Brett Omerod (centre) answered questions from the School Reporters
School Reporters from St Aidan's Technology College got a taste of life in the Premier League when they visited Bloomfield Road, the home of top flight new boys Blackpool. Having picked their local club's first season in the world's most-popular football league - and the effect it has had on the town - as a story they wanted to cover, the School Report team got in touch with Blackpool's media department. They arranged for the team to go along to the ground on 15 March and interview players and staff to ask how their jobs had changed this season. School Reporters Emma, Robert and Ben, and student mentor Esther, got the use of the stadium's media room to conduct their interviews: the very same place where all the journalists grill players and managers every week! As the only player in the club's history to score for Blackpool in all four divisions, striker Brett Ormerod was ideally placed to offer an insight into how promotion has changed the Seasiders. Ormerod started his footballing career at Blackpool and returned to the club in 2009 after spells with Southampton and Preston. He has already gone down in Blackpool history as the player who scored the winning goal at Wembley in the play-off final against Cardiff, a goal that propelled the club into the Premier League. Emma asked him whether training has got harder since the club have been in the Premier League. "'It's got harder the older I get," he joked. "But the Premier League is the best league in the world and the opposition is harder, so we have to train hard to meet the expectations."
Sam from MOTD Kickabout (centre) with the School Reporters
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Later, the CBBC programme Match of the Day Kickabout, a Saturday morning show aimed at young football fans, filmed the School Reporters grilling Ormerod on his football general knowledge! The School Reporters also spoke to goalkeeper Chris Kettings, to get his perspective as a younger player. Kettings has played football since he was eight years old and has been at Blackpool for four years. School Reporter Ben asked him whether being in the Premier League has put more pressure on younger members of the team. "There is a lot more pressure but there are benefits as well with the improved facilities and the staff coming to help us," he explained. Robert spoke to behind-the-scenes staff at the ground and found out that season ticket sales and attendance have rocketed this season and that sales of shirts have also increased, with orders coming from all over the world. The most popular name for a shirt this year is key midfielder Charlie Adam, followed by striker DJ Campbell. Blackpool FC Community Trust director Derek Spence was asked by Emma what benefits young people got from participating in a scheme like the Community Trust. "Apart from the obvious health and fitness benefits of taking part in some of our projects for young people, we are also currently involved with the Prince's Trust offering work experience to young people, giving them an insight into the whole operation of the football club," he said. The team now have the hard work of editing and assembling their report to be part of their output on School Report News Day on Thursday 24 March.
MOTD: Kickabout is available to view on the
Newsround website
(UK users only)
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