Scottish football is to get its own, dedicated football 'magazine' for the iPad, plus a TV show.
It follows a partnership struck between The Away End website and the University of the West of Scotland, with the iPad magazine comprising a mix of free and paid-for content, including – for subscribers – video and audio material.
The link-up is with university's BA (Hons) Sports Journalism course and its new TV studio, at its Hamilton campus, where a weekly TV show will be made.
Founding editor, Andrew Southwick, is planning also working on a revamping of the website, to including two weekly podcasts. Sports documentaries and books are also on the agenda.
Having previously worked on The Away End as a student, Andrew is now full-time funded by the university.
The Away End was launched two years ago. The iPad magazine will be published monthly, from next month. The TV show is expected to launch in August.
Said Southwick: “Since The Away End was launched we have always been keen to be a platform for young writing talent in Scotland.
“Over the past 18 months we have had students, freelance and keen football writers from all over the country involved.
“The link-up with the Sports Journalism degree will now allow us to take The Away End to the next stage, with the long-term ambition of starting the only magazine dedicated to Scottish football now a reality, combining the facilities available at the university with expertise from people in the business.
“With potentially 80 sports journalism students, added to our open door policy of encouraging anyone with aspirations of being a writer to get involved, we certainly won’t be struggling for content.”
“The [the newspapers'] sports sections across the country deliver great content every day, but it’s been a long wait to have a magazine dedicated to our own game in Scotland.
“The Away End aims to be looking beyond the Old Firm, covering all levels of the Scottish game.
“I started 'The Away End' when I was a student, first on the journalism course at Glasgow Caledonian, then the sports journalism degree at the University of the West of Scotland.”
The BA (Hons) Sports Journalism degree is the only one of its kind in Scotland and has seen students covering last year’s Scottish Cup Final courtesy of the BBC, this year’s Scottish Grand National at Ayr Racecourse as well as input from guest lecturers from the Scottish sports media industry.
In a statement issued by the university, programme leader, Elizabeth McLaughlin, is quoted, as saying: “This partnership gives students the unique and exciting opportunity of producing content for a vibrant and dynamic Scottish sports industry while they are still studying, and the work opportunities and portfolio potential is fantastic and far-reaching. It is the perfect partnership of cutting-edge learning and teaching and sports journalism practice in action.”
