Cavanagh has given testimony to U.S. Senators after being accused of sexual assaults and in sport the 2018 Ryder Cup starts later this morning you can hear all the action here on Pipeline this is B.B.C. 5. Let's go the way to stir 5 news would resign a pound Woods President Trump has praised his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court after he gave evidence to senators calling his testimony powerful honest and riveting Brett Kavanaugh has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman when they were teenagers which he denies the alleged victim Christine Blassie forward also gave evidence our correspondent in Washington is Chris Buckley it was partial testimony from both the accused and the accuser when if you listen to Christine Lahti for the times her voice was breaking as she just true according to what she said happened 36 years ago and in response we heard from Brett Kavanaugh this very upset at times I know grief fury at the way he feels he has been treated Boris Johnson says to reason Mays check his plan is the worst of both worlds he's outlined his own bucks at proposals which include a Kennedy in style free trade deal Mr Johnston says the U.K. Can't be Hoff in and half out of the his the leave supports are Conservative M.P. Jacob Reese Marg if the a way to accept it and it cold get through the House of Commons which the Labor Party is committed to voting against is a large number of euro skeptic conservatives are committed to voting against it the day you paid doesn't seem to be in favor of it how does it get through the call that the Tesla boss Musk is facing fraud charges in the US regulators say he lied to investors about funding Mr Musk denies the claims calling them on just to find 7 men have been arrested in the Netherlands on suspicion of planning what prosecutors have code a major terrorist attack on a holic and reports. The men are believed to have been planning to use explosives and Kalashnikovs at an event and detonate a car bomb at a separate location the Exact Target is still under investigation the intelligence service stated they intended to kill many victims the justice minister described the men who are between the ages of 21 and 34 as a terrorist cell Ryanair has canceled around 250 flights so some pilots and cabin crew stage strikes in several different European countries staff in Germany Belgium Portugal Neverland's Spain and Italy are walking out in the dispute over pay and conditions the airline says most flights are still running and around a $1000.00 head teachers A-G. To hold a rally in Westminster later in protest at education budgets they say schools in England are chronically underfunded Jeff botanist from the Association of School and College Leaders class sizes have gone up a number of courses of. Creative subjects are disappearing one foreign languages are disappearing from state schools and parents will be saying I think what the teachers today are going to be saying this cannot be acceptable that this generation that they're paying a price for government would be investing properly in education the government's rejected the claims saying they will have invested a record amount in schools by 2020 times as sport now his shop the Ryder Cup gets underway on 5 live this morning with the biggest crowds expected for the match between U.S. Superstar Tiger Woods and Masters champion Patrick Reid against Europe's Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood you can hear all the action from Paris right here throughout the weekend it could be our own Ramsay's last season I asked Will after the club pulled out of a new deal for the midfielder they haven't said why the 4 year contract agreements collapsed Germany is beaten 30 to house year at 2024 Glasgow City of qualified for the last 16 of the Women's Champions League there. The homelike to Barcelona but 121 on aggregate an encouraging win for Andy Murray in China he's beaten the world number 11 David golf on his highest ranked opponent since returning from hip surgery to reach the Shans and Open quarterfinals sulphide a safe in the Super League for 2019 after crushing to lose 4410 in the Super Eights qualify as and St Helens fullback Ben Baba hooka James Robey and Wigan backroad John Bateman have been revealed as the 3 nominees for the 28 seed Steve Price Scott Man of Steel award this is B.B.C. 5 Live on digital online smartphone and tablet the weather cloud and rain moving south across England and Wales tonight followed by Clear Skies spreading from the north as we head on further into Friday morning Opie Coover Dr Fenton most of the country of sunny spells later on and Heinz of 17 degrees Celsius in the Midlands and the Southeast somewhere along the corridor or access to longer lawyers a laboratory of excellence populated by the brightest most creative minds of the B.B.C. . Take a sad sad sad sad sad. Sad Sad Sad Sad to hear a reply from. Me that beautifully said. Others will be employing a real discovery for our. Fish and fearless prince of savages on the penguin wreck sick asked questions extra time I believe life called sat down loud unsubscribe Now using your podcast. Thanks for listening this is a poll night with. Don't forget to let me know what you're doing while you listen to the program boy already had some great talks and tweets so far about what people are doing let me know 185050 or tweet me at B.B.C. 5 Live Now James Whitcomb. And Joel and Ken Walker here for the North American sports show good evening hello good morning whichever way you want to put before we go into the show I'm still really we were listening to Question Time extra time just before the hour and I'm still reeling from the fact that just coincidentally one of the question time extra timers was my cousin I still believe and she I don't I haven't seen her I wasn't really I was watching the governor stuff yeah I hadn't seen her she must have looked up in the studio because they reminded the so that's my cousin Charles and that's my cousin is still blow my mom and she got to introduce you to introduce you know to about America my mom and her mom because they're the cousins we're 2nd cousins yet my mom her mom are going to dine out on that for some time and you know you had a similar coincidence over I had a weird one actually it's linking to what we're going to answer when I was in Toronto but 1st ever N.H.L. Ice hockey game in Toronto that I went to I was sitting next to these guys who obviously weren't Canadian because they were very much they had strong European accidents and we ended up just going China going on this kind of stuff and I was there on the 1st time and I was so excited we got chatting and anyway went for a drink afterwards and we were having a few beers in a in a bar nearby and then we said right headed back to Abbey and base and we slowly realized that we were plotting our roots back and we were saying oh yeah I'm kind of in this area so weak so I well I'm on here. And we were kept agreeing to the point that we were actually staying in B. And B.'s that we're opposite each other in same street in Toronto which is a rather big city