Hey fellas, aint been on here for a while!! Just started my first year at Southampton Solent University doing Sports Journalism and wrote my first article today, which was about an agent called Neil Sillett who came in and let us do a press conference with him. One of the people mentioned was a Mr Simon Jordan so decided to use that as my story lead. Had to take a biased opinion though!!! Just wondered what you guys thought and do you feel it would look okay in a newspaper/on a website?
Crispy
Football agent Neil Sillett has blasted Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan for his bad attitude towards agents and starlet John Bostock’s transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.
The Eagles’ chairman’s lack of respect for agents was a key factor in the summer move of the youngster to North London according to the former Farnborough Town manager.
16-year-old Bostock made just five appearances for the Eagles before a tribunal declared that Spurs would have to pay £700,000 for the attacking midfielder, an amount that left a bitter taste in Jordan’s mouth, who was expecting a fee in the region of £5 million.
“The Palace chairman could have employed a selling agent who may have been able to get a bigger fee for John” said Sillett.
Bostock is yet to make a first-team appearance for the White Hart Lane side, who are languishing at the bottom of the Premiership after picking up just two points in their first seven games, and that disappoints the former Derby and Portsmouth physio who feels he should have stayed with the South London club.
Sillett said on the teenage sensation: “I didn’t think he had the experience to warrant him moving to a bigger club at the time. With a new manager coming into Crystal Palace in Neil Warnock, he needed to play as many games as possible. I don’t think they knew how good a player he was.”
With Barnsley’s Reuben Noble-Lazarus becoming the Football League’s youngest ever player aged 15 years and 45 days, the agent believes it’s not too early for the schoolboy to find representation for himself.
“I don’t think it’s too early for the lad at Barnsley to have an agent at 15. He has commercial opportunities and anyone who has those needs representation.”
Sillett has been no stranger to finding youngsters since becoming an agent eight years ago, and has recommended players such as goalkeeper Lee Camp to Derby and striker Dexter Blackstock to Southampton, but believes there should be a limit on how young a player should be signed up.
“I think it’s ridiculous that clubs like Chelsea and Manchester united are after lads of seven and eight.
“I speak to a lot of players around the ages of 12 and 13.”
One of the players who he’d spoken to in that age group was Theo Walcott, who has now gone on to become a massive part of both the Arsenal and England sides and achieved celebrity status at the age of just 19.
The demand for young talent grows stronger each season, with the money involved in football rising at a rate of knots and agents like Sillett know this is their time to shine.
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Comments
Starts a bit tabloid then ends a bit more like a feature piece. Perhaps think about your ultimate aim/audience & proof-read it with that/them in mind.
Definitely a promising start though
If you're looking for a role model, take a look at thread headed "More Journalist Crap", read the Daily Mail article, study it carefully, and never, ever, try to emulate that total t*sser!!
He has an attitude on him but not sure whether his talent is as big.
I wouldn't editorialise at the end, though - those last two pars look like you're just filling space. That's about all.
(there'll be more instalments of Inspector Sands' "how to be a journalist" class later)