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ELECTRONIC MEDIA CANNOT COMPETE WITH THE THRILL OF A BACK PAGE EXCLUSIVE

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Sunday Mirror sports editor DAVID WALKER on how the internet is affecting newspapers

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

IN THE very old days spectators were told the half-time scores from other games when someone placed numbers along the touchline of one side of a ground. By “A” – say, Arsenal v Chelsea – the numbers “1” and “1” or whatever were placed, the key to the letters in the programme.

In the not quite so old days supporters would wait at a station for the Saturday Pink Un or Green Un to arrive an hour after the final whistle. These papers were essential reading, not just for the results and up-to-date league tables, but for a report on matches played that afternoon and football columns. The demise of the Saturday 3pm kick-off and the continuing technological advance of new media have seen the downfall of these papers – the Birmingham Mail’s Sports Argus, which used to be the biggest selling Saturday sports paper in England, ceased publication in May 2006.

These days fans are aware of goals, red cards, results…everything…courtesy of Planet Internet which has, in many respects, proved to be a football writer’s best friend though progress too often comes at a price.

David Walker, the sports editor of the Sunday Mirror, spoke to footballwriters.co.uk, his views personal and not necessarily those of Trinity Mirror, about the effect of the internet on the more traditional world of newspapers. The times, definitely, are a-changing and Walker said: “Just about every local paper in every city or town ran a Saturday evening special. They were a vital part of the journey home for fans. For journalists, they were an integral part of any paper’s output. That whole market was huge and it has been wiped out.

“The next issue was the power of a closed-shop union regarding the minimum salaries in some national newspapers.”

When Walker started on his first national paper in 1982 his salary was £16,900. That equates to £51,000 now, and there are many football writers who would love to earn, let alone start on, that wage.

“Salaries have gone down and so has the number of people being employed in the industry, yet the work-load has increased with the biggest development being reporters having to write across the board, from newspapers to the electronic media.”

While the older generation remains faithful to buying a daily and Sunday newspaper, the growing influence of the internet has seen sales of national papers drop by 16 per cent over the last five years, three per cent more than the European average.

A recent survey claimed that in the UK only 18 per cent of the total population read a daily newspaper compared with 53 per cent in Germany, 21 per cent in France and nearly 70 per cent in Norway and Switzerland.

“People in their twenties are not the avid newspaper buyers their parents are,” said Walker. “They get their media fix in a different way, not least the free access to most newspapers’ web sites. The one hope I have is how good some of the apps are looking, particularly newspaper apps which are based on the design of a page, with advertising and content which makes it the nearest the old school will get to the actual feel of a newspaper on a screen.”

The internet does not affect Walker’s weekly plans for the Sunday Mirror sports pages though the football writers are expected to contribute opinion columns for mirrorfootball.com and help with breaking sports news stories.

The desire for newspapers to break stories on their web sites rather than holding them for the following morning’s paper is a progression that particularly worries football writers who are responsible for the majority of back page stories.

Walker said: “Are they protecting stories for the newspaper or, as is increasingly the case, putting them on line to get as many hits as possible for the site? The Daily Telegraph were one of the first to break a good story on-line with the row between Kevin Pietersen and [England head coach] Peter Moore about the England captaincy. They put the story on their site around tea-time which meant every other paper could pick it up.”

Fleet Street had previously been very protective of exclusive stories at the front and the back of the paper. A big transfer scoop would be kept out of the first edition and held for the last edition so no one else could lift it. The ultimate satisfaction for a reporter has always been to pick up his paper and see an exclusive story that is immediately followed up by all parts of the media. The new generation, weaned on electronic media, have a different time schedule, rather than wait for the morning’s paper they often try to beat rivals by minutes by putting a story on line first.

“If we have a really big story we’d still try to make it so people would have to buy the paper to read it,” said Walker. “For me, breaking an accurate story in a newspaper remains the greatest thrill, be it football, news or politics. A newspaper’s greatest strength is to publish a really good exclusive story. Perhaps reporters in their Twenties may have a different view.”

But should newspapers give away for free on line what is in their print editions? The Mail Online has become the world’s biggest newspaper website with one recent month’s figures showing 90,309,252 unique browsers. The BBC’s web site has an estimated world audience of 150 million unique monthly browsers.

News International led the way in the UK with a paywall. ABC figures in 2012 for The Times were 393,187 and 955,248 for The Sunday Times. Combined with 130,751 digital subscribers, it meant a total paid audience of 523,938 for The Times. The Sunday Times had 126,989 digital subscribers and a total paid audience of 1,082,237. Obviously the on-line subscriptions makes money for NI even though the figures are minimal compared to the free sites.

On-line advertising yields far less revenue than that for newspapers and we have yet to see how significant profits can be made from electronic media.

Walker said: “The game used to be that newspapers had a cover charge for the newspaper, advertising was sold, the circulation was known and you could work out your revenue per day. For their web sites, newspapers are looking for sponsors, advertising…but can they protect material that is behind the paywall? Can others copy what is on a site and pass it on?”

