Sports reporters from a regional daily and its companion website have been told they are “not welcome” at a championship football club after what it claimed was “negative coverage.”

Journalists from the Hull Daily Mail and Hull Live website have been effectively barred from Hull City’s KCOM stadium, left, and will have no access to the club’s head coach or players for the rest of the season.

The decision was reportedly taken on Thursday morning, two days before the Championship was due to restart, as a result of “what was perceived to be negative coverage,” according to Hull Live.

As a result, Hull’s game against Charlton Athletic on Saturday was the first that the Hull Daily Mail had been unable to cover in-person in 15 years.

Sports editor for the Hull Daily Mail, James Smailes and football writer for Hull Live, Philip Buckingham, have today published a response criticising the club’s decision and disputing the club’s justification for the ban.

“To be barred entry to the KCOM Stadium on the grounds of being negative, we believe, is not justified, ” they wrote.

“We have always supported the club and wanted success from every game but we make no apologies for honest and frank analysis. It has never been our job to be a cheerleader or a PR arm.

“Clubs make mistakes and take decisions that are not well received by supporters. To turn a blind eye to these is impossible if you strive to be a respected media outlet.”

“We hope in time there can be an amicable resolution that allows our reporters access to the KCOM Stadium and to ask the questions of Grant McCann and his players, but we will continue to cover City’s fortunes as fairly and as honestly as we have always done.”

“In the current climate with so many concerns in the world, we don’t see the sense in falling out over a handful of stories which are perceived as negative”

In the piece, James and Philip provided links to three stories which they said had “angered” the club and had been sent to them by way of explanation for the ban.

They were:

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/hull-city-news-allam-mccann-3988532

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/hull-city-golden-age-wembley-4169798

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/hull-city-contracts-lichaj-irvine-4233505

HTFP has approached Hull City for comment.