which I thought you know are going to chalk that one down in terms of life life's coincidence here is a pretty good coincidence let us know by the way if you follow a similar coincidence Jones had one. Blow my mind. Or B.B.C. 5 Live on Twitter right now what's on the show North American sports so welcome along everybody if you followed as over from our old home on a Wednesday. Morning thank you very much it's very kind of you if you've never heard this section of a poll night before and drabs welcome I'm Jordan come walk and we're going to present you with a weekly look at the world of North American sport from a pair of British fans willing to cover the N.F.L. American football baseball hockey and basketball Plus we'll also take a look at some more minority sports in North America as well like you know soccer maybe that's what they look for us all previous episodes are available on the 5 live Web site if you search for up all night and fun the Wednesday edition of up all night but just to bring you up to speed this is what you might have missed so far in a week where my N.F.L. Team season has well practically already ended let's start with. Cases being announced that Maroon 5 will be the hard time performance this season Super Bowl and. One side told him who these guys were James was over the moon about this announcement Listen I was a local radio for years I know exactly where in 5. Was the fine shops of the excellently named the orange orange earth podcast Tello Chase Smith and Jeremy Powell welcome to the B.B.C. . The Browns have been a fascinating story are you going to find the 1st win since Christmas Eve 26 the way that we've been for all this talent season coming up. With Hard Knocks really kind of lead in the Browns way I'm trying to be objective here but I really think the Browns have a chance to get away with that week one when you have Jake Lloyd is the host of the Aruca network in case you're wondering but also not only that he's a massive basketball fan in the U.K. And I mean the one question we really want you to know and I don't get it. Well the N.B.A. To me. It's as much as cool if you guys picture like a beautiful landscape painting in you know mountains in a nice river and often in a nice painting you've got like a small intricate detail like like a man fishing by the river or something live and so soon appreciate you not want to give a you've got to you've got to stand back and look at the big picture but also you want to get closer to the canvas and to notice these kind of intricate details and then Either way you'll see something something new and something beautiful why all the fans cool cheese heads and why when I watch the Green Bay Packers on T.V. How by seeing so many fans with massive cheese on my head. I honestly don't know the history of it but if I had to take a wild guess it's one of those things where you know a lot of times when you get a name it's because somebody uses it to make fun of you and you embrace it almost there. And I am very pleased to say that I'm joined by based. On Hockey blog and most importantly a. Maple Leaf fans the dangle Good morning from the U.K. Always good to talk about a property I know I feel like we've done too much I can't have the. Sports show here at the moment without talking about. This was kind of my thing I know I say hey I'm with the F.A. Think about comparative money 3rd there will be shark offer trucker $13000000.00 per year reportedly the lease offer to have a life and he chose the Leafs because he just couldn't help it Earl are cheering for that team he's going to be well paid Richard anyway why not go with your childhood dream try to work a company where the championship year there will literally be factory built this guy like you multiple on the errant structure everywhere. I can't believe you thought for them. This is where you going to find is each week now on open ice at 3 am Friday mornings on B.B.C. Radio 5 Live coming up we'll hear from Sheffield's Liam Kirk who made his hockey debut in North America after being the 1st Englishman to be drafted in the N.H.L. Draft this summer also Bernie Custis the 1st black professional quarterback in the modern era he said a school named after him or discuss him I would discuss his legacy as well OK let's have a quick look at some headlines. You've got to look at this is a great record as you know guys going to love this already another one from James is where jukeboxes. In a little bit of something but it's a whole lot of know. What talk about why that is in just a moment but 1st the N.F.L. Yeah Eric read it was a free agent and former 49 ers safety has signed with the Carolina Panthers You may ask why this is significant but he was the wall nailing along alongside Colin capper Nick right from the beginning of the protests and he's not been signed until today after leaving the 49 ers at the end of his contract the signing came 4 months up to read a grievance against the N.F.L. That alleges teams were colluding to keep him out of the league and former 49 ers quarterback calling for Nick who also has done exactly the same with the N.F.L. Saying he's got this grievance about and no teams picking him up by being outspoken to protest against racial discrimination by kneeling during the pre-game national anthem capper and it remains signed my far as I want to bring This is from the athletic also noted this is a kind of an interesting aspect of this story the Panthers previous owner Jerry Richardson has been one of the most hard line owners in the league when it came to play a protest it was difficult to believe someone like Eric Reid would have been able to been on the Richardson watch it's. Game however is now run by a guy called David Tepper and multiple reports on the Panthers did not ask Reid whether he would demonstrate during the anthem before signing so economies is a little bit of a move in that I need now go to wonder whether this does pave a return for calling Kaepernick although I do wonder I know they're very close because they they tweak the other a lot I do wonder how feels that every time his name is mentioned everyone goes oh does this mean capitalism and why exactly No I'm right here well there we go there we go anyway I really interesting story from the N.B.A. As well and the reason for this track write a little bit of something but it's a whole lot of nothing I got it soon Americans will be able to buy a portion of an. Oven in progress game to watch in the N.B.A. So in other words they'll be able to buy just the last quarter of the game to watch so it's not about how much so you'll be able to purchase kind of like the last quarter so soon as the buzzer sounds to end the 3rd quarter they can go on to pay $1.99 doesn't matter whether going to watch the last 10 seconds the last quarter or whatever is $1.99 at some point they're going to extend them further that is going to change the way that we watch sports and you wait it starts the N.B.A. You know come on like you're on to football and to everything I guess is a bit inevitable with the way the tension spans are shrinking while there's loads of stuff about football