After that court jester Tucker, Wales Online seemed to employ a decent reporter in Phil Smith, but now he's on the move.
New Sunderland Reporter For The Echo
Monday 5th December 2016
Following the Liam Kennedy debacle - when the city's newspaper employed a reporter to cover Sunderland AFC only for his social media history to reveal a colourful range of views on the club and its supporters - the Sunderland Echo are about to unveil their latest incumbent.
And this time they've played it safe, or so it seems, by employing an actual Sunderland supporter to the role of SAFC correspondent.
Phil Smith will commence in the role after Christmas and will graduate from covering Cardiff City to take the honour of reporting on his home town club.
Smith is a product of St Aidan's School in Sunderland and has been working in Wales since January 2016. The 24-year-old has cut his journalistic teeth at the former Western Mail and Echo, now branded as WalesOnline.
What can we expect?
Who knows. Smith has learnt his trade at a Trinity Mirror bedfellow of the Newcastle Evening Chronicle so we can certainly expect plenty of 'five things we learned' articles.
But, someone who should 'get' Sunderland can only be a good thing and reaction from Welsh fans appears to have been positive towards his Cardiff musings.