"Too much greed and self-serving" - morality in sport examined in new book

Lee, who turned 50 this year, said: “The Dilly Dong Bell is a book about sport, society and life.

“It’s a book for anyone who has cried with joy over their sports team winning or been mystified what the appeal is. Major issues such as identity, racism, toxic masculinity and mental health are explored through sport, and what I’ve witnessed and learned in 30 years covering events across the world.

“Sport lost its way. There has been too much hype, greed, cheating and bad management. I lost the love of sport that enchanted the six-year-old boy on the cover. I saw too much that was wrong. Too much greed and self-serving. But partly thanks to my beloved local football team Horsham FC, in the fans and the community spirit, I rediscovered the joy in sport.

“The settings are not just in sport, but other workplaces. I explore how we hold our nerve under high pressure. It’s a book for those who have had overbearing authority male figures setting the tone.

“I celebrate kind, empathetic leadership in sport and life. I witnessed the greatest sports story of all six years ago when a humble Italian manager inspired a fairy tale. They said Leicester City winning the Premier League couldn’t happen. But it did. Claudio Ranieri energised his players with a tiny bell. The dilly dong bell. It’s inspirational. Good guys can succeed.”

Lee added: “Over thirty years as a sports journalist, I’ve been a correspondent, presenter, producer, writer and a boss, at companies including BBC, Sky and ITN. This is my first book.

“I hope the book helps generate content and opportunities on sports matters, from consultancy and broadcasting to film making. I want it to add to important discussions on society through sport and start some new ones.

“Global TV networks such as CNN and Al Jazeera are using my analysis and philosophy on sport in wider discussions. There’s a short film I made for Al Jazeera in 2019 named ‘Death of a football club’ which showed the importance of a football club to a community and the grieving process when it was killed off by bad governance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdtT9YUmH6A“And here is one of the short films made by my company www.Kalleyedo.co.uk (with experienced director of photography Richard Ashdown) which was about my emotional return to my childhood library after forty years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JmVTTPmVjM“I am hoping to develop my public speaking and consultancy, particularly in Sussex, on the importance of sport to our communities.”

Lee has worked in sports journalism and broadcasting for more than three decades.

Having worked for the BBC, Sky News, ITN and Hayters Sports Agency in Fleet Street, Lee more recently founded his own production company, Kalleyedo Films.

Lee is regularly booked as a sports analyst and gives motivational talks for a wide range of audiences from corporates to school children.

Born and raised in London, he now lives in Horsham with his wife and three children and is a devoted supporter of Horsham Football Club.

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