is right now I can't remember who is I think it's. Also the former Spurs left back who said he doesn't really like football when every watches football you watch is 10 2nd clips of. Most most young people consume. So it's going to go that way I think a lot more if you if you look at N.F.L. For example I know when you look at a watch on Game Pass and things like that you can watch condensed versions of the game yeah it cuts it all out and even just the condensed version of one game you can watch I can. Watch it because it's just too much like it's constant action for like 30 minutes of just constant play by play by play and you completely lose that build up to a crescendo you get into the sport you get no idea of the cadence of the game and of course that's They'd this she would say cricket highlights as well and things like that I imagine them get the idea they're struggling watching you know N.F.L. Or N.B.A. Or some of the imagine a 5 day test more are imagine that the Laureate you can watch the 5th and in baseball October is approaching which means the Major League Baseball so post season is approaching as well these are the teams who've already qualified the Red Sox the Houston Astros the Cleveland Indians the New York Yankees the Oakland Athletics Chicago Cubs the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers we're going to do a lot more on this very shortly date OK right let's talk of the world. We are heading to one Terrio in Canada because that's where you'll find Sheffield's Kirk playing for the Peterborough Petes in the Ontario Hockey League which is the world's top junior league after he was drafted by the Arizona coyotes in the summer now I went to go meet Liam in Sheffield a few months ago after he had been drafted by Arizona and he was the 1st ever Englishman to be picked up in the N.H.L. Draft and we spoke about what it was like getting the call and heading straight off to the States yet we want to catch with him now to see how he's getting on and Jones started by asking what it was like taking to the ice as a coyote was pretty cool. So. It's clear going to a rookie rookie to see them when their initial teenagers is kind of cool so it's definitely an amazing experience and so. It was so cool just I mean just watching you kind of seeing some of the clips that were coming out and seeing you out there I mean when I interviewed you in Sheffield you had your coyote's helmet which you took back to see that in. A full kit plane in North America that must have just felt amazing So explain to me what happens from that point on so you make the Arizona coyotes training camp and you play a couple of games with them and then you already knew that you were going to the Peter Pace in the Ontario Hockey League so then you go back to those guys explained to me just what happens over the couple of weeks you go back to one Taria basically just come back and get into the rhythm of things again if you're a graph and you just stop production style obviously training but we team in the season start 1st day for us Homo Novis get back into the rhythm of things and you know it's a long season or in the end to excel you shall be what is the what's the standard Like can you kind of compare it to playing I've been here for Sheffield and for Team G.B. Over here and then going over there pay for the coyotes in training camp and then playing for pita bread in the Ontario. Is a real standard the answer. Is OF US Junior League in the world so you know the plane lost over the early back in England you know playing it's money playing against kids against. Just going to the. Obvious to be our size been smaller stuff is a lot quicker and with it being kids Eversleigh prove themselves it's the next levels in so fast paced that there's enough and so quick she used her computer to have a layman's time say I was going to ask you actually may do you find a big difference between the the dressing room you know between the British leaks and the Canadian leagues is there a definitely different atmosphere Yes different atmosphere of course you know with the British media playing against men and you playing with so. You know all of them on the team Musharraf kids and they can talk about the sandwich all of the guys don't really talk more about you know stuff that's going on in in you in the generations a lot different so it's definitely a different chain. Ange communicants to to a team where you know it was very few sentences that you were going through was your aim then from Hey how you know you going to the peace were pates and I love how I'm not by any stretch a hockey expert but just tell me what your your idea of your path is from from now may kind of go astray or successfully. As a team and personally and then move on from there I want to you know make it's N.H.L. That's the long term goal so keep working. For emotion and these development coaches in Arizona that can watch your year and give you advice and developing new to be an N.H.L. Players you just take the advice they give you work on the. After having you on on 5 Live a couple of weeks ago just after you were drafted in or that we were chatting to Steve dangle who's a big hockey you cheaper imports caster. In America I am willing candidate based and he was just trying to explain to me how big the Ontario Hockey League is in on Terrio and the best way he said to describe it was he sent me a picture of a supermarket shelf near where he lives and there is a box of fish fingers with a player on the front so that was kind of he was explain to me this is a big deal playing on Terry Hockey League people are going to be recognizing you. As it is he was doing the beast you knew you in the world and. They love the Rostock you're in trouble or so because it's all different from England we're. Used to folks on the shelf and hockey and folks improve OK so the other day I woke up and I checked Twitter as I always do because that's just what we do nowadays the 1st thing we do we wake up and my notifications and my timeline went crazy and I was wondering what was going on and I had a look and the reason was because you scored for Peterborough and it was a beautiful girl described to me the goal and it described me heartfelt scoring for Pete. Is an amazing feeling I've. Got shipped to one of the guys are just kind of forced to turn over and. He's got your mark when I'm touched. Thank God charge show from the glove Sonny Cedric Gondry. Were in the know. It was just an amazing feeling to get all the way. After I think folks. So we got it. Are you going to be able to play for Team G.B. Next year in the world championships. Depending on the schedule if we make the playoffs depending on how far we go depends on where Rob. Yeah you know you know why it's asking that DO YOU LIAM IS the reason the reason he's asking now is because he's got to K.C. Special how is he came a very excited the other day I got sick if I cook where where is it I have no idea this love anyway so if I were you I'd avoid it may cost because you support is going out I spend I spent many hours on my laptop trying to get through the Slovakian version of