Meet The Team
There are many moles in the SM family, you know. Read on to find out more about who lives in our hole!
Neil Wilkes
Editor
Neil is the co-founder of entertainment website Digital Spy, serving as Editor from 1999 to 2011 before leaving to set up Sports Mole. Aseason-ticketed Wolves fan, Neil also loves tennis and has a soft spot for player-turned-anchor Annabel Croft. In his spare time he indulges his obsession for trashy TV shows. Neil can be found on Twitter @neothecat.
Alan Jay
Business Director
Alan Jay has worked with Editor, Neil Wilkes since 2001 and before that was one of the founders of IMDb.com. In addition to being involved in various internet projects he produces films. He has lived his entire life in Chelsea, but never been to a match but does follow Formula One, Golf and Tennis. He can be followed on Twitter @alanjay
Dan Saney
Deputy Editor
Formerly second-in-command at Digital Spy, Dan brings with him a wealth of experience in the areas of breaking news and newswire editorial. When not indulging in his primary passion - cricket - Dan can usually be found rescuing cats.
Paul Jones
Systems Architect
Technical whizz Paul is responsible for every aspect of bringing SM to your screens, from managing the system infrastructure, to developing our CMS and coding pretty much every single part of the site. Paul is a die-hard Stoke City fan and spends his spare time helping youths in Milton Keynes.
Jack Prescott
Staff Reporter
Jack has written for local press in Bath and Brighton on football, rugby, arts and entertainment. He was also voted Players' Player of the Year for Bear Flat Junior Football Club in 1999/2000.
Liam Apicella
Staff Reporter
Liam joins Sports Mole after stints at The Ibiza Paper, FootyMatters.com and the Newmarket Journal, amongst others. He is a fan of Man Utd and his local non league team Mildenhall Town FC. He names his favourite sporting stars as Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Roger Federer, Graeme Swann and Rory Mcllroy.
Danielle Joynson
Reporter
A former writer for Goal.com, Danielle is a Liverpool supporter and penned a feature for the club on the 22nd anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy. As well as football, she enjoys golf, cricket and boxing. Follow Danielle on Twitter @DanniJoy27.
Joe Fish
Reporter
Joe is currently studying Sports Journalism at Staffordshire University and is a keen footballer and cricketer. A Spurs fan, Joe lists Ledley King, Gareth Bale and Sergio Garcia as his favourite sportsmen and cites Sports Mole's Rob Summerscales as his journalistic inspiration. While Rob doesn't care to write it in his own bio, Joe is sure that the feeling is reciprocated.
Matt Law
Reporter
Matt studied law at Anglia Ruskin University and has since worked with a number of sports websites as a freelance sports writer. He's a keen footballer and a former National Finals table tennis champion. An avid Manchester United fan, Matt names his favourite sportsmen as Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Gary Neville.
Pascal Lemesre
Reporter
A journalism student at the University of Sheffield, Pascal is a keen footballer, golfer and tennis player and begrudgingly names Ipswich Town as his favourite team. He says the best thing about working for Sports Mole is getting to watch Georgie Thompson as part of his job. Follow Pascal on Twitter @PA5C4L.
Callum Mulvihill
Reporter
In addition to his duties with SM, Callum is a student of Sports Journalism at the University of East London. A Spurs fan, he names his favourite sportsmen as Frank Lampard, Jermain Defoe and Lebron James. In his spare time Callum plays for Mildenhall Town (reserves!)
Mark Langshaw
Reporter
Mark has been in the journalism game for the last seven years, covering entertainment for Digital Spy as well as news and sport for local publications in his home city of Liverpool. He is an avid Everton supporter and names his favourite sports stars as Marouane Fellaini, Novak Djokovic and Rory McIlroy.
Michael Penkman
Reporter
Michael joins Sports Mole from Mercury Press Agency, where his work was published in national newspapers. He is a diehard Everton fan, but admits that they probably frustrate him more than they delight him. Other than football, Michael enjoys tennis, golf, boxing and cricket and names his favourite (ex)sportsmen as Graeme Sharp, Duncan Ferguson, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Rory McIlroy.
