Time to move on

And so another issue of The Sportsman starts to take shape, it's become the norm now.

It's hard to believe that just under a week ago things were slightly different as we battled with technology to get our first issue to the printers. To be exact it was 15 minutes past midnight on Wednesday morning that the first issue, the ink still wet, was paraded through the office and the champagne suddenly appeared. It was a moment I will never forget.

It's fair to say our arrival hasn't been met with universal acclaim, but then again we didn't think it would. We were not going to be liked by everyone. The important thing is that we are still here and we are still improving. Nobody can deny we've shaken things up a bit.

And the next step comes in May when we launch our full all-singing, all-dancing website. We think it's going to be a unique product as we offer you the latest news and the latest odds all in one place.

And it's for this reason that we're going to stop blogging and start concentrating on our real jobs!

Keeping a blog has been a great way for our staff to communicate with our readers and also give you an insight into what it takes to bring out a paper every day.

Keep buying the paper, keep signing up for Lunchtime Extra and keep logging on to the web. The Sportsman really does know!

The other Sportsman

It's a strange life working on The Sportsman's website at the moment. All around us we can see editorial staff working flat out to produce daily editions of the paper, but for us it's another round of testing and development as we work towards our official launch at the beginning of May.

To coincide with the paper's launch we changed the look of our website last Tuesday and we have been pleasantly surprised with the interest in it. Our Lunchtime Extra e-mail update (sign up back at the website folks) has also taken off in a way we didn't dare dream it would.

We know we will have a great product when we launch for real in May, a news and betting site which we think will be unique in the market place. From all the media coverage we have received, we also know the directors expect us to be a success, so there's no pressure then....

I nearly wasn't on Sky Sports...!

Most print journalists are decidedly lukewarm about doing broadcast work but I’ve always been a bit of tart so agree to do an interview with Sky with the aim of promoting the Sportsman.

Unfortunately I’m almost left stranded in the starting stalls. Thinking I’m to appear on Sky News I arrive at their offices to find they have never heard of me.

Naturally, I have stupidly forgotten the name of my contact and as the clock ticks I begin to think the interview is not going to happen after all. Fortunately the Sky people are rather more efficient than I am and quickly realise the error. The booking was with Sky Sports News.

With minutes to spare I am rushed across the road and into make up at their studios with seconds to spare, while I hurriedly revise in my head what I had planned to say.

The hardest question of the night concerns our star columnist Phil “The Power” Taylor. The presenter asks me what Phil’s odds were for that evening’s clash against Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld. After a momentary panic I try guessing. “Odds on, he’s the best darts player ever,” I say with a confidence I don’t feel (he drew in the end).

Afterwards my wife Jo tells me that I sounded very knowledgeable, but then she’s biased.

Taking stock of the City

We’ve just sent our final piece of copy across for the third edition of The Sportsman. Already we’re getting into a rhythm – helped no doubt by the ‘as live’ dummies we produced before the launch.

Covering the City gives a certain pace to the day in any case, as most of the action happens during stock market trading between 8 and 4:30.

What’s different from previous places I’ve worked is that the City hacks are in a definite minority amongst the journalists. Sporting talk, not surprisingly, dominates, rather than share price chit-chat. However, I’ve noticed our dog man Mark Sullivan taking a keen interest in our Bloomberg data machine.

At least we’re all united in our aim to deliver the best previews of future events, whether share price movements, horse races or football matches. The cross over of ideas on their outcomes should prove fertile!

The Sportsman to go

Lunchtimes will never be the same again. Part of the digital team's job is to produce and distribute Lunchtime Extra - sent out as a free PDF for you to digest over your lunch hour (Monday - Friday).

The idea is pretty simple - it's a one-pager with all the morning's breaking news - a perfect supplement to the newspaper edition. Today we covered the draw for the first big handicap of the flat season - the Lincoln Handicap - run this year at Redcar on Saturday.

There's updates from all the editorial departments at The Sportsman - non runners, latest going and market movers from the racing team and an update on the FTSE from the City Desk.

You can sign up on the home page - again - please give us your feedback so we can fine tune.

Panic? Pah!

Working on a newly-launched newspaper is one of the most exhausting but invigorating things that I have ever done or will ever do.