Ticketmaster to get tickets to go and to watch Team G.B. Out there and just talk just very briefly just talk about that as an opportunity for Team G.B. Because they are going to be playing in $51.00 of the games I'm going to go and see they are going to be playing Canada the U.S. Russia teams like that that level they're gonna play in them on the international stage how big is that for Great Britain yes you are several planes seems like color in USA They're known for having talk show. Common David played in the tournament this some of that's just gone by and he's 2 time in point scoring there which also. Said to be crazy experienced. By no means the team going to go out there and just kind of there for the most and just experience are they going to try and. Try and get some victories from it want to stay in the group or long as we can so. Huge for the country especially in our soccer tennis shows that we're moving in the right action and I hoping the admins in Pittsburgh and all of the big teams have terrible N.H.L. Season this year don't make the playoffs so their players end up going to Slovakia 100 percent I am alas is the. However because those guys need to go far in the playoffs but that's my advice to pin. Ever so much for coming on and best of luck with the season will obviously keep following it and there's a huge fan base over here in England I mean Britain as you know is rooting for you out there so best of luck for the season ahead when you're one of the very interesting things that lame said and I wish I'd picked him up on it during the interview was that he has played in a men's league for the last few years in this country whereas he's now playing with people whose current gone through the junior system in North America is very very interesting because one of the best players in the hockey to get moment is a guy called Austin Matthews and he did exactly the same things he was in the American system but then he decided to take a year out and go to Switzerland and play in a men's league for a year and since coming back he has been he's so far ahead of where he could have been if you stay just because the physicality is so different if you've gotten questions about anything you've heard on the program tonight so far or coming up or anything about North American sports talk op or night at B.B.C. Doco dot U.K. Or like Emily has the saving hello you can get in touch with those on Twitter as well happy B C 5 life now let's talk football for a 2nd to get. The water back and we. Can actually was talking C.F.L. Really because that's our C.F.L. Jingle and I'm going to give you a few names come to Rod Taylor Doc Prescott to Sean Watson Russell Wilson they're all quarterbacks in the N.F.L. They're also black even now being a black quarterback in the N.F.L. Can be difficult say the aforementioned Collin Kappa Nick but for those 5 to be able to make the squad with others like Teddy Bridgewater and Marcus Mariota on the sidelines waiting for a chance they need a trailblazer so incredibly talented black quarterbacks who came through at a time even more racially charged than today and 95th. He was 13 years before the Civil Rights Act came in and 4 years before Rosa Parks told a bus driver she was amazing Bernie Custis A standout quarterback at Syracuse University has his invitation to play in the national east west All-Star Game rescinded when the organizers discovered he's black he was also drafted in the 11th round of the 951 N.F.L. Draft by the Cleveland Browns and was told he stood no chance of playing quarterback so why does he go well the answer is Canada and the Bernie Kosar to secondary school is apparently named in his on a let's find out why with Bill Armstrong he was the executive producer of greed on on the ground a 2015 documentary about the path Custis and many other African Americans took to play in Canada hi Bill tell us about Bernie Custis the man well we've had Bernie Castle 2007 we were doing pre-production on Arsenal's gridiron underground that you mentioned Thank you plug so right and we sat down and had a cream meeting with him and there we discovered that we found ourselves in fact it . In a sense we're both his life and struggles and. The things all the forms that he went through to to refuse to take no for an answer so what actually happened at the Browns then I mean they said no you know playing for is the after drug thing in. Well I mean I can actually quote almost verbatim from what Bernie said it's in the body of the film he said I got to Cleveland and I got in line with the other quarterbacks not just the coach came up and tapped me on the shoulder no son you're not going to be practicing with those guys the position we want you to learn it's free safety and Bernie said I had barked at that I marched in the Paul Brown's office and I demanded an explanation and he's burning up stories. Of the Cleveland Browns the N.F.L. Is ready for a black quarterback there is a place that you can go and the place can be so is kind of a lot more accommodating to block football that's telling Well I think you know basically the way that Bernie looked at it was and throughout the film he talks about it it doesn't say it in these words but really for these guys it was a bit of a love letter to the Canadians but they accepted them with open arms Bernie when he got to Hamilton in 1951 and he was given the starting job that that if Carl Voyles the head coach had to deny him the opportunity and I think 51 he thought it would have been a riot in Hamilton Ontario that's how much they open their arms up to him and love him and in return he loved them back yeah he died last year I mean look what did he make of the opportunities that today black quarterback prospects. I think that he was really really proud of being a pioneer being the 1st he was really really proud of. Opening doors for other outlets but you know I think beyond the playing catch Thrones I think that what he was most proud of was he helped raise young men he was a great teacher he was a great coach or mentor the influence hundreds of young men's lives about a lot of them straight in the round got them on the straight and narrow talk you know just disciplines and the benefits of hard work. And the importance of education and it was a huge part of his life and he really believed in that and he instilled that in his players and his students and I think that's probably what would be the most proud of and of course the school I don't I think you know I think he is probably not only growing was very humbly Shaw Bill it's been a pleasure as told you I suspect this is something we could probably talk about for about 30 minutes but as is the why of live radio we don't get the opportunity but do you check out the film if you can they said it's called grid on the ground that's Bill I'm strong he was the exact producer joins Jolan sterling work to implement your plan next week yeah we have. Fingers crossed I'm in the meantime if you want to get in touch with those opening nights at B.B.C. U.K. It is 331. Digital online smartphones and tablets this is B.B.C. 5 Live and let's get the latest 5 Live