Despite the emphasis being placed on the internet Walker does not see a time when a newspaper will have their own football correspondent writing exclusively for the web site. “That would be pigeon-holing a writer which is not what newspapers want. They prefer journalists to write for the paper and the net, which from an accounting viewpoint is staffing as many areas as possible with the fewest number of people.”

Mike Collett of Reuters analyses the Barclays Premier League run-in

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Mike Collett of Reuters analyses the Barclays Premier League run-in at both ends of the table.







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IRELAND BEWARE: “HE THINKS AND ACTS LIKE A KID,” SAID JOSE MOURINHO – IS MAD MARKO EUROPE’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL PLAYER?

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HE BORROWED A TEAM-MATE’S BENTLEY AND IT WAS STOLEN

HE CYCLED INTO A GOLF CART

HE CALLED HIMSELF A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNER BUT NEVER PLAYED IN THE FINAL

HE WAS INJURED PLAYING WITH HIS DOG

…AND WAS INVOLVED IN A NIGHT CLUB PUNCH-UP DEFENDING HIS BROTHER

OH, AND HE’S GOOD FRIENDS WITH BALOTELLI

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

AS MARKO Arnautović used Mario Balotelli as his role model at Inter Milan perhaps it is not surprising that the Austria striker has consistently made the headlines for the wrong reasons.

But some of the things Arnautović has done make Mad Mario seem a pussy cat and in the view of José Mourinho, the even Madder Marko “thinks and acts like a kid.”

Arnautović is set to play against the Repuiblic of Ireland in the 2014 World Cup qualifier in Dublin on Tuesday and one way or the other Irish fans can expect fireworks from the striker who looked up to Balotelli, the player called “unmanageable” by Mourinho, as a guiding light.

The Austrian was loaned to Inter from FC Twente during their Treble-winning season of 2009/10, but the only treble Arnautović managed was the three games he played before being sent back to Holland.

Arnautović said: “The problems with Mourinho started when I went out five times a week despite being injured. I tried to distract myself, but I did it the wrong way.”

The 23-year-old has made a habit of doing things the wrong way. He once cycled into a golf cart and said: “My team-mates asked me why I can’t cycle. I lived in the Netherlands for three years and everyone rides a bike there. Accidents simply happen.”

They do to Mad Marko who is an accident waiting to happen and rarely disappoints.

He once “borrowed” the Bentley that belonged to Inter team-mate Samuel Eto’o and took it for a ride around Milan. Arnautović claimed he had planned to buy the vehicle from the Cameroon international. “I drove it for two weeks to check whether I liked it. I was at a restaurant with friends when it was stolen. This incident affected me so badly I was unable to train. Thank God the car resurfaced in the meantime.”

Yet it all started so well for Arnautović when he made his debut for FC Twente in April 2007, five days before his 18th birthday. Under former England manager Steve McClaren the teenager became a first-team regular, scoring 14 goals plus seven assists in 2008/09. At 6ft 3ins he had the strength to go with his skill and Europe’s big guns soon became aware of the Vienna-born player who had a Serbian father.

He was due to sign a permanent contract with Inter in the summer of 2009, but a foot injury saw the move made a loan deal. The Italians later thanked their lucky stars.

Arnautović had a carefree approach to life, so it was no surprise when he bonded with Balotelli another player who tended to act first and think later. Mourinho said: “Mario Balotelli is his [Arnautović] best friend, coincidentally they have the same problems. Marko is a great guy, but he has the mentality of a child.”

He was to make only three appearances for Inter before Werder Bremen paid FC Twente €7.5 million for Arnautović who didn’t take long to upset his new club. Arriving in Bremen his team-mates were amazed to see he had “Champions League winner 2010” printed on his football boots even though he was not in the Inter squad when they defeated Bayern Munich 2-0.

From being, in his mind, a European Champion, Arnautović soon found himself in a relegation dogfight while off the pitch he was involved in some fisticuffs in a night-club. He claimed to be an innocent party, going to the defence of his brother, who had allegedly been attacked by Werder fans. “There were some young men who attacked my brother without provocation,” said Arnautović. “I then came in between them. I had to do that and then I suffered a blow.”

Calling Werder Bremen “a dump” in front of a TV camera did not help Arnautović as he struggled for form. Neither did an interview in which he said that not only did he like tattoos, he required them, together with silicone-inflated breasts, in his dream woman.

His form improved, but he was sidelined when he tore knee ligaments, not the result of a crunching tackle. Arnautović was playing with his dog. The Austrian can’t even be sent-off in straightforward circumstances. During a game against Hamburg he was cautioned for a body-check on Heiko Westermann. Referee Thorsten Kinhofer showed the yellow card and Arnautović’s reaction was to threaten to kick the ball against the official’s head. A second yellow and a red card quickly followed.

His poor form and bad behaviour saw him dropped by Austria for 18 months, but Arnautović is back with the national team after the birth of his daughter gave him an added responsibility. “I must keep myself under control,” he said. “I have a big responsibility as a father and that helps me to become more sensible. It’s better that I keep my mouth shut and let my feet do the talking.”