As I reach my desk in the morning I am getting used to being assailed by a feeling of panic – how on earth can I ensure that our business news pages are full by the end of the day?

It’s rather pointless, because there are always stories out there to be found and, in City Editor Chris Spink and Gaming and City Reporter Bruce Love, I have two exceptional colleagues.

Unfortunately they consider that an eminently sensible way of helping is by attempting to wind me up. It’s a futile quest, because I’m wittier than both of them but they keep trying.

Still, that feeling does more to wake me up in the morning than a quadruple espresso (I’m notoriously evil tempered at the start of the day).

And on to Issue 3...

Its 7.15 am and I’m back in the office. At this time of the morning you wouldn’t believe that 9 hours earlier the final pages of Issue 2 were being put together.

It was weird leaving here last night not knowing how the final paper would look, would there be any last minute panics etc.

I left home at 6.30 this morning and the first thought was to pop to the newsagent, hand over a pound and see Issue 2 in all its glory. Good work fellas, the journey has begun.

On to issue two

I think I mentioned yesterday it’s not all about Day 1 – it’s a continuing process, so here I am again.

None of the feared phone calls arrived – only messages of congratulations arriving via phone or e-mail. There were a few bleary eyes this morning following the late night waiting for the paper to arrive back from Westferry.

It was a quieter start than usual but soon the wheels started turning and now close to 6.30pm and the ads are in again for tomorrow.

Time to catch up on some e-mails, check the team is OK, makes sure the weekend paper is becoming full of ads and maybe sharing a cider with our esteemed Managing Editor who shares his birthday with The Sportsman!!

Hare running with our dog coverage

It’s Wednesday morning. The first day in the life of The Sportsman. I visited my local newsagent on the way to work. I am delighted to see the paper on the shelves. Sitting there next to The Times and The Daily Telegragh. Two of the most powerful and historic titles in the world and we are right up there with them. Fabulous.

The mood in the office is buoyant but the next edition has to be got out. Soon after nine the phones begin to ring. Most of the calls are complimentary. They love the dogs but can we have more, they ask. I am pleased with the dog cards. They are crisp and clear. The pictures look good.

Before long we are thrust into getting Thursday’s paper ready. It’s quite strange how we have now adopted a sense of urgency that I have only ever experienced when working on newspapers. It’s a unique feeling, quite an adrenalin rush.

Soon the glory of the launch edition is in the past. You are only as good as your last paper. I begin to think about my first SKY Sports spread on Tuesday. We will have David Stewart’s ratings, features, betting advice and a magnificent SKY Sports form card.

The PR assault

As you have probably seen, heard and read the media interest in this paper has been excellent and has included coverage in every single national paper with one very obvious exception!

Radio and TV have also showed a huge interest and in the main the reaction is one of support for the venture as a whole and that is reflected in the feedback from our target audience.

We have an incredibly broad audience profile all of whom have seen us and seem to be excited by the launch – we’ve got a great product and this year is made for a paper such The Sportsman.

There’s nearly two million sports obsessed people like us and I’m very confident they’ll join in.

Back again

Not a lot of sleep, and we’re back here again. Quite a few bleary eyes and a number of hangovers.

What a night. We finished the paper by 9pm, 10 minutes late for the Belfast presses, but not really a problem.

But then the pre-press software broke down while we were transmitting the final pages. It itself, nothing too serious, but we had to get the pages out, and it meant diving into the guts of the software to discover where the pages were, and to send them manually. Took quite some time, so we didn’t get the presses rolling in Ireland until 10.10.

The same thing then happened with the UK, meaning presses rolling at 10.50 rather than 10. The IT guys tell me they’ve identified the problem. Something to do with naming conventions being muddled by the computer. It’s always the little things.

Now to do it all again today. And the day after. And the one after that. It’ll keep on going...

We've done it!!!

It’s 10 minutes past midnight on Wednesday 22nd March and our wait is finally over. Our brand new paper has just been delivered to our office and I am ecstatic.

It’s taken a lot of hard work to get here and I am so proud of what we have achieved.

I hope this is the start of something very special.

Up 'n running...