news with those on the pound what's Thanks Guy President Trump has praised Brett Kavanaugh as testimony to U.S. Senate says calling it powerful honest and riveting the judge is the president's nominee for the Supreme Court he's been accused of sexual assault which he denies Boris Johnson has revealed his alternative to to resign my eyes checked his plan which he calls the worst of my Instead he wants a Canadian style free trade Day 08 on muskets facing fraud charges in the U.S. . Regulators claim the Tesla boss lied to investors about funding added this year but he denies this $1250.00 flights have been canceled by Ryanair across several European countries stuff walking out in a dispute over pay and conditions but the airline says most flights are still running time sport now his shop now Ryder Cup Hampton's Thomas Bjorn and Jim fear ICS a Europe and the US A poised to do battle again this is in the last 2 days just been fantastic it's been an unbelievable mood in the camp they've been great on the golf course played with each other and had a nice time and the team moves been brilliant the fun starts we get to hang out together as a team become Rothery they prepare they obviously get to compete which is what we're all here for so I think you know everyone's just excited to get a start the Americans are the defending champions but haven't won in Europe for 25 years ago correspondent in Canton has more on this morning's opening matches Europe will blood for newcomers on the 1st morning one in each of the matches so a huge day for John rum The Spaniard told partner Justin Rose in the top match against 3 times Major champion Brooks can and rookie Tony finish RORY McILROY will shepherd Toby on all a sin against Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler debutant Terrell Hatton shares in an all English pairing with Paul Casey there against Jordan speace and Justin Thomas and in the parts of match Tommy Fleetwood partners the Open winner Francesco Molinari against the challenge manic pairing of Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed in coverage from Paris gets under way from 6 am here on 5 Live and across the weekend Aaron Ramsey could be leaving off until next summer after a new 4 year deal for the midfielder collapsed the club withdrew the contract offer for the longest serving plan Germany will host year at 2024 after they beat turkey in a vote by you a physics 2nd of committee the F.A. Board has backed the plan to sell Wembley Stadium to full Mona Scheid canvas $600.00. 1000000 Pounds the proposed deal will not go to the F.A. Council next month for the first 2 time Scottish League Cup semifinals will take place at Hampden Park on the same day ready for sites has the semifinals were to have been staged on Saturday October 27th on Sunday the 28th but with both from clubs in Europe or League action on the 25th one would have had to play within 48 hours of their European tie and seemingly left the option of finding an alternative venue but the S.P.F. Now has a contractual obligation to use Hamden unless the police advise otherwise which they didn't and so for the 1st time ever Hamden part was staged to say me finals on the same day range especially somebody in known House press or south to get 7 45 pm and it'll be the 1st time since 1083 that Celtic and Rangers have been allowed to play in Glasgow on the same B. Meanwhile Glasgow City all through to the last 16 of the Women's Champions League Andy Murray has reached the last 8 of the Shans and opened with a significant victory over world number 11 he's the highest ranked player Murray has defeated since returning from hip surgery in 1000 sulphide a safe in the Super League for another season after a 4410 win over to loose in the Super 8 qualify as well mover just get that goal from the top flight that was a that was the point for me that we started to relax a little bit noirs got forced by the bargain I'll tell you said Coleman that play some football almost on the test as early which That's when I said controls and I am composed of what we did not let the pressure come to get to was and Chinese teenager you won says you and will face the world number one Mark Selby in his 1st quarter finals sneakers China championship Lyta fasciitis from B.B.C. Sport 5 Live still the Ryder Cup The laser coverage turns to Europe but can the Europeans return the writer Cup He has to know this one and it's come down to this euro on the 18th green send it on its way. I kept saying you're bad the Ryder Cup win CAC every day live on B.B.C. . 5 line. Ready starts today. And the best life for this is B.B.C. 5 Live. Right. Now although it is just after 335 in this is a poll night with Guy Kilty and it is 800 miles long and flows from the Netherlands through the industrial and political power houses of Germany and France to the wealthy mountains of Switzerland and Liechtenstein and author Ben Cosas travelled every mile of it and his latest book The Rhine following Europe's greatest river from Amsterdam to the Alps he explores the impact the river has had on European culture and history and its influence on those who live on its banks I started by asking him I spoke to him earlier to describe the Rhine significance I think it's had a tremendous impact on the culture and the history of every single country flows 3 and also control over how it was the Rhine was the place where the Romans stopped their progress northward sort of had a strain and decided to accept the outer limit of Empire it was fiercely fought over in 18 of those between the French and the Germans of other people it was one of the main crucibles of World War One of World War 2 the Cold War later on and they stay there still an enormous economic influence is the main one of the main outlets which German trade in cars and all those famous German products that we may flow out of the world along the Rhine 3 to the North Sea and we might think you know as you say that we might think of Rivers has been a little bit less important these days with the technology and roads and rail and you know F Right but actually the the Rhine still does perform a hugely important role in terms of international trade business the Rhine is still a hugely important economic force in the country the flow story a lot of the cities for instance in Switzerland even though there are very long way from the coast it's far from the coast of places like. Some the land they're still very much tied to the sea and they still have huge cargo ports sending big ships every day up and down the river to the sea and that's one of the main reasons why places like Switzerland and Germany and the Netherlands have managed to get a wealthy I'm country to I think it's still hugely important is still filled with it's not just an industrial zone it's still filled with the lively bustling the cities full of festivals and Gay Pride carnivals and students and people drinking and having fun and it's very much a sort of living breathing region that I think is really the heart of Europe yeah we'll come to some of those experiences that you have along the way but just listen stuff by in terms