My non-league day out...Southport V Rochdale friendly

I'd been looking forward to this weekend ever since we'd announced the friendly fixture against Southport, not only because it was the first of our pre-season games in the UK, but also because it meant I could finally meet @NicSFC off Twitter, who, if you follow me, will know I talk to a lot!

Southport bound & new shirt

So, we arranged to meet before the game and come Saturday morning I opened the curtains to see the heavens had opened all night and I'm sure the rain didn't stop all morning. As I tarted myself up for Nic (lol) and pulled on my brand spanking new Dale shirt, which is rather smart as you can see, it continued to rain and I was starting to wonder if the game was going to be called off. We set off from Rochdale at 12.30pm, picking up other Rochdale fans on the way and we were finally Southport bound...as we left Rochdale, the rain stopped and the sun came out...typical Rochdale weather!


The journey to Southport took a little longer than expected, the traffic was pretty bad, obviously because of all the Dale fans making the trip to the seaside (lol!), and we also did the typical "oh there's a coach from Rochdale, it must be the players, oh no it's some old people" haha! Anyways, as we arrived in Southport, we easily parked up on a decent street too, there's plenty of street parking around the ground, which is a welcome change. As soon as we parked up I rang Nic, she was already at the ground, so I headed in her direction. She'd told a lovely man to look out for a very blonde Rochdale fan, so we were immediately united!

Nic and me

So, with my Southport fan and non-league chaperone in hand, I left my fellow Rochdale fans in the pub with the rest of the Dale lot and headed off with my new friend (and her brother!). I was rather impressed that it was just £7.00 in at Haig Avenue, was certainly a welcome change. Into the ground I was once again impressed by the set up. Three of the four sides were standing terraces, two uncovered and one covered, and then along one side was a "main" stand that was seating and covered.


Given the morning's typical northern weather and the fact that we both have nice hair, we decided to sit in the covered seated stand, which is also where Nic usually sits. So, we took up our places in the stand, we also had a pretty decent view right on the half way line, behind our bench and next to the tunnel, so not only did our hair stay looking nice but it also meant we had a good view.

So, the match kicked off, unfortunately or funnily we were sat in front of a Scottish Dale fan who felt the need to give a running commentary on the game! I have to say the team that Southport put out in the first half struggled to get near our players and the league gap was quite obvious, but we ended the first half 0-0. Into the second half Southport fielded a different team and they seemed to have a little bit more about them and played some decent football. Their side also included ex-Rochdale player Simon Grand...who has got rather fit...I'm sorry lol! Rochdale took the lead on 55 minutes with a header from new signing Ashley Grimes, but just after the hour Southport pulled it back level with a well taken penalty from Tony Gray. Rochdale newbie Simon Hackney made the scoreline 1-2 on 85 minutes with a beauty of goal over the keeper's head from 25 yards out. And that was it done and dusted: Southport 1 - 2 Rochdale.


A few more highlights from my non-league day out? I think Nic got rather jealous when we got our ice bath out, oh yes, we're posh now we're in League One...although the image was somewhat ruined when a group of our fans decided to strip down to their underwear, jump over the boards and get in said ice bath...


We also spent most the time having a good natter as girls do and also checking out some of the players, sorry...lol! Nic was the first person I've met off Twitter and I came back alive, so it must have gone well, although I'm sure I'm not supposed to meet up with random people off the internet!


So we said our goodbyes and on our way back to the car we stopped off at a shop to get some sweets...I have to say it was a strange experience...I've never been in a shop that sold old Easter eggs without the packaging with a sign that just said "egg £1" haha!


Getting away from the ground was easy and we were well on our way, so on went my music much to the dismay of those in the car with me, although I reckon they quite liked my rapping and brapping. Home, trashy TV and a Chinese for tea, all in all a good non-league day out.

Supporting Groundhop Week

At 5pm on October 8th this year, four Northampton Town fans will leave the Sixfields Stadium after their home game against Crawley Town and spend the following week visiting a further 163 football grounds before they arrive at Vale Park at 2pm on 15th October, totalling 165 football grounds in 165 hours.

What started as an idea for a football challenge to raise money for a charity quickly spiralled into Groundhop Week and rather than just sticking to the 92 football league grounds, they will attempt to have their picture taken at 165 football grounds (including the 92), covering up to 4,500 miles in one week.


