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The Nigel Pearson Q&A Interview
Exclusive to talkSPORT1089.co.uk

Nigel Pearson is talkSPORT's West Midlands Football Correspondent reporting from
Premiership and Nationwide League matches for Football First on Saturday between
2:00pm-5:00pm with Adrian Durham & Ray Houghton.

Nigel is also a commentator on Sky Sports coverage of Speedway alongside Sophie Blake
and Press Officer for British Speedway. He also writes for several newspapers and magazines
and presents Walsall and West Bromwich ClubCall.

Before joining talkSPORT you worked as at the West Midlands Police in the finance
department, how did you first get onto the airwaves at talkSPORT?
This was back in 1997 when Moz Dee called me after getting my number from Beacon FM,
the station I was doing some work for in Wolverhampton at the time. I went on to cover all
Wolves games that season, for Talk Radio, which were not commentary games as Tony
Lockwood did the commentaries with Alan Mullery.

Did you have any BBC or commercial radio experience before you joined talkSPORT? If so, which radio stations did you work for and what were your roles at those stations?
My first radio work was with BRMB in Birmingham in 1989 as a football reporter. I then moved to Beacon FM in 1996 where they gave me the Saturday Sports Whow and then I was given the drivetime show on their medium wave station, WABC. Trouble is, that started at 5:00pm and went through until 10:00pm and it screwed my drinking career up so it had to stop. I also wrote and read the breakfast sports bulletins so my time was taken up in a big way at the time.

In addition to your role at talkSPORT, what other organisations do you do outside of the radio station and what are your roles with these organisations?
I am the national press officer for British Speedway and I also do speedway commentary on Sky Sports. I also do work for several newspapers and magazines and also present Walsall and West Brom ClubCall lines.

Over the last few years you have worked for a number of radio stations both local and national. What does the job of being a freelance football reporter entail?
Availability is important in my opinion. You also need to be prepared to travel if the station requires you to do so. I hate it if I have to rule myself out of a Saturday which, thankfully, very rarely happens.

You have to meet the needs of the station you are working for. Listen to what they want and stick to that. talkSPORT is my top priority when it comes to football reporting and that means getting to a ground two-hours before kick-off to ensure the equipment is working. Sometimes you are asked to get an interview with a celebrity at the ground like an ex-player or manager, that's another reason why I get to a ground early.

Being part of a sports station must give you the chance to talk to some big name sportsmen. Who was the biggest name you've interviewed, who was your favourite to interview and why?
This sounds crazy, but one of the most satisfying interviews I ever got was with Pete Waterman in the height of the Pop Idol-mania last winter. Pete is a Walsall fan and he was a great guy to talk to. I was also pleased to get a one-to-one with Palace Chairman Simon Jordan at the time of Steve Bruce's departure - again that was at Walsall and I got it to myself just for talkSPORT because I was down in the tunnel area with Saddlers manager Ray Graydon at the time. Apart from that, I've interviewed England managers and top Premiership bosses. And I met Micky Quinn for the first time at Wolves recently, what a character. He is my type of bloke, one of the lads and yet he can feel proud of what he achieved as a player. Respect.

Having been involved with the station for a number of years, what have been the best football matches and other sporting events you have covered for talkSPORT?
The day West Bromwich Albion got promotion against Crystal Palace in April 2002 was nice. I will never forget it and I also had a note from the office the following Monday to say how impressive my coverage sounded - that was very satisfying. But of all the grounds I have been to, I must say Anfield is one which sends a shiver down my spine. It's better than Old Trafford for atmosphere, especially when the scarves go up five minutes from kick off to sing 'you'll never walk alone.' I regard it as a pleasure and honour to be paid to go to grounds.

Whilst at talkSPORT your role has been as a reporter but would you like to be a presenter, commentator or have a larger role in talkSPORT's football coverage in the future?
I have never really pushed myself in that direction, I have always been happy to work at my current level. However, if the opportunity arose then I would be more than happy to look at it. And there is no doubt that Jim Proudfoot, who is a pal as he used to live in the Midlands, is one of the best commentators you will ever hear.

One of your best moments on talkSPORT had to be back in December 2002 when you had to report on a League Cup during the James Whale show, and with it speak with James' Villa supporting producers Ash and Matt. What did you make of that night and is that your favourite moment on talkSPORT?
I listened to James Whale on Radio Aire when I lived near Leeds, that's where I was brought up before moving to the Midlands. and he's always been a broadcasting legend to me. It was great fun, but again the match went on so late. I was struggling to make last orders down the local.

