The Old TomCat wrote:Jon Palmer wrote:For clarification: Cheltenham Town WERE on the verge of signing Elliott Frear from Forest Green Rovers, 100 per cent.
Your post John must be read with a large dose of salt.
John you failed to consult with FGR throughout the Frear saga and therefore do not know the full facts.
When the Frear saga first started you, Mr Palmer, acted as a glory hunting tabloid journalist rather than a responsible local reporter.
You printed many reports without consulting your Citizen colleague at FGR for verification of facts. Sadly for him and solely because of you he, as the Citizen/Echo reporter, was put on the ‘naughty step’ despite having no input whatsoever in Frear story.
Throughout you failed the basic test of confirming what you wrote was true and accurate. FGR contacted your office requesting that you check facts with them before publication but you ignored that and instead wrote a load of bullshine.
John, it seems you acted in a naive fashion being led by the nose by Frear’s agent. And in truth you have done more than anybody to sour previous good relations between Cheltenham Town FC and FGR.
RCS and others read your reports as gospel but a lot of it, especially about FGR, is pure bullshine.
I’ll give you an example of your sub-standard reporting in that you wrote in big headlines that Cheltenham had been exonerated by FA in Frear sage when in actual fact the FA chose not to pursue an investigation. A subtle difference in wording but a massive difference in context. Cheltenham were not exonerated but the Frear file was closed.
There again did you deliberately write up that piece to cover your back because of the countless errors you wrote up in the whole Frear sage?
And there is your report that there was a large incident at end of the last ElGlosico match where two set of fans nearly had a set to, when in actual fact all what happened was a small shouting match. The real report should have been that a policeman broke his ankle while on duty at match – a report that you glossed over.
John, I know that you live and work in the Cheltenham area and are a fan of the club but your paper is called GLOUCESTERSHIRE LIFE not Cheltenhamshire Life. At start of season FGR gained equal status as an EFL2 club to CTFC and the fixtures were arranged that either club play at home on alternate weekends.
As the main sports reporter for the county newspaper you should have made it your duty to alternate personal reports from WR & TNL, rather than rely on second-hand FGR snippets from other newspapers.
Sadly for Gloucestershire Life a Cornwell based newspaper, Sports Independent, has better FGR coverage than your Gloucestershire newspaper. Business is going to them rather than your paper which might even adversely affect your job.
So think about it John, think seriously about it, Stroud and FGR are a large part of the community. Stop writing your anti-FGR spiffle.