The Sports Editor of the Newcastle Chronicle papers, the ones that are currently banned by Newcastle United, is Kevin Dinsdale, and he has talked today about the serious deterioration in relationships with the Newcastle manager Alan Pardew.
Alan Pardew – now being isolated
Of course this is not the first time the local press have gone against a Newcastle manager, and back when Freddy Shepherd was running the club and the managers were replaced almost every 18 months, it was not uncommon the local press wanted the manager out – reflecting the fans’ position.
However, in this case the whole thing seems to have been started by the manager himself, when Pardew accused the press of kind of ganging up on him last week, and the Sunday Sun issued an apology over the weekend, and apologized for all the defeats we have had, and also for Alan Pardew’s 7 match ban.
Yes – it was cynical of course – but the point was that it’s not the papers who are producing the terrible results on the field this year.
And of course with the ban on the three local papers in place for almost six months now, the relationship with Pardew and the club was never good, even before the after-the-match press conference on Saturday when Alan basically blamed the local media.
This is what Kevin Dinsdale has told the Press Gazette today:
“It was suggested by Pardew that we have an agenda because of the ban – but he was wrong there,” “If the results are negative, our coverage is going to be negative. The ban hasn’t affected our coverage.”
“We may not help sometimes when our coverage is negative, but the fans who held up anti-Pardew banners at the match are just as negative as the press.”
“But it’s not the fans or the media wearing the club strip and crossing the white lines. Nor do we attend the training sessions.”
“We are not rights holders, so we don’t pay them like Sky and BT Sport, for instance,” “There is this idea that they are paying for the access.”
“Long gone are the days when a club would ask us to come to the training ground and interview players.” “It is ludicrous – because we do stoke interest.”
“We do keep interest going. And I think the local press still has a big part to play. We still put bums on seats at football stadiums.”
“I would hope the ban is lifted, but it’s ultimately up to them.” “They are not answerable to anyone but the owner, Mike Ashley. And we don’t really know what his thoughts are.”
We agree with Kevin that the local press does stoke interest in the club – it’s where all the news about Newcastle basically comes from every day – and they do a good job.
But the civil war that’s now going on at Newcastle between the press and Pardew is hardly good for the club, and we wonder if there’s any chance of a truce soon?
Somebody would have to have the gumption, courage and leadership to offer any reconciliation – and that would need to come from Mike Ashley – after all he owns the club, and we seem to be falling apart at the seams right now.
Seems like there’s no chance of that, with both sides doing what they always do in any big argument – trying to prove themselves right.
It’s all doing nothing positive at all for the proud Newcastle United club – that’s the really sad part – and it’s more bad publicity all around for the Tyneside club.
Comments welcome.
18 comments so far
Ibizatoon
Apr 15, 2014 at 9:59 AM
Comment #1Remove the ban? After the press have caused all of these losses? Are they mad?
Only after these scallywags are put in prison will we be able to win a game of football!
jayphoto
Apr 15, 2014 at 9:59 AM
Comment #2Final nail in Pardews coffin has been to lash out at the local press! I live in east mids and mainly working in london, before the sunday sun no1 did that front page down here was talking bout pardew, most even thought he was doing a good job…. Now, we’ve been the major subject on 3 seperate talksport shows and they are ridiculing pardew and now highlighting how bad a job hes doing! Saw American celebrities, etc retweeting that headline, in one issue theyve turned pardew from someone under the radar nationally to a laughing stock! Press will always stick together, pardew at this stage of his career should have known better than to take them on! Arrogance followed by stupidity and rashness are his huge downfalls
Rainrix
Apr 15, 2014 at 10:02 AM
Comment #3jayphoto…. Im glad its starting to come out to the wider media that pards is a bad manager, he’s managed to fly under the radar for quite sometime on a national level, even after last seasons debacle no one really expected him to go. The omens are falling into place hopefully!
jazzyp
Apr 15, 2014 at 10:10 AM
Comment #4Its not just a civil war with the press though Ed,Its with the players now as well.
I don’t understand how a man as astute at business can so royally f@ck up Nufc,When all the pieces are there to make this a massive club where we belong
yo-yo
Apr 15, 2014 at 10:10 AM
Comment #5I’m one who wants the guy to leave at the end of the season but am concerned that the bargain basement style of our beloved owner means, once the honeymoon kick has faded, we will get someone
a) worse;
b) as poor tactically;
c) we’ll be back on the 20 month in the job merrygoround and instability again;
d) who fulfils the Mash philosophy of not to build for CL standard performances
e) is another yes man who’s role is to act as Mash’s human shield;
f) a proven footballer but unproven coach who then fails to deliver
Now nutmeg and few others have posted a really well written piece worth the read about the options. It ought to be copied to Mash forthwith as a template of how to research a new manager who fits out policy but can deliver the goods.
