Post by bigfudge on Apr 28, 2015 16:00:25 GMT
I know this isn't County Media however I thought it would spread it to a bigger audience as I'm not sure how many people actually trawl to the bottom of the forum, I shall move it in due time or if an Admin wants to move it anyway I understand!
Today we interview County Heaven's resident Media Mogul, Hatter_In_Macc!
First of all Maccy, you are now the Twitter face (Fingers?) of Stockport County. How did such an opportunity come around?
In a rather unexpected way last Summer, when I took a call at work from George Hudson - with whom I had never previously spoken. He explained that he was looking for someone new to write the Match Reports for COWS, and, having heard (from Pouchy, as it later turned out) that I both attended most County games and was - ahem - 'reasonably literate', he wondered whether I might be interested in taking the task on.
So far, so easy, as job interviews go! I accepted on the spot.
George then went on to throw in his invitation for me to match-tweet as well. I had never before used Twitter, so asked if I might get back to him on that one whilst I looked into its workings a little more. After opening an account of my own, and having a brief play with that, I let George know that I would give tweeting to the masses a go.....and, taking advantage of his delight at this news, promptly added that I would have to miss the first two matches of the season due to holidays!
At first, were you nervous about your reporting going out to a few thousand, rather than just the population of County Heaven?
Petrified! The 'Radio Macc' texting service that I had started during County's early days in the Conference was always fun, as the updates were going out to people I knew and liked, who would generally laugh at my jokes and forgive me for any mistakes. Twitter is a far less finite world than Heaven (which sounds odd.....but you know what I mean!), and rather less tolerant, too. I didn't sleep terribly well the night before my first match - away at Tamworth - as a member of the media team, not least given that our hosts were minded to ban Pure from broadcasting at the Lamb.....which would have left me as the only official Club source of news that day!
Thankfully, the decision to keep Pure away was reversed - and, for the most part, the game was a pedestrian affair, which allowed me to settle into the match-tweeting routine. Until the final minute, that is - when a disputed penalty and Milligan's successful conversion of the spot-kick brought us our first points of the campaign! I kind of lost control at that juncture - expressing myself in Meg Ryan orgasm terms, as we scored - although followers of @scfcmedia seemed not to mind. And, more importantly, I had, in one brief moment of unbridled joy, shed all of my inhibitions. No more nerves from then on!
I have just re-read those last few sentences, and they seem not a little Freudian!
Ah, well. (Or, possibly, Aaaaa-hhhhh, well!)
Twitter, of course, isn't your only Media work for County. You also form half of the CH Programme Writing team. You have been doing it for 2 seasons now, do you still enjoy it now as much as you did at the start?
Even more so, I would say. What is great about writing for the programme is that Sandy and I have a pretty free licence to write anything we like - so long as it broadly falls within the word-limit and is not obviously libellous or complete gibberish. We agreed at the outset to split duties between writing about CH (Sandy) and County (me), so that works well - together with some 'bantz' between the halves of each article.
We have worked with 3 different editors so far, and none to date has changed anything we've written - so they must quite like us! Our next challenge is to secure double-page coverage! Next season, maybe......
Do you think you have improved as a writer since taking on this role?
In certain respects, definitely. Working under pressure on Twitter is a fantastic discipline for ensuring an effectively concise use of words, while the programme article's word limit ensures that things are kept punchy.
There is no word-limit so far as the COWS reports are concerned, and I tend to exceed a thousand words with each of those! But I did learn a lot from Gavin Browne about presenting work in shorter sentences and paragraphs, which makes it more likely that the reader will remain interested.....well, quite interested!
Do you see County from a different perspective now that you are one of the Media Team and do you get treated differently than you would have done before you did the Twitter updates? Have you been recognised yet?!
I'm not really one for hob-nobbing in any environment, so don't seek people out now that I've got a kind of club status - although several of the Officials and Directors have made a point of talking to me, and have been complimentary about my work. Which is nice!
