???But on a serious note. It is imbalanced. When I was writing on Monday the back page was a Witton-Telford preview and a Stratford-upon-Avon v Northwich RUFC preview. In the afternoon Mr Connett approached us with a view to doing an interview. He also said it would be with the Guardian only. What would you have done? ???
I’d have asked him why he felt the need to talk the week before Wittons biggest game when he hasn’t engaged with the press in the last few years?
Why then did it warrant coverage on Front Page, Page 3 and the FULL back page?
It was hardly rocket science and every local football supporter knew the day was coming.
Andrew I appreciate the fact that you wish to ‘engage with Wittoners’ but you must be aware of the massive own goal that you have scored in dedicating that much space to V#cs. Just as importantly the local publics awareness of our massive game on Tuesday has been eroded, it will undoubtedly cost us money in lost gate receipts.
As I alluded to before no doubt the advertising revenue The Guardian receives from his business interests at the VS was an influential factor.
In support of the disgust shown (quite rightly) by the supporters to the disgraceful edition of the Guardian this week Jim Vince & the players will not be contributing to the Guardian until their is an assurance from the Editor that we will receive coverage on a par with NVFC.
How many Guardian sports editors have attempted to engage with Witton fans on a regular basis like this in the past?
andy, its not been needed before, i accept that vics are above in the pyramid and warrant a few more column inches,
but for the last few months, wittons coverage as been non-existant.
Pleased to say that Andy has contacted me personally and from what he says coverage should improve.
One amendment to what was posted earlier re "It was supposed to be a monthly trial" - regarding our reports then looking at last week’s feeble report this week is actually Week 2 not Week 1.
It’s to late for me I’m fed up with the Guardian and not just the sports coverage either,and I’m not buying it again. Agree totally with all thats been said by true wittoners on this subject. I would also like to make the point that not all witton fans own a computer and or log onto to a web site. It’s a paper’s duty to report all significant news sports or otherwise in the paper. A 7 goal hammering and 5 goals by one man warrant great coverage but it never appeared this was the last straw. Apologies for saying this Andy but I’d think about my career at the guardian and maybe find an alternative. Maybe Mr Connett would employ you as Vics Press officer as your already 85% of the way there in doing the job!! To all Armchair occasional Witton fans don’t rely on the Guardian to find out how we did get down to the ground and see the real deal in the flesh. It’s fantastic football and pure entertainment at the moment and the extra income through the gate would be well deserved by Jim and the lads.
As with all other postees on this forum, I am disgusted with the Guardian’s coverage of our recent heroic performances. I have this newspaper delivered every Weds morning and am fed up with the miniscule amount of coverage given to the Albion. I have just returned from the newsagent, where I have cancelled my subscription and instead ordered the much fairer minded Chrinicle. Anybody seen the match reports in this weeks Chron ? Chalk and cheese from the Guardian coverage !
There is only 5p difference in price, and I urge all Witton fans to do the same. Let’s see if the Guardian can cover costs with only v***s fans buying it.
I feel strongly about this issue, and I am so proud of GE stating that no Witton official or player will speak to the Guardian, that I am prepared to pay him ?5 as a gesture. I feel this is a small price to pay for actually looking forward to reading Witton match reports on Weds mornings again. And anyway, we can’t let WHS keep donating on his own. See you Saturday at Ashton.
Speaking to Adam Foy on Sunday, he says that the whole place is buzzing at the moment. Let’s keep it going.
Come on WWWIIIIITTTTTEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNN !
Ive recently been asked by the Guardian if i would be interested in Advertising with the paper, and also attending some wedding fayres that they are holding. Well i was considering doing just that. But as i told the Guardian. Theres more chance of Witton Albion making it onto the back page ;D.
Any advertising that i do with a local paper will be with the Northwich Chronicle. I also know of two other businessmen that wont be advertising with the Northwich Guardian again.
Or buying it !
online is fine for those who are looking for a witton write up - they make a conscious effort to click on it etc that wont inform casual readers who just flick through paper and have quick look at back page - it is these people we want to notice what is happenimg coz some may decide to come and watch -
Can i just draw everyone’s attention to the following quote from Andy Simpson yesterday;
" Let’s put it this way, both club’s message boards are talking about the Guardian today."
Andy obviously feels that it’s ‘job done’ as we are all discussing this week’s Guardian. Can i suggest that now everyone has aired their feelings that we again begin to concentrate on the football team again. We’re just giving Andy what he appears to want here - like all hacks he is just after a bit of sensationalism if his above quote is to be taken at face value!!
Now the club have stated they will not talk to the paper until there is less bias in the coverage, then i would say that from our point of view there isn’t any more point in dwelling on it. Let’s focus on Ashton and another 3 points!! This thread is getting more hits and more replies than some of the other football related topics (including the Supporters Team ). About time to put it to bed i would say??
Dear Mr. Simpson,
My letter concerning your biased coverage should be in your in tray today. Your paper is going to suffer a loss of support over your biased coverage, mark my words.
WHS.
Yes, by all means lets get behind the lads for Ashton, but this sort of nonsense from the Northwich Vics Guardian has got to be highlighted and acted upon.
We are missing out on potential support by our endeavours not being reported to the local public in a fair and representative manner.
One body of opinion may say that a boycott is counter-productive, but we have tried other avenues for years.
