AddThis SmartLayers

Mercury marks ‘phenomenal’ sporting victory with front-page wrap

A “phenomenal” sporting achievement has been marked by a regional daily with a front page wraparound this morning.

The Leicester Mercury celebrated Leicester City FC becoming champions of England for the first time in the club’s 132-year history with the wraparound, pictured below, which features a photo of the title-winning squad.

City’s maiden championship was confirmed last night after their nearest rivals Tottenham Hotspur failed to beat Chelsea, leaving the East Midlands club with an unassailable lead at the top of the table.

The victory comes after readers of the Mercury donned the club’s royal blue on Friday as part of the newspaper’s ‘Backing the Blues’ campaign in support of the title bid.

Merc champs

Interim Editor Rob Irvine said: “The Leicester Mercury team has done a great job covering this joyful story in print and online.

“Leicester City’s phenomenal achievement has attracted global media attention. It is great fun to be in the eye of this media storm.

“Leicester and the surrounding county are buzzing and we will be reporting the celebrations as they carry on to the last home match this Saturday and the parade in the city later this month.”

As previously reported on HTFP, Mercury football writer Rob Tanner is set to release his diary of City’s “fairytale” season this summer.

The book, ‘5000-1: The Leicester City Story’, is named in reference to the odds given on a City title win by bookies at the start of the season.

The improbable triumph made headlines around the world.  Here’s some examples of how the story was covered in the national and international press.

* Recently-acquired Johnston Press daily was among several British tabloids to splash on the story this morning.LCFC i

* The Guardian ran an image on its front cover of Richard III, who was laid to rest in Leicester Cathedral last year after his remains were discovered in a nearby car park by archaeologists.

LCFC Guardian

* And in Italy, homeland of City manager Claudio Ranieri, the victory was also front page news for La Gazzetta dello Sport:

LCFC Claudio

20 comments

You can follow all replies to this entry through the comments feed.
  • May 3, 2016 at 9:46 am
    Permalink

    Well, that’s an imaginative and lively response to a story of worldwide interest. Shows a real insight into how the fans are feeling.
    Pleased to see the event was rightly kept in perspective and no need to remove the adverts or anything OTT like that.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(14)
  • May 3, 2016 at 10:33 am
    Permalink

    What a truly underwhelming pic the Mercury chose to mark such a truly astonishing achievement – a presumably pre-season line-up showing off the new kit. Surely someone responsible might have considered a joyful goal celebration from a game to show the players’ delight a more suitable image. The Mercury should take a look at how the nationals dealt with the famous success – action pictures, delighted fans. I’ve just been to two local newsagents to try to buy a Mercury and both were sold out, so at least they scored there.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(14)
  • May 3, 2016 at 10:56 am
    Permalink

    Quite possibly the worst ever cover for such a massive achievement in the history of journalism?

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(24)
  • May 3, 2016 at 11:18 am
    Permalink

    It is a bit dull to the professional eye to be sure and looks to have been well pre-prepared , but the fans won’t care. It is unfair to expect local papers to have the same expertise and flair as nationals with much better resources.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(4)
  • May 3, 2016 at 11:23 am
    Permalink

    The Guardian front was brilliant. I am afraid, unlike the football team, the industry big boys showed how it should be done to the local paper. But as someone else said it is unfair to expect a small local paper to have the same talent and staff levels. They did their best for what is a wonderful sporting story and I bet they sell plenty.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(1)
  • May 3, 2016 at 12:57 pm
    Permalink

    Richard III played a blinder this season, way more important than the footballers and manager. Thanks The Guardian

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(2)
  • May 3, 2016 at 1:01 pm
    Permalink

    What a time to get rid of staff photographers at the Mercury. That front page pic sums up the relegation battle the newsroom is facing this year.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(18)
  • May 3, 2016 at 4:02 pm
    Permalink

    My editor told me once, when I’d dropped a clanger and I was moaning about rushing, that it takes just as long to get it right as it does to get it wrong. He was a git, but that’s still right.
    Whatever the local resources, it’s still a big daily sitting on a predictable (well, there was a fair chance Spurs wouldn’t win) world wide story. Was there really no time to think about it, or mock up a ready to go front, just in case…? Unless they really have no Vardy celebration pix, or any happy fans…
    Go on chaps, turn it round for tomorrow and show us what you’re made of!

