I was looking forward very much indeed to the game on television between Kosovo and England, especially so as the … More
Author: stewartbloor
Fish a lot. Christian. Work in the world of professional football media. British nature. Passionate about much, obsessed about nothing.
“Ah, Rev, Start Again. What Do You Want Me To Say, Rev?” Take One, With Keston Davies’ Post-Match Interview. Thoughts On Sharing Private Conversations.
Occasionally when you’re doing an interview, there’s a blooper, and so you start again. This was the case with Keston … More
Chatting With Ex-Swansea City Defender And Wales U-21 International, Keston Davies, As He Finds The Net For The New Saints FC. Thoughts On Choosing A Player For The Post-Match Interview.
Following a game, there is usually a player that rises to the top, as far as the post-match interview is … More
Interviewing The New Saints FC’s Manager, Scott Ruscoe, Following The 2-0 Victory Against Aberystwyth Town. Thoughts On Interviewing From A Media Angle.
With The New Saints securing the three points, courtesy of a 2-0 home win against Aberystwyth Town, it was a … More
It Might Not Be 10-1 But 2-0 Is Still Three Points. Dean Ebbe Thinks He’s Neil Warnock.
The last time The New Saints played Aberystwyth Town, back in August, it was a convincing 10-1 victory for the … More
Tips On Canal Lure Fishing. Another Short, But Sweet, Session On The Cut.
Click images above to enlarge I fish as much as I can, although I must add, that is within reason. … More
I’ve Got A Present For You, Well Two Actually. Welcoming Lionel Richie And Steve Wonder To My Music.
While out fishing I spoke with my wife on the telephone and she said, “I’ve got a present for you, … More
It’s Been A Great Autumn For Fungi. In The Woods Around Dudmaston Hall, Shropshire.
With the damp and mild conditions prevailing, it continues to be a good time for fungi. One of my favourite … More
Very Cold, Very Wet And Very Windy. As Long As Your Bait’s In The Water Though, You’ve Always Got A Chance. A Short Lure Session On The Canal. Location, Location, Location.
Click images to enlarge Looking out at the weather today, I thought to myself, what’s happening to the global warming? … More
The JD Welsh Cup Third Round Isn’t Feeding The GroundHopping Gene This Time Round. Player Reaction To The Upcoming Mold Alexandra Game With Simon Spender.
I always enjoy watching the Welsh Cup draws live (either on TV or the FAW’s social media accounts) and although … More
It’s Aberystwyth Town Up Next For The Champions Of Wales. The Pre-Match Press Conference With Manager, Scott Ruscoe.
Click images above to enlarge It’s another home game next for the current JD Cymru Premier champions. This will be … More
Two Great Egrets In Shropshire. Angling Is The Perfect Platform From Which To View The Natural World.
Click images to enlarge If you follow my blog entries on a regular basis then you’ll know that … More
Roach Fishing On The River Stour. Leaves On The Line Were A Problem But I Got There In The End.
Click the images to enlarge Although the River Stour wasn’t in an ideal condition, with the water racing through and … More
Footballers, Walking Football And Now FootGolf. The Interviews With The Internationals Continue.
Click images to enlarge I interview numerous internationals during the course of the season. At The New Saints FC, we … More
Always Entertaining, Thoughtful And Invariably Controversial. The Thoughts Of Chairman Mike, Episode Six.
Click above images to enlarge The chairman of The New Saints FC, Mike Harris, is a colourful character. To put … More
Croeso i Gymru. Mae’n Bwrw Eira. Snow Stops Play In The JD Cymru Premier. Memories Of Games Affected By Snow.
Click images above to enlarge Welcome to Wales. It’s snowing. That’s what the Welsh says in the heading above. As … More
Tipton Remembers – Remembrance Sunday Parade.
The parade that goes through Tipton, on its way to Victoria Park for the service, passes close to Tipton Family … More
Christmas Decorations In Early November. Thoughts On Social Media In General. Keyboard Warriors, Trolls.
