Gutted for Rich. I’m sure he will keep going, his coverage of South London clubs is excellent and will leave a huge hole if he doesn’t continue in some capacity.
In the modern day he should look into starting a South London football podcast. Couple of shows each week, say 60-75 minutes, one that looks ahead to the weekend games, and then one on a Monday that goes over the results and talking points.
Could also have a shorter episode during the summer weeks that goes over transfer rumours and potential signings.
Throw in a sponsor for the channel and i reckon he'd get enough listeners/viewers each week to make it worth considering.
Gutted for Rich. I’m sure he will keep going, his coverage of South London clubs is excellent and will leave a huge hole if he doesn’t continue in some capacity.
In the modern day he should look into starting a South London football podcast. Couple of shows each week, say 60-75 minutes, one that looks ahead to the weekend games, and then one on a Monday that goes over the results and talking points.
Could also have a shorter episode during the summer weeks that goes over transfer rumours and potential signings.
Throw in a sponsor for the channel and i reckon he'd get enough listeners/viewers each week to make it worth considering.
Louis has a pod going called Charlton Live. If you've not seen it a good show and worth a weekly watch.
I do still enjoy reading articles, ones that can be quickly put up especially around transfer time. I hope Rich can find a way to keep us in the loop around all things Charlton.
Gutted for Rich. I’m sure he will keep going, his coverage of South London clubs is excellent and will leave a huge hole if he doesn’t continue in some capacity.
In the modern day he should look into starting a South London football podcast. Couple of shows each week, say 60-75 minutes, one that looks ahead to the weekend games, and then one on a Monday that goes over the results and talking points.
Could also have a shorter episode during the summer weeks that goes over transfer rumours and potential signings.
Throw in a sponsor for the channel and i reckon he'd get enough listeners/viewers each week to make it worth considering.
They tried doing an SLP podcast but it didn't quite work. It did feel a tad thrown together which is a shame as the content was actually quite good. But then I was never going to listen to a full ep as I didn't care about the other three clubs, that makes ad revenue very tricky to secure
That's a blast from the past! My recollections of that paper are it being "The South London Depress" and a Millwall rag. Sad to see it go though, a South London tradition.
Blimey, one of those headlines you never want to see. First my school in Charlton was wiped off the face of the earth and now my first employer has gone the same way. A sad day but I suppose inevitable given the accelerating demise of proper local newspapers in the face of the social media steamroller.
A top professional, Richard Cawley has been the go to man for news on what's occurring at the Valley for a number of years and put the SLP firmly on the map with Charlton supporters, which certainly wasn't the case back in the heyday of the newspaper when it had a decidedly (and literally) blue and white tinge. Agree with others that it would be great to see him continue in some role as a reliable source for news especially during what could be a very interesting close season.
Very sorry for Rich and others who are out of a job which they have done well, and hope they are soon settled in new employment.
As far as CAFC is concerned, thank goodness our return to the Championship means we should get a little more coverage in the national media - albeit lacking the detailed local knowledge which Cawley has so frequently used to enhance his coverage.
Without the support of a local press, which thankfully does still survive in many regions, teams in divisions 3 & 4 get little press exposure, and we know all too well how important that can be when there are problems with owners. I am sure our issues with Roland & Southall would not have got national press coverage unless they had been alerted to the issues by the SLP.
Think this is where the BBC should be providing more. They also stick to the Prem and European games at same level mainly. Have to dig deep for a few lines of any other football. There is one exception, and they have also been promoted.
Think this is where the BBC should be providing more. They also stick to the Prem and European games at same level mainly. Have to dig deep for a few lines of any other football. There is one exception, and they have also been promoted.
I've always thought the BBC should focus more on the EFL (and the stories and people within it) than try to compete with Sky Sports and the others for coverage of the Prem. So many big teams (with big fan bases) are underreported below the Prem, especially in League One and Two. Is Liverpool beating Bournemouth (again) really that interesting?
That's a shame, considering there are so many local papers out there (mainly online) spewing out crappy paint-by-numbers articles and clickbait - SLP had some brilliant, knowledgeable contributors and regularly put out insightful pieces on Charlton. They'll be missed.
Surprised Retch Media didn't hoover rhe SLP up. That's what they've done with almost every other local paper, and turned them from valuable sources of local information and journalism - often holding local politicians and councils to account - into clickbait rags aimed at serving adverts by fostering rage.
Think this is where the BBC should be providing more. They also stick to the Prem and European games at same level mainly. Have to dig deep for a few lines of any other football. There is one exception, and they have also been promoted.
I've always thought the BBC should focus more on the EFL (and the stories and people within it) than try to compete with Sky Sports and the others for coverage of the Prem. So many big teams (with big fan bases) underreported on below the Prem, especially in league 1 and two. Is Liverpool beating Bournemouth (again) really that interesting?
