Media storm: Reading Chronicle 'expose' about fans, Reading

T T

tago_mago

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Surprised nobody else has picked up on this.
One of the Reading papers has this as its front page today:
<a class="postlink" href="https://mobile.twitter.com/nick_gutteridge/media/grid?idx=0&tid=446606616960311297" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">https://mobile.twitter.com/nick_gutteri ... 6960311297</a>

Inside (they've removed it from their website) is a load of 1980s-style 'information' from the police, including allegations of rags making Nazi salutes but also making Hillsborough smears which will send half of Merseyside into overdrive, plus sundry other claims. The worst thing they could find against us was an allegation that we kicked the shit out of a Reading fan in the away end (which given their ground was half empty seems far-fetched).

In return John Madjeski has issued a statement suspending its relationship with the paper:
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/open-letter-sir-john-madejski-6858465" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... ki-6858465</a>

More is being picked up elsewhere:
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/campaigners-react-angrily-after-reading-6857241" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... ng-6857241</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/hillsborough-tragedy-reading-newspaper-criticised-3266033" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ ... ed-3266033</a>

The hack who wrote the story is now denying responsibility for some of it. Twitter in meltdown. Etc.....
 
Re: Media storm: Reading Chronicle 'expose' about fans, Reading

I did a bit of searching and found a link to a pdf of the article on the reading forum. The article itself isn't anything shocking a few drunken idiots, doing stupid things.

The part that is the worst is the front page of the paper.
https://twitter.com/nick_gutteridge/status/446606616960311297/photo/1
From what I've read it was the editor that put the front page together and there are a few things that are odd about it. The picture of the "fan" is a posed image. It says so in really small writing in the bottom left corner.

The writing on the cover incase you can't see it :
FOOTBALL hooliganism may be thought of as a relic of a previous age when gangs of denim-clad skinheads held the game to ransom and names like Hillsborough and Heysel wer symbols of its ills.

But a special Chronicle investigation today shows that the problem is still very much alive and only superb co-operation between football clubs and the police is keeping the lid on the activities of the troublemakers.

Football Liaison Officer PC Ian Henderson says Thames Valley officers have only policed a few fixtures at the Madjeski Stadium this season and he adds: "This is a testament to the ability of the club to manage match dau security, effectiveness of club football banning orders. good risk assesmement processes and excellent partnership working between the club and Thames Valley Police"

But to show the authorities cannot afford to take their eye off the ball, on pages 4-6 we reveal:
Nazi salutes
Attacks on rival fans
Drunkeness
Fighting
Racist abuce
Exploding flares
Click to expand...

Here is an open letter from Sir John Madejski in reaction to the piece.

Both the Club and I have received a number of complaints today regarding an article in the Reading Chronicle, and I personally share our supporters’ dismay.

In my opinion the nature of the article, and in particular the image manufactured for the front page, completely misrepresents the vast majority of our fans, and their experiences supporting the team both at Madejski Stadium and on the road.

The article itself is an unwarranted and sensationalised attack which undermines everything our club tries to represent. To paint a full picture, last season there was only one Reading fan arrested at Madejski Stadium, and only ten arrests out of nearly half a million home and away fans through the turnstiles, all for minor offences. Those Home Office figures speak for themselves.

I have spent more than a quarter of my life building up this football club on and off the pitch, so I personally take a series of gross misrepresentations in this edition as insults to our club’s good name. No club is perfect, but I and every member of staff work tirelessly to make Madejski Stadium a great place to bring your family and friends and I know Thames Valley Police also take great pride in our exemplary record.

When the Club was named Family Club of the Year by the Football League, it was one of the finest moments of my time here, and remains just as important to me as everything we have achieved on the pitch.

The newspaper also contains a comment relating to the Hillsborough tragedy that has deeply offended many of us in the football family.

With all that in mind, we have decided to suspend our relationship with this particular publication. We have a duty to protect the club’s reputation, and particularly to protect our supporters’ reputation. This is not a decision we take lightly because we value the freedom of the press and have enjoyed excellent relationships with our local media in the past, but we are sure our supporters will agree that we cannot allow the fans’ good name to be besmirched in this way.

So many people have spoken to me today about this article – both supporters and my colleagues here at the club – hurt and disappointed by what they had read. As custodians for Reading Football Club, the right course of action was clear to us all.

Sir John Madejski OBE, DL

Chairman
Click to expand...
 
Re: Media storm: Reading Chronicle 'expose' about fans, Reading

Gutter by name, gutter by trade.

Nice response Sir John.
 
Re: Media storm: Reading Chronicle 'expose' about fans, Reading

and guess what, when we played them we attack one of there fans
 
Re: Media storm: Reading Chronicle 'expose' about fans, Reading

One of our supporters did attack one of their fans, well I take it he was a Reading fan as he was in the Reading end v us last season. Thing is he was wearing a rags shirt and though it smart to goad us at half time until somebody went over and smacked him.
 
Re: Media storm: Reading Chronicle 'expose' about fans, Reading

Gangs of denim clad skinheads in the late 80's?

Must have just been a Reading thing I guess.
 
Re: Media storm: Reading Chronicle 'expose' about fans, Reading

baldybouncer said:
Is this really newsworthy?
Click to expand...

in Reading it probably is tbf
 
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