The Terrible Journalism & Tom English Thread

[senorsoupe]

15 hours ago, BigFatTabbyDave said:

I'd just noticed that article. Nothing short of a plaintive wail that women's football is yet to follow the rigid template of the men's game. Pathetic.

 

15 hours ago, Miguel Sanchez said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45465408

Did you know there was an Old Firm derby played on Sunday? No? You weren't alone.

While last weekend's Scottish Premiership meeting of Celtic and Rangers received wall-to-wall coverage, the women's version on Sunday seemed to be a well-kept secret.

But it was a marketing dream. On Tuesday, Scotland's women qualified for the World Cup for the first time. Women's football became part of the national conversation, even among those who knew nothing of the sport.

 

And those people were asking obvious questions about the teams, players, and the standard. More encouragingly, many parents were asking how their daughters could get involved. And girls may even have got the ball out in the back garden with their friends.

Add in the fact it was international week and it was an incredible opportunity to promote women's football.

But Celtic and Rangers only began advertising their game three hours before kick-off, when most people had already made Sunday plans.

Celtic Park sat empty. Instead, around 200 fans made their way to K Park in East Kilbride and handed over their fiver to watch the first team's game with Rangers, followed by the girls academy facing their Glasgow City counterparts. It was excellent value. [The subheader with a picture of the crowd just above this sentence reads: "Well-priced, but poor value"]

But everything else seemed an afterthought. No match programme. No PA announcements to announce who the players were. There was no Green brigade or Blue Order getting the songs started. The flags, the colours, the songs and chants were nowhere to be seen or heard. Instead there was just the quiet murmur of conversation when the action dulled.

On the field it was fiercely competitive, but disappointingly goalless. Rangers had started with a flurry that soon fizzled out, and Celtic almost sneaked a win at the end when Chloe Craig's header was cleared off the line and Rachel Donaldson's effort struck the crossbar.

In his first game in charge, storied Celtic head coach Eddie Wolecki Black admitted neither side had done themselves justice. Rangers counterpart Amy McDonald called it scrappy.

It could have been 10-10 for all the blissfully unaware outside world cared.

In England, Manchester City had spent all week previewing their women's game to their 6.39m followers on the club's main Twitter account. Video highlights, behind-the-scenes footage, pictures, and interviews were posted to entice fans - in total 11 different tweets in two days on their main social media channel.

Likewise, Aston Villa advertised to their 1.15m followers that they were streaming the women's game with Man Utd, albeit it would have been painful viewing, given they lost 12-0. Arsenal, likewise, posted 28 times about their game, with pre-match interviews, line-ups, constant updates, photos, and even a post-match video filmed by one of the players.

Celtic posted twice - the half-time and full-time scores. While Rangers Women tweeted match updates, their main account gave them an obligatory retweet before the game, then ignored the match.

Of course, the marketing resources of those English sides dwarves the more modest sums of their Scottish counterparts. But Glasgow City, Hamilton and Forfar are all doing more than the Old Firm to sell the game. And they do have a game worth selling.

It was Wolecki Black's first game in charge of Celtic, having confirmed Motherwell's promotion to the top flight just two weeks ago after recovering from a brain haemorrhage.

The Dundonian made his name with four consecutive trebles at Glasgow City, then moved on to Airdrieonians in the men's game before being struck down by illness at the interval during a game at Cowdenbeath.

That he is even walking again was testament to his courage and now he faces another daunting - if far less significant - challenge of raising Celtic to the top of the women's game. They are 20 points adrift of City, with Rangers another eight further back.

But City are dominant; champions 11 years in a row. They beat Stirling University on Sunday to reclaim top spot on goal difference from Hibs, who won the SWPL's first ever televised game 2-0 against Forfar Farmington on Friday night.

The meeting of the top two on the penultimate day of the season - six weeks away - will likely decide the destination of the title. With both boasting 100% records against every other team, a draw could mean a final day shoot-out with whoever can score most lifting the silverware.

The fight to avoid relegation will also go down to the wire. Hamilton had Jade Lindsay sent off with 35 minutes to go but still found a last-minute Kirstie McIntosh equaliser to salvage a draw against second-bottom Spartans. They remain two points adrift at the bottom.

