BBC Essex - biased?

[stringbok]

I've only just started following Billericay this season so apologies if this topic is old hat. However is it just me or does BBC Essex have a huge Chelmsford bias?

 

Their results are always read out before ours. Today they sent a reporter to the Clarets' away game at Worthing, gave a detailed minute and half match report and then a two minute post match interview with someone or other from which we found out that Chelmsford are not getting carried away and are taking each game as it comes.(yawn)

 

All they reported about the Blues was the score. No details of scorers or the sending off, which would have helped put the result in some context. 3-2 against the league leaders with only 10 men is not a bad effort.

 

I'm obviously not the only one to think this as someone e-mailed in to ask 'Why do you always ignore Billericay they are doing just as well as Chelmsford'. To which the presenter replied 'We don't. Billericay lost 3-2 today to Wimbledon'. What a pillock! (the presenter that is!)

 

Let's hope that come the end of the season they won't be able to ignore us any more.

 

 

[Localfan]

Originally Posted By: stringbok

I've only just started following Billericay this season so apologies if this topic is old hat.

Yawn...yes it is....zzzzzz

Some would say its the difference between a big club and a small club recognised by the media, but not your fans......

...or simply a win is more important then a loss?? You decide!

[andyrich]

BBC Essex website covers CCFC only from the Ryman Premier.

That says it all surely.

[Umbrella Man]

[****!!****]

[Ukraine BTFC]

Of course they are biased. Check out the BBC Essex website where they have a massive permanent feature of CCFC and a fan's blog, ground guide etc.

There is a perception that CCFC are a club that is "going places" and that is why they get preferential treatment. Add to this the factor that Chelmsford is the county town and also the home of BBC Essex, and it's not hard to see why.

I haven't lived in Essex for years but I well remember listening to BBC Essex sport for news of Billericay Town. It was spasmodic to say the least and often amounted to no more than just a quick reading of the Ryman results, and this never seemed to be at a regular time.

The sad thing is, CCFC could be mid-table or lower and they'd probably still get more coverage than us because of the reasons mentioned above.

Sadly the local papers aren't much better. Has the Gazette improved or do you still have to search through acres of table tennis/fencing/gymnastics/speedway reports or ones about Leyton Orient's reserve team to find BTFC news?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rick the Dick]

TBH Braintree Town have a bigger case than us for being "peeved" by the BBC's Chelmsford bias.

 

They're doing considerably better than CCFC, and have achieved far more, and yet don't get the coverage.

 

But with the BBC's offices being in Chelmsford, probably employing a few Chelmsfordians, it doesn't suprise me. They've always been a "centre led" organisation. That's why the national News & Sports sections are having to be dragged kicking & screaming up to Manchester by the government. I get the impression that their reluctance to look too far beyond their office windows applies on a regional basis as well.

 

 

 

 

[stringbok]

Happy to concede that Chelmsford are indeed the bigger club (whetever that means). However in football, as in other activities, it is not size that matters, but performance. My point is that Billericay have as good a chance of winning the league or promotion as Chelmsford and this should be recognised. Not asking for parity of coverage just some coverage at all would be nice.

 

As for a win being more important than a loss, the BBC producer would have allocated his reporters earlier in the day before the results were known. He obviously felt that a run of the mill, foregone conlcusion game against a lowly placed team was more important than a top of the table clash.

[Bionic II]

Try Breeze, a far better station. That will cost you David!

[GazzaBTFC]

I sent in a e mail asked BBC Essex if they would consider featuring Billericay and Heyvridge as we are both Essex clubs. The answer I got back was, if I would like to write the srticles they will consider it!!!

 

Typically, LF goes on the "big club", "small club" thread but if you have time, trawl through his posts on the Sloppy Box and find out what this person writes when CCFC lose and then try and reconcile this with the term "supporter". No where have I seen the description "Supporter" linked to [****!!****] or [****!!****]

 

 

[Localfan]

Quote:

As for a win being more important than a loss, the BBC producer would have allocated his reporters earlier in the day before the results were known. He obviously felt that a run of the mill, foregone conlcusion game against a lowly placed team was more important than a top of the table clash.

 

To answer this the reporter is Mark Babbage from the BBC who for various reasons is the CCFC dedicated reporter for CCFC. He follows us around the league and at home. Why the BBC have choosen CCFC to report and not Billericay, I can only leave it up to your specialised green eyed monster to speculate.

 

As per usual, Gary adds nothing to the debate and talks again out of his backside, whether on here or on other clubs forums perpetuating the anti CCFC/Billericay frenzy, and wonder why you get such responses. Look at your own postings Gary....you make your own fans cringe..........

[GazzaBTFC]

Originally Posted By: Localfan

As per usual, Gary adds nothing to the debate and talks again out of his backside, whether on here or on other clubs forums perpetuating the anti CCFC/Billericay frenzy, and wonder why you get such responses. Look at your own postings Gary....you make your own fans cringe..........

