February 2014

[Sweder]

   

Still nursing the most aggressive throat infection I can remember, I spent much of Wednesday on the sofa. A few e-mails here, some TV catch-up there. Then I remembered I'd received not one but two copies of The Class Of '92 for Christmas and not yet watched it. So, on it went. What a fabulous documentary.

Yes, I'm a United follower, so I'm bound to say that. I care not. Crafted with gentle care this film gives centre stage not to Beckham or Giggs, or even the latterly-celebrated Nevilles, but to Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. I'd not heard Scholes pass more than a cursory grunt in all the years since his debut. And who knew that Butt, the scrapper from the wrong side of the tracks, was the real hero of that night in Barcelona? It cheered me up no end. With cameos from Wendy Deng's muse Tony Blair, master of the London 2012 OC Danny Boyle, Zinedine Zidane and Monsieur Cantona, this is a little gem.