i called the leader this morning to complan about the cr*p cover they give and was told they cover all sports equally i think we should all email the new guy and keep doing it till they change caues a boycott will not work
What is the address please??
"You'll not see nothing like the Shelbourne team"
Has it ever occurred to any of ye that the Leader is not owned by a Limerick family anymore, but part of the Scottish Media Group, the Johnston Press? As a result, the editors have to obey guidelines handed down from head office as to content and I also know that the management group appointed research teams to analyse levels of support and interest in Limerick before allocatiing editorial space to them.
Statistically, GAA is the strongest supported/ played sport throughout the county. This is followed by Junior soccer, Rugby and underage sports. League of Ireland soccer has been appallingly supported by the Limerick public over the years. It still is badly supported when you take into consideration that Limerick is a sports mad city.
Commercially it makes sense for the Leader to go with the crowd as it were, and allocate the most coverage to those other, better supported and played sports. It provides them with a greater readership and better revenue potential, which is what a newspaper is all about. The Post and Live 95FM proportion their sports coverage also.
Given that the other sports are more popular, better supported and played, why should senior soccer demand coverage? There is a long way to go, and the club is doing a marvellous job on and off the field. With that, more support will come, and as a result, so too will the coverage not only in the leader, but in other media outlets also.
Success and popularity breed publicity. It is unfair to ask for or expect as much coverage as other sports just yet. But the time will come.
Ya, I remember the good old days under old ownership..........
SighIt still is badly supported when you take into consideration that Limerick is a sports mad city.![]()
Funny Joe, I thought they were about bringing the news???Commercially it makes sense for the Leader to go with the crowd as it were, and allocate the most coverage to those other, better supported and played sports. It provides them with a greater readership and better revenue potential, which is what a newspaper is all about.
Have always found them a lot fairer to us then the "leader" (oh the irony)The Post and Live 95FM proportion their sports coverage also.
The clue is in the bit in boldGiven that the other sports are more popular, better supported and played, why should senior soccer demand coverage?
How deep was this "research" by the new Scottish group. You and I both know Joe that the sports department is populated by a mixture of semi-literate apes and event junkies. Not a competent journalist among them. Why were they not weeded out?? We also both know that large swathes of these clown have had grudges against senior football for many a year and continue to hold them. Anyone who disputes this frankly has their head up their hole
You just do not seem to want to look at this objectively. As you rightly said, a newspaper should report on news. It does. All newspapers are commercial enterprises. They are going to give preference to other, more popular sports. If you can't understand that, then its you with the head buried up your hole, as you so nicely put it.
And if you think that simply because its League of Ireland football it should get more coverage than GAA( in which there are several Limerick teams competing on a National scale) and Rugby (same applies) then your head must be permanently stuck there.
I'm not being argumentative here and agree with a lot of what you say and understand your anger. But it is looked upon commercially, not emotionally.
Joe in fairness Summerville under 16s get the same coverage as we do in that rag. I e-mailed the new and improved sports editor after the Limerick 37 Self-Destruct saga and was basically told that I'm a nit-picking son of a bitch, which is true....
Last edited by jebus; 17/04/2007 at 11:24 PM.
Hi Joe
Nice to see a juicy post to engage with.
The most recent ESRI statistics and other media polls have positioned soccer in general as being well ahead of GAA and Rugby for participation and indeed the most recent Setanta poll has soccer way out in front on participation and support. One has to accept that for periods of the year the ranks of rugby and GAA support swells due to munster and county participation. It is also a good idea to look at the gates of recent gaa county games and minor football games to gauge support. Rugby in limerick has always had a traditional support in the clubs but if one was to look at the gates in these games the statistics would be bourn out.
It is true to say that the GAA have intercounty games on a regular basis but it is also true to say that so has soccer. Ballynanty beat a cork side to make the final of the MJC and Wembley youths were edged out of the U17 FAI by a Dublin side. Limerick beat Kilkenny 1-0 and are Currently 2nd in the league of Ireland ( I know you know that) If one was to count all the night owls and other five a side and 11 a side “informal” leagues well it just speaks for itself.
All in all I would expect to see a change in the new Limerick leaders approach to sports coverage with the new editors on board, as the formats currently in use are aged and amateurish.
I will finish by saying that the level of coverage the Local paper has given to L37FC this season so far has been far better in both quality and quantity. I would like to see much more but will try to ensure that all papers want to publish stories with L37FC and limerick soccer on a regular basis.
Last edited by Old keeper; 17/04/2007 at 6:06 PM.
