Try even harder to forget politics, delve deeper into Jody Craddock’s world of painting and you meet some interesting people (Ricky Hatton, the boxer, is shown here with Jody’s portrait of him). Take a look at his gallery*. In the first part of the last – and rather special – Who Are You? of the season, we heard about Jody’s time at Sunderland. Click here if you missed it. Now let’s see what he thinks about diving, his own preferences in art and the likely outcome of Sunday’s game. And what about the World Cup and the absence of England caps in Jody’s cv? …
Salut! Sunderland: Do you look out for our results?
Jody:
I look out for everyone’s results, even more so those that have a direct effect on Wolves also.
What do you feel has made the difference for Mick McCarthy (another man many Sunderland fans have a lot of time for): ie the success he’s had this season at Wolves this season compared with our record breaking lack of points season?
I think that’s a question only Mick can answer.
Did you mind the “Fanny” nickname or was it just inevitable?
Not a problem… you need a tough skin in this game – you want to hear the song they sing for me here … (could Jody mean this one – and who was it that we used to sing the same song about? – ed)
How do your colleagues in the Wolves team view Sunderland as a football club?
I assume the same as me, a big club with ambitions.
Why did the Sgt Wilko/Cotterill “dream team” go so horribly wrong?
I don’t think it would have mattered who the manager was – they wouldn’t have got us out the shit.
How do Wolverhampton and the Black Country compare with Sunderland/the North East from the point of view of an artist?
I can only compare the two based on my experiences and I have opened more doors whilst being in the Midlands, but the improvement of my work over time has contributed to that.
Do you think you are a better celebrity painter than Jack Russell and Keith Richards?
Only you can decide that …
Why have you started scoring goals all of a sudden?
’cause i put my boots on the right feet.
What did you think of Milton “Tyson” Nunez when he turned up – and how long did it take the rest of the players to realise Reidy had been sold a wrong ’un?
I don’t even remember him playing, so he can’t have left that good of an impression.
Who are your favourite artists?
Rolf Harris – the guy’s a legend. Da Vinci was pretty good when he was alive also.
With both clubs safe, the last game will be more to do with pride than anything else, but what is your result forecast?
Sorry guys, I’m going for a Wolves win.
How avidly will you follow the World Cup and how much of a gap in your career is the absence of caps?
I will follow the World Cup praying for England to win just like the next person. I feel we have a great chance and think it’s about time we won it. I don’t see the absence of caps as a problem as I feel I have pretty much done as much as I could have done in the game. I have looked after myself and am fortunate to still be playing at the top level. I was never good enough for England.
We’ve asked this of fans all season but it would be interesting to have a professional’s thoughts. We called it, mischievously, the Eduardo question: everything (safety/European place/cup final win) depends on winning your last game. In the final seconds, at 1-1, you are awarded a penalty, score it and win although everyone in the ground except the referee knows your teammate dived. Would you take the victory gladly, take it guiltily or feel so ashamed you almost wish you’d only drawn?
I’m not one for cheating and it’s not in my nature to be diving. It certainly does piss me off when a centre forward hits the deck because the wind blew him over. But if I’m in the World Cup and one of my players dives and wins us a penalty which we score a win the game from, I’d be well happy. It’s the ref that would need shooting.
* Jody Craddock’s art can be viewed and purchased at his website by clicking this link
Colin Randall
I haven’t a clue but wouldn’t it still be perfectly valid art, Tom, no less – and maybe much more so – than in Florence or Montmartre where portrait artists use templates to rattle off souvenirs for passers by?
Jody’s art looks excellent on the surface but some of it appears so ‘perfect’ that there is surely a utilisation of digital photography/image use as a base for much of his work? Any art fiends enlighten me as to my suspicions? Hands up if I’m wrong!