About the Authors
- 27 Apr 06, 12:02 PM
Roger Mosey
I'm director of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport, which means heading a department of around 500 people with an annual budget running into hundreds of millions of pounds. We produce sports programming for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ network television; for radio mainly Five Live; and for our interactive and web-based services.
I was born in 1958 and brought up in Bradford. My first-ever football match when I was 4 years old was at Bradford Park Avenue, but after they went out of the League we started going to Bradford City and I've supported them ever since. The other big sports for me when I was growing up were rugby league - our family were Bradford Northern fans - and Yorkshire cricket. Nothing like watching Sir Geoffrey Boycott carefully piece together a century on a sunny afternoon...
I've never been much good at playing sport, but I always combined enjoying watching sport with an interest in the media. When I was 10 I wanted to go to the Test Match at Headingley partly to watch the cricket but also because I was interested in spotting cameras with the logo of the company taking over the ITV franchise in our region - Yorkshire Television. Sad, huh?
After university I started in the media myself at Pennine Radio, the local commercial station in Bradford. I joined the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ in 1980 at Radio Lincolnshire and vowed never to work in London and never to work in News. Four years later I was on Radio 4 news programmes based in Broadcasting House. I went to the Today programme as editor in 1993, and then became controller of Five Live in the late 1990s before heading Television News from 2000 to 2005.
Since I became head of sport, the best experience was visiting the Winter Olympics in Turin and seeing the speed skating and then the giant slalom up in the mountains. I'd never been into winter sports, but those events converted me.
Ben Gallop
I'm Editor of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport Interactive, heading up the department which looks after Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport's new media services - that's the website, interactive TV, mobile platforms, digital text and Ceefax.
I have editorial responsibility for our output - but this being the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ I tend to spend most of my working day in a succession of meetings, while all the real work is performed by a talented, hard-working team of journalists, producers, designers and developers.
I've been with the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ since 1998 - before that I had a number of journalistic jobs in the outside world, starting in local newspapers and taking in press agencies and other broadcasters. I was drawn to the new media sector of the industry because I basically have a pathological urge to keep in touch with sports news, no matter where I am - and I get a buzz out of being involved at the sharp end of it all.
When it comes to following sport, I'd consider myself a passionate, obsessive all-rounder - frankly if it's a big event with lots at stake I love it, no matter what the sport. I'd say England's amazing victory in the 2005 Ashes was my favourite sporting event - although the 2003 Rugby World Cup and, of course, Tottenham's win over Arsenal in the 1991 FA Cup semi-final definitely push it close...
Chris Russell
I'm responsible for managing innovation and major projects on the website and our mobile services, as well as the audio/video output, the message boards and other user-generated content.
This is certainly not what I envisaged when I became a journalist in the early 1990s although the signs were probably there by the middle of the decade when I enthusiastically produced a local radio series trying to persuade the good folk of Yorkshire to get online.
In 1998 I joined the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News website and quickly worked out two things; that I could be paid to watch sport by volunteering for certain shifts and that this was a medium which offered massive potential for someone who enjoys change.
In 2000 we launched the dedicated Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport site and I took on my current job in 2002. That seems a while ago although the great thing is that nothing stays the same for very long around here so it certainly doesn't feel like four years.
Oh yes and I do like sport too - main interests and allegiances are Aston Villa, cycling, cricket and rugby league.
That's more than enough about me. While I want to use the opportunity of this blog to share our plans with you, I am also desperately keen to know what you think of our services so please do let us know.
Alex Gubbay
I'm Alex, I'm 29, and I'm the Sports Ed for www.bbc.co.uk/sport, which means I'm nominally responsible for the day-to-day content on the site, and indeed also on Ceefax, text on digital TV, our WAP mobile service, and elsewhere.
But it's really my hard-working team of editors and journalists here who keep everything you see and read as up to date as possible.
Having worked on and eventually edited the Leeds Student newspaper while at university, I joined the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ full-time when I came back to London in 1999.
Football and cricket are the sports I follow most - and in terms of playing, tend to struggle through Sunday league seasons (Essex Wanderers forever!) but fare a bit better on the ski slopes.
And despite being a Londoner, was won over to Everton as a young kid by the great side of the mid-80s, and continue to cling to the hope David Moyes and his boys will bring the glory days back to Goodison...
Paul Armstrong
I've worked for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport since 1989, initially as an Assistant Producer, then as Assistant Editor and, since 2000, as Editor of Match of the Day. Over the years I've worked across a wide range of sports, but have increasingly specialised in football, working on my fifth World Cup in Germany in 2006.
