'Is this Sporting?'
The Oxford Pub, Kentish Town
Paul Kelso, Chief Sports Reporter at The Telegraph
Jim White, Columnist and writer for The Telegraph
Brian Glanville, The first ever football columnist
The answer is, unanimously, NO!
Paul Kelso and Jim White both paid homage to Brian Glanville, the legendary football reporter sharing the stage with them. He had a story or two to tell: Italian referees taking gold watches, corruption going to the highest level and, of course, Sepp Blatter up to no good.
Paul Kelso told of how he got the Bloodgate scoop and of the bizarre match-fixing where strangely clinical friendlies are played in empty stadia and result in improbable scorelines. Jim White's five worst cheats list had us amused, although it was hard to laugh about Panama Lewis, the boxing coach who dipped Luis Wresto's hand wraps in Plaster of Paris before a fight. They passed inspection as moist, but when they were dried turned to brick. The poor opponent went blind before taking his life. Filthy business.