Polite Applause is a website devoted to the more “bourgeois” sports, such as tennis, golf, cricket and rugby, which collectively occupy significant sports page real estate, and at times – such as Wimbledon, the Ryder Cup or the Ashes - even overshadow football. The site looks at the aspects of these sports that are discussed by fans but often don’t make it onto the back page, from gossip and personal dramas, to new technology, the mysterious ways of officials and the troubled relationship with fashion.
Polite Applause is edited by
Ollie Irish
Ollie has spent most of his decade in journalism messing about with sport and gadgets. He is the former deputy editor of The Observer’s Sport Monthly magazine and editor of Stuff magazine. His favourite car of all time is the Turbo Terrific, as driven by Peter Perfect in Wacky Races. Either that or a Lamborghini Miura.
A regular contributor to Polite Applause is The Spoiler Editor
Ryan Bailey
Ryan used to write for FHM, Zoo and the Non-League Paper. He enjoys long walks on the beach, sticking it to the man, doing De Niro faces in the mirror, the works of Journey and adding ‘meister’ to the end of surnames rather than thinking of proper nicknames. He once went to the Sealife Centre in Hastings.
A regular contributor to Polite Applause is Associate Editor
Michael Lintorn
Michael was too smart for university, so he decided to become a journalist instead. After travelling from Ebbsfleet to Grays to Tonbridge to cover the Non-League Paper’s glamour ties, he decided the excitement was too much, and signed up for The Spoiler.
Polite Applause is designed by
Nilesh Mistry is a web designer with over 5 years of experience working with clients that include AstraZeneca, Nike, Pepsi, Vauxhall, Reebok, ITV and French Connection. Before joining Grand Parade, Nilesh spent more than a couple of years as designer at a digital agency based in Oxfordshire designing and devloping websites, banner ads and Flash products.
Polite Applause is published by Grand Parade Ltd
Grand Parade is run by Ed Needham and Andy Clerkson
Editorial Director Ed Needham has worked in magazines since the mid-nineties, most recently in New York, where he was Editor-in-Chief of Maxim (2004-2006), Managing Editor of Rolling Stone (2002-2004) and launched the US version of FHM magazine. Before moving to the US in 1999, Ed was the editor of FHM in the UK, and achieved an unprecedented average monthly circulation of 750,000, which made it the most popular monthly magazine in Europe at the time.
For any editorial enquiries, contact ed@grandparade.co.uk
Managing Director Andy Clerkson worked in magazines since 1990 in the UK and USA. He was the editorial director of Dennis Publishing in the USA and publisher of Maxim magazine USA, which under his guidance became the largest men’s magazine in the world. Prior to running Maxim in 2002, he launched Stuff magazine in the USA (1999) and UK (1996).
For any commercial enquiries, contact andy@grandparade.co.uk
Other sites from Grand Parade Ltd
The Spoiler is a sports gossip website that looks at the increasing “celebrification” of sports stars and all that global fame and vast wealth brings. From the conspicuous consumption, the girlfriends and the fleets of cars, to the vanity, folly and egomania, we hope you love it.
Chickendinner provides entertaining research and information for casual punters betting on the big sports and cultural events of the day, especially football. It aims to be The Step Before You Bet, providing a useful range of background statistics, trends and patterns to help bettors deploy their money more effectively.
Grid Crasher is a site devoted to covering the personalities, the technology, the accidents and the gossip from the world of motor sport. From F1 to Nascar, from superbikes to monster trucks, Grid Crasher aims to provide several daily doses of petrol-driven news and entertainment.