Looking around at Withdean Stadium on Wednesday night, it was easy to think that things aren’t what they used to be.

A lot has changed for Albion since they played at the Theatre of Trees.

And a lot has changed for us here at The Argus, too, since we had front row seats in that cosy press box.

But there has never been a better time to be following the Seagulls as closely as ever.

That point was drilled home like a Richard Carpenter 25-yarder looking around the old home on Wednesday night.

What HASN’T changed is The Argus is still there - following the Seagulls home and away.

And ‘away’ has got a lot further afield these days.

Treading that fine line in following a club as closely as anyone – closer than most – while retaining objectivity and an appropriate distance.

You won’t get any “GOOOOOOAL - WELBEEEEECK!!!” or “Get in there!” type tweets from here when Albion score.

But we ARE pleased about it - even if it means a late re-write (I refer you to last Sunday!).

Access has changed but I’m not sure it’s for the worse. It’s just different.

We still have interviews with players past and present (I’ve got a nice one lined up for early next week).

We can go off piste. We have tracked down Kaoru Mitoma’s university coach in Japan, Yankuba Minteh’s mentor at Steve Biko FC.

Why can’t it all be free? Well, it would help my numbers in terms of page views or ‘hits’ if it was.

But The Argus has never been free - apart from the occasional promotional giveaway or that relatively brief period early in the digital age.

We are bringing you more Albion stories than ever before.

In 2024, I have so far brought you 1,457 Albion stories via our website.

Of those, an average of about one per day have subscriber-only. That tends to be the more original content. 

It’s a good number. Enough to give the reader value for time and, if you subscribe, money.

But it also means I have time to spend on what is being written (and to put together the paid-for newspaper pages).

I’m not being told to churn out a ridiculous amount of stories per day just to meet quotas.

And I’m talking decent stories. News, interviews, features, some nostalgia and analysis. Taking what Fabian Huerzeler tells us in his always interesting press conferences (they are not just about injury news!) and looking at it properly.

I'm quite fussy. Our content MUST do what the headline and accompanying social media posts tell you it will.

So NOT social posts and headlines which promise you something and then content which fails to deliver.

There are some opinion pieces from me but, I’ll be honest, I’m more about getting opinions from those who know more than me and bringing it to you in a readable way.

 

So interviews, the ever-popular liveblogs, full press conference transcripts and match analysis pieces are among our subscriber-only content these days. We don’t give them away. 

I’ve asked my bosses to open up post-match audios to non-subscribers and the same goes for some news items, plus most coverage of other sports and teams.

Of course, a subscription allows for a quicker, cleaner user experience and gives access to our app, features of which include the digital, page-turning version of the actual newspaper.

There is more Albion-related content out there than ever. I know that.

If anything, that makes the long-standing, well-connected, considered, well-informed, proudly local coverage provided by The Argus even more valuable.

If Brighton beat Spurs, we will look at how Brighton beat Spurs, not how Spurs threw it away at Brighton.

If Chelsea run through on goal time after time, we will criticise - but we will also stand there and ask Fabian Huerzeler why he plays a certain way. What are the rewards? Try to understand. 

We’d like to think you consider our coverage worth a price which currently equates to 25p a week (and, indeed, worth the full price).

You have to go back way before Withdean to a time when you could buy The Argus and have it delivered to your hand for 25p a week!

To sign up for our latest offer on digital subscriptions or to find out more, please click via this link and we will know your interest is at least partly down to our Albion coverage.

Thank you - and enjoy the 'good old days' we are currently living through!