In essence, I'm responsible for the content of highlights or live MOTDs, liasing with the presenters and pundits, drawing up a running order, and then adapting it during live transmission. On the air, the director is the rally driver and the editor navigates, trying his best to make sensible contributions while holding the map the right way up.
I'm answerable to the Head of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Football, Niall Sloane, who deals with governing bodies and the upper echelons of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, and makes the key strategic decisions about, for example, contracts for presenters, pundits and commentators.
Within that framework, the Programme Editors are largely free to make decisions about the content of individual programmes. So if you didn't like anything about an MOTD programme, it was probably my fault!
Lance Hardy
I am the Series Editor of Final Score on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ1 and Score on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔi.
I studied journalism at Richmond College in Sheffield and began my career as a newspaper journalist. I joined the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ in 1990 as a sub-editor with Ceefax Sport. Three years later I moved over to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TV Sport on attachment as a trainee assistant producer. I became a producer here in 1998, an assistant editor in 2001 and an editor in 2004.
I have had a varied and enjoyable career at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ. I have worked at three World Cups, two European Championships and two Olympic Games (Atlanta and Sydney). I have also produced and directed documentaries, worked on nine Wimbledon tennis championships (both as a journalist and a producer; I also directed the titles sequence in 1999), six world darts championships (including one as editor in 2001) and was director/producer on the World's Strongest Man in Las Vegas in 1997.
But football has always been my main love. I worked on Football Focus and Match Of The Day as a producer from 1994 and first began editing programmes in 1999. I was Assistant Editor of Football Focus from 2001-2004 and since 2001 I've also been responsible for our women's football TV coverage, including Women's Euros 2005.
Howard Nurse
Hi - I'm Howard - the website's football editor and I also double up as deputy sports editor (though I only get one salary unfortunately).
I've been a journalist for almost 20 years and started out in my home town Scarborough in newspapers, before moving on to owning my own press agency and then progressing to radio, a bit of regional TV and then in 1996 joining Ceefax Sport.
I was part of the original team who set up the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport website in 2000 when I was appointed football editor. Since then, I've assembled a top team of football journalists and I'd like to think the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's football website has become a must-read for all football fans.
Apart from being a long-suffering Scarborough FC supporter, I'm a big admirer of Manchester United (and Sir Alex Ferguson) and my sporting hero is undoubtedly Geoff Boycott. My sporting claim to fame is knocking Boycott's stumps over in the nets before a Yorkshire game at Scarborough when I was a kid of about 13.
Claire Stocks
Who am I? I'm a short, dark-haired, left-handed, left-footed, assistant editor with Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport Interactive.
I joined Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport in 2001 after a year off travelling to various places.
Before that I lived, studied or worked for newspapers in Aberdeen, Preston, Barrow-in-Furness & Liverpool.
I set up the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport Academy website, and still oversee it as well as other long-term projects on the web.
Blog credentials? Learning fast. I set up our Commonwealth Games, World Cup and Ryder Cup blogs and oversee this one too.
Sport credentials? I play a lot of sport, football & hockey mainly but also tennis & golf, and I love my bike.
Sporting highlight? Chelsea winning the title after so long last season.
Personal sporting highlight? Winning the South East and Greater London Women's League Div 1 title with last season!
Personal highlight:
Trekking up to and back/Walking the 130 miles round .
.
Age: 39. But Teddy's still playing in the Premiership at 40, right?
Ian Westbrook
I have been at the Beeb all my working life - first of all in finance and then moving across to Ceefax Sport at the start of 1994.
I made the jump between the two after some football writing outside the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ earned me an interview for a job on Ceefax, which I didn't get but which did lead to some freelance work at evenings and weekends.
Eventually I persuaded them to take me on permanently and managed to capture a full-time job.
Worked my way up through the ranks to become Ceefax Sports Editor and held the job until the department merged with the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport website to form Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport Interactive two years ago.
I am now in charge of the Core sports desk - that is every sport except football and cricket.
My sporting passion lies firmly in west London - I am a lifelong Brentford supporter having gone to my first game in 1971 and can go on for hours on my many memories of watching The Bees.
Personal highlights so far - winning promotion to Division One (the second tier of the League) in 1992 - the only time Brentford have been out of the bottom two divisions in my 35 years of support and seeing us play at Wembley for the first time in my life in the 1985 Freight Rover Trophy final.
Aashish Chandarana
I am currently responsible for innovations across all of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport's output on all platforms. In addition, I look at the department's broadband strategy.
I have worked for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ since 1999 starting out in local radio. I have been in Sport since the launch of the site in 2000. In that time, I have also worked for Radio.