And, yes, I've been recognised - both online and in the flesh (as it were!)! A few of the regular travelling fans often say hello, and I have gained quite a few 'followers' from complete strangers on my personal Twitter account - even though I hardly ever use it! No proposals of marriage, underwear in the post or anything of that sort, as yet, mind.....
Away from the Media World for a while now. You were part of both the Macclesfield Walk and the Hyde Walk. Which one did you prefer and why?
Loved them both - although, if I had to choose, Macclesfield was particularly special for being our first hike, and the one that enjoyed the brighter weather.....as well as posh pies for lunch. Easy for me to get home afterwards, without further undue exertion, too!
The walks were the brainchild of our very own Sandbach Hatter. Do you think County Heaven and our close online community are a part of why both walks were so successful?
I think CH helped to create a hardcore of volunteers on each occasion, and, because a number of us already knew each other, it meant that conversation on the walks never ran dry! That said, such was Sandy's drive to get the events organised, I feel sure they would have succeeded anyway.
How important do you think Messageboards and forums are to Football fans in general?
That's a difficult one, and very subjective, as people have all sorts of reasons for using them. On CH alone, there appear to be many 'guests' who neither register nor post. Hopefully, though, they find the content useful.....amusing, even!
Do you feel your personal match-day experience has been improved since joining CH and joining up with your fellow 'Heaveners' before the game?
Ooh, leading question alert!.....:-)
But, yes, in all seriousness, it most certainly has! Meet-ups in The Oak are now part and parcel - not to mention often the most enjoyable bit - of a Saturday in SK3. I'm only sorry that I have to leave a tad earlier nowadays to set-up in the Press Box, and leave the rest of you enjoying yourselves!
Have you always been a County fan or did you go through a phase of supporting a different team?
I grew up on the South Coast, and, as a kid, had a season ticket to go and watch Lewes. Mum and Dad were entirely content for me to go to matches there alone, or with friends, even when I was still at Primary School.
My 'part-time' faves in the top flight were, and continue to be, Southampton. I still like to see the Saints do well, and I am delighted they have confounded the pundits this term. Not that any of that has counted when they have played County, of course. Possibly my all-time best moment following the Hatters was watching us win at The Dell on our League Cup run of '97.
And, when in France, I do have - shall we say - a 'penchant' for Saint-Etienne!
How did you originally become a County fan?
After moving to the North-West as a young grown-up. I had often seen, and been mildly fascinated about, EP from a train window on journeys to and from Manchester - and, once I settled here, there didn't seem to be any doubt in my mind (despite the alternatives nearby) as to where I should go and watch football. I liked the idea of watching games on a Friday night, too.
On my first visit, against York in the '80s, I turned up at the Cheadle End turnstile a couple of minutes after kick-off. As I paid to get in, a goal was scored.....
Me: "Ooh. One to us?!"
Turnstile Operator: "Don't be so bloody stupid, lad!"
Me: "Ah, one-nil to York, then"
Turnstile Operator: (Wearily) "It's two-bloody-nil!"
I was hooked from that moment on.
Going back on to Media briefly. You are also in charge of writing the Match Reports for the Official Website. Your work draws a lot of compliments from people, is writing ever something you would consider doing professionally?
It becomes a different ball-game, writing for a career rather than for pleasure - so I'm unsure.....especially bearing in mind the restrictions that are placed on staff journalists and freelancers alike in terms of what they may cover, and where.
That said, I am writing a book based on this season's experiences, so we'll see if I can turn that into a bestseller and set myself up.....!
County isn't the only club on the CV. You've also 'Tweeted' for Rolvsoy IF of the Norwegian Leagues. How did you find that experience?
I absolutely loved it. All of the players and officials made me feel part of the Club for those few days that they were over here. Considering that - Jarkko excepted - none of them had ever met me previously, I found this genuinely touching.
The Rolvsoy boys took to you very quickly, even giving you the nickname 'Mr Tweet' due to how impressed they were with your work. A compliment indeed for a country where English isn't the primary languague, wouldn't you agree?
Indeed, yes. They were a truly smashing group of lads. 'Takk', Rolvsoy! (Yet another club to add to my list of faves above, too.....)
