Early reports about the venture contextualised it as a serious competitor to the Standard.
[3] Lack of clarity about the London Weekly's ownership and staffing, along with criticism of its standards of design and content, raised speculation that the publication was part of an elaborate publicity stunt[4] or hoax.
[3] Global Publishing Group said it had raised £10.5 million to finance the launch.
[6] The launch edition of the London Weekly was heavily criticised by readers and media insiders.
Among many gaffes, the front page included a prominent misspelling of the name of cricketer Phil Tufnell and the launch edition's lead story was nearly identical to a press release that had issued earlier in the week by rugby club London Wasps.