The Groundhoppers are Ben, Aaron, Andy and Chris and the aim of Groundhop Week is to raise as much money as they can for two very worthwhile charities - Parkinsons UK and Cancer Research.

You can catch all the build-up to Groundhop Week by visiting their website or following them on Twitter @groundhopweek. And I'm sure come October 8th there will be lots of antics to follow as they attempt to visit all 165 football grounds.

The lads would love your support in their quest to complete this football challenge and I urge everyone to visit their (very good) website and follow them on Twitter, and please spare as little or as much money as you can to donate to this cause.

Also, anyone with a football blog, website, forum or podcast, please support these lads, they're a great bunch and doing this for a fantastic cause, so any offers of promotion to get the word out there would be very much appreciated!


Website: http://www.groundhopweek.com

Twitter: @groundhopweek
Donations: Groundhop Week

Bikini-clad Russian women's football team

After dwindling attendances, a Russian women's football team have gone to extreme lengths to try and woo supporters back to games by playing in their bikinis! FC Rossiyanka are actually a rather professional team having won the Russian Women's Premier League 3 times and qualifying for the Women's Champions League twice too.

Imagie copyright of TheMetro.co.uk

I don't know whether this is serious or just a publicity stunt, but even the nature of it probably makes most female football fans or others involved in the industry quite frustrated; it does seem like a step backwards, although I'm pretty sure we wouldn't see something like this in the UK. Many of you would probably think I'd be appalled by this, but if you know me or follow me on Twitter then you'll know I think it's rather funny and I'm not fussed by this sort of thing.


However, the question I pose to you is...what would you all think if this was the other way round and a male football team played, say, topless and in small shorts to encourage fans to games?!

Remembering Ernie Cooksey for ErnieFlag.co.uk

You may or may not know who Ernie Cooksey is, for those of you who do, I'm sure you'll share the same opinion as me about him, and for those that don't then I'm sure you'll understand what type of person he was after reading this.

Ernie was your typical lower league footballer, he was a grafter on the pitch and a battling midfielder, probably best known for his time at Crawley Town, Rochdale, Oldham and Boston. As a Rochdale fan, I was lucky enough to see Ernie play and to meet him, and I can honestly say he was one of the friendliest footballers I have ever met. He was genuinely a top guy who was happy to talk to fans and gave everything for the club.

In early 2008 Ernie was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a severe form of skin cancer, he'd battled the illness before in 2006. In the early hours of July 2nd 2008, aged 28, Ernie Cooksey died, leaving behind his partner who was 5 weeks away from giving birth to their daughter.

Following his death, a group of Oldham fans decided to set up www.ernieflag.co.uk - basically what it says on the tin, taking Ernie's flag to every Oldham game (and more!) - a way to both remember Ernie Cooksey and to raise awareness of the illness that took him. 

I was asked to contribute to the website and remember Ernie's time at Rochdale, so please head over there and read my article.

Please visit www.ernieflag.co.uk and follow them on Twitter @ernieflag

Interview with Ian Abrahams aka The Moose from talkSPORT

As my previous interviews have gone down so well on my blog, I thought I'd bring you another one, however this one has a bit of a different edge from Ian Abrahams aka The Moose from award winning radio station talkSPORT. I think most football fans will know who The Moose is, he's certainly a character and whether you're a fan of his or not, he's certainly somebody that people find somewhat intriguing. 


Ian talked to me about how much he loves his jobs, the occasional downsides and gives some fantastic advice on how aspiring sports journalists can get into the industry. I hope you enjoy reading this interview and I'd like to thank Ian for agreeing to do this and for giving some excellent career tips too.

Image copyright of jewishtelegraph.com

Did you always intend to work in sports journalism?

Of course, 100%, it was always my dream from being young and I always wanted to be a sports journalist. Every lad wants to be a footballer, sure, but surely the next best thing is to talk about, watch and interview people about sports all day long.


Was it always broadcast over print?

Yes and I think radio journalism is personally my favourite to work in. I’ve done some television work but radio journalism is much more challenging than television which can sometimes be a bit lazy as you’ve got the pictures to do the talking for you. In radio journalism, especially sports, you’ve got to paint a picture for the listeners and bring information to life.


