Football writer hopes to franchise solo model

The Online Press Gazette reports on the success story of solo football writer Rick Waghorn.

Waghorn took redundancy after 14 years with the Archant-owned Norwich Evening News in April, 2006.

He continued to cover Norwich City FC after launching RickWaghorn.co.uk with a senior Archant ad exec, Kevin O'Gorman.

The two-man operation achieved £3,000 a month in revenues this year, primarily through advertising from local businesses.

Waghorn claims that the combined effect of ever-earlier print deadlines on evening newspapers and his use of mobile phone alerts has allowed him to compete effectively with his former employers.

He now plans to rebrand the site as MyFootballWriter.com/Norwich and franchise it to other like-minded football writers.

"There are about 40 or 50 regional newspaper football writers who have covered clubs for years and have strong personal brands," he said.

"If you go through all the provincial clubs in the country, they've all got one of me at their local morning or evening paper."

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