A BIT ABOUT ME

Born and raised in the UK, I began in newspapers straight from school, before finding my voice in radio with the BBC, only to then land on TV in the United States in 2013. A career which has taken me all over the world, covering many major events, I love the art of the tale told, whether in print, on radio, on television, or online.

It was the mid-80s, in a small town in southern England, and at school we were asked to inform the rest of the class what career path we would like to take. I was in my early teens. I had zero ideas.

 

Some years earlier my dad had floated, briefly, the idea of me being a journalist - he worked in IT for The Guardian newspaper in London. The thought of building a body of work outside of school failed to appeal to me, and so it was pushed onto the backburner, until we were asked the question in class.

 

With little else to think of, I informed my classmates - to some sniggering - that I was hoping one day to become a journalist. And there the idea died, for I had little clue how to make it happen.

 

Four years later, on the brink of leaving school and with half an eye on university, a friend reminded me of my career choice, suggesting - if serious - that I should apply to the local newspaper where her sister worked, and which had an opening for a news reporter.

 

I interviewed for the job, ‘helped’ by a CV which included Saturday work in the sports room of a local radio station (the sports editor took a chance and offered me an opportunity), and as a DJ on hospital radio. The news reporter position was not offered to me, but they did offer me the job as a junior sports reporter, a job I began just four days after finishing my final exam at the U.K. equivalent of high school.

 

It is unclear what they saw in me that day but I’m grateful that they also had faith in an 18-year-old young man not even out of school. I was raw. The same can be said for when the BBC came calling five years later. They didn’t offer me a job right away, rather advised that I spend my days off working (for free) with them in order to improve my technical skills. Within a year I was the radio station’s first Head of Sport.

 

From a chance conversation at school, to calling games at the FIFA World Cup. From a local newspaper editor giving me an opportunity, to me writing and editing the BBC’s website. From the local newspaper’s receptionist hearing I did ‘a bit of broadcasting’, to me becoming the regular reporter for the visiting teams’ local radio. All of which has led me to where I am now, in the USA with my wonderful wife and three fabulous children.

 

It's been quite the journey ... so far.

 

1989-94: The Aldershot News
1994-95: The Surrey Advertiser
1995-98: BBC Southern Counties Radio
1998-00: BBC Radio Solent/BBC South
2000-11: BBC World Service
2010-13: Freelance Journalist
2013-18: Colorado Rapids
2018-2022: Altitude TV
2023-Present: USA Archery

 

Career highlights:
Africa Cup of Nations - Mali, Egypt, Tunisia, Ghana, Angola

ATP World Tour Masters 1000 - Madrid, Monte-Carlo, Paris

Davis Cup/Fed Cup - Belgium, Switzerland
European Championship - Austria
FIFA Confederations Cup - South Africa
FIFA World Cup - Germany, South Africa
First BBC sports reporter inside North Korea
History of the Asian Games: Qatar
ICC World Cup - England

Olympic Games - London
Science of Sailing in New Zealand
Soccer and Volcanoes on Montserrat
The Legend of Jim Thorpe: Oklahoma
Wimbledon Tennis