Surreal Sheffield

Yesterday was a bit surreal.

In the afternoon I found myself chatting away to John Inverdale in the VIP lounge at Bramall Lane before moving outside to see a pipe band in full Scottish regalia warming up in the heart of Sheffield. I did say that student sport could be odd.

I suppose that I should put that last paragraph in a bit of context. I was at Bramall Lane for the opening ceremony of the BUCS Championships, an event that consisted of a press conference followed by a formal reception.

It was at this reception that I got chatting to Inverdale, mainly on the subject of how to get a job in the media. He made it quite clear that I was going to have to be patient and that there was no point in getting disheartened every time I get rejected because it will most probably happen a lot.

He was saying how he had been rejected may times before he got his chance which was quite relieving to here from someone who is now one of our most recognisable sporting broadcasters.

Now John Inverdale is not the first famous person that I have met and interviewed but yesterday was something else, possibly the fact that this wasn’t for work, it was a legitimate chat conducted with both of us leaning against a table rather than the sterile constraints of a formal interview.

Things only got more surreal as the evening wore on. Myself and the rest of the media team were taken on a tour of the ground and it was on this that we first encountered the strange sight of the pipe band warming up.

Now I am all for cultural diversity but, in my head, pipe bands belong in Scotland, not in the heart of the Steel City. It just didn’t make sense it my head, it was like seeing your local postman flying your summer holiday flight.

Once I had managed to get my head around what was happening, it was time for the women’s football final and here I must admit to being mildly surprised at the quality of some of the play.

Last week I was at a Sheffield women’s match and it was a poor game, filled with miskicks and unfit players. Last night was different, these girls knew how to play, and play they did.

The match was between Leeds Met and Northumbria and both teams were a credit to women’s football (apologies for a horribly overused phrase). It ended 1-1 after extra time with Northumbria prevailing on penalties but the main story for me was the way that these girls played. There were very few long balls and some of the touches would have put a lot of their male counterparts to shame if some of the football I have seen this year is any indication.

Anyway, all in all it was a surreal but entertaining way to kick off this manic week and I can only hope that the next four days bring some equally surprising and entertaining narratives.

Next stop, hockey.