http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/?service=Rss http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-how-theatre-replaced-drama-of-cricket-for-captain-coney-1040156.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-how-theatre-replaced-drama-of-cricket-for-captain-coney-1040156.html <p>Until fairly recent times, even sportsmen at the pinnacle of their sports had to keep half a mind on what they might do when the reflexes slowed. Before a proliferating media afforded so many opportunities, there was coaching for those who wanted to keep their tracksuits on, and pubs for those who didn't.</p> Brian Viner Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-whats-not-to-like-plenty-that-i-hear-1038797.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-whats-not-to-like-plenty-that-i-hear-1038797.html <p>Love, Ali McGraw once said, means never having to say you're sorry. Not in our house. Here, love means never saying "24/7". It sets my wife's teeth on edge, which obviously I try not to do, which is why I also avoid "No-brainer" and "It's not rocket science". In return, she never says eaterie when she means restaurant, or moniker when she means name, which are two of my betes noires. We're both cool with bete noire, incidentally. </p> Brian Viner Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-over-here-haggling-is-not-quite-cricket-over-there-it-makes-the-world-go-round-1036687.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-over-here-haggling-is-not-quite-cricket-over-there-it-makes-the-world-go-round-1036687.html <p>A feature a few days ago in another newspaper suggested that, in these recessionary times, we should all learn to haggle. The writer tried it on in John Lewis, Selfridges, WH Smith and even at a London Underground station, with distinctly limited success, although she did blag &pound;10 off a bottle of Krug at a branch of Nicolas, and all credit to her for doing so. I get closer to offering a tenner extra to those Frenchmen behind the counter at Nicolas, in the face of their formidable Gallic-ness and obvious contempt for an Englishman who isn't sure what he wants, and might even be, in that dreaded English phrase, "just browsing".</p> Brian Viner Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/nicole-cooke-i-wear-the-rainbow-jersey-next-year-it-will-be-fantastic-1032259.html http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/nicole-cooke-i-wear-the-rainbow-jersey-next-year-it-will-be-fantastic-1032259.html ]]> <p>As the debate hots up concerning the rightful destination of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award &ndash; Lewis Hamilton's mantelpiece in Switzerland or Rebecca Adlington's in Derbyshire &ndash; cycling fans might reasonably wonder what Nicole Cooke has done, or more accurately hasn't done, to be a 125-1 no-hoper in the betting. </p> Others Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-shearers-messiah-complex-based-on-simple-arrogance-1029732.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-shearers-messiah-complex-based-on-simple-arrogance-1029732.html <p> Sources close to Alan Shearer this week suggested that the great man is finally ready to manage Newcastle United and become beleaguered owner Mike Ashley's &quot;priceless get-out-of-jail free card&quot;. </p> Brian Viner Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-how-do-you-kill-three-hours-in-walsall-its-not-as-hard-as-it-sounds-1026134.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-how-do-you-kill-three-hours-in-walsall-its-not-as-hard-as-it-sounds-1026134.html <p>Some years ago, Jane and I decided to get rid of a cellar-full of clutter by going to a car-boot sale. Among all our unwanted bric-a-brac was a velvet cushion in several startlingly bright colours. A few people admired it and asked how much we wanted for it. We said &pound;1. They wandered off. Then a woman stopped in her tracks as if halted by armed soldiers. </p> Brian Viner Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/darren-anderton-i-never-thought-id-end-up-in-league-two-but-they-all-try-to-play-football-1021717.html http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/darren-anderton-i-never-thought-id-end-up-in-league-two-but-they-all-try-to-play-football-1021717.html ]]> <p>As England's footballers prepare to take on Germany on Wednesday, thoughts inevitably turn to all the crunch matches between the two nations down the years, not the least momentous of which was the 1996 European Championship semi-final, when a limp Gareth Southgate penalty prolonged, in the words of the song, all those years of hurt. But speaking of hurt, here's a funny thing. Of the 11 men who took the field for England at Wembley that day, only one is still playing league football. And it's the one whose name became synonymous with injury, the one dogged for years by the nickname "Sicknote". He will be 37 in March, yet Darren Anderton, captain of AFC Bournemouth, beaten 3-0 by Accrington Stanley on Saturday, is still going strong.