What's this about Tony Connolly leaving?

kevin · Post by **kevin** » 11 Sep 2007, 08:45

Sad to hear

Tony is a TOP MAN!

Good luck to him in whatever he is doing at the moment or decides to do in the future!!!

Kev

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 11 Sep 2007, 09:09

don't us Brits just love to predict the downfall of ppl. BN, Hatton, who next?

E · Post by E » 11 Sep 2007, 09:16

The writing in BN has being going downhill for some time. I would like to see Mark Butcher return.

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 11 Sep 2007, 09:17

He was good on Celebrity Fame Academy.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 11 Sep 2007, 09:18

MightyWarrior wrote:Harry Mullan's weekly column was the biz, he'd pot shot any one he saw as taking the piss - Warren, Duff...anyone.

Claude is firing blanks and terrified of upsetting SN or anyone else for that matter. Very sad & I can't see BN lasting much longer - the net has over taken it.

And yes Tony is a top man, I used to work with him and he's as genuine a person as you'll ever meet. He's probably back subbing at a daily paper, something he used to do between his stints at BN.

Maybe BM should give him a call

Harry Mullan was working for BN when it was independent though, and wasn't getting nasty letters from Newsquest's legal department warning him he would lose his job, which is what i suspect claude is subject to.

Our society is also EXTREMELY litigious these days, and so writers have to beware

Personally I don't think Claude is much of a writer, but he's a proficient journalist who knows his subject well. There aren't many pulitzer prize winning standard journalists covering boxing any more, and there's little room for the kind of florid prose which boxing writers once were able to sumbit, which is a great shame, and part of the reason writing about boxing interests me less and less.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 11 Sep 2007, 09:29

jamesmcdonnell wrote:
Harry Mullan was working for BN when it was independent though, and wasn't getting nasty letters from Newsquest's legal department warning him he would lose his job, which is what i suspect claude is subject to.

Our society is also EXTREMELY litigious these days, and so writers have to beware

Personally I don't think Claude is much of a writer, but he's a proficient journalist who knows his subject well. There aren't many pulitzer prize winning standard journalists covering boxing any more, and there's little room for the kind of florid prose which boxing writers once were able to sumbit, which is a great shame, and part of the reason writing about boxing interests me less and less.

Well it's true about the litigious angle, but you can still still criticize the blatant mismatches like Enzo/Gunn without fear of getting sued, surely?
Claude was soooo restrained about that one it was really depressing.

Harry used to run front pages with the likes of Bruno's latest "opponent" spread eagled on the floor and the headline CHRISTMAS TURKEY.
Gets the point over well, and you can't get sued for that type of thing.

You'd never get Claude running that sort of thing, maybe because he aint for much of a sense of humour either.

Seems to me he's more worried about losing his ringside seat at certain shows.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 11 Sep 2007, 10:02

Would be nice to read Tony's previews/reviews etc on another format... Maybe a blog site?

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 11 Sep 2007, 10:55

A boxing blog? What piffle.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 11 Sep 2007, 11:18

DavidPayne wrote:A boxing blog? What piffle.

It would never work; no one would read it.

Unless your name was Graham Houston.

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 11 Sep 2007, 11:35

Thats because he knows his onions.

chris s · Post by **chris s** » 11 Sep 2007, 11:57

E wrote:The writing in BN has being going downhill for some time. I would like to see Mark Butcher return.

You are having a laugh

Coco · Post by **Coco** » 11 Sep 2007, 20:57

E wrote:The writing in BN has being going downhill for some time. I would like to see Mark Butcher return.

I am a fan of Mark Butcher, and his return would strengthen the team, but I am very happy with the quality of the publication in recent times

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 12 Sep 2007, 03:46

Butcher is talented; a million times more talented than any internet writer I've ever encountered, bar Ian and Elliot Worsell.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 12 Sep 2007, 05:13

A million times! That's a little strong isn't it?

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 12 Sep 2007, 05:53

It's a little generous to some of them, it must be said.

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 12 Sep 2007, 06:18

Which DIRTY HARRY film was this - was it SUDDEN IMPACT?

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 12 Sep 2007, 06:27

Terry D wrote:I don't read about boxing online that much. You get all you need to know via the schedules, fights themselves and people you bump into at the gyms.

Guys I do read such as Ian, James, Oliver's world, David's site and the like (many of whom post here) always entertain me in some way. I never check bylines in general.

On the other hand I don't get all misty-eyed for boxing writers in print who think a rudimentary knowledge, or mostly a lack thereof, of English literature makes them good writers. I don't miss quote manglers proudly putting forward lines like: "Oscar Wilde, said in his famous poem, that we are all killed by the thing we love" in order to talk about some KO'd heavyweight. The quote is wrong and the use is also so what gives?

A mans gotta know his limitations, that is a Dirty Harry quote by the way.

I enjoyed using Enzo Maccarinelli's own quote in my preview of the Gunn fight: "We're going to announce one of two world class men for April 7".

