Interview With F365 Ed: Richard Ferraris

I came across www.football365.co.za in May 2009 and it was love at first sight. (Kwaaa, cheesy intro huh? It stays!) After spending about half that day cracking up just reading sports news, I sent the editor an email to tell him just how much I loved the website (well, among other things). Now that I know that the editor is a 27 year old, I could kick myself for being so formal in that mail lol. I think Richard Ferraris is a super cool guy who’s doing an amazing job with F365.co.za but the Sunday Times thinks he’s a palooka and a dunderhead. I had to chat to him to find out why…

Richard Ferraris (Rich): Yoh, that’s a question straight of a job interview! I’m the editor of Football365.co.za amongst other things. Recently it seems my reputation runs ahead of me and causes chaos. But I’m a relaxed type of character most of the time.

BS: Cool. Football365.co.za – the name says it all but how would you describe the website?

Rich: I think we’re the first of a new generation of sports websites in South Africa. In the past fans would buy a magazine for features, read a newspaper for news and listen to the radio for scores. Football365.co.za is an integrated product, we do all of that and more. And we do it better than anyone else. Oh, we also have a WAP site, don’t forget that.

BS: Hawu! (dedicating today’s video of the day to him)... And the kind of people that it would appeal to?

Rich: If you follow the PSL and Bafana and you don’t visit the website six times a day, then there is something wrong with you. Or maybe you haven’t heard of us, but yes, then there’d be something wrong with you. We’re maverick in our approach, it’s about fair comment and opinion – that’s over and above the news. As I said, no one else does what we do in this country.

BS: Tjo Richard, such confidence lol. Well, the first time I ever heard about your site was when I was chatting to SABC Commentator Sizwe Mabena about how he prepares for a game. He referred me to the site and specifically mentioned your statistics. Now not to make your circle or is it head beega but what do you think makes F365.co.za stand out?

Rich: The site has personality. The site is alive. It’s colourful. It’s funny. We have stats too and it’s good to have someone like Sizwe Mabena supporting us, thanks Sizwe. I think the site intrigues other journalists very much. But I’m sure there’ll be more on that later (Laughs).

BS: Challenges of running an online publication versus a print publication?

Rich: I’ve worked in both mediums and much prefer online. It takes me five minutes to change the way my site looks, I can lead with any story I want to. The web has an immediacy lacking in newspapers. Print is dead in comparison so the daily newspapers are filled with yesterday’s news. Once the paper is printed there’s nothing you can do. Joel Santana can be sacked today but if the paper went to the printers yesterday, the paper misses that big news. It happens all the time. If you want the news first come to Football365.co.za. We don’t miss big stories. We don’t make them up either.

BS: LOL and what advice would you give to someone who is running an online news site or blog on how to always stay a step ahead of the competition?

Rich: The biggest mistake web editors make is leaving their sites static. Keep it fresh! It’s like wearing 2007′s fashion in 2010. No one wants to look like Dunga, it’s embarrassing.

BS: hahahah But some of these pop up things can be irritating when all you want to do is read a story. Anyway, I hear you are also involved in the weekly print publication, Soccer Week: Tell us more about your role there?

Rich: Hmmm. This is shaping up to be a job interview. Do you want to know if I’m available to freelance? I don’t come cheap! (Laughs) I hope my bosses don’t read this.

BS: Hahahah no man, really, I’m just curious!

Rich: Soccer Week is done on a contract basis where I am a contributing editor. It’s like an affair I have on the side. My first love is Football365.co.za.

BS: Do people buy it though? I think it’s a nice publication but too “international” for my taste.

Rich: It’s looking to attract a niche market. It’s still a young publication though, it will take time for it to build an identity. But Football365.co.za went through that too, but now we’re an established player in the market.

BS: You were in the news recently because you had taken the Sunday Times to the Press Ombudsman for calling you a dunderhead, clown and a palooka. Now the part I found to be interesting is this: the reason they called you names was because you had labelled them “idiots”. Why report them to the Press Ombudsman?

Rich: No comment.

BS: Kwaaaaaa!

