BOREHAM WOOD are entrenched in a public row with their fellow National League clubs as they stood by their controversial decision to charge clubs to film their matches.
The Wood say they will continue to demand money from their rivals to record matches if they profit from pay-per-view highlights.
The NLP understands a number of clubs have complained to the league regarding the Hertfordshire side's media stance.
The attitude has long annoyed many, their policy of refusing access to journalists and scouts in the past unless they pay the full entrance fee getting under the noses of many within the game.
But last week things intensified as Tranmere Rovers staged a mock ‘Phoenix from the Flames' style reconstruction of Connor Jennings' winning goal in place of their usual video footage.
Chester went a step further and posted an angry message on their official website condoning Boreham Wood's behaviour ahead of Saturday's visit to Meadow Park.
“We regret to announce that we will not be providing coverage,” it read. “We have taken this decision as a result of a proposed levy of unprecedented charges to both our media team and to local press – something we have never encountered before.
Misleading
“As a matter of principle, we will therefore not be sending reporters to cover the game.”
The National League say Wood are within their rights to charge, as long as their contract with the BBC for free live coverage isn't compromised.
“We wish to put the record straight reading Chester's very biased statement against us as a small football club trying to pay our way,” Wood hit back before describing the Blues as “childish”.
“Let's be clear, we will make absolutely no apologies for charging any visiting club a small fee of between £50 to £80 should they wish to broadcast either a live radio broadcast or wish to replay match highlights on their pay-for subscription channel. Literally everybody has known our stance for over a year.
“Our view is very simple. We feel that to expect Boreham Wood or other clubs for that matter to provide a subscription company/club with ‘free' entertainment for profit subscription channels is simply unfair.
“Chester have loyal subscribers. Subscribers who are clearly being short changed by the people running their pay-to-view channel.
“We would strongly suggest that the Chester media department now stop trying to deflect their inadequacies on us and get agreements in place with all the away clubs.
“The Chester media department will of course whinge at the total affront that a small club like ourselves have by standing up to them.
“However the truth is, they would be better suited to putting out intelligent statements to apologise to every one of their subscribing supporters who they are misleading.
“If they are selling their fans a product that they cannot provide then they shouldn't be in business.
“Subscribers need to ask them where their money goes and vent their anger at them by cancelling their subscription.”
Unfortunately Borehamwood’s statement doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. They are charging Maidstone United to film and provide live commentary of their game on Band Holiday Monday, even though both services are free and are provided by unpaid volunteers. In our case, supporters have raised the money to pay Borehamwood’s fees, but will, in return, be boycotting the bar, foot outlets and programmes, so for the sake of £130 ‘Wood will be missing out on potentially hundreds of pounds of income through other sources. They certainly aren’t gaining any friends through this attitude, and if supporters of other clubs take similar action they will find they are losing more than they hope to gain.
Just to show it was not about the money Chester fans set up a fundraising site for a local charity called Signpost in the Borhamwood area, it has up to now raised over £220 . Perhaps Borhamwood could pay into the charity as they will be saving a lot of money not paying for the right to report or film at all the other grounds in the league this season,