It’s also a much more intimate form of journalism and is obviously instant, I absolutely love it. I guess when you first start out that can make you feel quite nervous because you’ve got to think on the spot, but I’ve been doing this for 20 odd years now so I’m used to it and it’s like second nature, although I do sometimes get maybe a little nervous or perhaps it’s more excitement these days.


Did you go to university?

I went to Birmingham Polytechnic and studied for a degree in Politics. To be honest, it meant I got Monday and Friday off and only had six hours of lectures a week – which meant it was quite an easy degree and I could enjoy the experience! I then went and did a Post Graduate degree in Broadcast Journalism; my lecturer there was Jonathan Hewett and he was well known in the industry and most people who graduated from there got a job in journalism quite easily.


Sports journalism is tough to crack, what do you think gave you that edge?

It might sound clichéd, but it really is not what you know, but who you know, and always being in the right place at the right time. Of course, having the right qualifications like a degree and experience will also give you that extra edge over someone else too. But I’ve actually never got a job through applying for one or having a formal interview; it’s either been through doing freelance work or knowing someone who has recommended me for a job.


Which part of your job do you enjoy the most?

How can you not enjoy my job?! I get to watch football all the time! I get to meet and talk to footballers and managers and I get paid for it too. Millions of people would love to do what I do and I’m very appreciative of that. I get to get out and about meeting lots of famous people and attending some fantastic events. I’ve been to two World Cup Finals, World Snooker Championships and Wimbledon, and I’ll be at the Olympics next year too. The press seats are also usually the best seats too and I can honestly say that I’d actually pay to attend the events I get to report on and be paid to report on, so I’m very lucky.


Any bad parts of your job?

I wouldn’t say there are any bad parts. Yes the starts are early and the nights can be late but I love what I do. Sometimes you may be watching a match and it can be really dull; you’ve got to tell the listeners what’s going on and make it sound interesting for them, sometimes that can be difficult but if it’s the club they support then you have to make it sound interesting to them.


With any sporting event I’m working on you obviously have to be there quite early too to get yourself set up and do preparation, and you don’t leave until after everyone else has gone too, so there are a lot of long days. However, every fantastic day I have makes up for the odd bad days. I’m a glass half full kind of guy and I have the best job in the world – I’d rather have my job than any other because every day is new and exciting.


Any words of wisdom for aspiring sports journalists?

The main thing is to be enthusiastic and show that it’s something you want to do; you have to love what you do otherwise you won’t enjoy it. It can be a frustrating job with lots of waiting around but having to maintain that enthusiasm, whether it’s a press conference being late, a player not turning up for an interview or the print media doing their interviews first; but it’s always rewarding once you get that interview you’ve been waiting so long for.


You should always listen to what people have to say – managers and players – because they could provide you with a great piece of information that you can then use to create an entirely different story. I never go into a press conference or a interview with any questions written down, I let them do the talking and pick up on things they say and create interview questions that way otherwise I could miss out on something they’ve said that could give me a great lead all because I’m focussing on my next question written down.


I’d also advise any aspiring sports journalist to not just focus on one sport like football but to look at others as well, especially the more obscure sports because that’s where you’ll probably find an opportunity to get your name out there. Keep on plodding away on what you love and you’ll get there. Never take no for answer, pester people as much as you can and be forceful otherwise people will ignore you.


The best way to get out there is to just ask for an interview – if you don’t ask, you don’t get – if I saw Messi, Elton John or even David Flitcroft (!) walking down the street I’d just go and ask for an interview and if they say yes then great, you should never presume people will say no and unexpected interviews are always the best and then I’ve got something that no other journalist has.


Also, at every opportunity you have talk to people and make contacts, always get someone’s number and network as much as possible, like I said earlier, it’s not what you know but who you know.


You can follow Ian Abrahams aka The Moose from talkSPORT on Twitter @Moose_talkSPORT.

Women in football

Given the name of my blog, this is a very apt feature to be appearing and I hope that putting together this piece will give credit to all my fellow female football ladies and bring to light the fantastic work they're doing as we start to see more and more women in football. I started my blog Girl On A Terrace with an aim of giving female fans in the lower leagues a voice and I truly hope I'm on my way to achieving that.


