Oldham Athletic ban Oldham Owl reporters and photographers
Arrogant club official dismisses pleas to consider applications on their merits
Oldham Athletic have escalated their dispute with The Oldham Owl’s editor by refusing two newly qualified journalists matchday accreditation because they were commissioned to report for the publication. Jack Howarth and Ben Sheard were refused access on grounds concerning the editor’s alleged conduct, rather than their own. The decision makes two young freelance reporters bear the consequences of a dispute in which neither is accused of wrongdoing.
The two graduate journalists were refused matchday accreditation by Oldham Athletic under a decision that excludes anyone reporting for, or supplying photographs to, the The Oldham Owl. Both reporters are lifelong Latics fans - Jack is a season ticket holder along with other members of his family, and Ben has previously done long-form interviews of both former and current Latics players, including club captain Tom Pett.
The club explicitly refused their applications because they would be reporting for The Oldham Owl, citing concerns about the conduct of the editor "both online and in person" rather than either applicant. For clarity, neither I nor The Oldham Owl corporately have applied for accreditation.
The Oldham Owl has written to the club to plead with them to consider Jack's and Ben's applications on their own merits, but the club say that they will be making no further comment on the matter.
The refusal to grant accreditation to Jack Howarth and Ben Sheard comes after Thomas Lee Stacey told The Oldham Owl that he had been told that he could no longer supply matchday photography to The Oldham Owl. Oldham Athletic said: "Any suggestion that the club has sought to end a commercial arrangement between a photographer and the Oldham Owl is rejected."
In a message to The Owl last Saturday, sent just 45 minutes before kick-off in the derby match against Rochdale, which Latics lost 2-0, Thomas Lee Stacey said that he had been told that he's "not allowed" to supply The Oldham Owl (or anyone else) because the Oldham Times has an agreement with the club. He has not responded to requests for comment on who told him told him that and when it happened.
We asked the Oldham Times for comment on the implication of his paper's involvement in a buyer-side cartel at the expense of Thomas Lee Stacey. Richard Duggan, editor of the Oldham Times said: "We have an existing relationship with a freelance photographer who supplies images to The Oldham Times for use on our website and in print. We don't dictate who they can or cannot supply images to".
Mr Duggan later added: "No such agreement [between the club and the OT] exists and we are happy to clarify with the freelancer directly. As previously stated, The Oldham Times has its own existing relationship with the freelancer to provide images for use in our products."
Oldham Athletic said: "The club has not instructed any photographer to stop supplying photographs to the Oldham Owl, nor has the club threatened their accreditation in order to prevent them from doing so."
The Oldham Owl has an explicit aim to provide broadsheet-standard, accountability-based journalism for Oldhamers in order the improve the civic weal. Oldham Owl reporters are welcome at Boundary Park and elsewhere to report on Oldham RLFC matches. Jack is a member of the Football Writers' Association.
