As many of you well know, Gregg Evans is the Aston Villa reporter for the Birmingham Mail, covering home and away matches, reporting transfer news, conducting player and manager interviews and writing comment pieces.
Have you always wanted to be a sports journalist?
No. Not until I was 19 did I decide that I wanted to write about sport. I tried to become a professional golfer but failed and couldn’t see a future anywhere else in the sport. That’s when I considered writing.
What has been your route into the industry?
I completed a year-long night course in creative writing and then the NCTJ course. I worked at Solihull News for 18 months and completed further Press Association training before moving to the Birmingham Mail in 2010.
What advice can you offer to anyone looking to be a sports journalist?
Get as much experience as you can and don’t be afraid to pester editors. Be prepared to work for free in the early days and don’t rule out jobs which you feel are beneath you. Get phone numbers for everyone you interview or seek advice from. They WILL help you in the future. Go out of your way to build relationships.
How hard is it to break into the industry nowadays?
It’s certainly a lot tougher to get into the industry now compared to when I got my lucky break. Back then you could get a job without a degree, however it is much harder now. Everyday you hear of newspaper journalists losing their job. Print journalism is at an all-time low. But the shift to digital is helping to create new posts. Keep a blog running at all times and make sure you’re active on social networks.
What has been your best highlight in journalism to date?
Reporters will tell you that ‘press trips’ are a massive perk of the job. I’ve reviewed some stunning golf courses across the world, which I might not have ever stepped foot on had I not been in this industry.
At present, you are the Aston Villa reporter at the Birmingham Mail. Do you feel the access you receive from the club is sufficient?
Gone are the days where you spend every day at the training ground chatting to players and other staff. Interviews are pre-planned now, sometimes weeks in advance. There are some weeks where you won’t speak to a player until the day before the match, or after it. Press conferences take place before and after every game and as a local reporter who covers the club on a daily basis I get additional access to conduct my own interviews with the manager. Ideally, I’d like to speak to players every day, but in the Premier League these days it just doesn’t happen.
From the outside, it seemed as though Paul Lambert was very reserved in interviews and press conferences. Is this correct? And, as a reporter, how hard does this make your job?
In front of the cameras Paul Lambert appeared to be somewhat shy and reserved. He didn’t come across very well and was often described as ‘miserable’. From my personal dealings with him, he was far from dull. Often he would address the press with a witty comment or an anecdote from the past that would have people laughing. He always gave me plenty of time to ask the questions on my mind and the majority of the time he would answer them in detail. Sometimes the human side of a manager/player is often missed by those on the outside. I wrote a comment piece after he was sacked explaining this in more detail.
Moving on to football. You recently met Aston Villa’s new manager Tim Sherwood. What was he like away from the cameras?
Same as he was on it! Very confident and self-assured and really up for the challenge. He takes defeat badly, though.
Sherwood isn’t what many would call a ‘proven manager’. Do you think he can steer Villa to safety this season?
Yes. He’s got a tough job on his hands because of Villa’s position but they have plenty of ‘winnable’ games. Sherwood will set out his teams to ‘attack and excite’. That will help Villa and I believe they’ll get out of trouble.
Do you believe the removal of Paul Lambert was a necessity for the Villa board, and fans?
The fans had lost patience with him, no doubt. The mood would have continued to be sour had he stayed on as boss. I think the board finally thought that enough was enough and they were worried about the future if a change wasn’t made.
What do you make of Aston Villa’s season so far?
Very poor. They started so well, but goals have been a massive problem. How they’ve got so many points having scored just 13 goals is unbelievable to be honest. They have 12 games to save their season else we could be talking about one of the worst on record.
What do you think has been the biggest problem for the Villans’ this season?
Goals. No doubt about it. The strikers have been woeful. Benteke has scored two PL goals, which is a terrible return for a man of his quality. On top of that he hasn’t done enough to create goals for others. Agbonlahor and Weimann have been played out of position for far too long, but still they should have recorded a better return. Libor Kozak missing the past 13 months is also a big blow. Villa paid £7m for him remember. The defense has been relatively sound but losing Vlaar, Delph, and Benteke for spells has also been an issue.
The January transfer window has now passed. What are your thoughts on the business made by Villa?
Carles Gil is a class act and will only get better. We all know Scott Sinclair can scores goals, too. He’s found some confidence and will kick on from now.
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?
No, I don’t see Villa or their opponents Albion winning it. It will be out of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. They’re too good for the others, especially at Wembley.
Finally, around six teams are facing a relegation battle. Come May, who do you think will suffer the drop?
Leicester, Burnley and Hull.
Many thanks to Gregg for taking the time to talk with us. You can follow him on Twitter (@greggevans40) and also view his work at http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/authors/gregg-evans/.
