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Colleagues react after Mike Ashley and Steve Bruce ban Newcastle United journalist

3 years ago
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Mike Ashley is no stranger to banning journalists during his almost 14 years owning Newcastle United.

Indeed, the NUFC owner has banned certain newspapers altogether for months on end.

The club’s fractious style relationship with the media in recent times has been building again to a point where it was inevitable a ban for somebody was imminent.

Friday morning bringing confirmation of that.

Craig Hope of The Mail banned by Mike Ashley and Steve Bruce, with his (Hope’s) journalist colleagues (from various other publications) commenting on both that AND the overall shambles that has become how Newcastle United and Steve Bruce in particular is treating the press.

Craig Hope of course the one that had the scoop this week on conflict between Matt Ritchie and Steve Bruce, Ritchie calling Bruce a ‘coward’ and in response the 60 year old NUFC Head Coach claimed to have ‘shoulder-charged’ the winger. The man from The Mail following this up with other revelations about what has been happening behind the scenes with Steve Bruce and the Newcastle United playing squad.

The newspaper journalists have been treated with contempt in recent weeks, at times restricted to only one or two questions at press conferences, sometimes none. This morning ahead of the West Brom match with a ‘few’ interesting topics to cover, the newspaper journalists only allowed to ask one question between them.

Darren Lewis – Assistant Editor Daily Mirror:

“Newcastle moles are leaking stuff on Steve Bruce.

“Instead of banning Craig Hope for his fine work on it, Bruce should be looking at why the problem exists.

“The level of his players’ desire this weekend will be interesting.”

Scott Wilson – Chief Sports Writer Northern Echo:

“As an aside, it’s ironic Newcastle United have been arguing for openness, transparency and press access to an arbitration hearing on the same day they’ve banned a journalist for a story he wrote this week and are taking only minimal questions from written press at press conferences….”

Simon Bird – Football Reporter Daily and Sunday Mirror:

“Steve Bruce during his Zoom press conference this morning.

“1 question called from national newspaper reporters in 23mins.”

Luke Edwards – Northern Football Reporter Daily and Sunday Telegraph:

“Let’s just say that was one of the more explosive press conferences of my 20 years covering #nufc.

“I don’t know where to start with it all so I think I’m just going to put out a transcript of the relevant bits and let everyone else make up their minds.

“It [press conference] was the best since Joe Kinnear, albeit with considerably less swear words.

“I stuck up for a colleague who has been banned and things cranked up a notch.

“Fascinating from start to finish…”

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