Notes from the touchline

[Hugo Young] would tell how he would forsake all ambition to be the Yorkshire Post's cricket correspondent. Long installed in that job when Hugo joined the Post from Oxford in 1963 was the stately ancient JM Kilburn, prickly and pompous, whom the young turks of the paper regarded with a mix of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Guardian (London)
Main Author Keating, Frank
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London (UK) Guardian News & Media Limited 26.09.2003
Subjects
Professional soccer
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Summary:[Hugo Young] would tell how he would forsake all ambition to be the Yorkshire Post's cricket correspondent. Long installed in that job when Hugo joined the Post from Oxford in 1963 was the stately ancient JM Kilburn, prickly and pompous, whom the young turks of the paper regarded with a mix of awe and derision. Whenever we met, that marvellously mischievous glint shimmered from Hugo's spectacles and he knew and I knew that it was time for him to retell his favourite subeditors' tale - of the elderly Post sub (one of those sardonic and literate green-eyeshade fellows the profession has, alas, killed off) running down to young Hugo's desk triumphantly flourishing Kilburn's match report, which ended with the very Kilburnish peroration about the match proceeding with "interminable inevitability". The old boy was overjoyed to tell Hugo he had changed it to "inevitable interminability". I was one ball away in 1999 (Andy Flintoff 61 balls), but this time [Damien Martyn] mightily delivered. Ninety- six journos entered - only Brian Johnston (BBC Ulster) and David Wright (Reading Evening Post) join me in the fizz. Cheers chaps, and thanks Damien.
ISSN:0261-3077