A day, (Or Two), in the life of a Blues reporter
I’ve spoken to Andy Walker of the Birmingham Mail, Sunday Mercury and Birmingham Post a few times, and I asked him what it was like to be a sports journo following the Blues. Well being good at what he does, he sent me this!
Nice one Andy, I hope you all enjoy it.
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ABOUT ME
Having cut my teeth with just over three years as sports editor on the Solihull News and Times, I moved to the Birmingham Post and Mail group in April 2007.
Initially I worked solely on the Sunday Mercury where I covered all sports and all clubs on the Midlands patch until a restructure of editorial set-up in November 2008. That saw all sports reporters become responsible for all three newspapers – the Mail, Post and Mercury – and me become number two Blues reporter behind chief sports writer Colin Tattum.
As well as helping with the various print requirements, me and Colin now have a weekly video show on called ‘Blues View’ as well as popular liveblogs from Blues games home and way.
From a personal point of view, one of my favourite moments covering Blues has to be last season’s final day victory at Reading to secure promotion back to the Premier League. It was the perfect ending to what had been a long, laborious season during which Blues had faced their fair share of critics. That sunny afternoon in Berkshire made those miserable midweek trips to the likes of Plymouth and Barnsley feel like a distant memory and I was pleased for Alex McLeish, who is a top bloke to deal with.
WIGAN ATHLETIC AWAY – Saturday December 5.
9am – It’s time to hit the road to Wigan and my first visit to this ground since Latics chairman Dave Whelan decided to name the stadium after himself. Although the game doesn’t kick-off until 3pm, I always like to set off early for away games. That way I can compensate for any unexpected traffic problems and get settled in at the ground to do a bit of pre-match homework before the crowds arrive.
11am – Arrive in Wigan in good time. As most stadiums don’t open their doors to the press for a 3pm kick-off until 12pm, I decide to pop in to a local Asda for a coffee and to check the latest sports news on my mobile. I notice that my Lee Bowyer story on his feelings towards Match of the Day 2 presenter Adrian Chiles’ snide comments has attracted a good amount of comments on birminghammail.net, as I expected.
12.30pm – I’m one of the first to arrive at the DW Stadium’s press room, which resembles a primary school classroom presumably they must use it as an education centre during the week. After signing in, I have a bit of a catch up with colleague Colin Tattum, BRMB’s Tom Ross and Blues’ friendly media team before firing up the laptop to check my e-mails and Twitter account.
1.30pm – Few more faces filter into the press room now including a couple of famous ones associated with Villa more than Blues. Big Ron Atkinson is here doing the game for BBC WM while Alan McInally is on Sky Sports duty. Initially I’m baffled as there appears to be no sign of food, until I discover that the attached interview room has a selection of pies with mushy peas on offer. A big perk of being a sports journalist is that you are often treated very well at football stadums, certainly in the Premier League, and that usually includes a decent spread of food – ask any hack and they’ll confirm that Arsenal’s facilities at the Emirates Stadium are by far the best.
2pm – Head up to my seats in the stand, while the press bench is not flush with space, it’s certainly not the most cramped I’ve ever been in (Fratton Park and Old Trafford are two that spring to mind) but can’t complain as long as you’ve got a decent view (something that Vicarage Road’s press bench doesn’t really offer).
2.30pm – Log-on to our liveblog and it appears to be as popular as ever. While I try to paint a picture of the pre-match atmosphere, Colin fends off the usual questions on transfer targets. Blues team announced and, unsurprisingly, it confirms that McLeish has stuck with the line-up that beat Wolves a week earlier.
3pm – The game gets underway and there are plenty of empty seats as we have come to expect from this stadium. While the travelling Blues fans are in good voice, their team don’t start as brightly as their hosts.
3.45pm – Half-time and it looks as though Blues’ unbeaten run will be coming to an end as they trail to a brilliant Charles N’Zogbia goal. With the press room a good five minutes walk away, I decide to sit tight in my seat and crack on with my match report for the Sunday Mercury.
