These days I get asked to work on lots of varied and interesting projects – mostly, but not always, football related. Hmmm … so there’s a theme developing here. I admit it. In front of the camera again. This time to record a piece for Scottish Television (STV).
With the Scottish Independence referendum coming up in September there was an (accurate) feeling that here in Catalunya many people, politicians, media, voters, are studying very closely the build up to Scotland’s vote.
Catalunya had a parliament less than five years after the death of the hated dictator Franco. So they were semi-autonomous from 1980 and Scotland’s devolved Parliament only opened in 1999. But here we are with Scotland about to take a free decision about whether to leave the UK or not … and Catalunya has just been told that a vote on independence would be anti-constitutional and illegal. Eighteen years ahead of Scotland in terms of a devolved parliament and now forced to watch the Scots get a democratic chance at whatever ‘freedom’ may constitute.
Shrewd politicians here have been over to talk to opinion-formers in Scotland. Catalan President Artur Mas continually emphasises that “All we want is what Scotland has … the democratic right to vote”.
So it was that the award-winning STV producer, Peter Smith, came over to Barcelona and we filmed for a couple of days all around the city including interviews with Joan Laporta, Steve Archibald and a Catalan MEP who actually strongly opposes Catalan independence.
I don’t think that Madrid will every grant Catalunya the vote but it was surprising, during the voxpops that we filmed, to find how many everyday Catalans were either unwilling to talk publicly on the subject … or were actually scared that there would be repercussions for them, particularly at work, if they did. Of course we filmed at the Camp Nou, too, which was great fun.
Doesn’t matter which stadium, but if you are a football journalist and you get the chance to swap places from the media tribune and trot out of the tunnel on to the pitch – where the stars you report on usually jog out, it’s a thrill. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying or should be in a different job.
Watch Graham’s STV piece here