Finlay’s penning his own football future
SUNDERLAND AFC FAN DREAMS OF A CAREER AS A SPORTS JOURNALIST
A teenage football fanatic is putting pen to paper as he seeks a future in the beautiful game.
Finlay Anderson, 13, has been writing match reports for five years and dreams of a future career as a sports journalist.
The Sunderland AFC supporter’s love of writing has spiralled since being encouraged by former teachers at Broadway Junior School, and he has even been writing fan blogs for the Echo over recent months.
Proud mum Wendy Anderson, of Hastings Hill, has told how Finlay has been keeping a portfolio since the age of eight, when he wrote a report after getting tickets for a Sunderland game.
Wendy said: “The headteacher of the school, Margarita Acklam, used to give pupils a little treat if they did well.
“She gave Finlay two match tickets and as a thank you, he wrote her a match report.
“It has just gone from there.
“He loves writing and is progressing really well, with lots of people always praising his work.
“It’s definitely what he wants to do as a career.
“We’re very proud of what he does and the fact that he has an insight into what he wants to do at such an early age is really good.”
Finlay now goes to Sandhill View Academy and lives at home with mum Wendy, dad Robert and sister Chloe, 17.
He is already making waves in sports journalism, having been invited to meet BBC Radio Newcastle commentators Gary Bennett and Nick Barnes at the radio station’s studio.
He has also been visited by BBC Look North presenter Jeff Brown, has had blogs published in the Echo and even did some video work for Sunderland AFC at a match earlier this season.
Wendy added: “He has met quite a few people because of this, but just takes it all in his stride.
“The videos he did at the Sunderland match opened his eyes to that side of things as well, because before that it had just been the writing.
“For his age, he has had really good experience and has a good knowledge of what he wants to do.”