The Sun, Britain’s biggest-selling daily newspaper, today joined the boycott of Southampton after the south coast football club has tried to impose a ban on national and local newspaper and agency photographers.
On Saturday, the SJA called on its colleagues not to use any pictures distributed by the club. The Telegraph Media Group immediately led a boycott of Southampton’s games, while Digital South photo agency bravely refused to sign a deal to take photographs and syndicate them for Southampton.
Under a scoreline of “Opposition 0, Plymouth 1”, today’s Sun match report says: “While applauding Plymouth’s amazing victory we are deliberately ignoring one of the hottest title favourites in history.
“All this is down to Southampton’s draconian executive chairman Nicola Cortese. His totally crazy decision to ban national and local newspaper photographers from the game will hurt his club more than he thinks.
“This senseless move will not make him extra money but it will turn the fans and, more importantly, sponsors away from the club.
“After so many dismal years of decline Southampton need all the publicity they can get while they fight their way back up the divisions.
“What they don’t need is a dictator who thinks he knows what’s best for the club by denying fans the pictures they deserve in their No 1 paper.
“We apologise to the supporters who have stuck by their club through thick and thin. We make no apology to Cortese.”