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| The Mike Bovill Q&A Interview Exclusive to talkSPORT1089.co.uk Mike Bovill is part of the talkSPORT newsteam on Sportswatch, Football First and The Sports Breakfast. His first efforts in sports journalism involved writing a column for the college newspaper called Bovill Talks Balls. A trained broadcast journalist, Mike started his career in BBC Radio Devon before briefly becoming a newsreader on Star FM. He's also worked for BBC Television with Carol Vorderman and is now the Sports Editor at City AM in London for the suits that work in Canary Wharf and the City of London. A promising rugby career was cut short by a badly broken jaw (and the fact he wasn't any good) before he eventually joined talkSPORT in 2000 and has since been to a number of big sporting events for the station with his favourite being the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. You were recently appointed the Sports Editor of City AM, a newspaper aimed at the people that live and work in and around the City, Canary Wharf and the West End. How did this appointment come about and what tasks do you undertake in your role as Sports Editor? A former colleague at talkSPORT, Martin Muncaster, was part of the team that set up City AM and they needed someone to do their sports coverage. At the time, I didn't have a great deal of work on so it was an ideal opportunity to try my hand at print journalism. What are your hopes and aspirations in your role at City AM and where is the newspaper looking to go in the course of the next few months and years? The paper is looking to become established as the first source of financial news for people in the City. We already have a higher readership in the square mile than either the Financial Times or the Telegraph which is not bad after six months. Obviously, I hope people will want to read the sport as well. You joined talkSPORT in 2000 when the station launched, but what other radio stations did you work for before talkSPORT and what were your roles at those other stations? talkSPORT was my first full-time job. I joined the station in April 2000 and was still studying broadcast journalism at City University at the time. Before that, I had done a few shifts at Star FM in Slough as a newsreader and covered Torquay United and Exeter City matches for BBC Radio Devon. Since joining talkSPORT, you have been involved on-air as a sports reporter including being sent to Australia in 2002 to cover The Ashes, The Rugby World Cup in 2003, New Zealand for the British Lions Tour in 2005, Euro 2004 and the Athens Olympics. Looking back, what has been your favourite sporting occasion that you have reported on for talkSPORT? That's easy. I doubt anything will ever beat following England around Australia on their way to winning the Rugby World Cup. The real bonus was being able to sit in the stands as a fan instead of in the press box pretending to be professional. I was shouting and screaming with the best of them. You have worked alongside the likes of Jon Driscoll, Clare Furlong and Gigi Salmon on talkSPORT's Sportswatch in addition to hosting the bulletin by yourself. What has been your involvement to make Sportswatch the "most detailed sports bulletin on the radio"? Now, of course, Andrew McKenna does that job, having taken over from me when I finished working full-time at talkSPORT in September 2002. Nowadays, Sportswatch is a one-man band and you have to do everything from writing the scripts to preparing the audio. I'm sure Macca has fun! You work regularly on talkSPORT's Football First team alongside the best team of reporters on radio in the UK. How does it feel to be part of such a competent and professional team? It's great working with the best team of reporters in the UK and Ian Abrahams. I actually think it's down to Adrian Durham and the production guys in the studio; they make us sound good. Adrian is a fantastic presenter and I'm not sure there is anyone who could do that job as well as him. In your role as reporter for talkSPORT, you have interviewed a number of big name sportsmen. Who has been the most rewarding and enjoyable to interview in your time at the station? The big names don't often make the best interviewees. When you're the 15th reporter Tiger Woods has spoken to in the last half an hour, it's unlikely you are going to get anything earth shattering out of him. The most rewarding interviews are those when the sportsman involved is relaxed and happy to talk to you. Basically, I enjoy talking to people I can have a laugh with. I remember talking to Frank Lampard just before Euro 2004 and he was in that kind of mood. It was great. What are your hopes and aspirations for your career at talkSPORT, would you like the opportunity to possibly present your own show or stand-in for another presenter? I would love to get the chance to present one day but there's a long queue of very talented people ahead of me. I'm just happy being involved as and when the powers that be at talkSPORT Towers need me. You have been dubbed by Hawksbee & Jacobs as the "official taster for talkSPORT". What have you been asked to taste on behalf of the station over the last few years? The bizarrest and most often mentioned incident was the notorious lambs testicles show. I had to eat marinated lambs testicles, although they weren't that bad. Over the years I've eaten bugs, drunk chocolate water and attempted the world record for devouring a raw onion in the shortest time (and failed, miserably). You worked for BBC Television alongside the likes of Carol Vorderman. What was your role at the BBC and what was the key thing that Vorderman taught you? I worked as a production runner on a programme called Dream House on BBC1 the summer