It’s a pity Arnautović isn’t Irish. It would be fascinating to see how Giovanni Trapattoni handled him.

PATRICK BARCLAY looks at England’s 2014 World Cup qualifying ties against San Marino and Montenegro

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WIN in Montenegro and England are favourites to qualify

LOSE and there’s an international crisis

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

The preparation to the week that will go a long way to shaping England’s 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign could hardly have started worse. Instead of the focus being on an improving and dangerous Montenegro after the lesser demands of San Marino, Riogate has dominated the build-up.

Whatever the rights and wrongs surrounding Rio Ferdinand’s England  call-up and withdrawal, wherever your sympathies or any perceived agendas regarding the 34-year-old Manchester United defender, it has not been the ideal start to the next games on the road to Brazil.

“It’s going to make England seem a little incompetent with poor lines of communication,” said Patrick Barclay, columnist for the Independent on Sunday and Evening Standard. “This may be a little unfair. The start of all this was Rio’s rather impetuous statement that he’d be ready to pack his bags at a moment’s notice. There was an asterisk missing with ‘medical advice permitting.’

“But it is a poor beginning to what is an absolutely vital game [against Montenegro] because of what England are playing for.”

Montenegro lead Group H after four games with 10 points having beaten San Marino twice, drawn at home with Poland and a 1-0 victory in Ukraine. England are second with eight points after a draw in Poland, a home victory over San Marino, an away win in Moldova and a 1-1 draw at Wembley against Ukraine.

In the Euro 2012 qualifiers Montenegro draw 0-0 at Wembley, with Wayne Rooney sent-off during the 2-2 draw in Podgorica. Montenegro may be relatively new to FIFA as an independent team having joined in 2007, but Barclay said: “They are a solid, experienced well-knit side. At Wembley they were extremely well organised, a good all-round side with a quality player up front in Mirko Vucinic of Juventus.

“If you offered Roy Hodgson four points from the ties in San Marino and Montenegro he’d be tempted to take it. It will be very important for England to keep their discipline and not have anyone sent-off again because it will be difficult enough with 11 players.”

Ideally Hodgson’s team would be one with regulars playing well for their clubs in the Barclays Premier League. That will not be the case and Gary Cahill’s absence through injury for the San Marino leaves England with a problem in the centre of defence already without Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott no longer a first choice at Manchester City. In attack Danny Welbeck did a fine job for England last year, but has scored only one goal in 22 league appearances, many as a substitute, for Manchester United.

Barclay said: “It seemed like a good idea for England when Chris Smalling left Fulham for Manchester United because he was such a promising defender, a right-back we thought. He’s started fewer than half of United’s games this season with injuries compounding the problem.

“I was sorry to see Michael Dawson pull out, most of us thought he was worth another England chance on his club performances. Steven Caulker shows potential for Spurs, yet if you put him in you’d have to keep your fingers crossed.

“Welbeck stamped his authority on the European Championship as a real player, but he goes back to United and has to fight for a place with Robin van Persie.”

Against Montenegro, Hodgson will probably choose Cahill, if fit, and Smalling who played together in the 2-1 win over Brazil last month. The midfield against the 2014 hosts was Theo Walcott, Steven Gerrard, Jack Wilshere and Tom Cleverly though Wilshere is injured.

Barclay said: “Gerrard’s form for Liverpool this season has been a big plus for England. He has found a way of conserving his energy and in this respect the arrival of Philippe Coutinho has helped. The Brazilian has taken a load off Gerrard’s shoulders in midfield while the return of Lucas has also been a bonus.

“Gerrard is not a worry. Michael Carrick is in good form, so is Cleverly…it’s a question of getting the balance right. I don’t think England have had a completely balanced midfield since Owen Hargreaves became unfit. Every top country in the world has a holding player, a ball winner, except England. For me, when he was fit Hargreaves was the first name on the team-sheet. I don’t think England have replaced him.”

Before the challenge of Podgorica there is the inevitable victory over San Marino in the Serravalle Stadio Olimpico on Friday. True, San Marino made history in November 1993 scoring after 8.3 seconds which remains the fastest World Cup qualifying goal though England went on to win 7-1.

In the FIFA rankings nobody is below San Marino, the third smallest state in Europe after Monaco and Vatican City and who have never won a competitive game (with only one friendly victory, against Liechtenstein).

Barclay said: “I have no problem with the likes of San Marino and Andorra being in the World Cup, but they should have to pre-qualify, as in the Champions League. I don ‘t agree with those who say it would lessen these countries’ chances of progressing. You would find they will build confidence with matches at a level closer to themselves and that could be carried on into the next stage.”

There are nine European groups with each winner qualifying for Brazil 2014. The eight best group runners-up will be paired into four home-and-away playoffs. If teams are even on points at the end of group play, the tied teams will be ranked by:

1.     goal difference in all group matches

2.     greater number of goals scored in all group matches

3.     greater number of points obtained in matches between the tied teams

4.     goal difference in matches between the tied teams

5.     greater number of goals scored in matches between the tied teams

6.     greater number of away goals scored in matches between the tied teams if only two teams are tied.

