A Northern Irish weekly newspaper has become the latest to be banned from its local football club.

The Derry News has fallen out with League of Ireland team Derry City after the title carried an interview with a former player who was critical of transfer dealings.

In it Patrick McCourt, who left Derry for Celtic last year, hit out at the club’s board for their handling of an alleged break down of a transfer deal involving current Derry player Kevin Deery.

Deery had been linked with other clubs before last week’s transfer deadline yet Derry City chairman Pat McDaid denied any transfers had been blocked and no official approaches had been received.

The Derry News says that, following the article’s publication, no-one from Derry City would be talking to the paper and its sports editor was prevented from taking part in post-match interviews after Friday night’s game against Dundalk.

Ironically, the reporter who wrote last critical week’s story also penned a book last year which was used to raise funds for Derry City.

Group editor Ciaran O’Neill said: “This is a classic case of shooting the messenger. We give a lot of coverage and publicity to Derry City each week, the vast majority of which is positive and supportive of the club.

“However, as a newspaper there will also be occasions when we have to publish stories of a more critical nature.

“It’s disappointing that the club’s board has taken the decision to ban contact with the Derry News but we hope to able to resolve the situation and restore the good working relationship we have enjoyed with the club.”

Portsmouth daily The News, the Croydon Advertiser and The Northern Echo/Hartlepool Mail have all fallen out with their local football clubs during the past year.

Derry City chairman Pat McDaid was unavailable for comment.

Comments

Sportsdesk (08/09/2009 09:20:34)
Surely the club should have an issue with the player rather than the paper, even if he’s not one of their own now.
Punishing the paper for quotes they publish seems harsh, but then football clubs are often blind to how these things work.

Nigel Tufnell (08/09/2009 13:15:53)
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. The Derry board should be ashamed of itself. Supporters of the club, meanwhile, should be spitting feathers and protest with their feet.

Golam Murtaza (08/09/2009 15:59:31)
How precious some of these football clubs are becoming. I’d love to see how they get by with zero news coverage.