Mr Controversial?

no.8- paul abbandanato

Red Passion says a big ‘Hello’ to the Wales on Sunday soccer expert and the bloke with the long Italian name…

Background: Paul Abbandanato. Cardiff-based soccer writer. The man many Welsh football fans love to hate.
Setting: The phone rings in the Cardiff offices of Wales on Sunday. ‘Hello, Paul Abbandanato, please’. ‘Yes, speaking.’ ‘Hello, it’s Red Passion calling. Could we interview you for our Mediamen slot?’ ‘If it’s a fans magazine then yes; if it’s anything else I’ll have to think about it. But football fans are our readers - so yes.’ ‘When?’ ‘How about now?’ ‘Great.’ ‘Go ahead then…’

* * * * *

Can you tell us a bit about your background?
‘I’m from Newport and I entered journalism the classic way. I did a one-year pre-entry training course in Portsmouth. That was almost 20 years ago now - 1981. I then worked for quite a few provincial papers: the Newport Argus, the Western Daily Press and the Swindon Evening Advertiser. This wasn’t necessarily all sport - I did a lot of news as well.’

What about your move to Wales?
‘I had the chance of moving to Fleet Street about 10 years ago - but I chose Cardiff. I don’t know why! The job at Wales on Sunday really appealed to me. The paper launched in 1989; I joined it just a bit later. I began as Soccer Correspondent, which meant covering everything - from the grassroots to the Welsh national team. It was the most rewarding job I’ve ever done - and also the most thankless.’

What do you mean?
‘Well, you’ve got to cover the big three - Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham - and you’ve got to satisfy everybody. This isn’t easy. You’ve also got to satisfy the League of Wales. The range of stories I covered as Soccer Correspondent was massive: Llantsantfraid in Europe - a great story - the bread and butter of Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham, and also the Wales national team. You’ve also got Giggs, Hartson and Saunders in the Premiership.’

How would you describe Wales on Sunday?
‘It’s popular, well read and very, very pro-Wales. It’s supportive of anything that is Welsh and successful. It just sticks up for Wales and is a good fun read.’

What about the coverage of sport?
‘Comprehensive - that’s the word I’d use. We have four different editions - North Wales, West Wales, Gwent and the South, which basically means Cardiff and surrounds. So there is intensive editionising, and the coverage of local sport obviously benefits from this. In each edition we cover all the relevant amateur leagues And in the north there’ll always be a two-page spread on Wrexham’s Saturday game - the same in the south for Cardiff and Swansea. We’re also extremely comprehensive in our rugby and cricket coverage. We’ve got to satisfy everyone, and that’s not easy.’

What about the circulation of the paper?
‘I couldn’t disclose the exact figures but let’s just say Wales on Sunday is a truly national paper. It sells throughout Wales, although we do sell more in the south than the north. That said, we still sell well in the north. Sports fans are very important to us. Our pull-out Sports section is a big selling-point.’

What have been the highlights of your time covering football for Wales on Sunday?
‘I’ll never forget watching a 16-year-old unknown playing for Wales Youth versus England Youth at Yeovil in about ‘89. He was playing in front of about 3,000 fans. We’d been tipped off about him. His name was Ryan Giggs. England won 3-0 but Giggs was superb. He was playing against England stars of the future - people like Nick Barmby - and he was unbelievable. It was as close to one man against eleven as I’d ever seen. People kept asking: Who’s that Wales No.10? He couldn’t carry the whole team on his own, but he looked very, very good. He was dribbling past six, seven and eight players at a time.’

What about Wales games?
‘Denmark away last year was brilliant - one of Wales’ best-ever away wins. As good as Hungary in ‘75. I’ve also got vivid memories of the Arms Park games against Germany and Belgium. They were huge.’

What about club football?
‘Most of my memories revolve around Wrexham. Everybody remembers Arsenal - it was an incredible match. It’s probably the biggest turnaround I’ve ever seen in a football match. It was one-way traffic for so long, and then suddenly you got the goals from Mickey Thomas and Watkin. I also recall Wrexham’s win at Upton Park - and that Russell goal. That was fantastic. There was a great atmosphere - the Wrexham fans were superb. I remember the draw at West Ham too. That was the game in which Lee Jones came to the fore. I’ve also seen Swansea draw at West Ham and beat them at the Vetch. Not to forget Cardiff either. I saw Nathan Blake get the winner in their cup tie against Man City.’

Any observations about Wrexham the club?
‘The friendliest club in Wales. The reception you get, the way the management deal with the press, the directors - everybody is hospitable. And David Rhodes is one of the best soccer administrators in Wales. He would do a good job at the FAW.’