4.50pm – What a second-half and what a comeback from Blues. Two free-kicks from Seb Larsson and a Christian Benitez goal set up a 3-2 victory after Jordi Gomez made it a nervy finale with a set piece strike of his own. After ten minutes tapping away in the stands, I decide to head down to the post-match interview room and continue from there.
5.30pm – Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is first out and I noticed how he utters the word ‘character’ a record amount of times. While he is obviously disappointed, at least it didn’t turn out to be 9-1. A journalist on the front row asks Martinez his opinion on the World Cup draw, not really relevant but the chap is obviously responding to orders from his sportsdesk.
6pm – Alex McLeish is next to emerge. Lavishes praise on his troops, mentions how Benitez is starting to settle more following Ecuador’s World Cup exit and also how he hopes Larsson will go on to contribute the same amount of goals he did when Blues were last in the Premier League. Same journalist asks same World Cup question. A few of us then move in closer for a Monday newspapers only press conference, where I get a bit more on Carson Yeung’s continued commitment to attend games. Colin arrives from mix zone (the place where you go to get player quotes) duty and remarks on how the Blues squad had all emerged from the dressing room together as they’re shooting off on their Christmas do, which later turns out to be in Glasgow.
6.40pm – Sunday Mercury match report and follow up piece all filed. Bump in to McLeish and his wife in reception, exchange pleasantries before heading off.
8.30pm – Arrive home, end of a long but overall enjoyable day.
Andy Walker
WEST HAM HOME – Saturday December 12
1.15pm – Park up close to St Andrew’s before heading to the press room. Big crowd expected today, should be close to a sell out.
1.45pm – Sign into the press room, pour myself a coffee and have a chat with a few of the assembled hacks about Carson Yeung’s restructuring of his board. Lamb shank, chips and gravy is on the menu today, gets the thumbs up from me. Stoke V Wigan is on the box, not really expecting a classic but a stunning goal from Maynor Figueroa makes it worthwhile the Sky cameras being there.
2.15pm – Head up to the press box to log on to our liveblog. While me and Colin field the usual pre-match questions, a man fires blue Santa hats into the crowd via a small cannon before Saint Nick himself abseils into the stadium. Ground starts to fill up and there’s a big turnout from West Ham (around 3,500), ends up being just short of a sell out. A freelance journalist that I know arrives and tells me that there has been a spot of bother with West Ham fans in Digbeth – shame, surely it’s about time that undesirable element was stamped out of the game for good.
3pm – Games kicks-off and Blues start brightly. Same Blues line-up named for the fourth consecutive game, can’t change a winning team.
3.45pm – Goalless at half-time. While West Ham have started to edge their way back into things, Blues are narrowly the better team. I get started on my Sunday Mercury match report and keep an eye on the liveblog, while Colin kindly brings me a coffee.
4.50pm – After a nervy finale, Blues hold out for yet another victory – it’s now four on the bounce. With Hammers fan and in-form Blues midfielder Lee Bowyer scoring the winner (yet again), it gives me an easy intro for my match report. After ten minutes tapping away in the press box, I head down to the press room to await the arrival of Alex McLeish.
5.30pm – McLeish arrives at his post-match press conference nice and early and once again enthuses at the impact Bowyer has had since arriving at the club. I’m getting slightly bored of writing the ‘Bowyer match-winner’ line but that’s just testament to the tremendous season he’s having – a shock England recall maybe? Gianfranco Zola arrives during McLeish’s press conference and is shepherded into the radio interview room.
5.45pm – McLeish holds his Monday only post-match briefing in the usual tunnel area and it lasts about ten minutes. In which time, Bowyer, Stephen Carr, Roger Johnson and Gregory Vignal all pass suited and booted. Blues vice-chairman Peter Pannu is hanging around and he congratulates Bowyer for his contribution. A miserable looking Zola also wonders by.
6pm – Head out into the players tunnel to see if there’s anybody left to talk to. Several journalists are interviewing Barry Ferguson. After waiting around for a few minutes, I decide to head back into the press room to crack on with my Sunday Mercury requirements.
6.15pm – As this is the last home game before Christmas, Blues sponsors F&C Investments have decided to lay on beer, cider and mince pies for the media as a thank you. So that means that I’m able to finish my match report and follow up on Bowyer while sipping a beer – not bad at all.
