Back in the days when I was a poor student journalist, I remember I wanted to read some of the columns written by the luminaries of sports writing in the national press.

Trouble was, I just didn’t have the spare money to actually buy the papers.

I was studying at a specialist media training centre in Hastings, and on my way back to my digs I used to pass a small newsagents.

It was actually a busy place, the sort of community hub that people popped into for a paper or a magazine, but also for some sweets, a can of drink and even just a chat with the owner – a kindly old man with a wonderful grey beard whose very rosy-red cheeks made him look a bit Santa Clause-ish.

I would often pop in and, while he served and made small-talk with customers, I’d have a look and see what was in The Times, The Telegraph or even a football magazine.

The owner and I got onto nodding terms, even though I’d only stay a few minutes as I didn’t really want him to spot I never actually made a purchase.

One early evening I was in the shop, engrossed in some very good article, when I glanced up and saw him coming towards me with a smile.

Quite politely but very firmly he said: “You do know this isn’t a library? I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve come in, read a paper and not bought it. From now on, you’ll have to pay to read whatever it is you want to read.”

My face went redder than his cheeks, I mumbled an apology and never went back again.

Thing is, he had a point. A very good point in fact. I don’t suppose many local landlords would have allowed me to have a few sups of a pint for free, or that the fish and chip shop at the end of the road would have regularly given me a handful of chips without payment.

Why am I penning all this as someone who writes about football?

Well it’s to explain a subject I get asked about quite regularly, and to try to be up front about something that I often feel the need to whisper about when really I shouldn’t.

Digital subscriptions.

The Watford Observer has never been free, and its staff have always been paid. The former provides the latter, with advertising helping along the way.

When I left the Watford Observer the first time, back in 2003, there was no website. There were no social media channels either. There was a printed newspaper each Friday, which I think back then cost 50p but I stand to be corrected.

Now there are many ways of consuming the Watford Observer, and for many people the most convenient is via the website, be that on a tablet, a phone or a lap-top. It’s instant (no waiting for Friday), you can take it anywhere (no ink on your fingers) and it's there to read whenever you want it.

It’s particularly useful for those who now live further afield but still want to keep abreast of what’s happening at Watford FC or in the town generally.

The website is free. You don’t have to subscribe to visit it. But understandably, the amount of stories you can view for nothing is limited – and that number reduces if you view more of the top stories and exclusives.

So, many readers will contact me and ask why, when they click on a story, they can’t see it and are asked to subscribe. And that’s the answer: there is only so much that we can afford to let people have for free.

If you subscribe, then there is no limit to the number of stories you can read and how often you can read them.

I had a quick count up of the number of stories I have published on the website since I returned to the WO to be the Watford FC correspondent last summer, and it’s an average of 61.1 a month (if you subscribe, you can have the 0.1 on me!).

So that’s about 15 a week, depending on how many games and how many big stories there are.

A monthly subscription costs £4.99, or it’s £52 for the year. That works out at about 8p per Watford FC story each month, and that’s before you factor in that you get access to everything else on the website in terms of news, sport, leisure etc (and you get less ads too, which makes it easier to read).

Although much of what I write appears in the printed paper on a Friday, there’s a lot that is only ever on the website. Or there will be a short version in print (ie a long player interview) with the full piece online.

Now I think those subscription prices are good value, but from today (February 26) until March 20, you can get your four months subscription for just £4 (rising to £4.99 per month thereafter), or an annual subscription for £31* (which reverts to £52 after 12 months).

So you can give it a try, see what you think, and do so with a discount.

All you have to do to get the special offer is to click here, and follow the instructions.

When you subscribe, the ‘advert-lite’ version of the website you will access loads 80% faster and you’ll see significantly less ads too.

Subscribers also get access to Reader Rewards, which include great deals, discounts, and special offers on brands you love - all year round.

Lastly, subscriptions do help pay the wages. There’s no point me being bashful about that! Writing 60-odd stories a month takes time and effort, and a fair bit of travelling too.

On top of that, by my reckoning I’ve published 18 exclusive player interviews since June, as well as with the likes of chairman Scott Duxbury, both Slaven Bilic and Rob Edwards and other key club staff. Ok, I haven’t cracked getting across a table with Gino Pozzo yet, but I’ll keep plugging away!

Then there are things like the live blog from the training ground, live blogs from home and away games and even my own opinion pieces – not on the level of Oli Phillips’ iconic Just a Thought columns but I’m still learning!

You can still read the Watford Observer website for free and I’m not going to hard sell subscriptions. However, I thought it was time to explain why sometimes you can’t see a story, how you can remove a lot of the ads and why subscriptions are important – especially as there is a special offer available.

Don’t be like that naive teenager who kept annoying the newsagent by reading the papers for free without even buying some chewing gum!

*Terms and conditions apply: Offer valid on digital subscriptions only. Offer ends 20 March 2024 at 23:59pm GMT. Subscription auto-renews unless cancelled. After the four-month offer period, monthly subscription will be charged at £4.99 per month. After the one-year trial period, annual digital subscription will be charged at £52 per year. All subscriptions can be cancelled and refunded within 14 days of purchase. Newsquest Media Group reserves the right to change or remove the offer at any time. Please see www.newsquest.co.uk/digital-subscription-terms-and-conditions for full details.