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[Albion] Andy Naylor is leaving







Denis

Well-known member
Mar 25, 2013
608
Portslade
I’ve just signed up, introductory price is great, just hope it’s easy to cancel next year, if I don’t think it’s worth the subscription.
 






Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
24,779
GOSBTS
I would not pay £29.99 just for Andy Naylor content but they look to have secured some quality talent across football that I think I might just go for it.
 






Dave the OAP

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
46,761
at home
Andy still posts a lot of Albion stuff on Twatter, so will be a tight arse and stick to that.
 






Barham's tash

Well-known member
Jun 8, 2013
3,726
Rayners Lane
Two free articles a month if you elect not to subscribe.

Whilst the introductory offer is good I’m not going to jump in two footed now just because of that - there will be others I’m sure.

£120 a year on a monthly sub feels like a huge outlay for what will probably amount to reading maybe four articles a week.
 








trueblue

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
10,948
Hove
Being tight, in spirit I’m against paying for stuff I can get elsewhere for free. However, having just signed up for the trial, it feels like they might be on to something.

Albion-wise, Andy’s written an interesting piece that gives a good insight into Potter. However, for me, the real appeal may actually be reading stories from other clubs, written by people who know what they’re talking about. The national press don’t dip much beyond the Big Six and, when they do, routinely make ill-informed generalisations.

Sure, the local papers will still provide a service but their sites have become bloated with advertising and pop-ups. On first impression, The Athletic seems more akin to browsing a magazine, but one that’s far more up to date than the likes of 442. It’s clear the writers have more time to craft their articles than they’d ever get up against newspaper deadlines.

If they can regularly produce work like the exceptional feature on how transfers really happen, I might have to can my scepticism and stay on board. At the annual price of £60 though. There’s no way I’d be paying £10 per month.
 


trueblue

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
10,948
Hove
We get the Sunday Times too, but have a subscription deal at a tenner a month that means we get vouchers to pick up the paper at our local newsagent, and a digital Times subscription to read it online. Works for us :cheers:

I do that too. Ssshhhhh. I really don’t think the Times have noticed the loophole, when you look at what they demand for a ‘proper’ digital subscription.
 


beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
36,013
If they can regularly produce work like the exceptional feature on how transfers really happen, I might have to can my scepticism and stay on board. At the annual price of £60 though. There’s no way I’d be paying £10 per month.

general problem for me with pay for sites is this. i understand they need a higher subscription to model and plan revenue, but im certain micro-payments per article will be better, receive more in the long run. no one seems to have done it or made it work yet though.
 




trueblue

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
10,948
Hove
Hmm. Having explored a bit more, it seems their coverage of the EFL only extends to featured clubs Derby, Forest, Sheff Wed, Leeds and West Brom. So beyond the Premier League, it's not going to be much cop. My positive opinion may be changing rapidly.
 


cocamalia

Member
Jan 1, 2011
98
The problem for Andy is that he was reliant on his collaboration with the club to deliver stories. He still has these connections, but is he prepared to write challenging stories which the club might not like, or will he straddle the middle road. If he does the former he might make a more interesting read and have some sort of unique insight, but he may also make the club unhappy and lose his connections / edge. The Argus sport essentially survives by providing free PR for the club. It's a sad truth about the industry.

Sadly, though, I think my biggest issue with Andy Naylor is that he is not a particularly good writer. He falls way short of most of the national's in terms of writing quality and analysis.
 


May 27, 2014
1,638
Littlehampton
The problem for Andy is that he was reliant on his collaboration with the club to deliver stories. He still has these connections, but is he prepared to write challenging stories which the club might not like, or will he straddle the middle road. If he does the former he might make a more interesting read and have some sort of unique insight, but he may also make the club unhappy and lose his connections / edge. The Argus sport essentially survives by providing free PR for the club. It's a sad truth about the industry.
.

I too am fascinated to see how this develops.

What will the club make of this 'service'. Is it going to feed Naylor at all or is he on his own. Are they going to look to break news via The Athletic or is it analysis only?

Intriguing times. Think I'll probably sign up next week for the start of the season.

Interested to see how Naylor manages a bit more freedom also.


Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
 






Not Andy Naylor

Well-known member
Dec 12, 2007
8,992
Seven Dials
Being tight, in spirit I’m against paying for stuff I can get elsewhere for free. However, having just signed up for the trial, it feels like they might be on to something.

Albion-wise, Andy’s written an interesting piece that gives a good insight into Potter. However, for me, the real appeal may actually be reading stories from other clubs, written by people who know what they’re talking about. The national press don’t dip much beyond the Big Six and, when they do, routinely make ill-informed generalisations.

Sure, the local papers will still provide a service but their sites have become bloated with advertising and pop-ups. On first impression, The Athletic seems more akin to browsing a magazine, but one that’s far more up to date than the likes of 442. It’s clear the writers have more time to craft their articles than they’d ever get up against newspaper deadlines.

If they can regularly produce work like the exceptional feature on how transfers really happen, I might have to can my scepticism and stay on board. At the annual price of £60 though. There’s no way I’d be paying £10 per month.

Blimey, £60?? Lucky I started back in March for the US version.

I took up a special offer for the NFL and MLB coverage and for the first few weeks it was superb with lots of great ideas and new angles. But after that - ie when all the editors and writers had used up all the great ideas and new angles they'd been sitting on for the launch - it settled down into just another ESPN or Bleacher Report. With the comparatively limited access to players and managers in British football, especially at Premier League level, I wonder how long it will take the same thing to happen here. Andy Naylor's good relationship with Albion will help him avoid that pitfall more than most, but I foresee clashes over timing of embargoed quotes etc. We'll see.
 


studio150

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2011
30,225
On the Border
"30-day free trial (ending 09/04/2019)"

They do, of course, mean 04/09...

Who wants to subscribe to something if they can't even get the date right.

Will be interesting to see how this progresses as they have signed up some names from the national papers
 


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