By any measure, imposing a ban on a newspaper (s) because you don’t like what they have written is completely objectionable. I suspect Mike Ashley considers The Chronicle, The Journal and the Sunday Sun build a large part of their business around the coverage of Newcastle United and as such, what he considers as negative coverage of his business is tantamount to biting the hand that feeds them. I think, six years and counting into Mike Ashley’s stewardship of our club, we all know with Ashley, it is pretty much, always about the money. Did I really read Ashley would like to charge newspapers for covering Newcastle United? Have I imagined that?

For what it’s worth, I really can’t see an occasion when it is justified to ban newspapers from covering football clubs. To me, it just seems petty, vindictive and pointless.

Given we have seen the letter Ashley had written and sent to NCJ Media informing them of their ban, I think we know pretty much the character of Mike Ashley and in my opinion, he’s a thin-skinned bully who can’t cope with criticism, who is completely out of touch with the community around Newcastle United and presides over an institution where people are frightened to offer him their honest advice. Were he to have a competent, mature and experienced board of directors in place this farrago would never have occurred. Instead of that board of directors he has a few people keeping the plates spinning. Just. Oh, and Joe Kinnear. Bloody hell.

Banning newspapers from covering football clubs is just completely wrong. Mike Ashley needs to develop some perspective.

Banning Luke Edwards from The Telegraph last season was wrong. Banning Michael Walker and Colin Young from The Mail in years gone by was wrong. Joe Kinnear launching a pre-meditated foul mouthed tirade against football journalists was wrong. Banning several others was wrong and banning The Chronicle, The Journal and the Sunday Sun is absolutely wrong. I’ve listened to Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville tear Newcastle United’s players and tactics apart in their analysis. They haven’t been banned. I wonder why?

This kind of banning nonsense should be opposed completely and totally by everyone who believes in an open and democratic society.

This gob-shite fanzine has often criticised the Thomson House titles and other newspapers for an absence of in-depth analysis of what is really going on at Newcastle United and that stretches back to the horrendous greed and incompetence of the Hall and Shepherd years when Alan Oliver’s coverage of United was, well, you know what … Through now to Ashley, the coverage of Newcastle United from Thomson House has been incredibly supine and that is what makes Ashley’s actions in response to the Time 4 Change march pre-the Liverpool game all the more baffling. Ironically, I felt Lee Ryder’s match report of the derby debacle on Sunday, was pretty much on the money. It’s just such a shame for this change to have had to wait for a set-piece of cack-handedness from Mike Ashley.

I think it’s fair to say most people are appalled at Ashley’s ridiculous ban. For what it’s worth, we’ll oppose the ban and participate in any protests against it, notwithstanding at being entertained by the three titles bigging themselves up as the seekers of truth and justice all of a sudden. I’m in serious danger of doing myself an injury with painfully raised eye-brows

Even though, I can find no evidence of those in the Thomson House stable ever standing shoulder to shoulder with their colleagues (some would argue they have done quite the reverse on occasion) from The Telegraph, The Mail or any-one else for that matter, I’d call upon all the newspapers covering Newcastle United to vacate the press-box this coming Saturday and show solidarity with their colleagues.

What I’d hope is none of their competitors see this as an opportunity to supplant the local press but the cynic in me imagines individuals and rivals are already plotting their next moves.

What I’d also hope is that NCJ Media doesn’t fall over itself to get back into the club’s good books and return to the routine of shallow coverage, transfer tittle-tattle and knock-knees crap. I note even with a ban in place we came very close to a Raring To Go featuring Steven “Tayls” Taylor headline from The Chronicle tonight.

I think I speak for everyone associated with this daft fanzine (at least I hope I do) that banning three newspapers from covering Newcastle United (in whatever way they do it) is absolutely and completely wrong. We oppose it and when the next occasion demands it, we hope those three titles stand four square with those who have incurred the displeasure of the big bairn in charge of our football club.

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