Bladder · Post by **Bladder** » 12 Sep 2007, 07:44

E wrote:The writing in BN has being going downhill for some time. I would like to see Mark Butcher return.

Would that be the same Mark Butcher who wrote this well researched article on Jimmy Wilde:

http://www.secondsout.com/Legends/bios. ... 35&cs=8622

Imagine that, Wilde, weighing little more than 47lbs fully dressed with weights in his pocket, fought future HEAVYWEIGHT champion Jack Sharkey to a no-decision.

Ko'd Billy Papke when massively outweighed

Even beat former Lighweight Champ Joe Gans. Mind you, Gans was dead at the time so I'm not overly impressed with that performance.

Well researched Mark and hurry up back to BN :P

KO Artist · Post by **KO Artist** » 12 Sep 2007, 10:06

oliverfennell wrote:
bennie wrote:He's had enough of Newsquest Media Group, which owns BN and several other publications and is classically corporate. You know the type: meetings every week, women bosses interfering, and Claude Abrams, inevitably, backing his bosses.
What can I say? Things change.
I work for Newsquest! But I'm in work right now, so no comment ;)

BN has moved around a lot over the years in terms of ownership. Unfortunately they simply wouldn't survive as an independent and so will always be answerable to a "higher power". It's a shame, but that's business. Still, they continue to do an excellent job and there's very little I'd have them do differently.

Can you find out if Newsquest have a price to sell Boxing News?

KO Artist · Post by **KO Artist** » 12 Sep 2007, 10:07

jamesmcdonnell wrote:
MightyWarrior wrote:Harry Mullan's weekly column was the biz, he'd pot shot any one he saw as taking the piss - Warren, Duff...anyone.

Claude is firing blanks and terrified of upsetting SN or anyone else for that matter. Very sad & I can't see BN lasting much longer - the net has over taken it.

And yes Tony is a top man, I used to work with him and he's as genuine a person as you'll ever meet. He's probably back subbing at a daily paper, something he used to do between his stints at BN.

Maybe BM should give him a call
Harry Mullan was working for BN when it was independent though, and wasn't getting nasty letters from Newsquest's legal department warning him he would lose his job, which is what i suspect claude is subject to.

Our society is also EXTREMELY litigious these days, and so writers have to beware

Personally I don't think Claude is much of a writer, but he's a proficient journalist who knows his subject well. There aren't many pulitzer prize winning standard journalists covering boxing any more, and there's little room for the kind of florid prose which boxing writers once were able to sumbit, which is a great shame, and part of the reason writing about boxing interests me less and less.

I would say Claude is one of the best in the business

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 12 Sep 2007, 10:20

KO Artist wrote:
oliverfennell wrote:
bennie wrote:He's had enough of Newsquest Media Group, which owns BN and several other publications and is classically corporate. You know the type: meetings every week, women bosses interfering, and Claude Abrams, inevitably, backing his bosses.
What can I say? Things change.
I work for Newsquest! But I'm in work right now, so no comment ;)

BN has moved around a lot over the years in terms of ownership. Unfortunately they simply wouldn't survive as an independent and so will always be answerable to a "higher power". It's a shame, but that's business. Still, they continue to do an excellent job and there's very little I'd have them do differently.
Can you find out if Newsquest have a price to sell Boxing News?

Got a few quid to spare, have you?

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 12 Sep 2007, 10:31

bennie wrote:He's had enough of Newsquest Media Group, which owns BN and several other publications and is classically corporate. You know the type: meetings every week, women bosses interfering, and Claude Abrams, inevitably, backing his bosses.
What can I say? Things change.

Ahh Newsquest media, those efficient people. Ask them when i am going to get my Boxing News delivered on time if at all this week. Subscribing with them was a major mistake!!!

knockout · Post by **knockout** » 12 Sep 2007, 17:11

Maybe Oscar might buy it

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 12 Sep 2007, 17:48

Ha Ha...hear he has brought up Ring magazine. Just a few points and/or questions.

Firstly agree on the Graham Houston comment, excellent writer and also on Bob Mee, knows his stuff.

Must say i enjoy Claude Abrams editorials, not too fussed on Dan Herbert...his ringside scoring is what gets me.

Oh yes, what is Ollie's world and where do i read it?

Cheers.

P.S. I see BN has gone up 5p in price.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 13 Sep 2007, 03:52

steve689 wrote:Ha Ha...hear he has brought up Ring magazine. Just a few points and/or questions.

Firstly agree on the Graham Houston comment, excellent writer and also on Bob Mee, knows his stuff.

Must say i enjoy Claude Abrams editorials, not too fussed on Dan Herbert...his ringside scoring is what gets me.

Oh yes, what is Ollie's world and where do i read it?

Cheers.

P.S. I see BN has gone up 5p in price.

Mr Fennell does an excellent weekly column over at BBN, Steve, entitled 'The World This Week'.