• Contact us
  • About us
  • Digital edition
Friday, January 15, 2021
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    • All
    • The Raven
    A.W. Jenkinson Forest Products recycles Christmas trees in aid of charity

    A.W. Jenkinson Forest Products recycles Christmas trees in aid of charity

    Plans for rapid COVID-19 testing to be rolled out at secondary schools

    317 more coronavirus cases diagnosed in Cumbria

    Businesses risk missing out on COVID-19 grants

    Businesses risk missing out on COVID-19 grants

    Vehicle fire on M6 near Penrith junction 40

    M6 traffic at standstill due to collision

    Your photos: Snow in Cumbria

    Drivers warned to take care as ice grips Cumbria

    £800,000 cost of rural crime

    Man dies after A66 road collision

    Cranstons champions Eden’s produce with lockdown friendly click + collect service

    Cranstons champions Eden’s produce with lockdown friendly click + collect service

    Police officers should not be criticised during COVID-19 crisis

    Police probe alleged illegal fox hunting

    First COVID-19 death in four days recorded at North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust

    Four new coronavirus deaths at North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust

  • Sport
    Penrith AFC bosses praise Grant Davidson as he clocks up more than 500 games

    Penrith AFC bosses praise Grant Davidson as he clocks up more than 500 games

    Carlisle United at top of table is exciting says Gavin Skelton – but vital for team to focus

    Carlisle United at top of table is exciting says Gavin Skelton – but vital for team to focus

    Penrith Angling Association wins £7,500 for beck pollution incident

    Fishing banned during lockdown

    Lakeland Rowing Club’s championship medals haul

    Lakeland Rowing Club’s championship medals haul

    Uncertainty looms as Penrith Rugby Club issues rallying cry

    Penrith’s festive fixtures kicked in touch by coronavirus

    Penrith AFC lose out on COVID Cup win

    Penrith AFC lose out on COVID Cup win

    Workington Reds win derby as Penrith AFC wait for league season ruling

    Workington Reds win derby as Penrith AFC wait for league season ruling

    Mark Donovan takes well earned break after Grand Tour debut

    Mark Donovan takes well earned break after Grand Tour debut

    Penrith AFC games cancelled for another two weeks

    Penrith AFC games cancelled for another two weeks

  • Farming
    • All
    • Red Shepherdess
    CLA director Dorothy Fairburn to retire

    CLA director Dorothy Fairburn to retire

    Optimism and record numbers at Kirkby Stephen mart

    Optimism and record numbers at Kirkby Stephen mart

    Veganuary? You’d be better going back to basics….

    Veganuary? You’d be better going back to basics….

    Penrith Angling Association wins £7,500 for beck pollution incident

    Local fishing allowed under lockdown rules

    Penrith Angling Association wins £7,500 for beck pollution incident

    Fishing banned during lockdown

    ‘Drop and go’ introduced at Cumbria’s livestock marts

    ‘Drop and go’ introduced at Cumbria’s livestock marts

    ‘Huge relief’ for farmers as trade deal is agreed

    ‘Huge relief’ for farmers as trade deal is agreed

    Hope for Newton Rigg despite closure confirmation

    Penrith MP pledges to continue fight to save Newton Rigg

    £800,000 cost of rural crime

    Spate of diesel thefts in rural areas prompts warning

  • Property
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Recruitment
  • Photosales
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    • All
    • The Raven
    A.W. Jenkinson Forest Products recycles Christmas trees in aid of charity

    A.W. Jenkinson Forest Products recycles Christmas trees in aid of charity

    Plans for rapid COVID-19 testing to be rolled out at secondary schools

    317 more coronavirus cases diagnosed in Cumbria

    Businesses risk missing out on COVID-19 grants

    Businesses risk missing out on COVID-19 grants

    Vehicle fire on M6 near Penrith junction 40

    M6 traffic at standstill due to collision

    Your photos: Snow in Cumbria

    Drivers warned to take care as ice grips Cumbria

    £800,000 cost of rural crime

    Man dies after A66 road collision

    Cranstons champions Eden’s produce with lockdown friendly click + collect service

    Cranstons champions Eden’s produce with lockdown friendly click + collect service

    Police officers should not be criticised during COVID-19 crisis

    Police probe alleged illegal fox hunting

    First COVID-19 death in four days recorded at North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust

    Four new coronavirus deaths at North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust

  • Sport
    Penrith AFC bosses praise Grant Davidson as he clocks up more than 500 games

    Penrith AFC bosses praise Grant Davidson as he clocks up more than 500 games

    Carlisle United at top of table is exciting says Gavin Skelton – but vital for team to focus

    Carlisle United at top of table is exciting says Gavin Skelton – but vital for team to focus

    Penrith Angling Association wins £7,500 for beck pollution incident

    Fishing banned during lockdown

    Lakeland Rowing Club’s championship medals haul

    Lakeland Rowing Club’s championship medals haul

    Uncertainty looms as Penrith Rugby Club issues rallying cry

    Penrith’s festive fixtures kicked in touch by coronavirus

    Penrith AFC lose out on COVID Cup win

    Penrith AFC lose out on COVID Cup win

    Workington Reds win derby as Penrith AFC wait for league season ruling

    Workington Reds win derby as Penrith AFC wait for league season ruling

    Mark Donovan takes well earned break after Grand Tour debut

    Mark Donovan takes well earned break after Grand Tour debut

    Penrith AFC games cancelled for another two weeks

    Penrith AFC games cancelled for another two weeks

  • Farming
    • All
    • Red Shepherdess
    CLA director Dorothy Fairburn to retire

    CLA director Dorothy Fairburn to retire

    Optimism and record numbers at Kirkby Stephen mart

    Optimism and record numbers at Kirkby Stephen mart

    Veganuary? You’d be better going back to basics….