What about Flynn and his assistants?
‘They’re superb. Flynn, Reeves and Joey are men of great stature and they’ll go out of their way to help you with a story. I’ve got to be honest though. I think Brian’s after-match press conferences are pretty boring. Some questions I don’t ask because I know he’ll just stonewall them. But I respect him a lot. The management team as a whole is superb. The secret is probably continuity. The three men at the top have been there for such a long time - the club has developed and evolved under them.’

Do you have any footballing loyalties yourself?
‘Newport County. For a time I covered them as a journalist. It was their in-between period: the era after Tynan and Aldridge but before they dropped out of the League. They were in the old Division 3 - the current Division 2. It wasn’t a very successful time.’

Is it fair to say that your views about Welsh football are what you might call controversial?
‘No. They’re just hard-hitting and honest. Wales on Sunday speaks its mind and I’m just the same.’

So can you just remind us of your views?
‘Sure, but I think my opinions are well documented. With regard to the FAW we argued that the Yorath sacking was badly handled. I think Joe Public was critical of this too. And to be fair I think the FAW took the thrust of our criticisms. At that stage, after Yorath, I think there were only three real candidates: Venables, Toshack and Mike Walker, who was riding high with Norwich at the time. But what we say is always constructive rather than destructive.’

What about the League of Wales?
‘There’s a misunderstanding here. We’re not anti-League of Wales; in fact I think we’re the only paper to publish reports of every Saturday game in the League of Wales. But we deal in reality. We want Cardiff, Wrexham and Swansea in Europe; the League of Wales clubs are an embarrassment. Cwmbran are a lovely little club, but they got demolished by Celtic. I think the Football League clubs would do better for Wales. Wrexham only lost 1-0 on aggregate to that Rumanian side a few years ago - a very creditable performance. The concept of the League of Wales is a good one, but there are problems. It’s too big, the crowds are poor, and the standard isn’t great. It just doesn’t produce good enough sides. We’re not anti-League of Wales. We’ve just pointed out its defects - we want to be realistic in what we say. Some League of Wales fans may perceive that we’re hostile to the League, but we’re not. I think the people who run the League understand our position. I want to stress again: we’re constructive and not destructive in what we say.’

What was your relationship like with Gould?
‘Fine. Perhaps the perception was that the relationship wasn’t great. But the reality is that Wales on Sunday backs the Wales manager - whoever he is. We weren’t hostile to Gould and our position shouldn’t have been seen that way. I had a good relationship with Bobby - a very supportive relationship. But Gould and the FAW had their critics - Dai Davies, for example. I have a lot of respect for him. And I’m glad that what we said about Gould as a paper got a response. That’s good.’

paul abbandanato - top trivia
Favourite food: Fish and chips
Least favourite food: Mushrooms
Favourite drink: Lager
Least favourite drink: Spirits
Favourite music: Any kind of pop
Least favourite music: Heavy metal
Favourite Welsh footballer: Ryan Giggs
Favourite Welsh sportsman: Joe Calzaghi
Favourite newspaper: I have to read all the papers
Favourite TV programme: Only Fools and Horses
Favourite film: Any Bond movie
Any young Welsh stars-in-the-making to look out for? Yes, Simon Davies of Peterborough, Robbie Earnshaw of Cardiff and Stuart Roberts of Swansea
Mark Hughes as the next Wales manager? Yes

Any views about the current Wrexham team?
‘I’ve only seen them once this season - away at Cardiff - but I know the squad fairly well. Gareth Owen was a star in the making a few years ago, but he hasn’t done as much as people like Flynn and Jimmy Showell expected him too. I liked Marriott as well: a fine keeper and a very nice bloke. Connolly obviously makes the team tick, but he seems to have stagnated recently. Lake was a favourite too - a super player. McGregor’s an interesting one as well. Last year Wales had three excellent right-backs: McGregor, Delaney at Cardiff and Price at Swansea. Delaney’s obviously had a big move to Villa, and McGregor could have big things ahead of him too. Hardy’s a tidy left-back; at one time people were tipping him for bigger things.’

How often do you see Wrexham?
‘When I was just covering soccer I rotated my visits to Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham. But now I’m Sports Editor, I’m office-bound to a large extent. Logistics mean it will be difficult for me to get up to Wrexham. This is a problem I’m very conscious of.’

And finally, where’s your surname from?
’Italy - I’ve got Italian parents.’

Thanks a lot Paul - Cheers RP