I think I realised the female football community a lot more when I joined Twitter for my football blog with plenty of female fans, bloggers, journalists, coaches and even agents making their opinions heard on there, and what's great is that it's also a little bit of a community too, well hey, us girls to stick together!

Another thing that I've also been impressed by is the response by the rest of the football community on Twitter, I don't think I've yet to come across someone who looks down on me as a female or doesn't think my opinion on a football matter counts as much as male's, in fact, I seem to have become somewhat of a go to person for particular football news and opinions on players which has come as a surprise to me and I'm very flattered by.


Although the whole women in football issue has been done to death over the times, the recent Andy Gray and Richard Keys saga over comments made about female official Sian Massey brought it into the spotlight. From my research it's seems that she's just one of two female officials in the Football League, although it appears to be on the rise with what is believed to be approximately 853 female officials from grass root level and women like Karren Brady can only be doing good for the game.


As a female football fan in the lower leagues I'm used to the comments or surprised looks when people find out not only that I'm a football fan but who I also support and I can't tell you the amount of times that people have asked if I'm a WAG and that's why I like football! Luckily for me, Rochdale fans aren't too fussed whether you're male or female and despite the odd cheeky comments and banter I've never felt dismissed or undermined, in fact, Rochdale fans are really welcoming. Over the past few season I've also started to see an awful lot more females at Spotland and at away games which is great to see and I have no doubt that we'll start to see more female fans in the lower leagues.


So that's enough of me chattering on, now I bring you the women in football...

The sports journalist - @emiliasport

Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/england/london
"Football is a male dominated sport. Fact. The statistics speak for themselves. If you look at the male to female ratio when it comes to players, officials, owners, media and fans, the overwhelming majority are men, yes. There is a popular notion that women merely co-exist in this mad world of transfer windows and yellow cards. But rest assured things are changing. This doesnt mean that more women will become interested in the sport or even become involved with it, but for those who do want to, its not an impossibility. 


The 21st century has opened gigantic doors and windows that make it perfectly acceptable to be a woman, work in sport and be darn good at it. There are more female sports presenters, columnists and commentators than ever before and well respected ones at that. There are also more women being chosen as referees and I'm pretty sure they know the offside rule. From the Champions League to League Two, I've been to my fair share of matches and with just one quick glance into the stands, let me tell you - I can see plenty of women. Breaking into the industry is hard enough, and perhaps even more so when you are female. I work in sport and unsurprisingly most of my colleagues are male. To be honest, I've never felt a significant gender divide where someone has implied I could or could not do something because I am a woman. Maybe I'm lucky, but the men I work with have always treated me as a member of the team. Sure, I've come across people in the industry who do make unfounded assumptions (and make no effort to hide their feelings) but you get those sorts of people in all walks of life. 


If the Sian Massey saga has taught us anything, its that sexism is on its way out. However the reality is, they will always be present even in a mild form. As will misconceptions associated with many professions. For example, fashion is often thought of as a woman's 'department' - but a lot of the most talented womenswear designers are in fact men, (and a lot of straight men too.) Now I'm not claiming to be the Oscar De La Renta of the beautiful game, but all I ask is to be judged on the job I do and the stories I tell, rather than which gender box I tick. I can appreciate the beauty in a Wayne Rooney wonder-strike just as much as I admire the hours of hand-crafting that have gone into a Dior couture gown. But hey, what do I know, I'm just a woman!"


The aspiring journalist - @Lucy_bfc

Website: http://lookblacknamber.blogspot.com
"In the long-term my dream is to be a Sports Journalist working with a nationally recognised institute. In the meantime, I’ve got experience working locally and within the football team I support. I believe what I have learnt thus far (as well as through a Journalism degree) should set me in good stead – although it’s not all about qualifications, but networking and getting within the right circuits – something I believe I need to improve on.

The football (and journalist) industry/ies are very much male orientated, which I think can only be seen as a positive from a female’s point of view – obviously it’s all friendly competition and not conforming to the stereotype or mainstream could in fact work in our favour. However, in comparison to preceding decades, the female is becoming more commonplace and this can only be good for the industries involved."