Rob Summerscales
Reporter
Rob is currently studying sports journalism at Staffordshire University. Now based in Stoke-on-Trent but originally from west Cumbria, he is a northern Spurs fan who loves pies and tidy passing in equal measure. His sporting heroes are Goran Bunjevcevic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Harry Redknapp, with whom he shares an unfortunate twitching habit. Follow Rob on Twitter @robsummerscales.
Barney Corkhill
Reporter
Another journalism student at the University of Sheffield, Barney joins Pascal in his love of football, but is often put in goal (for some reason). He also enjoys playing rugby, tennis and golf and lists a host of players from his beloved Liverpool as his favourite sportsmen. Barney ranks being named Class Clown 02-07 as his life's crowning achievement so far. Follow Barney on Twitter @BarneyCorkhill.
Matt Cotton
Reporter
A sports journalism student at Southampton University, Matt says he's wanted to be a football commentator ever since he realised he was never going to play for Arsenal. Matt has been commentating for the RNIB at Exeter City since 2008, which has led him to commentating at Wembley and at Arsenal on numerous occasions, covering a vast variety of teams from Droylsden to AC Milan. He is also the editor of Arsenal fansite Welcome to the Gunners Town. Follow him on Twitter @FindingCotton.
Subhankar Mondal
Reporter
A freelance journalist based in Leeds, Subhankar has previously worked for Goal.com international and has had his sports articles published in The Guardian and The Observer. He has also been on the BBC in the past and his name once found its way to the pages of the World Soccer Magazine. In addition to his role at Sports Mole, he works for Sky Sports. Follow Subhankar on Twitter @subhankarjourno.
Liam Power
Reporter
Liam is a freelance sports journalist and University of Brighton graduate. Passionate about football across the continent, he can be found most weeks at the Arsenal. He describes himself as a total telly addict, obsessed with The Office and HBO boxsets. Find Liam on Twitter @liampower1.
Matt Domm
Reporter
A journalism graduate from the University for the Creative Arts, Matt's experience of sports writing starts with A Different League, whom he joined in 2009. He takes in as much sport as he can and lists football, cricket, tennis and NFL as his favourites. As a Fulham fan, Matt is used to viewing sporting success as a rank outsider, making this a perfect occupation, and the ultimate aim, he says, is to follow the England cricket team on their travels (especially the Caribbean). Find him on Twitter @mattdjourno.
Darren Plant
Reporter
Darren graduated from Staffordshire University with a Sports Journalism degree in 2009 and has previously worked for news website InTheNews as well as local newspapers The Cannock Mercury and The Chase Post. Darren is a Chelsea fan but also follows Evo-Stik Northern Premier League side Hednesford Town. He has a big interest in darts, and plays for two different pub sides. He names his favourite sportsmen as Fernando Torres, Andy Murray and Wayne Mardle. Follow Darren on Twitter @Dazman5.
Paul Gorst
Reporter
Before joining Sports Mole, Paul worked as a freelance journalist for a wide range of organisations, including LFC.tv, Mercury Press Agency and the Liverpool Echo. As well as being an avid fan of Hip Hop music and pro-wrestling, Paul is also a lifelong Liverpool FC fan. Follow him on Twitter @ptgorst.
Ruth Hirst
Production Assistant
Ruth works on a part time basis as a production assistant creating photo galleries and images for the website. She supports West Bromwich Albion but having moved to Edinburgh recently, has adopted Heart of Midlothian as her second team. As well as football, she enjoys Formula 1, golf and boxing.
Sian Cowper
Reporter
Sian is a freelance journalist based in the Isle of Man and previously worked as a sports presenter for local radio. She's covered a variety of sporting events including the Tour de France, 2010 Commonwealth Games and the TT races. Technically, Sian is a Liverpool supporter but has adopted York City as her second team. As well as football, Sian also follows F1, cricket, rugby, tennis and NFL. In her spare time, Sian likes to race stockcars, bake cakes and start diets. Follow Sian on Twitter @siancowper.