While driving in the wider Dudley area, I noticed the house that you can see in the image above. With … More
On The Training Ground With The Champions Of Wales. The Thoughts Of Scott Ruscoe, As We Look Ahead To The Carmarthen Town Game.
My role with The New Saints is varied, and one of the things that I do on a weekly basis … More
Pre-Match Press Conference With Scott Ruscoe, Ahead Of The Visit Of Carmarthen Town. Thoughts And Reflections On What Happens In The English Premier League Compared To Wales.
I enjoy doing the pre-match press conferences with Scott, ahead of TNS FC games. This time round it was the … More
Chatting With Adam Hughes, Who Is Currently On Loan At Aberystwyth Town. I Enjoy Doing Interviews.
I enjoy doing interviews and they are an important part of a football club’s output. This time round it was … More
A Short Evening Session Up To Dark On The Staffs/Worcs Canal. Three Species On The Bank.
Click above images to enlarge. One of the principles that I live by is to make the most of every … More
Reflections From The Deeside Stadium As Connah’s Quay Nomads Hosted The New Saints FC. JD Cymru Premier MD 13.
They’re all big games, of course, but especially so the visit to the Deeside Stadium last Friday, when we (The … More
One Point Gained Or Two Points Lost? The Opening Question To Scott Ruscoe, Following The New Saints FC’s 1-1 Draw With Connah’s Quay Nomads.
With the home side snatching a late draw – combined with a decision to rescind a TNS FC penalty just … More
Points Shared At The Deeside Stadium In The JD Cymru Premier MD13. Inside The Champions Of Wales’ Dressing Room.
Kicking off the month of November, it was a tough one for The New Saints FC, with a visit to … More
A Switch In Approach And A Blank Avoided. Be Flexible And Open To Change, Not Just In Fishing But Life.
With a working football game in Flintshire later in the day, meaning that I needed to leave home early afternoon, … More
I’ve Interviewed Numerous Internationals. This is The First Walking Football One Though.
Throughout the course of a football season, from full internationals to various levels of youth, I chat with lots of … More
The Thoughts Of Chairman Mike, Episode Five. An Interview With The New Saints FC’s Mike Harris.
The Thoughts Of Chairman Mike has been an ongoing insight into the views and opinions of TNS FC’s owner, Mike … More
Blanking On The Canal. Don’t Blame Boris.
Another short session on the canal, just for an hour or so, and although I don’t get too many blanks, … More
Perch Fishing On A Black Country Canal. Tough Conditions But Just Go Fishing Anyway.
Hitting a cold spell, not only has the air temperature been affected but beneath the surface has been hard hit … More
Interviewing S4C’s Nicky John. Chatting About Working In Both Domestic Football And With The Wales National Side. Sgorio Is Where My Own Football Journey Began.
Click above images to enlarge. She’s normally the one doing the interviewing – as she works for S4C’s Sgorio – … More
Ahead Of The Connah’s Quay Nomads Versus The New Saints FC JD Cymru Premier Game, The Pre-Match Press Conference With Scott Ruscoe.
They’re all big games for The New Saints at the moment but the upcoming visit to the Deeside Stadium is … More
Groundhopping In The Beacon Football League. Sedgley & Gornal United 2 Claregate Park Rangers Seconds 2.
Due to various other commitments, it’s been a few weeks since I last took in a game in the Beacon … More
It’s Looking Very Wintry But As Long As Your Bait’s In The Water Then You’ve Got A Chance. Bream And Perch From The Staffs/Worcs Canal. Water Temperature Falling Sharply.
Now that the clocks have gone back, I’m taking advantage of the extra hour to do some early morning fishing. … More
Noswaith Dda, I Saw This And Thought Of You.
