An Idea..(The Great Soccer Forum Write Off)

Necronomicon

All good reading. I haven't read all of this thread, but I hope it's something that can become a regular feature. Things like this and the draft really contribute to the forum.

It's fun trying to guess the authors alright, though it doesn't take a genuis to figure out one or two

eZe^

Loved the piece on Barca, would have made a few adjustments to some of things said about parts of it's history. The Puerta one was my favourite though, it'd be good to include another player in the article;

Francois Sterchélé (1982-2008)


R.I.P

Xavi6

Draupnir wrote: »

I started reading with the intention of immediately discounting an article once I reached the first grammatical error in it. Thirty seven seconds later I had discounted all seven articles and was forced to alter my criteria.:D

My vote is in. In fairness the subject matter of most of the first batch is very interesting, well done to the participants. Proof read next time though.

I think that's a pretty poor way to approach something as a reader. If articles like this were ever to be published properly they would go through a sub editor and an editor before they were ever released to the masses. That means at least two other people would read the articles and iron out the mistakes. Anyone who writes regularly knows that even if you've read something three or four times you can still miss things. If you didn't there'd be no need for editors.

I would have hoped that people would have judged the pieces on the general idea, not on the odd grammatical error or missing word.

Racing Flat

5,6, & 7 a cut above the rest in terms of writing style IMO. 5 got the nod, most interesting, and I learnt something new about their history. Repeating the 'more than just a club' at the end was a very professional touch. 6 would have been better if it had perhaps offered some potential solutons rather than just stating the problem, ditto for 7. But great efforts, well done.

I hope the teachers of the nation are watching - ask the schooolkids to write about football (or whatever else they are interested in) rather than Shakespeare and Yeats and their might be more enthusiasm towards writing...

Racing Flat

Xavi6 wrote: »

I think that's a pretty poor way to approach something as a reader.

I take your point, but I strongly disagree. We aren't reading this as editors but as voters in a 'best article on any soccer subject' competition. The one that is written the best and the most interesting and informative etc. will get the vote. The easier it is to read (ie the more gramatically, spelling etc. correct that it is), the more likely the reader is to find it inetersting and informative IMO.

Xavi6

Racing Flat wrote: »

I take your point, but I strongly disagree. We aren't reading this as editors but as voters in a 'best article on any soccer subject' competition. The one that is written the best and the most interesting and informative etc. will get the vote. The easier it is to read (ie the more gramatically, spelling etc. correct that it is), the more likely the reader is to find it inetersting and informative IMO.

I know what you mean about general flow and structure but some of the best writers aren't necessarily the best English students.

From my point of view, I read mine ten times before submitting yet didn't notice an horrendous mistake that I've since picked up on.

Jazzy

Xavi6 wrote: »

I think that's a pretty poor way to approach something as a reader. If articles like this were ever to be published properly they would go through a sub editor and an editor before they were ever released to the masses. That means at least two other people would read the articles and iron out the mistakes. Anyone who writes regularly knows that even if you've read something three or four times you can still miss things. If you didn't there'd be no need for editors.

lol
in my experience it tends to go through 2 of the interns
ive got a mate whos a proper grammar nazi to read through my stuff generally. oh how she does like to lord over my poor grammar

Xavi6

Xavi6 wrote: »

I read mine ten times before submitting yet didn't notice an horrendous mistake that I've since picked up on.

I read mine 3 times and then when reading over it after noticed 4 or 5 really brutal mistakes.

eZe^

Ah yes, now I know which one is Neils.

pickarooney

Xavi6 wrote: »

I know what you mean about general flow and structure but some of the best writers aren't necessarily the best English students.

From my point of view, I read mine ten times before submitting yet didn't notice an horrendous mistake that I've since picked up on.

And so close to the end as well!

Decent batch of entries on a broad range of subjects. I voted on the basis that some googli... research went into the one I picked.

Bateman

It's unfair to judge anything solely on grammar but I'd be lying if I said that grammatical errors don't annoy me. They do, and they take away from one's general enjoyment of reading anything.

