Mark Ogden, the Telegraph‘s northern football correspondent, is to become chief football correspondent of The Independent.
Ogden replaces Sam Wallace, who is heading in the opposite direction to become the Telegraph‘s chief football writer, following the departure of Henry Winter. Winter finally starts his job as chief football correspondent of The Times next week after a prolonged spell of gardening leave to serve out his notice period.
Ogden joined the Telegraph in 2009 from Wardles Sports Agency. In 2013, he won Scoop of the Year at the SJA’s British Sports Journalism Awards.
“I’ve loved every minute of my six-and-a-half years at the Telegraph and worked with some brilliant guys on the desk and in the press box, but the role at The Independent is a great opportunity and I’m really looking forward to starting the job,” said Ogden.
“It’s not the first time I’ve followed Sam Wallace into a new role – I seem to be making a career of filling jobs he’s left behind – and he will be a hard act to follow at the Indy, as he is already proving back at the Telegraph.
“But despite often protesting to the contrary, there really is life beyond the M60 and it’s as good a time as any to get involved with that.”
Ogden finishes at the Telegraph on Saturday and starts at The Independent on December 7.
Completing this round of musical chairs will be James Ducker, The Times‘s northern football correspondent, who replaces Ogden at the Telegraph.
Ducker has worked at the Times since 2005, first as north-west reporter. Before that he was employed by the Manchester Evening News as a news reporter. He has twice been short-listed for prizes in the SJA’s Sports Journalism Awards.
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UPCOMING SJA EVENTS
- Tue Dec 1: Young sports journalists’ networking drinks
- Thu Dec 17: SJA British Sports Awards, sponsored by The National Lottery
- Mon Dec 21: Journalists’ Charity Carol service, St Bride’s
2016
- Mon Feb 22: SJA British Sports Journalism Awards, sponsored by BT Sport