We'll wind down with a few fun questions now.....
If you were forced to swap places with one Heavener for a week, who would you choose and why?
I fear that Gazza may have already answered along these lines in his interview with you, but I would have to say Downy. The swap would provide each of us with a welcome holiday, and a chance to catch up with relatives (my Oz-based ones are in Adelaide).
Not only that, but I would enjoy the opportunity to set a right bunch of stinkers in the the weekly prediction round!
Who would make your all-time Stockport County XI and who would manage this team?
Paul Jones, Sean Connelly, Lee Todd, Mike Flynn (Captain), Bill Williams, Tom Bennett, Chris Marsden, Luis Cavaco (no surprise there, eh?!), Kevin Francis, Micky Quinn, George Best.
To be managed by The Man from Uruguay. Not necessarily our best-ever manager - but the team would run through brick-walls for him.....apart from Bestie, possibly!
You are allowed to have a Birthday Party but Mrs Macc says you're only allowed 5 guests! Who do you invite and why?
I would have to break the habit of a married lifetime, and be disobedient, I'm afraid!
I couldn't possibly leave out any of my pre-match buddies from The Oak, or the other twenty or so Heaveners that I don't see quite as often but have had the pleasure to get to know at some point in time - including Exile (a_r_s), Gazza and Eppers, who I should have to put in charge of the Music! And then there are a good few that I don't know - Sir Roger, gts, dpc, Downy, Ceefer and Benno spring to mind immediately - but would like to meet!
Macc Towers might not be big enough, so we ought to hire an external venue. At least, that way, Mrs. M wouldn't have to worry about fixtures and fittings.....and might even excuse my act of defiance!
Finally do you have anything you would like to say to your legions of fans, both Domestic and Norwegian?
In the style of my end-of-match Tweets.....This is Hatter in Macc, bidding Hatters everywhere - as well as Rolvsoy-ians - a good evening. And thanks, as ever, for reading!
Thank you very much to Maccy for answering all of our questions and giving us a great insight into the Media World at Stockport County.
People can not only find Maccy tweeting for County at - @scfcmedia but also on his personal account at @garethe77815055.
Today we interview County Heaven's resident Media Mogul, Hatter_In_Macc!
First of all Maccy, you are now the Twitter face (Fingers?) of Stockport County. How did such an opportunity come around?
In a rather unexpected way last Summer, when I took a call at work from George Hudson - with whom I had never previously spoken. He explained that he was looking for someone new to write the Match Reports for COWS, and, having heard (from Pouchy, as it later turned out) that I both attended most County games and was - ahem - 'reasonably literate', he wondered whether I might be interested in taking the task on.
So far, so easy, as job interviews go! I accepted on the spot.
George then went on to throw in his invitation for me to match-tweet as well. I had never before used Twitter, so asked if I might get back to him on that one whilst I looked into its workings a little more. After opening an account of my own, and having a brief play with that, I let George know that I would give tweeting to the masses a go.....and, taking advantage of his delight at this news, promptly added that I would have to miss the first two matches of the season due to holidays!
At first, were you nervous about your reporting going out to a few thousand, rather than just the population of County Heaven?
Petrified! The 'Radio Macc' texting service that I had started during County's early days in the Conference was always fun, as the updates were going out to people I knew and liked, who would generally laugh at my jokes and forgive me for any mistakes. Twitter is a far less finite world than Heaven (which sounds odd.....but you know what I mean!), and rather less tolerant, too. I didn't sleep terribly well the night before my first match - away at Tamworth - as a member of the media team, not least given that our hosts were minded to ban Pure from broadcasting at the Lamb.....which would have left me as the only official Club source of news that day!
Thankfully, the decision to keep Pure away was reversed - and, for the most part, the game was a pedestrian affair, which allowed me to settle into the match-tweeting routine. Until the final minute, that is - when a disputed penalty and Milligan's successful conversion of the spot-kick brought us our first points of the campaign! I kind of lost control at that juncture - expressing myself in Meg Ryan orgasm terms, as we scored - although followers of @scfcmedia seemed not to mind. And, more importantly, I had, in one brief moment of unbridled joy, shed all of my inhibitions. No more nerves from then on!
