Failed for lack of input by members. The ultimate fate of any Tasmanian “football” hardcopy publication.

http://www.footballnews.com.au/article.php?id=685

Channel Ten slams Adelaide Advertiser
Tue 30th Jan, 2007

Adelaide television station Channel Ten has slammed the Adelaide Advertiser for its biased reporting of crowd problems at the major semi final between Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory on the weekend.

The Advertiser ran a front page headline claiming there were clashes between both sets of fans and also police. Channel Ten has hit back at the Advertiser setting the record straight.

“The crowd behaviour from both Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United fans was terrific.” Melbourne Victory coach Ernie Merrick told Channel Ten.

“It was a great spectacle and an exciting night and one local newspaper focussed on the two fans that were arrested.” he said.

Channel Ten reporter Jodie Blewett added that the match was relatively incident free with a couple flares let off and only five people evicted from the ground. She added that the police were happy with the crowds behaviour.

Adelaide football fans are accustomed to the biased reporting of the Adelaide Advertiser and its agenda of linking football with crowd violence. As pointed out by Adelaide coach John Kosmina, the last time these two sides met there were 27 people evicted at the cricket on the same day but that did not make the front page.

The tactics of the Adelaide Advertiser in covering the story raise some questions on its motives. Why would the Advertiser send two journalists who are keen Aussie Rules followers to cover the match armed with a photographer? It already had its regular football journalists at the match. Could it just be possible that the Advertiser had decided to run the story before the game had kicked off?

So it seems like we’re not the only Australian capital city that has newspaper problems. Do our media moguls have an agenda?? Or is it just the twits who have been put in charge of individual newspapers?

We even got a few words from our friend Walter Pless. Way to go Walter!!

Just a thought.

This is the reply to my letter to the editor…

I am baffled by your letter. Let W Pless do his job. Walter has
not written a story for this paper for the best part of four weeks.
This is summer. There is no soccer on.
Paul Malarski
Sports editor

________________________________

From:
Sent: Friday, 26 January 2007 8:01 PM
To: Mercury, sport; Mercury, news
Subject: More Coverage for Soccer

Dear Sports Editor,
I write this letter to express concern about the lack of
soccer/football coverage in the Mercury.
As you are aware the level of popularity of the game in Tasmania has
increased immensly over the last few years but The Mercury looks like
hasn’t realized it yet.

Please give soccer/football the coverage it deserves, let W.Pless do his
job!

Yours sincerely,

They like most others did not want to rock the boat, in fact the problem probably started when we stopped advertising weekly matches in the Tabloid.

In fact I think Soccer Tas as it was known, did put together a letter writing campaign and petition a few years back when Walter’s space was reduced further and his articles/ reports were cut to shreds and it worked , with him receiving more space - space that has dwindled in time as AFL gets more and more worried about the growing popularity of the real football.

Around the same time the web page became an outlet for Walter and those keen to read the full story – at various times the articles no longer seem to be posted with the regularity they once were.

However we have to be honest , the Tabloid Mercury is a business , it’s job is to sell papers – fill it with articles – pics that sell papers – photo’s of kids playing sport are a great seller why do you think it is a double page spread on a quiet weekday.

Stories of Harnwell slugging Webster in an A League game or Muscat – dropping Kosmina – will always make Tabloid Mercury – not only is it sensationalism – it shows the side of Football the tabloid has continued to push at Hobart people – go back and think when soccer ever made front or back page — violence – sensational issues or those that were so big they couldn’t hide well inside the cover, ie Australia qualifying for world cup and then the world cup campaign – everybody was interested the whole nation wanted to be part of the new football revolution.

Obviously President Steve Gaspinatos and CEO Martin Shaw – by promoting the article by Jon Price , that you Blackjack have included in your comments section , have shown by this action that they are willing to take on the tabloid – and one would presume push the arguments presented by Jon Price when meeting with Paul Malarski – the Sports Editor .

I only hope that this doesn’t bring more grief to Walter Pless , he has been for many years a crusader for clubs and the game in Tassie – he has not been frightened to question the actions of the Directors and or management – so much so that last year for a period of time his articles / reports were not published on the Company web page , nor has he been afraid to put the sword to the actions of clubs whose actions have left a lot to be desired. .

Has anybody of authority spoken to Walter ?? maybe he can advise what is the best direction to take ?

Blackjack is it possible to conduct an email interview ( recognising you desire to remain anon ) with Walter on his thoughts for the Blog , he has contributed in the past .

Having said all of the above I shall along with I hope all the rest of you write to the Tabloid with my John Citizen letter and await in hope of reading with anticipation reports and articles written by the cream of football writers Australia wide.

For those of you looking for a non Tabloid article written by Walter – do a search on google you are bound to find a number of articles