Barclay does not believe Hodgson should rest key players against San Marino, despite the risk of injury or a red card. “It’s important at international level more so than at club level to keep the understanding between players,” he said.

England last failed to qualify for the World Cup finals in 1994, but in a tight, competitive group with, in many respects, little to choose between England, Montenegro, Poland and Ukraine there is no room for error. Barclay said: “All World Cups are important, but this one in Brazil has a little more stardust. If you could use a cricketing analogy it’s an Ashes series…you want to be there more than ever.

“I am nervous for England. If they win in Montenegro the whole nation will breathe a sigh of relief because England could consider themselves favourites [to qualify]. I think this is a potentially exciting era for England coming up. I don’t necessarily think they will win the World Cup, but if they can build a team – and Hodgson is doing that – then at Euro 2016 in France…if they can get a team and not just 11 players it could be a really thrilling European Championship for them.”

And if England lose in Podgorica? “There is no question a defeat for England would be extremely damaging. People will be asking if Roy Hodgson is the man to take them forward. At the moment most recognise we have the right man in charge, what’s more he’s an English manager and that’s important. Should England lose, suddenly there’s an international crisis, that’s how big this game is.”

Group H

                             P  W  D  L  F  A   Pts

1 Montenegro   4   3  1  0  12  2   10
2 England         4   2  2  0  12  2    8
3 Poland           3   1  2  0  2  5      5
4 Moldova         4   1  1  2  2  7      4
5 Ukraine          3   0  2  1  1  2      2
6 San Marino    4   0  0  4  0  16    0

MINTO’S DREAM JOB – WITH THE ULTIMATE CLASICO TO COME AT WEMBLEY?

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By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

SCOTT MINTO is living the dream. To be the presenter of Sky Sports’ coverage of Spanish football at a time when Barcelona have come within touching distance of perfection, their rivalry with Real Madrid has reached new heights and the national team rules Europe and the world is as good as it gets.

Minto has a great job – he is reluctant to call it work – and it is the reward for his dedication when, after 17 years as lively left-back for Charlton, Chelsea, Benfica, West Ham and Rotherham, the sands of time caught up with him.

“I was injured as lot during my last year at Rotherham and at 35 I knew it was time to quit,” Minto told footballwriters.co.uk. He contacted Pete Stevens of Radio London – the pair had worked together covering games – and asked if there was a chance of work on a more permanent basis.

Minto was living in Sheffield and was assigned to cover London clubs playing in the north for the station. Eager to learn as much as he could about his potential new career he took up the offer from Lawrie Madden, who played over 300 games for Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday before becoming part of the Daily Telegraph’s football coverage.

“Lawrie told me about a journalism course for players and ex-players. While things were going well on the radio I didn’t want to be sitting around doing nothing. As a player I was a lazy sod, come home, feet up and watch TV. I wanted to stay in football, but not management so the two-year course was ideal.”

The studies were intense and left little time for being a couch potato – “how those players who were still active found time to do it I don’t know.”

In the meantime Minto had started to work for Chelsea TV and Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday. His first live game was Burnley v West Bromwich where he took his position “up with the gods” at Turf Moor. “I could hardly see the numbers on the stripes. In fact, I was so high I could hardly see the Burnley numbers. The first time Jeff Stelling came to me after a goal I was tongue-tied. ‘Yes it’s a goal from a free-kick, I mean goal-kick, no corner…’ Driving home I thought to myself it wasn’t meant to be.”

But Sky Sports saw potential in Minto and persevered with him. .” In 2008 Minto graduated from Staffordshire University with a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting. The course taught him, among other things, how to write match reports and to assess what the best story-line was. Minto was given work by the London Evening Standard until budget cuts forced belt-tightening.

“Rather than speak to someone and they put it into my words I wanted to write it myself. I was completely different to how I was as a player. I didn’t need to work on my mind then, but when I retired and the physical work ended I found I was happy to put pressure on myself mentally. I’m glad I did the course and I am where I am now because of this.”

Minto’s big break came in September 2011 when Sky Sports decided not to renew the contract of Mark Bolton who had presented their Spanish football coverage. Producers at Sky’s headquarters in Isleworth had watched Minto presenting shows on Chelsea TV and Al Jazeera and were impressed with his calm authority.

With a young daughter plus twins on the way – all three are still under the age of three – Minto knew accepting the job meant the demands on his time would be immense. He also knew it was an offer he could not refuse.

While he is fluent in Spanish – he has a Colombian wife – his language skills were not a consideration. He said: “Though it helps being able to talk to Rafa Benitez, Albert Ferrer, Marcelino, Gaizka Mendieta and other Spanish guests in their language off air, the shows are all in English.”

Minto has grown into his role, at ease with live coverage where, as a presenter talks to the camera, the producer can be chatting to him via his earpiece. “They may be saying ‘keep going, we can’t go to that replay yet’ or ‘hurry up we have to go to a break.’

“I was talking to a famous presenter recently and he told me the first time he did a live show he said on air ‘yes I know, I know’ as the producer spoke to him.”

