The perfect first step into the Football Journalism industry

Having always taken a keen interest in all things football, I never really thought about it as an industry in which to forge a career. Given my once promising football career was dashed having had my first pint at a local pub with some friends. Writing about the beautiful game never really crossed my mind. Yet as I studied my undergraduate degree I became embroiled in my student Newspaper and realised this is exactly where I wished to go. The problem is how on earth does one get themselves into this arena? It is extremely difficult, but there is hope! The internship offered by Football FanCast makes a great entry to the industry and through the expertise of those involved in the internship, enable you to hone your skills.

We met for an initial training day in January where our Editor Martin Crawford, Sub Editor Tom Jones and Managing Directors Niall Coen and Sarah Kennedy were present. The meeting immediately gave me excitement for the project as everyone was extremely friendly and the having the prospect of writing material about one of my passions. I and the rest of the interns were taken through how to write an article, what constituted a good article and how exactly to promote out work through social media. Furthermore we were taught how to upload articles to the website which is profoundly easy once grasped.

From this we were eased into a weekly plan which Martin emailed to us with our articles. Any problems we had Martin or Tom were available to email or contact by telephone. This safety net, especially in the first few weeks really helps with your confidence. Additionally I received a weekly intern report from Martin about my progress with a weekly read count. A Buddy feedback form was filled out on your peers so that we as interns could offer ideas and guidance towards each other.

Whilst writing up to three articles a day for both FootballFanCast.com and TransferTavern.com I really began to understand how the industry worked and how to increase my readership. Sarah Kennedy, one of the Managing Directors has brilliant expertise in Social Media. She offered me guidance in creating a successful Twitter account in which to promote my articles. Within 6 weeks I had over 2,000 followers on Twitter reading my pieces. This just highlights one of the many skills I have learnt throughout this internship.

After a few weeks, Martin began letting us as interns decide what articles we wished to produce. We could now really show our flair and ideas for articles to the Football FanCast team. Yet again if I needed guidance on any issue Martin was always available as was Tom, Niall or Sarah. What made the whole experience enjoyable was the safety net I had in place. At no point did I feel out of my depth or worried about producing the right work. If I needed help, it was a phone call away.

On this internship we were also given the opportunity to interview members of the public to create articles. The interns met in the friendly atmosphere of a pub near the Emirates in North London, before heading out to interview fans about certain aspects of their teams the interns as a group had decided. Upon regrouping, Niall and Martin got a few rounds in and some food which went down a treat.

I would most certainly recommend this internship as I now have a large portfolio of work available to employees. It is quickly available for access on the internet to anyone. Furthermore I have learnt skills you just cannot learn in academia. How to gain reads, what makes a good story and how the business works. I never felt pressured by any of the guys at Football FanCast; all I ever received was encouragement and praise which I found spurned me on more. If you are looking for a way into football journalism, there isn’t much better than this.

Matt Balmforth