Is frustrating having to rein substack back in and work out how to stop it sending you emails on all sorts of shite you haven't asked for
I agree. It makes my blood boil!
One thing I did on the App, from the home screen, top right click, on your icon (I had to guess where mine was as I didn't have one so it was black on black).
Then settings at the bottom, and go one by one under Notifications and Manage interests, unchecking everything.
I think the fifty quid people are paying - and I’m not criticising anybody- fit something we used to get for free - like a lot of sporting events on tv- is not only a sign of the times but also puts into perspective the season ticket price increases and how everybody was up in arms about that but not this
This model is growing, but if people are willing to pay for good quality content then I don't see an issue with it. It may not be for everyone. The subscription model ensures people earn a regular income, rather than offering a one time payment.
The SLP in paper or online would be free due to advertisers covering the cost, but I bet the quality of content will be of a higher standard now as he has to protect and grow his own brand, but probably doesn't have a jobsworth telling him how to do his job or have to answer to the powers that be. The shackles are off.
Interesting to see him mention specific amounts that players were earning under Bowyer (Lyle Taylor £6k a week, £4k towards Cullen’s loan etc), I don’t remember that sort of detail ever being in a SLP article.
That was Bowyer specifically, so not sure that's a Rich change necessarily. He's definitely a tad more opinionated though and not just reporting news but saying what he thinks of it, a good change in my opinion
It was, but I imagine Rich has been told similar things before but couldn’t or wouldn’t share them.
Why would the SLP stop him?
It would have be advantageous to them to have a more newsworthy story.
It’s surely down to what he’s told on or off the record.
With this new venture maybe there’s scope to get Rich on one of the Charlton podcasts with a transfer low down during the off season? The SLP pods with him and Ed were brilliant. Hopefully something that Charlton Live could think about?
I think the fifty quid people are paying - and I’m not criticising anybody- fit something we used to get for free - like a lot of sporting events on tv- is not only a sign of the times but also puts into perspective the season ticket price increases and how everybody was up in arms about that but not this
This model is growing, but if people are willing to pay for good quality content then I don't see an issue with it. It may not be for everyone. The subscription model ensures people earn a regular income, rather than offering a one time payment.
The SLP in paper or online would be free due to advertisers covering the cost, but I bet the quality of content will be of a higher standard now as he has to protect and grow his own brand, but probably doesn't have a jobsworth telling him how to do his job or have to answer to the powers that be. The shackles are off.
Interesting to see him mention specific amounts that players were earning under Bowyer (Lyle Taylor £6k a week, £4k towards Cullen’s loan etc), I don’t remember that sort of detail ever being in a SLP article.
That was Bowyer specifically, so not sure that's a Rich change necessarily. He's definitely a tad more opinionated though and not just reporting news but saying what he thinks of it, a good change in my opinion
It was, but I imagine Rich has been told similar things before but couldn’t or wouldn’t share them.
Why would the SLP stop him?
It would have be advantageous to them to have a more newsworthy story.
It’s surely down to what he’s told on or off the record.
Not really about player wages but there are a number of things over recent years that Rich couldn’t publish in the SLP because the risk-reward balance for a local paper is heavily swayed towards legal caution by the UK libel laws. It’s a different situation when you are your own boss and not putting other people’s jobs and livelihoods at risk.
In terms of player wages and transfers fees, it’s a mug’s game because they are always gossip and if the club denies them there is no way of challenging their version even if you are persuaded they are lying. If an ex-manager wants to assert what they were, that’s his lookout, not the reporter’s. It’s quotable because he says it.
Mind you, I learnt early on as a reporter never to take any statistic or historical fact shared by anyone in football as accurate. Most turn out to be wrong.
I think the fifty quid people are paying - and I’m not criticising anybody- fit something we used to get for free - like a lot of sporting events on tv- is not only a sign of the times but also puts into perspective the season ticket price increases and how everybody was up in arms about that but not this
This model is growing, but if people are willing to pay for good quality content then I don't see an issue with it. It may not be for everyone. The subscription model ensures people earn a regular income, rather than offering a one time payment.
The SLP in paper or online would be free due to advertisers covering the cost, but I bet the quality of content will be of a higher standard now as he has to protect and grow his own brand, but probably doesn't have a jobsworth telling him how to do his job or have to answer to the powers that be. The shackles are off.
Interesting to see him mention specific amounts that players were earning under Bowyer (Lyle Taylor £6k a week, £4k towards Cullen’s loan etc), I don’t remember that sort of detail ever being in a SLP article.
That was Bowyer specifically, so not sure that's a Rich change necessarily. He's definitely a tad more opinionated though and not just reporting news but saying what he thinks of it, a good change in my opinion
It was, but I imagine Rich has been told similar things before but couldn’t or wouldn’t share them.
Why would the SLP stop him?
It would have be advantageous to them to have a more newsworthy story.
It’s surely down to what he’s told on or off the record.
Not really about player wages but there are a number of things over recent years that Rich couldn’t publish in the SLP because the risk-reward balance for a local paper is heavily swayed towards legal caution by the UK libel laws. It’s a different situation when you are your own boss and not putting other people’s jobs and livelihoods at risk.
In terms of player wages and transfers fees, it’s a mug’s game because they are always gossip and if the club denies them there is no way of challenging their version even if you are persuaded they are lying. If an ex-manager wants to assert what they were, that’s his lookout, not the reporter’s. It’s quotable because he says it.
Mind you, I learnt early on as a reporter never to take any statistic or historical fact shared by anyone in football as accurate. Most turn out to be wrong.
Understand all that but surely in this instance (Bowyer quoting wages) he could have run that story at the SLP?