La Liga games on Saturday and Sunday show the best of Spanish football with Revista de la Liga on Tuesday a look-back at the weekend’s action alongside Guillem Balague, Graham Hunter and Terry Gibson [Minto is pictured with Mendieta and Balague, courtesy of Sky Sports].

“In some ways Revista can be more manic than a live game because there is so much to cram in. I’ll chat to producer Mark Payne the day before about the schedule. I am passionate about Spanish football and I hope that comes across.

“I think Spain have the best two teams, certainly the best two players, arguably the best five players in the world. But when it comes to the organisation it can be shocking. Often we have only two weeks’ notice about when a game will be played. Our pundits say such things are so much more professional in England.”

Games involving Barcelona and Real Madrid rarely disappoint and the clasico head-to-heads between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola were like Hollywood productions. “I watched every second of every clasico, even before I was offered the job. For me, the most glamorous club game in world football has always been Barcelona versus Real Madrid. They seem to play each other more than they used to, but I absolutely love it…I loved watching the games and now presenting them.

“The matches are never dull. It’s the same even if they play Granada or Deportivo…there is always something to talk about.”

Minto’s passion did not extend to the extreme of his brother-in-law. “He is a massive Barcelona fan and they’ve just had a baby boy. He texted me last Tuesday to say they want to call him Lionel.”

That night Minto saw Barcelona’s brilliant, breathtaking 4-0 victory over AC Milan on a boat with the London-based Barca fan club. He watched the game again at home, savouring every moment. “I needed to confirm what I thought at the time and that was it was one of the best performances in the history of football. I have nothing but admiration for players and teams under immense pressure not just producing the goods, but then some. In Barcelona’s case some people were almost writing them off to the point those critics wanted them to lose so they would be proved right.

“It was one of the few occasions where Barcelona were the underdogs to go through, yet the way they started and continued was Barca at their absolute best.”

A Barcelona versus Real Madrid Champions League final is still a possibility as the clubs were kept apart in the draw for the quarter-finals. For Minto and millions of others, Wembley would be host for the ultimate clasico.

STEVE STAMMERS OF THE SUNDAY MIRROR LOOKS AHEAD TO BAYERN MUNICH v ARSENAL

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Steve Stammers of The Sunday Mirror looks ahead to the second leg of Arsenal’s Champions League last 16 clash against Bayern Munich, examines the Gunners’ defensive problems and whether Arsene Wenger’s men can force their way back into the top four of the Barclays Premier League.



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DARRAGH’S DREAM IS THE PERFECT FOOTBALL MAGAZINE

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By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

DARRAGH MacAnthony loves football, so much that in 2007 he bought Peterborough United. Last year the Dubliner published a book about this called From Hobby To Obsession. Last week saw the first edition of Twentyfour7 Football, a monthly football magazine – chairman: Darragh MacAnthony.

If MacAnthony is not the editor in name, he has the final say on what goes in the magazine and on the evidence of issue number one the USA-based publisher and his staff did an excellent job.

Neil Gilby, the director of operations, oversees the day-to-day running of the magazine’s headquarters in – where else? – Peterborough and is clearly relishing the challenge of making Twentyfour7 the “perfect” football magazine.

The Dream Team, aka the list of contributors, include two long-standing member of the Football Writers’ Association, Oliver Holt (Daily Mirror) and Oliver Kay (The Times). The liner-up is wide and varied with talkSPORT’s Richard Keys and Andy Gray, Sky Sports’ Hayley McQueen, Charlotte Jackson, David Jones, Simon Thomas and Max Rushden plus Alan Curbishley, Matt Le Tissier, Fabrice Muamba, Didi Hamann, Justin Edinburgh, David Gold, Mark Bright, Paul Dalglish, Michael Owen, Kenny Miller and Peter Beagrie. Unsurprisingly so is Barry Fry, Posh’s director of football. To ensure no area of football is forgotten “renowned agent” Barry Silkman has written a column, even less surprisingly about one of his clients, Demba Ba who, he said, almost joined Spurs instead of the European Champions in January.

The idea for Twentyfour7, as it will no doubt be known, was hatched last summer between MacAnthony and Gilby who said: “We wanted it to be our perfect magazine. We looked at what was out there already, spoke about what we thought was good and what wasn’t so good…I think we came up with a good basis for a magazine which would focus heavily on English football.

“Not just the Barclays Premier League, but all aspects of the English game.”

The football publishing market is already saturated, FourFourTwo leading the way with a circulation of around 75,000. World Soccer, now in its 53rd year, has a loyal, specialised readership, there is UEFA’s Champions magazine, Shoot, When Saturday Comes while a number of clubs have their own monthly publications with many fanzines offering quality writing. There is also the blanket coverage by national and regional newspapers, so will supporters want more?

Gilby said: “It’s a competitive market, yes, but we believe there is a market out there for us with the focus on UK football. Darragh loves reading magazines on all the topics he’s into and is very involved in Twentyfour7. I’m on the phone to him every day and everything has Darragh’s final say. If we have an idea it goes through Darragh first.”