Well LF, seeing what you've written looks as if you you talk out of yours as well and have just cleared your throat.

I didn't know you have some tracker software on my PC that you can see whatever I do or write? explains some of the more evil of viruses I appear to be picking up at the mo....Had one called the Numpty Two Faced Moaning Virus. Just like your support, it makes like an idiot, doesn't shut up and refuses to go away.

[Rick the Dick]

Originally Posted By: Localfan

Why the BBC have choosen CCFC to report and not Billericay, I can only leave it up to your specialised green eyed monster to speculate.

You've missed the point LF. No one is suggesting that Team A shuld get coverage instead of Team B. Or that Team C is more deserving than Team D.

The point is that BBC Essex are giving excelent coverage to CCFC at the expense of any coverage of the other clubs in their catchment playing in the same competition. And that includes Swifts & ETU.

Afterall, they're supposed to be the coumtys radio station, not just Chelmsfords.

[I am Spartacus]

We suffer the same problem with Radio Kent only they tend to follow that well known Kent side Charlton ( London SE7). We accept that Gillingham should get more coverage than Welling and they should get more than the Ryman Premier teams of Kent. But we get ignored at Margate.

 

Must be a BBC thing mind you the only time we have seen a BBC local radio OB Truck was against Chelmsford (we beat them 3-0 you know) and that was BBC Radio Essex.

[GazzaBTFC]

Really, it's just like the Evening Echo. It's a Southend / basildon based paper that covers the Thames corridor. A report was written in last weeks covering the Billericay Worthing game and then the reporter went on about Jeff king and Chelmsford (under the Billericay heading)...the league table they showed had Chelmsford in bold...

 

...strange...Still, we all know who wrote that report

[Localfan]

Quote:

The point is that BBC Essex are giving excelent coverage to CCFC at the expense of any coverage of the other clubs in their catchment playing in the same competition. And that includes Swifts & ETU.

 

Seriously...yes I agree. I can't explain the coverage, other then Mark Babbage is a nice bloke and CCFC fan. You would have to ask him. Perhaps they have got carried away with the Jeff King involvement and see more an exciting future with CCFC and the other teams pretty out of it or status Quo at the start of the season..( just an possibility before you slate me)...I know thats not how its turned out and the season is exciting FOR EVERYONE!!! I know a number of you dislike CCFC intensely, but having gone pop and now rising out of the ashes is romantic to broadcasters for any club....

 

Braintree?...prob would deserve cover more then all of us in the non league scene to be honest.

[Rod]

BBC Essex used to cover every CCFC game (home and away) when they were at New Writtle Street, stopped when they had to move, and have then started again now they have a ground in Chelmsford again.

 

Maybe they dont like travelling too far? Although that would not explain having a reporter at away games as well?

 

They tend to cover Southend, Colchester, Grays, Daggers, Chelmsford and then pick one other which will usually be a club left in the FA Cup/Trophy/Vase or if no such game then a league one.

 

Thus Billericay will probably get about four or five agames a season with a reporter but certainly no away ones (unless at another Essex club).

 

 

 

 

[GazzaBTFC]

To be perfectly honest, who gives a [****!!****]...

 

We have some tie in's with the commercial radio scene. It may not be perfect but it is as honest as BBC...well, okay, we all pay a licence fee and therefore surely we should have fair coverage but unfortunately that isn't the way it's done.

 

Now if I can get my [****!!****] into gear, I would write some bits for the web site...thing is, it's the no gaurantee of "they may be published" that puts me off. All that work...dear me

[Localfan]

Come on Gary you 'love it'.....otherwise you'd be following Arsenal or some other boring league team!!!!

[GazzaBTFC]

You are quite right, I have been following my side for 30 odd years and for many reasons, not just the football, enjoy it. I also take pride in what I do for the club.

 

It's not so much, what to write or produce but when. And at least with the club, the effort is rewarded by an end product but with BBC Essex, I got the impression that, "they may think about it".

 

I shall certainly write something this week but I have other priorities. A Newsletter being one of them.

[Iron Webbo]

"TBH Braintree Town have a bigger case than us for being "peeved" by the BBC's Chelmsford bias. They're doing considerably better than CCFC, and have achieved far more, and yet don't get the coverage."

 

This is where I agree with young Gazza. Who does give a [****!!****]! That nice chairman at Cressing Road has been with us four years now and only met the BBC Essex guy a couple of weeks back because 'The land of a thousand EGMs' didn't have a game!

 

But, thankfully, the league tables don't lie. Little ol' Crittalls (known simply as 'The Champions' at Melbourne Park) let their football do the talking. While 'City' glory in a win at struggling Worthing, Little ol' Crittalls are looking forward to the possibility of playing Wrexham and Torquay next year.

 

No matter - next year we'll both be (at least) one league above 'em!