Dub13

Would you believe I got 3 entry's today and all from people who were not on the original list.

Frisbee

Dub13 wrote: »

Would you believe I got 3 entry's today and all from people who were not on the original list.

Name and Shame.
It's the only way they'll learn :pac:

Dub13

Frisbee wrote: »

Name and Shame.
It's the only way they'll learn :pac:

LOL...no these lads are ok they just want in on all the act now as they see it s a success,maybe they missed this thread at the start.Some other people who put there name down did not bother to enter or even take there name of the list.

GuanYin

Dub13 wrote: »

LOL...no these lads are ok they just want in on all the act now as they see it s a success,maybe they missed this thread at the start.Some other people who put there name down did not bother to enter or even take there name of the list.

You probably shouldn't allow those three enter.

They have had the advantage of more time to create their articles and they have also had the advantage of seeing the style and quality of articles already submitted.

Noone else got to see the playing field before they entered.

Dub13

GuanYin wrote: »

You probably shouldn't allow those three enter.

They have had the advantage of more time to create their articles and they have also had the advantage of seeing the style and quality of articles already submitted.

Noone else got to see the playing field before they entered.

Nobody is allowed enter,we had 13 entries in by the deadline and thats it.

Also I am going to put up group 2 sometime tomorrow.

pickarooney

Why the wait between publishing the two groups? In the interest of fairness, surely they should have been put up at the same time.

Dub13

pickarooney wrote: »

Why the wait between publishing the two groups? In the interest of fairness, surely they should have been put up at the same time.

The groups were meant to be made up of 10 separate article's,I fell 20 article's with around 750 words each was two much reading material in the one go.Nobody had an advantage as they were all submitted before the first group went up.

eZe^

Dub13 wrote: »

The groups were meant to be made up of 10 separate article's,I fell 20 article's with around 750 words each was two much reading material in the one go.Nobody had an advantage as they were all submitted before the first group went up.

Put up the 2nd group willah, I want to procrastinate for a little longer.

Dub13

eZe^ wrote: »

Put up the 2nd group willah, I want to procrastinate for a little longer.

It will be up shortly.

Dub13

Group 2 up Now.

Frisbee

Sticky Group 2 before it disappears?

Dub13

Frisbee wrote: »

Sticky Group 2 before it disappears?

Done.

A nice bit of Sunday afternoon reading for you all.

Smegball

Very good standard of articles. Great read.

Vokes

Particularly liked articles 10,11,12. Very good reads.

pickarooney

Much higher overall standard than in the first group I found. It was a difficult decision, but I plumped for number 10 which, while not the most fascinating subject at the outset, remained consistently interesting where later articles faded as they went on.

Frisbee

pickarooney wrote: »

Much higher overall standard than in the first group I found.

I thought the opposite. Really wasn't too big a fan of any of the articles in this group...

Dub13

Now that all entry's are up I would like to congratulate everybody who entered,not many people would wright upto 750 words and put them on line for scrutiny.Well done to you all,Its things like this that make this forum stand out from all other soccer sites.

The standard has been very high so lets hope we can make this a yearly thing.I am looking forward to the final now.

Racing Flat

I agree, generally higher standard than first round. 10 pipped 12 for me. Not particularly interesting for me, but you could imagine that article being in your national paper at the weekend. 12 was good, but would have been better for me if it just focused on one of the players and went more into depth with that one, and perhaps explained a litle about CM for those who don't know about it. Well done.

Xavi6

9 and 12 stood out for me. They offered something a little different and were very well written.

Jazzy

most of them are just excuses for sounding intelligent. there is more want then need in the dictation of the tone. just like forum posts but with an edge of "you can't argue with this" attached

GuanYin

Jazzy wrote: »

most of them are just excuses for sounding intelligent. there is more want then need in the dictation of the tone. just like forum posts but with an edge of "you can't argue with this" attached

You always get one......

:rolleyes:

Jazzy

GuanYin wrote: »

You always get one......