7pm – All done and dusted. I head home and discover that it’s been a good day all round for local clubs with Wolves and Villa picking up hugely impressive wins at Tottenham and Manchester United respectively. Let’s hope the Baggies come up next season and give the Premier League a West Midlands look.
How Times Change – A Response to Colin Tattum’s Article
*Update – this was top story for the Blues on the Newsnow feed 1/12/09. 
Colin has kindly given me permission to use his recent blog post in this article, thanks Colin. You can read the original here. I have selected certain parts of his blog and given my thoughts on it.
Strange how football can change, isn’t it? Thirteen months ago Blues were sunk 3-1 at home by Reading. The Royals had not long defeated Wolves 3-0 at Molineux and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Eck was ridiculed when he said Reading weren’t necessarily any better than Blues, just more clinical. Most observers had Reading as certs for the Championship title.
I think I have said that I live in Devon. Well I remember this game, my lad had just played football in Plymouth and we were on the way home and we were listening to it on the radio. It sounded grim! I can remember saying to my son that we were going to spend another season AT LEAST in the Championship! Reading looked unbeatable.
The situation was made worse, by me having a colleague who is a Reading fan! I was seriously questioning the commitment of the board, the players and definitely the manager!
Fast forward to May and Blues won the shoot-out with Reading in Berkshire to clinch promotion.
I DEFINITELY remember that day! I blogged what happened on that afternoon. I remember thinking as the game went on, what had happened to Reading? Were they really the same side that appeared to be rampaging through their games in the first half of the season?
That day we were well organised, calculating and clinical. You could see the foundations of the side we see now.
Carry on some more to last weekend and Reading finally won at home – at the 18th time of asking in the league, stretching to 301 days. Blues defeated Fulham to move, temporarily, into 12th place in the Premier League. Reading edged out of the relegation zone into 20th by their win over Blackpool.
I spoke to my colleague the other day. He is so frustrated at what has happened to Reading. Coppell was being talked about as a future Man Utd manager, but has now seemed to have disappeared. Reading now seem more like a club going backwards rather than forwards.
Blues however, seem to be improving all the time. Roger Johnson and Scott Dann are an absolute revelation. I can remember wondering what Alex was thinking when he signed these two players, but hands up – I know nothing, and they are proving to be absolutely AWESOME purchases. Couple that with the great season Bowyer and Ferguson are having, and things are looking good.
I have seen comments around the WEB of fans believing that Alex McLeish could well become our best manager since Jim Smith, and although we MUST NOT get complacent, isn’t it great to be summarising positive things. We must remain focused, and I have seen enough that I believe that Alex will keep the players feet on the ground – and help us to progress.
Kev
What About The Play Offs?
Bazza turns from match reports to a preview, on this occasion the up and coming play offs. Isn’t it nice to be able to sit back and watch it happen without worrying about it!
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I am a great fan of one of Birmingham’s greatest sons, Jasper Carrott who is of course also one of the most famous bluenoses known. I was thinking that the play offs this year are going to be something to be enjoyed, not dissimilar to watching someone else get the nutter! Most of us will remember the nutter sketch on the top of a double-decker bus when the nutter sits next to Jasper Carrott and he tells of the relief of the other people on the bus who think ‘Thank God for that!’ followed rapidly by ‘ Look at ‘im he’s got the nutter!’ ‘Yeah they can enjoy it now can’t they?’ Well I feel a little like that towards the fans of Sheffield United, Reading, Burnley and Preston. We all know exactly how they are feeling but loving it all the same; ghoulish I know but enjoyable.
The fans of all these teams will be nervous and apprehensive knowing that there are three games that are going to define their season full of months of hard work, anguish, joy and disappointments in varying measure. Two of these teams will have the heartbreak of elimination in the semi-final with no chance to contest the main prize at Wembley at the end of the month. We all of us know how bad that feels and that is why we all feel so relieved to have already booked our place in the Premier League and not be going through this stomach churning lottery.
