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As previously mentioned in the blog post above, I have come to realise, rather late, that this area of work is not one that I wish to do as a profession. In all honesty, this has caused my mental health to slowly spiral downwards to a level where I am not maximising my abilities as a sports journalism student or taking the opportunities that the course has presented to me. Due to the fact that I came to this realisation midway through my final year of studies, I realised also that it would be foolish to exit the course with only a few months remaining, which is why I decided to try to finish the course in order to get something useful out of the last three years. However, without realising it, I have also not helped myself due to the fact I have not sought out help in getting through the course with the mindset which I have. Speaking to someone regularly throughout the year could have allowed me to reduce my stress levels, remain focused, and carry out the work to the best of my ability by keeping myself organised, which would have resulted in more placement hours being completed and other general work being completed to a higher standard. I think I would have been less hesitant to take opportunities such as reporting for Prost, had I sought out the guidance and help which I needed in retrospect. If I was to do this year again, I would have attempted to seek out the relevant help in order to remain on the right track of staying focused and motivated, which would have allowed me to be proactive in meeting placement requirements. I say this not to self-deprecate, or to criticise the course itself, but instead to evaluate and analyse my own personal shortcomings and mistakes with how I handled myself, regardless of how I may have felt about the sports journalism industry as a whole.

In these blog posts, it is important that I maintain honesty so that I can show an accurate portrayal of my experiences and feelings. I have recently come to the realisation that this course is not what I want to do as a future profession. It has dawned on me rather suddenly that I am not enough of an avid sports fan to be able to cover and report on sport with the relentless work ethic and consistency that others on the course, as well as professionals already working in the industry. Whilst sports journalism is still a working industry, from what I have gathered over the last two years, it is an industry which is built on a journalist’s unbridled love for sport, which means they have the ability remain on-the-button 24 hours a day and still feel as though it is a paid hobby rather than a job. Every industry carries its own set of stress, deadlines and requires a high work ethic regardless of the area of work, which is something I am fully aware of. However, I have come to realise that the fulfilment that others get out of this area of work due to their foundational love for sport in general is something that I do not get. This has resulted in my overall work ethic and work output taking a big hit, as I have struggled to prioritise and prepare for work ahead of time, which has in turn had a multiplier effect on the stress I have been under, to the detriment of the quality of my work. Of course, this is all self-inflicted, and there is no one responsible for my work other than myself, however as previously mentioned it is important that a level of honesty is maintained in order to provide an accurate portrayal of my learning experiences.

Throughout my years as a sports journalism student I have covered a variety of sporting events in person. These have been mainly limited to league football games, with the wider context surrounding the game revolving around a league table. However, the Hockey World Cup Qualifiers has given me an experience I have not had before, which is covering a live, tournament-based event spanning multiple days. This has made me realise which area of sports journalism I am most fond of, which is live coverage. I say this because, particularly with these qualifiers, Hockey fans from across the globe have been checking scores and reading coverage, eagerly hoping that the results have good implications for their nation. With this qualifier event, it feels as though my reporting and coverage has been a small part of something a lot grander in scale than what I have become used to. It gives each tweet, interview, or match report an extra layer of relevance and importance, as everything is being reported in real time and has instant implications for the world of international hockey. Whilst I still appreciate that there are many types of sports journalism which share equal importance, such as retrospective pieces, in-depth interviews and opinion pieces, I feel that covering a live sporting event is much more enjoyable and feels more rewarding than any of the aforementioned story types which I have grown accustomed to whilst partaking in this course. Especially when considering the scale of the impact an event like the Hockey World Cup Qualifiers can have, it makes me feel as though I am working towards something bigger with a greater purpose than if I were to write a retrospective opinion piece on a topic which is not happening in real-time. As I said, this does not mean I am undermining the importance of those pieces, however it means that I have found a media type which I could get more fulfilment out of, which is important to me.

The Hockey World Cup Qualifiers has certainly put me outside of my comfort zone. During my time at the placement, I have been required to post regular social media updates on games, carry out post-match interviews and even produce match reports, all despite not being familiar with the rules of field hockey in general. Quick research was carried out before the placement started in an attempt to gain a small grasp on what happens during these games, however I would be lying if I said that I was confident heading into my first day, as I still only had a small idea on what to expect. This placement has proved to me that the old cliché of “learning on the job” certainly applies within the world of sports journalism. First hand experience of how a match is carried out, whilst surrounded by other professionals who are already knowledgeable of the sport, has boosted my own knowledge of said sport in a way which would not have happened by just watching the games unfold on a screen. As an avid football and darts fan, I have not necessarily jumped at the chance to cover other sports before starting the placement, however the experiences I have picked up have certainly opened my eyes to the fact that there is a whole world of sports out there which I may genuinely enjoy as much, if not more than the sports I have become used to over the years. This could have an impact on my future as a sports journalism student, as I may no longer be hesitant in covering a sport I am unfamiliar with when given the opportunity. I am grateful that I agreed to participate in this placement, as it is highly likely I would be as willing to broaden my horizons as I am now, and that I would have stuck to the same popular sports had I not participated.

