Dear Head of English

I am writing to you to enquire about the desire amongst any of your students to become sports journalists. I run a small football website called Touchline Talk , where we as fans and critics of our football clubs and rival clubs write about current news, rumours and critique on their performance and the general state of football.

We are a small bunch of writers who write only in our spare time with the hopes that one day like your students we can follow our passion full time. The reality for potential football journalists, as with any profession these days, is that without a track record of success, portfolio of great content and a media following, getting into this job stream is very difficult. We have many writers who have graduated from University who are currently using us to grow their portfolio, as other larger sites have given their spaces to those with even more experience.

It is with these obvious obstacles in the paths of young people that I approach you. The work to be done in order to get ahead in this particular field cannot be side stepped. There is no way around it. With this in mind I am would like to know if you would be interested in giving your students the first step in their career’s by allowing them to contribute to Touchline Talk.

The idea behind this 'internship' is for them to get real experience researching information, verifying it, writing it in a way that attracts readers and grabs attention etc then providing their own views and angles on footballing stories backed up by statistics that I provide.

For those who feel that journalism is where they want to have a career, it is greatly recommended that for their future, they write on a more consistent basis. Creating a portfolio of work with reputable website which can give them the exposure of 25,000 views a day is what every potential writer needs. In my opinion it is better to have to pay their dues now while mom and dad are still supporting them. I think a minimum of 6 months is required, if they are serious about being journalists they will need a lot more.

If any of your students are serious about becoming football or sports journalists, I ask you to consider the options above and get myself on board. Due to our strengths in creating gripping editorial and digital marketing know-how, we have attracted potential partnerships with major football related businesses, both online and outdoor. In less than 1 year we started generating over 35,000 page views a day and we intend to make more football companies and lovers sit up and take notice of us. We are small, but very ambitious and very smart and our fast results show our determination. If any of your students would like to be a part of something a bit special and learn what it takes to be a digital journalist, please pass this along.

I would like them to write a story on any current piece of football news in the Premier League, with no less than 250 words. Referencing and sourcing stories is key and providing their own angles and tone to the articles will help us choose the writers with the most potential. During their time with us they will be able to win tickets to premier leagues games and many more perks provided by our advertising partners for continued success.

Best regards,

Emile Rossouw

CEO Touchline Talk

Please email: admin@touchlinetalk.com

www.touchlinetalk.com

Digital Score Ltd, 75 Salterford Road, London, SW17 9TE.