Left field

By Phil O’Connor

So that’s it from me from Euro 2012 – by the time this post makes it to Left Field, I’ll be back in Stockholm gearing up for another European championships, this time in athletics.

Three weeks in Kiev at Euro 2012 flew by.

In any city hosting a major event there are hundreds of stories to be told, from security and commerce to politics and people, as well as football, and we did our best to tell as many as we could. Long days and nights followed, and I enjoyed every second of it. 

Together with my photographer and TV colleagues we covered training sessions, matches, news conferences, interviews, stray dogs, political protests, jailed politicians, fans and even a few historical articles about Ukraine and its people.

And like the English soccer team, my participation at Euro 2012 ended with a shootout. 

While their lack of prowess from 11 metres out was to prove their undoing, I was at a firing range on the outskirts of Kiev writing about how shooting galleries and tourism in general had seen a huge upsurge in business as visiting fans tried to fill the gaps between matchdays.

Thankfully that was a problem I didn’t have, and I’m glad that I have another major event to look forward to so soon.