‘It’s in my blood!'
Football has been a life long passion for BBC radio sports editor, Geoff Twentyman. Through his unusual career path, he has been able to pursue his love of football, with his unique insight into most aspects of the game, he is regarded by some as the most well informed sport journalist on the airwaves today.
In an interview held at his old club Bristol Rovers FC, Geoff spoke passionately about his football career and his love of journalism.
Geoff followed in his father’s footsteps into football, starting out as a trainee at Liverpool, he later joined Bristol Rovers, where he played for Gerry Francis, who he describes as ‘the best football brain I ever worked with. He had an amazing ability to make every player better regardless of what position they played’.-Geoff Twentyman.
Geoff played professional football for ten years, the majority of which was at Bristol Rovers, where he was thought of as “a solid team player, experienced and well respected”.-Pete Aitken.
While describing playing at Wembley, as fulfilling his boyhood dream, he realised that he couldn’t play football forever. At the “back end” of his career, he said that ‘the delay between his brain and his feet got even greater.’ and that he felt he would have to pursue another path. As the captain, Geoff was often interviewed and his interest in sports journalism began to develop.
While still playing football Geoff studied a journalism course at Bristol Polytechnic and then joined Radio Bristol as a sports journalist, and in 1993 he became the sports editor of Radio Bristol. While returning to Rovers in 1996 as assistant manger to work alongside old team mate Ian Holloway, which he describes as a ‘spontaneous decision’. Geoff found that he didn’t enjoy the post and so returned to the BBC.
Geoff describes his career as lucky, as he has had two great jobs, he continues to be a successful and respected broadcaster interviewing some of the top sports people of the day.
Reported by Kieran, Zoe and Jordan.
