11 Questions with Andrew Flint

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Andrew Flint:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

I was sitting in the media manager’s office in the summer of 2014 arranging my season ticket for FK Tyumen, my local club out in Siberia, watching the first team training on the pitch below outside. He had just explained the difficulties a third-tier club had in promoting their cause, and

as I watched Vladimir Kuleshev shank a shot well wide I had a flashbulb moment: why not offer to write about the club? Anton’s face lit up at the novelty of having a foreign reporter and suggested I write about the new stadium.

It had been over four years since I’d written about football in any way since studying at

journalism college in Wimbledon but it reignited my desire. I remember comparing the Geolog Stadium to the Bird’s Nest in Beijing, and that it took me about two months to finish, but it started my career.

What attracted you to data/media? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

The attraction of media for me is the unlimited potential to continuously develop and learn. I would never have had the opportunities I’ve been lucky to have without building a base of knowledge of connections. It’s a career path that feeds off personal connections.

I think it is wrong to dismiss any form of analysis or opinion on football, however unfathomable it may seem. The social media age has spawned a lot of unsavoury snobbery about alternative views, so I think it is important to remain open to all aspects. Names will always appeal to me

more as I love stories more than factual analysis, but I am intrigued by intelligent users of numbers like Total Football Analysis.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

Eric Cantona. Everyone loves a player who can provide what no other can, and he transformed

the attitude of an entire club from fans to players. There are very few players I have witnessed change a team so drastically as he did - Edgar Davids in 2003/04 at Barcelona was almost one - and go beyond simply playing well: he understood, and loved, the club. Sport is a form of fantasy, so the ultimate players will always be those that conjure up more than just wins and trophies.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

I suppose the biggest misconception I’ve encountered is that you have to shout loudest and have the most followers to be relevant. Writers of all ages and backgrounds are showing resourcefulness to build their portfolios in a new media that is unrecognisable to the vast majority of established print media. There is an enormous swathe of clickbait nonsense, but sift through that and you can find the most phenomenal conversations developing from non-

traditional sources.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

I would want to experiment with a lot more styles and formats of writing. Falling into a

comfortable rut is a dangerously lazy habit to develop, and one I’ve been guilty of occasionally, so testing different platforms and mediums would have prepared me better for my career.

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

They are the same thing for me. Point-scoring is not proof of superiority despite what so many charlatans appear to believe, especially on social media. Quoting statistics shows you can use google, not that you are knowledgeable. I believe learning for yourself rather than being handed experience and knowledge is akin to a footballer who grew up with nothing compared to one

from privilege.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

It is tempting to try and choose an esoteric moment as if to prove some vague notion of

originality, but nothing will ever compare to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s stretched leg at the Camp Nou in 1999. As a fan it was simply unbeatable; pure raw emotion.

In the sense of pure sporting theatre, watching the final day of the Miracle of Medinah 2012 Ryder Cup comeback was utterly absorbing from start to finish. Johnny Wilkinson’s drop goal in 2003 to win the World Cup against Australia in their own back yard was made even more special by the baying Aussies flooding the Barcelona pub where I watched it. To watch John Isner’s epic Wimbledon marathon against Nicolas Mahut was to witness remarkable endurance.

At the completely opposite end of the scale though, in a purely personal sense, possibly my favourite moment came while watching a match in the sixth tier of English football. Altrincham are my local non-league side and despite a famous history of giant killings have never threatened true quality. A few years ago there was a very talented left-footed centre-back at the club called Greg Young who was capable of playing the ball on the ground intelligently. 

One match, while I was leaning over the advertising boards a metre from the touchline, he lumped a ball aimlessly into the corner to nobody. Frustrated at a capable player throwing away possession so cheaply I screamed: “Why the fuck did you do that Greg?!” He turned apologetically and replied directly to my face: “The gaffer told me to do it!” Well at least I had my answer.

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

None. Once you do that you lose the very nature of that keeps the best going - pressure. Sir Alex Ferguson was the greatest manager in British football and he would have baulked at the idea of being awarded a lifetime contract. Sport thrives on the uncertainty of what will come, and

the best are those who push themselves as if they always have something to prove.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Don’t hold back. It can be intimidating from the outside to see accounts on social media but ignore all the bluster and try your hand at anything - you’ll soon find your way. Some content you make will be bad. So what? Even that can teach you what to do better so it can never be an entirely bad thing. A surprising number of successful writers are extremely approachable if you show genuine intent to learn, and are willing to pass on their advice.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

Eric Cantona. Very few people can capture the very essence of what a club means to its fans, as well as being so gifted as a player and a person so as to transform the nature and fortunes of the team. His spirit was misunderstood 25 years ago as arrogance and foreign, when in fact he was a man who fiercely protected his teammates and his philosophy. He certainly courted corporate attention with his Nike sponsorship deals and was far from perfect, but he lived comfortably in his own skin.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

I would honestly go back to what my late grandfather used to teach me about the importance of communication. “To be interesting, be interested in people and events around you.” Pay attention to developing personal relationships and it will pay off handsomely.