Daniel Cross
Reporter
A recent graduate from Staffordshire University, Daniel is a football nut - playing and watching - and supports Manchester United. He names his favourite sports stars as Paul Scholes, Muhammad Ali and Roger Federer. Follow Daniel on Twitter @Daniel_S_Cross.
Sam Hughes
Reporter
Sam is from Manchester and studied Journalism & Broadcasting at Salford University. He now divides his time as an Editor/Writer - working on a selection of sport/business magazine titles - with his role at Sports Mole. He is a Manchester United fan and a football obsessive.
Joe McPhee
Production Assistant
Following the completion of a Sport Journalism degree at the University of Brighton, Joe has done work for TalkSport, Goal.com, Cobb PR and even Tottenham Hotspur, something he found difficult considering he's a lifelong Gooner! As well as working the pictures for Sports Mole, he also works for a regional newspaper series. Joe is also a big fan of the New York Giants, and away from sport enjoys films, photography and cooking. Find him on Twitter @Joe_McPhee9.
Joe Waghorne
Production Assistant
Joe is from Hastings and is an undergraduate at the University of Brighton. His role at Sports Mole is as a part-time production assistant working on images for the site. He is a big football fan and supports FC United of Manchester. Other sports he enjoys include cricket and golf.
Steven Toplis
Reporter
Steven studied Broadcast Journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is a co-founder of We Are Going Up!, a website and podcast which covers the Football League. He's an avid football fan and a long-suffering Nottingham Forest supporter and lists his favourite sportsmen as Stuart Pearce, David Beckham, Rafael Nadal and Andrew Flintoff. Follow Steven on Twitter @steven_toplis.
Grant Yardley
Reporter
A Swansea University graduate in BSc Mathematics with Spanish, Grant got his taste for sports journalism writing for student newspaper The Waterfront. In doing so, he became a regular at the Liberty Stadium but insists that he is a lifelong West Ham and Gloucester Rugby fan. Grant plays cricket for his village side and names his sporting heroes as Bobby Moore, James Simpson-Daniel and Jack Russell.
Simon Sinclair
Reporter
A graduate from the University of Sunderland, Simon has previously worked for Goal.com and the Sunderland Echo, as well as Durham County Cricket Club. He's a Sunderland and New England Patriots fan and names his favourite sportsmen as Kevin Phillips, Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Alastair Cook. Follow Simon on Twitter @sinc90.
Editor
Neil is the co-founder of entertainment website Digital Spy, serving as Editor from 1999 to 2011 before leaving to set up Sports Mole. A
Business Director
Alan Jay has worked with Editor, Neil Wilkes since 2001 and before that was one of the founders of IMDb.com. In addition to being involved in various internet projects he produces films. He has lived his entire life in Chelsea, but never been to a match but does follow Formula One, Golf and Tennis. He can be followed on Twitter @alanjay
Deputy Editor
Formerly second-in-command at Digital Spy, Dan brings with him a wealth of experience in the areas of breaking news and newswire editorial. When not indulging in his primary passion - cricket - Dan can usually be found rescuing cats.
Systems Architect
Technical whizz Paul is responsible for every aspect of bringing SM to your screens, from managing the system infrastructure, to developing our CMS and coding pretty much every single part of the site. Paul is a die-hard Stoke City fan and spends his spare time helping youths in Milton Keynes.
Staff Reporter
Jack has written for local press in Bath and Brighton on football, rugby, arts and entertainment. He was also voted Players' Player of the Year for Bear Flat Junior Football Club in 1999/2000.
Staff Reporter
Liam joins Sports Mole after stints at The Ibiza Paper, FootyMatters.com and the Newmarket Journal, amongst others. He is a fan of Man Utd and his local non league team Mildenhall Town FC. He names his favourite sporting stars as Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Roger Federer, Graeme Swann and Rory Mcllroy.
