SPOTLIGHT ON : JESS FRANCIS - TORQUAYS MEDIA COORDINATOR

Before every home game, the OAFC Her Game Too team interview a female visiting fan or employee. We had the pleasure of interviewing Torquay United AFC media Coordinator, Jess!

Name: Jess Francis

Team: Torquay United AFC

Job title: Media Coordinator

Tell us something about Torquay that others may not know

Torquay United was part of history when on 20th August 1994, our Football League match against Carlisle United saw Wendy Toms become the first woman to officiate a Football League match in England. She was an assistant referee and ran the line along the Popside.

Predictions for our game?

Nothing could separate the sides when we last met at Plainmoor in August in the goalless draw. I’ll always hope for a Torquay win, and after last week’s win at Dagenham, I’m hopeful we can do it again!

Player for us to watch out for?

This is a tricky one to answer – Aaron Jarvis and Will Goodwin have been great up front recently, meanwhile on the wings Dillon De Silva and Stephen Wearne have been great, and a goal is definitely coming for the latter! Mark Ellis has been a stalwart in defence, and I’ve seen some amazing goalkeeping performances from Mark Halstead so far this season, so singling out just one player is difficult!

What does your job entail?

Behind the scenes at TUAFC we are quite a small but close-knit bunch, with all of us having a number of different roles. In terms of media, I produce a lot of the graphics and video content, as well as some written, photography and social media work, as well as the occasional turn as co-commentator! During busy periods at the Club, I have also helped in the Club Shop, on the phones and with ticketing.

How did you get in to working in football?

During my time at university, in my final year I chose a Journalism Work Placement module, and the Club were kind enough to let me undertake my placement there – following on from that I never really left!

I spent the 2020/21 season as a media volunteer doing matchday social media, and also during this time I did some remote media volunteering for Hereford FC, including writing the Match Preview for their FA Trophy Final, alongside other written content for their website and matchday programme.

It was over the summer of 2021 that I joined Torquay permanently, originally starting mainly with admin, and gradually becoming more involved in media during my time at the club!

What is it like working in men’s football?

Torquay United is a great club to work at – I’m the only female in the media department of three, but behind the scenes, the majority of staff are female too! With regards to the staff and players, they’re a great group of people and I feel as if I’m treated the same as everyone else.

As a community-orientated Club we also work closely with our Women’s and Youth teams too, so no day is ever the same!

What do you love most about your job?

No day is ever the same as you never know what it will bring – matchdays are great, and it’s always great to visit other clubs. Player content days and press call days are also another highlight, but probably one of my favourite parts of the job is definitely producing content in preparation for a new signing as that’s always an exciting time.

What would you say to other women and girls who would like to work in football?

If it’s something you want to try and get into, do it!

I’ve had an interest in football since I was a little girl; in primary school I was the only girl that would play football with the boys every break and lunchtime, and throughoutsecondary school I became fascinated by media and journalism. During my time at university, I was inspired by the likes of Alex Scott and Laura Woods - seeing them on television really pushed me into the belief that I could go intomedia of the men’s game too.

What do you think of Her Game Too?

I think it’s amazing that a group of female football fans from around the country have come together to establish Her Game Too. It’s such an important platform for women to have, and it’s great to see so many clubs sharing the same ethos and getting involved!

Torquay United partnered with Her Game Too last November, with the partnership being announced alongside 1,000 free tickets being made available to females, with TUAFC becoming the first Club to allocate an entire stand to the campaign. This was something I was really proud to have been a part of.