Yesterday’s Black Country derby was the first time since becoming a video journalist that I have questioned my decision to swap notepad for camera, writes Andy Toft.
As a sports writer with the Express & Star the drill after the final whistle of a match is to retreat into the warmth of the press room and await the arrival of the two managers to give their views on the game.
But following yesterday’s derby clash I was forced out into the downpour outside The Hawthorns to film fans’ reactions to the game.
As myself and Rich suffered an increasing soaking there were no shortage of Baggies fans prepared to revel in the victory over their neighbours.
However, finding Wolves fans was a a practically impossible task.
The scale of police efforts to keep the two sets of supporters apart ensured the away contingent were removed from the general location quickly and with minimum fuss.
By the time we started our hunt it was difficult to believe there had actually been almost 3,000 Wolves fans anywhere near The Hawthorns.
We did manage to find one visiting supporter trudging disconsolately back towards his car who gave us a pretty sound analysis of the afternoon’s events.
But we abandoned the search minutes later after asking another group of lads if they were Wolves supporters.
The looks on their faces hovered somewhere between disbelief and disgust. They could not have been more horrified if I’d asked them to donate a kidney.
By way of an answer one of the group rolled up his trouser leg to reveal a tattoo of the Baggies’ club crest.
Drenched and defeated we returned to the desert dryness of the press room where the rest of the journalists’ fraternity sat in comparative luxury watching the Man United-Liverpool game as they waited for the managers to appear.
There is still something to be said for the simple life of the sports reporter.
Check out all our exclusive derby day match videos:
- Albion reactions
- Wolves reaction
- ‘Bomber’ Brown’s reaction
- Derby Analysis - Part 1
- Derby Analysis - Part 2
Andy Toft is the Express & Star’s video journalist. Read other entries in his blog by clicking here
To comment on Andy’s blog, click here
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