One word can explain the madness of my job last week. Rooney. Although maybe âÂÂgreedâ would be more appropriate.
When thereâÂÂs a big United story, my phone doesnâÂÂt stop, especially if IâÂÂm in Manchester. I was fed some decent, accurate, information about the Rooney story. And some that was slightly misleading â which happens when two parties are briefing against each other. One of the most revealing was perhaps the most innocent â it came from someone who had bumped into Sir Alex Ferguson on Thursday afternoon at Old Trafford. He was whistling and singing away, seemingly without a care in the world. What was he so happy about?
Being in Barcelona meant I missed out on a morning spot on BBC Breakfast, hosted by the lovely Susanna Reid. And Channel 4 news, with the intensely brilliant Jon Snow. I once saw him getting ready to mount his bicycle in Soho, when he was approached by an even more intense fan/stalker/fundamentalist. Snow was polite, but quickly realised that he was talking to a fruit cake and peddled off.
The Rooney story brought fresh demands for work. I spent close on 12 hours on one 1,500 word piece looking at the future of Man Utd without Rooney and was about to press âÂÂsendâÂÂâ¦when it was announced that he was staying.
And a column I did for the Manchester Evening News was spiked in favour of two new ones on Rooney. That was a shame, because I enjoyed writing about Barrow and their 42-year-old player manager Darren Sheridan. In fact, IâÂÂll put the piece at the end of this blog so it actually gets seen.
Stretford and Rooney discuss money, probably...
But the column I do with Andrew Cole for The National in Abu Dhabi each week was perfectly suited to the story. Paul Stretford used to be ColeâÂÂs agent. Most of the British papers picked up on the story and I got an email from the sports editor two days later saying that it had more hits on the paperâÂÂs website than any story in the history of the paper.
Cole was on holiday in Jamaica and said his phone hadnâÂÂt stopped either. He was also very, very happy because his son Devante had been called up to EnglandâÂÂs U16s. Cole described him a week earlier as âÂÂa racehorse without a saddle, a wild stallion. When he puts it together everyone says âÂÂWow!âÂÂ, when he doesnâÂÂt itâÂÂs clear that heâÂÂs still growing.âÂÂ
Sadly, a podcast with the on-form journalist Paddy Barclay recorded on Thursday afternoon was dated by Friday morning, which is when I got a call from Old Trafford. It was about my Twitter account.
âÂÂMy what?âÂÂ
The caller went onto explain that I was on Twitter with 500 followers. Call me a technophobe, but IâÂÂd never been on Twitter and didnâÂÂt have an account. A few friends and fellow journalists have been telling me to get on it, but I couldnâÂÂt see the point.
I contacted Twitter â who told me that I had to prove who I was. By fax. Who uses faxes now apart from football clubs? But I had to fax them my passport and they investigated, before banning the perpetrator. In the meantime I have joined and my address as @AndyMitten
And hereâÂÂs the piece which was spiked because of Rooneyâ¦
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Did you hear the one about the football team who train in Salford three times a week and attract crowds of 1,500?
Salford City can only dream of such crowds, but an isolated location means Blue Square Premier Side Barrow train in Greater Manchester.
The Cumbrians have just one Barrow-born player, the rest comprised of an unholy alliance of Mancunians and Scousers, with a smattering of Cumbrians.
Barrow, currently 22nd in non-leagueâÂÂs top division, will play FC United from two divisions below on Sunday at Gigg Lane in an FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round.
A first ever appearance in the FA Cup First round proper is the prize for FC, but they have to overcome a Barrow side whoâÂÂs joint player manager is 42-year-old Stretford lad Darren Sheridan.
SheridanâÂÂs career path was unorthodox, but the fact that heâÂÂs still playing makes up for a late start. His release aged only 18 after an apprenticeship at Leeds United - where older brother John was a star player â was hard to take.
âÂÂMy world ended,â he says from his home in Urmston. âÂÂI gave up on football because I didnâÂÂt think I was good enough.âÂÂ
Professional footballâÂÂs loss was local footballâÂÂs gain. Sheridan played for Flixton and Maine Road, StretfordâÂÂs Kendal Club and the Gorse Hill pub while finding work in warehouses or tarmacing.
Then Mike McKenzie, manager of legendary Moss Side Sunday team Astro, took him to high-flying Winsford United.
âÂÂMike sorted me out, got my head together and got the best out of me at Winsford,â recalls Sheridan. âÂÂThen John Benson, the former City manager, spotted me. He was scouting for Barnsley and I had a successful trial there. I finally turned professional at 26.âÂÂ
Sheridan in his Barnsley heyday
A six-year spell at Oakwell coincided with BarnsleyâÂÂs implausible rise to the Premiership in 1997, where he featured in the shock FA Cup win over Manchester United and a league victory at Anfield.
âÂÂIâÂÂm a United fan who used to sneak into the Stretford End as a kid by waiting until the game started and the stewards went away,â explains Sheridan. âÂÂThen a mate would lift a bolt open and weâÂÂd squeeze in. So to walk out at Old Trafford as a player in a Premiership match was a dream. We lost 7-0, but got revenge in the FA Cup and we also beat Liverpool away.âÂÂ
After Barnsley, stints at the Athletics of Wigan and Oldham followed. âÂÂPlaying with my brother John at Oldham was another career highlight â he was a great player, our kid. I watched him everywhere when I wasnâÂÂt playing including the 1994 World Cup for Ireland.âÂÂ
Then Sheridan played for Clyde and St. Johnstone in Scotland, before joining Barrow in January 2007. He was appointed joint-manager with Dave Bayliss later that year and the pair led the Cumbrian side to promotion in 2008, to two FA Cup 3rd round ties against Sunderland and Middlesbrough and to an unexpected FA Trophy victory at Wembley in May.
And as the years ticked by Sheridan continued to play.
âÂÂIâÂÂm 43 in December but I feel fine,â he says. âÂÂItâÂÂs knowing when to run at my age. I keep fit by doing most of the training with the lads and running after my four daughters. Then I run after the lads chasing them.âÂÂ
Sheridan spends most Saturdays on the road. A home game necessitates a 200 mile round trip, while away games can take him as far afield as Eastbourne, Gateshead and Crawley.
âÂÂI was glad when we drew FC United in the FA Cup because itâÂÂs round the corner,â adds Sheridan. âÂÂI might go on my scooter.âÂÂ
âÂÂWe know it will be tough against a side like FC with their support, but weâÂÂll bring five or six hundred fans ourselves. WeâÂÂve been underdogs in other games so we know theyâÂÂll be thinking.
âÂÂI know their manager Karl (Marginson) and heâÂÂll be hoping to get one over us, but weâÂÂll be ready. WeâÂÂve had a lot of fun in the FA Cup and we want some more.âÂÂ
Postscript: FC United won and will play Rochdale away in the first round, a superb achievement. The game will be played on Friday 5th November and will be screen live by ESPN.
