I missed this - the sun's sales in Liverpool

[DT]

Below is an article from 2005 in the aftermath of Istanbul. It discusses the Sun's sales on Merseyside since 1989 and I was quite shocked to read some of it.

 

Just thought I'd bring it to people's attention.

 

Sun's cup coverage doubles sales in Liverpool | Media | MediaGuardian

 

Sun's cup coverage doubles sales in Liverpool

 

 

Stephen Brook MediaGuardian, Tuesday 31 May 2005 02.17 BST

 

The Sun and Liverpool Daily Post doubled their sales in Merseyside, enjoying a massive circulation boost as a euphoric Liverpool celebrated its football team's Champions League win.

 

The Sun, said to sell just 12,000 copies a day in Merseyside in the wake of the Hillsborough stadium tragedy, sold 10,000 extra copies in the region in the wake of the cup victory, while the sales of the Liverpool Daily Post jumped by 102% to 40,000.

 

The Sun has been trying to rebuild its sales in Liverpool since 1989 when its reporting of the football disaster, in which 96 fans died, saw its circulation of 55,000 collapse.

 

"We certainly had a very successful day," said the deputy editor of the Sun, Fergus Shanahan.

 

"If the fans have given the paper a chance we hope that they were pleased with it."

 

"On the day [after Liverpool's victory] it looks like we are up in excess of 200,000 copies nationally. We sold around 2,000 copies in Istanbul and we estimate that we sold across Merseyside an extra 10,000 papers."

 

The local morning paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, owned by the Trinity Mirror Group, more than doubled its usual Thursday sales.

 

"This is close to, if not above, the best single increase we have ever had," said the Trinity Mirror regional newspaper sales director, Alan Tyldesley.

 

"It's fantastic result for everyone involved, we had to ensure we had the right supplies in the right place.

 

"It's an unbelievable experience for us all."

 

The Liverpool Daily Post held a 2am print run so that fans arriving back from Istanbul could read the eight-page pullout.

 

The paper pulled the first five pages of the edition to carry news of the win. Its sister paper, the Liverpool Echo, had an early print run on Friday, creating an eight-page supplement with coverage of the 7pm victory parade, which saw 750,000 flood the city centre.

 

Circulation figures for the Echo were unavailable, while the Daily Mirror declined to provide sales figures, but said the sales uplift had been "substantial".

 

On the day after Liverpool beat Chelsea to make it into the final, the Mirror sold an extra 15,000 copies in the city, and easily exceeded that for news of the cup win and the team's triumphant homecoming.

 

Executives at the Sun hope the sales boost will continue the red-top's long trek back to acceptance, after the enmity directed at the paper by the people of Liverpool after Hillsborough.

 

In one of the worst excesses of the reign of the then editor, Kelvin MacKenzie - under the banner headline "The Truth" - the Sun ran a front-page story quoting unnamed police sources who claimed that some fans had urinated on the dead, pickpocketed bodies and beaten up a police officer giving the kiss of life.

 

The paper did not apologise for insulting the grieving fans' families until last year, when anger was directed at local hero Wayne Rooney after the paper paid big bucks for his interview.

 

The paper ran an unusual full-page apology for its coverage of the Hillsborough tragedy and its attempts to reconcile with members of the Hillsborough Family Support Group was the subject of a BBC documentary. The parents of two children whoc died in the tragedy accepted the apology.

 

Last Friday the Conservative party MP and Spectator editor, Boris Johnson - who once outraged the city by publishing a critical article in the magazine - wrote a piece in the Sun saying it was "time for a new editorial" about Liverpool's footballers.

[Randy Marsh]

Disgrace. Any red reading that rag, espcially on Merseyside, need's a fuckin good talking to.

[Lucky Pierre]

We sold around 2,000 copies in Istanbul

 

 

Last Friday the Conservative party MP and Spectator editor, Boris Johnson - who once outraged the city by publishing a critical article in the magazine - wrote a piece in the Sun saying it was "time for a new editorial" about Liverpool's footballers.

That stat in bold is irrelevant unless they don't normally sell much. If there was an increase, then it was match going fans that bought that. Disgraceful.

