Mossy gives us a wave

Mossy gives us a wave

In today's Dom Post - Mossy on the game at the Ring of Fire Feverish2007-07-27 09:05:25

yeah we rule

Just saw the comment from that git who does the back page of the sports section on a Friday (john chanter???).  He was trying to say about how the nix crowd was a lot better than the rugby on Friday night, but had to have a swipe - saying the figure of 6000 for our game "was inflated".  Bollocks to that, and I bet he wasn't even there.  The ground looked near to 1/3 fill, so 6000 was a pretty conservative estimate, I thought.

oh, and cheers Mossy.

That Chanter guy abviously was not there at the game. phil_style2007-07-27 09:34:21

Maybe the media in NZ needs to recruit some overseas talent like the Phoenix have. If Sky get a brazilian to help with the commenatry. GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL And the papers should get someone from the yellow fever to do a regular column. Or someone from the UK who can write about football and not get confused between the round ball and egg ball games.

Football fans will simply stop usign the mainstream media for their news, and turn to new media such as YF. There's no need for YF to try and get articles in the traditional media, because over time YF will be come a media outlet in itself. . . . Anyone studying media want a thesis topic? YF would make a perfect case study. . . 

what is that chanter's email address?

john.chanter@dompost.co.nz

The guy is a total muppet.

He came from a background in provincial papers in Australia and he's keen on Aussie sport teams, and Aussie sport teams only. Just read the drivel that he rips off the wire copy and passes as his own on the back page of the sport lift out each Friday. The man doesn't have an original thought in his body.

HeySeus2007-07-27 10:20:19

I think he was actually trying to mention the footy (which is good), and actually talk it up (which is great) - but I think whilst searching for an angle he got a bit lost and actually came across a bit negative. Just guessing, but I dont think he meant it.

He was full or encouragement in his "PIZZA" Article which si the next one down. Thay have those posters on the wall at Island Bay in the clubrooms. . .  made me hungry looking at them. . . .

I have sent him this:

good response Frankie.

Just to add to this debate about crowd numbers.  I noticed last night that at the start of the Manawatu vs Waikato NPC game there was a half full stand and the commentator said a crowd of around 6000 had turned up.  This morning on radio sport they said the first match of the NPC kicked off with a crowd of 10,000.  Now who is inflating the numbers.  I think YF and the Wellington public are doing a great job getting behind the team.  I hope Christchurch does the same.  The can't argue if we keep turning up in consistant numbers.

As one of the 6000 patrons in attendance on Sunday at the Phoenix's home debut, your article in today's Dom Post attracted my interest but for all the wrong reasons. Firstly, the Dom Post has done a great job covering the Phoenix to date and Fred Woodcock has kept the club in the news which has been fantastic for its development. But I scratch my head at articles like yours. Even when (I assume) trying to report in a positive manner on the club's successful home debut, you manage to come across as negative, patronising and out of touch. Rather than making an assumption on the size of the crowd at Sunday's game, why didn't you think to speak to one of the many people there at the ground? That's what I did to get a gauge of the Friday night crowd (which I have also heard from venue staff was much closer to the 1000 mark than the reported figure). If you had done, I think you would have found that most, if not all, of the people in attendance would have considered the official number of 6039 to be closely reflective of the numbers at the ground.

Additionally, your assumption that half of the number were there "for curiosity value" makes little sense when you give the rugby crowd, also in attendance for a pre-season match, the status of "rugby diehards". I suggest that with the minimal advertising, late venue changes and pre-season status of the match, the crowd on Sunday is evidence of the emergence of the "football diehard" which is a significantly larger number than your blinkered view would credit.

Finally, as a sports journalist, I find it odd that you didn't attend the debut home game of Wellington's latest professional sporting franchise. Clearly the Phoenix are going to need everyone in behind them in order that they succeed and I would have thought that as part of the Wellington sporting media you would have been in attendance as an interested observer, especially before presuming to pass judgement on the match.

I thank you for your interest to date and hope that we can be celebrating a successful capital footballing franchise in the months to come.

you're more intelligent than me JD

Chanter's response.  Good on him for coming back to me...I still think he could have worded his initial report in a more positive light and actually praised the crowd numbers rather than trying to draw attention negatively.  But anyway, made my point.

Thanks for the feedback.

I had hoped rugby followers would contact me and suggest the Phoenix are a novelty and their crowd figure was probably adjusted up to make it look good. So the sentence should have said: You can expect rugby people to say the Phoenix figure ...

The point of the item was to show that Rugby needs to watch out there's a new sporting player in Wellington. Even if just a third of the 6000 turned up it was still a better crowd than the Lions v Auckland match.

I didn't go to the match because I work Sundays producing the Monday edition. However the Dominion Post was represented by football reporter Fred Woodcock and a photographer.

I also did not go to Friday night's rugby match because I was at work, producing our Saturday edition.

How nice it would be to work 9-5 Monday to Friday and have two days off in a row each week.

 

I hope to report a crowd of 30,000 for the mighty Phoenix opener against Melbourne in a month's time.

JD, I just received essentialy the same response. Good on the guy for getting back to us. He seems to be pertty keen on the Phoenix after all.

I think you guys are all getting a bit paranoid.

Terminator X, I don't agree they are overwhelmingly positive but I take your point, but if that was the case then why didn't he just come out and say that?!  Like a lot of other media, he damns us with faint praise...

A further point.  If we are going to start rarking the media up and trying to throw a bit of weight around, we definitely have to also be effusive with our praise and make sure that we contact the media when they do a good job.  Stick and carrot...

The guy seems to have the right intentions, even if they come across the wrong way. His letter back was a sign that he looks like he is trying to make an effort from what I can tell, and at least he gave you a decent response unlike the TVNZ people. As long as he is fair next time, I think you guys have achieved what you set out to do. Well done Guys.

Good point JD!   It has to go both ways.

Chanter has just sent an email warning that tonight's result may not make it into print for the early Dompost tomorrow. However it has been pointed out (not to John though) that the Rugby is on tonight . .  so we shall see if one get's reported and the other does not.

alright boys

wooooot  is ure do

it will be up soon

Just found this thread (which seems to be about 2 different subjects!).  On the John Chanter piece I sent him the following email this evening:

Hi John

 Thanks for giving 2 mentions to the Phoenix in your piece today. Any supportive comments are welcome at this stage, even though it read like you were damning with faint praise just a little!  I personally doubt the 6000 was inflated � it seemed to me about right for numbers.

 For your info, there are no Europeans in the Phoenix team � only 4 non-Oz/NZ players are allowed, and they are all Brazilians.

 My main point in writing is to encourage you to actually attend the next game � come and see the game that those of us with European backgrounds get so excited about � the Phoenix are actually showing signs of playing the game the way it should be played. It may help the accuracy of your comments on the real �beautiful game� and I reckon you would be on the right track career-wise as football is definitely going to be on the up in the Wellington area for some time to come!

Cheers

I'm glad to see others also emailed him, and seemed to get positive responses - my view is those of us who love football need to speak up now for our game - I've certainly never sent an email to a journalist before - but will do so again now.

The point made by others about praising is also very apt - I'm now going to try to send an email to Fred Woodcock thanking him for all his good coverage  - will have to hope that his email address is in the same format as John Chanter's as I don't recall seeing Fred's email address listed in the paper - does anyone know it? 

Phoenix did make todays paper, as it should have kicking off before the rugby!  But good stuff, good for those of us who missed the gamecast to get a report on the match

my friends i have said it 12 million times already on YF and i must say it again.