The three-syllable challenge – and Ben Knight
Mar 16, 2024 11:49:02 GMT
desmond, nevadahatter, and 2 more like this
Post by hatter1974 on Mar 16, 2024 11:49:02 GMT
Whenever I listen to Dave’s post-match I’m struck by the names by which he refers to players. It is of course a critical part of team management to integrate players into a unit and create that camaraderie and fighting spirit that brings success. Familiarity of names is key to this and it’s clear that there are a number of important rules to observe – but also a real stumbling block which I will come to later.
The first choice is of course first names, and this is what is generally used, so long as there is no duplication in the first team squad. So, Ben, Fraser, Ethan for instance, but with two Kyles, that can’t be used for fear of confusion. Before coming to that I should point out allowable variations on first names.
If it’s one syllable and has an “O” in it, then it’s almost obligatory to add another “O”. So, Tommo and Johno. But remember – one syllable – so never Rogero for instance.
The second exception is that managers can’t resist a “S” or a “LL” in a surname – and therefore add a “Y” and use that. So, a team could have a player whose first name was Japheth (Old Testament) – incredibly unlikely to be duplicated, but if he is Japheth Jones, he will inevitably be referred to as Jonesy. In the same way we only have one Callum – but more often than not he is Campsy.
The same with “LL”. Players with the surname Ball are always Bally regardless of first name and I have noticed that Powell for us is often Powelly despite us having just the one Nick.
So to the problem of duplicates. We have two Kyles. Knoyle is sorted easily as despite it ending in “E” it sounds like “LL”” so he’s Knoyley. Wootton is trickier. Lots of “O”s but remember the two syllable rule – so Woottono wouldn’t work. So we end up with Wootts, which seems quite inventive. I daresay this a solution that is applied elsewhere but I just can’t think of examples.
We have had a few Ryans to distinguish between and these give us a clue as to why Wootts is used. If a surname is two syllables, work with the first one. Ryan Johnson – John – well that’s a gimme isn’t it – “Johno”. Ryan Croasdale – Croas – there’s that “S” so obviously Croasy, except the way Dave says it, it’s more Crozzy.
The syllables thing brings me to the potentially intractable problem of the double three syllable name. So Macauley Southam Hales for instance. The surname is a write off, but the first name has promise. Again, go first syllable – Mac. There have been so many Scottish players in English football down the years, that Mac = Macca is pretty much standard. Problem solved.
But here’s another – Antoni Sarcevic – there’s only one Antoni Sarcevic (sing along now! Which as an aside, years gone by, when Fulham fans chanted “there’s only one Kenny Achampong”, were they singing in admiration or simply stating a factual accuracy?)
Where was I? Oh yes – only one Antoni, but hardly ever called by that name. DC could go to the first syllable thing from the first name, but Ant sounds too much like a TV presenter. Would be different if we had another player in midfield called Declan of course. So, we go first syllable surname – Sarc – and DC refers to him by that – “Sarch”.
Squad integration, and name familiarity as part of that, are much underestimated skills in my view and I do wonder if we have passed over good players we might have signed simply because their names were too difficult to deal with.
Which brings me to Ben Knight. I simply don’t buy this injured since Jan stuff. Its obvious why he hasn’t featured. We already have a well-loved and established Ben, so it’s a duplication problem. And the surname doesn’t help much. Its only one syllable so can’t be deconstructed. And adding standard letters such as a “S” doesn’t work – makes him sound like a firm of estate agents.
What about the other standard addition – “Y”? An older professional might cope with and laugh off “Knighty” for its obvious other connotation; but a young lad not so much. Although of course it would make a great sports page headline if a Ben Knight hat trick on a Tuesday night brought us victory in one of our games in hand – “Knighty night Notts!”.
No, it’s not an injury. For months now, Dave and Simon “Wilso” Wilson have been struggling with a suitable nickname. But the problem is now dealt with, it seems, as Ben Knight is likely to feature and I for one can’t wait to see what the solution might be.
The first choice is of course first names, and this is what is generally used, so long as there is no duplication in the first team squad. So, Ben, Fraser, Ethan for instance, but with two Kyles, that can’t be used for fear of confusion. Before coming to that I should point out allowable variations on first names.
If it’s one syllable and has an “O” in it, then it’s almost obligatory to add another “O”. So, Tommo and Johno. But remember – one syllable – so never Rogero for instance.
The second exception is that managers can’t resist a “S” or a “LL” in a surname – and therefore add a “Y” and use that. So, a team could have a player whose first name was Japheth (Old Testament) – incredibly unlikely to be duplicated, but if he is Japheth Jones, he will inevitably be referred to as Jonesy. In the same way we only have one Callum – but more often than not he is Campsy.
The same with “LL”. Players with the surname Ball are always Bally regardless of first name and I have noticed that Powell for us is often Powelly despite us having just the one Nick.
So to the problem of duplicates. We have two Kyles. Knoyle is sorted easily as despite it ending in “E” it sounds like “LL”” so he’s Knoyley. Wootton is trickier. Lots of “O”s but remember the two syllable rule – so Woottono wouldn’t work. So we end up with Wootts, which seems quite inventive. I daresay this a solution that is applied elsewhere but I just can’t think of examples.
We have had a few Ryans to distinguish between and these give us a clue as to why Wootts is used. If a surname is two syllables, work with the first one. Ryan Johnson – John – well that’s a gimme isn’t it – “Johno”. Ryan Croasdale – Croas – there’s that “S” so obviously Croasy, except the way Dave says it, it’s more Crozzy.
The syllables thing brings me to the potentially intractable problem of the double three syllable name. So Macauley Southam Hales for instance. The surname is a write off, but the first name has promise. Again, go first syllable – Mac. There have been so many Scottish players in English football down the years, that Mac = Macca is pretty much standard. Problem solved.
But here’s another – Antoni Sarcevic – there’s only one Antoni Sarcevic (sing along now! Which as an aside, years gone by, when Fulham fans chanted “there’s only one Kenny Achampong”, were they singing in admiration or simply stating a factual accuracy?)
Where was I? Oh yes – only one Antoni, but hardly ever called by that name. DC could go to the first syllable thing from the first name, but Ant sounds too much like a TV presenter. Would be different if we had another player in midfield called Declan of course. So, we go first syllable surname – Sarc – and DC refers to him by that – “Sarch”.
Squad integration, and name familiarity as part of that, are much underestimated skills in my view and I do wonder if we have passed over good players we might have signed simply because their names were too difficult to deal with.
Which brings me to Ben Knight. I simply don’t buy this injured since Jan stuff. Its obvious why he hasn’t featured. We already have a well-loved and established Ben, so it’s a duplication problem. And the surname doesn’t help much. Its only one syllable so can’t be deconstructed. And adding standard letters such as a “S” doesn’t work – makes him sound like a firm of estate agents.
What about the other standard addition – “Y”? An older professional might cope with and laugh off “Knighty” for its obvious other connotation; but a young lad not so much. Although of course it would make a great sports page headline if a Ben Knight hat trick on a Tuesday night brought us victory in one of our games in hand – “Knighty night Notts!”.
No, it’s not an injury. For months now, Dave and Simon “Wilso” Wilson have been struggling with a suitable nickname. But the problem is now dealt with, it seems, as Ben Knight is likely to feature and I for one can’t wait to see what the solution might be.