In the press box, before kick-off at the TNS FC v Bala Town game, I heard the words “Noswaith dda” … More
Searching For Fungi At Penn Common, Staffordshire And In Particular, My Favourite, Fly Agaric. I Wasn’t Disappointed. Tips On Fungi Location And Identification.
At the time of writing, it’s very damp and mild and there are lots of fungi around, as no doubt … More
Greg Draper’s Goal Was All That Separated The Sides Come The Final Whistle. It Was Also His 143rd For The New Saints, Making Him The Choice For Post-Match Player Interview.
Closing in on Mike Wilde’s all-time TNS FC record of league goals, which stands at 151, Greg Draper reduced the … More
Interviewing The New Saints FC’s Manager, Scott Ruscoe, After The 1-0 Win Against Bala Town.
Following the TNS FC victory against Bala Town, I interviewed Scott Ruscoe. It was raining outside, so we looked for … More
Three JD Cymru Premier Wins On The Bounce, As The New Saints FC Move Up To Second Place. When Things Are Tight, The Results Swing Is Noticeable.
Although every game is important, this was a big one for the reigning champions of Wales, as three points would … More
Last Butterfly Of 2019. Barn Owl. Fungi. Common Frog. Badger.
At the moment – because they can turn up at any time during the winter when we have a warm … More
Another Enjoyable Session After Perch On The Canal. Enjoyment Is The Key, Not Just For Angling, But Whatever We Do In Life.
Another day and another early morning visit to a local canal after perch. It’s all about making the most of … More
Catching Up With Connor Roberts, On Loan With Aberystwyth Town At Present. A Guest Appearance From Simon Spender. More Player Banter.
Following training at Park Hall with The New Saints FC’s first team, we conducted an interview with Connor Roberts. The … More
Perch Fishing On A Black Country Canal. The Importance Of A Disgorger – Always Keep One In Your Tackle Box.
Although this is my first angling-related blog entry in a few days, nevertheless I have been out, albeit very short … More
With Bala Town The Visitors To Park Hall, The Pre-Match Press Conference With Scott Ruscoe. I Also Asked Him About The Welsh He Used For The First Time In An S4C Interview.
As always, before a TNS FC game, there is a pre-match press conference with manager, Scott Ruscoe. This will be … More
A Flock Of Ryeland Sheep In A Field Alongside The New Saints FC’s Stadium. A Traditional Breed With A Royal Connection.
Although my primary interest in the great outdoors is with more natural wildlife, nevertheless I do take note of farm … More
Be Comfortable With Who You Are. Life’s Journey Doesn’t Have To Be Random.
At Tipton Family Church, once a month we have a football-themed service, where we invite people to attend wearing club … More
It’s Game On As Greg Draper Closes In On Mike Wilde’s TNS FC Goals Scored Record. Plus A Chance To Show My Signed Shirts From Both Players.
It’s always nice to be a part of history in the making and that’s exactly what’s happening at the moment … More
Following A 3-2 Win For The New Saints FC In South Wales, Interviewing Manager, Scott Ruscoe, At The Kymco Stadium. Work In Football Media? It’s Often About Improvisation And Doing Your Best With What You Have.
As always, following a TNS FC game, there was an interview with the manager. It was quite windy outside and … More
My 40th Game Of The Season, A New Ground And A Win For The New Saints FC. Maes Tegid Has a Rival For Most Scenic Setting In The JD Cymru Premier.
On a personal level I was looking forward to this fixture very much because I’ve never been to the Kymco … More
Another Overnighter With The Champions Of Wales. The Importance Of Preparation In The World Of Football.
During the course of the football season, I have quite a few nights away from home. This is part of … More
An Entertaining Chat With Blaine Hudson And Simon Spender, As We Take Advantage Of An Overnight Stay In Cardiff. Welcome To The World Of Player Banter.
We’ve done these chat-type interviews with Blaine and Simon before and they are really funny together. So, with some time … More
It’s Always Great To See Young Players Involved With The First Team. Chatting With Lewis Dutton And Ethan Short, As We Stay Over In South Wales, Ahead Of JD Cymru Premier MD11.
