OPINION: The last dance

As the final Daily News goes to print, sports reporter Emily Clooney remembers news and sports across the Downs.

I'll always remember the few opportunities I had to stand on the sidelines and report sports across the Downs.

I HAVE wondered all week how I would write this column, how I would put into words that there will no longer be a physical Warwick Daily News.

Generations have grown up reading the Daily to get their sports fix, from weekend results to player profiles to the quirky tidbits in between.

I was fortunate enough to take on the prestigious role nine months ago, unaware of the enormity of the job.

If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me, “You have big shoes to fill,” following the retirement of sports editor Gerard Walsh, I’d be rich.

But while the first few weeks were somewhat daunting, you, as a sporting community, welcomed me with open arms.

You were patient with me when I didn’t know who was who. You sat through my silly questions as I established which club played in what code. And most importantly, you answered my calls at all hours of the day and were happy to chat.

For a long time, all I’ve known is my love for sport – if I wasn’t a journalist, I would have been working in some other profession in the sporting world.

But this job, this opportunity and this community, have reminded me why I love sport.

The chance to share the stories that matter to you, to voice the momentous victories and bitter losses, even if just for a short time, has been one I’ll cherish forever.

It sounds silly to say, but this really has been a ‘dream job’ for me and as my first full-time job out of university, it’s one that is going to be hard to beat.

So thank you for talking, guiding and listening to me while I attempted to tell your stories, and the moments of sport that matter.

I’ll never forget Warwick, the insane number of sporting teams, and the incredibly talented athletes the region has produced and will continue to do so.

I wish you all the best and will always enjoying being on the sidelines watching teams play.

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