Promising young runner Ciaran Lewis emerged victorious in recent Manchester Half Marathon.

The Cardiff Metropolitan University student finished with an impressive time of 1:06:08 in what was his debut event at half marathon distance. This follows his impressive performances throughout the previous two years, including wins for Cardiff Athletics in the Senior Men’s Welsh Road Relay back in 2019.

I was fortunate enough to catch up with Ciaran, who oozed confidence in the latter stages of the Manchester Half Marathon, overcoming his early nerves and despite only managing three hours of sleep the night before.

 “I was really nervous from the night before, only getting 3 hours sleep. I was pretty apprehensive to push the pace early on as id never raced that distance before, so I wanted to make sure I had enough left in the tank for the end of the race”.

“The first eight miles were pretty comfortable, and when I pushed on I began to realise I was going to win and then I just enjoyed myself down the home straight!”.  

After the win, Ciaran spoke of planning to rest up and enjoy his running for the rest of the year. “I’m hoping that I’ve now found my perfect distance in the half marathon, although I’m going to save myself for another one in 2022. For the rest of this year I’m just going to take advantage of there actually being races to take part in, which we haven’t had since 2019”.

He also spoke of Olympic and Commonwealth aspirations when asked on what the next five years might have in store. “I’d like to represent GB and the World Half Marathon Championships and lower my 5k and 10k times as much as possible. Then I guess it’ll be time to move up to the marathon, which I think will be my best event after seeing my stats from testing. I’d love to go to the 2028 Olympics and the 2026 Commonwealth games.”

High aspirations from the young runner and, if this recent victory is any indication, he’s certainly on the right ‘track’.

2021 marked Cardiff Devils’ 35^th birthday. The decorated Welsh hockey outfit have established themselves as one of the biggest names in the British hockey circuit, carrying with them history which is both illustrious and inconsistent in equal measures. Few sides have reached the highs or the lows that the Devils have throughout their 35-year run which is an impressive feat.

The Devils took British hockey by storm in the late 80s shortly following their formation and quickly shot up the divisions. After securing their first Premier Division League title in the 1989-90 season, they earned their first ever Play Off Championship in what was largely considered to be the greatest ever final against the Murrayfield Racers, in a season which established the Devils as a force to be reckoned with.

In the years following however fan unrest became a common theme for multiple reasons, ranging from poor mismanagement from the board following the team’s bankruptcy in 2001, to the planned demolition of the Wales National Ice Rink in 2006.

The glory days have since returned however, with the Devils winning their most recent trophy in 2019 as they won the Play Off Championships once again.

I had the chance to speak to a number of Devils fans as they rolled back the years and reminisced on their favourite and most memorable moments of the Devils’ 35-year run.

Lifelong supporter and volunteer Eleanor Jones spoke on how following the Devils has helped her forge lasting friendships when asked of her favourite memories. “Memories of meeting friends from other teams, indeed two Sheffield fans are now my daughter’s godparents!”. She also spoke on her recollection of the Devils returning to winning ways after a dismal period of mediocrity. “The blue tent was temporary for 10 years but we loved it, then IAW opened with awesome owners and a fabulous GM, finally the Devils were back winning the Challenge Cup in Sheffield!”.

Journalist Rachel Jones shared a similar story of when the Devil’s claimed the Challenge Cup in Sheffield. “I don’t think I’d heard Devils fans scream that loudly in a while. You literally just hugged the person closest to you. I hugged a complete stranger but because we were so happy celebrating no one cared!”. Rachel also shared a tale of her away trip when the Devils faced Graz 99ers in the Champions Hockey League (CHL) in 2019. “It’s the only away game in the CHL that the Devils have won and it’s one that stands out to me because we didn’t have any expectations”. “Whenever the red army travels, we make a good impression. We make friends, we drink beers and we have fun. When we arrived in Graz there was security everywhere, but by the time we left they were having fun with us!”

