Final Year Project

As part of my university degree I completed a final year practical journalism project. It involved speaking to 20 sources and putting together my research into five features on the interactive platform, Shorthand. My project was based around women's football in the north east. I wanted to shine a light on how the sport is evolving, as well as find out about the challenges that exist and the different personalities that make up the game in the region.

I was awarded the BA (Hons) Sports Journalism Sustainable Futures Prize as a result of my work on this project.

Not a Lasses' Game? - Where We Are Now (#1)

For the north east’s first England representee Aran Embleton, (one of only 229 esteemed individuals with a cap to her name) that evolution has come at a pivotal moment for the region - a far cry from the “different” experience she faced during her heyday.

“There were 20 of us, maximum, that really played in the whole of the north east,” she recollected.

“There wasn’t a lot of funding involved. We didn’t have much. We struggled to get travelling expenses, we bag-packed. We did everything we cou

Not a Lasses' Game? - Player Pathways (#2)

More and more support is being given to younger girls so they have the opportunities and time to develop as a player before universities can set them up for success.

Monkwearmouth Football Academy, spearheaded by ex-professional footballer Jamie Chandler, has recently introduced a girls’ programme which aims to do exactly this.

“I think our approach has always been to give opportunities to passionate young players,” he shared.

“We have been very fortunate to have had a number of girls join us

Not a Lasses' Game? - The Grassroots Game (#3)

“It’s every other day I’ve got a young girl coming up to me and asking where they can find a team to get involved,” shared South Shields Women head coach, Alex Miller.

The secondary school teacher beamed with delight as she recounted the handful of experiences like it in recent weeks and months, and she for one is over the moon with how the women’s game is evolving.

It is becoming clear that the Lionesses’ success has created a trickle-down effect where teams at all levels can benefit from the

Not a Lasses' Game? - Through The Lens (#4)

Johnston recently kick-started his own professional career by securing a full-time job with Creo Comms, a self-described ‘creative marketing agency’ based in Sunderland.

But he insists he couldn’t have done it without taking that daunting first step.

“Initially at the very beginning, I was running a local Italian car club here in the North East,” Johnston reflected.

“Purchasing a camera was really to improve our social outlook at future events. It was right round the time of the pandemic whic

Not a Lasses' Game? - A Journalist's Take (#5)

It is more important than ever to be ‘with the times’ in football, when it comes to being savvy and aware of social media trends.

Newcastle United and Sunderland AFC have bolstered themselves internally in recent years to provide first-class coverage of every game for their supporters to enjoy.

The independently-run Durham Women have done the same and it can be argued this coverage does wonders for a club needing to rely on themselves, rather than having a known brand name to attract supporter