Every story on PremClub News has a Rumour Level from 1 to 10. It tells you how solid a story is, based on who is reporting it and what they have actually said. It does not tell you whether something will definitely happen; it tells you how well supported the story is right now.
The four levels
- Fact (10): the club has announced it, or the player, manager or club has said it on the record and a major outlet has reported their words.
- Well sourced (7 to 9): reported by several reliable outlets, or backed by direct quotes.
- Developing (4 to 6): reported by one or two outlets, or still speculative even if several outlets are talking about it.
- Terrace Talk (1 to 3): a single, less reliable report. Treat it as gossip until others follow.
How the score is worked out
Who is reporting it. Each outlet has a trust rating. Major outlets with strong track records (such as BBC Sport, The Athletic, Sky Sports, The Guardian, Kicker and L’Équipe) count for the most. Established outlets (such as local papers like the Liverpool Echo and Manchester Evening News, and titles like Marca and Gazzetta dello Sport) count for a little less. Fan sites and outlets with a looser record count for the least.
How many independent outlets. A story from a single outlet can’t score higher than 4, and one from two outlets can’t score higher than 6. To reach 7 or above, at least three outlets need to be reporting it, unless there is an official announcement or a direct quote.
What kind of evidence. An official club announcement scores 10. Direct quotes from the people involved lift a story. Pure speculation (links, interest, “could” and “might”) is capped at 6, however many outlets repeat it.
Repeats don’t count twice. If a paper is simply repeating another outlet’s report (“according to Marca”), it counts as one source, not two.
Ratings change as stories develop
When more outlets pick up a story, or it is confirmed, the Rumour Level on the story updates automatically. The sources behind every story are listed at the end of the article, so you can check them yourself.
Opinion is labelled as opinion
When a pundit, journalist or former player gives their view, the story is marked Opinion instead of getting a Rumour Level. A prediction isn’t news, however well known the person making it.