after I left university. That involved everything from arranging props to picking up Carol's dresses from the dry cleaners. Carol taught me not to leave anything lying around because she always used to steal my newspapers! As a keen follower of Arsenal, what do you make of this season as you currently lie well below the expectations in terms of league position and how can you go from beating Real Madrid at the Bernabau and then lose to Blackburn at Ewood Park a few days later? I have found our away form baffling this season but Blackburn boast one of the best home records in the league at the moment. There was a confidence problem but, hopefully, the incredible win against Juventus at Highbury has finally shown the team are back to their best. Arsenal will be moving to their new stadium at Ashburton Grove in the Summer. How do you think a stadium with increased capacity and help the clubs fortunes on the pitch? It's more what the stadium will offer off the pitch: lots more money. Manchester United and Chelsea have shown that hard cash is vital to be successful. Arsenal have done incredibly well under Arsene Wenger but he's not going to be there forever. A new ground gives the club a sustainable base for a bright future. Do you think that the loss of Thierry Henry from Arsenal would cause a downward spiral at the club or do you think he can be replaced with someone of the same quality? Firstly, Henry is a unique talent. There is no-one quite like him. But I think recent events have shown that everyone is replaceable (Patrick who?) and new talent will emerge in the vacuum. Anyway, he hasn't gone yet! What are thoughts behind England's quest for glory at the World Cup in Germany and do you think Sven Goran Eriksson is the right man the lead them into the tournament? There is an awful lot of nonsense talked about Sven and his suitability. He is the most successful England manager of a generation and needs to be trusted to do a good job in Germany. England have a highly talented bunch of players. But then so do a lot of countries. I thinks it is extremely arrogant to suggest we have the right to win the World Cup just because we've got Wayne Rooney. We aren't as strong as we might be in certain areas (left midfield springs to mind) but we have a chance if the draw goes our way. Following the success of the England cricket team against Australia, what do you think is in store for the future of the side and how far do you think they can actually go in both the Test and One Day arenas? I would love to think England will be competitive in Australia next winter and that's the real test for the side. And then it's the World Cup in the West Indies. I can't understand why the one-day side is so inconsistent compared to the Test team. But there's no doubt the talent is there for us to do well for the foreseeable future. You are also a massive rugby fan and saw England's World Cup Final victory against Australia in 2003. Since then the side has been unable to perform in the same sort of manner but how do you foresee England's chances at the 2007 World Cup in France next Autumn? After enduring a terrible Six Nations, I'm not sure what England can do between now and next year to rectify their many problems. Winning the last World Cup was a four-year process involving the same manager and players for the most part. We've got 18 months this time around and there are bound to be changes to the coaching staff before the summer. It's looking grim. You have also a keen sportsman taking part in rugby and cricket teams as well as your trips to the gym. Who did you play for and what positions did you play for each team? I used to play rugby for my school, university and West London Rugby Club. I was a prop forward but broke my jaw quite badly a few years ago which put an end to my playing career. I still play a bit of cricket for a team called the St Anne's Allstars which was set up by a former producer at talkSPORT called Maxie Allen. I would describe myself as a non-batting, non-bowling all-rounder. Having attended a number of sporting events for talkSPORT and through your life as an Arsenal supporter, what has been your favourite personal sporting moment of all time? England winning the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. It was all the more special because I'd been there for every match of their campaign Who were your idols when you were a child? Ian Botham, Nigel Mansell and Kenny Samson! Who's the most famous person you have in your mobile phone or address book? I have Ryder Cup winning captain Sam Torrance's number in my mobile. What was the last CD you bought, and which CD's are in your car? The latest CD by Gorillaz. I don't have a car but I do have an iPod, which has everything from Athlete, to the Jam to the Eagles on it. What was the last film you saw at the cinema and what did you think of it? Munich and I though the acting in it was superb. What books are you currently reading, and are there any that you have recently read that you would like to recommend to listeners? I'm reading the latest DBC Pierre novel before dipping in to Nick Faldo's autobiography. Finally, where do you see yourself in 10 years time in your career and as an Arsenal supporter? Fretting about turning 40 and celebrating yet another Champions League victory! Seriously, I don't look that far ahead. I rarely know what I'm doing next week, let alone in a decade's time. Thanks to Mike Bovill for the chance to interview him. You can hear Mike on Football First every Saturday with Adrian Durham, Alvin Martin and Gary Stevens between 12:00pm-5:00pm on talkSPORT. The Mike Bovill Q&A Interview Football First Reporter & City AM Sports Editor March 2006 |
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