The Column: Joining The Press Pack

Earlier this month, I passed England’s ultimate test for a foreigner in football: I cracked it on a cold, wet Tuesday night at Stoke. For a South African more accustomed to sunshine, sea and sipping blood orange mojitos in the shadow of Table Mountain on a January evening, the Britannia Stadium was not quite the rough and tumble test that was promised. I have a suspicion, just a small hunch, that Lionel Messi will be more than fine with his status as the best player in the world, winning Ballon d’Ors and such without having to prove a point in Staffordshire. I could be wrong, though.

So what’s it like covering The Best League In The World™? Well, minus the silly proclamations, severe lack of diversity in press boxes, the ‘avin-a-larf sensationalism and some flavourless food at certain stadia, it’s a pretty neat gig working alongside some pretty neat people.

As Goal.com’s Liverpool Correspondent, I service their 37 networks in countries ranging from Germany to Ghana with breaking news and expert analysis from Merseyside. I cover every game home and away, which often means delayed trains or wifi that works as well as a Tim Sherwood excuse. My job also entails plenty of exclusive interviews, a favourite being the portrait of Philippe Coutinho for CNN, as well as sniffing out leads then chasing them like a labrador puppy with Andrex toilet paper. I’m also a columnist for award-winning podcast The Anfield Wrap and enjoy both roles as much as Sam Allardyce loves going studs-up on his foreign counterparts in the dugout. If only his name was ‘Allardici…’

Working in English football as an outsider is not always as ‘sexy’ as you think, Big Sam. My entry into the Premier League’s press pack wasn’t smooth, not that I ever expected it would be. I’m a female who analyses football and can tell the difference between a matte lippie and a sheen one. I’m one of the boys, who is also into pink drinks, high heels and Prada. That’s still considered a bit of a thing. Yes, even in 2016.

I’m shorter than Messi, I get ID’d even if I’m only after red cooking wine from Tesco, and am quite different to everyone else on the beat. I knew when I left my family, friends and beloved Mini Cooper behind that because I stand out, it would take longer to be welcomed in. What could a vertically challenged South African possibly contribute to Premier League coverage? Nothing kills such questions as efficiently as allowing your work to speak for you.

Not everyone needed time to warm to me. Liverpool’s press office and website team have been exceptionally helpful from day one. The club are privileged to have some great individuals representing them. The kindness of Ian Herbert from the Independent and John Sinnott from CNN will always be appreciated. The Merseyside pack have also been really good, and it’s brilliant to be working alongside giants like Tony Barrett (the way he takes his tea deserves its own column) and Paul Joyce, whom I’ve admired for a very lengthy time.

I cannot talk up the Anfield Wrap enough. They are a madly passionate bunch who constantly go above and beyond to deliver quality content. I’m often asked if having an allegiance to the Merseysiders hampers my work in any way, but if anything, I find it aids my role. Ultimately, the people we write for are the fans and if you can understand the angles they want covered as well as the questions they most want the answers to, it can only be beneficial. The old-school view that you’ve got to hide your support in order to be impartial should be dumped in the same bin as half-and-half scarves.

What of the footballers? Premier League players are often painted as pampered and pig-headed, but the ones I’ve interviewed have mostly been polite and a pleasure to work with. They earn more in a month than many of us would be able to accumulate in multiple lifetimes, but I find the obsession over using what they drive or how they style their hair as ammunition after a poor performance quite pathetic.  The feel-good stories – Lazar Markovic giving up his first-class ticket to a pregnant player liaison officer, Kolo Toure building a house for homeless kids in the Ivory Coast – usually get glossed over while click-bait chews us up and spits us out. On that note, wake me up when the transfer window ends.

I have been in football media since 2007, when part of my initial role with TEAMtalk Media was to cover non-league football remotely. From Stalybridge Celtic to Bath City, I’d know the scorers, the side jobs of the players and just about every other Conference happening – all the way in South Africa. Then I became Deputy Editor of KICK OFF Magazine – Africa’s largest sports publication.

In 2013, I knew that I’d reached a ceiling back home and I needed to challenge myself elsewhere. Tackling the Bundesliga or La Liga were genuine options, but in August that year, I visited Liverpool on a working holiday and my first game at Anfield was on the eve of what would have been Bill Shankly’s 100th birthday. 1 September, 2013. I witnessed Daniel Sturridge wriggling his arms in a 1-0 win over Manchester United. That was it. Mind made up: Merseyside needed to make space for me. I wouldn’t trade covering The Best League In The World™ for much right now. Not even those blood orange mojitos while the sun kisses my skin. I’ll have the crazy wind and more cold, wet Tuesday nights at places like Stoke, please.

You can follow Melissa Reddy on Twitter (@MelissaReddy_)

The Column: Joining The Press Pack
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