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| Bob 70-71 | - See magazines condensed to their 70-71 content !!
November 2001Mike Bassett: England Manager Director: Steve Barron. Bob Rating : BBB Mike Bassett would doubtless be - but for the fact he is a fictional character played by Ricky Tomlinson - a proud member of Bob's 70-71 Pages. Plucked from obscurity to take over as the England manager in the absence of anyone else being brave enough to take on the job, Mike is an old-school, pre-Sven-Göran Eriksson, style manager, whose technique is based on patriotism and loyalty to the players he selects. Driven more by belief in his abilities than any actual abilites, he flukes his way from FA Cup victory with Norwich City to seeking the World Cup Trophy as manager of England. OK this is parody / satire, but it is scarily realistic. Mike takes over the England team with three qualifying games to go, and despite disastrous results, succeeds in qualification for the World Cup Finals thanks to Luxemborg beating Germany 2-0 ! No-one believes he can make a mark in the Finals tournement, least of all Pelé . In interview, Pelé names every team in the World as potential winners of the Cup apart from Mike Bassett's Boys. Then Mike is caught by the newspapers in a bar, drunk and naked, so seemingly things could only get worse... '...this film is funnier than "Escape to Victory"' What a film ! For a football fan, this has got to be the best film to get a cinema release since 'Fever Pitch' - presuming there has been another football film since the release of 'Fever Pitch'. But if you want a real recommendation, I can PROMISE you this film is funnier than 'Escape to Victory'. Yes, it is that good. Pelé is genuinely in the film as himself - his 13th film / TV series. As is Gabby Logan - her first time on the Big Screen . And there's a host of Bob's 70-71 Players references. Jackie Charlton's name is the punchline to a joke. Don Revie's picture is pointed out by Mike as he walks through the FA's headquarters - indeed pictures of all the England managers can be seen on these walls. Also, Mike prooves that messages aren't getting through to the England hierarchy, by reading a previous unread message - it's from Ron Greenwood wanting to drop Mick Channon. There's others, actual and implied by imitation. '...there's also some desparately sad moments' As you might gather, if your partner isn't into football you might just as well leave them at home and go alone. I did and I loved it, but then I'm Billy No-mates. Admitedly I sometimes tittered smugly because I was pleased to understand the joke, but there is some wonderful transferable humour, too. Cue the bubbles in the bath scene... More than this, there's also some desparately sad moments, when the team is losing and the press believe it to be their right to be ruthless in their treatment of the England manager. And it's this that makes the film, not just the laughs. Rudyard Kipling has rarely been used in a football film comedy to such outstanding effect. '...this is a football classic...' Director, Steve Barron, also directed 'The Coneheads', 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', and 'Electric Dreams' ... but don't hold that against him, this is a football classic, and essential viewing - at least once it's out on video. Ricky Tomlinson, best known for his roles in 'Brookside' and 'The Royle Family', has joined that list of people headed by Ann Robinson, who rightly deserve success, but it's hard to believe thay have achieved it in the fickle and glamourous world of television. He's even in the current UK singles chart riding on the success of this film. As Mike Bassett he plays comedy and pathos to perfection, and even convinces you that, hey, England didn't need the sports psychology of Sven-Göran afterall . A feeling that lasts right until the cinema lights fade up... See Mike Bassett England Manager
(2001) December 2001. No.88 Bob Rating BBB. See 'FourFourTwo' And then there was one... Of the three adult mainstream UK football magazines, '442' has won through as the only survivor now that 'Total Football' has gone the way of 'MOTD- Match of the Day'. Other monthlies do exist. There is the reletively newcomer to the scene 'Shoot Monthly'; the very new 'Non-League' ; various official club magazines and unofficial fanzines; the alternative 'When Saturday Comes'; Channel Four's Italian football magazine; and 'World Soccer'. But to my mind all these serve specialist audiances -'Shoot Monthly' being for younger market. 'FourFourTwo' is the last of a breed in a scene that it created back in September 1994. Of the big three, was it the best ? Probably. It isn't as good at football history as 'Total Football' was, and does not have regular 70-71 Player columnists like 'MOTD' had, but it is the best. Given that it favourablly reviewed this site, I would say it is definately the best ! (See 'Online Oddity of Wonder of the Web'). As with 'Match' in the weekly magazine market, the competition has meant the best is now the first in the field of one. My magazine bill has reduced ... but there must now be room for something new. This month's magazine has the following items of Bob 70-71 interest:
For further November 2001 news see ...
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| Bob Dunning 9 November 2001 |
Click to see the latest Soccer headlines www.bobdunning.net |
