Although I have written extensively for 30 years it has only been in the last decade that I have made a living from writing.

Initially this was part-time. But since 2008 I have been writing full time for a living, contributing to the news and feature pages of the Big Issue in the North magazine and the various publications of Britain's biggest trade union, UNITE, including the long running agricultural and rural affairs magazine The Landworker, and the digital magazine that has gone to hundreds of thousands of members. You will find sample articles from each on the archive site.

I've also had a smaller selection of my work in the Sunday Independent, Tribune magazine and the Morning Star, plus the Big Issue in Scotland and Wales.

Backpass football magazine has also taken copy with major articles on Bryan ‘Pop' Robson, George Mulhall and the Manchester United - Sunderland game of November 1974.

I have had seven football books published since the end of 2008 including one major biography and an autobiography [not on me, of course!] - both have been well received.

Continuing my strong pre-first world war theme - with books on Bury 1900-03, Barnsley 1910-1912 and Manchester United 1907-08 already out - two new books are due out shortly on Sunderland 1912-13 and Everton 1890-91, when both sides won the Championship and in the formers case, just missed out on the double.

Meanwhile I am currently working on three major books, and I am waiting to hear back from potential publishers on each. These are collaborative works with Leslie Millman, Tony Bugby and Tony Matthews.

I have in recent times begun a blog and I intend to significantly expand this work from February 2011 onwards. This will give readers the chance to follow developments in articles I have already written and also allow me to write pieces that may not have a commercial value but will still be of interest to many people. I also hope to be able to take up stories/investigations suggested to me by readers of the blog. Finance will be required for this, so anyone having some they'd like to contribute should get in touch.

Thanks for reading. Observations, ideas for stories or investigations, commissions or comment always welcome.

Mark lives in West Yorkshire and is a NUJ member.