The non-league football fan - @NicSFC

Website: http://nonleaguechannel.co.uk/nicolahudsonstorys.php
"I don't really see myself as a 'female' football fan. When it all boils down to it, my sex has nothing

really to do with my passion for football. The recent public cries of sexism only serve to the

detriment of the women who want to be involved in the game, with the long term repercussions

potentially bring about a bigger division between the sexes than before. We are living in an over politically correct world, where we are taught what we can say in the expectation that how we think will follow. But though it may not be said out-loud, resentment will build within the industry, making it harder for a true, achievement-based equality to be reached. Fear of what can and cannot be said around women will soon overshadow the work that they do. 


My heart will always lie with Southport FC regardless of what level they play at. Supporting my local club has always been, and will always be, important to me. Every Saturday I leave the glamour of the Football League far behind and watch football where money does not infringe on the players' attitudes on the pitch and a game which remains populated by local players showcasing their talents and not dominated by foreign imports."


The league football fan - @footychick25

"I think the football industry has certainly become a lot more inclusive to females in the sport recently, but ultimately it's still a minority, there are still very few female football agents in the game for example and there are still very few females involved in the highest positions i.e. a handful of female lineswomen and still no women managing a football league club. The sexism storm last season just showed that the women who are in the game are STILL prejudiced against or treated in a derogatory way firmly and solely because of their sex.


One of football's highest profile females Karren Brady has often spoke out how she has been treated differently or with less respect just because she was a woman. It's encouraging to see more female figures in the industry, undoubtedly but there is still a lot of work to be done. As for female football fans, I think we are definitely on the rise and I think it's great to see so many passionate female football fans like your good self, going on Twitter has certainly been eye opening to see how many girls passionately love their teams, these aren't girls who take a passing interest in the game, these are girls who are massive fans, who list it amongst their interests or who have their club name as part of their Twitter name, they are season ticket holders, who love and breathe their club as much as many male fan and I think this is fantastic!


The FA themselves are actively encouraging females to the game, and there are stats that show a massive rise in the numbers of female season ticket holders at Premier League and Championship clubs especially. I think so long as the female fans at games show a keen interest in the game, I don't think anyone really notices what sex you are as you're all there for the same thing. The only thing I do find where people can still have a sexist attitude towards female fans is on offering opinions, I still sometimes feel on club forums that if you reveal you're a female fan you're suddenly not taken too seriously, attitudes have improved massively as numbers of female fans have risen and away from the stereotypical 'women don't know the offside rule' but I still find occasions where I feel marginalised as a female football fan."


The Premier League fan - @vivsinnott

"The good news these days is that now (and about time too) it's becoming more acceptable for women not only to be fans of football but also to be involved in the reporting and presenting of the great game. There are some great women pioners in the game (although I have yet to see a Plain Jane amongst them!!). However, as an LFC fan I still find myself, on occasions, up against a barrage of 'friendly banter' from the male population! I am often to be found in the local pub (coffee or beer depending on time of day!) with three friends discussing the latest game/transfers etc. and with two being LFC fans and two Everton, the banter can often get a little heated - lightheartedly I may add!


Whilst in mid flow you can guarantee that the blokes on the next table feel they have to join in and 'correct' us with the bloke-eyed take on the conversation! We are used to this and have some very reliable 'come backs' which usually do the trick. On a more positive note, I love the banter, excitement and pure joy that watching my team brings. I don't get to Anfield very much, following a Premier League club can be a very expensive business indeed, but am proud to be a fan and a female fan at that! There are a lot of us out there!"


The footballer - @Cazza7

"I've always played football from when I could walk and I've been involved in playing for teams since I was 11 years old. I have played for quite a few different teams in the North East, including Whitley Bay and Durham City. I also played for the University of Sunderland whilst studying for a degree in Sport Science.


It's incredible to see how much women's football has grown in the past few years with more and more women taking part. The standard has increased a lot. Personally I enjoy playing to improve and become a better player whilst being part of a team. I am also a football coach and very passionate about the girls game as well."


The agent - @GeorgieLillis

Website: http://www.star-signings.com
"I think women are becoming more well known within the sport and for all the right reasons. We have very successful women doing a great job who we can all look up to. Women like Karen Brady, Rachel Anderson, Sian Massey, Hope Powell, all the sky sports reporters, commentators and presenters, and some very good female journalists out there too. It isnt about being a woman or a man, it is about being able to do the job and being good at it. There are so many female fans aswell, like yourself, who all love football and actually know all you can about it, and your blog and many others are helping to show we do actually know what we are talking about and are true fans.