I’ve interviewed both players in recent weeks – Lewis as he has signed his first professional contract with The New … More
An Overnight Hotel Stay In Cardiff And Making The Most Of The Time By Doing Interviews. Catching Up With Greg Draper And Simon Spender. Player Banter At Its Best.
With a game against Pen-y-Bont the following afternoon, that meant a Friday night in a hotel for The New Saints … More
Barbel Fishing On The River Severn And Where To Fish If You’re Thinking Of Visiting For An Angling Session. The Importance Of Monitoring Water Levels.
The River Severn is a popular destination for anglers, especially those who target barbel. Not quite in the cult status … More
Early Morning Perch Session On The Staffs/Worcs Canal. It Felt Very Autumnal. Time To Start Taking Note Of Water Temperature Readings.
With the alarm set for the same time as when I’m at work, this time round though the 6.30 a.m. … More
Interviewing Blackburn Rovers’ Jack Vale, Following His Wales U-21 Debut.
Most of the interviews that I do are in person but occasionally, due to a variety of reasons, other routes … More
Birding While Driving. Last Swallow Of The Year. Sparrowhawk After A Very Clever Blackbird. Lots Of Fungi Around At The Moment.
Although it’s important to keep your focus on the road when driving and not to lose concentration, nevertheless if you’re … More
Early Morning Session On A Black Country Canal. After Perch But A Bream Steals The Show.
This session wasn’t a planned one in the sense that the alarm was set and I was ready to go. … More
Pre-Match Pen-y-Bont Press Conference With Scott Ruscoe.
With The New Saints FC’s next game against Pen-y-Bont FC, we held the pre-match press conference with manager, Scott Ruscoe, … More
Canal Perch Fishing In The Black Country. Don’t Worry About The Weather, Just Go Fishing Anyway.
When I’m having a working from home day, it invariably means that I will be able to get at least … More
Another Enjoyable Trip To The Capital, To Watch Wales Play Croatia In A European Championship Qualifier. I Prefer New Grounds When There’s A Choice But There Are Exceptions.
Working in the beautiful game, there are obviously a number of matches that I go to during the course of … More
Wales Versus Croatia And The Pre-Match Singing Of The Welsh National Anthem. It Hits The Spot Every Time. Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. Indeed.
As always, before the game there was the singing of the national anthems. As I’ve written on many occasions, I’m … More
Pre-Match Rituals And Activity For The Football Fan, It’s Recognising That It’s More Than Just Ninety Minutes On The Pitch. At The Cardiff City Stadium For Wales Versus Croatia.
I love football and in particular being at a live game. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a national stadium or … More
After A Spell Out Injured, It’s Great To See Danny Redmond Back. Two Player Interviews Following The 6-2 Victory Against Airbus UK Broughton. Insight Into Choosing A Player For The Post-Match Interview.
The choice of player interview following the JD Cymru Premier MD10 victory was Greg Draper. His four goals made him … More
Interviewing New Zealand International, Greg Draper, Following His Four Goals For The New Saints FC. Criteria For Choosing The Post-Match Player Interviewee.
With four goals for Greg Draper against Airbus UK Broughton, he was the natural choice for the post-match interview, following … More
After Three Consecutive Defeats, It Was Great To Interview Scott Ruscoe Following A Victory. Insight Into Media Preparation For Post-Match Interviews. Think On Your Feet And Stay Sharp.
With S4C’s Sgorio occupying the interview room at Park Hall, following the 6-2 win against Airbus UK Broughton, I chatted … More
Back On Track For The New Saints With A 6-2 Win Against Airbus UK Broughton. MD10 In The JD Cymru Premier. Behind-The-Scenes In The Dressing Room.
