A few weeks ago at the Supermarine friendly I had the opportunity to have a chat with Swindon Advertiser Chief Sports Writer Gary Rose and he kindly offered to answer a few questions for The Washbag.

Tell us a bit about yourself, who you are, where you come from and who did you write for before?

I was born in South Africa but my parents are from Yorkshire and I lived close to Leeds from the age of three up to my 20s. From the age of 23 I have worked for the national news agency Press Association, covering all levels of football before moving to Hong Kong in 2006 and covering Formula One races, European Tour golf events, tours of the region by Premier League teams and the highlight being reporting at the Olympics in Beijing.

After going to the Olympics and covering Formula One etc. why join The Adver?

Chance to work closer with one club and build a relationship, and I noticed when I applied that Swindon are well supported and the Advertiser is a well-read side. Local reporters get the chance to get more stuck into stuff than agencies like the Press Association.

You joined back in March and this seemed to coincide with our plunge to the bottom of League One. Should we hold you personally responsible for our relegation, or are you going to blame that bald headed former Crystal Palace manager….?

Haha, shortly after I applied for the position Charlie Austin was sold so I think my part in it began much earlier from when I first joined the Adver!

But in all seriousness it was plain to see that a lot was wrong behind the scenes long before I arrived, which really came to the fore over the summer. Clearly the cliques were a big issue and from what I have seen that is now non existent, in fact I have not seen a team quite so together as the current Town one for a long time.

Before coming to Swindon what was your impression of the football club from afar and your view on any memorable STFC moments that caught your eye over the years?

For my sins, the team I have supported since childhood is Huddersfield, so much of my knowledge of the Robins has come from games or transfers involving the two. Obviously a Huddersfield legend has managed Town in Iffy Onuora while Darren Bullock played for both clubs. One of the more notable transfer stories that I can remember was when Huddersfield signed Theo Robinson at the 11^th hour, which I am sure endeared the Terriers to Town fans…

Going on tour with the squad to Italy must’ve been a fantastic experience being with the team 24/7. How did it help you get to know the new team and what one moment stands out for you?

Yes it was great to see how everyone operates off the pitch and when not in front of an interview mic. I think it definitely helped in building a level of trust with the players, they got to know me more than the person who writes reports on them every weekend. The highlight, meanwhile, was undoubtedly playing football alongside Paolo Di Canio (although the less said about my miss from his pass the better, to quote the man himself I ‘am a bad footballer’!).

Of Paolo’s twelve signings so far this summer – probably more by the time this is published – which one stands out for you as a potential key player and why?

I was very impressed with Oliver Risser in Italy. A very big presence in the middle and provided a goal threat as well as breaking up play. Raffa De Vita also looks good and I think he will score a few this season, I just need to see how he fairs against big physical defenders.

Could you stick your neck on the line and give me a prediction for where Town will finish this season in League Two?

It won’t be a walk in the park and much depends on how quickly the players from overseas adapt to English football, but the squad is certainly good enough for a top 10 finish and I think the fitness levels will come to the fore in the new year, so I fully expect a push for the play-offs.

Paul Hart gave the most insipid interviews I’ve ever heard. Does he take it as your toughest interviewee? If not Hart then who?

Paul Hart was great to be honest for the first few weeks of his tenure, given the difficult circumstances he came into. But the last week or two was definitely some of the most difficult I have had to endure when clearly he had just lost it in terms of how to react to the media. A shame, as I think he is a nice enough bloke, just not management material.

The football blogosphere is getting bigger all of the time with so many budding sports writers eager to get heard. What advice could you give for those planning on moving into sports journalism as a career, do’s and don’ts?

A career in journalism is about getting your foot in the door and taking it from there. It is very tough at the moment as there are even a lot of out of work sports journos competing for a small number of jobs.

That said, it is simply a case of doing your best to get noticed. Work experience is important, that way the Sports Editors of publications get to know you and what you can offer.

My route into journalism was to study the subject as a degree at university and I then worked in copy taking at PA. This enabled me to see their internal vacancies, giving me the edge over much of the competition in that I already worked for the company.

So I would certainly suggest taking up a role that is not necessarily your preferred one at the company or publication you ultimately want to work for is a good way to get ‘in’ and then just keep an eye on potential jobs or make yourself known to editors, writers etc.

It is a tough job, but obviously very rewarding so if people are determined enough the best bet is to just keep plugging away and something will eventually come off.

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Thanks to Gary for making the time to answer a few questions.

You can follow Gary Rose on Twitter @STGary_Rose

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Oliver Risser photo from swindontownfc.co.uk