Being a Football Writer from Non-Footballing Nations

Before I go further, let me make it clear that I’m no star. Football writers/ journalists are never meant to be stars. It is done by people who love the game and the news. They’re never the news themselves.

I see teenagers or people as old as me often ask me as to how I am where I am. It isn’t a question that will be asked in footballing nations as much as it will be in Non-football nations. For one simple reason- because footballing nations have easy access to the global sport. So much so that they take it for granted. They have a culture for the game.

In a country such as India, there is nothing like that. Fans who worship the European game are sold dreams for free. Not everyone has access to those dreams. Those who dream of having a career in football journalism often give up and try the traditional, herd-mentality jobs. That includes engineering, government services et al. That saddens me. Because I was there at some point.

Having said that, it is tough. Sometimes very tough if you’re not backed and supported enough in the field. I was lucky enough to have the backing of my wonderful parents. But it didn’t come out of nowhere. I had to prove it to them. Or even I would have given up on this passion and love for writing and football and would have headed for engineering like a vast majority of Indian teens do.

If you’re reading this and come from a non-footballing nation but want to become a football journalist/writer, don’t go further than this before writing an article about any topic that you might be emotionally connected to. It could be about your favorite player, about your club, the problems it might be facing, the good things it has. Or maybe, just write about how you fell in love with football. It is key to start as early as you can and stick to it.

Once you’re done writing it, the content will make someone feel connected to what you are writing. It could be a kid from Rwanda or a 30-year-old in Singapore or a 45-year-old British man who has followed the game ever since he was born. Everything you write is something that someone will identify himself with. Even when I say that Lionel Messi is not a good player (a hypothetical remark), there will be people who will connect with you. People will read it. You need to realise that.

The problem that many face while starting off- I’ve faced it and many have asked me about it- is the fear of not having the articles read. That is a common concern among many. And it a justifiable fear to have.

That is why I’ve had many friends who have given up on writing, telling me that ‘koi padhna nahi toh likhne ka kya fayda’ (what is the point of writing if no one bothers to read it). As soon as you get that thought, remember the reason why you liked writing and liked football. It wasn’t because you wanted attention or wanted people to read it. It was because you liked to do it. It made you feel happy and you felt satisfied.

Don’t worry about the attention. It never came to me in my initial two years of writing. That is one thing that takes time. Most of time, rather. Finding your audience is always tough and it sometimes takes a toll on you and your thoughts. You begin to feel like no one cares.

That is where consistency comes in.

Set yourself a schedule. Write one article in three days for your blog, for starters. Or atleast once a week. Get it published. Don’t care about the readership for a while. It hardly matters at such an initial stage. You will get loads of it once you progress. The key at an initial stage is to build a habit. It is a lot like trying to win the Coppa Italia when you’re in Serie B. It can happen but it doesn’t happen to everyone.

Once you get in the habit and develop a routine of delivering good content, the reads will surely come. Be patient with them. It can take time. Don’t give up on the habit of writing that you’ve acquired. If you keep at it. It goes a long way into shaping your future.

All the articles you write on your blog should be shared on the social media. That plays a key role in helping you build an audience and build a following. Add relevant hashtags and tag the relevant people. If you’re writing about Juventus, make sure you add the #Juventus hashtag so that it becomes easily identifiable on Twitter. Add a photograph to your post often as that allows you to tag relevant people.

If you’re writing about Juve, make sure you tag someone like @IndianRegista. Believe me, even when it might seem that these people don’t care. They sometimes do read your work when you tag them on a consistent basis. Also try tagging someone like David Amoyal or the brilliant Zach Lowy. I find them really approachable people who are always willing to help you out. You can even tag Rahul Warrier and Karan Tejwani. They’re lovely blokes who are always willing to share quality content.

Make this a habit. And apart from that, engage with people on social media. Don’t feel narcissistic to pop in a link of your latest article about Romelu Lukaku on the comments section of the Man Utd Twitter. Talk respectfully to people on social media. Don’t go on abusing people or berating them like 80 percent of Twitter does today. Criticise, but be constructive in it. In the long term, it hurts your ambitions. There are influential people on Twitter who observe and see what you tweet.

Twitter is a key part of the lives of writers and journalists, so use it in the best way possible. Retweet other people’s work, comment on it and like it. It creates a bond and bonds like these have the potential to last in the long run.

Don’t be afraid to put out strong opinions. But don’t ridicule that of others. Be active and be yourself there. Keep doing that and keep working on that routine.

I’ll be honest- the current generation and the one that is coming up in my country is a flashy and flamboyant one. They should realise that football journalism is not an occupation. It is a lifestyle of its own. If you want to reach the very top, you have to sacrifice. If you can’t make that sacrifice, you can’t make it to the top.

That applies more so for non-footballing nations. The lack of readily access to the game makes many take it easy and let it go, as they grow up. And gradually, there is this acceptance of mediocrity. I’ve seen it with my own eyes and I’m being honest. And that again, pains me.

I’ve personally had times when all of my friends were out eating and enjoying while I was busy sitting at home covering Bournemouth v Stoke City as I had to write a report on it. It is things like these that you should start from, when it comes to making sacrifices, if you want to go higher up. If you want to stay mediocre, don’t make sacrifices. It is all upto you.

The reason why I’m saying this is because coming from a non-footballing nation, we have to work extra hard as compared to people of our ages in footballing nations. We have to put in miles more hours of work and more effort into things to rise up the pecking order. If they work 2 hours a day and get noticed, you might have to work 4 hours a day to do the same sometimes. Even if it isn’t the case, there is no harm in working harder.

Another key thing that I have learnt over the years is the amount of unpaid work you should do. It is something many should learn.

I see many going after paid work right when they’ve started. Don’t go after it unless you have strict limitations. The amount of unpaid work you do defines you many times. There will be massive opportunities to write on a voluntary basis. Sites like TheseFootballTimes, FootballItalia and the Get network don’t pay me. But it helps me enhance what I do and once you get your names out at renowned websites, that is the way to go.

I’m not saying don’t do paid work. What I mean is- don’t let any opportunity slip. Don’t turn it down because the site or outlet is not paying you for it. These sites mean for you in the long run than the smaller one you’re getting paid for. Using these bigger sites, make contacts with the people who work there. Keep pitching work to them on a regular basis. Do the same for every site you work for.

Expand your horizons and don’t stick to one or two of the sites. The more you write, the more people will know you and the more you’ll be noticed by the big guns of the industry. It is all a slow process.

Whatever you do, just don’t give up on it. Start off writing about anything you want as soon as you finish reading this and follow the instructions. It will help you.

I started off back in school at the age of maybe 15 or 16 and I had a thing for writing even when I was in third grade. I remember writing WWE storylines back in sixth grade and writing stories about things around me. Then I combined it with my love for football and started getting stuff published since Grade 10. I’m glad I started this off at a young age. It has helped me so much today when I’m 22 and pursuing an MA Sports Journalism degree in the UK.

That is why it is massive if you start writing as early as you can- as soon as you read this.