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Politics UAE honour killing punishments reconsidered
Barney Bolton
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Honour killings are attacks on women who are believed to have dishonored their families. The attacks take the form of physical abuse and, occasionally, murder. They are carried out for a variety of reasons including suspected pre- or extra-marital sex.
On Saturday 7th November, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced an alteration of federal laws regarding the penal code of the UAE. These laws changed the historic leniency that had been shown when punishing honour crimes. In previous years, honour crimes carried sentences between three and fifteen years in prison. Following the changes made to the law, those who have been judged to have committed an honour killing will receive punishments of life imprisonment or execution, the same sentence as any murder.
In addition to the alterations
Jonty Head
At the Democratic Conference back in August, Barack Obama said that President Trump had treated the presidency like a “reality show”, that he was only interested in helping “himself and his friends”, and criticised four years of “lies and conspiracy theories”. Tradition dictates that former US Presidents maintain a respectful silence about their successors. But, while Trump and Biden were battling for the presidency, Obama’s legacy was on the line, and he knew it.
In the build up to the 2016 vote, Trump made no secret of his desire to reverse key Obamaera policies. Recently, he said that his predecessor was not a great president because ‘much of what he’s done we’ve undone.’ But how effectively has Trump managed to dismantle Obama’s legacy, and will Biden be able to restore it?
Healthcare
Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was perhaps Obama’s proudest achievement in regarding abuse, the government has amended laws on the cohabitation of unmarried couples as well as the possession and sale of alcohol for those over the age of 21. The Emirates news agency, WAM, stated that these changes aim to “consolidate the UAE’s principles of tolerance.”
These amendments have been made to give a more secular and, to an extent, a more Western impression of the UAE. Former US president, Donald Trump, contributed significantly to the UAE’s previous efforts to alter their image. During his time in office, Trump played a part in the normalisation of relations between the UAE and neighboring Israel. Previously, the two nations had a shaky relationship, with the UAE not recognising Israel until 15th September 2020, when a Trump-driven deal was signed between the two.
The deal was most likely signed to encourage the increase in investment from Israel to the UAE. Additionally, by improving relations, the oil-rich UAE stood to benefit from an increase in tourism, a sector which according to The Daily Mail makes up 5% of the nation’s GDP.
The changes to laws regarding office. It aimed to ensure that all Americans would have access to affordable health insurance. Key features included offering tax credits to help cover the cost of government-sponsored health insurance plans and regulating the private market to protect those with pre-existing medical conditions from having their applications for health insurance turned down.
Despite his frequent criticism of the policy, Trump never managed to repeal the ACA, nor to gain sufficient support for an alternative. While honour killings follow in the same vein as the deal signed in September. The lenient punishments for honour criminals gave the UAE an image problem in the West. Potential investors have been put off by the Sharia law that dominates the country. The severity of Shariah law is alien to many Westerners and marked the UAE as fundamentally different from other developed nations.
As well as encouraging investment into the UAE, these changes, which move towards a more secular government, have
(Chatham House, Flickr)
Biden has resisted pressure from the left of the Democratic party for an NHS-style “Medicare for All”, in the days since winning the election he has pledged to expand the ACA. This will prove tricky while the Republicans hold a majority in the Senate, but shows that he plans to build on Obama’s healthcare legacy rather than rescind it. Immigration
Obama’s only real legacy in terms of immigration was the Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. Introduced in 2012, this provided those who had been brought into the US illegally as children with a temporary legal status. Attempts by Trump to end the programme have been largely
likely been made to accommodate the number of expatriates living in the UAE. Dubai Online reports that in 2019, over 8.5 million migrants were living in the UAE, making up 87.9% of the total population.
What is striking, and telling, in the population statistics of the UAE is the proportion of male to female citizens. Dubai online reports that in 2019 only 31% of the population of the UAE were female. A possible reason for this disparity is the historic mistreatment of women in the UAE, meaning that female frustrated. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that his administration could not repeal DACA immediately, citing a failure to comply with “the procedural requirement that it provide a reasoned explanation for its action”.