Shattered and exhilarated in equal amounts, we’ve only just gone and done it – produced the UK’s first national newspaper for 20 years.

I’ve done three newspaper launches now – if you count a redesign. They never get any easier. As the clock ticks past 11pm I remember why my doctor told me never, ever to do one again.

Today has been the wholly predictable roller coaster ride. Despite all the months of preparation – and a final week where fingernails, cigarettes, cider and sleep have seemingly been in equal short supply – you always feel like we could have done with just a few more hours to get some of the glitches ironed out.

The editorial production systems held up well and the page builders surpass themselves. In fact the flow of pages is relatively smooth through the afternoon and into the early evening.

But then the there’s the final technical hitches. And like Liverpool goals in tonight’s FA Cup demolition of Birmingham, we’ve suddenly got a bucket load.

Front page of racing has a corrupt ad. We’ve “gone back on” the splash for the UK but it won’t process for some reason. The tips box on page 39 is bust – do we have enough time to fix it? And so it goes on.

The pre-press chaps sort it all somehow – then there’s another hiccup and we’re all back on tenterhooks. The minutes tick by and our off-stone time has been and gone . . .

Fnially, the call comes through from West Ferry and Trafford Park. They’ve got all the pages. Let the presses roll.

Then there’s tomorrow . . . . when we do it all over again. Onwards and upwards.

And we're off...

The grey boxes mean we've done it - the pages are off to the printers.

A Day in the Life...

I can just remember having breakfast this morning…but, to be honest, it seems days rather than hours ago. ‘Lunch’ lasted six minutes.

Harold Wilson once commented that a week is a long time in politics. Well, the day of a newspaper launch feels like a lifetime.

As dawn broke over London, the first thoughts concerned how my racing team would perform now that we were going live. Would we get the stories which matter when readers see their first copy of The Sportsman tomorrow?

The answer was soon forthcoming as Geoff Lester filed a dispatch from Dubai. Danny Hall, our West Country correspondent, came up with a great idea for a news investigation; Mark Jeffreys, our non-stop Newmarket man, sent in an exclusive story and, then, gold dust…..

It is now just gone 8pm and the practice we have all been putting in with ‘dummy’ newspapers over the past few weeks and months seems to have paid off. The atmosphere is remarkably calm, given what is at stake. I just pray there are no last minute technical glitches

Multi coloured screens show which pages have been finished and dispatched. The countdown to printing the first edition is edging ever closer.

Christ, I could do with a pint.

Poetry in motion

As with everyone else, people all day have been asking me how I feel.

All day I have been nervous; definitely a cross between Christmas Eve and a first date. Not that I can remember a first date! It’s been a long time coming but now is the time to deliver on all the promises we’ve been making for the past six months.

My team has been getting used to new systems and processes – it’s all been a bit alien changing from “this is what to you will be doing on a daily basis” to “the engines running”. We have had good luck messages from customers throughout the day and long may they continue. A sign of our immediate success in the ad market is to sure that all ads are placed as requested and that my phone isn’t red hot in the morning!

So that’s it - the last ad has hit the page – my job’s done, right? Well, for one day, until tomorrow, when the spiral begins again. More space is to be booked, ads to be sold, price boxes to be completed, ads to be chased……

We’re here for the long haul and will be judged not only after one edition but for the forthcoming months. Game on!

I’ll leave you with a little poem to see us on our way:

Sound, sound the clarion, fill the fife!
Throughout the sensual world proclaim,
One crowded hour of glorious life
Is worth an age without a name

Launch night

The News team hard at work

Curtain up

From as far afield as Trinidad & Tobago and Bahrain – web users tuned into The Sportsman’s web site on Tuesday for news ahead of Wednesday’s launch edition.

As a part-time theatre director the parallels are pretty close – counting down to opening night and the last minute teething problems – today’s big issue being a denial of service attack to our hosting company which in theatrical terms is a bit like losing the lights and sound a few hours before curtain up.

Whilst the all-singing and betting web site doesn’t go live until May, the digital team are on standby to take your views on our first edition. Click ‘Get In Touch’ and let us no what you think – what you like – what you don’t and how we meet your needs as a sports betting fan. We’ll promise to listen to you – our audience.

