Evening Express

The Evening Express is a Scottish daily newspaper focused on Aberdeen and the surrounding north-east of Scotland. Its first issue appeared on 20 January 1879, establishing the title as one of the long-running newspaper brands associated with the city. The paper has traditionally combined local news, civic affairs, crime reporting, community coverage, entertainment and sport, with Aberdeen Football Club receiving especially prominent attention in its sports pages. The title has changed physical format several times. It operated as a tabloid from the 1930s through the 1950s, then returned to a broadsheet format in November 1958. For much of the following period it appeared as a broadsheet on weekdays, while the Saturday edition reverted to tabloid presentation in September 1989. In February 1995 the newspaper became a tabloid six days a week. These changes reflected both evolving newspaper conventions and the competitive requirements of a local evening title. A notable part of the paper's sporting identity was the Green Final, a Saturday-night football edition printed on green paper. It reported on Aberdeen FC's match progress and provided a comprehensive roundup of the day's football results. The Green Final was historically a broadsheet before adopting tabloid form in 1988. Although the standalone edition ended in June 2002, the name has occasionally returned in connection with junior-football coverage. The Evening Express has been published alongside the Press and Journal by Aberdeen Journals Ltd. Its editorial profile is strongly regional rather than national: it addresses the daily concerns, institutions and personalities of Aberdeen and the wider north-east. The newspaper has also maintained a recognizable roster of local and specialist contributors, including entertainment, television and football writers. Sports coverage has included columns by former Aberdeen players and other football figures. The brand has sometimes attracted criticism over its editorial positions. Its coverage of the proposed Trump International Golf Links development at Menie Estate in Balmedie was strongly supportive of the project, despite opposition from local residents and environmental campaigners. In 2007, the newspaper published photographs of councillors who voted against the proposal under the headline “You Traitors,” and in 2009 it said it would not report statements from the protest group Tripping Up Trump because it did not regard the group as bona fide. The episode became a significant example in discussions about local press advocacy, political campaigning and perceived conflicts in coverage. The paper also experienced a short-lived dispute with Aberdeen Football Club players in 2008. The players stopped giving interviews to the title, citing concerns about negative reporting and speculation about possible departures. The boycott was lifted in early March of that year after discussions involving the club's media representatives and the newspaper's sports editor. Like many regional newspapers, the Evening Express has increasingly operated through digital channels. In November 2021 its website was merged with the existing Press and Journal website, linking the title's online presence to a broader regional news platform while preserving the Evening Express identity in its newspaper and editorial output.

The Evening Express began publication in Aberdeen on 20 January 1879. It developed as a local daily serving the city and the wider north-east of Scotland, a region whose economy, politics, civic institutions and sporting culture provided the core of its editorial agenda. Its role has been that of a city and regional newspaper rather than a national title, with an emphasis on timely local reporting and accessible presentation. The paper's print format changed in response to the conventions of the period and the preferences of its audience. It was a tabloid during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, but returned to broadsheet form in November 1958. For several decades it used a broadsheet weekday format while maintaining a distinct Saturday arrangement. In September 1989, the Saturday edition became a tabloid while the weekday paper continued to use the broadsheet formula. The entire six-day publication adopted tabloid form in February 1995. The Evening Express also had a distinctive football tradition in the Green Final, a Saturday-night edition printed on green paper. It provided updates on Aberdeen FC matches and a full results service covering the day's football. The edition had previously been produced as a broadsheet and became a tabloid in 1988. It ended as a regular standalone paper in June 2002, although the Green Final name has occasionally been used again for junior-football reporting. Local football has remained central to the title's identity. The paper has carried contributions from former Aberdeen players including Stewart McKimmie, Joe Harper and Willie Miller, alongside reporting and columns by sports staff such as Charlie Allan and Sean Wallace. Its wider editorial mix has included entertainment writing, television criticism, community news and regional public-affairs coverage. The newspaper has been published by Aberdeen Journals Ltd, alongside the Press and Journal. Its coverage of the proposed Trump International Golf Links at Menie Estate became one of the most controversial episodes in its history. The development was opposed by some local residents and environmental campaigners because of its effect on a protected coastal site. The Evening Express adopted a notably favorable position toward the project. In 2007 it published photographs of seven councillors who had voted against the planning application beneath the headline “You Traitors.” In 2009 it said it would not report comments from the Tripping Up Trump protest group, stating that it did not consider the organization bona fide. Critics argued that the newspaper and the Press and Journal gave the development disproportionately positive treatment. A separate dispute arose with Aberdeen FC in February 2008. Players announced that they would no longer give interviews to the Evening Express because of what they viewed as negative reporting, particularly speculation that several players might leave the club in the summer. Sports editor Charlie Allan proposed meeting club captain Scott Severin, while the club's media officer Dave Macdermid gave the paper a short interview. Manager Jimmy Calderwood criticized the players' decision, although he acknowledged that the reporting had caused offense. The boycott was lifted in early March, restoring the usual relationship between the club and the newspaper. The title has adapted to the digital restructuring of regional news publishing. In November 2021, the Evening Express website was merged with the Press and Journal website. This created a shared online platform while retaining the Evening Express as an identifiable newspaper brand and editorial service for Aberdeen and north-east Scotland.