    Veganuary? You’d be better going back to basics….

    Penrith Angling Association wins £7,500 for beck pollution incident

    Local fishing allowed under lockdown rules

    Penrith Angling Association wins £7,500 for beck pollution incident

    Fishing banned during lockdown

    ‘Drop and go’ introduced at Cumbria’s livestock marts

    ‘Drop and go’ introduced at Cumbria’s livestock marts

    ‘Huge relief’ for farmers as trade deal is agreed

    ‘Huge relief’ for farmers as trade deal is agreed

    Hope for Newton Rigg despite closure confirmation

    Penrith MP pledges to continue fight to save Newton Rigg

    £800,000 cost of rural crime

    Spate of diesel thefts in rural areas prompts warning

  • Property
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Recruitment
  • Photosales
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
No Result
View All Result
Home Sport

Steven’s eye on the ball

by CWH
24 July 2020
in Sport
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Former Kirkby Stephen Grammar School student Steven Holmes is one of the lucky few people still able to watch live Premier League football, but he says it is “quite a surreal environment”.

Steven, 37, who grew up in the Upper Eden town, is a football data analyst for Opta Sports.

Initially, he was based at the company’s office in Leeds, where he inputted information being relayed to him by someone at a football ground, but he now gets to be the person on the other end of the phone at the stadium collecting the all-important statistics.

“I love football, so still being able to watch it live in a ground is quite a lucky thing to do,” said Steven.

Opta Sports provides statistical information and player performance data from major sport leagues all over the world to media clients and clubs themselves.

Having first covered Mansfield Town FC home games, Steven now works at all Sheffield United’s home fixtures and has been on the journey with them from League One, through two seasons in the Championship and now in the Premier League.

“I collect all the information, like goals, corners, subs, yellow cards, red cards.

“After the match I have to collect the referee’s card and get a photo image of that to send through to our office to make sure the information we have collected marries up with the referee’s,” he said.

To get that image, Steven has to go into the players’ entrance and often finds himself rubbing shoulders with Premier League stars and the likes of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola— well, he did before the coronavirus pandemic struck.

With social distancing restrictions in place, the match day manager now sends the image of the referee’s card straight to Steven’s phone.

Prior to lockdown, Steven said there was a good atmosphere in the Sheffield United ground but it “certainly feels a lot different now”.

At Bramall Lane, there is no crowd noise played in the ground and, Steven said, “it just feels like you are at a behind closed doors match or pre-season friendly”.

“It’s interesting in one way, because you can hear what the manager is shouting at times and you kind of see every little bit that is going on a bit more, whereas when there’s a crowd it drowns it out,” he said.

Last Wednesday, Sheffield United scored in the 93rd minute to record a 1-0 home victory over Wolves. With a packed ground of 30,000 fans, the place would have erupted, and yet what happened was that a few players, who were in the stand, cheered and that was it, said Steven.

“The place would have been absolutely bouncing, all the pubs would have been full, but it’s so different. It’s nothing without fans.”

Steven, who has been furloughed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, is hoping to return to work next month in his day job as a schools’ outreach officer, tournaments co-ordinator and tennis coach at Graves Health and Sports Centre, in Sheffield, where he has been based since June, 2017.

Steven had been due to marry his partner, Laura, in April, this year, but the wedding had to be postponed due to coronavirus. They have a two-year-old daughter, Amelie.

Previous Post

Kim climbs 78 peaks in 24 hours to break 23-year-old record

Next Post

Top of the crops for farmers at Penrith Show

No Result
View All Result

Stay connected

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Most popular

This week in history – January 9

From our archives – January

15 January 2021
A.W. Jenkinson Forest Products recycles Christmas trees in aid of charity

A.W. Jenkinson Forest Products recycles Christmas trees in aid of charity

15 January 2021
Plans for rapid COVID-19 testing to be rolled out at secondary schools

317 more coronavirus cases diagnosed in Cumbria

15 January 2021
Businesses risk missing out on COVID-19 grants

Businesses risk missing out on COVID-19 grants

15 January 2021
Vehicle fire on M6 near Penrith junction 40

M6 traffic at standstill due to collision

15 January 2021
Your photos: Snow in Cumbria

Drivers warned to take care as ice grips Cumbria

15 January 2021
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald Logo
14 King Street
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 7AH

Phone: 01768 862313
Email: news@cwherald.com

Registered in England no: 33217
VAT registration number: 256271948

Explore

  • News
  • Sport
  • Farming
  • Property
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Your view
  • The Raven

Useful links

  • Contact us
  • Recruitment
  • Photosales
  • Digital edition
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • About us

Follow us on

© Barrnon Media Limited 2020

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy

This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
IPSO Logo
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sport
  • Farm and Countryside
    • Red Shepherdess
  • Property
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Recruitment
  • The Raven
  • more
    • Photo sales
    • Subscribe
    • About us
    • Contact us

© 2020 Cumberland & Westmorland Herald