:rolleyes:

oh right.

grand they are deadly, everyone involved should be proud of themselves. really solid stuff there with little or no faults. we could all be if we wanted to but we chose different paths. heres to us

GuanYin

Jazzy wrote: »

oh right.

grand they are deadly, everyone involved should be proud of themselves. really solid stuff there with little or no faults. we could all be if we wanted to but we chose different paths. heres to us

That is more like it

CiaranC

Should be called the great British Soccer on TV forum writeoff.

~Rebel~

CiaranC wrote: »

Should be called the great British Soccer on TV forum writeoff.

where was your article on Irish leagues?

Theres a wide range of topics there, including one on the FAI

Xavi6

CiaranC wrote: »

Should be called the great British Soccer on TV forum writeoff.

:rolleyes:

Do you ever contribute something positive to the forum? Genuine question.

I'm guessing you neglected to read the story on the FAI and the MLS. Or the one on Barcelona. Or the one on players dying during games. Probably because they wouldn't back up your petty argument.

CiaranC

Xavi6 wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Do you ever contribute something positive to the forum? Genuine question.

I'm guessing you neglected to read the story on the FAI and the MLS. Or the one on Barcelona. Or the one on players dying during games. Probably because they wouldn't back up your petty argument.

Funny you should mention, those are the two I voted for. Both very well written. The ones about getting excited down the pub are gas.

Xavi6

CiaranC wrote: »

Funny you should mention, those are the two I voted for. Both very well written.

Well I actually mentioned three but anyway, fair enough.

Could you not have come in and praised the ones you DID like instead of/as well as criticising the others?

The ones about getting excited down the pub are gas.

They don't exactly float my boat either but a lot of people like them as they see a bit of themselves in the article. Each to their own and all that.

roryc

CiaranC wrote: »

Should be called the great British Soccer on TV forum writeoff.

Its worse than a broken record at this stage...

Dub13

I think we have a wide variety of article's,of course we could have had a more compressive compilation but only 13 people stepped up to the mark.Hopefully next year we will have a few more entry's.

Iago

Having had a chance to review all of the articles and reflect on my own piece I have to say that I've been very impressed with some of the quality on show. I think there were only ever going to be 2 articles that came through in Group 1, although had Article 12 been in the first mix it would have made things interesting.

Overall the voting has been true to the quality and subject matter but there have been a few anomolies that surprised me. Why hasn't my piece got more votes as a prime example?:( Although I think that'll balance itself out overall.

Fair play to everyone who went ahead and produced a piece, and if you haven't voted yet then what are you waiting for? There are far more posters/viewers than votes to date, so take an hour off work, sit back and enjoy the articles.

Next time, there'll be more that will step up and submit something and I look forward to reading them all.

Bounty Hunter

if anyone was guessing who wrote what, I did article

3

group

1

.

Probably the most predictable seing as I think im the only Villa fan doing this, but I was overworked struggling to finish up my placement this week whilst being sick, so dont feel so bad about keeping it simple and choosing a topic such as Lerner/Villa

bigstar

it was a great idea, some good articles in there. you dont see this sort of thing on other forums, so for people to take time out to do this, especailly dub13, doing the organising and that, congrats to all. whens the results coming out

anonymous_joe

Must say, the standard wasn't half bad at all.

Gives hope to this forum. ^^

Thought Article 12 was absolutely brilliant, if only because of so many wasted hours, and that sympathy you have to feel for the guys who never make it.

So go on then, who voted for their own article? I didnt tbh. Would've felt stoopid doing that.

_blank_

Deleted User wrote: »

So go on then, who voted for their own article? I didnt tbh. Would've felt stoopid doing that.

Of course I did.

I'm not in the running for a place in the final though, so it doesn't matter.

Jazzy

CiaranC wrote: »

Funny you should mention, those are the two I voted for. Both very well written. The ones about getting excited down the pub are gas.

you're so football

Bounty Hunter

i didnt i voted for the barca one when i had the choice, which makes me happy enough as mine still got several votes

Spoiled vote tbh Des!

I voted for article 7 in group one and I havent read all of group 2 yet so I havent voted.