Dossier 42 - Frank Keating

1 minidisc, 1 cd, 1 file, 2 AIFF files (584.4 MB)

Interview with Frank Keating, sports journalist for the Guardian. Conducted by Stephen Moss on 19 November 2001. Also includes a data sheet containing biographical details about the subject and information about the recording.

Summary contents of interview (with rough timings):

Track 1
Test

Track 2
00.10 Joined the Guardian in 1962 - had to choose between the BBC and the Guardian
02.00 Wanted to become a foreign correspondent.
02.20 Life before the Guardian - hitch-hiked round France and had travel stories published in local paper
05.45 Lists previous subbing experiences at various local papers, and African experiences
08.00 Joined Guardian as sub on the foreign desk 'because he'd been to Africa'

10.00 Crazy social whirl with the subs in London - bachelor/bed-sit life.
12.00 Sense of trauma when the paper moved to London
13.00 Numbers of subs on paper
13.00 Everyone did numerous jobs,Guardian paid less than on other papers
15.30 Talks about good atmosphere in the office
15.45 Got a job for ITV after 18 months subbing at the Guardian
19.00 Talks about joys of expenses, and being able to hire 'dolly-bird' secretaries

21.30 Got engaged to one of his secretaries, Anne Robinson. Relationship lasted maybe 9 months
22.30 Becoming a football writer
25.00 Friends sports writing in the summer and working for ITV rest oif the year
26.00 Joined sport staff at the Guardian in 1971 - approx 10 people working there at the time
26.00 John Samuel as sport editor and how he reintroduced racing coverage

30.00 Wrote by day, subbed by night. Everyone did it that way on the sports desk
32.00 Various offers of employment from other newspapers.
32.00 Reasons for staying at the Guardian
36.00 Talks about tensions within the department
36.00 Different roles in the process of covering sport

47.00 John Samuel was sports editor until 1987, when Mike Averis took over. Different style of editor.
49.00 Talks about the way his role changes

50.30 Thrown out of South Africa in 1980 - went without a work permit
53.00 Talks about David Frost's style of writing - dry, austere, and technically excellent about rugby

Access to recording via GNM Digital Repository

Copyright: Guardian News & Media Ltd and Frank Keating