Stadium saga rolls on
If there's one word which strikes a nerve at Pompey, it's stadium.
In particular, a new one.
While The News' sportsdesk's reporting of the club's football team can cause arguments and the occasional snub, nothing provokes such blind panic as criticism of Pompey's plans for a new ground.
The club believe they should get zero negativity in their pursuit of a new home on Horsea Island (above).
Most people back it (certainly more than the previous unrealistic grandiose plan to plonk a 35,000-seater stadium next to the dockyard).
But the job of a newspaper is to report the facts and the full spectrum of opinion.
Local papers are not the club's newsletter and Pompey must realise this.
Reacting with an impetuous statement on their website every time something is written they don't agree with smacks of self-importance and some sort of Big Brother (George Orwell not Jade Goody) regime.
The worse thing, and the club know this, is fans buy it.
Blind faith is common in our tribal game - just listen to the cringeworthy 606.
The News website has been swamped with fans lambasting the paper. Unbelievable.
The same people who turn to us for breaking news on transfers and all things Pompey, suddenly now think we are bare-face liars.
Their contempt for the paper doesn't stop them hogging our messageboards.
We know we can't win because we are stuck between the fans and the club, both of whom want to be told everything's rosy all of the time.
It's not, of course (it has to be pointed out this is not the club's first stadium plan!). That's not real life, that's blind faith.
But then when did reality ever come into football.
Labels: Horsea Island, Jade Goody, Pompey, The News
16 Comments:
I'm sorry, but you are completely out of order here. If you had reported anything newsworthy, and had done so with any level of balance then perhaps you would be justified in your annoyance at PFC's reaction to the story.
But - the fact is simple here: the "story" about the new stadium project requiring additional retail outlets has been declared by all parties for months now. Why try and twist it with the sensationalist angle that you did yesterday?
The report had only one aim: create a stir to sell more papers. That's it. It clearly cannot have had any other purpose or else it wouldn't have been published (after all, it's not new information, is it?)
Shame on The News for creating such an openly negative spin on a non event. While I agree that Portsmouth Football Club is not above public criticism, sham reports that offer no journalistic value should be shot down as the club did yesterday.
As a local paper, one would hope that you might actually support local institutions rather than besmirch them indiscriminately?
Furthermore, how dare you effectively talk down to us purely because we're fans of the club? Who are you to determine that we all believe everything that comes out of Storrie's mouth? I can only assume that you are not a Pompey fan, or you would know plenty of people that don't trust anything the club says (as I do). We'll believe things when they happen rather than hang on anyone's word (least of all The News).
To make such an assumption is indicative of a paper who take such a supercilious stance in matters pertaining to Pompey - and more importantly, its fans. How can you be so flippant with your own potential customer base?
Shame on you and your paper.
'The same people who turn to us for breaking news on transfers and all things Pompey.'
The fans know all the Pompey news before your half wit journos have even checked their punctuation errors.What a joke.
Well said - while the front page was a little too far, too many of our fans have to find a scapegoat when a story that is bad news is broken.
I know for a fact that a lot of the journos at The News are Pompey fans so they are in the same boat as us in wanting the new stadium.
But where do all the fans get our info from then Lil?
Maybe you can start your own rival "trustworthy" paper or website if you know all the stuff that's going on before everyone else, beat The News to it and close them down!!
Peter - while your response is articulate I'm struggling to wonder why you think the story was not newsworthy.
Yes - we all know the retail idea was revealed a few weeks ago. But the point of the story was the council having their doubts about whether this could happen, therefore throwing the plans into doubt. I don't quite get how you feel The News are at fault for this or have thrown a negative angle. Surely it's the council being negative.
What's more, Peter Storrie himself has said he had no problem with the story, just the headline.
Agree with lil.
the news comes out at 12 each day, do they honestly believe thousands of fans are queuing at the newsagents to see the latest breaking news on pompey matters?
i have news for the news, anything that happens after midday is not even reported in the news, us fans read it from other sources a full 24 hours before the news prints it.
So how come most of the stuff in the nationals is simply re-hashed stuff from the previous day's News?
The News print a story, because it doesn't have a positive theme to it, people throw their arms up in the air in discust, the story was a factual one, Peter Storrie admited as much, so wheres the problem?
The truth is we're unlikely to see this stadium built, but there are too many out there with there heads so firmly stuck in the ground it's laughable, and yes ofcourse Peter Storrie doesn't want to read storys like this in the News because it just highlights what an incompetent fool he is.
Face it, The News were correct in their article, some people just cant take the truth.
I find it quite funny that The News .. in all it's reporting have failed to mention that this article 'appeared' coincidentially at the same time as a new section of their website.. Suggest they just tell people about developments in the future rather than 'suggest' a story that is old hat. As for 'news' on Pompey quicker than 'The News' try 'VITAL Pompey' It beats the news most times.. but of course they wouldn't dare print that !
Peter says what needs to be said - and says it well. I do try to read whatever I cana bout my club and on that basis I feel that the News has its nose out of joint about something and has something of an agenda to prove the club at fault. Wonder why ?
As to the original entry in this list and the newspapers duty...well was the article just a presentation of facts or was it opinionated and biased ?
So you say that your duty is also to report the full spectrum of opinion ......so where is it in that article?
It seems to me that you've had your buttocks burned and don't like it
Mr Burton
I don't think you've yet been accused of bare faced lies but i'm afraid a lot of journalists come very close. The NEWS like most newspapers has a lot of power in the community and can sway the public how it likes by putting it's own slant on a story. I've had dealings with the paper for 30 years and have given stories direct to journalists who have then printed something completely alien to the story i've given them. Some years ago a lot of families including mine were pushed to near breaking point because of the news view on a particular situation. They twisted and turned facts to suit themselves because they knew they could sell more papers. So Mr Burton don't patronise the general public they pay your wages. You can sit all smug behind your desk writing c**p for the time being but how long before YOU get found out!
its sadly a common theme with The News these days,try to sex up a story to sell papers, and at what point does Storrie admit your paper is right. It seems all the reaction from people involved is at odds with what is becoming a joke of a paper. You have not had one honest to god scoop in years, which is fine but at least report what does happen.
hahahaha up the saints
don't worry scummer - at least we have a club on the up and not falling apart at the seams ;)
you sure about that you skate Moron no new ground no buyer losing millions a year, paying players 95% of your income to players and cant even fill your little ground every week when you are having some of your best seasons for years and have to sale all your best players come January
up the up i think not
hahahahahaha up the saints
Speaking as a neutral fan (I used to live in Pompey, hence how I came across this) Burton is right. Storrie is playing the fans for fools.
There's not a chance in hell this stadium will get built and because Pompey demand nothing but pandering from the press they throw their toys out of the pram if the practicalities of the plan are questioned.
All I can suggest is read the stories again, but replace the word "Pompey" with "Everton". Then see how the story seems to you.
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