Trump’s presidency has been characterised by antiimmigration policies, including a travel ban that targeted mainly Muslim-majority nations and a (subsequently reversed) move to separate parents and children in families found to be crossing the US-Mexico border illegally.
Biden has made clear his commitment to DACA, but addressing the more than 400 policy changes implemented by Trump to restrict immigration will be a lengthy process, and will no doubt be met with resistance by the many who have been stoked by four years of antiimmigration rhetoric. Climate
In 2015, Obama unveiled the Clean Power Plan (CPP), a scheme by which the US could meet its Paris Agreement targets.
The aim was to cut carbon emissions by 26-28% relative to 2005 levels, the equivalent migrants may be deterred by the consequences of Sharia law.
The laws aim to make westerners, and particularly women, feel more comfortable with the legal system of the UAE. The significant proportion of migrants, many of whom have come from Western countries, means that pressure has been applied to alter the laws of the country. Foreign business links have always been vital in an area that is driven by money and, by removing laws which disproportionately punish women, the UAE expects immigration and investment to rise.
There is no doubt that the UAE is becoming more secular, with the laws moving the courts away from the traditional Islamic laws, but the extent to which the changes in the law have been installed to reassure natives is questionable. The recent alterations have been made predominantly for foreigners who may be uncomfortable with the current penal code. Regardless of the motive behind the changes, the UAE has made a positive step towards the improvement of
How did Trump dismantle Obama’s legacy?
human rights in the country. of taking 70% of the nation’s cars off the road.
Trump has since replaced the CPP with the less ambitious Affordable Clean Energy rule, which has no targets for cutting emissions, and has also withdrawn the US from the Paris Agreement. Trump’s legacy here should be relatively straightforward to undo. Biden has pledged to re-join the Paris Agreement immediately upon taking office, and even to go further than Obama did by bringing in policies to make the US carbon-neutral by 2050.
Iran
Under Obama, the US entered the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Iran would drastically reduce uranium enrichment and stockpiling in return for the reduction of economic sanctions. Trump withdrew from this in 2018. Two years later, and despite Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign to cripple the Iranian economy, Iran is yet to agree to begin negotiations for a new deal. Biden has pledged to offer Iran “a credible path back to diplomacy”, promising to re-join the deal if Iran first complies with the agreement’s nuclear restrictions.
Politics President-elect’s dedication to the environment
Jess Jones
President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to re-join the Paris Agreement on his first day in office, just as Trump withdrew the US from it on the day after his own election. Declaring that climate change is “the number one issue facing humanity”, Biden has promised $2 trillion towards implementing renewable energy infrastructure throughout the country. His plans for net zero emissions by the midcentury, with a 2035 deadline for decarbonising the electricity grid, will mean a radical domestic environmental policy and will see the US become a leading example for international climate action and diplomacy.
In the aftermath of the election buzz, Biden will inherit a number of hefty issues: from public health and racial justice matters, to huge unemployment and fears of a double-dip recession, the United States of America have never been less united. Perhaps Biden’s greatest challenge, however, is that of the climate crisis. He also faces a tough opposition if the Senate becomes GOP controlled and his
Sophie Farmer
Politics Editor How to best summarise the undertakings, handling and thus scrutiny of Her Majesty’s Government in recent months? Biting down on my tongue to avoid regurgitating The Thick of It’s “omnishambles” labelling, I’ll instead settle for “indefinite”. Headed by an oxymoron personified (punintended) as the buffoonish-Oxford graduate, Boris Johnson is producing U-turn after U-turn. Knee-deep in a global pandemic and suffering the worst national recession in British history – as well as in any G7 country – policy would understandably face increased backlash and be more challenging to land.
While this element of Conservative pragmatism may be respected by some in changing with the socio-political climate, Westminster above all needs unity, clarity, and certainty in its approach to governing, setting aside party politics to prioritise the nation. clarity, and certainty in its approach to governing hopes of a sweeping agenda are dashed by political polarisation.
