Former SPFL chief asks Why should any of the MSM get access?

Running in tandem with Brendan Rodgers’ return to Celtic has been the thorny topic of media access to football clubs.

BBC Scotland and PLZ Soccer were both denied access although since the event is invite only there is an argument to say that there was no ban in place.

Supporters have been left to trawl through social media to understand the reasons for the ‘bans’ which partly explains how Friday’s situation came about.

The more time that is spent on social media the less attention the mainstream gets, without attention, clicks, views and sessions advertisers aren’t interested in throwing money at traditional platforms.

While BBC Scotland doesn’t rely on advertising they are competitive in terms of ratings, the TV licence is under threat which means that they have to justify themselves which lends its way to more controversial opinions which seems to have crossed a line at Celtic.

To stay relevant in 2023 is pushing traditional media platforms towards the sort of content that is the backbone of social media.

In the era of serious club media and fan media, the question is the wrong one.

It should be, why should any of the MSM get access?

They are doing nothing for me. I don’t need them. Why should I build their business?@jonnyrmcfarlane @PaulJohnDykes @PaulMacdFC @AndyMarstonSP https://t.co/e40ditdPRI

— R Mitchell (@RPMComo) June 24, 2023

Mitchell was the first CEO of the SPL best remembered for trying to push through SPL TV rather than take a contract with Sky Sports.

Basically, at the turn of the century he was trying to introduce a Netflix or Amazon Prime that would connect fans/viewers with the SPL, cutting out third parties.

Football clubs have now stumbled into that territory with their own content- they can send it directly to their supporters without the aid of radio, television or newspapers.

Celtic’s tweet about the arrival of Brendan Rodgers was viewed more than five million times.

In-house media is notoriously tame when it comes to questioning but relaxing a little of the fear factor would make for far more engaging content.

The mainstream would hit back by saying that they ask the difficult questions that are out of bounds for club media but Ange Postecoglou wasn’t the only person bored by the attempts to side-track him into discussing non Celtic events.

It is unlikely that Celtic or any other Scottish club will stop sending out invites to traditional media but Friday demonstrated a line in the sand with a willingness to stand up rather than sitting back and allowing free reign on club employees.

Questioned about Micky Beale’s appointment at Ibrox the Daily Record reports Postecoglou saying:

On a scale of things that have been on my mind over the last two weeks, I reckon that is registering somewhere below what I am having for dinner tonight. It just doesn’t really come on my radar what opposition clubs do with their managers, any opposition clubs.