I have a keen interest in rugby (I'm a member of Tabard RFC), cricket (Radlett CC) & football (Arsenal) as well as all things technology-based.
Paul Grunill
I have been with the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ since joining the Ceefax sport team in December 1988.
Since 1997, I've worked on a variety of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ internet projects and became Cricket Editor for the Sport website since when it launched six years ago.
Irregular shift patterns and a long commute to London meant the end of my career in village cricket, but I'm proud to boast I am arguably the most boring batsman ever seen in the Northants Alliance League.
In support of this claim, I cite an occasion when I batted for the entire 48 overs of an innings and only reached my half century in the final over.
I've supported Barnsley football club since boyhood and believe it's a ridiculous injustice Neil Redfearn never won an England cap. My favourite football memory is the look on Sir Alex Ferguson's face after Barnsley knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup in 1997-98.
Matt Millington
I began life at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ tapping in run-by-run scores on Ceefax Sport for England's 1990 tour of West Indies, using a faithful Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Micro. These days I help look after Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport's interactive TV content, and have seen our output grow from just two events in 2001 to pretty much every week of the year now. I spend much of my time commuting to work, telling my boss Patrick he has messed up the rota again, and making life hell for our designer Mike.
My sporting claims to fame are a 180-yard hole-in-one (followed by a quadruple-bogey at the next hole), and a very blurred photo in the 1988 FA Cup Final programme of me celebrating Wimbledon's semi-final winner on the terraces at White Hart Lane.
Hobbies include contracting rare illnesses, glaring and/or tutting at people who annoy me and betting stupid amounts of money on daft TV shows.
Having cycled halfway round the world some 16 years ago, my personal ambition is to complete the other half - but this time in a Mini Cooper Convertible. Oh, and to see AFC Wimbledon overtake Franchise FC in the football pyramid.
James Howard
I started off in the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ at the World Service initially in marketing and publicity before moving into the world of New Media.
I worked with several of the language services to get their websites up and working including , , and - although things have moved on since I left!
I then moved to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News to work on the development of the sport site (launched in 2000) and have since worked on the full time.
I (we, should mention the rest of the design team here) deal with the non-journalistic areas including development, usability and design - graphic, application and interaction design - and work with all areas of Sport and other Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ departments to investigate integrated approaches to ensure the audience can easily find and use services.
My efforts on
Away from the office:
Rugby Union a particular favourite - especially
Although I am a Leeds United supporter I still retain a soft spot for Plymouth Argyle, as that is where I was born.
And I cycle to work almost every day on my
Patrick Dalzell
I am responsible for all of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport's interactive TV services, that's everything you can access by pressing the red button on your digital TV remote control.
I run a small team that produces hundreds of hours of television around major events like the Olympics, Wimbledon etc and minor events like Snooker and Darts.
I first joined the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 16 years ago as a sound engineer for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio. We were grandly called studio managers and when I joined I had visions of working in a white lab coat in studios playing records and mixing programmes on Radio 4.
Apparently this was phased out just before I arrived, honest. I then worked in Radio Sport as a producer and then moved to TV, firstly with the fledgling News 24 and then on a daily 30 minute sports programme called 110 percent.
All my Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ life I have been at the cutting edge of technology and pioneered new services in every area I have worked. My favourite to date has been delivering the interactive TV Olympics in 2004, we delivered so much coverage and learned a lot along the way.
I am from Leeds - and a lifelong Leeds United fan - but with two small boys obsessed with Liverpool I find I watch more Liverpool matches than Leeds these days. I always keep an eye on Leeds Rhinos and Yorkshire County Cricket Club so I confirm the stereotype of a true Yorkshireman.
Apart from working in and watching sport I love playing all sports but football is my first love. Finally I am living proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks.I am currently learning to sail and have also bought a boat.
Bridget Chandler
Hi I'm Bridget. Normally I work as a senior journalist in the development team but for my sins, am now acting as blog administrator/co-ordinator/secretary - whatever it takes to keep this blog running smoothly!
I started my journalistic career working for two newspapers in Blackpool before heading to the big smoke to work as a freelance reporter for the Sun and the Independent on Sunday.
In 1999 I joined Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News Online but it wasn't long before a spot opened up on the sport desk and I was able to fulfil a long-held ambition to work as a sports reporter.
We were a small team then - but as the site evolved into Sport Interactive it grew to more than 100 and I can honestly say it's a privilege working alongside such clever people.
I love football (Man Utd I'm afraid), cricket (particularly Andrew Flintoff who I saw play at my local club as a kid), and any big sporting event. Truth is I'll watch any sport anytime from winter sports to horse racing and snooker.
