Chris Irvine and The Times

[Wendall]

VERY sad news from London, where The Times have decided to get rid of the post of fulltime rugby league writer.

The current Times league roundsman, Chris Irvine, sent me an emotional message the other night, pointing to News Limited's alleged commitment to rugby league as something of a contradiction.

Chris will finish up after the Four Nations and in future, The Times will probably use agency copy and sent colour or general reporters to the big events like Wembley and Test matches.

And so, another nail in the coffin of league's national profile in the UK. When Sam Burgess said recently "who knows what will happen to league in England?", this is the sort of thing he was talking about.

STEVE MASCORD

http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=37316

Bad news for Chris and I wish him well. Enjoyed reading his blogs and stuff.

But another blow for RL in that we dont have a RL writer at a national newspaper.

[brooza]

But another blow for RL in that we dont have a RL writer at a national newspaper.

Andy Wilson at The Guardian

Occasionally dabbles in cricket, but billed as "the Guardian's rugby league correspondent"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/andywilson

[Mistress_Marlowe]

But another blow for RL in that we dont have a RL writer at a national newspaper.

Dave Hadfield at The Independent.

Is Julie Stott still at The Sun?

[Wendall]

I should have said a RL writer at the Times.

Another one bites the dust!!!

[brooza]

To be honest though, I've not read anything of his since The Times went behind a paywall

[Exiled Wiganer]

This isn't good, and it continues our ghettoisation, especially because the "colour" writers will of course be vichies and spout their g n t patronising nonsense (while in the same breath praising fringe Wigan player Ashton to the heavens).

[deluded pom?]

He can thank his sports editor's refusal to bring S Jones to book for his anti RL diatribe that turned plenty of people off the Times.

[Chuckittoticker]

Andy Wilson at The Guardian

Occasionally dabbles in cricket, but billed as "the Guardian's rugby league correspondent"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/andywilson

Not sure he's a staff man rather than someone who supplies copy on basically a freelance basis. Thought he ran/worked for an agency which also employs Gareth Walker - another prominent Guardian byline.

[JWAD]

This isn't good, and it continues our ghettoisation, especially because the "colour" writers will of course be vichies and spout their g n t patronising nonsense (while in the same breath praising fringe Wigan player Ashton to the heavens).

"Ghettoisation"??

"Vichies"??

Ffs . . .

[TheMancunianCandidate]

We should turn this on its head?

Isn't the fact that the Times online is now behind a paywall causing this cut?

By all accounts - none confirmed from News Corp - the users of timesonline have plummeted since the paywall was introduced and revenues are not nearly anywhere near where they want them to be.

Trouble at 'mill.

[paley]

Hardly surprising, The Times has no interest in covering rugby league although who will be their "northern rugby correspondent" when the union season is back on?

Stephen Jones has been crowing quite a bit in the last couple of years about the decline of rugby coverage in the Times so no doubt he will be thrilled as he will get to lie about the game now with no chance of a comeback - not that there was ever much of one anyway - the traffic was all one way - remember when Chris mentioned the Vichy scandal and Jones filled his column with a series of lies to sooth his readers? Fortunately with the Times now behind a paywall Jones and his legion of Times union writers are an irrelevance.

[paley]

We should turn this on its head?

Isn't the fact that the Times online is now behind a paywall causing this cut?

By all accounts - none confirmed from News Corp - the users of timesonline have plummeted since the paywall was introduced and revenues are not nearly anywhere near where they want them to be.

Trouble at 'mill.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/0...81151921000.htm

With The Times now deciding to not cover rugby league other than to send ######s such as Jones along to the Challenge Cup final so he can lie about it and Sky marginalising the sport as much as it is able the old argument about increased coverage after a move to summer is looking rather ridiculous. I feel sorry for Christopher Irvine but he must have known that there is no future in being a RL journalist on a national newspaper.

[trakl]

Andy Wilson at The Guardian

Occasionally dabbles in cricket, but billed as "the Guardian's rugby league correspondent"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/andywilson

He "occasionally dabbles" in club rugby union, presumably at the invitation of his Sports Editor, leaving nobody at his newspaper to report on the seismic Australia v NZ 4 Nations clash at the Stoop last time around.

A curious turn of events for a "rugby league correspondent"

The paper's vast army of rugby union journalists must have been hors de combat.

[trakl]

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/0...81151921000.htm

With The Times now deciding to not cover rugby league other than to send ######s such as Jones along to the Challenge Cup final so he can lie about it and Sky marginalising the sport as much as it is able the old argument about increased coverage after a move to summer is looking rather ridiculous. I feel sorry for Christopher Irvine but he must have known that there is no future in being a RL journalist on a national newspaper.

I feel desperately sorry for Chris Irvine too. I enjoyed reading his blog which was witty, inventive and insightful - underpinned by an unapologetic passion for the game.

It was too, at least in the early days, successful in terms of popularity by comparison with many of the Times' more

established blogs on Establishment sports.

The Times' "Rugby (sic) Correspondent" David Hands and the Sunday Times' "Rugby (sic) Correspondent" Stephen Jones - the latter has in the past boasted repeatedly about rugby league's negligible coverage - must be inconsolable.

