Stelling Jnr has come in for a bit of stick on this board recently however I’m not sure of the reason for this. He seems to put a lot of effort into his articles and appears to be reflecting the thoughts of many contributors here in respect of Skippy’s performance to date, in addition to calling out the players failings. He is certainly rather more forthcoming in highlighting the shortcomings of individuals at the club than the majority of his predecessors over recent years.

I appreciate that he may not be as direct with his interview questioning as most of us would prefer, however I think this is essentially in line with the level of interrogation that media journalists would be expected to apply in the modern game.

Good post. Getting angry with Robbie is really misdirected. He's a massive fan and only wants the best. Fair enough he'll say stuff we might disagree with but he's a poolie first and foremost. Save your anger for the owner/board or whoever is running the show.

The lads alright.
Journalists can’t jump in two footed, it’s a bit more difficult for them trying to keep all sides happy in the debate.
The job needs a bit of diplomacy, not some terrace oracle shouting the odds.

Give him a break,he has to tread carefully,too many thin skins at the club.
And he’s relocated over 300 miles to do the job.

He's a good lad and knows what the score is.
I had a good chat with both him and Rob Law from Tees after the Brackley Cup Debacle.

I was fucking raging (not at them I hasten to add). They were both sound and know exactly how we feel.

Like has been said by others- they have to be diplomatic about what they write and say in the public forum.

I quite happily told Snarl to 'fuck off' at the end of the game as he momentarily made his way over to the away support before wisely retreating towards the dressing room. It didn't cost me my job the day after- I'm still just another brick in the wall!

he is only a few words or a comma in the wrong place to getting banned from the vic.

Didn’t IOR ban The Northern Echo from the Vic ? Bearing in mind did they sack Hughes’s for talking to the press without it being sanctioned by Hodcroft?

You are correct Jamie, the name escapes me.

He's a decent journalist but needs to go to elocution lessons.

He does keep using the H in Artlepool….. frightful lapse of local grammar.

And he misses the H on apple.

Why does he not say like at the end of every sentence....like?

I think he needs to be more truthful in his analysis by stating just how 'shan' we've been this season!

I suppose ‘Fucking absolute shan’ might offend his employers sensibilities …and the BBC may get the ‘vapours’ too.

Does anyone know if the Northern Echo is STILL banned from the Vic? I occasionally buy a copy just for something to read following the demise of the once unmissable Northern Daily Mail. However, Pools hardly rate a mention amongst the Mags, Mackem and Boro dross. Even Darlo don’t get the space that they should seeing as it’s a Darlington paper!

Is stelling contractually obliged to always refer to Limpdick as ‘charismatic, ambitious and energetic’ whenever he write about him in the Mail?

Compared to Snarl- he must be (granted that's a pretty low bar)
Disappointed he hasn't mentioned 'teamsmanship' or any of the other bollocks Uncle Darren used to regularly trot out

Toe to Toe
Size 9s up their backsides
Getting a bloody nose

Etc

If memory serves me right,I think the Mail were banned from the Bic at one point.

If memory serves me right,I think the Mail were banned from the Vic at one point.

Behave, working for your wages as a journalist is a teeny weeny bit different to coming on a message board and spouting bollocks……it pays the bills, which requires diplomacy…..
When reading these reports from any sports journo’s, look for the ironic phrases or words that tell another tale.

He called him it again in latest article, I honestly think he has a copy paste function on it and uses it to boost his word count

One place I worked you got a review every six months….. and after a ‘chat’ you got a grade…but the ones who got graded ‘adequate’ were chuffed to bits…..but the Chief Engineer’s interpretation was less generous.

I,ve worked with, Known some who could write a letter on par with a solicitor, Give the same a Spanner and they would be fucked.

But some people never see their own failings, yet we all have them, no one is excused.