Bristol City Blog: Andy Stockhausen Reveals the Truth

Bristol City blog: Andy Stockhausen reveals the truth behind covering the transfer window
a_Stockhausen

please log in to view this image

HERE our Bristol City writer Andy Stockhausen returns with his weekly blog giving you extra insight into the club, the players and what fans can look forward to in the season ahead for the Robins.
I happened to bump into an old acquaintance of mine while stealing a few moments to enjoy a well-deserved beer in a local hostelry this week.

Their opening gambit went something like this: "Hi Andy, I bet you're enjoying the chance to put your feet up and watch some cricket now the football season is over."
He meant well, but must have regretted his comment once I'd spent the next 15 minutes or so putting him right. For those who aren't in the know, the summer months are arguably the busiest in the calendar for any football writer employed in national or regional newspapers.
The role has changed fundamentally since I first entered the business in 1984 and football's erstwhile close-season has long-since been consumed by an industry within an industry.
Driven by the advent of social media, transfer speculation has become big business, hastening a move away from traditional print products towards more responsive digital platforms.

please log in to view this image

Transfer rumours lend themselves perfectly to the current rush towards a 24/7 media service and the modus operandi of football journalists in this country has undergone a dramatic change.
In the weeks and months between one season ending and another beginning, my working life is dominated by the summer transfer window and the need to unearth and drive content that will satisfy an unquenchable thirst for knowledge among modern-day football fans.
An average day begins with a look at what other media sources are saying, a task that once involved little more than checking the morning's national newspapers. Given the recent proliferation of on-line sites devoted to this particular topic, many of them manned by wannabe journalists desperate to outdo one another, this task has been rendered all-consuming and thankless in equal measure.

please log in to view this image

My brief is to check out every single rumour relating to Bristol City, no matter how spurious or tenuous, a process that involves sorting the wheat from the chaff prior to translating my findings into hard copy.
Verification is key and that is where old-style contacts come into their own. Personally, I depend upon a large network of UK-based journalists, most of whom are prepared to investigate rumours and share information.
Then there are agents, another regular and willing source of information when it comes to player movement. Owing to the fact they have their own agenda, this particular source can, by its very nature, prove unreliable on occasions.
Finally, there are contacts within the football clubs themselves, trusted confidants who can be relied upon to give you a valuable steer in the right direction. Of course, the latter are increasingly hard to come by as clubs, eager to preserve stories for their own web-sites, jealously guard information.

please log in to view this image

Which brings me onto the need to dispel a popular myth. It has been alleged in some circles that the Post are fed stories by Bristol City and actively encouraged to run lines that will aid and abet the football club.
Nothing could be further from the truth. For the record, I have cut a deal with head coach Lee Johnson and chief operating officer Mark Ashton when it comes to reporting transfers and speculation this summer, whereby they categorically refuse to comment on any potential deals until they are finalised
In return, I have complete freedom to write what I want, within reason, without fear of the club holding it against me.

please log in to view this image

This represents a distinct departure from what went before. Previous manager Steve Cotterill not only refused to comment on transfers, he then proceeded to take umbrage whenever I penned stories based upon rumour and speculation. The nearer I came to the truth, the greater his annoyance.
The upshot was that Steve refused to return my calls or even speak to me for a two-month period last summer!

please log in to view this image

I recall one occasion when the media were invited to City's Failand training ground to interview the manager in July last year. There was no mention that the club had just completed the signing of Ryan Fredericks from Tottenham until we were all in our cars and heading back to our respective places of work.
Against such a background, the pursuit of total accuracy can be challenging to say the least. I'm sure my detractors on a certain forum will delight in pointing out the ones I get wrong, namely Jesse Lingard, Nathan Baker and Richard O'Donnell.
At the same time, they might be big enough to acknowledge breaking stories in the Post that announced the impending arrival of Lee Tomlin, Adam Matthews and Josh Brownhill. At the time of writing, it remains to be seen whether recent stories linking City with the likes of Bradley Dack, Adam Hammill and Alfie Mawsom come to pass or not.

please log in to view this image

Some you win, some you lose. But the key factor in all of this is that independent journalists are in a position to impart the kind of information that club web sites shy away from. We see it as our responsibility to try and inform supporters of goings-on at their club, and that is what sets us apart.
In the meantime, I'm looking forward to the start of next season and an opportunity to put my feet up and take a break!


http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-City-blog-Andy-Stockhausen-reveals-truth/story-29384708-detail/story.html

 

Stupid answer really but it is about Bristol City FC and gives our members a different twist on things..