[Futtocks]

Shame. His RL blogs used to be good reading, especially the ones he posted during the last RWC.

But, like most on here, I'm not paying any money to the company who employs the plastic Welshman Jones.

Best of luck for the future, Chris!

[The Future is League]

Hardly surprising, The Times has no interest in covering rugby league although who will be their "northern rugby correspondent" when the union season is back on?

Stephen Jones has been crowing quite a bit in the last couple of years about the decline of rugby coverage in the Times so no doubt he will be thrilled as he will get to lie about the game now with no chance of a comeback - not that there was ever much of one anyway - the traffic was all one way - remember when Chris mentioned the Vichy scandal and Jones filled his column with a series of lies to sooth his readers? Fortunately with the Times now behind a paywall Jones and his legion of Times union writers are an irrelevance.

surely with the times now behind a paywall jones lies will not reach the audience they was before.

still on the subject of jones has anyone ever tried to sue him or the times for the lies he constantly tells?

[The Future is League]

We should turn this on its head?

Isn't the fact that the Times online is now behind a paywall causing this cut?

By all accounts - none confirmed from News Corp - the users of timesonline have plummeted since the paywall was introduced and revenues are not nearly anywhere near where they want them to be.

Trouble at 'mill.

good

[The Future is League]

Dave Hadfield at The Independent.

Is Julie Stott still at The Sun?

Martin Richard at the Express.

Trevor Baxter at the Mirror.

[hindle xiii]

Isn't this media dying anyway?

[The Future is League]

Isn't this media dying anyway?

Possibly. is it any wonder when everyday you read the dross they print. most tabloids this week have been fillling their pages with the Peter Crouch story. i don't give a toss about Crouch and what he does, but the tabloids seem to think i and many others do.

back on topic i think all of us Rugby League fans should only buy newspapers with a Rugby League correspodent. not many options to choose from, but i think we should.

[paley]

Possibly. is it any wonder when everyday you read the dross they print. most tabloids this week have been fillling their pages with the Peter Crouch story. i don't give a toss about Crouch and what he does, but the tabloids seem to think i and many others do.

back on topic i think all of us Rugby League fans should only buy newspapers with a Rugby League correspodent. not many options to choose from, but i think we should.

The best method is to comment on articles and blogs by RL writers - so Dave Hadfields articles or the RL blogs in the Guardian. Unfortunately the Independent changes its comments system every month or so none of whoch I have ever been able to work out how to register with. I am banned from commenting on Guardian blogs because they don't like you pointing out on Shaun Edwards' pieces of fiction that Richard Branson is a billionaire and the muppet at Bath isn't.

Edited August 11, 2010 by paley

[hindle xiii]

Possibly. is it any wonder when everyday you read the dross they print. most tabloids this week have been fillling their pages with the Peter Crouch story. i don't give a toss about Crouch and what he does, but the tabloids seem to think i and many others do.

back on topic i think all of us Rugby League fans should only buy newspapers with a Rugby League correspodent. not many options to choose from, but i think we should.

Without wanting to de-rail the thread/read a tabloid, what Peter Crouch story?!

I read the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, that's it...

[The Future is League]

The best method is to comment on articles and blogs by RL writers - so Dave Hadfields articles or the RL blogs in the Guardian. Unfortunately the Independent changes its comments system every month or so none of whoch I have ever been able to work out how to register with. I am banned from commenting on Guardian blogs because they don't like you pointing out on Shaun Edwards' pieces of fiction that Richard Branson is a billionaire and the muppet at Bath isn't.

doesn't it help when we click on Rugby League articles. isn't that what encouraged jones to continue to spew out his lies with people were clicking on his online articles?

[trakl]

doesn't it help when we click on Rugby League articles. isn't that what encouraged jones to continue to spew out his lies with people were clicking on his online articles?

Stephen Jones has been the Sunday Times' Rugby (sic) Correspondent for around 25 years and has gloried in damning rugby league and humiliating even its greatest players throughout this period. He won the prize - I kid you not! - for (William Hill?) Sports Book of the Year for his "masterpiece" "Endless Winter..." Read the sections on rugby league and weep. He's untouchable. Refusing on principle to click on his online articles would make no difference whatsoever to his status on the newspaper. Sports Editors have come and gone but Jones remains - inviolable, imperious in his shamelessness and cawing derisively, no doubt, upon Chris Irvine's demise.

[Bulletproof]

VERY sad news from London, where The Times have decided to get rid of the post of fulltime rugby league writer.

The current Times league roundsman, Chris Irvine, sent me an emotional message the other night, pointing to News Limited's alleged commitment to rugby league as something of a contradiction.

Chris will finish up after the Four Nations and in future, The Times will probably use agency copy and sent colour or general reporters to the big events like Wembley and Test matches.

And so, another nail in the coffin of league's national profile in the UK. When Sam Burgess said recently "who knows what will happen to league in England?", this is the sort of thing he was talking about.

STEVE MASCORD

http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=37316

Bad news for Chris and I wish him well. Enjoyed reading his blogs and stuff.

But another blow for RL in that we dont have a RL writer at a national newspaper.

What on earth does this have to do with Warrington, eh?