It would appear the current incarnation of the once proud Northern Daily Mail is currently 'locking' most of the Pools articles thus ensuring that only those who subscribe to their site are able to fully access Robbie Stelling's noble efforts. I would imagine that a substantial number of those accessing the Mail site will be Pools fans, after all there is precious little else of general interest that cannot be accessed elsewhere free of charge.

I am therefore wondering roughly how many contributers to the Bunker actually bother accessing the Mail site at all let alone pay £5 per month or
£50 per annum for the privilege?

I check out the Mail site from time to time for Pools-related stuff. Their attempts to make it 'subscription only' are very hit and miss - sometimes articles are blocked, sometimes they're not.

I imagine they'd lose more than they'd gain if they enforced it strictly - there'd be so few online subscribers that nobody would bother advertising on their website.

There’s other options nowadays.

I find you can read about half a dozen articles per week before it resets or sometimes access it at work. I won't be paying for the privilege!

The Northern Echo also seems to be playing similar tricks at the moment.

Don't know why either of them bother as there's not much on their sites you won't find elsewhere.

especially when anything interesting or important gets a mention on here or other places to do with pools or the town.

The Northern Echo has been playing those tricks for several years. I used to buy the NE regularly until a few years back. I was always interested in what Darlo, Spenny etc were up to as well as the NE take on Pools. Nowadays they only report on Pools when something bad happens so I
no longer bother which is a shame really. They have even started reporting on the Sheepshaggers of Carlisle so I definitely won't bother at all now that they want payment for the rest of the crap.

I bought the Saturday Echo a few months ago and don't think we even got a mention. Big 3 plus darLO, The Heed, Spenny, Carlisle, Stockton, Guisboro and Bishops.

I think they must be boycotting Pools, maybe they're still upset with Rajanator over events at the Echo Chamber

Haven’t bought the NE since Mike Amos was shown the door.

Despite the current situation Pools effectively remain the 4th biggest club in the North East ie the Tyne Tees area. The likes of the Shaggers, York City and Betty's Boys are outside of this area despite local TV dragging them in from other TV regions who also provide coverage of those clubs.

It’s a lack of sports staff at the echo. Since Loughlin left they virtually ditched all the smaller clubs. However a Darlo fan who works there keeps doing stuff for Darlo, it is meant to be a Darlington based paper anyway, otherwise we would get no coverage either. The rest of the non league stuff is done by Ray Simpson who’s been doing it for years.

No problem with datLO being in it, given that it's based there.

Though Ray Simpson doing the non league stuff explains why all and sundry feature and we don't even get a mention, unless it's negative of course.

For the record I don't like loughlin much either - his behaviour cosying up to Coxberg, Dave Jones and his sausage sarnie was frankly embarrassing and unforgivable. His journalism skills were pretty piss poor too.

We hardly rate a mention in the Newcastle Sunday Sun, again unless it's negative either, even though they are big on non-league ie the likes of Morpeth Town, Hebburn, North/South Shields, Blyth Spartans etc. I stopped buying that rag when the price went up to £3.00.
As for local TV its also over dominated by the so-called big three and they are also forced to cover minority sports like rugger, ice hockey, basketball and of course womens football these days.

As a Darlington based paper, I don't think the Echo covers their local team enough, it appears to be Mags-obsessed these days. However as LS mentions, if good old Ray Simpson (who seems to have been around forever) is the only journo covering non league stuff then what can be expected?

Never know why there is little about a towns football team in local papers. know many dislike it but what else brings thousands to the town on a matchday that would not be there without a match being on. add on those with a passing interest as well who do not go and its a large number of readers you are on about.