Welcome to everyone, another interview with another amazing volunteer.
Chris Durning is a volunteer for Shepshed Dynamo and carries out many different tasks for the club, in his own words he has become somewhat of an octopus in the amount of things he does on a matchday.
Lets find out now how his journey started and also some advice for anyone who is looking to get into match report writing.
Lets get stuck in!
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Name – Chris Durning
Age – 39
Favourite Team – Shepshed Dynamo
Occupation – Retail Manager / Matchday Reporter
Name – Chris Durning
Age – 39
Favourite Team – Shepshed Dynamo
Occupation – Retail Manager / Matchday Reporter
Things I love about football – The sense of community and belonging, the drama of a stoppage-time winner, and Bovril in cold weather.
My football pet hate – The obscene amounts of money thrown around in the Premier League.
My football pet hate – The obscene amounts of money thrown around in the Premier League.
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What first got you into covering non-league football, and how did you end up with Shepshed Dynamo?
I moved to Shepshed in late 2021 and quickly discovered a football ground at the top of my street. The stadium turned out to be the home of Shepshed Dynamo Football Club, and I attended my first match in 2022 against Dereham Town, who had been cruelly made to travel from near Norwich to Shepshed for a Tuesday night season opener! The game ended in a 2–2 draw, and I became hooked.
I then began volunteering for the club in 2024 when the previous match reporter, a club legend by the name of Kevin Gibson, sadly passed away suddenly. I took on matchday reporting, programme article writing, and live score updates via internet radio on a show called Non-League Connect.
Read my interview with Non-League Connect here
On a typical matchday, what does your routine look like from arrival to final whistle?
If we’re at home, I will typically head for the programme stand to get a programme along with a Golden Goal ticket, and have a catch-up with our brilliant volunteers. After that, I’ll grab a drink from the clubhouse and catch the remaining minutes of the early kick-off on the big screen.
The team news is released around half an hour prior to kick-off, so I’ll go through that and relay any details to the guys at Non-League Connect to broadcast. I then make sure the WhatsApp chats and websites I need are open on my phone before preparing for kick-off.
Throughout the game, I’ll make notes of any significant chances for either side, as well as any substitutions, to use later in the report. This includes the time everything happened and which player(s) were involved. I also provide voice notes for the broadcasters to use on the live score service. I tend to shoot short clips for TikTok as well, to edit into a video once I’m home.
Half-time generally consists of checking scores from around the grounds, editing any notes I need to, and chatting to fans around me about how the game is going.
At the final whistle, I confirm the score for the internet radio and applaud the players off the pitch, win, lose, or draw. In the absence of the regular matchday interviewer, I will also conduct a post-match interview with our manager. I then head home to type up the report and send it to the club secretary and local newspapers.
How do you balance writing for different platforms like club reports, newspapers, and radio updates?
I have to be a bit of an octopus on matchdays! I could do with a few more hands at times when the action is hectic. The core article is what everything stems from on the writing side. Newspapers often use a similar or identical version to the club website and edit accordingly.
Certain outlets, like The Non-League Paper, require shorter articles with tighter deadlines, which can be tricky at times.
The radio updates can thankfully be done a minute or two after I’ve written down what I need for reference. Timing is key with many of the tasks, and good organisation really helps.
What’s something about non-league football that you think more people should appreciate?
The freedom that the game offers. It is suited to everybody—children, dogs, first-time attendees—all are welcome. Non-league football has that sense of community where you can simply turn up, pay at the gate, and enjoy the game in its purest form.
No VAR, players who care about the fans and connect with them, a beer at your seat, and the knowledge that your money is helping the club survive.
Have you had any particularly funny or unexpected moments while reporting live?
There’s the classic situation where, as you’re describing a goal, another one is scored mid-description—that’s happened a couple of times!
I’ve also seen a referee go off injured, with our kit man stepping in to run the line in a very retro referee’s kit. He did very well, as it turned out.
How do you keep your match reports fresh and engaging week after week?
It helps that no two games are ever the same—something unique or exciting always happens. I also like to play with words occasionally, such as during a Halloween fixture:
“The centre forward ghosted in at the far post” or “Dynamo will look to avoid any potential scares this evening,” and suchlike.
“The centre forward ghosted in at the far post” or “Dynamo will look to avoid any potential scares this evening,” and suchlike.
What’s the biggest challenge of doing live score updates during games?
Managing everything in the right order. It’s usually a case of writing down exactly what’s happened and how a goal came about, then relaying that information via the live score radio.
In between, people might be asking who scored, how many that is for the season, or if I’d like a go on the raffle! Sometimes it’s about blocking everything out until the updates are complete—but you do get used to it.
Are there any players or teams you’ve especially enjoyed following this season?
Our team have been excellent this season in a very tough division. Standout players include Jude Collins, a left winger who has contributed the bulk of goals and assists, and Jowan Partridge, who has been exceptional in both centre-back and central midfield roles since arriving in the summer.
As for opposition, Rugby Borough have played some very good football against us across two matches.
If someone wanted to get into matchday reporting like you, what advice would you give them?
Firstly, enjoy it. There’s no point committing to covering every game if it feels like a chore. Prepare well, get a good vantage point, and make sure you have a small notepad (with a bookmark), a couple of ‘clicky’ pens, and access to team line-ups—either in a programme or on your phone.
Relax when giving verbal reports, and redo any voice notes if you’re not happy with them before sending. When writing reports, stick to the facts and go easy on personal opinion—this creates a more balanced piece.
Finally, always read through and spell-check before submitting, and take a moment to admire your work in print. It’s a great feeling.
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