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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Michael Butler

Naughty objects and Odemwingie: deadline day used to be box office – not any more

Screengrab from Sky Sports News coverage of Transfer deadline day host Jim White
Jim White back in the heyday. Photograph: Sky Sports News

MEH-DLINE DAY?

This used to be a country where transfer deadline day meant something. Gone are the days that Football Daily could buy a Freddo for 10p and gone are the days that Sky Sports news reporters could be found lurking in the winter rain outside Premier League training grounds at 11pm (GMT), decked in their finest yellow ties and fighting for their broadcasting lives against youths brandishing naughty purple objects as they brought news of Giannelli Imbula’s impending club-record move from Porto to Stoke City. From dodgy fax machines to Jim White, to Peter Odenwingie in a car park, to Alfredo Di Stéfano’s dubious expression towards Julien Faubert [and don’t forget roll-up man – Football Daily Ed], deadline day used to be box office, worth staying up past your bedtime for.

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