Biden’s domestic environmental policy aims, amongst other things, to create more energy efficient homes and buildings, resume electric vehicle tax credit, invest in 50,000 charging stations on highways, phase out fossil fuels, and promote the 2016 Kigali Accord which agreed to limit the use of hydrofluorocarbons, a pervasive greenhouse gas used in refrigerators and aerosols. The main contrast between Trump and Biden, as demonstrated by the final presidential debate, is that Trump believes an aggressive climate policy would forsake jobs and the economy whereas Biden sees a green new deal as an opportunity for millions of new jobs to be created and economic growth.
Climate change is also a racial justice issue and these policies need to be carefully constructed in such a way as to represent and support communities of colour, who are often disproportionately and expand on his decisions to deny meal support vouchers to disadvantaged students during the Christmas holidays. Rashford spoke out about his experiences of childhood poverty and the struggles he faced during the holidays in a letter to MPs, while fronting a campaign with these issues at heart. As a result, Johnson is not only backtracking on this policy but has outlined a £170 million grant scheme during the winter for affected families. This is surely good news – but it should not take an influential sportsman bringing the issue into the public eye to defeat food poverty, especially among children.
When the Prime Minister yields complacently to a public persona, affected by global warming.
On an international level, Biden will call for a worldwide ban on fossil fuel subsidies, address global shipping and aviation emissions and put pressure on countries like Australia to cooperate and take their share of responsibility, particularly when it comes to meeting carbon targets. He can use the chance to restore foreign alliances to inspire the largest contributing nations of the world to make ambitious pledges and to follow through with their commitments.
Although more directly part of his domestic policy, Biden’s intention of re-joining the Paris Agreement is hugely consequential for international climate action, which explains why it has scored the most headlines recently. With the US, China and EU (who between them produce roughly half of global emissions) all working together, the shared goal of limiting global temperature rises to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels certainly looks more attainable.
The main roadblock for Biden is of course the Senate, which, if it becomes Republican-dominated, could render Democratic efforts more so than to the government’s opposition, should we not be worried about the legitimacy or thought behind government decree, or are we rather witnessing a gradual rejection of mainstream political institutions? In any case, the fruits of Rashford’s campaign include seeing more than 200 independent and chain restaurants providing free school meals for school children over half term.
The government is estimated to have made around 15 U-turns to date. That is 15 times that Johnson has backpedalled on inadequate policy not fit enough to carry through. Leader of the opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, labelled this handling as “serial incompetence”. That said, is a redundant. Whilst Biden can easily reinstate old laws, bringing new ones in is somewhat more challenging, and the most progressive strategies might be dismissed immediately. However, the climate crisis was a voting issue this year for the first time in America’s election history, therefore the Senate will perhaps consider working together with the White House rather than forcing every motion to a grinding halt.
Critics, some of whom even support him, have labelled Biden’s plans as overly aggressive and unrealistic. By contrast, Greta Thunberg gave a scathing criticism of a change of heart necessarily a bad thing? The Conservatives adhering to their “pragmatic” principles is not entirely novel; ideologically speaking, the rational decision to go with what works during unprecedented times is more or less warranted and justifiable. Often, Conservative governments will look back to their predecessors at the ‘tried and tested,’ yet amid a period so unforeseen – a pragmatic approach is imperative. More broadly, this brings into question the issue of party politics, in that to-ing and fro-ing between policy is currently being favoured over effective governing. The people need clarity.
Among the significant timeline of recent government U-turns is the policy of face masks in schools, which the government stepped down on in August of this year, as well as the scrapping of A-Level and GCSE predictions the same month. A YouGov survey on 17th August expressed the discontent of the nation as 75% of Britons, including 69% of Conservative voters, agreed that the UK government handled student exam results poorly and should be held to account. Johnson similarly went back to the drawing board after spending millions on a Covid-19 contact tracing app – only to succumb to the tech giants’ model instead. As you read this, we are still in the midst of a national lockdown; a second nadifferent kind in an interview for the NY Times: “I’m not saying that Joe Biden is good, or his policies are close to being good enough. They are not.”
