Premier League: Newcastle United want to charge the press to interview players

Newcastle United (Premier League, ENG) want to charge the press for the opportunity to interview players outside of match days, said the Newcastle newspaper, The Chronicle, on the 12/12/2013.

Several British newspapers were approached by Newcastle United. The club are offering them exclusive access to players and staff members, depending on the amount paid by the "media partner" of the club. A range of packages from "gold, silver, and bronze" have been proposed by the club, which denote the level of access the papers would have.

This initiative is a first in the Premier League. Newcastle United restricted access to St Jame's Park, the club's stadium, to all titles published by the NCJ Media group, including The Chronicle, for an indefinite period, on the 23/10/2013. This decision follows an article in The Chronicle, on the 21/10/2013, which focused on a demonstration by Newcastle fans two days earlier: the club found the coverage by the newspaper to be disproportionate.