After back-to-back league defeats, it was important that the reigning champions turned things around sooner rather than later. If you … More
Perch Fishing On The Staffs/Worcs Canal. Third Time Lucky, As They Say. Thoughts On Luck.
After a couple of lure sessions that drew a blank, I was back among the fish in a sit-down trip … More
With Airbus UK Broughton The Visitors To Park Hall, The Pre-Match Press Conference With Scott Ruscoe Covers Not Only The Game Itself But Also General Insight. Comments On The Interview Room.
I enjoy doing interviews in their various forms and that includes the pre-match press conferences. As you can see from … More
FIFA, The English Premier League And An Ex-Player Interview. Using Your Blog In Particular, Or Social Media Presence In General, As An Ongoing CV.
I had an email recently from someone who I met a few years back, when he produced a video on … More
Promoting The Writings Of Other Anglers. D, Featuring The Diary Of A Riverkeeper On The River Test, Hampshire.
I do like reading the blogs of other anglers and for a while I’ve been compiling a list of what’s out there. … More
Perch And Gudgeon From The Staffs/Worcs Canal. Memories Of My First Fish, Caught At The Bratch In The Sixties.
With a week’s holiday in Wales behind me, it was back to the canal this morning for a quick session. … More
What Do Greg Draper And Kurtis Byrne Have In Common?
Well, to answer the question in this blog entry, there could be a number of common denominators that link the … More
A Great Morning At Longlands Community Primary School In Market Drayton With Harry Bower, Liam Parry And The JD Welsh Cup.
My work with The New Saints FC is certainly varied, and back in after a week’s holiday (although I still … More
Lure Fishing For Pike. Whatever The Species And Venue, Don’t Overlook The Margins.
After driving home from Tal-y-Bont, I had some work to catch up with and then, with less than an hour … More
Don’t Allow Your Life To Be Affected By Things That You Have No Control Over. Final Thoughts From The Holiday Near Barmouth.
I’ve certainly enjoyed my week in the Barmouth area with my wife and, of course, the blog entries over the … More
Birding In Tal-y-Bont, Near Barmouth, And My Last Common Toad Of 2019. Bird Highlights Red-Breasted Merganser, Red Kite And Wheatear.
While on holiday in Wales, as always, I was on the lookout for our feathered friends. Whether specifically walking around … More
Inspired By A Welsh Sunrise. Carpe Diem – Seizing The Moment And Making The Most Of Every Opportunity. Open Doors Won’t Always Be That, In Time They Will Close. Act Now.
The heading says it all really, so in order to put some meat on the bones, why not watch the … More
Croeso i Gymru. Mae’n Bwrw Glaw. GroundHopping In Wales As CPD Penrhyndeudraeth Play Denbigh Town In The Cookson Cup. My 56th Welsh Ground And Memories Of The Welsh League Cup Final. The Ffestiniog Railway.
Croeso i Gymru. Mae’n bwrw glaw. In English that’s welcome to Wales, it’s raining. Due to its geographical location, the … More
As Storm Lorenzo Subsides, Beach Fishing At Tal-y-Bont Near Barmouth. I Caught Flounders. Thoughts On Fishing In Extreme Conditions And A Look At The Tackle And Rig That I Fished With.
With Storm Lorenzo hitting the coast of Wales during the course of the holiday, a couple of potential angling sessions … More
Following Defeat At Caernarfon Town, I interviewed Scott Ruscoe On The Oval Pitch. Plus, Some Football-Related Media Thoughts.
It’s not often that I interview the TNS FC manager, Scott Ruscoe, in the setting of a defeat but, including … More
A Night Under The Oval Lights As Caernarfon Town Beat The New Saints FC 1-0 In The JD Cymru Premier.
I enjoy my visits to Caernarfon Town, there’s always a good crowd and atmosphere and that was the case this … More
Welcome To Caernarfon. With A Game In The Evening, A Walk Around The Town Beforehand. Video Includes The Castle And Views Across The Menai Strait To Anglesey.