You are the voice of Walsall ClubCall. When and how did you get this job and what is it like to be involved with such a great football club? Who are your friends at the club?
I got a call in 1994 from the guys at ClubCall's previous owners asking if I would be interested and I've been there ever since. I have a great relationship with owner Jeff Bonser, my wife Kerrie and I have been guests on his table at cabaret nights at the Bonser Suite more than once - and I get on very well with Chief Exec Roy Whalley. Colin Lee is good to work with but I must also say that Ray Graydon was a gentleman and always found time for you. He'd return every phone call too.

The first manager I dealt with there was Chris Nicholl and I remember one day being told to "f*** off" by him because I was interviewing one of his players without asking his permission. The next time I spoke to Chris, I apologised to him, so did he, and it was like we were best of friends.

How do you think your team West Bromwich Albion will do this season? Will they get promoted back into the Premiership at the first attempt?
The early signs are good and yes, I think there is a strong possibility that the Baggies will be back up. I say this because Gary Megson has kept the bulk of last season's Premiership squad and has added some quality like Rob Hulse up front and Thomas Gaardsoe at the back. Hopes are high at the Hawthorns, I feel.

How do you think the other local teams you cover, Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Coventry City, Walsall and Wolverhampton Wanderers, will do in their respective divisions?
Blues will be fine, they have a very talented group of players and I reckon mid-table will be the order of the day for them. Villa will be bottom half because I don't see much difference in their squad from last season when, at times, they were awful. Coventry will be no better than mid-table and at this stage of the season they need to start winning games. I feel Walsall (sorry Chris!) will be in the bottom half because they cannot score enough goals despite the arrival of Paul Merson. Wolves? Not looking too good for them and I really do feel they will struggle to finish above the bottom three.

You are one of Sky Sports Speedway commentators. How did you get into television and do you see your future lying in speedway coverage?
As a well known figure in speedway I wrote to the Sky Speedway producer and told him to listen to my football reports on talkSPORT. I then got the chance to do a couple of 'dummy' commentaries and for the last two seasons I have done regular speedway commentary although Tony Millard holds the senior commentary role. As for the future, I would like to continue working on Sky with their speedway. However, I am keen to keep several eggs in different baskets. I'm not sure how I would feel about just doing one job at this stage. I like to keep my options wide open.

Which Speedway team do you actually support and who do you think will win the Elite League?
When I lived in Yorkshire I was a massive Hull Vikings fan. My dad took me to the Boulevard every Wednesday and I loved it. I then did three years as MC at their new Craven Park home from 2000-2002 but the driving got too much and I had to knock it on the head. Cradley Heath was my second team as a kid but now I have to say that Wolves and Sheffield are the teams I follow most, because I work for them as press officer and presenter. On who will win the Elite League this season, I think it will be Poole.

What is the best sporting moment you have been at and why?
No contest. Again going back to my days in Yorkshire, little Featherstone Rovers (my team) beat moneybags Hull FC 14-12 at the 1983 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley and it was a day I will never, ever forget. Steve Quinn kicked a penalty close to the end of the game to give us the winning two-points.

Who is your favourite sports person of all time?
Ian Botham. When I was at school I had my hair dyed the same colour as him and I also tried to copy his bowling action. What a star.

Who were your idols as a child? (Sporting or otherwise)
Apart from Botham, I must put Geoff Boycott up there. I met him when I was 11 at Selby Londesborough Cricket Club and had my picture taken with him. I loved watching him play - I know he was a slow batsman but he was always there whilst wickets were tumbling at the other end, whether it be for Yorkshire or England. I was also into former world speedway champions Erik Gundersen and Ivan Mauger and in terms of football Peter Barnes, ex Man City and WBA, was a hero for me.

Who's the most famous person you have in your mobile phone/address book?
Colin Lee! I also had a good working relationship with Mark McGhee when he was at Wolves and we always have a chat when Millwall are in the midlands.

What books are you currently reading?
Pint Size - Heroes and Hangovers. This is the remarkable story of former Great Britain Rugby League scrum-half Andy Gregory and I read it on my honeymoon in Mexico during the summer. I've also ordered a copy of Micky Quinn's new book which I've asked him to sign for me!

What was the last film you saw at the cinema and what did you think of it?
I hate films. The last one I think was Spiceworld The Movie with my daughter. What a load of crap.

What was the last CD you brought, and which CD's are in your car?
I like the latest chart stuff and always buy the Now That's What I Call Music albums. I'm also into stuff from the 70's like Abba. My pals tear me to shreds over my music choice, especially when I tell them that Phil Collins and Elton John are also in my collection.

Finally, just how gorgeous is your Speedway colleague Sophie Blake?
Sophie is very attractive but people must also remember that she has adapted to her job with Sky very successfully. It's not an easy job. She is also a very pleasant person.

Thanks to Nigel Pearson for the chance to interview him. You can hear Nigel on Football First every Saturday between 2:00pm-5:00pm on talkSPORT with Adrian Durham & Nigel Winterburn.

The Nigel Pearson Q&A Interview
Football First
September 2003