About Us

Meet The Team

BARRY KNOTT is a freelance sports writer living in Wellington, and has been a journalist with evening and weekly newspapers for more than 57 years.

He began his career as a 17-year-old on the Wellington Weekly News and went on to work for the Tiverton Gazette and the Express and Echo before becoming sports editor of the Somerset County Gazette, working under four editors over a period of 36 years before retiring from full-time work.

Today he works part-time for the Wellington Weekly News, mostly sport, and still freelances.

BOB HATCHER is a motor sports fan living in Dorset. He has been involved with web design, IT and adult education and motorsport events for more years than he wishes to remember. He has studied web design and IT at Bridgwater and Yeovil Colleges and the OU.

In recent years, he has designed and built a number of websites for local sports personalities and organisations. Currently he acts as webmaster or offers behind the scenes assistance to a number of local sites.

Along with his colleagues, Bob has put in a great deal of time & effort in ensuring www.sportsouthwest.co.uk offers our long-term followers and new visitors alike an enjoyable sporting news experience.

RICHARD WALSH is a freelance journalist who started his career working for the Somerset Magazine, which at that time was independently owned and based at Crewkerne, in the south of the county.

Over the years he has written on sport for a number of regional titles including the Western Morning News, Exeter Express and Echo, Western Daily Press, the Sunday Independent, the Somerset County Gazette, the Wellington Weekly News and the West Somerset Free Press.

He is also a regular contributor to the Somerset Whats On and Taunton Whats On magazines, where in addition to sport he writes on a variety of subjects.

In 2001 he was heavily involved in establishing the official Somerset County Cricket Club website with which he is still involved as well as being a member of the media team at the club.

He has edited the Somerset CCC Yearbook, latterly the SCCC Almanac, from 2004 until the present.

In addition to his cricketing commitments Richard is involved on a freelance basis with Taunton Racecourse and regularly reports on Bridgwater & Albion RFC and local golf.

He has also edited the Somerset CCC Yearbook, latterly the SCCC Almanac, from 2004 until the present.

In addition to his cricketing commitments Richard is involved on a freelance basis with Taunton Racecourse and regularly reports on the local rugby and golf.

RICHARD LAPPAS. With nearly thirty years of experience working in the South West as a photo journalist, there is something for everyone as you look at the high quality of work he has to offer.

Richard's range of work is wide and varied. He works regularly for the national newspapers covering news, features and sport, as well as for the N.H.S. local government and businesses of all sizes, creating images for brochures and web sites. He also covers weddings, bringing a reportage style to the event which in itself gives a strong, intimate and very personal touch to the proceedings.

He has been a member of the National Association of Press Agencies for 40 years and currently sits on the executive as the national photographers representative. He is also a Life Member of the British Association of Journalists.


HARRY TRUMP is a Freelance Photographer, currently based in Somerset, specialising in Sport. When I left college in 2014, I was already supplying local newspapers and photo agencies and I have an ever expanding knowledge within the sports sector. I have covered events from Twenty20 finals day to the County Championship in cricket, Premiership and Football League matches and National Hunt horse racing. However, I am just as comfortable shooting weddings, portraits and landscape.