Paul Packer, who previously worked at the Wales National Ice Rink, also shared a story which echoed the sense of unity that the other Devil’s fans had previously talked about. “I started work there with the intention of playing hockey at 18, but the biggest thing I can remember about the old rink was the feeling of family. All looking out for each other and having that laugh in the bar with the players after the game.”

Team GB stormed to a silver medal in the women’s bobsleigh, thanks to the efforts of Nica McNeill and Wales’ very own Adele Nicoll in Latvia.

Incredibly, the occasion marked Adele’s second ever appearance at a World Cup bobsleigh event, having previously dedicated her life to shotput and discus events as a former Welsh Shotput Champion and British Indoor Championships Shotput Bronze Medallist.

When I spoke to Adele, her elation, surprise and modesty were clear to see.

“It was pretty surreal to begin with because we went in with no expectations to make the podium. Our mark to qualify for the Winter Olympics is to get within the top 66.6% in the field and we would have been happy for any result within that, so to come second place was pretty amazing.”

It marked the first time in 13 years since Team GB had received a medal in the women’s bobsleigh, and the first time in history that both the men and women’s teams had both made the podium.

Her transition into bobsleigh from track and field events is nothing short of remarkable, too.

“During the summer of 2020 at the end of lockdown one, I posted a video of me running in Victoria Gardens which Nica McNeill saw by chance on her Instagram Explore page. She messaged me telling me ‘You look super powerful, have you ever considered bobsleigh?’. Before that point I didn’t know anything about bobsleigh and four weeks later I was doing my trials for Team GB!”

Adele noted how, despite shotput and bobsleigh hardly sharing similarities, her previous experience as an athlete helped her transition into the sport, saying: “competing in shotput definitely helped me when it came to transitioning into bobsleigh because as an athlete you come through a lot of adversity. I’ve had to learn how to lose in order to get back up and understand what it takes to achieve things”.

The performance puts her in an excellent position to be picked by Nica McNeill as brakewoman for the Beijing games should they qualify, with a number of athletes also gunning for the same spot. Whilst Adele is embracing the challenge and eyeing up the Winter Olympics, her feet are still firmly on the ground.

“There’s never a guarantee of being picked to be selected, so there is a lot of pressure on me to perform. I want to take each race as an opportunity to build up a case for myself to be picked by putting in good performances. My goal is to help Team GB qualify whilst doing so and, hopefully, be the person behind Nica pushing that sled in Beijing.”

Team GB’s hopes of qualifying come down to the last race in St Moritz, where they need to finish in the 66.6% bracket in order to make it to Beijing.

The FA Cup has produced no shortage of upsets over the years. In many ways, this is the appeal of the competition. Larger than life Premier League clubs can get thrown in the mix with teams as far down the footballing pyramid as non-league, leaving the door open for potential shock victories. 20 years ago, Cardiff City managed just that, when they defeated Leeds United at Ninian Park by two goals to one in a highly tempered affair.

It was a fixture which many had predicted to go comfortably in Leeds’ favour, an understandable prediction given where the two clubs were at the time. The Bluebirds were languishing in the Football League Division Two (which would go on to be called EFL League One) however amongst their squad lay the talents of Danny Gabbidon, Scott Young, Robert Earnshaw and Graham Kavanagh, with the latter having a key part to play in the tie.

Leeds’ squad however were far and away superior as they boasted a squad which had saw them top the Premier League at the time of the game. This included a strike partnership of Mark Viduka and Robbie Fowler, as well as a defence which included Jonathan Woodgate and a young Rio Ferdinand. Everything looked set for Leeds to advance to the fourth round, but the Bluebirds, then managed by Alan Cork, had other plans.

An impressive long-range effort from the aforementioned Viduka saw the visitors take an early lead, however it was quickly cancelled out when Kavanagh scored a sublime free kick at 21 minutes. The goal remains one of the playmaker’s most impressive in a city shirt. The tie was then blown wide open as Alan Smith received marching orders from referee Andy D’Urso.

Scott Young wrote his name into City folklore by grabbing the winner just as the final whistle loomed whilst the 22,000+ fans in attendance erupted. Fans of a certain age will undeniably cite this game as one of their favourite Cardiff City memories. The reaction on Twitter from Bluebirds displays this in abundance as fans shared their stories from the game.

One fan wrote “My best CCFC memory ever. I’d recently lost my granddad and wasn’t going to the game. So glad I did now”, whilst another confessed that they “started the game in the Canton [stand], and was on the pitch at the end and sat in the home dugouts”.