 

What's Boris on about here?

[RobbieOR]

I think they are bluffing a bit. Also agree with Randy, any red buying or reading that needs a kick up the arse. Also in regards to their statement about people giving the paper a chance I will never ever buy that paper.

[Tyler Durden]

That stat in bold is irrelevant unless they don't normally sell much. If there was an increase, then it was match going fans that bought that. Disgraceful.

 

What's Boris on about here?

 

Who ever knows?

[DT]

I was also shocked to read that John Williams, otherwise respected LOCAL writer said the following in the Daily Post:

 

So it was at Hillsborough that the yobs made enough nuisance of themselves to convince the police that so-called gates of Hell were opened… the gatecrashers wreaked their fatal havoc. At best it was unfettered zeal. At worst it was uncontrolled fanaticism and mass hysteria which literally squeezed the life out of men, women and children. This was yobbism at its most base. People without tickets who had no right to be there were crushing to death their fellow Scousers. When it comes to apportioning blame, the accusatory finger can also be pointed at Liverpool. Scouse killed Scouse for no better reason than 22 men were kicking a ball.

[Dicko]

I was also shocked to read that John Williams, otherwise respected LOCAL writer said the following in the Daily Post:

 

So it was at Hillsborough that the yobs made enough nuisance of themselves to convince the police that so-called gates of Hell were opened… the gatecrashers wreaked their fatal havoc. At best it was unfettered zeal. At worst it was uncontrolled fanaticism and mass hysteria which literally squeezed the life out of men, women and children. This was yobbism at its most base. People without tickets who had no right to be there were crushing to death their fellow Scousers. When it comes to apportioning blame, the accusatory finger can also be pointed at Liverpool. Scouse killed Scouse for no better reason than 22 men were kicking a ball.

 

He's a cunt.

No better than Wooldridge.

[Nomad]

I think they are bluffing a bit. Also agree with Randy, any red buying or reading that needs a kick up the arse. Also in regards to their statement about people giving the paper a chance I will never ever buy that paper.

 

I agree i think it was a case of, if we say that people are buying the S*N again then other fans will think its ok to buy it , its just propeganda hopeing that people would start to buy again

 

I think what will have happend it all the other main newspapers would have sold out and there was a SMALL minority of people who bought it as it was the only one left on the shelvs.

 

One of my bluenose mates ripped my paper up the next day and when i went back in to get another they were sold out only had the S*N left so i fucked it off

[kop]

It didn't say anything about how much the sales increased in other parts of England though. If the 10k copies they normally sell in Liverpool is bought by tourists/evertonians/ignorants/etc then you should expect an increase in that buyer-base aswell if there was an increas other places in England. The fact that that newspaper sells 10k per day is where the question marks should be put. The fact that they have the same increas as Liverpool Daily Post is just in alignment with expectations I would say.

[dirty_sanchez]

My missus bought me a copy of The Sun, the day after Istanbul. She bought me a copy of every paper, but The Sun was one of them. I binned it off and told her why it wasn't welcome. I can imagine that a lot of people who don't understand probably did likewise.

[RedBrian84]

This is the reason why the coverage of the anniversary- even though some of it, like Dave said, was a bit "showbiz" was good; it helped make people aware of the tragedy and the details, and now many who perhaps did not understand before can see the reason why that shitty little rag is a something they should never ever read.

 

Anybody reading it needs to have a word with themselves.

[Turkish Delight]

That stat in bold is irrelevant unless they don't normally sell much. If there was an increase, then it was match going fans that bought that. Disgraceful.

QUOTE]

 

I'm amazed by that stat. One of my over-riding memories is of newspaper stands where all of the English papers had that bought bar that rag and Turkish news stand people looking bewildered about the disgust they were being met with for trying to sell it.

 

I reckon that number must be down to them just not receiving a batch of them back as returns.

[kop77]

My missus bought me a copy of The Sun, the day after Istanbul. She bought me a copy of every paper, but The Sun was one of them. I binned it off and told her why it wasn't welcome. I can imagine that a lot of people who don't understand probably did likewise.