Whilst I believe Thunberg is correct in her assertion that Biden’s policies are not enough to resolve the climate crisis, I also think that it is worth celebrating such a climate victory, not only for America but also for the rest of the world. It is not just in Biden’s hands to ensure a better environmental future; we need to exert continuous democratic pressure on world leaders to act faster and
(Biden for Presdient via Creative Commons)
Rashford 1, Johnson 0: A tale of government U-turns
with transparency. tional lockdown that the Prime Minister repeatedly ruled out in previous addresses. “Let us try to avoid the misery of another national lockdown”, Johnson assured the Commons, “which he [Sir Keir Starmer] would want to impose.”
The government has undeniably gone back on their pledges time and time again – much to the disappointment, disarray and confusion of the nation. However, in justifying these withdrawals, so to speak, such decisions are being made in the national interest: a second national lockdown to help circumvent the rising infection rates, revisited exam predictions to favour a system that is more just, free school meals for poverty alleviation among children, etc.
The question that remains is why were the government incapable of effecting these decisions on the first attempt? In effect, this can be put down to ill-conceived decision-making and increased public scrutiny at large.
Johnson may be acting during a global virus outbreak, but if he continues with this trend, he could well be dealt a red card.
SportSport
“It was a very special time”: Warren Barton on Maiden Castle, ‘The Entertainers’ and the North East
Sport speaks to Newcastle legend Warren Barton about his memories playing of playing for the Magpies in the nineties, his time in the USA, and his ambitions for the future.
Matt Styles and Luke Power
Sport Editors
When we think of Newcastle and that famous ‘Entertainers’ side of the mid-nineties under Kevin Keegan, the likes of Les Ferdinand, David Ginola and Peter Beardsley automatically spring to mind. It was a team rich in attacking talent, so committed to a high octane and energetic brand of football, that it’s easy to forget about the defenders who facilitated it, particularly when being a full-back wasn’t so fashionable as it is today.
“There was a time when fullbacks were full-backs, they just defended and moved the ball on, but I was an athlete,” reflects Warren Barton, who spent the mid-nineties to early noughties marauding down the right flank at St. James’ Park.
“Kind of like how Trent and Robertson get forward, me and John Beresford were high, if not higher up the pitch than Keith Gillespie and David Ginola sometimes, and that was all part of the style of football we played.”
It was a thrilling golden era for the club, a far cry from the disconnect between owners and fans that has come to characterise the Mike Ashley era. Barton is proud to have been part of it, having arrived as the most expensive English defender in 1995 from Wimbledon’s ‘crazy gang’.
You can attribute many things to Newcastle’s success during that period, but one thing that perhaps is overlooked are the open training sessions that would take place down at Maiden Castle – where thousands of fans were welcomed in, hamburgers and coffees would be sold to spectators, and legends of the game shared facilities with university students.
It was a thrilling golden era for the club
Barton laments that this sort of thing doesn’t happen today. He believes it was this interaction with fans and the wider community which led to some “sensational” football on the weekends, and was a key part of the feelgood atmosphere at the club. It externalised that sense of duty to give something back, deflating their celebrity status to a level of humanity and collective endeavour.
“I remember leaving Durham
Barton played for the ‘Entertainers’ side under Keegan (Warren Barton) City centre where I used to live and drive down to Maiden Castle, and hundreds of cars were being parked and people walked along with their black and white shirts coming to watch us train.
“Sometimes we had to be careful with our language, there was kids there and it’s an industrial game, so we had to be a little bit conscious of what we were doing, but that’s what you want to play for, that’s the sign of being in a big club.
“Expectation from fans is what you want to have and that’s what I miss now, nothing mirrors that pressure. It could be nerveracking and hard when you get a bad result, but you have to take that on the chin.”
This connection is what Barton feels is missing these days, that sense of being accountable and facing the music’ With social media it is so easy for players to switch off the phone and avoid responsibility, but Barton kept returning to the mantra that actions speak louder than words.
He believes that footballers should have that platform to meaningfully interact with fans because, as Marcus Rashford exemplifies, they aren’t all inherently ‘high and mighty’, and do have that urge to get involved in the community.
Despite having operated in such a brutal and unforgiving world, Warren is incredibly humane and aware of what it means to be a footballer. For him it was never about the money or the cars, but rather those days at Maiden Castle signing autographs, representing the people who idolised him and developing special relationships with the fans.