I have just re-read those last few sentences, and they seem not a little Freudian!
Ah, well. (Or, possibly, Aaaaa-hhhhh, well!)
Twitter, of course, isn't your only Media work for County. You also form half of the CH Programme Writing team. You have been doing it for 2 seasons now, do you still enjoy it now as much as you did at the start?
Even more so, I would say. What is great about writing for the programme is that Sandy and I have a pretty free licence to write anything we like - so long as it broadly falls within the word-limit and is not obviously libellous or complete gibberish. We agreed at the outset to split duties between writing about CH (Sandy) and County (me), so that works well - together with some 'bantz' between the halves of each article.
We have worked with 3 different editors so far, and none to date has changed anything we've written - so they must quite like us! Our next challenge is to secure double-page coverage! Next season, maybe......
Do you think you have improved as a writer since taking on this role?
In certain respects, definitely. Working under pressure on Twitter is a fantastic discipline for ensuring an effectively concise use of words, while the programme article's word limit ensures that things are kept punchy.
There is no word-limit so far as the COWS reports are concerned, and I tend to exceed a thousand words with each of those! But I did learn a lot from Gavin Browne about presenting work in shorter sentences and paragraphs, which makes it more likely that the reader will remain interested.....well, quite interested!
Do you see County from a different perspective now that you are one of the Media Team and do you get treated differently than you would have done before you did the Twitter updates? Have you been recognised yet?!
I'm not really one for hob-nobbing in any environment, so don't seek people out now that I've got a kind of club status - although several of the Officials and Directors have made a point of talking to me, and have been complimentary about my work. Which is nice!
And, yes, I've been recognised - both online and in the flesh (as it were!)! A few of the regular travelling fans often say hello, and I have gained quite a few 'followers' from complete strangers on my personal Twitter account - even though I hardly ever use it! No proposals of marriage, underwear in the post or anything of that sort, as yet, mind.....
Away from the Media World for a while now. You were part of both the Macclesfield Walk and the Hyde Walk. Which one did you prefer and why?
Loved them both - although, if I had to choose, Macclesfield was particularly special for being our first hike, and the one that enjoyed the brighter weather.....as well as posh pies for lunch. Easy for me to get home afterwards, without further undue exertion, too!
The walks were the brainchild of our very own Sandbach Hatter. Do you think County Heaven and our close online community are a part of why both walks were so successful?
I think CH helped to create a hardcore of volunteers on each occasion, and, because a number of us already knew each other, it meant that conversation on the walks never ran dry! That said, such was Sandy's drive to get the events organised, I feel sure they would have succeeded anyway.
How important do you think Messageboards and forums are to Football fans in general?
That's a difficult one, and very subjective, as people have all sorts of reasons for using them. On CH alone, there appear to be many 'guests' who neither register nor post. Hopefully, though, they find the content useful.....amusing, even!
Do you feel your personal match-day experience has been improved since joining CH and joining up with your fellow 'Heaveners' before the game?
Ooh, leading question alert!.....:-)
But, yes, in all seriousness, it most certainly has! Meet-ups in The Oak are now part and parcel - not to mention often the most enjoyable bit - of a Saturday in SK3. I'm only sorry that I have to leave a tad earlier nowadays to set-up in the Press Box, and leave the rest of you enjoying yourselves!
Have you always been a County fan or did you go through a phase of supporting a different team?
I grew up on the South Coast, and, as a kid, had a season ticket to go and watch Lewes. Mum and Dad were entirely content for me to go to matches there alone, or with friends, even when I was still at Primary School.
My 'part-time' faves in the top flight were, and continue to be, Southampton. I still like to see the Saints do well, and I am delighted they have confounded the pundits this term. Not that any of that has counted when they have played County, of course. Possibly my all-time best moment following the Hatters was watching us win at The Dell on our League Cup run of '97.
