Following the final whistle in the JD Cymru Premier MD13 game, as always, there was an interview with TNS FC manager, Scott Ruscoe.
Having beaten Barry Town United 2-1, in a high-energy encounter, there was plenty to talk about.
I don’t go into these type of interviews with questions written down, I prefer to keep it spontaneous.
That way I find there’s a natural fluidity that can sometimes be missing when the questions are pre-planned.
Of course, I have things in my mind relating to the game that I’m able to weave in. On this occasion, just the one change from the previous fixture was a good starting point.
Then there was a penalty call against The New Saints and memories of previous games when Barry came back to deny TNS.
A lot more clubs are doing post-match interviews these days, not just professional sides. It’s great to see, by the way.
If you’re in that position, or thinking about it, I would say jot a few pointers down during the game itself, so you have something to put to the manager afterwards.
Don’t be afraid to write questions out in full if you need to. Especially when you first start, it can be nervy, and the last thing you want is to dry up.
As the manager will go straight into the dressing room after the game to talk to the players, you’ll usually have time to prepare, as well as while the action is going on, of course.
Feel relaxed and remember he’s your manager. You’re both on the same side. You’ll know him, and especially if there’s been a bad result, you can avoid the goading that external media would maybe do.
I’m very fortunate at The New Saints, as Scott Ruscoe is easy to work with, from the media-manager perspective.
I like him very much and consider him to be a friend, so it’s more than just a working relationship.
He’s articulate, communicates well, intelligent and thinks on his feet. I don’t even have to ask a question sometimes, I can make a statement and he picks up and develops.
I do appreciate not every media person is in that position. Some managers take it out on media when they lose and they deliberately keep you waiting.
Ultimately, it’s all a learning curve and whatever gets thrown at you, take it on board, work around it and use it to develop you as both an interviewer and a person.