Craig Stewart is a freelance football reporter, specialising in the Scottish Football League and looking to increase the coverage of the amateur game in Scotland with national newspapers.  Today, he takes time out of his busy schedule to answer my on the bench questions...











G: How long have you been in your current role?

C: I have been reporting on games for nearly 20 years now combining it with a career in a major Scottish Bank. I gave up a Senior Manager’s role almost a year ago (and a very nice salary) as an opportunity arose to do football writing full time. I believe that life is too short to waste on doing something you do not enjoy so time will tell if I have done the right thing!

G: When did you first get involved in amateur football and what were you doing?

C: I first covered the Scottish Amateur Cup Final 12 years ago when Bellshill won 1-0 over Riverside (from Dundee I think). This was played on a Saturday at Hampden and there was only 2 reporters at the match – myself and Martin Frizzell Senior.

G: What amateur teams have you been involved in and in what capacity?

C: Gave up playing 11 a side about 25 years ago when most of my team mates at Bishopbriggs Boys Club got the chance to go to a senior, junior or top amateur side. I played against the likes of Owen Coyle, Ian Cameron, Hugh Burns, Peter Grant, Owen Archdeacon, Tony Shepherd but never seemed to get noticed. Started going to watch a lot of senior games at various clubs at this time and all this led to the writing job so I can not complain.

I was perhaps the only writer at Kirkintilloch for one of the semi finals and Hampden for the Amateur Cup Final this year and several papers (and the SAFA website) used my report from the game. I also did previews for the game speaking to Paul Brogan at Eddlewood and Robert Kelly at Queens Park.

G: Do you feel the amateur football scene has changed since you first became involved with it?

C: In the 12 years I have noticed a real change in terms of the style of football played –far more passing nowadays – and it would be hard to tell amateur and part time professional clubs apart now in terms of equipment on match days. Good strips, well drilled coaching sessions for example

G: Do you have a favourite amateur team and why is it your favourite?

C: Without trying to be controversial I have to say Queens Park as I normally cover their SFL home games.

G: What’s your most memorable moment in amateur football?

C: This year’s semi final between St Pats and Queens Park. Took my 6 year old son to it for his first game and he loved it and spent most of the 90 minutes chasing the ball up and down the park and was done in by the end. Thought it was a great that Billy Stark and Gardner Speirs both came along that night to support the amateur side of the game.

G: What do you think about the quality of amateur football?

C: I have seen 10 junior, amateur and senior games since the beginning of May and they all have been enjoyable and I don’t think there has been a 0-0 in amongst them. The semi final was quite engrossing with Queens 2 up and then St Pats really going at them and nicking one with a minute left. The Scottish Cup Final was settled by a tremendous goal and then Queens Park dominated till half time. The experience of Eddlewood told as they strangled the game in the second half and Queens ran out of ideas. Good football and excitement so no complaints from me about quality.

G: What was the last game you watched?

C: Eddlewood v Queens Park 25/5/08

G: What was the last game you played in?

C: Played a long time for a team called Crystal Gallus at 5-a-sides at the Powerleague in Glasgow. We made the top league a couple of times but got found out a wee bit there. Gave it up 4 years ago as had other things going on like getting married.

G: If you had 3 wishes, what would you change about Scottish amateur football?

C: Profile, Perception, Pride

(1) Profile – So many good things go on in the amateur game in Scotland that I am disappointed in myself that it took me so long to find out about it. The SAFA website is a real treasure trove of stories and I have used material from there to deliver my commitment to the papers for copy. Hopefully what I am doing and speaking to Euan about what we can do together will help improve the profile further.

(2) Perception – There must be over 15,000 people in Scotland every week involved in the Amateur game and I find that amazing. Within a nation that seems fixed on bad news around eating habits, fitness and behaviour of young adults there is a message to get over about what amateur football is doing. 15,000 people involved in healthy exercise in a disciplined organised fashion every week seems to have got lost somewhere.

(3) Pride – if the first two are right the third will follow. What I have seen in the short time I have really looked under the covers of Amateur football is a vibrant association. Think it is great that you can raise a question with an official of the League and get an answer or an update the same day – that does not happen in some of our PLC companies. The more I read and talk to people about the amateur game in Scotland the more I believe there is a great success story here that more people should know about.

G: What do you think about summer football?

C: Certainly easier as you can at least feel your fingers when you are writing and people do not mind hanging about as much to be interviewed. Difficult to run a stable

G: Have you any views about the relationship of the professional game to the amateur game?

C: I am not sure where all the pieces fit together which is strange as everyone deals with the same end result – people playing football. I have seen fantastic SFA youth programmes involving local authorities and senior clubs and I am not sure that the amateur game is as involved as it could be because not all of these players are going to make it at a professional level. I am happy to be corrected on that if not accurate and maybe that takes us back to the profile issues I mentioned earlier. Eddlewood’s Mark Brown's move to Clyde shows that the amateur good is still seen as a place where players can get picked up.

G: What do you think the future holds for Scottish amateur football?

C: The future will be decided by the people that contribute to the game and do not stand on the sidelines keeping good ideas to themselves. From my recent involvement I see a very active central body that listens and reacts appropriately and is not scared to embrace new ideas/technologies. The SAFA website is excellent and ideas like the DVD of the cup final are very good but only if people support them. Like in all relationships there will be discussion and disagreement but the different parts of the amateur game that are talking will help shape the future.

G: Are there any other comments you would like to make?

C: Please do not assume that everybody knows everything or that they would not be interested in a good story. If something fantastic is happening at your club on or off the pitch let SAFA know and/or email me at marwick.stewart@ntlworld.com and we can look to get your good news out to other people. I would love to be writing a weekly column for a national newspaper about the vibrant amateur scene but it cannot happen if people keep quiet about great things.



Thanks for taking time to answer OTB, Craig.  There's always something going on in the amateur football community and I hope we can highlight some of the great things our teams are doing via the site and your column.