If I still lived in Northwich, I would have cancelled my deivery long ago.
Having just had a look at the guardian in tesco tonight must say I’ve never seen anything like it.
Front, page 5, full back page, and 2 inside pages! (chronicle has to be appluded however)
we win 7-2 thats (seven) and get a report smaller than the non league write ups used to be! (oh yeh we also beat 2nd in the league 3-0 and moved up to 2nd in the league and became 2nd favourites for the title, and had our biggest league gate of the season, but who cares about that!)
Given this is coming the week before easily the biggest league game since 2000 it shows a complete lack of competance and interest in our affairs by those who decide what goes in the papers.
So conman has a moan - didnt he do the same a month or so ago? If Mike W said we need more supporters of we’ll not survive would we get a full back page and front page coverage - I doubt it.
I suggest Jim Vince rings up the week before their trophy semi final and says he needs everyone in Northwich to roar us to the conference north and then I doubt the rentboys will get any coverage at all?
Andy I appreciate what you did last week with the bring a friend, but after last weeks results and the importance of this coming week for us to drop all that for a last minute phone call and broken record whinge shows clearly how the guardian feels about us and our achievements this season.
Well done to the club for taking a stand - some would say we don’t use the media, well if we don’t get coverage this week there is little point even inviting them to games- can we refuse them entrance on Tuesday or at least make them pay their ?8 like the rest of us? why should they free load after the insulting publicity they have given us.
Please give Andrew Simpson a little leeway - he is a good journalist.
You cannot blame him for making the most of an exclusive from Mike Connett.
Given the outstanding acheivement of Northwich Rugby Club this weekend, the match on Tuesday, Vics Semi-final next week and our HUGE cricket news, it will be interesting to see this weeks back page.
He can not be blamed for making use of an exclusive no - completley ignoring other clubs yes.
Do they even know we have a game this week?
I believe Connett wants 4,000 for the trophy semi - I’m sure that should get front and back pages, and the inside covers…
Well after almost 3 months without internet i have finally got access, well temporary for 2 weeks. So the saddo i am i have been catching up with everything i have not read in that time on here. So much has happened and so much i could comment on (Unibond tv,live broadcasts and the club programme come annoyingly to mind)but the Northwich Guardian is still at the forefront of my mind. Not sure if we are still banned from talking to them but Mr Simpson it has been over 3 weeks since i called you to complain about the match reports and the OTT coverage of the never will be a four sided stadium boys from across the canal. I made the observations i did as a customer of yours, not as a player!
I know this is somewhat old news now but what got me about the amount of coverage was the comments of Mr C concerning poor crowds and dragging us into the equation. Yes 800 lemmings is a poor turn out for a BIg trophy game for the BIG (sic) club in town but to then drag us into the poor crowds debate after we had just registered our biggest league gate of the season is poor. With the Guardian website statistics on your website showing our average attendance, surely you must have pointed out their intellectual flaw of Mr C’s in associating ourselves with poor crowds? At the very least you should have balanced up the report with stating that WItton had just had their biggest league gate of the season as the comment was a complete and utter contradiction of the situation. With regards to the back page maybe the Guardian should just live for the moment ie which team merits the back page headline. To be honest there are times when there are more deserving causes than either football club, just look at what Northwich Rugby club and big Graham Robinson are doing this season.
One final point i would like to make is to remind the Guardian that it is a newspaper and not an internet site. The internet is an extension of the newspaper for people out the area to catch up on the news thay can not get on a daily/weekly basis. It is not a tool of commercial blackmail as in my opinion it has become. I do not buy a newspaper to be told to read a match report online! Not all of us have access to the internet to do it.
Sorry i have one final thing to sayand that is THANK YOU to all those people associated with the flag. It is a humbling experience and i fell very honoured at what you have all done. I love playing for this football club and i love the position we are currently in, we all just need to pull together now for this final 12 game push.
Very well put Pritch ! I Know that i speak for everyone at Witton, when i say we love you playing for the club.
Over the years i feel that its become very rare to have a player who is so loyal to the football club, and its fans.
You`ve stuck with us through thick, and thin. Im not on about your hair line ;D lol.
As for the Northwich Guardian. I think your spot on in what you say.
Nice one Pritch, the flag is a fitting tribute and the anticipation in the build up to it’s debut at the Guiseley game was immense. We were s**tting ourselves in the morning thinking it wouldn’t arrive in time, but the reactions of you and the other lads (Connors was gutted!!! ha!!! but i think he likes the t-shirts) made it worthwhile.
We have lots of pictures of the flag, there is a pretty impressive one from inside the Kingfisher when me and Robbo nearly got barred for draping it over the balcony so if you want to see them, let us know.
I think the Guardian will go to great lengths to get everybody at the club back onside, as they realise that V*cs are going to win toss all, and hopefully come the 28th of April, we will have a lot to shout about (to the Chronicle). They have well and truly shot themselves in the foot.
Oh, one more thing, don’t give Big Robbo all the credit, he’ll start believing it!! You don’t have to stick up for your colleagues all the time
Totaly agree with pritch n pencil! well done to pritch by the way! Cant wait to see the flag wen i get back! Brian Pritchard is a red … ! Come on Witton!
). About time to put it to bed i would say??