Football Focus used to be like that. About 30 years ago.
If anyone knew about transfer rumours that you could believe , it was Richard Cawley over anyone else . I hope Richard still gets us all the news on our team and provides it to us somehow.
Think this is where the BBC should be providing more. They also stick to the Prem and European games at same level mainly. Have to dig deep for a few lines of any other football. There is one exception, and they have also been promoted.
I've always thought the BBC should focus more on the EFL (and the stories and people within it) than try to compete with Sky Sports and the others for coverage of the Prem. So many big teams (with big fan bases) underreported on below the Prem, especially in league 1 and two. Is Liverpool beating Bournemouth (again) really that interesting?
I too find it odd that with all the local news teams, although a bit hollowed out now, why they haven't increased that local coverage. More on the local TV news and also on the website might shine a light on the news for quality local sports coverage.
One of the local papers where I am has gone under recently, they were online only. Another has gone behind a paywall. Writing is on the wall I am afraid.
Very sad and leaves a void. I didn't like the way it evolved to include everything south of the river but needs must I guess.
The company shut down a West London title and tried to hold on to the local authority advertising over there by running a bit of news and pieces about QPR, Fulham and Chelsea. Bromley got promoted, which meant the paper was covering eight league clubs as well as bits of non-league and women’s football, with two staffers. I doubt very much the West London football coverage drew any readers.
Pretty gutted tbh, not just from a Charlton perspective but as an expat I log on there regularly to read up on the local news to keep up with goings on around home.
Hope Rich and the palace supporter have something lined up.
If anyone knew about transfer rumours that you could believe , it was Richard Cawley over anyone else . I hope Richard still gets us all the news on our team and provides it to us somehow.
We'll have an empty press room bar club media for NJ's pre-match, for example. In fact, I recall Cawley attending many virtually.
Sad news. Leaving aside the Charlton aspect, the SLP seemed one of the better local papers in London too,
Very sudden, the website is down. The big groups are lousy, but I'm surprised one of them didn't take over the SLP if it was in financial trouble, as it did have a core readership.
Unfortunately, the print model is broken. The SLP had been through multiple ownerships and wasn’t going to work any more than all the other titles that have failed in SE London. People will say they don’t care because they don’t read papers - but much of the better internet content is still built on print journalism foundations.
The SLP was always the rival paper for us on the Mercury in the 1980s and 1990s, but Rich has done a fantastic job in keeping the coverage going as the market collapsed around him and is a good mate. I’m sure it’s not the end for him (or Louis, but he didn’t work there).
Proud to have had a byline in the last issue!
The sad demise of yet another 'local' newspaper, as a person who earnt his living as a print designer/Art director on National Newspapers and magazines, the demise of quite a bit of the 'print trade' has long been forecast, but still sad. Subscription was the solution of the National press, but still not convinced?..... but that is another argument. Wish the writers well.
Hope the people involved get employment very soon and it's a sad day when a paper that accurately recorded our exile and resurgence is no more.
The SLP had relatively little interest in the club’s exile, tbh. The sports team of the time weren’t comfortable covering the background issues in the sports pages and the news side regarded it as out of area.
Think this is where the BBC should be providing more. They also stick to the Prem and European games at same level mainly. Have to dig deep for a few lines of any other football. There is one exception, and they have also been promoted.
I've always thought the BBC should focus more on the EFL (and the stories and people within it) than try to compete with Sky Sports and the others for coverage of the Prem. So many big teams (with big fan bases) are underreported below the Prem, especially in League One and Two. Is Liverpool beating Bournemouth (again) really that interesting?
BBC Sport online does do a lot of EFL coverage, it just does a poor job of promoting it. For example, how many of you knew that each Championship club has a dedicated rolling page - similar to the Premier League ones - on the website? We’ll get one next season.
Think this is where the BBC should be providing more. They also stick to the Prem and European games at same level mainly. Have to dig deep for a few lines of any other football. There is one exception, and they have also been promoted.
I've always thought the BBC should focus more on the EFL (and the stories and people within it) than try to compete with Sky Sports and the others for coverage of the Prem. So many big teams (with big fan bases) are underreported below the Prem, especially in League One and Two. Is Liverpool beating Bournemouth (again) really that interesting?
BBC Sport online does do a lot of EFL coverage, it just does a poor job of promoting it. For example, how many of you knew that each Championship club has a dedicated rolling page - similar to the Premier League ones - on the website? We’ll get one next season.
