David O’Driscoll speaks to JJ Sadowski, the man behind the football club’s YouTube channel Stow TV
It’s not often that football columns turn their focus away from the players, but I couldn’t miss the chance to speak to the main man behind Stow TV.
JJ Sadowski has been conducting interviews with players, managers, and representatives of the club post-match for some years now. JJ, who has gained plaudits for his very natural and informal interviewing style, tells me there’s also much more to what he does to keep the Stow FC show on the road.
“I started supporting them ten years ago when they were called Waltham Forest. I come down to hang out with my mate Andrzej Perkins.” Perkins is Stow FC’s communications manager and since then has enlisted JJ in multiple roles over the years.
He explains: “I’m involved in pretty much everything. From around midday on match day, I’m at Wadham Lodge sorting out the changing rooms, checking on the pitch, trying to get everything as ready as possible.” JJ is also involved post-match, entertaining the opposite team officials and sorting out refreshments.
In a previous life JJ was a Leyton Orient fan but nowadays he’s 100% behind Walthamstow FC. A reason why he took to Stow was because of how seriously they take their community responsibilities, he says.
JJ employed his informal interviewing style after noticing that a colleague’s formal approach did not prompt much of a response from players. “These guys have interesting stories; you just need to find a way to get to them. I felt that [happened] once [I] started talking to the players [normally]. Since then, I’ve sort of developed my style.”
JJ’s Stow FC highlight so far was the “magical” day when the club won the Essex Senior League in 2022 in front of a bumper crowd at Wadham Lodge. Despite this current tricky period, he feels the team could still be successful this year and “hopefully” reach the play offs.
Through talking to him I came to realise the extraordinary number of other roles he plays at Walthamstow. His work can often go unnoticed and unappreciated, yet he is vital to maintaining a non-league community club with a small budget.
You can watch JJ’s pitch-side interviews on Walthamstow FC’s YouTube channel
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