Aspiring young sports journalists have been given their first taste of reporting on a live football match after being invited to Chesterfield FC.

Five students from the University of Huddersfield were tasked with writing a match report to a deadline for the Spireites’ home game against local rivals Burton Albion last month.

Dave Devenport, a senior lecturer in Sports Journalism at the University of Huddersfield, said it was a great experience for the sports journalism students to sit in the press box at the Proact Stadium.

“They are first years and this was their first real taste of sports journalism, and they all came back really buzzing after the experience,” he said.

Young journalism students from the University of Huddersfield at Chesterfield FC.

“For a trainee reporter, it is really thrilling to be able to report on their first match alongside other members of the press, and to see how the game is covered in different ways for papers, radio and TV. And of course it’s a huge bonus to do that job at such a modern, spectacular ground as Chesterfield’s.

“We are very proud of the good relationship between the Spireites and the University of Huddersfield. A number of our students have been given great opportunities to hone their skills and have gone on to get good jobs in the media industry, thanks to Chesterfield FC giving them that valuable experience.”

Nick Johnson, who heads Chesterfield FC’s media department, added: “We are always happy to help journalism students by providing them with experience. As part of our link-up with the University of Huddersfield, we have taken Luke Ingram on a work placement for his final year.

“Luke has been given the opportunity to write articles for the matchday programme and report on matches for the club website. I am sure that he will benefit greatly from this sort of experience.”