Source: TheGuardian
I was a Swindon Town fan ... until it became my job to report on the club
Being paid to follow your team may sound like a dream job but dealing with financial reports and petty politics has a way of killing your childlike enthusiasmBy Sam Morshead for When Saturday Comes, of the Guardian Sport NetworkOn a Tuesday night last October, I realised I was no longer in love with my football club, Swindon Town. As is the case with most break-ups, this was a slow-burner, a pot of problems which may never have come to the boil had I chosen to work anywhere but my home town. I was fulfilling my journalistic duties and doing what I was paid to do but, as a result, I got too close. I don’t mean in a sentimental way – the irrational sense of loyalty that compels you to drive to Carlisle on a whim to spend your final £20 on a 3-0 defeat. The problem was that I gained an understanding of the inner workings of a football club, of small-time sporting politics and its backstabbing, ignorance and spin. Related: How to earn respect from established season ticket holders: shut up and wait Continue reading......read full article
