The Sun has joined mounting criticism of Southampton Football Club’s decision to ban press photographers from its St Mary’s Stadium.
The redtop responded to the decision today by “printing the most one-sided match report in the history of The Sun”.
In place of what would be considered normal coverage of the club’s season-opener against Plymouth on Saturday, The Sun deliberately failed to mention Southampton in its report, adding:
‘While applauding Plymouth’s amazing victory we are deliberately ignoring one of the hottest title favourites in history.
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‘All this is down to Southampton’s draconian executive chairman Nicola Cortese.
‘His totally crazy decision to ban national and local newspaper photographers from the game will hurt his club more than he thinks.
‘This senseless move will not make him extra money but it will turn the fans and, more importantly, sponsors away from the club.
‘After so many dismal years of decline Southampton need all the publicity they can get while they fight their way back up the divisions.”
In emerged at the end of last week that the League One football club was refusing all requests for photographers wishing to cover its home fixtures.
Instead, the club was told media organisations it was intending to syndicate images from all home fixtures via local agency, Digital South Limited.
Telegraph Media Group immediately announced that it would not use any photos provided under such a deal, then Digital South boss Robin Jones told Press Gazette that he had refused to sign the deal with the club.
No response yet from Southampton FC on a request for comment.
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