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| University Challenge: Meet the 'Alex Ferguson' behind Manchester's success | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| When Manchester University's team appear on BBC2 on Monday night in the semi-finals of University Challenge, they will have a lot to live up to. If they win and then lift the trophy the following week, Manchester will have won four of the tournaments in the past eight years. | When Manchester University's team appear on BBC2 on Monday night in the semi-finals of University Challenge, they will have a lot to live up to. If they win and then lift the trophy the following week, Manchester will have won four of the tournaments in the past eight years. |
| Since 2005, Manchester University have won three times (2006, 2009 and 2012), come second once (2007) and reached the semis three times (2005, 2008, 2010). | Since 2005, Manchester University have won three times (2006, 2009 and 2012), come second once (2007) and reached the semis three times (2005, 2008, 2010). |
| As Manchester United kick off at the same time at Old Trafford against Aston Villa, needing a win to take the Premier League yet again, this other venerable institution can claim to be the Man Utd of University Challenge. | As Manchester United kick off at the same time at Old Trafford against Aston Villa, needing a win to take the Premier League yet again, this other venerable institution can claim to be the Man Utd of University Challenge. |
| They even have an equivalent of Sir Alex Ferguson, albeit one who isn't known for throwing the teacups around. The secret of Manchester's winning streak can be found in the university's library. For 15 years, librarian Stephen Pearson has been in charge of selecting and hothousing Manchester's young hopefuls. The 47-year-old didn't lift the trophy when he captained the university team in 1996, but has been avenging that defeat ever since. "Some people have called me the Alex Ferguson of the quiz world. I don't know about that – I've been doing this for 15 years whereas he's been in the job for at least 25," Pearson says. | They even have an equivalent of Sir Alex Ferguson, albeit one who isn't known for throwing the teacups around. The secret of Manchester's winning streak can be found in the university's library. For 15 years, librarian Stephen Pearson has been in charge of selecting and hothousing Manchester's young hopefuls. The 47-year-old didn't lift the trophy when he captained the university team in 1996, but has been avenging that defeat ever since. "Some people have called me the Alex Ferguson of the quiz world. I don't know about that – I've been doing this for 15 years whereas he's been in the job for at least 25," Pearson says. |
| "But I may end up doing it for that long. As long as I keep finding it fun, I hope to carry on until retirement, which is not for another 20 years or so." | "But I may end up doing it for that long. As long as I keep finding it fun, I hope to carry on until retirement, which is not for another 20 years or so." |
| Last week, in a seminar room in the library off Oxford Road, Pearson was putting next year's squad through their paces. Each of their practice sessions is run like a real edition of the show, with Pearson playing Paxman as well as voiceover man Roger Trilling, asking the questions at speed and shouting "Manchester, Mitchell" when Liz Mitchell, next year's only female contender, presses her buzzer. | Last week, in a seminar room in the library off Oxford Road, Pearson was putting next year's squad through their paces. Each of their practice sessions is run like a real edition of the show, with Pearson playing Paxman as well as voiceover man Roger Trilling, asking the questions at speed and shouting "Manchester, Mitchell" when Liz Mitchell, next year's only female contender, presses her buzzer. |
| Starter questions last week included the name of the initiative to digitise the world's books (Project Gutenberg), while bonus rounds required teams to know the colour of military hats and the names of Japanese islands. Over the years, Pearson has compiled a list of at least 5,000 questions, patiently transcribed from the broadcasts as well as nicked from US college quiz leagues, which helpfully post their questions online. | Starter questions last week included the name of the initiative to digitise the world's books (Project Gutenberg), while bonus rounds required teams to know the colour of military hats and the names of Japanese islands. Over the years, Pearson has compiled a list of at least 5,000 questions, patiently transcribed from the broadcasts as well as nicked from US college quiz leagues, which helpfully post their questions online. |
| These practice sessions are central to Manchester's success, believes Paul Joyce, who was one of last year's victors. "They are not about improving knowledge, but about getting used to the format, learning not to panic when you press the buzzer and Roger Trilling calls out your name and you've got to answer." | These practice sessions are central to Manchester's success, believes Paul Joyce, who was one of last year's victors. "They are not about improving knowledge, but about getting used to the format, learning not to panic when you press the buzzer and Roger Trilling calls out your name and you've got to answer." |
| Like all of the Manchester quizzers, Joyce insisted the team did not swot up before their appearances. "There's no point frantically trying to learn all the Booker prize winners or Nobel laureates," he said. "Though I think some teams do that." Such as? "Imperial, University College London." Neither of which has won in the past decade, he doesn't add. | Like all of the Manchester quizzers, Joyce insisted the team did not swot up before their appearances. "There's no point frantically trying to learn all the Booker prize winners or Nobel laureates," he said. "Though I think some teams do that." Such as? "Imperial, University College London." Neither of which has won in the past decade, he doesn't add. |
| Pearson has also appeared on Mastermind and BBC4's Only Connect. He has a tried and tested method for choosing the university's team. First, he holds an open written test and then chooses up to 12 top performers, noting their various strengths and weaknesses, before inviting them to a buzzer round of "starter" questions. | Pearson has also appeared on Mastermind and BBC4's Only Connect. He has a tried and tested method for choosing the university's team. First, he holds an open written test and then chooses up to 12 top performers, noting their various strengths and weaknesses, before inviting them to a buzzer round of "starter" questions. |