Reporter
A former writer for Goal.com, Danielle is a Liverpool supporter and penned a feature for the club on the 22nd anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy. As well as football, she enjoys golf, cricket and boxing. Follow Danielle on Twitter @DanniJoy27.
Reporter
Joe is currently studying Sports Journalism at Staffordshire University and is a keen footballer and cricketer. A Spurs fan, Joe lists Ledley King, Gareth Bale and Sergio Garcia as his favourite sportsmen and cites Sports Mole's Rob Summerscales as his journalistic inspiration. While Rob doesn't care to write it in his own bio, Joe is sure that the feeling is reciprocated.
Reporter
Matt studied law at Anglia Ruskin University and has since worked with a number of sports websites as a freelance sports writer. He's a keen footballer and a former National Finals table tennis champion. An avid Manchester United fan, Matt names his favourite sportsmen as Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Gary Neville.
Reporter
A journalism student at the University of Sheffield, Pascal is a keen footballer, golfer and tennis player and begrudgingly names Ipswich Town as his favourite team. He says the best thing about working for Sports Mole is getting to watch Georgie Thompson as part of his job. Follow Pascal on Twitter @PA5C4L.
Reporter
In addition to his duties with SM, Callum is a student of Sports Journalism at the University of East London. A Spurs fan, he names his favourite sportsmen as Frank Lampard, Jermain Defoe and Lebron James. In his spare time Callum plays for Mildenhall Town (reserves!)
Reporter
Mark has been in the journalism game for the last seven years, covering entertainment for Digital Spy as well as news and sport for local publications in his home city of Liverpool. He is an avid Everton supporter and names his favourite sports stars as Marouane Fellaini, Novak Djokovic and Rory McIlroy.
Reporter
Michael joins Sports Mole from Mercury Press Agency, where his work was published in national newspapers. He is a diehard Everton fan, but admits that they probably frustrate him more than they delight him. Other than football, Michael enjoys tennis, golf, boxing and cricket and names his favourite (ex)sportsmen as Graeme Sharp, Duncan Ferguson, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Rory McIlroy.
Reporter
Rob is currently studying sports journalism at Staffordshire University. Now based in Stoke-on-Trent but originally from west Cumbria, he is a northern Spurs fan who loves pies and tidy passing in equal measure. His sporting heroes are Goran Bunjevcevic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Harry Redknapp, with whom he shares an unfortunate twitching habit. Follow Rob on Twitter @robsummerscales.
Reporter
Another journalism student at the University of Sheffield, Barney joins Pascal in his love of football, but is often put in goal (for some reason). He also enjoys playing rugby, tennis and golf and lists a host of players from his beloved Liverpool as his favourite sportsmen. Barney ranks being named Class Clown 02-07 as his life's crowning achievement so far. Follow Barney on Twitter @BarneyCorkhill.
Reporter
A sports journalism student at Southampton University, Matt says he's wanted to be a football commentator ever since he realised he was never going to play for Arsenal. Matt has been commentating for the RNIB at Exeter City since 2008, which has led him to commentating at Wembley and at Arsenal on numerous occasions, covering a vast variety of teams from Droylsden to AC Milan. He is also the editor of Arsenal fansite Welcome to the Gunners Town. Follow him on Twitter @FindingCotton.
Reporter
A freelance journalist based in Leeds, Subhankar has previously worked for Goal.com international and has had his sports articles published in The Guardian and The Observer. He has also been on the BBC in the past and his name once found its way to the pages of the World Soccer Magazine. In addition to his role at Sports Mole, he works for Sky Sports. Follow Subhankar on Twitter @subhankarjourno.
Reporter
Liam is a freelance sports journalist and University of Brighton graduate. Passionate about football across the continent, he can be found most weeks at the Arsenal. He describes himself as a total telly addict, obsessed with The Office and HBO boxsets. Find Liam on Twitter @liampower1.