Working in football, especially at The New Saints, where it is an eleven-month season, holidays have to be worked around … More
Last Swifts, Last Butterfly And First Shotatton Crossroads Lapwings. Fungi In Sand Dunes Near Barmouth.
Where I live (Staffordshire), we have a breeding colony of swifts. They’re always the last migrants to arrive and the … More
Bass Fishing Over High Water Near Barmouth. I’ve Landed Some Nice Fish Over The Years But This Is The Best Catch I’ve Ever Made.
Although I prefer dusk and into dark high water, nevertheless, although they are during the daytime this week, they are … More
Thinking Of Learning Another Language? Some Tips To Get You Going.
For a few years now I have been learning the Welsh language, and there’s more of that in the video … More
Opening Holiday Fishing Session With Dab And Flounder From A Morning Session Over A High Tide. I Love Sea Fishing, And If I Lived Closer To The Coast, I’d Certainly Do A Lot More.
I do enjoy sea fishing and that’s why, whenever we plan a holiday, my wife and I will never be … More
Going On Holiday? Don’t Advertise An Empty House!
It’s common sense really but something that, especially in the day and age of social media, we can often neglect. … More
Promoting The Writings Of Other Anglers. C, Featuring Carp Fishing Photos.
I do like reading the blogs of other anglers and for a while I’ve been compiling a list of what’s out there. … More
An In-Depth Interview With Scott Ruscoe As We Look At His Coaching Career And In Particular, The Recent Pro Licence Course That Included Candidates From The Likes Of Chelsea, Sheffield United And Swansea City. Well Worth A Watch If You’re Involved With Coaching At Any Level Of The Game.
The recent overnight stay in Swansea with The New Saints was an ideal opportunity to catch up with manager, Scott … More
As The New Saints Lose 1-0 To Barry Town United, An Interview With Manager, Scott Ruscoe, On The Park Hall Pitch Following The Final Whistle.
Following defeat in the Nathaniel MG Cup (Welsh League Cup) at Bangor City four days previously, it was another reversal … More
Behind The Scenes At Park Hall Stadium, As The New Saints FC 0 Barry Town United 1 Means The First Home League Defeat In Eleven Months.
Another working game and a big one for The New Saints, as prior to kick-off, Barry Town United were one … More
Jigging For Predators On A Lake And A Pike On The Bank. Lure Fishing Is Great When You Have Limited Time.
I actually enjoy lure fishing in its own right and so fish that way by choice. However, it is a … More
A Pre-Match Press Conference With Scott Ruscoe. As Always, Honest And Open. An Inspiration And A Role Model For Any Upcoming Manager In The Interview Role Context.
After the disappointment of Nathaniel MG Cup defeat against Bangor City, that obviously featured in the press conference as we … More
Perch Fishing Late Evening On A Lake.
As you can see from the lead image, it is rather grainy. I do my filming on an iphone and … More
Perch Fishing On A Canal. I’m Next To A Lock, It’s All About Features. Includes Tackle And Bait Approach.
Another session after perch and another visit to a canal. This outing was to a spot that, although I have … More
After A Busy Day Work-Wise, An Evening Lake Session After Perch.
Following the game at Bangor City the previous evening, it was a working from home day next. Getting back in … More
Following The Defeat At Bangor City, An Interview With Scott Ruscoe In The Main Stand At The EuroGold Stadium.
Post-match interviews are obviously more desirable when the team has won – and that applies to any club or level … More
Groundhog Day, As The New Saints FC Exit Another Cup Competition On Penalties. This Time It’s Against Bangor City, In The Nathaniel MG Cup.
Although currently sitting in second place in the JD Cymru Premier, with early exits from two cup competitions it’s not … More
On My Travels To Bangor, But First, An Angling Visit To A Canal. To Make The Most Of Life You Have To Push Yourself.
I do a lot of miles with my job, in fact when I think about it, ever such a lot. … More
