Stephen McGowan has left the Daily Mail to join the Newsquest team in Glasgow, publishers of The Herald, Glasgow Times, Rangers Review and Celtic Way.
For over 20 years the one time Celtic View reporter has been in a league of his own when it has come to breaking news from in and around Celtic, especially transfer details.
McGowan has barely featured in the Daily Mail over the last two months, at the end of January the London based publisher announced plans to make 10% of their workforce redundant as they merged print with digital and moved to a seven day operation.
It is something of a surprise that McGowan has moved to Newsquest, their flagship title The Herald sells less than 10,000 copies a day with the Evening Times (print edition of the Glasgow Times) is barely visible with half of that circulation.
Appearances in the Celtic Way and Rangers Review seem the most likely avenue for McGowan to go down, recently Newsquest was boasting to Press Gazette that they had 40,000 subscribers but at £20 a year for the Herald and £4 for 4 months of The Celtic Way it is difficult to see how those titles are viable.
Award-winning sportswriter Stephen McGowan joins The Heraldhttps://t.co/c8iVE0IKAH@mcgowan_stephen pic.twitter.com/yLjgY57w1L
— Herald Sport (@HeraldSportScot) March 31, 2025
Jonny McFarlane, Head of Newsquest Digital Sport told The Herald:
Stephen is one of the country’s finest journalists so we are delighted he’s decided to continue his outstanding career with The Herald.
His ability to write sharp opinion pieces that cut through the often noisy bluster of Scottish football will delight our readers while his deep contact book will ensure they are the first to know many of the stories that matter in the months and years ahead.
His joining is a statement of intent to make our sports coverage better than ever.
McFarlane’s claim to fame is explaining, and doubling down years later on why Barrie McKay is a better footballer than Kieran Tierney.
It takes a lot to beat that claim but the brains behind the Rangers Review and the Celtic Way has fired in a new contender, perhaps giddy from enjoying a Hall of Fame event for a club in their 11th season.
I know there are differing opinions but I think history will be kind to this call. If you go by data – consistently best player in Scotland over last five years. If you take a more traditional view look at the goals from RB. Top scorer in EL. Captain of the 55 team. Strong case. https://t.co/q4MlI0SG07
— Jonny McFarlane (@jonnyrmcfarlane) February 20, 2023
#Celtic‘s Kieran Tierney is a decent player but Barrie McKay is Scottish football’s most gifted talent – McFarlanehttps://t.co/5bp9sNdewj pic.twitter.com/YVLJYyDiq3
— Daily Record Sport (@Record_Sport) January 19, 2017
McGowan has McFarlane as his boss and superior ! Imagine if you were a sports scoop with a half decent rep who now takes orders from big Jonny McFarlane – ex head copy boy and tea boy at the Record – because he’s your boss ? In the newspaper world full of egotistical elves and ranch hands , this has to be the biggest slap in the face ..ever for MC Gowan ? Must be exceptionally desperate times for him ?
Still shooting his load in his pants about Tavpen,Johnnybag McFarlane is a horse’s tadger.
Lol jumping from one sinking ship to the other,especially one selling less copies of a rag he has just been binned from.
Never heard of any of the two fuckers !