Reporter
A journalism graduate from the University for the Creative Arts, Matt's experience of sports writing starts with A Different League, whom he joined in 2009. He takes in as much sport as he can and lists football, cricket, tennis and NFL as his favourites. As a Fulham fan, Matt is used to viewing sporting success as a rank outsider, making this a perfect occupation, and the ultimate aim, he says, is to follow the England cricket team on their travels (especially the Caribbean). Find him on Twitter @mattdjourno.
Reporter
Darren graduated from Staffordshire University with a Sports Journalism degree in 2009 and has previously worked for news website InTheNews as well as local newspapers The Cannock Mercury and The Chase Post. Darren is a Chelsea fan but also follows Evo-Stik Northern Premier League side Hednesford Town. He has a big interest in darts, and plays for two different pub sides. He names his favourite sportsmen as Fernando Torres, Andy Murray and Wayne Mardle. Follow Darren on Twitter @Dazman5.
Reporter
Before joining Sports Mole, Paul worked as a freelance journalist for a wide range of organisations, including LFC.tv, Mercury Press Agency and the Liverpool Echo. As well as being an avid fan of Hip Hop music and pro-wrestling, Paul is also a lifelong Liverpool FC fan. Follow him on Twitter @ptgorst.
Production Assistant
Ruth works on a part time basis as a production assistant creating photo galleries and images for the website. She supports West Bromwich Albion but having moved to Edinburgh recently, has adopted Heart of Midlothian as her second team. As well as football, she enjoys Formula 1, golf and boxing.
Reporter
Sian is a freelance journalist based in the Isle of Man and previously worked as a sports presenter for local radio. She's covered a variety of sporting events including the Tour de France, 2010 Commonwealth Games and the TT races. Technically, Sian is a Liverpool supporter but has adopted York City as her second team. As well as football, Sian also follows F1, cricket, rugby, tennis and NFL. In her spare time, Sian likes to race stockcars, bake cakes and start diets. Follow Sian on Twitter @siancowper.
Reporter
A recent graduate from Staffordshire University, Daniel is a football nut - playing and watching - and supports Manchester United. He names his favourite sports stars as Paul Scholes, Muhammad Ali and Roger Federer. Follow Daniel on Twitter @Daniel_S_Cross.
Reporter
Sam is from Manchester and studied Journalism & Broadcasting at Salford University. He now divides his time as an Editor/Writer - working on a selection of sport/business magazine titles - with his role at Sports Mole. He is a Manchester United fan and a football obsessive.
Production Assistant
Following the completion of a Sport Journalism degree at the University of Brighton, Joe has done work for TalkSport, Goal.com, Cobb PR and even Tottenham Hotspur, something he found difficult considering he's a lifelong Gooner! As well as working the pictures for Sports Mole, he also works for a regional newspaper series. Joe is also a big fan of the New York Giants, and away from sport enjoys films, photography and cooking. Find him on Twitter @Joe_McPhee9.
Production Assistant
Joe is from Hastings and is an undergraduate at the University of Brighton. His role at Sports Mole is as a part-time production assistant working on images for the site. He is a big football fan and supports FC United of Manchester. Other sports he enjoys include cricket and golf.
Reporter
Steven studied Broadcast Journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is a co-founder of We Are Going Up!, a website and podcast which covers the Football League. He's an avid football fan and a long-suffering Nottingham Forest supporter and lists his favourite sportsmen as Stuart Pearce, David Beckham, Rafael Nadal and Andrew Flintoff. Follow Steven on Twitter @steven_toplis.
Reporter
A Swansea University graduate in BSc Mathematics with Spanish, Grant got his taste for sports journalism writing for student newspaper The Waterfront. In doing so, he became a regular at the Liberty Stadium but insists that he is a lifelong West Ham and Gloucester Rugby fan. Grant plays cricket for his village side and names his sporting heroes as Bobby Moore, James Simpson-Daniel and Jack Russell.
Reporter
A graduate from the University of Sunderland, Simon has previously worked for Goal.com and the Sunderland Echo, as well as Durham County Cricket Club. He's a Sunderland and New England Patriots fan and names his favourite sportsmen as Kevin Phillips, Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Alastair Cook. Follow Simon on Twitter @sinc90.