of the book just telling us why where were you when you decided to write the book and why did you decide to write the book. Well I'm British by Beth as you can probably hear but I've lived in the Netherlands for several years and as listeners may know that is everywhere here in the Netherlands and I think like a lot of people who live here will spend time here I've sort of took a lot of that water for granted it's something that you live alongside every day and you don't really pay much attention to ready it until I rather belatedly came to this quite in retrospect quite obvious realisation that all the little bits and pieces it was I still everywhere a lot of them were connected together and a lot of them formed part of the Rhine Delta are effectively the mouth of this massive river and I could in theory step out to my front door indeed out of almost any front door anywhere in the Netherlands onto a river and follow it all the way not just through the Netherlands but through Germany front Switzerland all these other countries right up through the House of Europe into the Alps and have a lot of fun on the way so that's exactly what I did sounds good and so what did you find out then in terms of the impact that the rivers had on the areas that you started in the Netherlands and he said let's do without this well as been the significance for the Netherlands of of the Rhine Well one of the major ones I think is economic which maybe doesn't sound terribly exciting the Netherlands is basically a small fairly boggy country with not many not national Not many natural resources and yet it's become one of the richest countries in the world and process the reason for that is because it's so this great trading cross right where the Rhine flayed out into the North Sea where if a German factory was to send products to the Baltic the Atlantic the North Sea to the U.K. They very often plays out along the line through the Netherlands and the Coast to Rotterdam the mountains where I was still by far the biggest in Europe today but it's also had a big cultural influence if you look at the architecture in the Netherlands the diet's people and even the political system that's based on this idea of compromise and come some. Haitian and everyone getting a little is one who can be tied back to the fact that these great rivers thrived flow through the country and it's a country that had to be effectively artificially built very carefully maintained to keep out the flatter threat of flooding How did you do the journey where you went on several modes of transport and if I did yes I originally had the idea to travel how Rivers I thought which I suppose would be the obvious or maybe even women to wait to do it but then I quickly realised that would actually end up being rather boring just sitting in a boat not doing very much by every day until I made it our way along there in the end I make stuff a bit I wrote on ferries and boats a lot of the time but I also wrote a piece in The Netherlands I cycled a bike along some long sections. I won't say ran out of pieces hike through the mountains in the slow at the source of the Rhine swam a few sections in Switzerland which was pretty good but it was so yes and so I try to mix it up a bit and see the river from as many different angles like it on the way OK so let's there was another one 1st what was the style Numsa down the new which is I think as you say in the boat was a rather unusual choice. Yes and I was quite careful could move back from this to avoid it with a recall and some Twitter about. Being on the right which is factually correct I was that I was in the alt if you're a geography city but it is directly connected to the river by the Amsterdam run canal I was just a day in the sea and enormous and have a cargo ships climbing right through the city across the central station great big cruise ships going up and down the right all the time so it's very much part of the ecosystem and connected to the river and beyond that I think if you're interested in these issues of how the water has shaped such culture and history and the influence that it had on the Dutch people themselves that is really no better place to start than I am Saddam that fantastical city this Venice will. Never And so what did you find that in terms of the journey in Holland or the Netherlands about the cultural influence of it. Well as I said I think one of the biggest impacts was economic but it's also had a huge influence on things like the famous Dutch architecture will be so skinny beautiful townhouses that have to be built so they don't sink into the river bank redbrick streets that are designed not subside there windmills that are everywhere to pump the water out when the roses get you high or spill over the famous grassy reclaimed failed where they keep all the dairy cows and make all the cheese even the fact that Dutch people the tallest in the world I think you can trace back to the fact that the same many dairy cows because of the reclaimed land and they consume so much dairy that that's make them significantly tall if you short the scientist and say that actually an enormous number of surprising factors and effects that you can tie back to the river one way or the other one of his things he touched on in the book is the complicated at times relationship between Holland and Germany which is highlighted in some ways by the river I mean just took us through that and what the the impact that well what is that complicated relationship why is it complicated and how is the river changed. Yes actually one of the things I most enjoyed when I was writing the book was looking at all Beach different relationships along the river what the French think of the Germans and the Germans think this race and so on one of the most interesting ones is as you say the Dutch German relationship which is historically and fraught I think you could say. Basically because of World War 2 where the Nazis invaded the Netherlands. And the Dutch were obviously treated quite appalling Lee by many Germans and that's cost a long shadow in the relationship today and it's still not uncommon to me. Dutch people who were very openly on T. German and refused to buy German cars or German washing machines and even younger Dutch people have a steady flow of jokes about Dutch people stealing their bicycles and so on and so that still cost a long shot I but then as I said the river has also helped tie the $2.00 countries together economically and so the Dutch economy is hugely dependent on German trade and the Germans themselves are also hugely dependent on being able to ship goods out via the Rhine in via the Netherlands and size these days it's a lot warmer the relationship I think there's still areas there and hurdles to overcome an old prejudices that can be quite funny to point out but they really they're bound together in a way that I think is pretty and breakable that I guess that's a big part of the your book isn't it the the way that all of these countries a bound together by the Rhine you know as you say Germany Holland but also from Switzerland Austria Liechtenstein their old