Brighton accused of dangerous precedent' after ban on Guardian over Tony Bloom coverage

"The club notified the Guardian late on Saturday to say it felt it would be inappropriate for journalists and photographers from the Guardian to be accredited to matches at the Amex, starting from Sunday's game against West Ham. The allegations about Bloom, a billionaire who has made his money from gambling, have raised questions from MPs. Dawn Alford, the chief executive of the Society of Editors, said the ban was deeply concerning."

"There is a legitimate public interest in the questions raised by the Guardian's reporting and journalists everywhere must be free to carry out their important role without fear or favour on behalf of the public, she said. Caroline Dinenage, the chair of the Commons culture select committee, said it was part of a concerning trend of football clubs restricting access to journalists because of things that have been written about them. Football clubs are a major part of our communities and whilst they are entitled to expect fair and accurate reporting, it is right that they should be open to scrutiny and transparency for the fans, she said."

"The Football Supporters' Association also questioned the ban. The Guardian has a long tradition of top-quality investigative, public interest journalism, it said. We would always back the right of a journalist from any reputable media organisation to ask those questions without fear that a club would try to ban its way out of appropriate scrutiny. The Guardian revealed last week that Bloom, the majority shareholder at Brighton, is being sued in a lawsuit that alleges front"

Brighton & Hove Albion barred Guardian journalists and photographers from accreditation at the Amex, starting with the match against West Ham. The move followed reporting about allegations concerning majority shareholder Tony Bloom and prompted questions from MPs. The Society of Editors described the ban as deeply concerning and emphasised the public interest and journalists' need to work without fear or favour. The Commons culture select committee chair warned of a trend of clubs restricting access to journalists. The Football Supporters' Association defended investigative journalism and backed journalists' right to ask difficult questions. Bloom is reported to be facing a lawsuit.

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