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Seasiders' promotion spawns supplements galore

A footballing shock that has captivated the nation has meant a busy few weeks for staff at the Blackpool Gazette.

The Seasiders’ promotion to the Premier League, following their 3-2 win over Cardiff on Saturday, has got the national media salivating at the prospect of outspoken manager Ian Holloway’s soundbites in the big time.

But for the Gazette sports team, it has meant one of the busiest fortnights of their working lives with three supplements in the space of 12 days.

The Johnston Press-owned daily published a 12-page pullout for the play-off semi-final with Nottingham Forest on 11 May, another previewiung Saturday’s final encounter at Wembley, and finally another yesterday to mark Blackpool’s return to the top flight after 39 years.

Sports editor Andy Moore paid tribute to the team effort led by football writer Steve Canavan and the web co-ordinator Will Watt.

Said Andy: “As you can imagine, there has been supplements galore and Steve has done a magnificent job in writing most of the words.

“We also got tonnes of stuff on the web from Wembley and that is not always easy, so that’s credit to Will.

“We hope to get the 100-page review of the season by Wednesday – there is an extra incentive as the town is buzzing.

Saturday’s pull-out previewing the big weekend final was on the streets at 7am on Saturday in a bid to catch people setting off for the capital by train.

And there is still more to come with the newspaper’s now-annual 100-page souvenir magazine commemorating the season.

Added Andy: “It has not just made great back page material as it is good news for both the football team and the whole town.

“It is no secret that the town has been struggling as an old-fashioned resort. With regards to the newspaper, a successful football team does help sell papers and we will notice it now Blackpool are in the Premiership. But it will also become all the more competitive with the nationals and the extra television coverage.”

Comments

nigel pickover (25/05/2010 10:26:52)
Well done to the Gazette team for their superb efforts. Sixteen Suffolk Tangerines travelled to Wembley for the greatest football day of their lives. Much joy, many tears and the utter thrill of having Balckpool in the Premiership. My supplement is now safely in East Anglia!
Well done Gazette and three cheers for Ollie and Co.

Sly Dig (25/05/2010 12:53:41)
Best make the most of it though, with the new, all-conquering, job-Atec system in place, the Gazette, and its stable of other publications, look like a primary school designed by the pupils or a parish magazine where the ‘editor’ thinks Comic Sans is the height of sophistication in the font stakes.

lasher (25/05/2010 13:07:20)
Just shows what you can do when you have a sports team that still care, have passion for the job and don’t want to do the bare minimum quoteless stories just so they can go home at 2pm. Unlike others I could mention.
Well done Steve et al

Daniel Amokachi (25/05/2010 15:31:17)
Well done lads. Just a shame the Echo never pulled their finger out to dedicate a supplement to me after my brace in the 1995 FA Cup semi-final against Spurs.
Still waiting to hear back from the club about my idea for a 16ft bronze statue…

Early dart (26/05/2010 13:10:18)
Lasher – The Gazette did what you would expect any newspaper to do when their club gets to Wembley. As for 2pm finishes, easy dig to make, many sportsdesks work evenings, Sundays, unsocial hours, and get their time back whenever they can.