Media Management Is A Double-Edged Sword

MY MATE Dougie is one of Scottish sports-writing's big stars. He is a member of the A Team, that group of “Chief Sports Writers” or “Chief Football Writers”, whose beat is – Auchenhowie, Lennoxtown, Hampden, Ibrox, Parkhead, Europe.

On paper, it's not a difficult job, but, Dougie and his contemporaries have a slight problem which doesn't normally affect us lesser beings on the sports-writing food chain.

Sweeper-keeper Manuel Neuer

As Dougie has explained to me: “It is easier for me to get a one-to-one with Cristiano Ronaldo, or Manuel Neuer than it is for me to get the same access to Scott Brown or Lee Wallace.” Don't laugh, that is fact, because, when it comes to media management and controlling access to players, nobody comes close to the Bigot Brothers.

Of course, it helps that they've got the local papers in their pockets. The “suits” will not dare offend the Big Two, so, limited access is accepted.

Now, sadly, it appears to me as if somebody at BT Murrayfield has been networking with somebody from either side of the Glasgow bigotry divide, because, this season, the SRU appears to be attempting to limit the media's access to our professional players and coaches.

Edinburgh's main set-piece press conference is now on a Monday, Glasgow's is on a Tuesday this week – when Edinburgh play Friday and Glasgow on Saturday. I presume this order will reverse as necessary.

Also, media requests for interviews etc. will need to be made by 5pm on a Sunday – this is nonsense.

Rugby already struggles against the big beast of football for media coverage in Scotland. The SRU should be moving heaven and earth to make things easier for the media; instead, they appear to be putting obstacles in the hacks' way.

To be fair, the SRU media department does a good job, but, good public relations, churning-out press releases, is not the same as good sports journalism – even allowing for the fact some of the over-grown, under-trained kids getting media jobs today almost require the hand-holding support of getting press releases they only have to make fit the available space.

Glasgow has been a good story for the past three or four seasons; Edinburgh, under Richard Cockerill appear to be (hopefully) heading in the same direction – while the woefully under-sold and under-supported BT Premiership is a fantastic competition. The SRU ought to be selling their sport harder and better than they do – and, they could best do this by assisting the rugby writers to get the game better coverage.

SCOTSMAN Group Head of Sport Graham Bean and his team are doing a fantastic job, in difficult circumstances, not least in their ability to provide top-quality rugby coverage.

In Monday's Scotsman, they devoted two pages to the domestic club game, while rival publications are seemingly oblivious to the fact there is rugby below the PRO14.

But, Graham and his gang cannot cover everything, and there have been some good stories from beneath the BT Premiership on this opening week of league play.

The Gavin Calder Memorial Trophy

National League 1 had a couple of local derbies, with new trophies up for grabs. These games saw Edinburgh Academicals take possession of the Gavin Calder Memorial Trophy, by beating Stewart's-Melville 38-26, in an entertaining Inverleith match in which both sides claimed try bonuses.

At the other end of the M8, well just off Junction One of the M77 to be precise, visitors GHA beat Cartha-Queen's Park to go ahead in the battle for the Billy Barnes Memorial Trophy, which, like the 1872 Cup will be decided by aggregate results over the season.

There was another close-fought local derby in this league too, with Jed-forest beating Kelso 27-20 at Riverside. Gala, a third Borders side in the second tier, made a successful start to their quest to bounce straight back into the Premiership with an34-28 win over Aberdeen GSFP in the Granite City.

NATIONAL LEAGUE 2 also produced some entertaining rugby, with perhaps the most-enthralling match being the Glasgow Derby between West of Scotland and GHK at Burnbrae. The host side won 29-25, with both sides claiming try bonuses and GHK also getting a losing bonus.

There were try bonuses too across the city, with promoted Dumfries Saints beating Whitecraigs 38-27 to get off to a good start. But, top of NL2 after Week One are Preston Lodge, who thrashed Aberdeenshire 60-17.

But, the biggest win in the National Leagues was posted by Newton Stewart, who will hopefully not think it will always be this easy on the national stage, after opening, following winning the West League last season, with an 81-0 win at Dalziel.

That was the biggest winning margin in any of the national leagues, but, in West Division 2, Paisley thrashed Birkmyre 91-10 in the Renfrewahire Derby, while, in Caledonian Regional League, Division 2 North, Ellon thumped Shetland 101-7.

We should mention the disappointment of the reformed Corstorphine Cougars, who lost their Edinburgh West Derby at Forrester 25-38. I just hope somebody at Murrayfield notices, they are no longer RHC Cougars, but, are now Corstorphine Cougars.

Yes, if the clubs can continue as they have started, word will soon get out, that Scottish rugby is in good health.

THIS post is in danger of turning into rugby-writing navel gazing, which is, right enough, one aspect of philosophy. But, the reality is, with the advances in social media, the old dead trees media is, if not dying, looking increasingly perilous in intensive care.

We guys on the interweb, we can put-out a story and our readers can react far faster than can our rivals in newspapers, and their audience. For all that, I still feel, the print media can give a subject the time and space we cannot online to go more-deeply into a subject.

Sadly, the decision-makers at the top of the traditional print media have got a few decisions wrong, and are still trying to find the right balance between old and new media.

I am not trying to provide a fast-acting rugby news service, but, I have to admit, one or two of the younger guys, who are, are doing a great job. Some of our top clubs have got their on-line presence worked out and are doing a terrific job, but, others are stuck at the “aye been and aye will be” stage.

The age of the “citizen journalist” has to a degree arrived in Scottish rugby, so enjoy it you lucky fans out there.