That’s partly why his biggest regret is not winning the league for them in 1996. He puts it down to an amalgamation of things, not least the exquisiteness of Cantona’s low-driven volley in that pivotal 1-0 defeat at St. James’ Park. He also puts it down to Keegan’s overzealousness, that pressure to entertain, as he recounts a particular February morning down at Maiden Castle when he ruminated with Peter Beardsley and Les Ferdinand over a cup of tea.
“We’d lost a couple of games and United had won, and I said to Les and Peter ‘do you think we need to change a little bit?’ and Pedro goes ‘he won’t, he won’t change’. Keegan would either win it his way or not at all, kind of like what Pep does.
“So maybe we didn’t have that winning mentality, but great credit to United. It kills me to say it because they ruined my life.”
Time went on after that bitter disappointment and Newcastle remain one of the best sides not to have won the Premier League. Barton saw iconic players depart, legendary managers hop on and off the managerial roundabout, and new players such as Aaron Hughes, the one who eventually inched Barton out of the squad, come through. He remained in the North East until 2002 before seeing out his playing days with a stint at Dagenham & Redbridge three years later, satisfied with the three England caps under his belt and a successful on-field career.
And so a new era beckoned. After a brief spell doing media work at ITV and Sky in England, he headed off to sunny San Diego in 2008 with his family to begin a new adventure doing punditry at Fox Sports. He still enjoys being a pundit, but it is when talking about coaching that the lights behind his eyes truly begin to flicker – for him there’s nothing quite as fulfilling.
Through Brad Friedel he was able to get involved in several training camps, but his main coaching venture was his short spell at San Diego Flash, an amateur side which he funded himself. Though he decided to ‘cut it at a loss’ in 2012, it was a great learning curve for Barton, helping him to immerse himself in an American footballing culture which he believes is steeply on the rise today.
This is true of the MLS in particular, with money now being invested into academies and the South American leagues rather than over-relying on the Zlatans and the Gerrards. Stereotypes surrounding the league still persist, however, and he wishes that people would ‘do their homework’, arguing that ‘just because it’s different a different culture doesn’t mean it’s wrong.’
Barton is still able to maintain a deep-seated interest in the English game despite moving to warmer climes, particularly with Newcastle and their current situation under Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley.
“My problem is the style of football, it’s very conservative and we’ve got some talented, talented players, but the system that has been put up is to not lose the game. I know Steve and I’ve got a lot of respect for him, but I just want us to be more positive and adventurous and going forward. That’s how we can we get the best out of this team.
“I want my football club to mirror the people in the city, and it doesn’t. They’re not negative, they’re not dour people, they want to have fun, and they’re not having fun at the moment.”
That special connection with the North East will never go away, as he replays the sight of St. James’ Park in his mind – the ‘holy grail’ of a city where he plans to have his ashes sprinkled despite being born and bred in London.
Maiden Castle was central to shaping this fondness with the region: those training sessions with the fans, sharing the gym with the ‘Durham lads’, watching the Toon Army flock down in their droves, memories of Kevin Keegan sitting on the burger stall having a bacon sandwich while they trained, and rocking up to training in the snow with Tino Asprilla donning a Mickey Mouse t-shirt.
“Durham is a beautiful place. It was a very special time in a great part of the world, and a part of the world I call home. I spent seven or eight years in the North East and loved every moment of it.”
While Warren misses the lifestyle and culture of being a footballer intensely, he’s just glad to have been such a loyal servant to the club and the region – remembering the great players he met, the faces he brought smiles to, just happy to have entertained.
Sport Harry Pearson: “Non-league is vinyl”
James Reid
Deputy Sport Editor
“Suddenly I was one of the old blokes I used to look at and wonder how they got there” chuckles Harry Pearson, author of recently released book The Farther Corner. The blokes Pearson refers to are those so vividly depicted in his latest book and its prequel, The Far Corner.
These characters that Pearson describes with such wit and sharpness are likely instantly recognisable to anyone who has ever been to a non-league game. The person who shouts the same thing all game, the father intricately detailing the game to his son, the person who thought it was much better in their day.
