McIlvanney On Boxing

Legend and we probably won't get one like him again.

These days writing is all about speed, speed, speed. Hugh could craft his articles beautifully because he was allowed up to a week to work on a single piece.

 

I was reading Reg Gutteridge's book and he was explaining the pressure those old press guys had when trying to meet a deadline right after a fight. Straight after the fights they were on the phone calling in their fight reports. I assume you are referring to features and columns and whatnot?

 

Many of the articles are not fight reports.

 

No it's because McIlvanney had a weekly deadline due to only writing for Sunday papers. He says so much in the book.

Daily papers are a different kettle of fish altogether.

Deadlines are tougher now than ever. The old guys who rang reports through largely just commentated at intervals while a copy taker jotted it down and then the sub editor ensured it looked presentable to the reader.

These days the reporter is expected to type it on a laptop as the fight goes on and then file at the end using an internet connection.

I've done both phoning through and sending via email and phoning is much easier.

Football writers tend to have the worst deadlines. When I used to write for a Sunday sports paper in Yorkshire I had to get them in "on the whistle", which is a right pain in the arse if someone scores in time added on.

 

I remember a rare Fri night Vegas fight...McCall v Lewis...big Hughie went off with his Cohiba Espendido, his long-hand pad, his scotch and re-surfaced a dozen hours later. He was a craftsman at that stage but had worked under intense deadlines a couple of decades earlier.
Adios.

 

Great book, the chapter about Johnny Owen is very poignant.

 

I see. I have to read his book. Schulberg called him the Dean of boxing writers, I think Kimball described him as something similar. I loved reading about all of the stories of the old press guys in Gutteridge's book, I am sure McIlvanney's book tells some great tales.:good