To your wider point on libel considerations is that in fact a greater risk when freelance ie they could come after you (only) personally and you don’t enjoy the benefit of some corporate legal support?
Im assuming you can’t really get insurance against ‘libel’ as a freelancer in the same way you have more general business liability insurance.
The risks are in some respects greater I guess. But maybe a view is taken by the ‘injured’ party if it’s a relatively small circulation journalist involved.
I think the fifty quid people are paying - and I’m not criticising anybody- fit something we used to get for free - like a lot of sporting events on tv- is not only a sign of the times but also puts into perspective the season ticket price increases and how everybody was up in arms about that but not this
This model is growing, but if people are willing to pay for good quality content then I don't see an issue with it. It may not be for everyone. The subscription model ensures people earn a regular income, rather than offering a one time payment.
The SLP in paper or online would be free due to advertisers covering the cost, but I bet the quality of content will be of a higher standard now as he has to protect and grow his own brand, but probably doesn't have a jobsworth telling him how to do his job or have to answer to the powers that be. The shackles are off.
Interesting to see him mention specific amounts that players were earning under Bowyer (Lyle Taylor £6k a week, £4k towards Cullen’s loan etc), I don’t remember that sort of detail ever being in a SLP article.
That was Bowyer specifically, so not sure that's a Rich change necessarily. He's definitely a tad more opinionated though and not just reporting news but saying what he thinks of it, a good change in my opinion
It was, but I imagine Rich has been told similar things before but couldn’t or wouldn’t share them.
Why would the SLP stop him?
It would have be advantageous to them to have a more newsworthy story.
It’s surely down to what he’s told on or off the record.
Not really about player wages but there are a number of things over recent years that Rich couldn’t publish in the SLP because the risk-reward balance for a local paper is heavily swayed towards legal caution by the UK libel laws. It’s a different situation when you are your own boss and not putting other people’s jobs and livelihoods at risk.
In terms of player wages and transfers fees, it’s a mug’s game because they are always gossip and if the club denies them there is no way of challenging their version even if you are persuaded they are lying. If an ex-manager wants to assert what they were, that’s his lookout, not the reporter’s. It’s quotable because he says it.
Mind you, I learnt early on as a reporter never to take any statistic or historical fact shared by anyone in football as accurate. Most turn out to be wrong.
Understand all that but surely in this instance (Bowyer quoting wages) he could have run that story at the SLP?
To your wider point on libel considerations is that in fact a greater risk when freelance ie they could come after you (only) personally and you don’t enjoy the benefit of some corporate legal support?
Im assuming you can’t really get insurance against ‘libel’ as a freelancer in the same way you have more general business liability insurance.
The risks are in some respects greater I guess. But maybe a view is taken by the ‘injured’ party if it’s a relatively small circulation journalist involved.
It’s more that as an individual you can make your own judgement whereas in a company it’s someone else’s, usually someone who isn’t familiar with the parties and their likely motivation. So the lawyers will always prefer not to include anything that they think could become an issue.
With player wages it’s unlikely managers would disclose them to journalists on the record at the time and you would have to think about the sensibilities of the situation if they did.
New podcast (via substack) with @LouisMend. I've also pasted instructions for how to add the RSS feed to your podcast app of choice. Annoyingly you can't do it from the Substack app on your phone (at least not your iPhone) which is a bit annoying and makes things fiddly
Latest piece is up now on Substack. Longer read about how Matty Godden took the plunge into non-league and then worked his way back up the levels. Includes quotes from Stevie Brown. Loved how Darren Sarll talked about MG, worked with him at Stevenage.
Latest South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition Podcast is out now. Includes plenty of chat on Joe Rankin-Costello plus the most recent raids on Luton Town for Burke and Bell.
Already an essential part of my regular reading, (and increasingly listening). The Matty Godden article was really excellent. I always “liked” Godden in the early days, even if then I wrongly failed to see him as a decent replacement for May. But I couldn’t really tell you why. After this luminous portrait, I understand what it all was, and feel especially sheepish for taking so long to to take him to my heart.
Comments
One thing I did on the App, from the home screen, top right click, on your icon (I had to guess where mine was as I didn't have one so it was black on black).
Then settings at the bottom, and go one by one under Notifications and Manage interests, unchecking everything.
Seems to have helped a little bit.
It would have be advantageous to them
to have a more newsworthy story.
Last week in review for Charlton Athletic
A signing, a departure and major contract renewal
https://www.southlondonsportcharltonathleticedition.com/p/last-week-in-review-for-charlton
Mind you, I learnt early on as a reporter never to take any statistic or historical fact shared by anyone in football as accurate. Most turn out to be wrong.
To your wider point on libel considerations is that in fact a greater risk when freelance ie they could come after you (only) personally and you don’t enjoy the benefit of some corporate legal support?
Im assuming you can’t really get insurance against ‘libel’ as a freelancer in the same way you have more general business liability insurance.
The risks are in some respects greater I guess. But maybe a view is taken by the ‘injured’ party if it’s a relatively small circulation journalist involved.
https://www.southlondonsportcharltonathleticedition.com/p/the-very-first-slscharlton-athletic?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=5187331&post_id=165796358&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=1uqqd2&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/4519588148244-How-do-I-listen-to-episodes-on-my-podcast-app
https://x.com/richscawley/status/1938490893931008334?s=46&t=A-w3Eq0EWWpjMxring904Q
https://www.southlondonsportcharltonathleticedition.com/p/matty-godden-was-like-a-ghost-to
https://www.southlondonsportcharltonathleticedition.com/p/charlton-athletic-transfer-window
Set to be a short post-match pod after the Dartford game tomorrow as well.