"When faced with total negativity, a smile is a weapon of mass destruction"
Hi Ger,
Those ERSI stats are based upon National ratings, not local ones, but I respect and take on board your point. I'm merely playing devils advocate here...I would love to see better coverage from the Leader and truth be told I encountered similar difficulties with them a few seasons ago when I was helping out the previous regime in a PR capacity.
I also did mention Junior soccer as part of the sports that receive better coverage than its senior counterpart and that is largely down to numbers playing, attending and buying the Leader and Chronicle simply for fixtures and club notes.
The only point I'm trying to make is thatpeople should try and understand the main goal of a newspaper is to make money and that is best served by supporting sports that have a bigger following or participation.
Working in media myself, I certainly wouldn't appreciate being ripped to shreds by a minority of fans on a website and it certainly wouldn't enamour me towards allocating additional editorial coverage for them. All I'm trying to say is that if the club continues to progress in the very positive manner it has been both on and off the pitch, then the Leader will cotton on and start to publicise it as it merits.
Heres an idea, lets put every bit of media coverage by the post. leader, rte anything up here. If anyone can get the cup winning clip that was on teh news on rte a few weeks ago it would be great. We'll start this Wednesday.
First off:
I work in the Limerick Leader as a graphic designer. I have no input whatsoever in editorial content in any capacity whether it be sports or otherwise.
Secondly:
I see every paper that comes out from the leader and we are covered in almost every mid week and weekender edition as well as featuring in city and county papers. I'll make these available to those who have yet to see it.
The weekender prints 50,000 copies each week that are delivered to homes in Limerick, our coverage in this is fantastic.
I speak to the new sports editor daily about Limerick 37 and he is hugely enthusiatic about the club. He has been at Jackman as a spectator while a Leader reporter attends seperately. He's a nice guy not long in the door that wants to see us do well and wants to give us decent coverage.
I know i'm wasting my time here and no doubt will be hung for voicing my own personal opinion but if you actually read each article on us that has appeared in the leader this season you would see we are getting very good coverage and it is regular.
I would absolutely support the criticism if it was deserved (on the basis of this season alone) but it is not ( on the basis of this season alone). Bombarding a new editor who is supportive of us and wants to give us good coverage is completely bad form in my view and only attacks the wrong people.
As i said before i'm not here to be the leaders defence but I see our coverage through working there and have to say that the criticsm is based on past performance and not this season, and therefore unfair on a new sports editor who backs us. Thats my view.
Limerick 3:7
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again"
Which was of course precede by........
Show me where I say we should get more coverage than themAnd if you think that simply because its League of Ireland football it should get more coverage than GAA( in which there are several Limerick teams competing on a National scale) and Rugby (same applies) then your head must be permanently stuck there.![]()
Do you work for the "leader" (oh the irony)?? Why with a professional attitude like that you could be editorWorking in media myself, I certainly wouldn't appreciate being ripped to shreds by a minority of fans on a website and it certainly wouldn't enamour me towards allocating additional editorial coverage for them.![]()
Your hardly impartial in fairnessAs i said before i'm not here to be the leaders defence but I see our coverage through working there and have to say that the criticsm is based on past performance and not this season
Your point isn't valid either. Coverage is rubbish this season too. Had to go in two pages before finding a fifth of a page set aside for the Kilkenny game Monday
Granted, it's maybe a teency bit better due to the putting out to grass of John O'Shaugnessy but that's more fluke then any great editorial masterstroke
My work there if anything backs my point. It also allows me to see the full picture. I see every paper that comes out of there, you boycott it or at your best glance over it sometimes without buying it. So I see our coverage in the Leader regularly, you don't.
I also speak to the editor and know he is genuine in his enthusiasm for the club and soccer in general. I have no problem putting up pics of articles that have appeared this season, articles that you have clearly not seen.
Limerick 3:7
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again"
Lim til I die, either you are a really good wind-up merchant or a complete idiot. I don't know which one but I have my suspicions. I've decided against a debate here with you because you obviously have a petty small-minded campaign against the Leader and that will never change.
Just for the record, I don't and never have worked for the Leader.
Idioitic, childish tirades against the new sports editor wont get you anywhere. Try a more adult, civil approach and you might get somewhere.
Go with that hunch Joe it's what all good journalists do.
Frankly, knowing of your character, I couldn't give a monkeys either way
Spot on Joe, the "leader" (Oh the irony) killed my father and raped my mother.................... Or else it's just a rubbish paperI've decided against a debate here with you because you obviously have a petty small-minded campaign against the Leader and that will never change.![]()
Where?????Idioitic, childish tirades against the new sports editor wont get you anywhere. Try a more adult, civil approach and you might get somewhere
Bookmarks