Gordon Bannerman's Extra Time Stories!

Gordon Bannerman told so many stories during his Big Personality Interview we had to give him Extra Time!

***

“It’s different now. When I started out at the matches at Muirton Park it was in the old wooden stand, covered in incident tape and ready to fall apart. Half the ground was out of commission.  We’d get pies and Bovril at half time. And there was this old wooden hut at the Ice Rink end where you could queue up and still watch the game. This one time, me and my pal were there with his girlfriend and she ordered a pot of tea for two and a Bovril.  We were just standing looking at her – the guy behind the counter was quick as a flash - ‘certainly madam, take a seat across at the table and we’ll bring it over’. He was talking from behind a formica top covered by years of pie grease and tomato sauce. Environmental Health would never pass it now! 

You fast forward to today and you can watch the game in comfort, often it’s on the telly and you can enjoy five courses on white linen tableclothes.  Although I’m delighted to say that we did get Murrays world champion pies at half-time recently!  We were in Kilmarnock and they tried to dazzle us with their own award-winning pies and bridies. They went a bit overboard and we were all handed piles of them to take home.  I don’t think it was a bribe… I’ve never been bribed. I’ve been threatened though."

***

“All the new trainees were sent to cover the Perth Sheriff Court. I was brought up in Perth remember – I knew people in that box. I was sitting on the press bench, and there was this old man in the witness box being asked if he could point to the accused. He pointed straight at me. There were only a handful of other folk in the room and he pointed at me – I got a right fright. Then this barrister says really droll, “He’s one of the press.” 

***

“I lost a whole report once, 800 words. I went into melt down and made up the whole thing. Quotes the lot. On Monday morning in the cold light of day I found it on the laptop. If I’d paid attention on the Saturday as an IT expert was trying to talk me down off the ledge I’d have found it then.  I just wasn’t listening to him because I hate technology. It’s like I’ve made it my job to come up with different challenges for IT. ‘I’ve never seen that before’ they’ll say to me. I’d say it was a service – flagging up glitches!”

***

“I feel sorry for the school kids. They come for a visit to the newspaper and there’s nothing to see. It’s not the same buzz.  It used to be so vibrant and if I sound nostalgic it’s because I am. 20,000 copies and more we used to do on a Friday. And we’re still producing huge numbers of journalist graduates even though newspapers won’t be around in this shape very much longer.”

***

“When I was diagnosed with proper writer’s cramp I was offered a steroid injection in my thumb. One of the side effects was that I might lose the use of it. I turned it down and got a Dictaphone. You can’t use it in council buildings or the High Court though."

***  

“I was out covering the Tay Salmon Fishing Season and I had on all this kit that I was supposed to have used in a trip to Iraq that had been cancelled.  I’m interviewing the guy in charge and asking him all these questions on the prospects of the season, taping the whole thing as I went. So at the end, I looked down to stop the tape and the water that had gathered in my Gore-Tex hat rolled straight down and into the Dictaphone. I had to make up the whole thing.” 

***

“The reason I didn’t go on that Iraq trip was because there had been a huge revolt. Leading up to it I had spent all these sleepless nights thinking ‘what have I got myself into?’. Then when they said I couldn’t go I was a bit miffed. I’d had a hellish reaction to the injections and it was all for nothing. Looking back I’m quite pleased it never happened. In 35 years I may not have been a great adventurer but I’m alright with football and golf!”  

 ***

Gordon Bannerman is the #SCBP Big Personality on 13th March 2015. Click here for the full story!

Regular readers will know this is where we normally link to a person’s facebook or twitter account. But after reading this, you know that’s not worth your while! You can however follow the Perthshire Advertiser and pick up Gordon’s stories and sports news there.

Perthshire Advertiser | Facebook | Twitter | Website

He also talks about PH2O, the project Live Active Leisure are currently seeking support for. Find out more and sign your name to the list over on the PH2O website here.