Brevet fra George Caulkin til klubben kan læses herunder, brevet er et svar til det brev som klubben har sendt til flere medier omkring kritiske artikler omhandlende Newcastle United. Dette brev kan læses på vedhæftede link; Newcastle United have banned The Evening Chronicle, The Journal and The Sunday Sun from press conferences and matches at St James’ Park. This is a response. Dear Newcastle United, Regarding the following matters: •The failure of the present owner to conduct due diligence before purchasing the club •The appointment of Dennis Wise as executive director (football) •The treatment of figures such as Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer •The appointment of Joe Kinnear as manager •Relegation •The dismissal of Chris Hughton •The renaming of St James’ Park •The appointment of Joe Kinnear as director of football •The sponsorship agreement with Wonga, the payday lenders •The banning of three local newspapers I write in reference to the above incidents which have taken place in your name during the ownership of one man, who operates under the name of Mike Ashley. It is quite frankly staggering that you have devoted even a single letter of complaint to The Evening Chronicle, The Journal and The Sunday Sun about any aspect of their coverage of Newcastle, given the catalogue of mismanagement and error listed here. Even if there was merit in your argument about the reporting of the Time4Change march, which took place on Saturday 19 October and was attended by several hundred Newcastle fans, it is your response which is disproportionate. You should be in no doubt as to the disappointment and dismay that decisions such as this generate, how bonds are stretched, how it sometimes feels like a club is being corroded from the inside, even if this dismay is not always expressed in a uniform, collective manner. Some people demonstrate, some people moan in the pub, some people stop attending matches and more people keep going but, over time, pride and identities are chipped away. This is not a reality you can measure at the cash till of the club shop, but it is a reality nonetheless. Indeed after reviewing all of the above episodes and in particular – well, no, just all of it, really – it is my opinion that if there is any underlying message of encouragement and support to marchers, it is provided by Mike Ashley himself. I feel strongly that the turnout of the march has caused you to tie yourselves in knots. the Chronicle and its sister titles will fight their own battles, but since when is wanting better for the club and, by extension, the reporting of that desire, “an anti-Newcastle United stance”? Page after page is devoted to Newcastle in the local press, positive and negative, trivial and substantive, and, yes, that is partially due to sales, but it is also an indication of the club’s power and potential to be a beacon of the city. Too often, it is not. I remember from my time at Thomson House – I’m proud that’s where my career started, by the way, doubly so this week – that what really drives sales is Newcastle victories. Winning games of football. It is just a thought, but you could always give that a go. There are times when it is quite easy to believe that it is Mr Ashley’s stance which is anti-Newcastle. Fair and balanced? He has an open invitation to explain and argue; Derek Llambias did it, finally, and although it did not prevent some uncomfortable decisions, he did, at least, provide some context. It is true, of course, that the cub does some fantastic work. The Foundation is wonderful, reaching into the community and using football as an instrument of improvement, lifting heads. I’ve seen what happens when Hatem Ben Arfa walks into a classroom, when Papiss Demba Cisse hands out football shirts, when Steve Harper and Shola Ameobi visit Sir Bobby Robson’s old school in Langley Park, how faces come alive, how kids find a way of engaging that did not seem possible before. And there are some great people at St James’ Park, too, who are desperate to do the right thing, who strive to engage with fans and improve things for them. But while those baby-steps are positive and crucial, when the contentious moments arrive they fall into place behind a long line of others. Reciprocal ticket pricing and season-ticket deals are innovative and welcome, particularly during a recession, but they do not heal fracture, not all in one go. They do not make sense of the insensible. In spite of your letter stating that the latest media ban – there have been plenty before – was a “unanimous decision”, I’m aware of individuals at the club who say they opposed it and yet, in the final analysis, their opinion has not counted. Something similar applies to the recruitment of Kinnear – it was a done deal, no consultation, let the chips fall and let everybody get on with it. What Mr Ashley wants, he gets. Does anybody stand up to him? I’ll relay a quick story. Over the summer I was asked by you, Newcastle, not to write something. This does not take place very often, but it happens. Just as journalists make mistakes but have sub-editors to correct grammar or statistics or tinker with the style or content of cCAULKINISANIDIOTopy, so managers, players or directors can misspeak in interviews. I can understand that (I like to make at least one error in absolutely everything I file). What I was asked not to write were words of PRAISE from one employee of the club about another because, I was told, Mr Ashley would be furious about reading such praise. I wasn’t going to use it anyway, because it was an irrelevance – the wider picture then was Kinnear’s arrival and the instability it provoked – but the events of this week have reminded me of just how dysfunctional this football club can be. And how we have all come to view it as normal. Having given due consideration to the above, I have reached a decision. I realise how fortunate I am to do the job I do, I know I have a cushy lifestyle and the access I get to media facilities, press conferences and player interviews makes things easy. I value relationships, too. I’ve always thought that getting to know people, building contacts, is the most important part of the job, because that’s how you find out what’s going on, and it’s the bit I enjoy most. I like telling stories and find that more fascinating than tactics or whatever else. I believe that stripping cliches away from the North East is part of my job, whether it is written in my contract or not, as is being fair and honest, as I hope you’d recognise, but banning three local newspapers strikes at the heart of what I believe in. It strikes at me and every other journalist. It strikes at fans. A side-effect of that ban and one of the most ridiculous things about it is that, by implementing it, you have ensured far more publicity for the Time4Change message than they generated themselves or the Chronicle might have generated for them. Your access is appreciated and I’ll take it for as long as you offer it, but it does not guarantee you anything other than honesty and a fair hearing. Anyway, that decision. Last time, I attended the march as a journalist. A few members of the bedsheet-brigade turned up, but that’s fair enough – every club has their share of daft lads and Newcastle shouldn’t be defined by theirs – and while the numbers were relatively modest, the mood was positive and peaceful. As always, it was heartening to hear people speak with passion about their club and even if the situation can appear futile, their message was valid: there is always a point in wishing for something more. Next time – if there is a next time – I’ll attend the march as a human being, full stop. Not because I’ve got an anti-Newcastle agenda, not because I’ve got an anti-Mike Ashley agenda – you’ll get the same treatment as always – but because, as someone who lives in the city, who is proud to call the North East his home, who cares about the club and wants it to excel, it should be better. Better than this. My position on this issue is pretty firm but hey, it’s always nice to chat. Yours sincerely, George.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 17:56:45 +0000
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