A full-time staff of 15 comprising editorial, production and design operates from the Peterborough HQ. “Many magazines have at least twice that number, so we’re not top heavy on staff. We needed a strong list of contributors and they were a team decision. We wanted people who knew about the game, we wanted a mix of journalists, pundits, players and ex-players.

“Some people may say it has a large Sky influence, but it didn’t worry us where people worked and there’s no tie-in with Sky. We just wanted the best and we were thrilled with Hayley McQueen’s Sir Alex Ferguson interview. She has a background in journalism and it’s a great interview.”

The budget of Twentyfour7 must be eye-watering, but MacAnthony has put his money where his idea is. “It’s Darragh’s money that we’re using for this,” said Gilby. “He’s put a hell a lot into it in every respect. We didn’t want it to be watered down, we could have tried to save money but we wanted to create the best football magazine in the market, one that any fan of club would want to read.

“Too many supporters don’t have their clubs written about [in national newspapers]. I know we can’t feature every club every month, but over the year we’ll do our best to include as many as possible.”

The first edition of every magazine is, in many respects, the easiest – the test is whether subsequent issues maintain the standard. Gilby said: “We started from scratch so it was an uphill task. In our eyes every magazine should be better than the previous one, that’s not just Darragh’s wish, it’s everyone’s. “

The dread, which comes with the territory, is a feature with a manager who has been sacked after the presses roll. “The difficulty with a monthly magazine is the time-sensitivity of it,” said Gilby. “With managers being sacked left, right and centre…if things have changed as we go to press it’s just the nature of the beast.”

But how can you beat an interview with Sir Alex Ferguson? “Sir Alex is the most successful manager in the world so you can never top him in terms of name,” said Gilby. “But we’re confident number two will be as good as, if not better than number one.”

OATESY WAS A MAN WITH NO EGO BUT MANY BEST FRIENDS

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“It’s inconceivably painful to know that we’ll never again share a press box with him, or more importantly, an after match pint”

By DAVE WOODS

David Oates was funny, loveably grumpy, stoicly Northern, a loyal friend and without the hint of an ego.

But it’s as a family man and Blackpool fan that he would probably rather you remember him.

Oatesy, the former BBC Radio football and rugby league commentator, died, aged 50, after a short illness in early February. The outpouring of tributes since would have left him gob-smacked, but are a measure of how he was equally respected and well-loved.

It’s inconceivably painful to know that we’ll never again share a press box with him, or more importantly, an after match pint. And there’ll be no more trips or tours, or late night laughs and chuckles.

Which makes the memories of so many funny moments and shared experiences even more special.

He was my best mate, but there’s no exclusivity in that. So many would have put him in that ‘best mate’ category.

Professionally, he was excellent. He was almost exclusive as a broadcaster, in that as dedicated as he was to the job he did, and he was dedicated; as thorough his research was for every event he covered, and it was thorough; and as outstanding his commentaries and reports might have been, and they often were outstanding, it was never about him.

In all the years I knew him, all the games I’ve sat alongside him, however good he might have been, he never once came off air fishing for compliments.

He knew himself whether he done well or not, he didn’t need anyone else to tell him. All he was concerned about when the job was done was whether we still had time to get to the pub.

Yet he would never hesitate to compliment a colleague if he thought they’d done a good job. It was typical to receive a text from him with a “well done” message.

His love of football began when he was at school; he had a passion for his hometown club Blackpool that, if anything, got stronger and stronger with every passing year. He never saw orange, only tangerine.

He would never let a conversation end without reference to the daily events at Bloomfield Road.

His professional career began when he studied journalism at Falmouth. The decision to go there was in itself a reflection of the man we knew and loved. Having finished his initial studies in Manchester he decided that he was enjoying the social side of being a student so much, he wouldn’t mind another year of it, so off to Falmouth he went and a career in broadcasting was born.

He then became a BBC trainee, which involved moving from station to station as far apart as Cornwall and Humberside before getting a full time job at BBC Radio Manchester, becoming the dedicated Manchester United commentator.

His appointment coincided with the early ‘Fergie’ years, and David developed an enduring relationship with the manager, to the extent that, 20 years later, Sir Alex filmed a tribute that was played at Oatesy’s funeral.

One of my favourite Oatesy/Fergie stories came just after Sir Alex decided he wasn’t going to speak to the BBC anymore.

Oatesy had been sent by 5 Live to cover a game at Old Trafford and stuck his mic under the manager’s nose at the end of the game. With his famous Glaswegian gruffness, Fergy barked: “No. I’m not speaking to you.” Then, when he realized it was Oatesy holding the mic, added, in a more gentle manner: “ Sorry David, it’s nothing personal. I just don’t like some of the people you work with.”

“Don’t worry,” said Oatesy, “ There’s one or two I’m not keen on either.”

After several years in Manchester, David moved full time to BBC Radio Sport at Broadcasting House in London.

It was there that he met his future wife, BBC Radio’s football producer Charlotte Nicol. The sparks first flew on May 1st 1997, at a party to watch the General Election results come in. And as Labour swept back into power, Lotty and Oatesy were in the early stages of sweeping each other off their feet. He was certainly smitten that night.

