Press restrictions.

[Costanza]

Let's face it, a bad month on the pitch and fans will include it within the list of things to be livid about.

[RobertT]

Paul, I completely get your post, but the current situation is of no relevance - the press has every right to investigate and report as it sees fit, and nobody is able to stop them doing that.  The "ban" is also not "real" because we are still getting interviews and reports with people in the club, just not for one of the old media outlets (and for all their efforts, the two newer websites are merely taking some of that audience).  Some may argue that the BBC is being nice to the club, but as an independent body it is actually far better placed to offer an unbiased approach if it sees fit.

There was a time where the Adver didn't give a rats arse about the club, with an attitude of the club needed them more than they needed the club (straight from the horses mouth of a previous editor).  Now that the internet is destroying their business model they have tried to use sensationalism to retain readership (in print and online) to keep their advertising spend coming in.  It's a shame that other online outlets suffer, but to be honest, they are commercial entities in an overcrowded market anyway.

Finally, Ferguson banned the BBC.  The BBC still reported on Man Utd and Man Utd didn't suffer commercially.

I'd probably have more sympathy if the Adver hadn't become such a useless media outlet in general.  I'm amazed Bassam hasn't interviewed himself yet, and used a photo of himself in the CG car park with his arms crossed.

[Costanza]

I'm amazed Bassam hasn't interviewed himself yet, and used a photo of himself in the CG car park with his arms crossed.

All in good time.

[jayohaitchenn]

Not forgetting the Adver Cold Stare

[pauld]

I'd probably have more sympathy if the Adver hadn't become such a useless media outlet in general.  I'm amazed Bassam hasn't interviewed himself yet, and used a photo of himself in the CG car park with his arms crossed.

Agree with all that Rob, esp this last bit. The Adver are making it very very hard to have any sympathy with them. My point was more that while there's been a lot of talk of whether local media can "hold the club to account", actually they don't and traditionally haven't. And with good reason - the guys covering the club are sports journalists, not business/politics journalists and there's not many David Conns in local media. So it's usually fallen to the fans to do that, but Power clearly is not a person who takes well to being even asked questions, much less held to account and if he's already moving in the direction of trying to shut down critical comment from fans, then that's a very worrying development to me.

Put it this way, I think the work the Trust are doing at the moment engaging with the club is excellent. If there comes a time when they also perhaps need to ask a couple of difficult questions (not go out and out "anti" as we did, just ask a couple of difficult questions e.g. if the training ground development starts to look more like being good for Power and pals than the club), then do they run the risk of jeopardising all the hard work they've done on that positive engagement? And so does that then prevent them from asking those questions in the first place?

[Red Frog]

I don't know why you feel the need to go back to a comment I deleted some 20 minutes or so ago. I misread what you wrote, it happens when one has a 2 year old playing up.

I understand. It's for similar reasons that it took me 20 mins to post a response to your original reaction while on holiday with two small children.

[suttonred]

Credit where credit's due, quite a good article. Keep it up.

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/swindon_town_2014/13621289.THE_FULL_REPORT__Laying_the_Roots_for_success/

[Chrystovski]

I'm astonished people can't see why this is dangerous. Let's put it in a context then. When we were all (or most of us) engaged in the Trust protests/orange hat stuff against Diamandis, that didn't just happen overnight. It started out as a few people expressing a bit of disquiet, then more loudly why Diamandis was worrying, then grew into some public meetings, then the orange hat thing and mushroomed from there. I was always quite astonished that Diamandis and co didn't just ban me, Tony, Andy and a few others from the ground and revoke our season tickets right from the outset. Because even if it hadn't stopped us, it would have discouraged a lot of other people from joining in and we'd never have gained the momentum we did. And that's the path Power's headed down.

