James Whaling is a sports writer for the Mirror, and has recently reported on Aston Villa’s appointment of Tim Sherwood.
In this exclusive interview, James discusses his journey into the sports journalism industry, Aston Villa’s season to date, his thoughts on Tim Sherwood and who he thinks will be relegated at the end of the season.
Have you always wanted to be a sports journalist?
Yes – for as long as I can remember. Basically, as soon as I realised I wasn’t particularly brilliant at any sport (which was fairly sharpish!) I knew I wanted to be a sports journalist. I’ve always been a massive sports geek, and have always had a knack for writing, so the two went hand in hand.
What has been your route into the industry?
I started writing for my local rugby league club (Sheffield Eagles) for their match programme and writing reports for their website while I was studying for my A Levels, which stood me in good stead for going to University.
I studied Sports Journalism at Huddersfield University for three years. I couldn’t recommend the course enough – I was lectured by active journalists within the industry rather than bog standard teachers, which was invaluable.
While at university, I began to write Sheffield Eagles reports for Rugby League Express newspaper, and later for the Sheffield Star. I also worked for a season at Premier Sports television broadcaster on their rugby league coverage, which gave me an insight into another area of media.
I worked in the office at League Express for a year as my third-year placement, which was brilliant grounding for a career in newspapers. I interviewed players and coaches galore, and grasped a firm understanding of how the industry worked.
As I left uni, I began freelancing at the Mirror, as well as at BBC Radio Sheffield while carrying on doing bits within rugby league, before I recently joined the Mirror on a full-time basis.
What advice can you offer to anyone looking to be a sports journalist?
This is probably a boring answer and one that you have heard a million times – but get as much experience as you can. Oh, and be prepared to work for free. It will be worth it in the long run.
The only way you properly learn how to be a journalist is going out and doing it. You can learn as much as you want in a classroom and walk out of university, but if you turn up to a job interview with no work experience they will laugh you out of the room.
Take EVERY opportunity you can. Some may be absolute rubbish, but one may just land you a job. As I found with the Mirror.
How hard is it to break into the industry nowadays?
It’s difficult – for sure, but if you spend your life telling yourself you won’t achieve it, then you’ll be proved right. Show that you’re willing, work that extra shift when you get the opportunity, be available and prepared to sacrifice a night out with your mates. You won’t make it if you don’t give yourself the best opportunity you can.
What has been your best highlight in journalism to date?
I worked on Sports Personality of the Year in 2012 (voluntarily, I might add – a theme developing here!) and ended up in the after party with several sports stars. Bradley Wiggins, that’s SIR Bradley Wiggins bought me a jagerbomb. I doubt if that will ever be trumped.
Moving on to football. You recently reported on Aston Villa’s appointment of Tim Sherwood. Do you think he can steer Villa to safety?
I do. For all Randy Lerner’s failings, of which there are plenty, when he needed to make the change, he did so. Things had become unbelievably stale under Paul Lambert, and I think Tim Sherwood’s enthusiasm may just be enough to carry you over the line.
I remember watching Lambert’s Norwich side surging forward, playing some swashbuckling football, genuinely exciting, and I think he went so much the other way he just ended up stifling Villa. I still think he can be a success in English football and look forward to seeing him at another club.
We’ll see what kind of reaction Sherwood gets out of the players, but if the second half display against Leicester is anything to go by, it will be a positive one. You could see how much the goals meant to him too.
I don’t think Sherwood is the finished article (despite his tendency to tell us all about his magnificent win ratio) but if you do go down, it will be through a lack of quality rather than effort.
What do you make of Aston Villa’s season so far?
On the whole, poor. Christian Benteke is a massive part of what Villa are about and hasn’t fired as he has in the past. If Sherwood can get him scoring consistently you will stay up, no doubt. If he doesn’t, you might have a couple of Second City derbies to look forward to!
I also think Lambert’s stubbornness over Darren Bent was really poor management. The bloke is a goalscorer, end of, and if he isn’t in the Premier League with Villa next season, you feel he will be with someone else.
What do you think has been the biggest problem for the Villans this season?
Without wishing to be captain obvious, you’re currently on course to be the lowest scorers in Premier League history.
The final third has been woeful, of that there is no doubt. You have a decent enough defence, two Premier League quality keepers and some good, young midfielders who ended up deeper than they needed to be under Lambert, in my opinion, thus stifling the strikers, who simply haven’t been good enough.
The January transfer window has now passed. What are your thoughts on the business made by Villa?
Those two signings, coupled with Fabian Delph penning a new long-term contract, represent a very successful window for Villa as I see it.
I really like the look of Gil. I knew very little about him before his switch, but he appears to have an old head on young shoulders. He can pass a ball and isn’t afraid to get at the defence. He could turn out to be a shrewd signing.
As for Sinclair, what a waste of talent he has been for the last three years. He was such an exciting prospect at Swansea, a young, pacey, English winger with an eye for goal, who was unfortunately lured by the pound signs.
He could go one way or the other. If he can rediscover his form from South Wales you have a gem. He took his goal well at the weekend, albeit with a huge assist from Mark Schwarzer, so let’s hope that gives him the confidence to go on a run.
Aston Villa have recently secured their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Do you think they have a chance of going all the way? And, could the cup matches be an unneeded distraction for Tim Sherwood’s side?
The cup is only a distraction if you make it one. For a club the size of Villa, I don’t buy into that theory one little bit.
In fact, the cup could be the perfect tonic to help you put together a run to stay in the Premier League. As the full-time whistle blew on Sunday, there were smiles on faces at Villa Park. When was the last time that happened? A feel good factor around the club, a long overdue one at that, can only be a good thing.
Can you go all the way? Why the hell not? You’ve got to fancy your chances in a local derby against West Brom, and if you get through that, either Reading or Bradford are guaranteed a semi-final spot. I don’t need to tell you it’s been far too long since Villa got anywhere near winning anything, hopefully this season can change that.
Finally, around six teams are facing a relegation battle. Come May, who do you think will suffer the drop to the Championship?
The million dollar question! I think Leicester are doomed. Nigel Pearson is behaving very strangely towards the media, and his players just aren’t playing well.
I also think Burnley will drop. In Danny Ings they have an undoubted goalscorer who might, might, just about be able to keep them up, but their vulnerability from set pieces will do for them, I fear.
The third is one from a number of teams. As I sit here now, I fear for Sunderland, but if I answered this question after the weekend, my mind might have completely changed again. They were toothless in defeat to Bradford, and were just as bad against QPR.
I think the win at Sunderland may give Rangers the spring they need to stay up, and their home form is pretty good. West Brom were heading only one way under Alan Irvine, but Tony Pulis has done what Tony Pulis does and I can’t see them being relegated.
Alan Pardew has done a magnificent job at Palace, I think they’ll be ok, and I’m sure Everton will have too much, despite a poor season.
That leaves Steve Bruce’s Hull, who had a good result against Villa which, again, may prove to be the springboard they need to put a few results together. I think Bruce is a good manager and they have some decent players, which may just be enough.
I can’t wait to see how it all plays out, that’s for sure.
A huge thanks to James for talking to us. He can be found on Twitter (@JamesWhaling) and if you want to view his work, visit http://www.mirror.co.uk/authors/james-whaling/.