------------------------------

The more I read this the more I wonder what the point of it is. Is it probably correctly pointing out that the two most well-supported clubs in Scotland had a game at the weekend, on an international break, with a chance to promote some interest in it? To an extent yes, but what other points are you attempting to make? "Glasgow City, Hamilton and Forfar are all doing more to sell the game." What is that? "And they do have a game worth selling?" How? Oh you go on to tell us that Glasgow City have won the league eleven years running. Very interesting. 

 

This article had the opportunity to make a good point about how Celtic and Rangers should have promoted this game, but completely wasted the opportunity with a sad lament about how Celtic Women vs. Rangers Women isn't exactly like Celtic vs. Rangers men. 

[The Minertaur]

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/allan-mcgregor-rangers-lucky-wasnt-13208858

Always enjoy reading Barry Ferguson's articles.

Quote

I’ve got to admit I was shocked and alarmed last season when I’d hear opposition players declaring they were coming to Govan looking to take all three points. You could almost feel the heat from them rubbing their hands at the prospect of a trip where they clearly fancied their chances.

Let’s be clear, that should NEVER be the case for any visiting team at Ibrox.

Most teams should be walking through that iconic marble hall and turning left towards the away dressing room with their knees knocking in trepidation of what’s to come.

 

[Guest JTS98]

4 hours ago, senorsoupe said:

 

This article had the opportunity to make a good point about how Celtic and Rangers should have promoted this game, but completely wasted the opportunity with a sad lament about how Celtic Women vs. Rangers Women isn't exactly like Celtic vs. Rangers men. 

The funny thing about it is that it criticises the Old Firm for their lack of thought surrounding the fixture, yet the piece itself seems to have been thrown together in the spirit of "I need to write something about women's fitba this week, this pointless collection of sentences will have to do".

I see the guy who wrote it is trying to carve out a niche for himself in writing about women's football, and that's fair enough. But that doesn't mean just knocking together shoddy stuff like this. No surprise it made it through the BBC's non-existent quality control. You'd like to think some kind of editor would have thought "What's the point of this?".

[senorsoupe]

7 minutes ago, JTS98 said:

The funny thing about it is that it criticises the Old Firm for their lack of thought surrounding the fixture, yet the piece itself seems to have been thrown together in the spirit of "I need to write something about women's fitba this week, this pointless collection of sentences will have to do".

I see the guy who wrote it is trying to carve out a niche for himself in writing about women's football, and that's fair enough. But that doesn't mean just knocking together shoddy stuff like this. No surprise it made it through the BBC's non-existent quality control. You'd like to think some kind of editor would have thought "What's the point of this?".

I don't give a shite about womens football so I'm going to write a shite article criticizing Celtic and Rangers for not giving a shite and have it published by an organization that doesn't really give a shite about Scottish football

With a bit more thought and time this could have been an opportunity to make a good point, but instead the BBC just phoned it in again

[Guest JTS98]

10 minutes ago, senorsoupe said:

I don't give a shite about womens football so I'm going to write a shite article criticizing Celtic and Rangers for not giving a shite and have it published by an organization that doesn't really give a shite about Scottish football

With a bit more thought and time this could have been an opportunity to make a good point, but instead the BBC just phoned it in again

I think it shows the depths some people are prepared to stoop to to say they are football journalists.

It just comes across as laboured.

Why not just write about something the writer has something interesting to say about?

Agree there were the bones of an interesting article here, but it's been missed badly.

[Monkey Tennis]

3 hours ago, The Minertaur said:

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/allan-mcgregor-rangers-lucky-wasnt-13208858

Always enjoy reading Barry Ferguson's articles.

 

These articles are certainly worth a chuckle.

Thoroughly stupid and moronic in terms of content and style, yet still far too sophisticated to have been written by their alleged author.  

Edited September 12, 2018 by Monkey Tennis

[Bairnardo]

These articles are certainly worth a chuckle.
Thoroughly stupid and moronic in terms of content and style, yet still far too sophisticated to have been written by their alleged author.  

