Why is the official site so bad?

[dougdeep]

I am sure we still get paid for every hit on the Albion site so why don't they make it worth going to. There is no match report yet, while most other websites have theirs. And as for Seagulls World, I will not be renewing at the end of my free first year as I never use it. All I need to know is on N.S.C. and it is free and quicker.

 

[Yorkie]

Make sure you cancel rather than not renewing as I think it goes on autmatically.

 

[Vankleek Hill Seagull]

The Official Site may be a bit slow but that's probably because PremiumTV (related to NTL) are the people who are contracted to run it and update it, not the club.

I think you'll find that club give them all of the information to put on it. This was all part of a Football League deal a while back.

However £34.99 for Seagulls World is invaluable for us expats, especially as it allows us to listen to Hawesey's dulcet tones on the SCR commentary.

 

[Strike]

Same with posting on their slow messageboard, which I post on a regular basis. The club get paid for each post. Thats about the only thing I go for there. A lot of news I get from here.

 

[timco]

You all have until tomorrow (Monday) to apply taken from the guardian online

FL Interactive General Manager

Organisation: The Football League Limited
Location:
Date posted: 19 Sep 04
Closing date: 04 Oct 04



Job description
FL Interactive Limited ("FLi"), is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Football League, involved in the exploitation of internet and mobile sports rights for 68 Football League and 7 FA Premier League Clubs. The company now has a vacancy for a General Manager to take day-to-day responsibility for managing and developing FL Interactive's business.

Based at the League's London office.
your principal responsibilities will be:-
- Maximising revenue from all existing and potential revenue sources (including internet and mobile subscription products, betting, sponsorship and affinity agreements, advertising agreements, content syndication deals etc).
- To sensitively manage FLi's cost base and its service agreement with Premium TV.
- To build the profile of FLi within its market place.
- To seek new and incremental alliances with other similar businesses within the market place to add value.
- To develop strong working relationships with FLI's participating clubs, including those in the FA Premier League and Conference.
- Work closely with the League's existing commercial department and develop an integrated approach to commercial development.

As well as excellent analytical skills and commercial acumen, you will have considerable experience working within an internet or mobile business, preferably with a detailed knowledge of the exploitation of internet and mobile sports rights, particularly via subscription products.

Excellent salary and benefits package, commensurate with experience.

The Football League is an equal opportunities employer and would welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Europe's biggest and most watched football competition

Now name the 3 clubs in the championship not involved in the deal and compare their sites to FLI ones.
Then name the clubs in league 2 not involved in the FLI ones and compare their sites to FLI ones.

The only league where all clubs are involved is league 1.

(A clue to work out the clubs most have until recently not been part of the FL).

 

[dougdeep]

Still no report and too many pop-ups.

 

[Hiney]

I do think it's a little unfair to blame the club for all the website problems. Whilst the club has it's own 'Webmaster', I think I'm right in saying that all alterations etc have to be done by some sort of central person at NTL

For all we know, the club could have submitted their match report by 5.30 yesterday evening

 

[Strike]

Timco, I remember on your website I visited yesterday, which I see you no longer run. You stated No thanks to NTL, as they only aim to make a profit out of footy fans and don't care about them. Do you blame them when the website goes bad, like the message board. I was wandering did you have problems with them, is that why you dislike them so much.

 

[timco]

Timco, I remember on your website I visited yesterday, which I see you no longer run. You stated No thanks to NTL, as they only aim to make a profit out of footy fans and don't care about them. Do you blame them when the website goes bad, like the message board. I was wandering did you have problems with them, is that why you dislike them so much.

I still run it, simply few pictures from me, still open to others pictures though and now I work full-time I have less time available for it.

I have no problem with commercial activities by clubs to make money. Its when that money making comes at the expense of fans freedom to support and show that support.

The NTL deal came with a big clampdown on sites that were not part of the official networks. This dealt a death blow to all the good things that happened on the net like the Millers network where official and unofficial mixed happily. It also stops any use of the club badge on anything bar official sites (thankfully BHA are less strict on this than some others). This is still as far as I am aware being contested in the courts (from another matter) as it is claimed that you can't copyright a badge of allegiance such as a fottie team badge.

It also came with the photo and press licensing of games (Simon's excellent reports if we were some other teams (who I won't name for fear of being sued) they would put a stop to him.) this put a stop to the likes of me as its hardly possible that I will fulfil the increasing conditions of a photo licence (I must have had at least 15 pictures published in local press within the last 12 months, I must have 2 million of liability cover etc etc.)

My site breaks all the rules of photo licensing as I am not supposed to use pictures on it.
But do I blame NTL when things go wrong, no I don't, however bad the site is now it is still a vast improvement on what was before, even if the original FLPTV offerings were a lot worse on what went before.

I also know (unless things have changed since peering over PC's and F's shoulder at Withdean some time ago) that some things are done on the fly and it is not fair to blame NTL for them not being there.

 

[skitz]

I think it's a real shame that something can't be sorted out so you can take pictures at the games you can get to, Tim. Your site is pretty much the only place fans can get free pictures from Albion games. If there is space for Bennett Dean (whose pictures aren't as good as yours) to flog his pictures for £12 a book I don't see why you can't take a few snaps, after all you are a cult legend amongst some fans.

 

[timco]

I think it's a real shame that something can't be sorted out so you can take pictures at the games you can get to, Tim. Your site is pretty much the only place fans can get free pictures from Albion games. If there is space for Bennett Dean (whose pictures aren't as good as yours) to flog his pictures for £12 a book I don't see why you can't take a few snaps, after all you are a cult legend amongst some fans.

If you look in the front of Bennetts book you will see I get a mention, this is largely down to lending him gear and little bits of advice here and there.

I disagree about Bennetts pictures I think he has come on fine and now takes some really excellent pictures, this though may be more down to practice, he gets more than I do. Bennett also makes some pictures available for the site, if he had internet access there would be more.

As to free pictures, what about Roz?

 

[skitz]

Yes, I totally forgot about Roz. I love her site.

I don't have a problem with Bennett either, but I thought the last book he released was a little disappointing and I don't think his pictures are as good as yours. This is not an attack on him as his pictures are still very good, I'm just saying that I don't see why they can't chuck a pass your way, it's hardly a big ask and your site provides a service to Albion fans.

 

[timco]

Yes, I totally forgot about Roz. I love her site.

I don't have a problem with Bennett either, but I thought the last book he released was a little disappointing and I don't think his pictures are as good as yours. This is not an attack on him as his pictures are still very good, I'm just saying that I don't see why they can't chuck a pass your way, it's hardly a big ask and your site provides a service to Albion fans.

Because I give them away, or as it was put to me by Reading, if you give them away who will ever pay for them.

This of course does not stop Reading's official site featuring pictures taken by someone breaching the rules (IE from the crowd without accreditation not something allowed at Reading home games) at away games does it.