JIM WHITE THE BIG INTERVIEW
First with the transfers, a phone call from Harry and that yellow tie
JANUARY means many things for most football fans.
A hangover as New Year’s Day dawns. Refreshed optimism for the fortunes of their team.
And the month ending with Jim White, in his yellow tie, hosting Transfer Deadline Day on Sky Sports News.
The Scotsman has earned a reputation for breaking the top stories and getting exclusive interviews, whether it’s at Charles Green’s bedside, on Vincent Tan’s boat or at Harry Redknapp’s house.
As clubs such as Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool chase big-name signings this month, the coverage from White is now compulsive viewing, right down to the transfer window slamming shut.
Jim is bracing himself for another busy period, and can’t wait to see the movement made in the transfer market on both sides of the border.
White told The Sunday Post: “Every transfer window throws up something different, and I don’t expect this one to be any different.
“For some crazy reason, a lot of the business is done on the final day and it makes for a frantic final few hours.
“So far, many managers, such as Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, have said they are happy with their squads and don’t expect much business to be done.
“I have to say I don’t believe them. I think they will sign players.
“Part of my job is to get leads and follow them up.
“Some tips will end in a gigantic story, and others will lead to nothing.
“But you keep chasing and never give up.
“When you first get to hear of a transfer, you have doubts from the off because, for a variety of reasons, you can’t see them happening.
“For example, I never thought Danny Welbeck would be sold to Arsenal by Manchester United.
“Dimi Berbatov was sold by Spurs to Manchester United in the final minutes a few years ago. Robinho moved to Manchester City. All great stories.
“I also remember last- day drama in Scotland six or seven years ago, when Robbie Keane moved from Spurs to Celtic on loan.
“Harry Redknapp phoned me to give me the news, and we broke it on Sky Sports News.
“Within two hours, 2000 people had gathered outside Celtic Park, waiting for a glimpse of Robbie.
“There may be movement at Celtic this January.
“I know of a few clubs that rate Moussa Dembele very highly, so we’ll see what happens with that one.
“There is also talk of Virgil van Dijk leaving Southampton for £40- million. He has been sensational in his time at St Mary’s.
“Nothing would give me greater satisfaction than breaking a huge Scottish story.
“Gone are the days at Rangers when we’d see Paul Gascoigne or Brian Laudrup arriving.
“But it will be interesting to see if Mark Warburton signs any players.
“The same goes for Brendan Rodgers, and I hope both Old Firm managers add to their squads.
“But, whatever happens, it will be an interesting month.
“I’m ready to go for it, and my yellow tie will be looked out.
“The reason it is yellow is so it blends in with the ‘Breaking News’ strap at the bottom of the screen.
“I get a great buzz at this time of the season and the last day of January is always busy.
“I have myself booked in for the ventilator at five past midnight!
“I then take a deep breath and ask myself: ‘ What just happened there? Did I get pass marks out of 10?’”
On the streets of London, the men in white vans put their windows down to shout at White about the transfer window and his yellow tie.
He is applauded into the Sky building on the last day of January, and also when the August’s transfer window is about to close.
He also hosts a mid- morning radio programme on Talksport – with Sunday Post columnist, Alan Brazil, doing the handover, and will be breaking stories on there.
He said: “Life is all go at the moment. I’m always busy, but it’s great fun. After the the radio show, I then go to the Sky studios. There is a never a dull moment.
“You just hope to give the listeners and viewers accurate information.
When you first hear of a transfer story, you always have doubts from the off
“Thankfully, I’ve never had to apologise for a story and pull it. We’ve not had any red herrings – yet!
“In these days of social media, you know you need to be spot on because everybody has the ability and the platform to break stories.
“So you need to try and stay ahead of the game and not give anyone an excuse to criticise you.
“There is so much attention on the transfers because they are now limited as to when you can buy and sell.
“It’s amazing how much it has grown in the past four or five years and the way people speak about it to me.
“There will be a great buzz in the Sky studios, and every person is ready to do their bit and make the programme a success for our viewers. We try our best.”
White has been at Sky for around 20 years, but he still misses being in Scotland.
But he is surrounded every day by former Old Firm players and managers.
They love to reminisce and White recalled: “When I worked in Scotland, Graeme Souness was making huge signings for Rangers and other clubs tried to keep up. “It’s changed now, of course. “But any player who played in Scotland loved the experience.
“Ray Wilkins talks very highly of his time at Rangers, as do Ronald de Boer and Nigel Spackman.
“It’s the same with the likes of John Hartson and Stiliyan Petrov at Celtic.
“They are great guys to work with and interview.
“Playing for Celtic or Rangers will never leave them and they rave about it to everyone down here.
“It makes me so proud to hear them say such positive things about life in Scotland, on and off the park.”