Having spent many a quiet moment with him, in many a far off place over the years, I know how lucky he felt to have Lotty in his life. And how proud he was of, and how much he loved, his two girls, Imogen and Kate.

Job and friends were important to him, but family was unfailingly first.

We have lots of reasons be proud of his career. So many great commentaries in football and rugby league and, of course, latterly, his commentary on Peter Wilson’s gold medal performance in the shooting at the Olympics.

He was really chuffed to have done that, and be involved in the Paralympic coverage as well. But again, you had to be close to him to know that because there was no trumpet blowing by Oatesy.

Late last year he’d been made redundant by the BBC as part of the cost cutting measures at the corporation, but was more recently enjoying a return to the 5 Live airwaves as a freelancer. He had also begun building up a healthy portfolio of work with other broadcasters.

His final professional engagement was covering the QPR v MK Dons FA Cup tie; the last football match he attended was Brentford v Chelsea a day later.

Being at that game sums him up. He was there with all his loving family, Charlotte and his girls Immy and Kate. And he loved knowing that his girls were growing up developing a loyalty for their local Brentford club.

“IT WAS A MIX OF ANGER, DEFIANCE AND CONFRONTATION” – Daniel Taylor of the Guardian

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footballwriters.co.uk looks at the media coverage of Arsene Wenger’s most amazing press conference

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

TWO THINGS took the assembled football writers attending Arsene Wenger’s press conference on the eve of Arsenal’s Champions League tie against Bayern Munich by surprise. Firstly, that a manager known for being so helpful to the media suddenly turned on the French equivalent of the hair-dryer and secondly, that a story about him being offered a new two-year deal upset him so much.

Whatever the validity of the story – Wenger, whose current contract has 15 months to run, denied it – managers usually go on the attack if their future at a club is questioned, not about to be extended. Wenger turned on Neil Ashton, football news correspondent of the Daily Mail, in what some papers called the Frenchman’s Travis Bickle moment. As the character played by Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver was a punk-haired former US marine suffering from insomnia and depression who tried to assassinate a senator the comparison is a little unflattering, if inevitable.

Sam Wallace of the Independent said: “For some managers, especially in the days before television cameras, a blow-out at a journalist would be nothing out of the ordinary. But this was Wenger, a man more likely to serve his players chips and lager than to get in a public row with the press. The same press whose efforts he usually treats with the good-humoured detachment of a charismatic schoolteacher presiding over a class of unremarkable students.

“This was a peculiar departure, for those who have watched Wenger over the years, especially on the occasions he has diffused difficult situations with humour, or ribbed the press – justifiably much of the time – for our readiness to proclaim a crisis. There is no wish to see a manager who has achieved as much as Wenger, and done it in such style, pushed into a corner but here he was fighting back like a man who has lost his patience.”

Bickle’s famous line was: “You talking to me?” Wenger looked at Ashton and asked: “Why do you look at me?”.Ashton replied: “Me? Because it is your press conference.”

Wenger: [ironically] “OK, oh, thank you. I just thought you had given this information out.”

Ashton: “No, I am looking at you because it is your press conference.”

Wenger: “Oh, OK, thank you very much [sarcastic].”

Ashton told talkSPORT’s Drivetime: “He’s always been polite, dignified and respectful, but I don’t think he was today. There was some mild embarrassment for him, but it makes no difference to me. Maybe managers should call out journalists a but more often, although perhaps in private, not in a live broadcast.” Speaking to footballwriters.co.uk Ashton added: “I’ve experienced this sort of thing with other managers. Sometimes it happens. He pulled me out over a story that was written in another newspaper. It wasn’t my story, maybe he just got the wrong person. He’s in a difficult position. It was more embarrassing for Wenger than for me.”

Those who have worked closely with Wenger have enjoyed his press conferences because he is a manager who will answer any question. Talk to him about the Greek economy, Russian meteors or unemployment figures and he’ll have a view. Football writers leave Wenger’s talk-ins with notepads full and back page leads aplenty.

David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror said Wenger’s “urbane exterior masks a tetchy side when under pressure.” Paul Hayward of the Daily Telegraph tweeted: “Wenger’s general media approach: no names, no 1-on-1s, humour to defuse questions, discusses any issue. But more curt and hurt these days.”

Wenger is right when he said “you will miss me when I’ve gone,” but John Cross of the Daily Mirror believes this was “dropping a huge hint about his future.” Cross said: “In dismissing the notion of staying longer he fuelled the prospect of his departure.”

Simon Yeend of the Daily Express took a different view and said: “The Arsenal manager is correct. [He’ll be] missed for the flair and elan he brought to the English game with his teams playing, at their height, some of the best football we have seen in this country. Missed for his willingness to face the media in victory and defeat. And missed for his passion.”

There was no shortage of that at London Colney and Oliver Kay of the Times said: “That exchange [with Ashton] seemed to be a sign of sad, confusing, turbulent times at Arsenal. Wenger usually exudes charm, serenity and wisdom in front of the TV cameras – at least pre-match. Yesterday he came across as tetchy and insecure.”

