Updated

We’ve had a few questions about tiers so I thought it best to post this. If you can’t see a source in this guide, you can assume they are not worth mentioning or they haven’t been verified as a source yet.

We are not going to restrict which tiers can or cannot be posted to the community, but when you post something, please clearly indicate the Tier along with the source in square brackets, for example:

[David Ornstein T1]

If the poster isn’t in the tier list, put NT for No Tier. Also, don’t post The S*n. Fuck The S*n.

Tier 0 - Undisputed/Official Sources

Tier 1 - Highest Quality Sources

  • Simon Stone (BBC)
  • Simon Peach (Press Association)
  • Craig Norwood (Club Photographer).
  • James Ducker (The Telegraph)
  • Henry Winter (The Times Chief of Football)
  • Mohamed Bouhafsi (France)
  • Paul Joyce (The Times/Liverpool/Everton)
  • Kristof Terreur (The Guardian)
  • David Ornstein (The Athletic)
  • Arancha Rodriguez (Real Madrid/Spain)
  • Sam Lee (The Athletic)
  • Romeo Agresti (Juventus news)
  • John Percy (The Telegraph/Midlands Clubs)
  • Alan Nixon (for youth, and League clubs news)
  • Laurie Whitwell (The Athletic)
  • BBC (United Kingdom)

Tier 2 - Proven to have current sources

  • Der Westen (Germany/Schalke/Gladbach/Dortmund)
  • Kicker (Germany)
  • De Telegraaf (Netherlands)
  • COPE (Spain)
  • Raphael Honigstein (Germany Freelancer/Guardian German News)
  • Voetbal International (Netherlands)
  • Fabrizio Romano (Guardian/Independent)
  • Gianluca Di Marzio (Italians only, Tier 3 if not)
  • Matt Law (Telegraph/Chelsea)
  • Andy Burton (Sky Sports)
  • Howard Nurse (BBC Editor)
  • Charlotte Duncker (Goal)
  • Loic Tanzi (French news)
  • Caderna SER (Spain)
  • RMC Sport (France)
  • Ruhr Nachrichten (Germany)
  • Telefoot (France)
  • Lee Ryder (The Chronicle/Newcastle)
  • Sami Mokbel (Daily Mail)
  • Rob Dawson (ESPN)
  • Paul Hirst (The Times)
  • Andy Mitten (Various)
  • RTP (Portugal only, Tier 3 if not)
  • Sport1 (Germany)
  • The Telegraph
  • Mike McGrath (The Telegraph)
  • Adam Crafton (The Athletic)

Tier 3 - Average reliability, or former Tier 2

  • Canal+/Pierre Menes (France)
  • Jamie Jackson (Guardian)
  • Ian Ladyman (Daily Mail)
  • Jason Burt (Telegraph)
  • The Guardian
  • The Times
  • Mark Ogden (ESPN)
  • Daniel Taylor (Guardian)
  • Melissa Reddy (Sky Sports)
  • Ian Whittell (Telegraph)
  • Bild (Germany/Bavaria)
  • Le Parisien (France)
  • Ian Herbert (Independent)
  • Marcel van Der Kraan (de Telegraaf)
  • Jim White (Everton only)
  • Stephen Howson (Tier 2 for youth news)
  • O Jogo (Portugal)
  • Adrian Kajumba (Daily Mail)
  • Patrick Berger (Sport1 - except Tier 2 for German news)
  • Dan Harris (The Guardian)
  • Alfredo Pedullà (Italy)
  • Mike Keegan (Daily Mail)
  • Chris Wheeler (Daily Mail)
  • Julien Maynard (Telefoot, Tier 2 for France)
  • James Savundra (TalkSPORT)
  • Talksport sources (UK & Ireland)
  • Relevo
  • Raisa Simplicio & Thiago Fernandes (Goal Brazil)
  • Jose Felix Diaz (Real Madrid news)
  • James Robson (Evening Standard)

Tier 4 - Indirect sources, low reliability

  • BildSport (Germany)
  • Tuttomercatoweb (Italy)
  • Sport (Spain)
  • Goal.com
  • Guillem Balague (Sky Sports/Freelance)
  • Kaveh Solhekol/Dharmesh Sheth (Sky Sports)
  • Stuart Mathieson (MEN)
  • The Independent
  • Mundo Deportivo (Spain)
  • Marca (Spain/Real Madrid)
  • AS (Spain/Real Madrid)
  • Paris/Euro United (France/PSG)
  • London Evening Standard
  • CalcioMercato (Italy)
  • El Chiringuito (Unless J. Sanchez, then T1)
  • Sam Pilger
  • Pietro Balzano Prota (Radio Rossonera/Non-AC Milan, Tier 1 for AC Milan)
  • L’Equipe (France)
  • Richard Keys (beIN Sports)
  • Record (Portugal)
  • A Bola (Portugal)
  • David Amoyal (Gianluca Di Marzio)
  • Tuttosport
  • Correio de Manha (Portugal)

Tier 5 - Banned

  • Jacob Steinberg (Guardian, for shit stirring and inaccurate article)
  • Jamie Jackson (Guardian, for shit stirring and inaccurate article)
  • Ben Jacobs (banned by BBC)
  • Samuel Luckhurst (for shit-stirring, racist attitude, inaccurate transfer reporting)
  • @SimonSmithBBC (Simon Stone Impersonator)
  • Simon Mullock (Mirror) for falling for a parody site article link