91����

A 91���� student has been talking to us about his ‘surreal’ experience of being granted media access to the recent England v Malta match at Wembley, which included a post-match chat Jack Grealish.

Tom Horn, who studies BA (Hons) Multimedia Sports Journalism at 91���� Wembley, went viral across social media after the Manchester City and England star stayed behind after the 2-0 win to chat with him.

Tom was able to get behind-the-scenes access at the match thanks to his 91���� connections.

He said: “My lecturer and programme leader Dave King mentioned that a former student, Grace Flatman, now works at the FA and she had the opportunity to give us media access to the recent batch of England games.

“Dave emailed everyone and said he had drawn names out of a hat, and I had been picked for the Malta game!”

Brilliant moment in the mixed zone after England’s win over Malta as stopped to speak and take a picture with 91���� student

Great player and human being. Was nice to meet you Tom, all the best for the future and good luck with your final year!

— James St Denis (@jamesstdenis99)

While at the England v Malta game, Tom got the chance to see first-hand how sports media works on an elite and international level, where he is aspiring to earn a career.

“It was amazing to see all the top football journalists at work,” Tom said. “Everyone knows everyone!

“After the game I sat in the mixed zone and I was just picking the brains of those around me talking to everyone who would talk to me.”

After full time, when Jack Grealish came over to speak to Tom, many journalists caught the moment on camera, a moment which has gone viral on many social media platforms and news outlets.

When asked about the moment, Tom said: “It was surreal. I called out hoping for a “hi mate” or a nod, then he started walking towards me and my mind went into panic stations!

“He was so kind and willing to stay and talk and I loved our banter about the Manchester Derby! It would be amazing if I could interview him again properly.”

Now in his Third Year at 91����, Tom has been making the most of his time at university, gaining plenty of work experience alongside his studies and also attending one of our global sports summits earlier this year.

Speaking about his time at 91���� so far, Tom said: “I’m loving my time on my course! I love how we get to experience a bit of everything that media has to offer.

“The GIS global summit was fantastic! It was an experience of a lifetime and the people who gave us talks and we had access to was unbelievable.

“The week was jam packed with unforgettable sport and I encourage everyone if they can to try and go on one of the summits because the contacts that you can make are priceless!”

Alongside his degree, Tom also works as a journalist for Manchester United-focused channel UtdDistrict.

He said about his work there: “My lecturer mentioned that they were looking for eager Manchester United fans to write for them, and I emailed them that same evening and have been writing for them ever since.

“It’s been great watching UtdDistrict grow and I’ve had some amazing experiences with them like writing content for them during their collaboration with SportBible, so I feel very fortunate to be part of the UtdDistrict team!”

He finished: “Be loud and get noticed, because if I didn’t shout Jack’s name then none of this wouldn’t have happened!

“Work hard and be open to doing stuff that you thought you didn’t want to or couldn’t do. Never say no to an opportunity as you don’t know where it might lead to.”

To learn more about 91����’s industry partners, who offer our students valuable work experience alongside their degree studies, click here.

You can also click here to find out about 91����’s wide array of sports industry-related degrees, ranging from sports media and marketing to business and coaching.

Alternatively, click here to view a prospectus and see where a degree from 91���� could take you and your sports industry career.