There is an intense fondness for this, evident both in Pearson’s books and in his conversation with Palatinate. His affection for non-league, and the Northern League in particular, is something that shines through. “It was like a lifeline for me” reflects Pearson after he returned to the ninth tier league following large changes in his life. “For a lot of people, football probably is that thing.”
It is a fondness that is entrenched in each and every page of both books. Each chapter contributes to a rich tapestry of North East working-class culture and is as much a guide to the region as it is a book about football. The Farther Corner comes 25 years after its critically acclaimed prequel and is particularly wistful about the changes that have occurred within football and wider society in that time frame.
The game that Pearson returned to was very different to the one that was depicted all those years ago, a discovery
Luke Power
Sport Editor
Continued from back page
It would help if Sunderland were a bit more creative. Their key problem is that they are not scoring enough goals for a side targeting automatic promotion, and so far this season they’ve relied on penalties and own goals- fountains which will inevitably dry up- more than any other team in the league.
Parkinson’s base formation of choice, the 3-5-2, is not renowned for its attacking flair, and places immense pressure on the wingbacks to provide an outlet.
Indeed, Sunderland’s attacking motions are often focused on getting the ball wide for the likes of Lynden Gooch to whip into the box. The physicality of forward Charlie Wyke and the rest of the side has proved useful, especially against less brawny opposition. In their Papa John’s Trophy match against Aston Villa’s Under 21s, six of Sunderland’s eight goals resulted from crosses.
For sure, that game showcased all of Sunderland’s attacking potency, but their method of scoring was symptomatic of the team’s constant reversion to direct tactics.
Not enough is being eked out of a quality squad. Will Grigg is minor royalty in the Football League and the most expensive player in League One history, and yet his output at Sunderland has been underwhelming: eight goals in 55 games.
This downfall is directly traceable to Sunderland’s style; Grigg is no titan in the air. He developed a reputation at Wigan for putting teams to bed in a flash because they played to his strengths, prioritising incisive through balls and zipping passes to his feet. At Sunderland, he is forced between struggling for the ball in the air or coming deep to collect it, neither of which suit him.
On the bright side, this Sunderland side brims with potential, and Parkinson has them exceptionally well-drilled. Sunderland are relentless, able to outlast teams and strike late on, their record in the second half of games being an impressive 8-1 this season. On their second-half form, they would be second in the league.
“I am a football romantic” (Harry Pearson) that led to some derision on his topic, there is someone on the part. “Part of my disillusionment committee of a non-league club, with Middlesbrough is just the a story from a match 40 years Riverside Stadium: it’s so terrible. ago that fits perfectly, even a You don’t feel like it’s part of photographer’s assistant in Oman anything at all.” who preferred watching games
This disappointment with on TV than in real life due to the modern football is a recurring lack of replays. theme. Pearson has little time for It is these anecdotes, peppered Newcastle United’s acceptance of throughout the books, effortlessly mediocrity, the current academy transporting you from Dunston system or kids preferring the UTS vs. Pontefract Collieries to Metro Centre to playing football. 1930s Middlesbrough, that really
Indeed, the Metro Centre gets bring them to life. The focus on quite the battering in both books, the characters, sights, smells, and but it is a critique that is largely stories perfectly demonstrate consistent with Pearson’s outlook how football is far more than just on football: a yearning for a a game. It is about community. former iteration that is almost This sense of community impossible to go back to. comes through when talk turns
“I am an old football romantic”, to the future of clubs in the North admits Pearson. It is probably East. “Everything is gone except the one thing that most aptly the silver band and the football sums the writer up. Throughout team, so they become much the one hour and 45-minute more important”, argues Pearson. chat with Palatinate, Pearson While the industries that they flits from anecdote to anecdote. had been attached to have gone, Approximately 50 different the football clubs largely remain. clubs are mentioned. For every Many are threatened by the impact of Covid-19, but Pearson is upbeat about the future.
“Non-league is vinyl”, Pearson chimes. “Some non-league clubs, in a way they’re sort of vinyl and sourdough clubs.” It is an example of Pearson’s richly descriptive style, this time used to denote the steady increase of fans at non-league games, largely the result of disaffection with the modern game. “People are just disillusioned with it. It’s not just the money, it’s the fact that the clubs have given up. Newcastle United now make no attempt to win anything.”
