Discover how to heighten a sports brand and grow social media platforms with tailored and engaging content from the grounds of Bath City Football Club.

  • Gain first-hand experience of reporting on a live football match.
  • Learn how to accurately report on a sports event on social media.
  • Explore how to optimise headlines to perform well in search engine results and avoid clickbait.

Take the first step into the world of sports journalism with our Introduction to Sports Media course. Over five weeks, you’ll learn how to cover sports events on social media, how to optimise headlines and articles for search engines and best practice for interviewing at sporting events. 

During Introduction to Sports Media, you’ll have the opportunity to report live on a Bath City Women’s match on Bath City FC’s official social media accounts and learn how to effectively promote games and manage tone of voice. 

By the end of the course, you’ll have a solid understanding on how to manage relationships within a sports setting, interpret insights on social media to understand how well a post is performing and have first-hand experience reporting on a live football match. 

One of Bath Spa University’s 16 cultural partners, Bath City FC aim to be successful, professional, and efficient to achieve long-term financial sustainability, whilst being open, inclusive, considerate and diverse. They bring people together by hosting exciting, entertaining football matches, played with a good spirit and in a great atmosphere.  

“This course includes 18 hours of training to prepare you for the world of sports journalism. You will learn about the difference in writing for different audiences, online and in print, and how to make your work eye-catching in a crowded social media space. Your work will also be assessed by the Sports Editor of several regional newspapers, who will provide further expert feedback.”

Mark Stillman

Overview

Over five three-hour sessions you’ll cover:

  • Writing reports ‘on the whistle’ - learning how to compile information quickly and accurately
  • Previews - how to advertise an upcoming sporting event
  • Headlines - how they differ online, in print and in social media. A lesson in learning how to make your work eye-catching
  • Interviews - tips on interviewing sports stars and how to produce quotes

This course will take place at Twerton Park, Bath. Please note, there is a set of steps to access the venue. 

The next course starts:

  • Wednesday 25 February 2026, Wednesdays for five weeks, 6:30pm – 9:30pm

This course is suitable for:

  • Sports club volunteers wanting to learn more about reporting on games
  • Sports enthusiasts and members of sports societies
  • Students looking for a career in sports journalism
  • Anyone who wants to learn more about the world of sports journalism

You must be aged 18+ to take part in this course.

This course costs £260 per person.

You’ll need a notepad and pen and a smartphone with Instagram, Facebook and X installed. 

Meet the team

Mark Stillman

Mark Stillman has volunteered at Bath City Football Club for nearly 30 years. Past roles include editing the matchday programme, he is now the manager of the club’s radio station, where he and his team cover every home and away game.

Mark also commentates for BBC Radio Bristol on Bristol Rovers and Yeovil Town games in a freelance role, combined with almost a decade of experience writing for the Bath Chronicle and Non-League Paper. He is a NCTJ trained journalist.

Matt Francis

Matt Francis is the volunteer Media Manager at Bath City Football Club and a full-time member of Bath Spa University’s Communications and Social Media team, he has led multiple marketing projects and has over three years of experience growing brands on social media.

Terms and conditions

Read the terms and conditions for taking part in this short course.

Get in touch

If you have any questions, get in touch by emailing shortcourses@bathspa.ac.uk .