Originally Posted by
Steve Finan
Thanks for kind words about the Jim McLean book, James. I will have another United book published next year, though I’ll keep the details to myself for now.
I’m only peripherally involved in newspaper journalism these days, but I know the Twa Teams boys very well. I grew up with Bear from the age of 16, which is well over 40 years ago. I must be honest here, I think you are being harsh on him for missing out a word in that sentence. He knows well that United have, in the past, been in two cup finals in a season.
Indeed, I’d pay Bear the highest compliment I’d give to any man: he kens his fitba. If you are ever looking for a team to enter a football quiz, you’d do well to recruit Bear. He’s a good lad, a Scottish Junior international in his day, stands his hand at the bar, and I guarantee you’d enjoy his company no matter what team you support.
Football journalism has changed. In the old days, no one knew what team Arthur Montford, or Hugh McIlvanney supported. I wouldn’t have dared ask McIlvanney! Nowadays, the chatty, podcasting, personality-driven football reportage requires people to say who their team is. It is a more human way of talking about football. But it opens everyone who writes, Tweets, or podcasts to accusations of bias.
You can hold what they say against them, that is your prerogative. You can pay your money or give your time to read or listen, or not, and agree or disagree, or not. If you don’t like it, don’t access it. But we’d have to admit we all suffer from confirmation bias. You, me, everybody.
So, for argument’s sake, let’s turn the spotlight around. How are you judged?
I come here because there are several posters who give honest, reasoned, original assessments and opinions of United matters. I’d go as far as to say I respect the football nous that is displayed. I’ll not pick out names, but several of the people here are worth listening to.
The book I talked about in first paragraph would benefit from supporter input — in the same manner as Jim McLean Dundee United Legend. So I intend to pm some guys on here to directly ask for their opinion. No one has to take part, of course, they can tell me to sling my hook. It will be their choice, I certainly won’t take offence.
In deciding who to send a pm to, I can only judge people on what they write on here. It is the only thing I have to go on, as I don’t know everyone personally.
It is the same way the Twa Teams lads are judged by listeners.