Editorial standards at The Match Journal

Accuracy, independence and context come before speed or spectacle.

The Match Journal aims to publish football coverage that is accurate, useful, independent and clear about what is fact, what is analysis and what remains uncertain. Our editorial decisions are guided by relevance, evidence, context, originality and respect for readers and the subjects we cover.

01 / Our Standards

Principles behind our editorial work

Principle / 01

Editorial independence

Editorial decisions are based on what we believe is relevant, useful and appropriate for readers. Advertising, sponsorships, partnerships or other commercial relationships should not determine our factual conclusions or editorial judgement.

Principle / 02

Accuracy and verification

We aim to verify important factual claims, statistics, records, dates, quotations and historical information using reliable sources. The level of verification should reflect the significance and sensitivity of the claim.

Principle / 03

Context matters

A scoreline, record or quotation can be accurate and still be misleading without context. We aim to explain competition boundaries, dates, historical circumstances and other details that materially change how a claim should be understood.

Principle / 04

Fact, analysis and opinion

Tactical assessments, historical interpretation, rankings and other forms of analysis may involve editorial judgement. We aim to distinguish those conclusions from verifiable facts and explain the evidence or reasoning behind them where useful.

Principle / 05

Originality and attribution

We aim to produce original editorial work and attribute external reporting, research, quotations, statistics, images and other material where appropriate. We do not knowingly present another publisher’s work or ideas as our own.

02 / Sources

Strong claims need strong sources

Where appropriate, we prioritise primary and authoritative sources such as football clubs, leagues, federations, competition organisers, governing bodies, official archives and direct statements.

Established journalism, recognised statistical databases and reputable archives may also be used where they add context or where primary information is unavailable. The strength of the source should match the importance of the claim.

03 / Developing Coverage

When information is still changing

Transfers, injuries, team news, fixture changes and other developing stories can evolve quickly. We aim to distinguish confirmed information from reporting, claims or speculation.

Where a story changes materially after publication, we may update the article so that the page continues to reflect the latest reliable information.

04 / Transparency

Commercial relationships

Sponsored, paid or commercially supported material should be identifiable where applicable so readers can understand the nature of the content.

A commercial relationship should not be used to disguise advertising as independent editorial coverage or to alter factual reporting.

05 / Contributors

Responsibility of our writers

TMJ contributors are expected to work within the publication’s editorial standards, check their work carefully, identify meaningful uncertainty and respect intellectual property.

Writers should not knowingly publish false or misleading information, fabricate quotations, invent sources or present speculation as established fact.

06 / Editorial Tools

Technology and AI-assisted tools

Digital tools, including AI-assisted tools, may be used in parts of the editorial workflow for tasks such as organising research, drafting support, formatting, transcription, comparison or quality checks.

Their use does not remove editorial responsibility. Material intended for publication should still be reviewed for accuracy, relevance, attribution and context, and important factual claims should be verified against appropriate sources.

07 / Corrections

Corrections and accountability

If a material factual error is identified, we aim to review the relevant evidence and correct the information where necessary. Corrections should improve the accuracy of the published record rather than obscure the original problem.

Readers who believe an article contains inaccurate, misleading or materially incomplete factual information are encouraged to contact the editorial team.

08 / Editorial Contact

Report an editorial concern

For factual corrections, source questions or other editorial concerns, contact:

hello.editor@thematchjournal.com

The Match Journal

Stories. Truth. Legacy.

Independent football publishing built around accuracy, context, clear sourcing and stories worth understanding.