Summary
Overview
In Chapter 9 of Steve Bruce's detective thriller Striker, manager Steve Barnes returns to the stadium after his moor escape and navigates a complex day involving PR management, squad tensions, and a shocking revelation. Barnes makes a controversial appearance at the flower memorial for murdered player Pat Duffy while wearing dirty police-issued slippers, meets with chairman Sir Lawrence to discuss team matters and the upcoming dinner with the chief constable, and addresses his squad while dealing with assistant manager Eddie Carberry's challenges to his authority. The chapter culminates with Julie revealing that a pregnant woman in reception claims the father of her child is Pat Duffy's killer.
The Flower Memorial PR Coup
Barnes arrives at the stadium and controversially stops to examine the flowers left for Pat Duffy while dressed in his dirty tracksuit and ill-fitting police slippers. Despite the bizarre optics, he believes this creates positive PR that convinces doubters of his innocence. He compares the memorial unfavourably to Princess Diana's Kensington Palace flowers, showing his tendency to measure everything by scale and spectacle.
- Pat Duffy's flower memorial is described as 'not exactly on Kensington and from Palace proportions after the death of Princess Diana'
- Barnes examines the flowers in full view of media cameras while wearing dirty tracksuit and police-issued slippers
- He believes the pictures went round the world and did him 'a great deal of good in terms of positive PR'
- Barnes insists any doubters were persuaded he was not the murderer
" It wasn't exactly on Kensington and from Palace proportions after the death of Princess Diana. But there were, nonetheless, enough flowers there to show the club had solid local support that many people truly cared. "
" Those pictures went round the world and did me a great deal of good in terms of positive PR. Any doubters were persuaded that I was not the murderer the police believed me to be. "
The Brief Smile Protocol
Barnes describes his interactions with the press pack and supporters, revealing he's had media training on how to respond appropriately. He delivers a masterclass in overthinking, calculating exactly how long to smile so as not to appear lacking in grief. The passage includes a bizarre digression criticizing foreign players' English language skills and their inability to handle media relations.
- Barnes declines to comment to press but 'smiled briefly' - calculating that smiling more would show lack of grief for Pat Duffy
- He reveals he's had lessons in media response and suggests it should be extended to foreign players with 'poor English language skills'
- Barnes goes to enjoy a warm bath in what appears to be the massive communal team bath
" To smile more than briefly would have meant lack of grief for Pat Duffy. "
" I have had lessons in how to respond to the media, and perhaps it's something that should be extended to players, especially the increasing foreign contingent with poor English language skills. "
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