It is largely why Pearson is positive about the future of nonleague. “These are institutions that have lasted a long time that are run by local people and are very competently run and have been for centuries and I think that’s a really uplifting thing.” It is again another example of the obvious affection the Middlesbrough native holds for both the North East and nonleague football.
It is this affection that partly lies behind the decision to write a second book. “I sort of felt like I owed the Northern League something. My whole career was built on that book really. Writing a second book I hope is sort of a slight repayment of that.”
It could have been very different, however. Despite the success of The Far Corner, Pearson went into it with no prior experience. “I didn’t even know how to write a proposal for a book because I’d never done one and I’d never seen one”, reflects Pearson on what would go on to become a classic of the football genre.
It appears in both The Sunday Times’ and The Observer’s lists of the 50 Greatest Sports Books
This is also a team steeped in the fortitude of leaders, with skipper Max Power supported by Bailey Wright and Grant Leadbitter, previously captains of Bristol City and Middlesbrough respectively. Such organisation shows in their performances.
Yet for this Sunderland contingent, time is of the essence. With one of the oldest and most threadbare squads in the league, there may not be many cracks of the whip left until the club needs to reincarnate.
League One is a land of sleeping giants, but they are starting to stir. After their collapse at the end of last season, Ipswich have started strongly. Hull, fresh out of the lift from Championship demotion, have hit the ground running despite their summer exodus. of All Time, though Pearson is almost painfully modest. “It was a good time to write a football book because Fever Pitch definitely opened the doors to books about football.” This is just one of the many things that is described as “luck” by the writer who has gone on to write a series of critically acclaimed books as well as writing regularly for The Guardian.
Despite his illustrious career, Pearson’s advice for writers is decidedly simpler. “I just say you get a piece of paper and you get a pencil, that’s how you start. The only way to learn to write is by writing. It’s like a child learning to walk.”
Pearson’s story is one that is heartening for aspiring writers. His route into writing is unconventional. “I didn’t go to university so I didn’t even know how to structure an essay.” The 2,500 words he sent into publishers for The Far Corner was the longest thing he’d ever written.
Yet it is perhaps this unorthodox route that gives the books their distinctive style. The rich depictions of non-league culture are a warm embrace of football at a time when it is missed by so many.
Further, the books are an evocative guide to the North East as a region. Despite Pearson’s choice, though well-natured, words for Durham students, it is a fascinating insight into life in a region that has seen so much change in recent years and that has such a rich history.
The chances of The Furthest Corner? Slim. “I’ll be 85, I don’t know what state I’ll be in by then!” But for now, Pearson’s books are a glorious celebration
Sunderland up against other sleeping giants
of football and the North East. Charlton, Portsmouth, and Peterborough will all be backing themselves for promotion, while Wigan, with their decimated squad, may take time to rebuild but could be a force in years to come. And like every year, there are lesser-heralded clubs riding the crest of form’s wave. Lincoln and Fleetwood spring to mind.
But football rarely thinks about the mitigating circumstances. In stature, Sunderland are this tier’s most prodigious club, and fans are expecting to lead the pack. For some, their stay in League One has already become uncomfortably long. Phil Parkinson has the credentials, the qualities, and the squad. Sunderland need to strike while the iron is hot, before lower-league football swallows them whole.
20 Sport
Maiden Castle memories with Warren Barton
The former Newcastle full-back relives a fruitful career in football (page 18)
Harry Pearson talks football in the North East
James Reid chats to the football writer and author of The Farther Corner (page 19)
Members of Durham University Rugby Football Club sporting their moustaches in aid of the Movember campaign (DURFC)
Movember: clubs raise over £18,000
Ben Fleming
Deputy Sport Editor
Movember has become something of a regular fixture in Durham’s fundraising calendar over the last few years, with sports teams all over the University growing questionable upper lip hair to raise money for the charity which mainly aims to address the ongoing stigma surrounding men’s mental health. This year’s fundraising efforts have been met with the same fervour and enthusiasm as years gone by from Durham’s sporting outfits. However, this year it undoubtedly carries greater importance at this time of great social isolation, with the lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the arrival of a second national lockdown.
