Writing the all-important match report can be a daunting experience but a club website would not be complete with out them. Plus match reports are a great way to motivate players and attract new supporters to your club.

With this step-by-step guide, we will help you create a professional match report ready for your club website and the local press.

Step 1. Preparation

If you know you will be writing a match report, remember to take a pen and paper to the game, or use your smart phone to make notes.

To save time, try to get hold of the team selection or a list of players before kick off. You can then add notes next to each name or shirt number.

Finally, always take a camera. Publishing photos with your match report will instantly increase the number of views.

Step 2. Headline and tagline

Your headline must attract the reader’s attention in 2 seconds, so make sure you use a short, sharp sentence, no longer than six words.

‘Old Boys FC win epic battle’or ‘Smith scores hat-trick in thriller’

The tagline should then be used to provide key details, including the final result in one or two sentences.

‘Olds Boys FC come from behind in wet and windy conditions to win 4-3 at home to league leaders Villa Park. Old Boys now go top with 3 games left to play.’

‘Toby Smith leads from the front to score 3 goals and help save Luton from relegation.’

Note: The Club Website will always list the classified result at the top of the match report, so you do not need to enter this in the headline or tag line. You should instead use the space to be creative!

Step 3. Content

When writing the body of the text start by listing key events in the order they happened.

Key events could include:

•Goals or tries.

•Penalties or conversations.

•Substitutes on and off the field.

•Red or yellow cards.

•Injuries or stoppages in play.

•Also include; exciting periods of play and well executed moves.

Once the key events are in place, add a short introduction to set the scene:

•What was the weather like? What state was the pitch in?

You can also include background information such as:

•What have been the past results between the two teams?

•Where are they in the league table?

•Which team has the better form going into the game?

Now link the events together making sure your follow these simple rules:

•Be specific, do not ramble.

•Use short paragraphs no longer than two sentences.

•Include where appropriate the names of players and coaches.

•Always be positive.

•Never be negative.

Step 4. Summing up

Once the body of the report is completed, write a conclusion summing up the teams performance.

Why not include a quote from the coach, team manager or a dedicated parent?

At this time, it's also a good idea to thank your opposition and the referee.

Finally, and this is very important, make sure to finish by promoting upcoming games and training sessions.

•Who are you playing next and where? What time should you meet?

•Are you training this week? If so, which day and at what time?

The match report will be read by all player and parents so make the most of it!

Step 5. Photos

To make your match report an instant success - always use a photo. Even if you lose by 50 goals, users will still read the report to view the photos.

Include as many photos as you can and pick the best photo to use at the top of the page.

Remember, Pitchero allows all members to upload and share photo albums with a club website and each album can be assigned to a specific match report. So make sure you encourage parents and supporters to upload their photos!

If you do not have a photo from the game, use a photo of a player from a past game or a team photo. Either way, always use a photo!