Many fans had commented on how electric the atmosphere was. One wrote “Probably the best atmosphere in my 50 years of watching the City!”, whilst another wrote “Sam walking around the pitch. What a legend. Best days following City under his ownership”. This is of course in reference to then-owner Sam Hammam controversially doing laps of the pitch to fire up home supporters whilst also teasing the away end.

What ever your opinion on the game, and in particular Sam’s behaviour, there is no doubting the scale of this FA Cup giant-killing, and one can only hope that similar days are to come for the Bluebirds in the future.

Image credit: Arwel Rhys Thomas – Art Design Cymru. Available as artwork on his website.

During lockdown, many of us needed to take up some sort of hobby or activity in order to pass the time and make the days go quicker. For Welsh artist Arwel Thomas, this helped plant the seeds of what would become his flourishing future business: Art Design Cymru.

Lifelong aspiring artist Arwel did a BA Honours degree Illustration at the University of Gloucestershire, after carrying a passion and desire to draw all throughout his childhood and teenage years.

“My love of illustration first came from just being very interested in doodling as a child, and my love for the Welsh landscape and culture is primarily one of the main influences for the iconic landmark illustrations” he told me. “I always want to draw them in the same way you’d want to photograph them”.

He quickly went from sharing his work through art websites to creating his own website, Art Design Cymru, and subsequent shop as a result of the positive feedback he had received.

During lockdown, he was finally able to combine his love for sport and his passion for illustrating by creating pieces based on famous sports venues such as the Principality Stadium. “I decided to give it a go and so far it seems to have been a real hit with clubs from all around the UK”.

“Eventually, smaller community-based clubs started to contact me over Twitter to create pieces based on their club’s pitches and I thought ‘why not?’. I feel as though it’s important to give back to grassroots clubs and it’s always nice to talk to owners, who are always willing to let me work in and around the grounds.”

“It’s also nice to be able to talk to fans of these clubs to really get a feel of what the club means to the wider community, which also helps the product be the best it can be.”

Customers can even request a piece to be made on a location of their choosing, and Arwel says this has been a game changer for his business. “It has allowed me to meet some great people and travel to fantastic places which I might not have thought about covering before. There’s always a level of personalisation with those pieces which I really do enjoy.”

The success of his business has even allowed him to travel overseas to showcase and sell his work. “I’ve had the privilege of working with some great clubs so far. My biggest highlight of 2021 was being able to travel to the iconic stadium Eden Park in New Zealand. I’m really looking forward to expanding the portfolio and hopefully the business in 2022.”

It would come as no surprise if Arwel’s business further blossomed this year and in years to come, as he looks to expand his artworks to venues in England, having recently illustrated stadiums such as Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge. The sky seems to be the limit for Arwel and Art Design Cymru.

The Welsh Government have today announced that, in line with their Covid-19 restrictions, fans will not be allowed to attend their home fixture against Blackburn Rovers for January 15^th.

This will be Cardiff City’s first league game behind closed doors since the new Welsh Restrictions were announced in late December, with the Bluebirds having already played Preston North End in the third round of the FA Cup without fans being able to attend, where they won by two goals to one after extra time.

The club made the announcement “with further disappointment”, expressing their collective dismay at having to play without fan attendance. Cardiff and Swansea are currently the only teams in the EFL Championship to have to abide by such restrictions, as they only apply to Wales.

This is made all the more puzzling when considering that England’s restrictions have not affected football clubs and their ability to allow fans into stadiums, which means that Cardiff fans could still technically travel to away games which take place in a country with higher Covid-19 figures, despite not being able to see their side play at home.

Needless to say, the announcement was met by frustration from the fans, which is all aimed at Mark Drakeford and the Welsh Government as a whole.

One fan pointed out the hypocrisy in the restrictions, saying “We can’t watch Blackburn Rovers at home on the 15^th of January but we can take 3k fans to Bristol City on the 22^nd and 8/9k fans to Liverpool two weeks later? Absolute farce”.

Another pointed out the damage it could cause to the club financially, saying “Unless the Welsh government does something then a lot [of Welsh clubs] face the horrible realisation of going bankrupt”.

Fans of other clubs have also commented on the matter with similar outrage, with one Middlesbrough supporter saying “Hope you get your fans back soon, every club needs support.

One Peterborough United supporter echoed the sentiment, saying “Feel for the fans with this pointless and ridiculous decision to play behind closed doors”.

It is important to iterate that the Welsh Government and their team of advisers will always act how they see fit, in accordance with the data that they are given and the steps they feel need to be taken to reduce the spread of Covid-19, so this stance is not being put into question by me.

What is being highlighted though, is the universal backlash that the decision brings, which is undeniable.