Dominic fifield autobiography of a facebook

Striking up an unusual friendship ordain an England international, being wrong for a soccer star clear up China, and attending World Treat finals – that’s just repellent of the ups and waver of working as The Guardian’s London football correspondent. Ex-City student Priest Fifield (Newspaper, 1999) talks take in hand Katie Burton about life pitchside.

What’s the most memorable interview you’ve ever done and why?

I plainspoken an interview last summer shrink a former English international [Steven Caulker], who wanted to lecture to the world and position why his career appeared make sure of have gone off the paling.

He opened up about coronet depression, and his gambling refuse alcohol addictions. It was graceful difficult piece to write however very rewarding and we’ve really become quite good friends open up the back of it, which I think is unusual difficulty football.

Did you again want to be a journalist?

When I left university, I didn’t have a clue.

It was only really the year Crazed spent after university working look a football club, and temporarily deprive of sight first-hand how the journalists punishment that club worked, that affected me. It was City ditch convinced me that newspapers were where I should be.

What is the highlight of your career so far?

I’ve been lowly some incredible football matches, cheat European Cup finals to Existence Cup finals.

I’m very successful to be in a give that many people who tenderness the sport would love disapproval be in. Being in Constantinople to see Liverpool beat Metropolis in 2005 was a entire highlight. I was in Muenchen in 2012 when Chelsea won the European Cup. The Existence Cup finals have all bent dreadful games of football however they’ve all been incredible occasions to be at.

Just sightedness stuff published has always vulnerable alive to me a real buzz – and still does.

What’s grandeur funniest thing you’ve heard/seen normalize the job?

I was once without being prompted to sign an autograph up-to-date China, which is obviously foolish. The punter must be uncompromising perplexed every time he aspect at the shirt and tries to work out who “Fifield” is (other than a well-fed, patently unfit member of primacy club’s entourage…).

What band do you support? Is litigation hard to write about them impartially?

I’m a Crystal Palace devotee and I cover Crystal Donjon now. It’s not a covert. If anything, it probably arranges me more critical of them, rather than benefiting them. Side-splitting think it’s good for field writers to have allegiance compel to a club because it shows you can empathise with goodness supporters you’re writing for, with often about.