There are major developments taking place like the creation of the semi professional womens league, which are all positive steps forward and encourage girls to get involved. It isnt an easy industry to come into, I am not trying to make changes like mixed teams or change the history of football, I think we just want to be less judged and more accepted. A lot of people are realising that women can be great additions to football and can play a major part in it, just as well as men can. You do sometimes get treated differently and the odd remark said to you, but I think you probably get sarcasm in many walks of life, it is about how you react and becoming a stronger person."


The referee - @popeyxx

Website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tseAR9Tn5E
"I have also now been a qualified female referee for around 3 years and currently officiate both male and female matches from under 8’s all the way through to open age. As a female referee the chances of progression are increasing as incidents such as Sian Massey pop up in the news it is a good way to build knowledge about the small minority of females who give up their weekends to officiate something that they love. I am going to continue to referee when I move over to the States and hopefully progress up the ladder from my current Level 7 to around Level 3 or maybe even higher.


If my playing career does not take off then this is something that I would seriously look into and hopefully will be able to be earning some decent money from it. The football industry especially around women and refereeing is one where some people still have very old fashioned views. The men believe that women should not be involved in football and this was shown when high profile figures such as Andy Gray and Richard Keys showed their narrow minded opinions. I believe that over the next few years women’s football with grow in the UK, however there is never going to be the chance of it becoming as big as the men’s game because they are never going to be able to get the funding to support it.


If more people paid attention to the women’s game and watched women’s football then they would appreciate the game more and therefore spread the word. During the future I hope that as myself I will be able to reach a high level in women’s football as a player, referee and a coach and would like to become as highly qualified as possible as I begin my career in the football game."


I would like to thank each and every one of the lovely ladies who contributed to this blog post and took their time to talk to me about their opinions on women in football.

Interview with female football agent Georgina Lillis

As you'd probably expect from the name of my blog, I like to bring you the world of football from a female's point of view and what better insight into the game than with someone who's responsible for the comings and goings in the football industry.

Image copyright of TheSun.co.uk

So with that in mind here is an interview with football agent Georgina Lillis (yes Rochdale fans, she's the sister of our ex-keeper!). She's one of just 10 female football agents in the country and she knows a fair bit about football, given that not only is her brother a goalkeeper, but her dad is also a former footballer too.


I hope you enjoy reading about the life of a female football agent...


Tell me about who you work for?

"I work for a company called Star Management Signings. Our offices are in London and I am based in the north. My job as an agent involves many different things, no day is ever the same which I like."


What type of services does the company provide?

"We are involved heavily in contract negotiations when finding a player a new club and also at a player's current club to re-negotiate their contracts. We have to speak to managers on a daily basis, especially now it's the transfer window and make them aware of the availability of our players and get them the best deal we possibly can, with everything they need and are happy with. Once the contract is sorted we then have all the aftercare to think about. We have a lot of foreign clients who we have brought to England, so we have to start at the very beginning with them. We have to help set up bank accounts, find them a house, insurance, internet, cars, changing their driving licenses, language lessons, kids in school, mobile phones etc. It is the same for our English players aswell, if we have found them a new club we then help them move house and get settled. We are on call 24/7 for them. I think some people maybe see that as molly coddling the players slightly, but we just help to ensure everything off the field is all fine so they can concentrate fully on their football and play to the best of their ability."


And what about the commercial side?

"We are also there to gain commercial deals and endorsements for our players, including boot and merchandise deals, always trying to raise their profiles as much as possible for the right reasons. We have accountants, financial advisors and lawyers connected to the company so that the players deal with everything wisely to help in the future. We also help them after football, whether it be going into coaching or refereeing as one of players wants to do!"


What's a typical week like for you?

"We are always actively looking to recruit new players to the company. I go to 4-5 games a week on average, including youth team, reserves and first team games. We then try and make contact with the players and explain what we are about and how we can help them. Standing in the rain and cold on a Tuesday night isnt exactly glamorous, but its what football is about and I love it! (I like to work my way around the grounds and compare the pies!) We also scout for clubs as well and bring players to them if they tell us what they are looking for."


