News

SJA annual meeting: chairman’s report

By Barry Newcombe
I believe the SJA has taken some important steps in the past year, especially in the development of our website www.sportsjournalists.co.uk which gives the sporting world the opportunity to see what we are doing day by day.

Much of the credit for the revamping of the site goes to our secretary Steven Downes whose skills in operating the site and speed in updating old material and introducing new topics result in the current end product.

Our two main events also changed course with the sporting personality awards and journalism and photographic awards both being staged at The Brewery in the City of London. By this single change, the events were upgraded and the work of David Welch and the awards committee enhanced the whole operation.

We covered cricket, swimming and rugby union interests with three lunches we held during the winter, two of them in Fleet Street where we will base some of of our activities from now on. Trevor Bond deserves our thanks for putting these lunches together as well as for his industry in staging golf days.

Peter Wilson has taken over the editorship of The Bulletin and his first issue shows the direction he intends to travel and we can look forward to future issues.

Peter was also chairman of judges for our awards and he and his team are to be thanked for their work.

I would like to thank Peter and Colleen Grove who had helped with our website and Stuart Benstead for his help with the Bulletin.