Saturday interview: Flynn getting the inside story as he pens bright new future

FOR Michael Flynn, the past week at Bradford City has been a real eye-opener for his potential new career as a journalist.

Stuart McCall's resignation has thrust the Bantams into the media spotlight with camera crews having descended on Valley Parade.

Reporters hoping for either a few soundbites or to catch a glimpse of the men on the League Two club's shortlist have also become a regular sight for the players as they arrive for training.

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Speculation as to who is in the running to replace McCall has been intense with the Yorkshire Post understanding Peter Taylor, Peter Jackson, Steve Cotterill and Jim Magilton are all on the radar of joint chairmen Julian Rhodes and Mark Lawn.

With the final batch of candidates due to be interviewed on Monday before the board make their choice, supporters can only wait for news along with the players as attention turns to today's home game with Grimsby Town.

Due to several of the squad being out of contract at the end of the season, the wait is proving an anxious one and there has been plenty of dressing room debate with some finding the media circus an irritation.

For Flynn, however, the past few days have provided a useful insight into how the press cover a major story.

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The Bantams midfielder is due to graduate this summer from a degree course designed specifically for footballers keen on pursuing a career in the media and admits it has been a strange feeling to have a foot in both camps.

The 29-year-old said: "Stuart leaving and how it has been covered in the press has been interesting.

"A few of the lads were saying 'look at all the press sniffing around' but I can see it from both sides now. This is a big story for the journalists and something they thrive on.

"If they weren't here at Valley Parade, there would be something badly wrong. The course had given me a new understanding of what a journalist has to do to get the job done and this week has underlined that."

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Flynn enrolled on the two-year BA (Hons) Sports Journalism course at Staffordshire University in the summer of 2008, shortly before joining Huddersfield Town from Blackpool.

Since then, he has been taught about all aspects of journalism from vital lessons on law through to the basics of working in the written press, radio and television.

As part of the course work, Flynn has had various pieces published, including an interview with his former Wigan Athletic team-mate Jimmy Bullard that appeared in the Yorkshire Post last October.

At the moment, the Newport-born midfielder is on a work placement at Valley Parade where he spends afternoons updating the club website.

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Flynn admits juggling the demands of the course and being one of only two Bradford players to have appeared in all 31 games this season means chances to relax are few and far between.

But he insists: "I am enjoying it, even if things are a bit hectic. It is an interesting course, though I need to do a bit of work on my shorthand.

"I first heard about the course when I played for Blackpool and one of my team-mates, Ben Burgess, told me all about it after enrolling.

"I had already been thinking about the need to have something to fall back on when I finished football and it sounded really interesting.

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"I am still only 29 and want to keep playing for a good few years yet. But it is amazing how quickly time can go and I want to be prepared. I don't want to be one of those footballers whose career ends and they end up in a panic about what to do next.

"I plan to do my coaching badges as well and would be interested in going into management. But it would also be good to sit on the other side of the fence as a reporter.

"If I do, then weeks like the one we have just had at Bradford will probably become quite common things for me to report on."

Asked what his dream job would be if journalism turns out be his chosen career, Flynn replied: "I want to go straight into television and work for Sky TV.

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"No, seriously, I will just see what happens when the time comes that my career is over. I have enjoyed writing the pieces for various newspapers and seeing them published was great.

"I am hoping to do a few more, with one possibly being about rugby league. Growing up in Wales, I watched rugby union not league. But Paul Sculthorpe is a good friend of mine and he lives near Sean Long. I would love to interview Sean."

Flynn's focus today will be totally on his day job in the Bradford midfield as Wayne Jacobs tries to mark the start of his second spell as caretaker manager with victory over Grimsby and end a turbulent week on a high.

City's midfielder said: "It has been a difficult time with Stuart leaving. He is someone who I have the utmost respect for. Stuart loves this club and it really hurt him that results were not good enough.

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"To be fair to Stuart, it is the players who let him down. He was probably stressing himself out in the end and I genuinely hope he is a success with whatever he chooses to do next."

Looking to the future as the City board ponder who should succeed McCall, Flynn added: "Everyone starts afresh with a new manager so it will be interesting to see who comes.

Bradford C v Grimsby

Team news: Wayne Jacobs takes temporary charge for the second time – the first ending in a 1-0 defeat at Stoke in November, 2003 – and the former City full-back could welcome back Peter Thorne to the starting line-up. Omar Daley has been undergoing treatment for a hamstring strain but is expected to be fit.

Last six games: Bradford City LDLLWL, Grimsby Town LDDLDL.

Referee: S Tanner (Somerset).

Last time: Bradford City 2 Grimsby Town 0; January 31, 2009; League Two.

SkyBet odds: Bradford to win 4-5; Grimsby to win 7/2; Draw 5/2.

in. We are all playing for our careers now, starting with Grimsby."