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Football club honours sports reporter’s 30 years with newspaper

A football club presented a sports reporter with a special shirt to mark 30 years since he first joined a regional daily.

Andy Naylor, who writes for The Argus, Brighton, was presented with the memento by Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton.

Andy has reported on Albion as chief sports reporter for The Argus since the mid-1990s, having started out covering local football, tennis and the career of boxer Chris Eubank for the newspaper.

Andy was presented with the shirt, signed by the club’s players, after their 2-1 defeat by Newcastle United last Tuesday.

Andy Naylor, left, being presented with the shirt by Albion manager Chris Hughton

Andy Naylor, left, being presented with the shirt by Albion manager Chris Hughton

During his time there, he has seen Albion play at four different home grounds under 18 different permanent managers.

He told the Sports Journalists’ Association: “To call it a roller-coaster journey would be an under-statement. Since the demolition of the Goldstone [Ground, Albion’s old stadium] and almost going out of the Football League 20 years ago, I’ve reported on three title-winning campaigns, two relegations, one promotion via the play-offs, and three failures in the play-offs.”

“As in any industry, there have been some unsavoury characters, but the good have far outweighed the bad. Sadly, my 30th anniversary coincided with the death of one of the good guys, former Brighton central defender Paul McCarthy, aged 45, from a suspected heart attack.”

Andy added: “[The] job has become progressively become more difficult in the age of the internet and clickbait.

“Simply repeating stories, unchecked, from other sources, which are often untrue, is not a form of journalism I am familiar with or want to be familiar with. I still strive to maintain my own and my newspaper’s integrity in an increasingly challenging environment.”

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  • March 8, 2017 at 11:32 am
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    Well done to Andy. Excellent reporter and one of journalism’s nice guys – part of that network of hard-working and talented regional sports reporters across the country who quietly serve their communities well, day in, day out.

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  • March 17, 2017 at 10:57 am
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    Huge congrats Andy. As a kid I would avidly read his predecessor John Vinicombe’s Brighton and Hove Albion reports. Then my journalism career began with a week’s work experience under John, way back in the early 1970s. As a die-hard Albion fan of 50 years, and a now retired newspaper editor, may I add that I am just as addicted and impressed by Andy’s consistent high quality reporting of my club, as I was with the legendary John Vinicombe. Once again, congratulations Andy!

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