Mark Steel makes a guest appearance!

Comic, broadcaster and author Mark Steel took time out from a 47-date nationwide tour to make a guest appearance at the School of Sport and Service Management.

A social commentator whose versatile talents have seen him host series for BBC TV and Radio such as The Mark Steel Solution and write books such as It’s Not a Runner Bean and Reasons to be Cheerful, Steel led a lively, wide-ranging discussion of contemporary sporting issues with final year Sport Journalism and Sport Studies BA(Hons) students.

He was warmly acclaimed as he married his inimitable wit to characteristically acute observations on everything from match-fixing and performance-enhancing drugs to Lance Armstrong and Ched Evans, prompting BA Sport Journalism co-leader Rob Steen to declare it: “the funniest and most inspiring seminar I’ve ever attended”.  

“The session with Mark was very useful because we discussed a wide range of matters related to the module, Politics, Power and the Sport Media, which instigated some ideas for my assessment,” said Sport Journalism student Isaac Moore.

“His knowledge of sport and the media was clearly evident but he was keen to hear our opinions on issues like drugs in sport, national identity and participation levels.

“I particularly enjoyed his accounts of meetings and television appearances with politicians, while his dry sense of humour made the discussions entertaining as well as informative.”

Steen has one regret: “We’d love to have invited more students, but one of the virtues of this particular module is the intimacy of the small class, which the module team, Mark Perryman and myself, feel allows for more interaction.

“It was certainly an unusual crowd for Mark, but he told me he thoroughly enjoyed it and was impressed with the students, which is always gratifying to hear.”