Rich: Not really. Remember they also called me a ‘foreigner’! Yet I’ve just renewed my SA passport and Home Affairs were tremendous. But context is everything. I wrote an article where I used the word ‘idiot’ in a broad sense. There’s an irony too in that Carlos Amato at The Times is probably the best local writer. Anyway, in my feature I explained why I think our football press is lacking, gave examples etc. It was meant to be controversial. I got a great response from readers who are sick of reading below-par journalism. The Times launched what seemed like a personal attack in return, I touched a nerve. Let me put it this way. There’s a difference between saying, ‘celeb bloggers smell bad’ and ‘celeb blogger Brown Shuga smells bad’. Please don’t take me to the ombud for that (laughs) but I did the former which is a general statement. The paper did the latter. There’s a difference, or at least there should be.

BS: I hear you. My favourite part of F365 is “On The Sniff“. I see it as the equivalent of Sunday World’s Shwashwi or Sunday Times’ “Tsamaya” (a lot better though) and I don’t know if you write there at all but if you could report ST to the ombudsman, shouldn’t the people you make fun of (e.g. sportsmen) on The Sniff also report you? How is it different?

Rich: The difference is that the writer of On the Sniff doesn’t make baseless claims about people. I was attacked because I have jumped the queue, so to speak. I can understand why there is some antipathy towards me, I write really opinionated pieces. If that column (what’s it called again, Tsamaya?) had said something valid about me I wouldn’t have counter-attacked. I mean they laid into me because I said it’s fine to play with two holding midfielders. It’s absurd. Every team in the quarter-finals of the World Cup besides Argentina plays with two holders. What must the Bafana coach do, play Teko Modise in central midfield? We have short memories. Ted Dumitru used one holding midfielder at AFCON 2006, remember how that worked out for us?

BS: Hehehe I’d rather forget. But here’s what I don’t get. When I started my celebrity blogging career, I was told that there is an unspoken code between writers: You don’t write about your colleagues, you write about the celebrities. Does this not apply to sports journalists?

Rich: I’ve realised that freedom of speech isn’t tolerated in the sports media. Free speech is all about justified opinion. That’s the game I play. And I don’t see why journalists should be immune from criticism. There are no holy cows. That includes me. But don’t just slate because you dislike my or someone’s personality. Tell your readers why you’re criticising, give legit reasons. It’s my belief – and it’s one of the beliefs that makes me so unpopular amongst some soccer writers – that our journalism reflects our soccer. It’s not as good as we think and I can prove it. I dunno, it maybe makes me dangerous and ‘anti-South African’ in the eyes of other journos. The contrary is true.

Anyway, it’s interesting that I have writers from major newspapers wanting to freelance for me. It’s quite funny actually. Slam me one week, ask to write for me the next. Also, now that I think about it, the Times has written three articles about me in the last few months. I mean I have been in the news. That’s outrageous! The priorities are wrong. Let’s debate technical aspects of football. But I’ve been told that isn’t done and I’ve been ridiculed for being ‘academic’. That sums up everything that is wrong with the media and our football. Intelligence is viewed with suspicion but that’s why Bafana’s FIFA ranking is so low. That’s why foreign journos question the quality of our writing. South Africans deserve better.

BS: Interesting views. Your claim was dismissed by the Press Ombudsman though, how do you feel about that?

Rich: Do you know a good lawyer? I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say (Laughs).

BS: Hahaha we’ll find a lawyer go ahead…

Rich: The claim was dismissed, yes. But I’ve worked for English sites like Sky and ITV and I feel that compared to them, SA is 10-15 years behind. Again, context counts. I wrote that provocative piece stating the football media needs to be improved. From this point of view the ombud’s ruling was in my favour, he said both me and the Times need to improve the level of commentary. Now taking into account that this is exactly what I said in the original, controversial piece, then the ruling isn’t that bad.

BS: Your impressions on the standard of football we’ve seen in the World Cup so far?

Rich: Good and bad, I suppose. Germany, Spain and Argentina have played some nifty football. We have, however, seen a lot of reactive football where teams set-up to avoid defeat, rather than going for wins. It’s understandable. Visit my website to read more. (Laughs), That’s shameless, I know.

BS: Very shameless hawu lol. What do you make of England, France & Italy’s performances? Coz those are the exits that shocked most people.

Rich: I was discussing this with a friend and he said the point of the game is to score goals. France scored once in three games. England got three in four. Italy a bit more, but their performances really were abject because they couldn’t hit the back of the net consistently enough. Italian football faces something of an identity crisis. They lack quality and Lippi wasn’t sure how to create a system to get around that. France had a madman as a coach and England, well their media over-hyped them. They really aren’t a team. Just a collection of egos.

BS: Hahaha I feel so sorry for them.. what with all these email jokes doing the rounds. So, with only 1 more week to go, who do you think is going to be crowned champion on 11 July?

