Anyone doing match reports with photos

Yes. As I've mentioned before elsewhere I send match reports of our local children's footy league to the local paper in my capacity of press officer, and have done so for three seasons (this is my fourth). I am now in my third season of including photos.

Why does one ask? :)
 
robp said:
Yes. As I've mentioned before elsewhere I send match reports of our local children's footy league to the local paper in my capacity of press officer, and have done so for three seasons (this is my fourth). I am now in my third season of including photos.

Why does one ask? :)
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Because I am thinking of giving it a go and wondering the best way :)
 
I've done it though not recently, in fact I was doing reports before I started taking football action pics. I used to get asked by the local paper to do reports for odd away games when they didn't want to send a reporter and when I started taking pics I asked them if they wanted pics too - been working for them and other papers taking pics freelance for nine years now.

One thing I noticed from this is that a picture isn't worth 1000 words in monetary terms - a match report would be about 400-600 words typically and paid two and a half to three times single pic rates - that's still the case on the papers I know (local and national) for pic and words rates now.
 
Its just for grass roots stuff.. they currently ahve my pics and then phone or email each manager to ask there view on the game and cobble together a match report from that.. as you can imagine it doesnt always reflect the actual game... they cant always get hold of both or sometime either manager...so thinking i might give it a go.. then be a betetr job and puts me in a stronger position with the paper who pay me already....
 
HOW? Whats the best way... Not sure I trust a recording advice and my writing ir terrible... was thinking sheet of paper split down middle.. use player numbers and make my own code for anythig that happeens... then cobble it all together afterwards...... sound doable? Or do you jot it all down half time and full time?

All while doing the more important role of photogrpahing :)
 
If the time on your camera is set correctly then you'll already have information about time of goals, important incidents as long as you've attempted to photograph them - then all you need is names to go with that.

I'm not sure I'd write reports without being paid - but that's a choice - I could write a report on any of the pro matches I photograph without notes, timing from camera and I'll remember the important incidents - not sure I could do it for one of my grass roots games so easily.
 
davidy233 said:
I'm not sure I'd write reports without being paid - but that's a choice - I could write a report on any of the pro matches I photograph without notes, timing from camera and I'll remember the important incidents - not sure I could do it for one of my grass roots games so easily.
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It would only be grass roots not pro.. because it absoloutly 100% impossible to impact on anyone elses job.. it helps my bosses and thus helps me... as stated.. the managers of each team are providing the info which is one sided if we only get one manager or conflicting many times...
 
KIPAX said:
It would only be grass roots not pro.. because it absoloutly 100% impossible to impact on anyone elses job.. it helps my bosses and thus helps me... as stated.. the managers of each team are providing the info which is one sided if we only get one manager or conflicting many times...
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Ok no prob - wasn't judging - hope the time info for important events from the data your camera is already recording was a help with how you do this
 
I used to work with a reporter for grassroots stuff and he had it down to a tee. He had about 6 different match reports written that he would edit the team/scorer names and times of every week and submit. A real copy and paste job. He wouldn't go to half the games, just get the scorers from a manager/photographer and then "write" his report!!

The pay was terrible as well, the photographer was getting 3 times what the reporter was getting and this was with a national daily who had a grassroots supplement every week.
 
Ballyman said:
I used to work with a reporter for grassroots stuff and he had it down to a tee. He had about 6 different match reports written that he would edit the team/scorer names and times of every week and submit. A real copy and paste job. He wouldn't go to half the games, just get the scorers from a manager/photographer and then "write" his report!!

The pay was terrible as well, the photographer was getting 3 times what the reporter was getting and this was with a national daily who had a grassroots supplement every week.
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So he wasn't doing match reports at all - just making correct scorers fit to a standard fake template
 
Correct. The level of pay I would imagine was the reason no effort was put into it. Pay peanuts............
 
davidy233 said:
So he wasn't doing match reports at all - just making correct scorers fit to a standard fake template
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the guy in charge of the grass roots section has 12 pages to put together.. he isnt going to a sun morning game for a couple of paragraphs.. so he relies on information gathered other ways.. as stated already this can be very one sided.. so i thought i would try my hand to get a more even report and put myself in a good position as more versatile..
 
A proper match report (that's a match report that's given a little bit of love and attention ;)) HAS to be two-sided - as any decent, honest news reporting should be. And at the end of the day you'll draw in a far bigger readership, on a regular basis, doing that.

Regarding your actual methods, whether it be "sheet of paper split down middle.. use player numbers and make my own code for anything that happens", or a recording device, you do what is easiest for you. As you'll already know, it's very important to get your facts correct and in order, so concentrate on the easy stuff first; names of goalscorers, times of goals, yellow and red cards etc, etc. Getting a quick quote at the end of a match from both managers or/and some opposing players is always popular - it doesn't have to be in-depth, just some one-liners. If you're new to it all then a small recording device is the best way, as you definitely don't want to misquote anyone or take their statements out of context. And unless you're writing stuff down during a game, then once again, a recording device (the wee handheld digital recorders are brilliant) is ideal. Look upon it as you commentating on the game and then replaying it all, back to yourself.

As I mentioned further up the thread, I photograph and do match reports for field hockey up here in Scotland for my own website and the many clubs I photograph. I've played the game myself for the last 40 years, so it's all become second nature and, to be honest, I rarely have to note anything down or speak into a recorder as I can memorise most of it during any match. However, it's not the greatest practice and not to be advised! :). I never do any of that for other sports. Recently I photographed the SPL Partick Thistle V Aberdeen match and decided to submit my own report on the match as well, to some north of Scotland newspapers. I know the brother of Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes, so got a couple of quotes from him on Aberdeen's 2-0 win, courtesy of my digital recorder. Worked a treat! Two "local" newspapers up north took my report. They didn't credit me...but, they paid me. Job done!

Best of luck.
 
Thanks @ANDY1961 Andrew..A lot of that I have seen while investigating but not all of it.. some good advice thanks for the effort :)
 
I was asked to write a match report for our second team last weekend. It was a nightmare as we won 10-5! Trying to photograph the match action and keep a track of the time and who scored was bloody hard work. I can't give any advice as I prefer to concentrate on getting the best pictures I can.
Good luck.
 
With the access you have could you not take a quick video "interview" after the game is over - that way you have a quick reaction that you could put to your people for bonus coverage and use for quotes in the written report that's published with your pictures - match report I'm guessing is going to be a fairly basic account of what happened and who scored and you'll have most of that from the camera - would say a few notes on the side would help you out too... Depending on their social media output you might even get reactions from the club on there or be able to offer your stuff to them too...
 
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