Mental health is not something that can just go left untreated and uncared for. As students return to or arrive at university this year, with all the challenges that this presents at the best of times, not being able to meet new people or see a familiar face out and about or on the sports pitches can drastically affect one’s mental health.
For these reasons, as fundraising efforts get underway and continue for the entirety of November, college and University sports clubs have been keen to spread the message, more than ever in these difficult times. As a member of Josephine Butler Football Club, who have raised nearly £3,000 already, put it to me, “simply starting a conversation with your friends and family about it can make a great and worthwhile difference” in much the same way as donating can. In terms of donations, Durham University Rugby Club (DURFC) has led the way with their Movember campaign raising more than £5,000 in the first two weeks alone. Speaking to Palatinate, club captain Dan Blackman is extremely proud of the levels of fundraising the club has achieved so far this month. “We’ve put even more effort this year into our online Movember page, which currently has around 50 members and has raised more than £5,000,” he said. “Some of the boys have taken it upon themselves to complete a set amount of running during November and we also have some plans for the last week of the month which you might see around town.” Normally, DURFC would raise money through their first XV’s home games but, in its absence, Dan and the club are keen to ensure that friendly club ethos is not lost by “encouraging everyone to check in on their mates” during these times. Durham University Cricket Club (DUCC), whose season does not start for several months, have raised more than £1,300, largely through running 230km in the first 13 days between the team. However, their efforts have extended beyond the more traditional fundraising routes and they are keen to ensure they spread the message within the club.
They recently held a webinar for the players with Lewis Baxter, a public speaker and founder of mental health advocacy charity, The Blurred Line, to ensure the players are comfortable speaking out about their emotions in this difficult time and beyond. As one of the more newly established university-wide clubs, Durham University Touch Rugby Club (DUTRC) have managed superbly to raise more than £1,750 during the first two weeks.
In conversation with Palatinate, DUTRC said it was “great to see more numbers getting involved with Movember this year.” Furthermore, as one of the few mixed-gender sports in Durham, the club can open a healthy dialogue between men and women when it comes to mental health. “As a mixed team we’re used to breaking down boundaries placed upon us about gender in sport – by having a strong showing from both our MoBros and MoSisters we are presenting our support and taking a stand against ignoring mental health issues as a whole.”
The sheer number of clubs taking part, both University and college-based, are too numerous to mention in one article. However, the positive strides being made by each club in cumulatively raising more than £18,000 so far shows that the discourse around men’s mental health is growing, and that can only be a positive sign.
Parkinson’s Sunderland approach crossroads
Luke Power Sport Editor
Football managers appointed to save clubs mired in crisis are often dubbed ‘firefighters’: plug-in-andgo folk heroes drafted in to save a crumbling defence from collapse, douse the flames of fan discontent, and impose some order on entropy. If results are acceptable, the firefighter emerges sootyfaced, and everybody breathes a sigh of relief. But there comes a point when the firefighter has to abandon the hose, a point at which merely staving off meltdown is not considered heroic enough. It is perhaps at this juncture that Phil Parkinson has arrived, with Sunderland still in League One a year after his arrival, and not finding the sailing as plain as they might like. Not to paint a picture of despair. Sunderland are having a solid season and Parkinson deserves a lot of credit for that. The Black Cats currently sit sixth in League One and have the division’s jointsecond-best defensive record, with defeats to Portsmouth and MK Dons being their only losses of the league campaign. There comes a point when the firefighter has to abandon the hose
But Jack Ross was sacked when Sunderland were in the same position, and he had the credit of having led Sunderland to the playoff final the season before. To top that off, Ross had the third-best win percentage of any manager in the club’s history.
Parkinson has no such redeeming graces. And even if Sunderland are in reasonably good form, he may be fortunate that the stands are empty. Like any expectant crowd, the Sunderland faithful can be capricious and, like a Roman Emperor, dictate the fate of the entertainers in their Colosseum. Currently, fan opinion is divided.