They don't do anywhere near enough for me. The constant Wrexham content last year did my head in - there'd be 5/6 articles after a Wrexham win then 3 short paragraphs for us (might as well be AI generated) with a stock photo used as the cover image. The Wrexham Charlton BBC live match thread was a disgrace too, for an outlet that is surely supposed to be neutral. 210,000 fans attending the Play-Off weekend is testament to the popularity of football outside of the Prem. it's about time is this is properly reflected in the coverage.
Surely the BBC - funded by licence payers from all over the country - therefore not reliant on advertisement revenue or subscriptions (so have no commercial need to focus on Wrexham and the international 'circus') are the perfect outfit to do this.
I've been so reliant on the SLP for Charlton content in recent years, so will miss them greatly - although I'm sure Rich will get a role related to Charlton in some form. It's been great to have non-supporting passionate journalists cover us over the years (Benjy Nurick (?) an example) as they provide a slightly different perspective.
Whilst we're on the topic of media - shout out to Charlton Live, best podcast going
They won't do it but The Athletic would be missing a trick not giving Cawley a job. Covers such a wide beat he'd definitely draw in a few subscibers
This was my immediate thought , I can't remember how many EFL sides still have individual reporters but even if he covered us , Millwall and the Wombles for them I'm sure it would work.
Think this is where the BBC should be providing more. They also stick to the Prem and European games at same level mainly. Have to dig deep for a few lines of any other football. There is one exception, and they have also been promoted.
The trouble is that the local news giants would scream and scream if the BBC did that, claiming unfair competition.
Think this is where the BBC should be providing more. They also stick to the Prem and European games at same level mainly. Have to dig deep for a few lines of any other football. There is one exception, and they have also been promoted.
I've always thought the BBC should focus more on the EFL (and the stories and people within it) than try to compete with Sky Sports and the others for coverage of the Prem. So many big teams (with big fan bases) are underreported below the Prem, especially in League One and Two. Is Liverpool beating Bournemouth (again) really that interesting?
BBC Sport online does do a lot of EFL coverage, it just does a poor job of promoting it. For example, how many of you knew that each Championship club has a dedicated rolling page - similar to the Premier League ones - on the website? We’ll get one next season.
They don't do anywhere near enough for me. The constant Wrexham content last year did my head in - there'd be 5/6 articles after a Wrexham win then 3 short paragraphs for us (might as well be AI generated) with a stock photo used as the cover image. The Wrexham Charlton BBC live match thread was a disgrace too, for an outlet that is surely supposed to be neutral. 210,000 fans attending the Play-Off weekend is testament to the popularity of football outside of the Prem. it's about time is this is properly reflected in the coverage.
Surely the BBC - funded by licence payers from all over the country - therefore not reliant on advertisement revenue or subscriptions (so have no commercial need to focus on Wrexham and the international 'circus') are the perfect outfit to do this.
I've been so reliant on the SLP for Charlton content in recent years, so will miss them greatly - although I'm sure Rich will get a role related to Charlton in some form. It's been great to have non-supporting passionate journalists cover us over the years (Benjy Nurick (?) an example) as they provide a slightly different perspective.
Whilst we're on the topic of media - shout out to Charlton Live, best podcast going
Wrexham, irritatingly, is covered by BBC Wales who are much better resourced than BBC London (or any of the other English regions) and are a law unto themselves.
Comments
Explains why my SLP link ain't working today
Thoughts with those now seeking new positions
Could also have a shorter episode during the summer weeks that goes over transfer rumours and potential signings.
Throw in a sponsor for the channel and i reckon he'd get enough listeners/viewers each week to make it worth considering.
A top professional, Richard Cawley has been the go to man for news on what's occurring at the Valley for a number of years and put the SLP firmly on the map with Charlton supporters, which certainly wasn't the case back in the heyday of the newspaper when it had a decidedly (and literally) blue and white tinge. Agree with others that it would be great to see him continue in some role as a reliable source for news especially during what could be a very interesting close season.
Always sad to hear about quality employees losing their jobs.
As far as CAFC is concerned, thank goodness our return to the Championship means we should get a little more coverage in the national media - albeit lacking the detailed local knowledge which Cawley has so frequently used to enhance his coverage.
Without the support of a local press, which thankfully does still survive in many regions, teams in divisions 3 & 4 get little press exposure, and we know all too well how important that can be when there are problems with owners. I am sure our issues with Roland & Southall would not have got national press coverage unless they had been alerted to the issues by the SLP.
Hope Rich and the palace supporter have something lined up.
Sad times.
This was my immediate thought , I can't remember how many EFL sides still have individual reporters but even if he covered us , Millwall and the Wombles for them I'm sure it would work.
Wrexham, irritatingly, is covered by BBC Wales who are much better resourced than BBC London (or any of the other English regions) and are a law unto themselves.