Rich: I said Brazil before the tournament and I’m sticking with them. I don’t buy the hype though. I don’t like their style because they don’t have any. Dunga’s fashion sense is symbolic of his football, I’d say. They are a functional and industrious side. All of their goals come from set-pieces and quick turn-overs in possession. It’s atavistic football. It’s actually quite English in its approach. That said, they are an outstanding team physically and no team counter-attacks as well as they do. Brazil also make less mistakes than their rivals, that’s why they’ll win.

BS: And your WC Highlights and low points so far?

Rich: My beloved Bafana! All the highs and lows centre around them. Before the World Cup I said God abides in Shabba’s left foot. I get goosebumps when I recall that goal he scored at Soccer City. It wasn’t my finest journalistic moment, I celebrated so wildly that one of my flailing limbs hit the journalist sitting next to me in the face. I wonder if he was from the Sunday Times (Laughs).

BS: Hahahahahahahah

Rich: Their others games left me crestfallen though. But one of the great things about this Bafana team is that they are the nicest guys. Especially when you compare them to the divas from Brazil and England.

BS: I agree. And Pitso as Bafana Bafana coach? Yes, no?

Rich: Yes, for the sake of continuity. I like what SportLite said about this. SAFA mustn’t fire him after a few months, or after we lose to Egypt in AFCON qualifiers. We need to be patient. Ghana were patient with Milovan Rajevac and look how well that has worked out.

BS: Sports journalists & actually soccer fans in general always have a lot to say about coaching tactics etc, would you coach a team like Bafana if u were dared to do it? (Why or Why not)

Rich: This is another job interview-type question!

BS: Huu bathong….

Rich: But I would. And I’d play two holding midfielders (Laughing again).

BS: LOL

Rich: I write about this every week and the problem is SAFA lacks a coherent vision about how we should play the game. To quote my friend again, at the moment SA is a colossal disaster: piano and shoeshine philosophy with English tactical methodology. We need to produce the modern template of footballer. Our current strengths and type of player we have now are limited at international level. We need to start from a low base and build up from there. Moreover, we need to formulate a scientific tactical approach that will allow us to compete on the continent. This is what annoys me about the local media. They say we should play two wingers and two strikers, but the reality is we don’t have the pool of talent to utilise these options. We’re very idealistic which is fine in the PSL, it makes for an entertaining product, but international football is results-orientated. Just ask Fabio Capello. Fans can’t have free-flowing football and results. Not with our players, so we need to find the right balance.

BS: Sure coach! What is your advice to the new coach? Whether it’s Pitso or someone else?

Rich: Be pragmatic. Don’t get involved in politics. Look to rugby and see how that sporting code is successful.

BS: Now for a question that I’ve been meaning to ask, and please don’t tell me it’s a job interview question! What is the difference between soccer and football? Does it matter whether I call it soccer or football?

Rich: It’s all semantics so I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer. Um, let’s put it this way: a show called ‘Soccer Players’ Wives’ is never going to be as successful as ‘Footballers’ wives’.

BS: Oooh, that makes sense!

Rich: Just so long as you visit Football365.co.za and not Soccer365, I’m happy (Laughs)

BS: Hahaha Thiza safa ifootball what what! Lol so what are the top 3 websites (except F365) you visit daily?

Rich: I suppose I have to say JC! For European football The Guardian have excellent columnists and Zonalmarking.net is an educational website. Locally, I do check what the rivals are doing too and I like The Daily Maverick and The Mail & Guardian. I know that’s more than three, but maths isn’t my strong point.

BS: No The Times on that list? Hahaha. Give our readers 3 Reasons why they should visit F365.co.za and not other football sites?

Rich: Only three? Yoh. On the Sniff, the 411 gossip, the blogs, the live commentary, the interviews, the stats, the breaking news, the debates, the analysis, the humour, the picture galleries of scantily clad ladies. Oops, sorry girls…

BS: I actually don’t like “that last part” you mentioned but we’ll save that for another day! Now before I let you go, as a football editor, what do you think of The SportLite, JC’s super awesome sports expert?

Rich: I like the tone, it’s witty and clever at times but also insightful. The week in review is well worth the read. SportLite must be careful though, don’t say anything about newspapers, you never know what might happen (Laughs).

BS: Thanks for your time Richard and keep up the good work!

Ends.

If you’d like to follow Richard on Twitter, he is @ProfCasperelli