Dictator Ashley’s new media rules

NEWCASTLE owner Mike Ashley yesterday demonstrated once again the dictatorial way he runs St James’ Park by preventing new manager Steve McClaren from speaking to the media.

Ashley ensured that only TV rights holders Sky, the club’s website and the Daily Mirror, who are understood to be negotiating a preferred media partnership deal with Newcastle, were allowed to speak to McClaren yesterday.

This compares with the open house press conferences that are always set up by other Premier League clubs to introduce a new manager.

But Ashley, with no regard for the usual PL media procedure, seems intent on making newspapers pay for their access to Newcastle personnel. McClaren, approached for a chat by reporters as he left the stadium, said: ‘I can’t. I’m sorry guys. Let the dust settle first.’

A PL spokesman said their media regulations only govern pre and post-match obligations.

JONNY WILKINSON is the best paid England Rugby 2015 ambassador on a £120,000 agreement. But Wilkinson gives value for money, being prepared to start his ‘100 days to go’ gig at 6am in the Good Morning Britain TV studios and then answer at length any question put to him at Twickenham for as long as ER2015 wanted. Wilkinson (above) also praised the organisers unprompted saying: ‘I used to think it was only about the players.’ ALEX Stone, former member of the FA media team, has gone native in Zurich since joining FIFA, such is his strong allegiance to FIFA’s corrupt regime. He reacted to PM David Cameron mentioning FIFA being ‘the very worst of football’ in a message to England women’s World Cup squad by tweeting: ‘Can’t even wish the team good luck without having a pop. What a pompous ….’ Stone, who came the nearest of all FIFA staff to defying the code of ethics and campaigning for Blatter on Twitter during the election, then posted: ‘Look forward to message for England Rugby/Mo Farah next. Irrelevant in this context.’

DAVID Haigh, the former Leeds managing director held for over a year in a Dubai prison cell without charge, has finally been prosecuted. And he is now on the list to go for criminal trial in a Dubai court on charges of breach of trust and embezzlement.