Tony Hannan
Tony Hannan (born 11 June 1963 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England) is an author, journalist and publisher who specialises in British popular culture.
Books
Hannan has edited, contributed to and written several books, the most recent being On Behalf of the Committee, a comprehensive history of northern English comedy. He also wrote Being Eddie Waring, a critically acclaimed biography of the BBC rugby league commentator of that name . In 2010, this was the basis for a BBC Four television documentary, Eddie Waring: Mr Rugby League, in which Hannan also appeared. .
Selected books
- On Behalf of the Committee - A History of Northern Comedy (2010) ISBN 0-9560075-6-2
- Tries and Prejudice - The autobiography of England's first Muslim rugby international (2009, with Ikram Butt) ISBN 0-9560075-3-8
- Being Eddie Waring - The Life and Times of a Sporting Icon (2008) ISBN 1-84596-300-8
- Seasons In The Sun - A Rugby Revolution (2005) (editor) ISBN 0-9547884-4-3
- Stevo's Super League Diary (2004) ISBN 0-9547884-2-7
- The Dream Season (with Graham Clay) (2004) ISBN 0-9547884-0-0
TV and Radio
Hannan has made numerous radio and television appearances. Among the most notable are:
- It's Funny Up North with... Vic Reeves (ITV Tyne Tees 2006)
- Eddie Waring: Mr Rugby League (BBC Four, 2010)
- Eric and Ernie: Behind the Scenes (BBC Two, 2011)
- Morecambe and Wise: The Whole Story (BBC Two. 2013)
Journalism
Hannan is currently editor-at-large of Forty-20, a rugby league magazine. Formally he was editor of Total Rugby League, the now-defunct sister newspaper of Rugby League World between 1997 and 1999 and was also the editor of Rugby League World magazine from 2002 until 2004. He was UK correspondent for the Australia's official NRL weekly, Big League between 2004 and 2006.
Publishing
Along with fellow author and rugby league journalist Phil Caplan, Tony Hannan is a co-director of Scratching Shed Publishing Ltd, an independent publishing house based in Leeds, Yorkshire. Primarily devoted to the production of books inspired by aspects of northern English culture, since its inception in May 2008 Scratching Shed has published around 30 titles including '1895 and All That...' by the Lord Aberdare Literary Prize-winning author Professor Tony Collins; and autobiographies of Ikram Butt (ghost written by Hannan), Ray French MBE, Iby Knill, John Holmes and Doncaster Rovers chairman John Ryan, amongst others.
Cartoonist
Hannan was the creator and illustrator of the popular and long-running satirical cartoon character 'Walt', whose pithy comments were a nightly feature in the Bradford Telegraph and Argus newspaper from March 1987 until April 2002. Having first appeared alongside Brad Ford, a cheeky bear based on the 'Bradford's Bouncing Back' regeneration campaign figurehead of the late 1980s, Walt soon took over the strip. Hannan's cartoons have also appeared in Private Eye, Punch and similar publications.
In the late 1980s, while editor and creator of the fanzine Bernard of the Bantams, a sister publication to Bradford City FC's award-winning City Gent, Hannan created the character of Boring Stan, Park Ave Fan. Stan, as the name suggests, was a very dull supporter of Bradford City's cross-town rivals Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C., who had gone into liquidation in 1974 and were only just being revived via the amateur Sunday leagues. To this day, Bradford Park Avenue fans are known by the nickname 'Stans'.