Rio, Terry and Ashley Cole.

I would like to see Lennon on the right with Lampard, Barry and Milner.

Gerrard and Rooney up tops!

We have 2 flankers with a defensive and attacking option from the middle with a strike force that has great potential.

Dan,

Thanks for your reply. I have some good news and some bad news.
The good news is that you don't get paid for this drivel.
The bad news is that this is on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ website.

I wasn't a very violent child but I also don't have a very good memory. Dan - if you went to school in the Reading area, then I sincerely apologise for my actions. If not, then let me know who this other Mark Groves is so that I can clear my good name!

No need to ask who ate all the pies then!?

If you want to have a great iced bun, and bigger than the average, you can't go wrong with a Belgian bun. Quality.

Juninho Pernambucano

Hi Dan, good blog. It's nice to be able to read something that doesn't take itself too seriously! I like that you take the time to address your detractors and respond appropriately, where some just ignore the criticism.

I'm a Burnley fan and saw Focus from Turf Moor a few weeks back, was interesting to see the minimum standards the Premier League has on facilities. The local paper reported that the upgrades cost the best part of a million quid. A mil for a portakabin!

I have a friend who is currently studying a Masters in journalism, he says shorthand is still a fair part of the course. Looks like hieroglyphics to me. Do you have any advice I could pass onto him?

Keep up the good work!

Roger Eli

I look forward to your weekly blog Danny boy. A pleasant bit of light hearted chit chat and some intense food debate.

It seems I'm a bit late this week by might as well chuck in my bit.

Basically just wanna add my name to Big Up the Focus 1 club. It seems strange people don't like the blog yet feel the need to comment abotu license fees etc.

As they used to say on Why Don't You...? swicth off your TV set go and do something a little less boring instead.

Keep it real homies!

Dalian Atkinson

Now then, now then. Random blog!

I too no idea have how sentence a structure. When are the next Nobel nominations? Walker gets my vote.

PS. My cat's breath smells like cat food.

PPS. Dan - have you ever had those hot dogs which grow in size when you cook them??

Fred Morris

Love on a Friday...

Darius Danesh

ready for some roast pork.

Lee Clark

A nice mix of fun and anecdotes, nice one Dan.

Comments are getting better every week too, gotta laugh at the people who come on here too moan, it´s a light hearted blog for pete´s sake, get a grip, the internet is massive I´m sure there´s something for you on it somewhere.

Don´t think we can really blame the footballers for all the hoopla surronding them lately, after all it is "us" that put them on that pedistal in the first place, bit sad really, but part and parcel of todays "celebraty mad" world.

Interviews with the stars and free pies..... You´re living the dream mate. ;p

Perry Groves (No realation to Mark, as far as I know)

Evening Mr Walker,

Now then there's alot of good questions that have been posted this week but everyone has missed the biggest question of them all....

Did you think Kauto Star was going to win the Gold Cup?

Can you BELIEVE what happened??

As for goalscoring tips off Big Kev Davies, I'm glad you went to an old-school English centre-forward, you've mentioned that you're 6ft4 before, did you aerially dominate the davies?

have a good show tomorrow monsieur, ross

/ Jan Fjortoft

Great blog and I've got a lot of respect for someone who takes the time to answer everyones questions, most people wouldn't be arsed. Especially me!

at #12 I agree with you I think its a very wrong decision to sack Phil Brown.The man simply has worked his fingers to the bones for the club.If only fans opinion could be sought before making decisions like that I'll love to think he'll still have his Job now.I'm not a Hull fan but I love to see hard workers succeed.

at #35 if you wanna base your judgement of Dan's blog on just this blog then I would say you need a reality check.A lot of people enjoy his blog myself inclusive if you can do any better then you should have been appointed ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Chairman long time ago.

I wasn't keen on the bit at the beginning of Saturday's Focus. If you had put a suit on an filmed at Canary Wharf because you were doing a programme on football finance then it would have seemed appropriate. To do so because we are reaching the "business end of the season" didn't really work.

Great blog Dan, footballers are no more special than you or me and shouldn't be treated like royality.

No disrespect to Ian Dowie but I don't think he is the man that can save Hull. I would love to see them stay up, but this has been a bad decision. Beckham should go to World cup as a mentor etc..

Can't believe how professional the openings to FF are. Is it a team effort between you and the producers or do you not get much of a say in any of it?

Your ultimate challenge is to write a blog without mentioning anything consumable at all !!

MB

Think a few people need to look up the what a "blog" means.

Just taken a gander to find this weeks blog and it isn't here yet! Always an enjoyable read on a Wednesday/Thursday lunchtime.

Dr Suresh

Presume your doing another world cup mania blog post and football focues this week? I totally miss focus when its not on on Saturday lunchtimes!

Go Rooney, Go England!