Agreed. No way wee Barry Backpass has ever heard of the word Trepidation.

Indeed, when he reads the article he allegedly wrote. Prob thinks its a brand of fleece/soft shell jacket.

[bennett]

8 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

Agreed. No way wee Barry Backpass has ever heard of the word Trepidation.

Indeed, when he reads the article he allegedly wrote. Prob thinks its a brand of fleece/soft shell jacket.

Shouldn't that be big Barry Backpass to you.....

 

[Bairnardo]

Shouldn't that be big Barry Backpass to you.....
 

No. Because hes a wee betrackied chav.

[bennett]

1 minute ago, Bairnardo said:

3 minutes ago, bennett said:

Shouldn't that be big Barry Backpass to you.....
 

No. Because hes a wee betrackied chav.

Ned not chav, seriously B you're usually more savvy than this.

 

[7-2]

22 hours ago, Miguel Sanchez said:

It could have been 10-10 for all the blissfully unaware outside world cared.
He at least got one thing right.  Few people do care about women's football despite the BBC's failed agenda to position it as equal to the men's.

Is it probably correctly pointing out that the two most well-supported clubs in Scotland had a game at the weekend
They didn't actually. Their women's teams did. There is a world of a difference.

 

[NorthernLights]

Award for the most pointless article on the BBC website today goes to...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45465028

[Monkey Tennis]

5 hours ago, NorthernLights said:

Award for the most pointless article on the BBC website today goes to...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45465028

It really is drivel.

BBC Scotland has happily embraced the idea of being entirely tabloid in nature.

[RandomGuy.]

BBC have an article of St Mirren signing Anton Ferdinand, apparently he's the "younger brother of former England striker, Les". 

It's obviously easy to mix up Les, a 51 year old striker, and Rio, a 39 year old defender. 

[ah-dee]

not "terrible journalism" as such but the bbc report of tonights st mirren v celtic game siggts it as "a dream start for Oran Kearny". No a dream start would be a resounding home victory not a home draw against 10 men. just irks me the disdain they hold clubs outside the arse cheeks that we should be grateful for anything!

 

 

 

eta it wont post a picture of it for some reason

[Salvo Montalbano]

What's even worse is that the headline describes it as a dream start but the article describes how they "almost gave the new manager a dream start" by winning but didn't!

[Monkey Tennis]

2 hours ago, Salvo Montalbano said:

What's even worse is that the headline describes it as a dream start but the article describes how they "almost gave the new manager a dream start" by winning but didn't!

In the  closing minutes, the headline for following the game was "Can 10 man Celtic grab late winner?"  It implied that was what we were all yearning for.

[1320Lichtie]

not "terrible journalism" as such but the bbc report of tonights st mirren v celtic game siggts it as "a dream start for Oran Kearny". No a dream start would be a resounding home victory not a home draw against 10 men. just irks me the disdain they hold clubs outside the arse cheeks that we should be grateful for anything!

 

 

 

eta it wont post a picture of it for some reason

 

What a shite thing to complain about.

 

Before the game St Mirren were huge odds to take a draw from the game, it was a great start for the new manager.

 

Eta: After a minute on google (might be wrong). Before last night, St Mirren had only had 7 results (draw or win) in all competitions v Celtic since 1990.. 1 result every 4 years, for a new manager to come in and get a result in his first game against the Champions after having such a bad start and being pumped 4-1 in the last league fixture is superb for him.

[7-2]

18 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

What a shite thing to complain about.

Before the game St Mirren were huge odds to take a draw from the game, it was a great start for the new manager.

Eta: After a minute on google (might be wrong). Before last night, St Mirren had only had 7 results (draw or win) in all competitions v Celtic since 1990.. 1 result every 4 years, for a new manager to come in and get a result in his first game against the Champions after having such a bad start and being pumped 4-1 in the last league fixture is superb for him.

1888Lichtie really doesn't like any criticism involving his team.

Edited September 15, 2018 by 7-2

[1320Lichtie]

1888Lichtie really doesn't like any criticism involving his team.

This is just a lazy expected response from the paranoid perma seethers to be honest.