Swampsoccer filmed by Blue Peter 19 May 07 - The top young (and old) persons' TV show comes to Dunoon!

Swampsoccer on the Paul O'Grady Show 17 May 07 - The girls get down and dirty

Scotsman Newspaper June 9th 2006 - Dirty job but someone has to do it

Sunday Post June 11th 2006 - Scots set to score with Swamp Soccer

GENERAL: Futbol Mundial to film the Swamp Soccer event.
Futbol Mundial is a specialist football programme producer, part of the IMG group, which is the world's biggest independent sports management & television production company. Futbol Mundial's distribution network includes 130 countries and reaches up to 300 million homes worldwide.

Blue Peter
The top TV show and its presenter come to Dunoon. Did Stewart get a Blue Peter Badge...?

Swampsoccer on Paul O'Grady Show
The girls from the Paul O'Grady take on the Ultimate Challenge of Swampsoccer and report back to Paul.

Scotsman Newspaper June 9th 2006 - Dirty job but someone has to do it

WHO?
Stewart Miller

WHAT?
Marketing consultant by day, swamp soccer supremo by night

What do you actually do?
I have owned and managed a marketing consultancy business for almost ten years now. Clients have included the whisky industry, Harrods, Greenpeace and many more household names. I recently diversified to launch a new sport in the UK called swamp soccer.

Why? I love marketing.
I've been in marketing since I left university. Why swamp soccer? Because it is different and it sounds like a lot of fun. Also, all of my consultancy work to date has been with the business sector. Swamp soccer allows me to interact with the public.

First senior job?
Marketing executive with Fine Fare supermarket. Fine Fare was a brilliant company before being bought over by Gateway. At the time, Fine Fare was the biggest supermarket chain in the UK and believed in delegating a lot of responsibility to capable employees. Within 18 months I was a designate marketing manager.

Do you work for love or money?
Primarily for love, but with my commitments including a young family, money plays a more important role now. Swamp soccer is purely for love - it's difficult to make money from events, especially new ones.

Was your first job for pocket money pennies or was it the first rung on the ladder?
I was brought up to work in a family business (dairy) and to receive pocket money would have been a real joy. This working for love started at a very young age.

Seamless progression or did fate lend a hand?
Fate lent a hand. I was working in Iceland a couple of years ago for a consortium of European ski resorts. It was raining and blowing a gale for days and I was beginning to question why I was there. Then I came across a guy called Jyrki Vaananen, a well-known events organiser from Finland who was responsible for introducing swamp soccer to an unsuspecting audience. We hit it off immediately and we have been working together ever since.

What has been the single most important stage of your career?
Taking the step from becoming an employee to becoming self-employed. I love being my own boss and I wish I had made the change sooner.

Any life-changing magic moments along the way?
I've been very lucky to have worked with some of the best-known household names in the country. Also, I know it's not unique but the birth of my children really moved me. Childbirth also makes you see women in a totally different light. Thinking of the experience still has me in total awe.

Which stage has been most challenging and why?
Losing my only client when I first became self-employed. Fortunately this was only a very temporary glitch.

Essential element that has got you where you are today?
Sheer determination, and hard work. I'm also very fortunate to be a motivated person - it's part of my make up.

Any regrets?
So many opportunities out there, so little time.

What do you like least about your job?
You never really switch off.

Minimum 12-hour day or out the door by five?
On average it's a 14-hour day, six days a week. But it's my choice and I would rather do this than a repetitive nine-to-five office job.

Early bird or night owl?
Early bird - my wife says I'm asleep before my head hits the pillow.

Technogeek or technophobe?
Technophobe - I try constantly to be well-versed in IT but I'm just kidding myself.

Best under pressure or well-chilled?
Best under pressure. At least I hope so, as that is the normal work environment I find myself in.

Team player or lone wolf?
I'm a bit of a control freak and I also tend to do my own thing, so lone wolf.

Desk/office essentials?
A computer with broadband access and a phone. A good view is a bonus. I used to have an office in a lighthouse - best panoramic views I've ever seen.

Crystal-ball gaze five years from now?
Swamp soccer will be the most talked about sports/fun event in the UK. Scotland qualifying for the next World Cup and making the second round - please, please, please...

You've won the lottery: what do you do?
Buy a small football club and turn it into a world beater. A bit like the Gretna story - see, dreams do come true.

Your dream job?
Winning the World Cup as manager of Scotland. Dream the impossible eh?

Perfect recipe for winding down?
Close the office door and take a few days abroad in the sunshine. Sit on a beach with a good malt whisky in one hand and a good book in the other.

Your best-kept secret?
There's a fine line between brilliance and madness.
Unfortunately, I fall into the latter camp. And in my case the gap is more like a dual carriageway than a fine line.

Sunday Post June 11th 2006 - Scots set to score with Swamp Soccer

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