bound together by this this. Imposing river on. Yes and I was actually one of the sort of conclusions I reached at the end of the trip was ready one of the things I found interesting was how the river had created I think this sort of common culture a long lens by the fact that all these countries were linked together in trading with each other and they clearly have distinct regional cultures and you know going to say Switzerland is the same as the natural and so Austria the same as Germany or anything like that but you go to these small shipping towns tourist towns trading towns all along the river places that are really a quite remote and have no business being anything like one another and it's quite surprising that they all seem to share this international outlook with dependence on trade this sort of globalism internationalism and confidence that I don't think you find in other towns or villages just a few valleys Eva and that's one of the things that I found really interesting particularly as a Brit in the current political climate the way that you have such a patchwork of different regional and local identities that people are very proud of where they come from but there was a very proud to be German and very proud to be your opinion and they don't see any contradiction between those between having a strong local identity but also being strongly linked to this big geographical region in this big a political project I was going to ask you about that I mean Briggs it whenever we talk about anything to do with your bread's is the so that often in the room is new and I guess looking in an area which is in many ways you know in the when you look at it is always the heart of Europe but it does almost reflect a huge amount of the interdependency of Europe too as a you know as a British person in that region how do you reflect on the fact that Britain is leaving the European Union how did the people that respond if when you asked them about it well for a lot of people up and down the river breaks it is a worry. The Netherlands for example trade about a 1000000000 euro is a week of good with the U.K. Much of it going through rougher than Germany is. Getting sent a lot of exports typically of cars to the U.K. Many of them through Rotterdam again and say the idea that the British are going to be pending that relationship and then doing something different however positive or negative that is for the Brits is quite worrying for these other countries economically and also I think politically it's a bit of a traumatic time for them countries like Germany and the Netherlands particularly have often seen the birth of kind of allies politically people who are on their side when it comes to arguing about free trade and low taxes and sort of pro-business principles against people like momentous rainy in countries and say For them it's a real loss that the U.K. Leaving but I did try to make it not the sort of negative depressing for exit books I didn't do well on those themes too much but I do think about an interesting element to it and also one of the curious things I thought was that a lot of these places on the river places like Tao spring in Germany or Russia them in the Netherlands they are I think the hockey type of cities that have become rich through globalism and through an international economy and through international trade but they're now in the last decade or so as the economy is gets a bit they're also the places where populism seems strongest in people like here Vale those in the Netherlands the far right Lida some of his strong support is right alongside the river. And in some of the German film industrial cities where the factories are closing the coal mines are closed off the places where people are asking the toughest questions about the future of Germany in the future of Europe and there's an interesting contradiction there I think that the the places that have done very well ask the globalized system but they're also now questioning it I was going to ask you about that too I mean you mentioned quite a bit in the book there is you know a lot of the sort of far right support in countries like Germany Holland. Can be found the round the river Rhine Why is that because of the sort of demise of industry around those areas is that the key reason why that's the case yes I think that's right I'm quite careful not to sort of draw the line too clearly because in Germany for example the far right support tends to be stronger in the east of Germany in the former communist side of the country rather than in the Western Rhineland so I don't think you can be sort of too black or white about it but I as I say I do think there's something interesting about these former industrial cities being to some extent places where populism is thriving and I think that is mostly due to this economic pressure as you said in the north of Germany for example if you go back 40 or 50 years you had huge factories and furnace and Steel Works employing hundreds of thousands of people all on good incomes with good housing a lot of inviting solidly for the main center left parties the sort of German equivalent of a Labor Party a surprise and then in the last decade or 2 as the mines of close and factories have closed as that kind of work has been outsourced to places like China that's already had a huge effect politically and all of those people have left the big mainstream parties and are sort of turning to me places to represent them yeah and you mention in the book too the you know the whole dynamic of modernization of the ports and more you know the very few people actually were that is all robotic. You know there's a lot of automated isn't it and that's happening more and more now so that is interesting that there's still a lot of industry around the river but actually it's becoming fewer and fewer people are needed to run it. Yes that's a very very important point I think that a lot of the big factories and the big employers are closed down a lot of the jobs local but it's certainly not the case that these places are economically deprived or depressed if you look at the Netherlands and Germany and Switzerland for example these are not rundown impoverished countries they're among the very richest countries in the world and the right I think has kept him afloat if you like in some ways and provided a lot of trade in a lot of industries brought these days that doesn't necessarily mean a lot of jobs in some way like the port of Rotterdam it means an awful lot of robots driving trains and selling containers around but not necessarily guys fitting up in the crane towers directing it like they used to and this is into is it thinking about we've touched on it so far this the idea of international trade is so crucial to those areas but actually international trade the free trade is is on the thread the moment isn't it was seeing all sorts of tariffs been slapped on goods coming out of the US out of China you know this is the time for free trade isn't it. It is yes and I guess I'd sort of try not to make it a trump approach going on about American politics or the book was