http://keithrnufc.wix.com/internetpresentation/apps/blog
jazzyp
Apr 15, 2014 at 10:11 AM
Comment #6Jayphoto
Where you at mate in the east mids.I live in Mansfield but work predominantly in leicester
jayphoto
Apr 15, 2014 at 10:11 AM
Comment #7Yea its been bizaare! Id slate him to people down here and i’d have villa, spurs fans disagreeing and saying theyd have him in a second! Now its really getting highlighted! Takes alot fr the toon to get exposure in london too
jayphoto
Apr 15, 2014 at 10:13 AM
Comment #8At jazzy p – live in Rangemore which is the village St georges park is in (FA centre)
valle
Apr 15, 2014 at 10:14 AM
Comment #9What Pardew dosnt understand and what the local press havnt told him is that the fans were negative about Pardew and Ashley long before the local press. In fact the local press were getting allot of stick because they in the view of allot of fans, turned the blind eye to the rot, most likely because they knew what would happen if they didnt. What they feared happened anyway and that has pushed them over in the fans corner an Ashley and Pardew are now feeling the combined wrath of fans and media… So no Pardew, the media didnt turn us against you, it was the other way around if anything.
jayphoto
Apr 15, 2014 at 10:15 AM
Comment #10On another note, lyon today say Gourcuff can leave for €5m euros as hes only one year left and they want him off the wage bill..,, if there was ever a player we need it is him!
Also hes frightfully educated and middleclass so pardew can be sure hes intelligent
dpatte4r43
Apr 15, 2014 at 10:18 AM
Comment #11There are only two people responsible for our current position, the owner and our manager, I as a Geordie fan am sick to the back teeth of excuses, they have both created this situation, one through greed and the other with his temper and total incompetence, I once supported Mr Pardew, but now feel we need a total change of direction, which of course includes removing him, fellow Geordies are passionate fans an spend considerable amount’s of money following their team, we deserve better, so Mr Pardew sow some true honesty an personal integrity and “Fall on your sword” a deeply unhappy Geordie.
jayphoto
Apr 15, 2014 at 10:20 AM
Comment #12Could actually handle how Mash runs the club (very similar to european model) if he improved communication and if we had a good brave management and coaching staff who played attacking football and could improve the players we have
Sav
Apr 15, 2014 at 10:20 AM
Comment #13Can’t honestly say the coverage has been any worse since the ban. If ‘Gibbo’, Supermac and Lee Ryder are the best men they can put on the job – has anyone seen his video blogs? They are unbelievably dull.
I think he was naive to say it but Pardew’s remark about the press whipping up negativity related to the fans with bedsheets rather than blaming the press for results on the pitch and it was mischievous of the Sunday Sun to skew it that way. In that sense, they have unwittingly contributed to a that very negativity. I suggest washing the bedsheets and ignoring the papers for the next 4 matches. Hopefully Remy’s return can spark a mini-revival and then it is down to MonsterMash and Charnley to get a corpse walking before August. (I’m not hopeful of that).
Ibizatoon
Apr 15, 2014 at 10:22 AM
Comment #14yo-yo…I suppose the law of averages say that Ashley has to make a decent appointment next?
My issue is that I believe as far as Ashley is concerned his appointments have been decent. I don’t know where to go with that thought process tbh.
giimps
Apr 15, 2014 at 11:03 AM
Comment #15The European business model also includes maximising potential revenue, Ashleys business model relies purely on player sales and gate receipts for revenue.
The club receives no money from shirt sales, advertising (other than the pitifull Wonga deal which has probably reduced the amount of shirt sales worldwide by the same amount as the deal) no money from catering as these are contracted out to other Ashley companies.
We need a total overhaul, from top to bottom, If Ashley was paid to make a success of Newcastle United and get them success within a budget, he would succeed, unfortunately, he has bought Newcastle United to make Sports Direct successfull………..and if he can annoy the Toon army all the better, after we dared to speak badly of him…………HWTL
dcdick
Apr 15, 2014 at 11:03 AM
Comment #16Pardew Out !!!
ash1001
Apr 15, 2014 at 11:36 AM
Comment #17As a NUFC Fans Forum member along with the other members of the fans side of the forum we have asked at the last two meetings for the club to enter into discussions to end the ban on NJC (Newcastle Journal and Chronicle) publications but we have been told ‘its not going’ to happen’, in exactly the same way we asked if MA would like to attend one of our meetings.
So although the fans forum members would welcome discussions on lifting the ban, it would appear that the club do not, it was pointed out by doing so the club were giving NJC a platform to say whatever they wanted, and in that respect NJC could have really went to town and they have not which is credit to them – all they have done is report things as they see them.
ash1001
Apr 15, 2014 at 11:41 AM
Comment #18@Jayphoto
French or not I would have Gourcuff in the blink of and eye, that guy just oozes class, always followed his career from his Bordeaux days, off the rails a bit at present but hes some footballer with the right manager, Is Pardew that man – do not think so, unfortunately, but Brendan Rogers would hav him playing like the world beater he is in no time at all.