A FREELANCE football reporter went from commentating on Bradford City matches to picking out people's shopping as he took on a lockdown job in a supermarket.
Chris Cooper, who has been seen reporting on Bantams and other team's games on Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports, took on a job at Tesco on Canal Road after his sports broadcasting and university work stopped during the early months of the pandemic.
He temporarily worked as a personal shopper which saw him pick out items from the supermarket's shelves to place into people's online orders ready to be delivered to their doors.
Mr Cooper, who lives in Saltaire, says he wanted to take on the role to give something back during a difficult period for many and also for exercise, as he says he clocked up 10 miles of walking during each of his morning shifts at the Bradford supermarket.
Here's a thing. What the actual I hear you say?
— Chris Cooper 📻📺🎙⚽🏈🏏🍓🥕🌽 (@ChrisCoopsSport) August 28, 2020
I've just finished one of those temporary supermarket jobs during Covid - a personal shopper @Tesco. If you had a delivery from #Bradford, I may have picked it. 1/6 pic.twitter.com/gzbmdQCbzG
He said: "I heard on the news that Tesco were taking on people like British Airways pilots and West End actors. I thought 'that sounds interesting'.
"I thought 'what can I do to do my bit?' I can't train to be a medic in a fortnight, so I decided to do this.
"I started my shifts at 4am and I was back home by lunchtime. I enjoy shopping anyway and trawling around the supermarket.
"The shelf stackers did a sterling job through the night. I made a lot of friends there who I will stay in touch with.
"I wanted to give back. I'm a journalist, so I like to know how things work. We got told by people doing their shopping in the supermarket that we're doing a good job.
"I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was something different. I like trying out different things. It was like having a summer holiday job.
"I started working at Tesco at the end of April and finished last week. I had a couple of days' training and picked it up quite quickly.
The oddest delivery I had to find to pack was one that included a litre of vodka, 18 tins of Red Bull and 30-pack of crisps and a TV Quick magazine
After giving up his temporary Tesco role, Mr Cooper is now set to return to his usual day job as a lecturer at the University Campus of Football Business, based at Manchester's Etihad Stadium and reporter on Sky Sports News, covering EFL matches across the north of England for a host of TV and radio channels.
He says it will also be a strange experience reporting live from empty football stadiums, at least at the start of the season, but predicts Bradford City will have a good campaign that kicks off in League Two with a home date against Colchester United on September 12.
He said: "I know Stuart McCall well and I know that City will be a good team to watch under him, initially online and the stands again.
"It will be an exciting season for them. It's time they got out of that division.
"I think they will do well. It is what it is about crowds not being allowed in at least initially."
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