They were the best of times and...
Most northern footie writers went through the Daily/Sunday Sport sports desk at one time or another.
Sullivan and Gold are obviously huge footie nuts and invested in huge wages to have all the Northern lads and trainees boxed off -The Athletic of its day in terms of sports desk.
From what I recall, Darren Lewis eventually quit because he couldn't cope with pg3 girls and escort girls walking past the desk each day, compromising his strict Christian beliefs!!!
You think he would have had an inkling reading the front of the book each day.
Other initiations I had to do was the Phal curry challenge in 30 seconds and how many dry Jacobs Cream Crackers you could eat in two minutes.
Imagine being 18 and being told to interview Dave Beasant because he broke his foot with a bottle of salad cream.
If you could see through the cigar smoke, I'm sure there would have been a HR office somewhere.
I was earning £50k a year before I was 20 and hanging out with Lindsey Dawn McKenzie!!
She was rough!!