</p> News & Comment Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-calzaghe-should-learn-ropes-about-quitting-while-ahead-1019497.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-calzaghe-should-learn-ropes-about-quitting-while-ahead-1019497.html <p> If Joe Calzaghe's mouth were as unequivocal as his fists then we could believe what he says about retirement, but there is already a worrying amount of umming and erring coming out of the Calzaghe camp, with his father and coach, Enzo, now saying that &quot;he doesn't want to make a decision which may prove to have been premature&quot;. </p> Brian Viner Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-they-just-wanted-to-pick-up-the-rabbit-ndash-and-avoid-a-fourth-60mile-trip-1015667.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-they-just-wanted-to-pick-up-the-rabbit-ndash-and-avoid-a-fourth-60mile-trip-1015667.html <p>Here is a story about a rabbit, with walk-on parts for Abba and James Bond. It is a story that illustrates what an exasperating, if not plain barmy country this can sometimes be.</p> Brian Viner Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/bradley-wiggins-i-wonder-if-ill-be-more-important-than-a-dead-horse-this-time-around-1006670.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/bradley-wiggins-i-wonder-if-ill-be-more-important-than-a-dead-horse-this-time-around-1006670.html ]]> <p>Bradley Wiggins was 10-years-old when he and some fellow rapscallions from the Carlton Vale estate in Kilburn cheekily rapped on Gary Lineker's door in Abbey Gardens, St John's Wood, only half a mile away but emphatically on the other side of the tracks. The last time they'd stalked Lineker, who then played for Tottenham Hotspur, he'd obligingly appeared, returning home from the shops with a couple of pints of milk. This time he wasn't in. But his wife Michelle answered, and gave them one from a stack of signed photographs she kept by the door for such occasions. Wiggins and his friends went away happy.</p> Brian Viner Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-will-gayle-honour-the-house-that-england-built-1001053.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-will-gayle-honour-the-house-that-england-built-1001053.html <p> My 6ft 6in colleague Angus Fraser and his 6ft 5in counterpart on The Daily Telegraph, Derek Pringle, dropped in &ndash; in more ways than one, since, to the wonderment of our children, they both had to duck to get into our kitchen &ndash; for an early supper on Thursday. </p> Brian Viner Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-i-share-fay-weldons-bafflement-997954.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-i-share-fay-weldons-bafflement-997954.html <p>The splendid Fay Weldon was a guest on the Radio 4 programme Book Club yesterday, talking about her 1989 novel The Cloning of Joanna May. Or rather, others were talking, while Weldon rather bemusedly listened. </p> Brian Viner Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/home-and-away-like-obama-i-used-a-new-puppy-to-help-my-children-move-home-994638.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/home-and-away-like-obama-i-used-a-new-puppy-to-help-my-children-move-home-994638.html <p>Remember, Remember the Fourth of November should perhaps be the new refrain following Barack Obama's historic victory in the US presidential election on Tuesday. Yesterday morning, as we watched the clips of Obama's stirring speech in Chicago, I tried to impress upon my children the seismic significance of the occasion, at least until 13-year-old Joe started wondering where his rugby boots were. Then his younger brother Jacob came downstairs and asked if he could have Welshcakes for breakfast. You can't get too swept up by global events when there's rugby practice to think about and Welshcakes to butter. I'm sure Barack would understand.</p> Brian Viner Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-the-first-law-of-interviewing-is-listen-dont-talk-989662.html http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-viner/brian-viner-the-first-law-of-interviewing-is-listen-dont-talk-989662.html <p> What a shame it is that Studs Terkel's batteries gave out just before Election Day in the United States. The great oral historian, whose tape recorder chronicled a nation's evolution, died on Friday, aged 96. A lifelong Democrat, he would doubtless have been thrilled to see Barack Obama as President-elect but probably not surprised if the America he knew so well found itself, at the last, unable to appoint a black man to its highest office. </p> Brian Viner Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:01 +0000