We’ll also happily take your views and comments by text as well – more details on the website.

On Wednesday we launch Lunchtime Extra in parallel with the paper – get the morning’s breaking news, market movers and essential extras to the paper in a handy PDF format to digest over your lunchbreak. You can sign up for the first Lunchtime Extra on the website on Wednesday.

So, it’s almost Act I beginners – sit back and enjoy.

So far, so good...

Yesterday and this morning I was only asked one question: ‘Are you confident?’. The answer was always a wry smile and a firm ‘Yes’. Was I? Am I? Yes, actually.

I anticipated today being smooth, and so far it is. Despite the not altogether surprising fact that getting a daily newspaper out is quite complicated. The time pressure means nothing can go wrong.

We’re against the clock in a mad daily rush to generate content, sub it, lay it out on the page, process it, transmit to the print plants, print, distribute and sell.

And tomorrow, the eyes of the sporting public will be on us. We have to be as good as we ever can be. So the process involving 120 people, 9 different IT systems, 3 print plants and 50,000 retailers needs to work perfectly today.

First night nerves - all over again!

I have been here before. Twenty years ago, we were on the verge of publishing the first edition of Today, almost the last new daily national newspaper.

There is no journalistic experience that comes close to the eve of the launch of a new title.

That sensation of feeling slightly sick from worry, combined with an elated tingle of anticipation is only matched by those teenage telephone calls asking a girl for a date: rejection is to be cast into a black-hole which is the end of the world.

Acceptance is the very heaven. Plus ca change.

A great feeling

I’ve worked on Fleet Street for nearly 10 years and I can honestly say I have never had a feeling like today. I can imagine how actors feel when they go on stage for the first time with a new play – a slight sick knot in the stomach from excitement and just a little nervous.

My features and poker pages are done for tomorrow. I think my team have come up with some great reads over the next few weeks.

We all think we have a product to be proud of that fills a real gap in the market – now it is a case of what the public thinks.

We will all be here at 11pm to get our hands on the first live edition delivered from the printers. The first national newspaper launch in 20 years is a historic moment and it is great to be part of it.

Game On!

I have been waiting for this day for months! We’ve just finished our first “live” editorial conference where we discussed the stories that will appear in the first issue of The Sportsman tomorrow morning.

I have been in hundreds of national newspaper conferences during my journalistic career but this one was really special. Being in on the launch of a new national newspaper is a uniquely challenging experience and everyone is tremendously excited.

Every head of department attends conference in the editor-in-chief’s office. There are two, the one we have just finished and one later this afternoon to discuss progress and updates.

The racing department delivered their list of stories first and they’ve got some crackers. The Sports Betting Editor went next and then it was down to me as Head of News to go through our big stories of the day.

It’s vital to have some great material for launch so my team of reporters have been under a bit of pressure during the past few weeks to bombard their contacts…and they have delivered in style.

It’s going to be a great and memorable day as we move up a gear to get what we think is a belting new newspaper to you tomorrow morning.

The big day arrives

The countdown is on. Less than 13 hours until the presses roll. Ten months work squeezed into a few precious hours. By this time tomorrow, a new national daily will have hit the streets. If ever there’s a time to find a fifth gear, it’s now.

The racing desk tell me they have a ‘belter’- hacks language for a chest-thumpingly good exclusive. The Sports Tipping boys have already predicted the Chelsea v Newcastle result. The Four Horsemen, our crack team of racing tipsters, eagerly await the declarations, form books at the ready.

In around two hours, the senior team at The Sportsman will gather for morning conference and plot the paper’s content.

Then battle will commence. The newsroom will crank into overdrive. Stories will be written and crafted onto pages. Pictures will be slotted in and the proofs scrutinised. By 7 0’Clock we will have the front page headline and the first pages will have been plated up at the print sites.

Nervous? A touch. Exhilarated? Definitely. Let’s hope you all are when you finally see the paper tomorrow.

Welcome!

The Sportsman will become Britain's first new daily national newspaper in 20 years when it launches this Wednesday and you can follow our progress in the hours leading up to launch and beyond on this blog.

Key members of the paper's senior staff will update you on our progress as we countdown to the big day.