Are you responsible for anything else?

"I am also the full time PA for the company which I have done for 4 years now. I do this alongside the agent work which means I have to be very good at time management and prioritise! This includes flight bookings and travel arrangements for the staff, ticket requests, insurance, liaising with the accountants with regards to receipts etc. Our company also organise pre-season tours to Slovenia. Reading came out last year, QPR and West Brom the year before, and Chelsea reserves the year before that. We go out there in July; Reading and Middlesbrough are coming out with us this year. So this time of year is also busy with the arrangements for that. I book all the flights, hotels, liaise with the club sports scientists and fitness guys to ensure the meals are all correct, book the travel to and from training and to the games, and we also organise all the games whilst over there.


You can read more about the company Georgina works for - Star Management Signings - by visiting their website at www.star-signings.com and their Twitter @StarMSignings.


And you'll find Georgina on Twitter too @GeorgieLillis.

Archived work from 2006: Interview with Brian O'Neil

I was recently searching through all the old documents on my laptop and came across some of my university work. For those of you who don't know, I did Journalism at university and I found some great little features and interviews that I did for a portfolio based around football. So I thought I'd share some of them with you.

With that in mind, please remember that I've been out of university for about five years now and I think this interview with Brian O'Neil was in my final year, so it's obviously very much out of date! But I thought I'd still post it up because it's quite nice to look back and it's a good read.

So here's a piece I did for a portfolio of work, I think from 2006...not long after this was done Brian O'Neil retired from football due to injuries.


Preston’s
Brian O’Neil talked to me about his fond memories from Celtic, the
importance of his family and how much he’s enjoying life at North End.

“Are you alright over there Neily?” asks Preston North
End manager Billy Davies, winking with a cheeky grin. Brian O’Neil laughs and
replies in a thick Scottish accent: “No, I could do with some candles and will
you dim down the lights too?”

Thankfully, I don’t take any offence to their jibes; the
familiarity of such a masculine environment is something I’m used to being a
female football fan. Sitting together at a table in the corner of the room,
away from the other journalists, I get all of Brian’s attention. I automatically
dismissed the footballer stereotype as he pulls out my chair and offers me a
drink.

Dressed in his North End training gear, Brian is quite
different to what you’d expect and starts off talking about his personal life
and how important his children are.

Reminiscing, Brian says: “I grew up in Paisley in Scotland
where I first started playing for Celtic as a lad, I was only 12 years old and
my family were huge fans as was I. Now I live in Lytham with my family, I’ve
got three children they’re three, five and eight years old, and are a handful
but worth every minute of it. I’m a family man, I love spending time with my
family and friends, and the occasional game of golf”

The 35-year-old midfielder spent six years at Celtic
before moving to Nottingham Forest, Aberdeen, Wolfsburg and an unhappy spell at
Derby County before he arrived at Preston North End in 2003.

His time at Celtic is fondly remembered and Brian beams
as he thinks of how proud his Dad was. Laughing, Brian says: “We were massive
Celtic fans and he was so proud that I was out there playing for them. My debut
was brilliant and has got to be my best memory of being there.”

Quite disheartened Brian says: “In 1996 I was called up
to the Scotland team for the first time, I was so proud to be playing for my
national team but unfortunately I didn’t get much of a run and I’ve spent most
my call ups on the bench. It can be frustrating being away from my family when
I don’t get to play.”

His Preston debut is one Brian wants to forget as he
tells me they lost 4-0 to Ipswich Town on a cold January day: “It wasn’t great!
But at least things have changed since then.”

Things sure have changed including reaching the play-off
finals, which they lost 2-0. Brian sighs: “It’s not a bad memory but I was so
disappointed we lost the game. I have so many great memories from here already
that it almost doesn’t matter. My best has got to be the play-off game against
Derby County at Deepdale, it was a full house and we won 2-0.”

A true gentleman and a refreshing change, Brian stood up
and thanked me for taking the time to talk to him. As he heads off he grabs his
team mate Danny Dichio and they laugh like a pair of school boys as Brian trips
up a curb.

I've got got a few more features from university that I'm going to put on my blog too, so keep an eye out for them!