Some fans will be more apprehensive than others however and with good reason. Preston sneaked into sixth place on the last day at the expense of Cardiff and will be thrilled to be involved after so much uncertainty. They also have form and momentum which could count for a lot in the final analysis. Contrast this with Sheffield United who still had a realistic chance of usurping our place on the last day only to fall short. They failed to win at Palace with a disappointing 0 – 0 draw and although it didn’t matter either way in the end I am sure that Kevin Blackwell would have preferred to be going to Preston tonight on the back of a win to instil confidence. Burnley have been solid, formidable opponents all season especially at Turf Moor. They have had a great season with their exploits in the Cup competitions playing flowing, attractive, direct, attacking football which make them the team you would least want to face at the semi-final stage I feel. They have some excellent players and the likes of Robbie Blake, Chris Eagles, Wade Elliot and Clarke Carlisle can give anyone trouble. They face Reading whose form has been wretched of late though they have been better away which may count in their favour. I get the impression that their fans deep down don’t believe they are going to win through which is worrying from their perspective. It is puzzling that with players like Stephen Hunt, Kevin Doyle, Dave Kitson, Shane Long and Marek Matejovsky why they are misfiring so badly.
So what of the two semi final line ups? Preston versus Sheffield United tonight with the reverse fixture next Tuesday: The Blades are very solid, direct and cussedly difficult to beat with a stubbornly tough back four of Gary Naysmith, David Cotterill, Chris Morgan and Matthew Kilgallon marshalled by their excellent keeper, Paddy Kenny. They present a threat going forward with the aerial danger of Henderson aided and abetted by Danny Webber. Preston are also well organised and tough to play against but are capable of playing some nice stuff on the floor as they did against us at St Andrews. Sean St Ledger and Jon Parkin are key players for them and take your eye off them for a moment at your peril!
Burnley take on Reading tomorrow at Turf Moor and I think this is going to be a very difficult game for the Royals. I feel they have to avoid defeat here to stand any chance and with their confidence shot to pieces in front of their own fans they have to start as slight underdogs despite their superior league position and home advantage in the second leg next week.
Time to stick my neck out I suppose; I think that Burnley will progress as they have confidence and form. I think they will go at Reading all guns blazing tomorrow evening and could put the tie beyond them before the return leg. The Sheffield Preston match up is much harder to call and I expect low scoring encounters with some gritty, attritional play with the ‘e’ of entertainment being in lower case. I’m going with Preston as I think they are the better footballing side. Don’t be surprised if there is only one goal over the two legs.
If I’m right and it is a Preston Burnley final then I take Preston by the odd goal. Sorry if I’ve put the hex on you Preston fans; it’s only an opinion and opinions are what make this wonderful game of football what it is aren’t they? Good luck to all four participants. Thank heavens it’s you and not us!
Finally a word for Wolves fans; this article has absolutely nothing to do with them but they were anxious not to be mentioned! 
KRO SOTV
Where Promotion Was Won
Nat who has written a few match previews for the season just passed, has come up with his take on the key matches which swung promotion for us.
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I have outlined the eleven key games this season where, in my opinion, we really set ourselves up for an ultimately successful promotion push:
Sheffield United (H) 09/08/2008
A 1-0 win thanks to a last gasp Kevin Phillips goal on a dreary opening day of the season live on Sky. It was tedious, it was gritty, but it was three points, and was to prove to be a prototype for future games.
Bristol City (A) 16/09/2008
A 2-1 win away from home against last season’s Championship play-offs runners-up was a signal of strength and intent from a determined Blues team.
Cardiff City (A) 27/09/2008
To go to an intimidating place like Cardiff and control the game to snatch a 2-1 victory showed that there was a tough belly to Blues thus far unconvincing exterior.
Charlton Athletic (H) 15/11/2008
After a run of picking up one point from a possible nine in their previous three games, Blues started shakily, trailing 2-1 at half-time at a point where Big Eck’s strategy was being called into question. Luckily, fighting spirit prevailed in the form of talismen Franck Queudrue and Kevin Phillips to win 3-2 and stop the rot.
