How news becomes history

THE Liverpool ECHO found itself steeped in local and national events from the very moment it was launched in October 1879.

- Ken Rogers

Vans line up outside our former Victoria Street building

That's an astonishing 147 years ago.The most significant happening as that landmark year drew to close was our ambitious relocation from the small Lord Street print premises of sister publication the Liverpool Daily Post to impressive new company headquarters in Victoria Street. It signalled an ambitious new way forward for both titles.

Four contrasting things happened in the ECHO's launch year. Firstly, it sought to capture an army of new readers with a cover price of just one halfpenny, which was held for close on 40 years.

The ECHO's arrival on the local newspaper scene in 1879 coincided with the birth of big time football on Merseyside, a year in which the fledgling St Domingo's methodist church team opted to drive forward as Everton FC. We would soon be producing the famous Football ECHO to reflect our city's love affair with the great game, a mainstay until Sky TV's live football agenda began to undermine traditional Saturday 3pm kickoff times. Like many, I hate the increasing number of 8pm kickoffs on dark winter evenings.