| "In an ideal world there will be a strong correlation between those with the best knowledge and those who are quickest on the buzzer, but it's not always the case," he said. | "In an ideal world there will be a strong correlation between those with the best knowledge and those who are quickest on the buzzer, but it's not always the case," he said. |
| He puts an enormous effort into the alchemy of the selection process. "Getting the right mix of knowledge is very important," said Pearson. He thinks hard before revealing that his dream team would consist of "a literary specialist, a history specialist, a scientist and perhaps a geographer. You definitely can't win without a scientist. But what you need is all-round, deep knowledge, and a cohesive team who get on well together." | He puts an enormous effort into the alchemy of the selection process. "Getting the right mix of knowledge is very important," said Pearson. He thinks hard before revealing that his dream team would consist of "a literary specialist, a history specialist, a scientist and perhaps a geographer. You definitely can't win without a scientist. But what you need is all-round, deep knowledge, and a cohesive team who get on well together." |
| Manchester's only fallow year recently was 2011, when the university failed at the non-televised audition stage, amid whispers that the show's producers didn't like the fact there were two mature students in the squad. In 2008, there had been complaints to Points of View about Manchester's somewhat older line-up. | Manchester's only fallow year recently was 2011, when the university failed at the non-televised audition stage, amid whispers that the show's producers didn't like the fact there were two mature students in the squad. In 2008, there had been complaints to Points of View about Manchester's somewhat older line-up. |
| The quiz has become a recruiting tool for Manchester. When David Brice was deciding where to study economics, he was wooed not by a big-shot professor or competitive fees: "I remember getting off the train for the open day and meeting Rachael Nieman [the legendary member of Manchester's 2010 team who also appeared on Mastermind with John Peel's Festive 50 as her specialist subject] and thinking, 'Wow!' I was so excited, it was pathetic. I put down Manchester on my Ucas form, thinking 'it must be a very good university if they are so good at University Challenge.'" Fast-forward a few years and Brice, 24, from Kingston-upon-Thames, will appear in Manchester's team on Monday night, facing the University of Bangor. | The quiz has become a recruiting tool for Manchester. When David Brice was deciding where to study economics, he was wooed not by a big-shot professor or competitive fees: "I remember getting off the train for the open day and meeting Rachael Nieman [the legendary member of Manchester's 2010 team who also appeared on Mastermind with John Peel's Festive 50 as her specialist subject] and thinking, 'Wow!' I was so excited, it was pathetic. I put down Manchester on my Ucas form, thinking 'it must be a very good university if they are so good at University Challenge.'" Fast-forward a few years and Brice, 24, from Kingston-upon-Thames, will appear in Manchester's team on Monday night, facing the University of Bangor. |
| Beating Oxbridge is particularly gratifying, admits Tristan Burke, captain of Manchester's 2012 victorious team, which triumphed over Cambridge's Pembroke College in the final after seeing off four other Oxbridge colleges in the knockout stages. "University Challenge is where the majority of people get their impressions of universities from. You still see that sketch from the Young Ones being rolled out. Generally there is this ingrained idea that Oxford and Cambridge are in some way educationally superior to the red-brick universities. So from a political, education-policy point of view, there is a certain satisfaction in proving that wrong." | Beating Oxbridge is particularly gratifying, admits Tristan Burke, captain of Manchester's 2012 victorious team, which triumphed over Cambridge's Pembroke College in the final after seeing off four other Oxbridge colleges in the knockout stages. "University Challenge is where the majority of people get their impressions of universities from. You still see that sketch from the Young Ones being rolled out. Generally there is this ingrained idea that Oxford and Cambridge are in some way educationally superior to the red-brick universities. So from a political, education-policy point of view, there is a certain satisfaction in proving that wrong." |
| Physics and astrophysics student Adam Barr, the youngest member of this year's team at just 20, said snobbery was occasionally revealed backstage. "There was one boy in the green room who said to us: 'I was thinking of going to Manchester, but my parents wanted me to go to a university where I would actually work.'" | Physics and astrophysics student Adam Barr, the youngest member of this year's team at just 20, said snobbery was occasionally revealed backstage. "There was one boy in the green room who said to us: 'I was thinking of going to Manchester, but my parents wanted me to go to a university where I would actually work.'" |
| Your starter for 10 | Your starter for 10 |
| • Manchester was unofficially banned from the show for more than a decade after David Aaronovich's 1975 team famously opted to answer every question with "Trotsky" or "Marx", ostensibly as a protest against Oxbridge colleges being allowed to enter individual teams. They were trying to make a point about elitism, apparently. | • Manchester was unofficially banned from the show for more than a decade after David Aaronovich's 1975 team famously opted to answer every question with "Trotsky" or "Marx", ostensibly as a protest against Oxbridge colleges being allowed to enter individual teams. They were trying to make a point about elitism, apparently. |
| • The original winners of the 2009 tournament were Corpus Christi, Oxford, captained by Gail Trimble, the "human Google" . But Manchester were awarded the title after it emerged Sam Kay, one of the Oxford lot, was not a student at the time of filming. | • The original winners of the 2009 tournament were Corpus Christi, Oxford, captained by Gail Trimble, the "human Google" . But Manchester were awarded the title after it emerged Sam Kay, one of the Oxford lot, was not a student at the time of filming. |
| • Many of Manchester's victorious alumni play in the Withington quiz league in the city. Famed for its high calibre of quizzers, the league includes a champion of BBC2's Eggheads. | • Many of Manchester's victorious alumni play in the Withington quiz league in the city. Famed for its high calibre of quizzers, the league includes a champion of BBC2's Eggheads. |