Ep. 48 - Simon Evans
"Players who've just come off the field and have an English guy come up to them and say, 'What happened on fourth down?' Sometimes you get a strange look with my accent, but you always got an answer."
Simon Evans has covered a wide variety of sports in nearly two decades with Reuters, but his university background in government and political science may have been his most valuable training in the past week as he covered the Super League, the doomed breakaway effort by leading European soccer clubs. As Reuters football correspondent, Simon was heavily involved with Super League coverage, securing a byline on 19 stories over a four-day period. In this episode, he explains what Super League set out to be, why it failed and what the lasting impacts may be for the clubs that tried to break away. Simon also shares how he has approached covering so many different sports during his career and what he has done to learn more about those he has not necessarily known much about. He also talks about how rare it is to be a foreign correspondent for sport and how working for an international wire service requires a very narrow approach to his writing.
You can listen to the episode here and find show notes below.
Simon Evans
LinkedIn | Twitter | Reuters Stories
Liverpool wins 2019 Champions League (BBC)
Arsenal fans protest Kroenke outside ground (Reuters)
St. Louis Rams approved for relocation to Los Angeles (Reuters)
Watford secures promotion (Daily Mail)
The "Aints" fans wearing bags (Fox Sports)
AFL + NFL Merger (History)
Gary Neville Response (video)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson Tweet April 18 | April 20
Times Exclusive on Super League
Official Press Release from Super League
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Solskjaer press conference reaction to news
Simon Evans bylines on Super League stories
Serie A calls emergency meeting after breakaway Super League report (April 18)
United's Ferguson says breakaway league would end 70 years of history (April 18)
Top European Clubs announce breakaway Super League (April 18)
Soccer breakaway Super League announced in storm of criticism (April 18)
Source: UEFA threaten to ban breakaway clubs from all competition (April 18)
Breakaway Super League calls for talks with FIFA and UEFA (April 19)
UEFA chief's quiet rage ahead of 'fight to the end' (April 19)
UEFA lead backlash against Super League, UK government vows to step in (April 19)
'Either you are in, or you are out,' FIFA's Infantino warns Super League Clubs (April 20)
UEFA chief tells English Premier League breakaway 'Big Six' to think again (April 20)
FIFA call for Super League clarity, Perez says proposal is 'saving football' (April 20)
Exclusive: Breakaway Super League cannot go ahead, says Agnelli (April 21)
Rebel soccer clubs face break-up fees for pulling plug on Super League-source (April 21)
Politics sank Super League (April 21) Super League breakaway in tatters after English clubs quit (April 21)
Super League shelved as clubs continue to withdraw from project (April 21)
UEFA chief praises UK PM Johnson and 'fan revolution' (April 22)
Ceferin warns of 'consequences' as clubs face reprisals (April 22)
British government to consider independent regulator for football (April 22)
Breakaway League Cannot Go Ahead by Simon Evans
JP Morgan apologizes for funding Super League (Reuters)https://en.psg.fr/
Super League not dead, says Perez (Reuters)
The spending strains or Europe's top soccer leagues (Reuters)
Champions League semis with Super League rebels (ESPN)
St. Louis fans distraught as Rams head west by Simon Evans
Fenway Sports Group Boston Red Sox
Liverpool win Premier League title (Reuters)
Sepp Blatter
scandal
Rough Guide to European Football by Peterjon Cresswell, Simon Evans
Dez Bryant play in playoff game
Football for Dummies (USA Edition) by Howie Long, Jack Czarnecki
Azarenka Wins 2009 Miami Open (Reuters)
Real Madrid team bus attacked at Liverpool (ESPN)
CONCACAF corruption case (Reuters)
Jack Warner, Chuck BLazer criticized by CONCACAF (Reuters)
SET PIECES
McIlvanney on Football by Hugh McIlvanney
The Road to Somewhere by David Goodhart