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Two daily newspapers admit being banned by Pools
By Clarence Rode August 27 2008
At last, it’s out ... the Hartlepool Mail and the Northern Echo have told their readers that they are banned from Victoria Park. It’s over a week since the ban was imposed by Pools chairman Ken Hodcroft because the Mail refused to sign a “commercial agreement” with the club, yet amazingly it was Poolsonline that first brought the story to the attention of fans a few days ago.

Now, though, both the Echo and the Mail have published stories outlining the dispute, without going into detail on the “commercial agreement”.
The Echo ban was imposed when the paper helped the Mail by supplying it with photographs from a  match. Today the Echo illustrates its match report of Pools’ Carling Cup win over West Brom with Roy of the Rovers-style cartoons.
Echo

Both papers have indicated that they will cover Pools matches as well as they can despite their reporters being banned from the Press Box and their photographers being banned from the touchline.
The Mail say they can give no further details on the background to the ban, but suggest fans can ring chairman Hodcroft and ask him what’s going on.
They even publish his telephone number at IOR, the oil company that owns the club, which many people would say is a little provocative and not the sort of move designed to clear up the situation.
The Echo, meanwhile, say they have twice contacted the club to try to resolve the situation, but their offers to hold talks have not even been acknowledged.

One insider at the Vic told Poolsonline: “He (chairman Hodcroft) won’t back down.”

Echo Editor Peter Barron said: "It is very sad that the two newspapers which have given Hartlepool FC the most coverage home and away for many years should be treated in this way."

The Echo adds that the club has warned other media outlets not to co-operate with the two papers and even ordered radio stations not to pass on quotes from the manager and players.
We've said it before on this site, but we'll say it again: Get a grip, Ken. 

 

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