Chloe Reynolds
My journey into journalism hasn’t been an easy one, that’s for sure! I got into football quite late in life, while also struggling to decide what I wanted to do at university. A lot of my college friends had already decided where they were going: drama school. But I decided to do something different…
I remember watching the 2018 Men’s World cup, which was held in Russia, and Kelly Somers was doing the England teams post-match interviews. It was this tournament that kicked off my love for football, and watching Somers made me realise that I too wanted to pursue a career in journalism.
Of course, most people thought I was absolutely mental. Who watches one tournament and decides that this is the career for them? Well, me. The following year, I watched the women’s world cup, and that’s where my love and passion for the game grew. I remember Lucy Bronze’s rocket against Norway which had me hooked. This was the tournament that truly made me realise how much I loved women’s football and that this is the path I wanted to follow.
Making a Career Choice
For a long time, I had my heart set on going to drama school, and had even started researching ones that I wanted to go to. I had been performing on the weekends for as long as I can remember. I studied performing arts and musical theatre at college, convinced that drama school was my future. However, something changed, and I realised that performing arts was more of a hobby than a career. This realisation broke my heart slightly, as my entire life up to that point had revolved around wanting to be a performer.
“I had … a passion for the game”
After changing my mind about drama school, I decided to look into courses involving something else I loved: football. I stumbled upon a football journalism course at the University of Derby, which is the only one in the UK dedicated solely to football. I thought that this was an incredible opportunity and I knew that I had found my course.
University
I knew that studying a football journalism course would be a bit of a challenge, especially as I had no previous journalistic experience, just a passion for the game. The first time I went to a press box I felt so out of my depth. I felt like I didn’t belong, but soon adjusted. My first year at university was disrupted by the pandemic, meaning, unfortunately, all of my lectures took place remotely. This also meant that I was unable to access press boxes or attend games. This certainly wasn’t ideal, but I was determined not to let it stop me.
“I loved talking about football and speaking to the players”
I was working for Derby women when I truly realised my passion for interviewing. I loved talking about football and speaking to the players after the game, occasionally taking over social media platforms.
A highlight of my career so far and my favourite game I have ever worked on is the Arnold Clarke cup in 2022. Watching England lift a trophy is a moment I will never forget. As well as this, having the opportunity to speak to Fran Kirby and Lauren Hemp was another dream come true. They are both players that I have adored for so long and having the chance to interview them was an incredible experience.
Present Day
Fast-forward to present day, I have recently graduated from the University of Derby after completing my degree in football journalism. As well as working for Derby Women, over the past two years I have received some amazing opportunities, such as interviewing football legend Wayne Rooney, writing about the Lionesses squads, and interviewing Team GB Players before the Tokyo Olympics.
“I will never take any opportunity … for granted”
I am currently studying a masters degree in sports journalism at Liverpool John Moores University, where I have the chance to go and watch my team, Everton, every week. I have even had the opportunity to cover the women’s team on a few occasions through WSL Full-Time, who I write for regularly. It has certainly been a whirlwind of a few years, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I owe so much to this beautiful game and I will never take any opportunity to write about it for granted.
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Featured image courtesy of Unseen Studio via Unsplash. No changes or alterations have been made to this image. Image license found here.
was a great read chloe!