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(3)
  • May 3, 2016 at 4:23 pm
    Permalink

    BLIMEY. Big daily? Not any more though it once was.

    It looks very much like one they made earlier. It is earth-shatteringly disappointing for such a worldwide story and I am sure some staff will regret that the company was not able to resource a better effort.
    The ball was at their feet, the goal was gaping open….what happened next?

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(5)
  • May 3, 2016 at 5:13 pm
    Permalink

    Can’t wait to see my old paper when Halifax Town go to Wembley…

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(1)
  • May 3, 2016 at 7:17 pm
    Permalink

    Usual clutch of incestuous, smart*rse comments here. Fact is, the fan and player celebration pix were all over social and broadcast media on the night. Fans will want a souvenir edition, and the full squad picture is arguably the best way of commemorating what was, in every football fan’s view, an enormous team achievement by Leicester City. In my opinion, the Guardian front page was a classic case of smug journalism appealing to smug journalists.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(4)
  • May 3, 2016 at 7:35 pm
    Permalink

    Should have had a hefty supplement ready to roll at the very least.
    It’s not like they haven’t had plenty of time to prepare..

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(1)
  • May 3, 2016 at 10:31 pm
    Permalink

    Absolutely appalling wrap around. Where was the pics of thousands of fans celebrating outside the stadium last night – or the wild celebrations of the players at Jamie Vardy’s house? Surely the paper has good enough connections locally to arrange for its team of photographers to be on hand to capture the historic moment when little Leicester shocked the big boys. Oh wait – they no longer have a team of photographers. Sad moment for The Mercury as its inadequacies were cruelly exposed.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(6)
  • May 4, 2016 at 10:41 am
    Permalink

    Callmecynical is right, pro photography is dead in the local press. TM has instructed its sports desks to use endless team line-ups, “to sell more papers” apparently. This disingenuous nonsense is a feeble attempt to disguise the fact to their readers that all the pros have been sacked, though readers are noticing. What a pass it’s all come to.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(4)
  • May 4, 2016 at 8:43 pm
    Permalink

    Jimmy Glass is wrong, wrong, wrong. Whatever happened to inspiration and innovation in regional journalism?

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(1)
  • May 4, 2016 at 11:13 pm
    Permalink

    Listen people , give over criticising the Mercury and enjoy this great and historic occasion I think it was ok how the went about it and for true fans it’s a must keep edition.
    Lived in Leicester in 1969/1970 after I came over from Ireland and worked beside Filbert. I used to read the Leicester Mercury evert day when I lived there and never forgot the name of the paper. Years since iv been in Leicester but must visit shortly
    So congratulations to everybody and this Saturday will be like no other Saturday and the presentation will bring an end to the most remarkable season ever in English sport. Well done again

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(0)
  • May 5, 2016 at 1:10 am
    Permalink

    Jimmy Glass. You have prompted me to make my first ever comment on HTFP. What planet do you live on? This achievement by Leicester City is quite incredible and the wrap around is so embarrassing/lazy (delete as appropriate) that I just want to cry. The most powerful images all share one thing in common – emotion. Does this effort convey or evoke emotion? What better opportunity to prove it and give this the coverage it deserved. This strory will run and run – plenty of time in later editions for the team photo – who in God’s name thought it should be used like this. This is probably the ‘best’ example of what the loss of photographers has done to the industry.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(2)
  • May 5, 2016 at 8:58 am
    Permalink

    Trying not to take sides here, but while we can argue all we like about whether or not it was a great front page wraparound, I suspect the proof of the pudding will be in the sales figures, and from what I hear the special edition sold out several times over.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(4)
  • May 5, 2016 at 3:58 pm
    Permalink

    Sorry to disagree Paul but it was always going to sell out in the Foxes frenzy, regardless of its merits.
    A monkey could have designed that front, which features a start-of- season centrefold. It’s duller than ditchwater and with no excuse whatsoever. They’ve had weeks to prepare.
    The Echo’s front on Hillsborough verdict was as good as it gets, the Mercury’s front is beyond woeful.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(5)