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April 16, 2003updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

We are journalists not just writers, says association

By Press Gazette

Members of the Sports Writers’ Association of Great Britain have voted unanimously to change the organisation’s name. From now on, it will be known as the Sports Journalists’ Association of Great Britain.

At the annual general meeting last week, retiring chairman Paul Trow said: “We feel that this title brings us into the 21st century and in harmony with our sports-writing colleagues round the world. We are no longer an association of just writers.

“We have members from every area of the media – sub-editors, sports editors, broadcasters and photographers.”

A ballot of members, now totalling 540, showed some support for adding “and photographers” to the title since photographers now make up about one-third of members.

But photographer Stewart Fraser, for 27 years an SWA committee member, former vice-chairman and recent winner of the association’s Doug Gardner award, said: “I oppose any change of name that includes ‘and photographers’ in its title. We are all journalists.”

Trow, at four years the longest-serving chairman for any one period in the SWA’s history, has been replaced by former vice-chairman Peter Wilson, a freelance who writes on football for The Sunday Times. Trow stays on as an officer.

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Other officers elected for 2002-2003 are: honorary treasurer Bill Colwill OBE; honorary secretary Trevor Bond. Elected to the general committee are Bill Bateson, Ian Cole, Steven Downes, Fred Harris, John Jackson, Ian Lamont, Phil Sheldon and David Welch, with ex-officio members Stuart Benstead, Keith Elliott, Peter Grove, Morley Myers and Petta Naylor.

By Jean Morgan

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

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