And, when in France, I do have - shall we say - a 'penchant' for Saint-Etienne!
How did you originally become a County fan?
After moving to the North-West as a young grown-up. I had often seen, and been mildly fascinated about, EP from a train window on journeys to and from Manchester - and, once I settled here, there didn't seem to be any doubt in my mind (despite the alternatives nearby) as to where I should go and watch football. I liked the idea of watching games on a Friday night, too.
On my first visit, against York in the '80s, I turned up at the Cheadle End turnstile a couple of minutes after kick-off. As I paid to get in, a goal was scored.....
Me: "Ooh. One to us?!"
Turnstile Operator: "Don't be so bloody stupid, lad!"
Me: "Ah, one-nil to York, then"
Turnstile Operator: (Wearily) "It's two-bloody-nil!"
I was hooked from that moment on.
Going back on to Media briefly. You are also in charge of writing the Match Reports for the Official Website. Your work draws a lot of compliments from people, is writing ever something you would consider doing professionally?
It becomes a different ball-game, writing for a career rather than for pleasure - so I'm unsure.....especially bearing in mind the restrictions that are placed on staff journalists and freelancers alike in terms of what they may cover, and where.
That said, I am writing a book based on this season's experiences, so we'll see if I can turn that into a bestseller and set myself up.....!
County isn't the only club on the CV. You've also 'Tweeted' for Rolvsoy IF of the Norwegian Leagues. How did you find that experience?
I absolutely loved it. All of the players and officials made me feel part of the Club for those few days that they were over here. Considering that - Jarkko excepted - none of them had ever met me previously, I found this genuinely touching.
The Rolvsoy boys took to you very quickly, even giving you the nickname 'Mr Tweet' due to how impressed they were with your work. A compliment indeed for a country where English isn't the primary languague, wouldn't you agree?
Indeed, yes. They were a truly smashing group of lads. 'Takk', Rolvsoy! (Yet another club to add to my list of faves above, too.....)
We'll wind down with a few fun questions now.....
If you were forced to swap places with one Heavener for a week, who would you choose and why?
I fear that Gazza may have already answered along these lines in his interview with you, but I would have to say Downy. The swap would provide each of us with a welcome holiday, and a chance to catch up with relatives (my Oz-based ones are in Adelaide).
Not only that, but I would enjoy the opportunity to set a right bunch of stinkers in the the weekly prediction round!
Who would make your all-time Stockport County XI and who would manage this team?
Paul Jones, Sean Connelly, Lee Todd, Mike Flynn (Captain), Bill Williams, Tom Bennett, Chris Marsden, Luis Cavaco (no surprise there, eh?!), Kevin Francis, Micky Quinn, George Best.
To be managed by The Man from Uruguay. Not necessarily our best-ever manager - but the team would run through brick-walls for him.....apart from Bestie, possibly!
You are allowed to have a Birthday Party but Mrs Macc says you're only allowed 5 guests! Who do you invite and why?
I would have to break the habit of a married lifetime, and be disobedient, I'm afraid!
I couldn't possibly leave out any of my pre-match buddies from The Oak, or the other twenty or so Heaveners that I don't see quite as often but have had the pleasure to get to know at some point in time - including Exile (a_r_s), Gazza and Eppers, who I should have to put in charge of the Music! And then there are a good few that I don't know - Sir Roger, gts, dpc, Downy, Ceefer and Benno spring to mind immediately - but would like to meet!
Macc Towers might not be big enough, so we ought to hire an external venue. At least, that way, Mrs. M wouldn't have to worry about fixtures and fittings.....and might even excuse my act of defiance!
Finally do you have anything you would like to say to your legions of fans, both Domestic and Norwegian?
In the style of my end-of-match Tweets.....This is Hatter in Macc, bidding Hatters everywhere - as well as Rolvsoy-ians - a good evening. And thanks, as ever, for reading!
Thank you very much to Maccy for answering all of our questions and giving us a great insight into the Media World at Stockport County.
People can not only find Maccy tweeting for County at - @scfcmedia but also on his personal account at @garethe77815055.
