Give us our papers on time, say newsagents

Newsagents have been told that on the day after the evening match – on 12 November – newspapers will be delivered 30 minutes late so that they can include the result and coverage of the game.

But NFRN head of news and Connect, Brian Murphy, said: “We realise that cut-off extensions are sometimes necessary for major events and big breaking news stories, but this is a fairly minor football match.

“Saturdays are already the worst day of the week in terms of late newspaper deliveries, and our members are sick and tired of the problem regularly being exacerbated by Friday night football fixtures.

“In the modern era of 24-hour news available on TV and online, anyone interested in finding out a result or reading a match report no longer has to wait until the following morning.

“Also, we can’t understand why this latest in a series of cut-off extensions should affect news retailers in Wales, whose customers are unlikely to be that interested in the outcome of the England match.”

Jonathan Powell, a news roundsman in Newport, said: “It’s hard for me to explain and justify to my customers why they will be receiving their papers late because of an England football match.

“There are far too many cut-off extensions due to football these days.

“It would be better for the industry if people got their papers when they wanted them.

“It also affects our deliverers, who are going out later on their rounds.”