MICHAEL PEARLMAN SAYS: Thank you and goodbye

I’ve always found it amusing when I’m told by my critics – usually in the comments section below – when an effort is ‘boring’ or ‘rubbish’ or the old favourite that it must be a ‘slow news week’ because in truth, no one is more astonished than me that this column has endured as a weekly feature in the Argus.

I’ve generally tried to cover two topics a week (at a minimum) so by my crude calculations, in sheer column entries alone, I’ve probably written between 6-700 opinion pieces, often about Newport County or boxing. You try and make every single one, interesting to everyone who may read it!

However, my tenure at the Argus stretches further than the column does, approaching 12-years at a newspaper where I got my start as a cub reporter who couldn’t drive a car and frankly, didn’t know his arse from his elbow.

I joined the Argus as a junior reporter whose primary job focuses were two-fold, designing newspaper pages – I had limited experience of this from student media days, but certainly more experience than other trainees – and penning a few golf stories.

That mainly consisted of calling Phillip Price or Bradley Dredge on the phone for previews, and at times I was lucky to be our third writer present at big rugby or football events.

By which, I mean internationals, because when I joined the Argus, the Newport Gwent Dragons were aspirational title challengers (Robin Davey wasn’t letting me near them) and Newport County AFC were Southern League also-rans, unlikely to get more coverage in the Argus than Cwmbran Town in the Welsh League.

I intended to work at the Argus for about two years. So I figured that was probably likely to be the zenith of the events I covered. A Wales v England football match and a Six Nations game or two.

However, staff changes and a genuine affinity for the area saw me staying in South Wales longer than expected and that’s led to me covering an extraordinary selection of sporting events, culminating in a front and centre viewpoint as Wales qualified for a first major football tournament in 58-years.

That was an unbelievable thrill, but remarkably, probably wouldn’t make a top three in terms of my favourite moments working for the Argus.

Having covered more Wales Open golf events than I can count, it was a privilege to cover the 2010 Ryder Cup for the host newspaper, and sitting a few feet from Monty, Rory and the boys as Graeme McDowell holed ‘that putt’ made five successive days of 5am starts and late finishes (I wrote over 10,000 words that week) seem more than worthwhile. As a lifelong Ryder Cup fan, it was simply amazing.

Ditto the opportunities I’ve had since becoming the Argus boxing writer, taking over from the brilliant Paul Tully, when he retired from a tenure at the Argus that makes mine seem like an apprenticeship (the same, of course, applies to Mr Davey).

When Paul told Gary Lockett I was taking on the boxing and was ‘a nice bloke’ Gary replied by asking “but does he know anything about boxing?” with the consensus, honestly, that no I didn’t!

I’d always enjoyed the sport, I’d always appreciated it, but I’d never covered it. At the first show I covered, Gary Lockett knocked a Dictaphone (we were on Nokia 310s back in those days) clean out of my hand during a live TV interview with Jim Rosenthal. Gabriel Clarke told me I was unprofessional. It was mortifying.

However, like the cavalcade of brilliant Gwent and Welsh boxers I’ve covered, I picked myself off the canvas and believe proudly that the Argus’ boxing coverage in the past decade has been the most comprehensive for Welsh fight fans.

Obviously the pinnacle from a personal standpoint was covering Joe Calzaghe’s incredible final few years, including the American legs, as well as ghosting his Argus column and building a genuine rapport with the entire Calzaghe clan, but especially the imitable Enzo.

But I’ve covered dozens of small hall shows, hundreds and hundreds of fights and been lucky enough to share highs and lows with guys like Lockett, Enzo Maccarinelli, Lee Selby, Gavin Rees, Tony Borg, simply too many fighters to mention. I’ve covered Nathan Cleverly’s career since his professional debut. These guys become more than just subjects you write about, because boxing provides an access all areas environment for those of us who cover it.

However, two things will endure for me more than any other as I look back wistfully on my tenure at Argus Sport.

The people I’ve met, and the football club I’ve covered.

And as it would be entirely impossible to name even a small selection of the people from Gwent who I’ve met, interviewed or simply struck up conversation with during my time as one of the paper’s main sports writers, I’m going to as ever, finish up by talking about Newport County AFC.

A club, that, despite what my critics may think, means an awful lot to me. I always mocked people who said they supported two teams, but the County are certainly now in my affections for good.

I’ve charted a comparatively meteoric rise from the Southern League to the Football League, taking in two promotions and incredible drama at a club where there is never not a big story developing.

I’ve dealt with brilliant people, from the staff, to the managers, to the players – again, too many to name drop, but I’m still in contact with Peter Beadle, Dean Holdsworth, Tim Harris, Justin Edinburgh and Jimmy Dack by means of illustration – and most of all, have always tried to be as open and honest as possible with the most important people, the fans.

I’ve endeavoured to try and avoid being reactionary, or inflammatory and of course, I haven’t always succeeded, but I have always called things with the County as I see them and I always strive to talk to as many people as possible to make myself as informed as could be.

I’ve also always tried to push the club to prominence as much as possible. When I covered a club getting gates of 600 in the Conference South, I believed it possible that the County could and would one day enjoy the same level of support and news inches as the Dragons.

It is County’s success that has made that possible, but I would like to think the comprehensive coverage the Exiles now receive is not entirely down to their ascent, but also a desire from the newspaper to be the home for Newport County AFC content.

That’s been no mean feat considering how drastically the landscape of journalism and football have changed in that timescale, with the era long gone of me having every players’ mobile numbers and no competing media.

It would be simply impossible to go over every talking point from the last decade, but I can hit you with a few highs and lows.

My favourite County moments are the two promotion parties, at Spytty Park when the Exiles won the Conference South and the one at Wembley, while my favourite game is the famous 4-3 win at Weston-super-Mare. My worst moment was Justin Edinburgh’s departure and the torturous way the story played out.

The story I’m proudest of is the way we covered Ian Hillier’s sacking – for breaking his leg – because I believe the role the paper played was the main factor in County (eventually) relenting on a dreadful decision.

The story I look back on with most angst is Kevin Stephens accusing County fans of racist chanting, because in hindsight, Stephens’ story being backed up by County’s chairman still didn’t result in us painting a complete picture of what happened that night, and the issue irreparably damaged my relationship with a vocal minority of supporters.

That always upset me, because I went to great lengths to defend County fans when the occasion called for it, like when the club was in disgrace after the Swansea FA Cup tie. When I told national TV stations that 99% of County fans were brilliant supporters, I meant it. And no amount of internet name-calling will ever make me think otherwise. I talk to fans at every game I go to, I’ve always enjoyed that aspect of the job.

County are a special club, who I have loved covering, and I have no intention of becoming a lapsed Supporters’ Trust member, just because I will no longer be the Argus’ County correspondent.

The Exiles, like the whole area and the hundreds of men and women I’ve met in doing this job for longer than I ever expected, have become close to my heart.

This column is often cynical in nature and tone, and I appreciate this has been anything but – yes, I do know the meaning of self- indulgence! – and I also know it’s impossible to please everyone with sport viewing and reporting being so subjective. I gave it my best effort.

So to everyone I’ve met, everyone whose read my stuff over the years, to all those brilliant sports men and women I have covered, I simply say thank you.

And now, finally, I’ll leave you in peace.