Spotland away days - a neutral's view

Next up in my series of 'Spotland away days' guest posts is Neil Maskell...

Twitter - @moaningmaskell

Website - http://www.floydstreete.blogspot.com

I am one of those armchair supporters which Dale fans must loathe so much. I’ve only ever actually attended two RAFC matches. My excuse? I live more than 200 miles away in Berkshire and I have only actually visited Rochdale once.


My first visit in March 2005 was as a neutral. With my own team not playing that particular weekend I took a trip up to Spotland with a Wycombe Wanderers supporting friend. We arrived in good time, parked up on one of the side streets with ease and made our way over to the RAFC clubhouse. Once inside we were made welcome, we had a decent pint in this tidy little bar where I was interested to read the decorative memorabilia about the 2002/03 cup run.  After finishing our drinks we went over the road to the chippie and we took some rather delicious chips into the away end with us.


The game ended in an unmemorable 1-1 draw but I had thoroughly enjoyed my day. It was an inexpensive, hassle free day at a friendly little club. Paid cash on the turnstiles. Free, easy parking. It reminded me of the game I fell in love with before my own club moved away from their own little ground hemmed in between suburban streets in favour of an all-seater anonymous identikit megaplex on the edge of town without a pub in staggering distance. I liked Spotland. Small but perfectly formed, it seemed to me to be a well-loved and cared-for venue. 


RAFC had first properly come to my attention in 2001 thanks to the pen of Mark Hodkinson. I had previously enjoyed his work following the fortunes of Man City during their one and only third tier season in the late nineties, serialised in The Times and later printed as a collection called ‘Blue Moon’. When I noticed a new volume of Hodkinson’s writing in my local branch of WH Smith a decade ago – ‘Life Sentence’, a series of essays on Dale’s play-off near miss in 2000/01 – I bought the book and was fascinated to learn that Dale had gone more than 3 decades without a single promotion! I kept an eye out for Dale ever since then. 


In 2007, Dale fan Hodkinson followed up with ‘Believe In The Sign’, probably the best book I have ever read on the subject of football. On his website, Hodkinson describes the book as being about “growing up in Rochdale and supporting my local football team”, but there is a lot more to it than that. I would recommend any true football fan read this book, it had me in tears of emotion at times as parts of it resonated with my own childhood, being taken along to watch an unsuccessful lower division side with my dad. By now, Dale were regularly flirting with the play-offs and – with that ever growing run of non-promotion stretching into a 4th decade – I gave serious thought to going to support Dale at Wembley in the 2008 play-off final. Worried I would be a jinx I stayed at home. Dale lost anyway, with me watching on at home.


The following season saw another play-off disappointment and then the following season with Dale clear at the top of League 2 under Keith Hill I really began to obsess about their results, especially when they began to wobble and lose their place at the top of the division! It felt ridiculous, a southerner who had only seen Dale play once in his life sat at home studying teletext, reviewing the league table and calculating the game-in-hand permutations of promotion rivals. Coming home from watching my own team play on a Saturday afternoon, the first result I began to look for wasRochdale’s. 


Then finally, a win over Northampton Town clinched that promotion, and I watched with a smile as SKY Sports News broadcast pictures of the ensuing pitch invasion. Finally, that long period without a promotion was over and I was thrilled to think that two or more generations of Dale fans could celebrate success at last! With my own team’s season over, I even made my way to Underhill, Barnet to watch Dale’s last League 2 match (hopefully last one ever!) and witnessed a rather tame 1-0 loss.


So, bringing things up to date, again I followed the results with interest via SKY and teletext last season and again I became obsessive with the League 1 table towards the end of the season when Dale closed in on a play-off place. Watching the thugs of FC United celebrate their cup win on the Spotland pitch in front of the SKY cameras was a lowlight which exasperated me, but there were some brilliant wins recorded along the way versus big clubs in Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton as Dale finished a very creditable ninth place. Keith Hill has now moved on, can Steve Eyre keep this era of success going? Perhaps I’ll even try to attend another match this season!


I hope you've enjoyed reading this guest post from Neil, I certainly have and here's hoping he decides to make an appearance at Spotland sometime this coming season! If you've been to Spotland and would like to write a piece about your visit for my blog then drop me an email at girlonaterrace@gmail.com.