Swansea City (A) 21/11/2008
A very tough Friday night game, Blues were run ragged for 70 minutes by a fitter, faster Swansea. Enter Kevin Phillips, who within two touches of the ball had turned a disappointing defeat into a wonderful win, to give us some real momentum following on from the win six days earlier vs. Charlton.
Derby County (H) 27/01/2009
One League win in our last six had suggested that Blues’ season was going off the rails, and our first-half performance vs. a mediocre Derby was nothing short of dreadful. A Lee Carsley winner to algamate with a better second-half performance lifted the gloom somewhat.
Nottingham Forest (H) 14/02/2009
A 2-0 win and a decent performance to boot, something not readily said when describing displays in recent months. A superb maiden goal from an emerging Irishman also got everyone talking. The name? Keith Fahey, not that we’ve seen much of him since…
Doncaster Rovers (A) 14/03/2009
Another 2-0 win, and this being extra special being our first away win for nearly three months, and our first convincing away win since Winston Churchill was in nappies!
Wolves (H) 05/04/2009
Humiliating any team is special. Humiliating any team with one less man for more than half a match is even more special. Humiliating the Dingles with one less man for more than half a match is too special to be put into words…
Watford (A) 18/04/2009
For all our pressure at Vicarage Road, it seemed as if it would be another ’so near yet so far’ story for Blues. Enter a heavily deflected Cameron Jerome shot sending an army of Blues fans home delirious knowing the promotion ball was firmly in our court.
Reading (A) 03/05/2009
Do I need to explain?
VIEW FROM THE SOUTH – Reading vs Birmingham City
Filed under: Blues News, Match reports, Matches, Reports By Bazza
Here is Bazza’s take on the day. (Don’t forget to read my version of events too!)
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The final game of the season was upon us and Sunday morning had arrived. I was up early as usual and was soon walking with my dog through the local woodland. I was leaving nothing to chance and kept my head down for the whole time determined not to catch site of any single stray magpies that would spell doom! I don’t know why I put any emphasis on that stupid superstition but I do and it was incredibly important on this day of all days.
To say that I was nervous was an understatement as any of you who read my post last week will know. The logical angel on one shoulder told me that Blues were the only team among the three contesting the final automatic place that could win the prize regardless of what the other two did. The devil on the other shoulder was taunting me saying that Reading had to win at home some time and with so much to play for it would be today. Besides, Sheffield United are going to win and where will that put Birmingham and Reading then eh? The angel stepped in soothingly by saying that Sheffield will not get the win they need at Palace, it will be a draw. Blues will prevail. I have to say my gut feeling was that both matches would be drawn and it would end up as you were.
The early kick off meant that the time to set off was imminent in pretty short order. Reading is actually my nearest major football team from the top two divisions (Aldershot are actually the nearest Football League club) and the journey is only a ten minute run from my local station. As I stepped out of Reading Station there was a loud rendering of ‘Keep Right On’ coming from my right. The Three Guineas pub had been invaded and occupied by hundreds of noses. They were obviously in good cheer and so I thought ‘a right turn it is then!’ Acquiring my first pint, I joined the assembled throng outside the pub where we all proceeded to sing all the old favourites loudly to the amusement of some of the locals. Those that weren’t happy were quickly taken the piss out of. We were watched closely by the local Constabulary who appeared to accept that we were all there to have a bit of fun and kept their distance whilst clearly seeing to their collective duty.
Some were in fancy dress such as King Richard the Lionheart, his Queen, Berengaria, Chubby Brown, 118, a bloke dressed up as a Texas Cowgirl and one or two others sporting blue wigs. Santa failed to make it but hey ho. ‘King Richard is a bluenose’ was of course a must as well as similar homage to Chubby Brown. There was even a rendering of ‘God Save Our King’ directed towards our Crusader monarch and it became clear that whatever happened the faithful were determined to have a great day.