 

you have never told your missus about what the sun did..

[dirty_sanchez]

you have never told your missus about what the sun did..

 

No shit.

 

She just didn't know beforehand. She's not got any connection to Liverpool the city, or anything like that. She's not really interested in football either. It's just one of those things. You explain it to people, they understand, and you move on. It's not her fault. She was doing what she thought was a nice gesture for me, and if the rag hadn't been involved, I think you'll agree, it was a nice gesture.

[Lucky Pierre]

I reckon that number must be down to them just not receiving a batch of them back as returns.

Good point. I wouldn't be surprised if there were fans in istanbul stealing them to burn or throw away etc.

[goatboy59]

I was also shocked to read that John Williams, otherwise respected LOCAL writer said the following in the Daily Post:

 

So it was at Hillsborough that the yobs made enough nuisance of themselves to convince the police that so-called gates of Hell were opened… the gatecrashers wreaked their fatal havoc. At best it was unfettered zeal. At worst it was uncontrolled fanaticism and mass hysteria which literally squeezed the life out of men, women and children. This was yobbism at its most base. People without tickets who had no right to be there were crushing to death their fellow Scousers. When it comes to apportioning blame, the accusatory finger can also be pointed at Liverpool. Scouse killed Scouse for no better reason than 22 men were kicking a ball.

Just to be clear;

 

That is not the John Williams who wrote 'Into The Red' and 'Kennedy's Way' amongst numerous others. It was the Post's 'shock jock' columnist of the time, who has long since died of cancer. He wasn't respected in the slightest.

 

I've known the other JW for many years and he's a top Red who goes ballistic if anyone does the dirty re Hillsborough.

 

He's also a mate of Rogan's though, so you can call him what you like! ;)

[L.F.C]

More people need to know about how scummy that paper is.

[Guest ShoePiss]

Just to be clear;

 

That is not the John Williams who wrote 'Into The Red' and 'Kennedy's Way' amongst numerous others. It was the Post's 'shock jock' columnist of the time, who has long since died of cancer. He wasn't respected in the slightest.

 

I've known the other JW for many years and he's a top Red who goes ballistic if anyone does the dirty re Hillsborough.

 

He's also a mate of Rogan's though, so you can call him what you like! ;)

 

 

Thanks for that brilliant piece of info, I'd never read that before and as it came from the post I was more outraged.

[goatboy59]

He was always an arsehole, and the Post's catchment was always heavily based in N Wales - hence the ads for plays in Mold and a fanatical devotion to Everton.

[philyhamann]

It was probably bought by ignorant fans who came up to watch the game in Liverpool/for the parade.

[DT]

Just to be clear;

 

That is not the John Williams who wrote 'Into The Red' and 'Kennedy's Way' amongst numerous others. It was the Post's 'shock jock' columnist of the time, who has long since died of cancer. He wasn't respected in the slightest.

 

I've known the other JW for many years and he's a top Red who goes ballistic if anyone does the dirty re Hillsborough.

 

He's also a mate of Rogan's though, so you can call him what you like! ;)

 

Right, thanks for clearing that one up for me.

[ratcatcher]

A disgrace. I only hope their 'sales' figures are those 'paper's sold to newsagents and not yet reurned. But even then, why would the newsagents buy so many thinking they'd sell them?

[Rafaman]

The increase in Turkey probably had something to do with the fact that the rag and the Times were the first to be delivered to the kiosks on the mornin' after the game (this also happens in Spain). Doesn't excuse the fact that there were shitheads in Istanbul who were prepared to buy the thing because "there weren't any other papers available"*

 

*Copyright - Four Irish shitheads in a bar in Taksim.

[Code]

I feel dirty if I just happen to look at the front page when I buy other papers when I`m over, but I guess this is the way things will go as time flies by even if it hurts and angers a lot of people.

 

Ignorance has got hold of society the way I see it and I`m not sure it will change to the better in a close future either.

[grazywalker]

It was possibly because all other papers such a mail,mirror had sold out . Chances are people were probably buying 2 or 3 papers that day and the Sun was all that was left .

Still a disgrace though .