When will these hacks ever learn?

[hart's shirt]

In today's Telegraph sports section, there's a piece by Nicholas Spencer and Christopher Davies entitled 'FA aims to silence sleaze-buster'.

Apparently Graham Bean, the FA compliance officer, is on gardening leave from his job and became disillusioned due to lack of support from the likes of Crozier.

"Bean, a detective sergeant with the South Yorkshire force before joining the FA, uncovered financial malpractice at Chesterfield but felt undermined by the punishment: a points deduction which cost the club the Division Three championship but not their promotion."

Now if Chief Sports Writer and Albion fan Paul Hayward had been writing this story and not these 2 hacks, the Chesterfield reference might have been worded slightly differently...

 

[fatbadger]

so write into the Telegraph - do they have one of these 'corrections' columns that are becoming so popular with the newspapers?

 

[Gwylan]

I suspect that whatever had been written, the subs would have changed it.

 

[Tooting Gull]

There is no excuse, lazy and piss-poor. Nothing to stop people emailing the sports editor though, they will (believe it or not) take some pride in the accuracy of their output at the Telegraph and while in the bigger picture it is old news and not that big a deal, had it been the difference between a title for United and Arsenal (yeah, like the FA would have let it go that far) I'm guessing it would have been correct. Even if they'd said the ongoing off-field nonsense had probably robbed them of the title, that is a valid point of view (not mine, but not technically wrong).

 

[hart's shirt]

I've always promised myself that I'd never turn into one of those 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' people who write angry letters to newspapers.

Regardless of how well-intentioned they are, it's like they've got nothing better to do with their time. Whereas I've got NSC...

 

[Curious Orange]

It certainly didn't cost them the Championship!!!! Did cost them 2nd place though!!!

 

[Tooting Gull]

The person who needs to contact them is Danny Cullip. I think he'd make the point about the significance of his winner in a suitably forceful fashion.

 

[Curious Orange]

That was one of my favourite Albion moments when Danny rose to power home that header against Chesterfield and win us the Championship BY RIGHT (remember that this was BEFORE the deduction of 9 points had actually been made). The Cheaterfield fans banging on about how they were the "real champions" just made the moment that much sweeter!!!!

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

I've always promised myself that I'd never turn into one of those 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' people who write angry letters to newspapers.

Regardless of how well-intentioned they are, it's like they've got nothing better to do with their time. Whereas I've got NSC...

Shirty I completely agree with you. Today however, I really don't have anything better to do with my time so accordingly have sent the following to their Sports Editor;



For the attention of David Welch, Sports Dept.

With regard to today's article 'FA Aim to Silence Sleaze-Buster' by Nicholas Spencer and Christoper Davies, it's galling to see a piece of lazy journalism yet again belittle Brighton & Hove Albion's achievement in winning the Third Division Championship in 2000-1. Brighton finished 13 points clear of Chesterfield, and were indeed presented with the Championship trophy the evening they beat Chesterfield to make the title a mathematical certainty BEFORE CHESTERFIELD'S POINTS DEDUCTION HAD BEEN CONFIRMED.

Brighton have had to put up with a commonly held assumption that they somehow won the title by default ever since.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Well put HHS.

I'm strongly in favour of this idea of sending Lord Daniel of Cullip to Canary Wharf in order to making this very point to some posh rugby-watching Torygraph bellend in person.

 

[hart's shirt]

You're a better man than I, Herne Hill! It'll be interesting to see what Mr Welch comes back with.

Seeing as scientists can now successfully clone sheep and horses, how long before the issue of journalists is mentioned?

 

[Brightonfan1983]

I wanted to copy and paste and email Herne Hill's letter but after scouring their website couldn't find where to go...

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

No need for such research, Shirty. It's already clearly a reality.

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

I wanted to copy and paste and email Herne Hill's letter but after scouring their website couldn't find where to go...

It was slightly convoluted, '83, but as I said I've nothing better to do today. Got the Sports Ed's name from the list of contacts in there somewhere. There's a link which says 'email us' on the home page, open that and go through the general enquiries route - they don't have a 'comments/complaints' email for some unfathomable reason!

 

[zefarelly]

Shirty, the last thing need is cloned Torygraph journalists

perhaps the scientists could try and generate decent ones instead

 

[Everest]

It's beyond me how some "journalists" can get away with this, let alone get a job. It's not very often that I send a letter to a "news"paper, but I sent this one...


I think it is about time that if journalists are going to write articles, they should do at least some research beforehand.
The points that Chesterfield had deducted DID NOT cost them the Div 3 championship. Yes, it may have affected the players to the extent that they dropped points that they would normally have picked up. But on the night of 01 May 2001, Danny Cullip's goal in the 78th minute gave BHA a 1-0 victory over Chesterfield. This result confirmed BHA as the Div 3 champions WITHOUT Chesterfield having the 9 point deduction.
I hope that this clears up any misinformed journalism from the people in question.

 

[hart's shirt]

I'm disappointed with the Telegraph.

Politics aside, their sports coverage is usually really good. Mihir Bose did excellent exposes of the Wembley and Picketts Lock fiascos. They've got Alan Hansen giving his views on football, Derek Pringle on cricket, and Marcus Armitage on racing. And any paper that's got an Albion supporter contributing majorly to its sports section has got to be not all bad.

Sort it out hacks!