So it was that we got on the buses going to the Madjeski Stadium. The singing and chanting continued and the bus was soon rocking and bouncing like a car on a Saturday night with a courting couple inside. Fortunately, the authorities let it be and we were soon disembarking at the ground just in time for kick off which brings me neatly on to the match itself. Many if not all of you reading this will have seen the game either alongside myself or on the telly so I won’t get too detailed. Blues playing in all red, attacked the end where we were in the first half. I don’t know who won the toss of coin but I suspect it may have been Reading. I recall it was the other way round last year and they probably didn’t want Birmingham kicking that way in the second half towards their raucous supporters in case it gave them a perceived advantage? If this was the case, it backfired since the men in red started brightly and had the edge in the first 15 minutes. It was fitting therefore that Blues took the lead on 18 minutes 38 seconds! (I now know that from the telly) A corner by McFadden was punched unconvincingly by Hahnemann back to him. The ball was redelivered, this time to Phillips. A beautifully deft header was put in the path of Keith Fahey who steadied himself and drove the ball across the keeper towards the far corner. It should have been a regulation save but incredibly Hahnemann allowed the ball to squirm through his grasp into the net. The suitably lubricated Blues fans were ecstatic and lifted the roof off. The rest of the half was reasonably comfortable with Blues in control.
I expected a lot more from Reading but fortunately, it didn’t come. Reading had moments when they appeared to threaten the opposite goal to us and there were a couple of crosses that flashed across our six yard box but with no one in touching distance. Taylor had only one shot to save all half, Jaidi and Taylor were colossal pillars of strength throughout the match, Carr was reading the game beautifully and taking care of Kitson when Reading tried to put the much taller man against him. Djimi Traore had a good game at left back making up a solid platform for the boys ahead of them to build attacks. Jonty and Carsley in midfield were awesome. McFadden was back to his mercurial best and was simply different class and with Fahey on the other flank picking out pass after pass the hosts were getting outplayed for large sections of the match. Jerome lead the line excellently and with the wily old fox, Phillips’ movement we were offering threat.
The second half began similar to the first and I was once again surprised to see how muted Reading appeared. It all seemed too comfortable and I was waiting for the wheels to come off. On the contrary, something amazing happened; we scored a second goal in a game! On the hour, an excellent run by Fahey ended with a perfect pass to Phillips, who unlike the first half when similarly placed, stroked the ball past Hahnemann’s left hand just inside the far post. The ground went silent as Phillips latched onto the ball which then seemed to take an eternity to make its way into the net. It was like one of those Hollywood movies when the sound goes and all that can be heard is the beating of a heart as the action proceeds in slow motion. The silence was shattered by a roar from our end of the ground. This was it! Surely, the Premier League now beckoned? “Concentrate Blues!” I remember yelling. Yes I know; I’m used to it. We all know what happened next!
A minute later Howard Webb gives Reading a free kick near the touch line on their left flank. I was dead in line with the touchline and the ball was out for a throw by a clear two feet before a shoulder charge by Traore on Hunt. The contact was legal in any event but the principles of the game are that a preceding event must stand irrespective of what happens after it e.g. the reason Phillips wasn’t awarded a penalty at Charlton because he was offside before the offence. We have been the victims of so many abysmal refereeing decisions that it wouldn’t be normal if there wasn’t going to be at least one more. From the free kick, Matejovsky picked up the ball in the box, turned inside too easily and fired a good shot across Taylor into his left hand corner. This naturally lifted Reading and they bombarded us for the next few minutes. Phillips was replaced by Bouazza, McFadden by Larsson and Jerome by O’Connor as Blues shut up shop. There was still time for O’Connor playing on his own up front to crack an excellent drive against the foot of Hahnemann’s right hand post and across the goal with seven minutes to go. There were six minutes of added time due mainly to a nasty clash of heads earlier in the half between Phillips and Hunt leaving the latter covered in blood and the former booked (why?). It was a long time for the faithful to endure but at least during it we had the luxury of knowing that Sheffield’s game had finished 0 – 0. Reading hadn’t looked like they were going to score another goal let alone two and besides the time was up and the celebrations could begin.
A fantastic result, a brilliant day and a thoroughly deserved reward at the end of it; a convoluted route to get there but in the end at least it was a sprint over the line rather than a stumble. The analysis can come later. Now is a time to savour the moment as Alex McCleish rightly points out. Thank you Alex, thank you to the players and thank you fellow noses for being so entertaining and remaining collectively among my most loyal friends.
KRO SOTV
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