Steven Howard of the Sun called it “a mixture of anger, defiance, conspiracy theories and dripping with sarcasm that suggested here was a man at the end of his tether. He has lost the plot often enough out on the touchline. And there have been occasions when he has got the hump at press conferences. But never quite like this – and never in front of the TV cameras.”

Henry Winter of the Daily Telegraph said on talkSPORT’s Keys and Gray show: “What surprised me was he did it in public. I’ve seen him lose it before, away to Celta Vigo when Edu had to take an anti-doping test and it was taking a long time. It was midnight local time and we had a plane at 01.15. Wenger is a stickler and he was screaming at staff in the tunnel, his language was just toxic because things weren’t going to plan. I texted one member of staff he had a go at and they expressed surprise that I should be surprised at Wenger losing it.”

Winter prefers to remember the funny side of Wenger than the fury. He said: “When he first arrived Arsenal sat him down with all the correspondents at Highbury and you knew then this was a new force, a new spirit with new ideas because he talked so intelligently. If it is the beginning of the end, and I’m not sure it is, let’s remember the good things. It’s sad to see him like this. He said you’ll miss me when I’ve gone. I think he’ll miss Arsenal, he’ll miss English football.

“Usually in press conferences he will crack some fantastic jokes. We were teasing him once that he was so obsessed with football…it was his birthday and we asked him if he was going out to the theatre or cinema. He said ‘no, I will stay at home and watch a Bundesliga game. But I will put some candles on top of the television.’”

Daniel Taylor of the Guardian hopes Wenger’s players show the same passion as their manager. He said: “Wenger was doubtless trying, through a show of strength, to demonstrate that Arsenal are not finished yet and that anyone who writes them off does so at their own peril. At times, he was deeply impressive, arguing his case coherently, pointing out that we ‘live in a democracy of experts and opinion’ and that, put bluntly, he is sick of misinformed opinion and lack of expertise.

“Unfortunately for him, there were also moments when he floundered badly and resorted to the default setting of going back through history to make his point. In doing so he ignored the fact this is the problem for his club’s supporters: everything is in the past tense. Wenger pointed out that Arsenal were still the only team to qualify for the Champions League final without having conceded a goal and, voice thick with sarcasm, that they had done it ‘despite the fact that we have never a good defensive record’. That is not a great consolation, however, when the team have just lost to Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup, been eliminated from the Capital One Cup by Bradford City and are 21 points off the top of the Barclays Premier League, facing the possibility of an eighth year without a trophy.

“That was in the broadcast section but it was when the television cameras moved away that he properly let out all that pent-up frustration and we saw Wenger in a way that nobody in that room had witnessed before. It was a mix of anger, defiance and confrontation and it is just a shame, perhaps, that not all of his players can show the same passion. If he could bottle it and pass it to his team before their game against Bayern Munich, then maybe it will not be the ordeal that so many anticipate.”

“The truth might be that any hurt he feels right now stems more from the fact that he cares so deeply about Arsenal and takes it personally, as every once-successful manager does, when the old magic no longer seems to be there. His team need to do what Chelsea did last year and find something in adversity, but the question is whether they have the same mental fortitude.”

The pro-Wenger camp say that despite the eight-year trophy drought he has worked a minor footballing miracle to keep Arsenal competitive without the financial clout of a sheikh or oligarch Manchester City and Chelsea enjoy or the tradition and magic that give Manchester United an edge in the transfer market. On the other hand, it is impossible to think of any other top club in Europe who would keep faith with a manager after eight blank years.

Matt Law of the Sunday Mirror believes Arsenal have accepted complacency. He said: “No wonder so many Arsenal players think Wenger is the perfect manager. Not many people would dislike a boss who pays out big and turns a blind eye to so many errors.

“The coaches don’t have to worry, either. Despite having all the tools to become one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, Wojciech Szczesny is struggling badly. And yet coach Gerry Peyton is seemingly just allowed to get on with things, despite the fact a goalkeeper has yet to improve at Arsenal since Jens Lehmann left five years ago. [Chief executive Ivan] Gazidis cannot be feeling too much pressure, given the fact he has survived Arsenal losing Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Song and Robin van Persie under his watch.

“How anybody involved in the decision to allow Van Persie to join rivals Manchester United for £24m in the summer is still in a job is a mystery.”

The Sunday Times’ Jonathan Northcroft tweeted: “Wenger’s right: we will miss him when he’s gone. Personally I hope Wenger fights back and doesn’t end on this note – but he can only do that, not with talk, but a trophy. But surely ‘Arsene knows’ it’s also right he’s questioned – and the questions are coming from intelligent fans and reporters who know AFC.”

Arsenal seem unlikely to sack Wenger even if the trophy cabinet at the Emirates has no new addition this season. And as critics try to think of a better, realistic successor to Wenger, as other clubs have found out – be careful what you wish for.

Wenger has never broken a contract and the smart money would ne on the Frenchman at least seeing out his present contract. Yet how ironic a manager many would like to see leave Arsenal because of underachieving is being linked with Real Madrid, the most successful club in European history.