• 2021

  Digital website consolidation

  [1]Evening Express (Scotland)en.wikipedia.org

  The Evening Express website was merged with the Press and Journal website.

• 2008

  Aberdeen FC interview dispute

  [1]Evening Express (Scotland)en.wikipedia.org

  Aberdeen players temporarily stopped giving interviews to the newspaper before resuming normal communication in early March.

• 2002

  Green Final ended

  [1]Evening Express (Scotland)en.wikipedia.org

  The standalone Saturday-night Green Final football paper ended in June after a long run.

• 1995

  All regular editions became tabloids

  [1]Evening Express (Scotland)en.wikipedia.org

  In February, the newspaper adopted tabloid format six days a week.

• 1989

  Saturday edition adopted tabloid format

  [1]Evening Express (Scotland)en.wikipedia.org

  The Saturday edition returned to tabloid presentation while the weekday editions retained their broadsheet formula.

• 1958

  Return to broadsheet format

  [1]Evening Express (Scotland)en.wikipedia.org

  The newspaper resumed publication as a broadsheet in November, six days a week.

• 1879

  First issue published

  [1]Evening Express (Scotland)en.wikipedia.org

  The Evening Express published its first issue in Aberdeen on 20 January, beginning its long-running role as a local Scottish newspaper.

A strongly local, accessible newspaper brand centered on Aberdeen, regional affairs, community stories and football, with a mass-market tabloid identity in its later print history.

• Daily local newspaper · 1879

  Evening Express

  The core newspaper brand serves Aberdeen and north-east Scotland with local news, public-affairs reporting, community stories, entertainment, sport and regional features. It evolved from a broadsheet and tabloid hybrid into a tabloid title six days a week in 1995.

• Football newspaper edition

  Green Final

  A Saturday-night football edition associated particularly with Aberdeen FC. It was traditionally printed on green paper and carried match progress and a complete football-results service. The standalone edition ended in 2002, though the name has sometimes been reused for junior-football coverage.

• Digital local-news platform

  Evening Express digital service

  The newspaper's online presence provides digital access to Evening Express journalism. In November 2021 it was merged with the Press and Journal website as part of a shared regional publishing platform.

• 2009

  Exclusion of a Trump-development protest group

  The newspaper announced that it would not report statements from Tripping Up Trump, prompting complaints that coverage of the development was insufficiently balanced.

  Source

• 2007

  “You Traitors” coverage of councillors opposing the Trump resort

  The Evening Express published photographs of seven councillors who voted against the Menie golf-resort application under the headline “You Traitors.” The episode drew criticism for confrontational treatment of elected representatives and became part of wider debate about the newspaper's support for the development.

  Source

Read more

• 2009Refusal to report Tripping Up Trump statements

  Aberdeen · Aberdeenshire · Scotland

  The newspaper stated that it would not report material from the Tripping Up Trump protest group because it did not regard the group as bona fide.

  Outcome. The decision intensified criticism from opponents of the golf development, who viewed the newspaper's coverage as one-sided.

  Source
• 2007Coverage supporting the Menie golf-resort development

  Aberdeen · Aberdeenshire · Scotland

  The Evening Express gave strong editorial support to Donald Trump's proposed golf resort at Menie Estate in Balmedie, despite local and environmental opposition to the development.

  Outcome. The coverage became a prominent subject of criticism concerning press advocacy and the treatment of elected officials who opposed the planning application.

  Source

• 2021

  Merge the Evening Express website with the Press and Journal websiteStrategy

  Background

  The publisher consolidated digital operations for its Aberdeen and north-east Scotland newspaper brands.

  Action taken

  The existing Evening Express website was merged into the Press and Journal website in November.

  Aftermath

  Online publishing moved to a shared regional platform while the Evening Express newspaper identity continued.

  Source

• 1995

  Convert the regular newspaper to tabloid formatGeneration change

  Background

  After earlier format changes affecting the Saturday edition, the paper moved to a tabloid format six days a week.

  Action taken

  The weekday and Saturday editions were standardized as tabloids from February.

  Aftermath

  The change established the tabloid presentation associated with the modern print title.

  Source

1. 1Evening Express (Scotland)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Evening Express official websiteeveningexpress.co.uk