Fantalk

scotty · Joined: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 8970 Location: Almost Dysart.

What has happened to this once fine Journal?

Time was when the Rovers were having a bad time the sports reporter would colour the report and by Friday you'd be feeling it wasn't so bad and be looking forward to cheering the boys on. Now the Reporter seems to be doing the exact opposite. His report on last week's game at Gayfield would have been ideal for the Arbroath Herald.
Rovers sit almost atop the league but is there a league table to be seen? Could it be a coincidence that Flyers are all but propping up their league?

You have to wonder what this blokes remit is.
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Competitive goals: Vaughan 5, Smith 4, Easton 3, Hamilton 2, Dick 1, Gullan 1, Masson 1, Mitchell 1, Mullin 1, Stanton 1, Watson 1, OG's 1,

Armagh Rover · Joined: 25 Jul 2008 Posts: 5596 Location: Nottinghamshire

Theres far better coverage these days from the Courier than the Press which seems to have fallen down an abyss as far as sports reporting goes

scotty · Joined: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 8970 Location: Almost Dysart.

A quick peruse of Fridays edition.
64 Pages, 20 pages of local items including 3 of old pictures, 7 pages of poorly reported Sport, 19 pages worth of adverts including 8 pages worth of businesses that are located not only out with Fife but not even in Scotland (eg Ryobi drill, easy sleep, garage doors etc). 3 pages of crosswords etc and a few on national news (there's a spread about something called Covid, who knew?).

Seems were are paying £1.25 for what used to come through the door for free on a Tuesday. Scratch that I'm sure the Fife Leader actually had better journalism.

You have to laugh, to encourage you to leave the town and seek entertainment elsewhere there's even adverts for the Alhambra Dunfermline, the Botanical gardens Edinburgh and best of all an American Country who in Dumfries! I know the paper needs advertising to pay for the editors ego but the quality of the editorial is shocking. Mssr's Strachan Livingston & Buist must be spinning in their graves!
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Competitive goals: Vaughan 5, Smith 4, Easton 3, Hamilton 2, Dick 1, Gullan 1, Masson 1, Mitchell 1, Mullin 1, Stanton 1, Watson 1, OG's 1,

badpress139 · Joined: 19 May 2015 Posts: 2394 Location: Glenrothes

Is it not the case that its media group which produces it is in falkirk?

scotty · Joined: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 8970 Location: Almost Dysart.

Previous owners Johnston Press group who also owned The Scotsman and The Edinburgh evening News were bought out last year by JPI Media (Daily Mirror) last year.
Since the closure of the Press building at Caxton Pl in Michelston the papers (Inc East Fife Mail, Glenrothes Gazette and St Andrews Citizen) have all been printed in Falkirk but the editorial work continued at Kirk Wynd, its now done from a couple of broom cupboards in Carlyle House.

A cousin of mine worked at the Press for many years, I recall her telling me about 10 years ago that there wasn't a reporter at the Paper who had a driving licence, that had me wondering just how they got stories.
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Competitive goals: Vaughan 5, Smith 4, Easton 3, Hamilton 2, Dick 1, Gullan 1, Masson 1, Mitchell 1, Mullin 1, Stanton 1, Watson 1, OG's 1,

Specky Ginger · Joined: 16 Jun 2012 Posts: 4158 Location: Dysart

If the Arbroath Herald is from the same stable as the FFP, it may well have been one of their reporters who wrote it.
The FFP match report for the Falkirk game was written by the Falkirk Herald sports reporter.
The match reports in the Rovers programme and on the website are much more substantial and insightful and are written by volunteers.

I stopped buying the Press ages ago - I often have a quick flick through it when I'm at my mum's, and it's sad to see how poor it's become. The letters page is pretty much comments from their Facebook page.

I remember a few years ago they had a campaign encouraging everyone to support the High Street shops, while at the same time sending reporters to Edinburgh to do restaurant reviews which contained comments like 'you must try this place whilst visiting Edinburgh for a day's shopping'.

Thankfully, the Courier has really upped its game recently and is worth buying for the local sports coverage.
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Dougie Hill
Sar-chluicheadair a'gheama