Now, hopefully Power's no Diamandis. But we don't know that do we? There was no indication of the rot below the surface when Diamandis' consortium were first in charge, most people found Bob Holt likeable, approachable and convincing. Me included. It was only when he'd been around a few years and thanks to the persistent digging of the likes of Tony and Andy that the reality started to emerge. And, as a fanbase, we were able to do something about it. Will we be able to if Power takes a nasty turn? Or, given the persistent "Oh, well, fuck it, doesn't affect me" attitude that's characterised much of the comment on this issue, would we even bother?

You are spot on with everything you've said. On the pitch I trust Power completely, his record for unearthing gems speaks for itself but off of the pitch the stories about Cambridge, his failed businesses, fanzai, the press ban, the cover up of the invested\withdrawn £1.2 Million to con the FL over lifting our transfer embargo amongst other things leads me to hold a suspicion against him that I just cannot shift. He maybe completely innocent but he has a shady history and if he was hiding anything, the lack of press coverage means we would never know.

[Reg Smeeton]

He maybe completely innocent but he has a shady history and if he was hiding anything, the lack of press coverage means we would never know.

If anything, quite the reverse. The Adver never got to grips with previous dodgy regimes, when they had a cosy relationship.

Surely, by fucking off the local journos, it makes it more likely they'll try and find any dirt.  It would have been far easier, just to do the traditional thing of scratching each others back.

[herthab]

He maybe completely innocent but he has a shady history and if he was hiding anything, the lack of press coverage means we would never know.

It really doesn't, does it? I very much doubt any stories concerning dodgy dealings are ever uncovered at press conferences and interviews. Power can't ban investigative journalism.

[Chrystovski]

It really doesn't, does it? I very much doubt any stories concerning dodgy dealings are ever uncovered at press conferences and interviews. Power can't ban investigative journalism.

Fair point from you and Reg.

Do you think the local journo's are holding back stories and personal opinions with the aim of keeping the relationship sweet if Power ever changes his stance?

[Batch]

Fair point from you and Reg.

Do you think the local journo's are holding back stories and personal opinions with the aim of keeping the relationship sweet if Power ever changes his stance?

I'd imagine anything stronger on the personal opinion front than has already been said would be permanently burning the bridges (like the Adver). If The Fanzai is put down, then maybe the exclusions will be lifted.  Though the club seems to have a special relationship with BBC Wilts for whatever reason so maybe not.

I'm sure if there was proven evidence of wrongdoing they would print it though.

[Power to people]

You are spot on with everything you've said. On the pitch I trust Power completely, his record for unearthing gems speaks for itself but off of the pitch the stories about Cambridge, his failed businesses, fanzai, the press ban, the cover up of the invested\withdrawn £1.2 Million to con the FL over lifting our transfer embargo amongst other things leads me to hold a suspicion against him that I just cannot shift. He maybe completely innocent but he has a shady history and if he was hiding anything, the lack of press coverage means we would never know.

Add to that the seemingly refusal to release a full set of accounts, and what happened to the this that was supposed to be released that was carried out by Sangita Shah, that has never seen the light of day.

So while these things still hang around there will always be an air of suspicion around Power.

Ref BBC Wilts I don't think they would risk jeopardising their 'special' relationship to ask any awkward questions that Power did not want to answer or found awkward, although he does seem to bat them off with the standard line of it is to do with the clubs general manager. Who from what I can recall has never been put up for an interview to explain what he does at the clubor answer the questions Power claims he can answer.

[Skinny Pete]

I'd imagine anything stronger on the personal opinion front than has already been said would be permanently burning the bridges (like the Adver). If The Fanzai is put down, then maybe the exclusions will be lifted.  Though the club seems to have a special relationship with BBC Wilts for whatever reason so maybe not.

I'm sure if there was proven evidence of wrongdoing they would print it though.

The only reason there is a relationship with the BBC is that they pay the club.

No doubt, if Total Sport or FLIC offered money they would be welcomed back.

[horlock07]

The only reason there is a relationship with the BBC is that they pay the club.

No doubt, if Total Sport or FLIC offered money they would be welcomed back.

How do they pay the club for access - is it just the rights as if so shouldn't the club be all over Sky as they sponsor the leage etc?