supposed to be about European culture and history so I guess but again the like with Bret said something that does cast a shadow these countries in the cities of the Ryan are places that has thrived in this global system of free trade Germany particularly thrived during the Cold War under the protection of the NATO military alliance along McCullagh along the Rhine this several nuclear bunkers hidden in the hillsides one of which I visited lots of military bases the Americans had a big influence there and so the idea that suddenly these things that everyone has taken for granted for the last 60 years free trade protective American military American presidents who support the European Union and its ability to trade and specially that's really a big threat to the system if you like and something that's causing a lot of concern for the people that live there. And I mentioned the roads so far right support around these areas but the flipside of that was as he touched on earlier you know you ended up you went to the gay pride. In Cologne in the end you had a pretty interesting experience to tell us about that. Yes that's something I really enjoyed actually I think people who are on from Germany or don't travel that much it's often easy to have this stereotypical view of the Germans as being quite efficient Durant sensible and hardworking but not necessarily much fun I think if I have a something that would disprove the cliche it's a visit to the Gay Pride in Cologne or Christopher Street day as I call it when the whole city this fairly sort of historic sedate cathedral city by the river is suddenly transformed into this hugely colorful celebration of everyone in costume and drinking and dancing and grates going over the bridges over the river and it's really I think quite a striking sort of illustration of how how Jimi changing their family doesn't necessarily match up to the cliches the foreigners have after his given his changing his name and you know that we've had the same event the same chancellor for a long time and to a medical book The country is changes in policy those changes in the book it is changing Yes I think like lots of countries in Europe it's becoming less religious it's becoming politically more fragmented it's becoming a country where people don't necessarily stay with a single company and a single job for the whole lifetime to have a slightly more fragmented approach to life if you like and that's had some negative effects it's created some economic instability and there certainly challenges around low paid Wacken those kind of issues but it's also had some very positive effects for the gay pride parade again was one example of that way it just happens that the day that I visited this guy a Pride Parade the German parliament the Bundestag voted to legalize gay marriage to a few days before something which would have been unthinkable a decade ago but now it's just very much in the political mainstream. Yeah I guess that's the really important part of this is the of this funny you saying about the misconception as you say of you know Jim it's been a bit boring when you go see I've been to Germany a few times over the years couple of start doing a couple of weekends away and actually the Germans know how to lay on a good night out on the let's be honest they definitely do I think one of the things I think I mentioned that somewhere in the Good Grief Lee My sense is perhaps just that the Germans tend to keep things quite neatly compartmentalized. When you're at work you're quite serious and hardworking and you have a business meeting where you don't crack jokes get on with the work at hand and then when it's finished you're going to the be all any Have a great time and they're all funny and friendly until Arius It's very laid back and fun loving. And not just maybe conflict a little bit with some of the U.K. Where I think things are a bit more mixed up and you have the business meeting in the lunch or work reverenced cracking jokes and the banter flying back and forwards and then you go to the pub and it's almost just like a continuation of the coffee break where I think some ways. And so that means that Brits who encounter Germans only in the workplace don't think they're a bit boring and sensible but actually if obviously if you go to any bar or nightclub in any big German city on a Friday night I think it's just as lively maybe even more so than one in any other country yet you know that able to weather separate hearts a bit more definitely I think that's the case is that not just in terms of towards the end then you end up in the Alps or just so his how is that journey has always that the majority of your journey would have been so that pretty flat I imagine but that would have changed I guess in the. Yes You cry a striking trying to know something I quite enjoyed saying Actually as I feel like this great river for months across Europe this huge Why of Steger I channel that pretty far out most of the way flying through the cities and then you get past Lichtenstein towards the 2nd time into Switzerland and a very suddenly now rise to something just as wide as a couple of cars perhaps gets much stony or Rocky a much clearer culpa and then very quickly raised up and goes almost vertically up the side of a mountain through the rocks and it is almost hard to believe that it's the same river as it was just a few days previously whereas with huge gray canal and then it suddenly this gushing mountain stream and then ultimately I sort of hike a little way through the mountains and you come to the source of the right which I mean it's slightly disputed inevitably where the exact source is but there's one spot that most geographers accept is the most likely official source and that's like time in Switzerland which is this beautiful little glue probably like just perched high in the peaks very idyllic tranquil nothing there but rocks and grass and tumbling water and again you see that and it's hard to imagine that this is the the same stream of water that was carrying cargo ships a few days previously and flowing under the policy of that day price that we before in terms of the Rhine the significance clearly is out of my 6 massive significance of over the is I guess the question is what will its significance be in the future as we talk about with technology and the way international trade is changing is it going to remain a significant you know in the in the coming decades. I put quite a lot of money on the writing continuing to be quite important for an awful long time to come I think if you look at the history of it it's played a huge history Ph huge role in the history of Europe for at least 2000 years probably more and so to say that it can't withstand friendship and it's going to fade into insignificance in the next 5 years I think you're a little bit naive I would bet that it will be healthy and wealthy for a good long time I was talking about his book The Rhine following Europe's greatest from the from the Alps coming up in the next hour why failing to switch our banking and utilities providers is costing us $4000000000.00 pounds a year.