MEDIA UPDATE – SOUTHEND UNITED (H)

A MATCH REPORT IS NON-ESSENTIAL

In response to Southend Echo’s recent article, Boreham Wood FC would like to clarify our position and reasoning behind limiting access to our upcoming fixture at Meadow Park.

Following the recent advice sent to us by the National League Board and the FA, and in line with all present government guidelines, due to COVID-19, the Club has had to make tough decisions in regard to who we can give entry to for Saturday’s FA Cup game against Southend United.

Our decisions are based entirely on if somebody is deemed an essential worker or not. We believe a cautious, common sense approach is needed at this time and we are taking our guidance from our appropriate governing bodies; the FA and the National League, as well as our very own COVID Officer and Safety Officer.

Unfortunately, we cannot look after away match reporters during this lockdown, as match reporters are not deemed as essential workers and can do their work from the safety of their homes via the live streams we provide. As such we will not be able to accommodate any non-essential media during this latest COVID-19 lockdown…

For this Saturday we have been able to accommodate BBC Essex Radio, BBC Three Counties Radio, BBC 5 live, plus our chosen streaming provider FC Video. We are also accommodating the BBC’s chosen TV highlights company; Gravity Media. As everyone can see we are accommodating as many people as possible to ensure the game can be viewed from the safety of supporter’s and non-essential workers homes.

Unfortunately, there are some losers in our decisions, as we simply cannot accommodate all of our own media department, the Non-League Paper’s match reporter or the Southend Echo’s match reporter Chris Phillips, though all will be given free access to our match day stream to write their match reports.

This we feel is the common-sense approach. We are all in this lockdown together and the lockdown rules of the land do supersede non-essential individuals wishes to go to a game of football, especially when they can watch the same game from the safety of their own home.

The Club believes with 25,000 new cases of COVID-19 being reported on a daily basis in the UK, that this falls in line with Government, FA and National League guidelines. We apologise for any inconvenience caused, especially to the reporter from the Southend Echo Chris Phillips, but our safety measures put in place are for everyones health and safety, do not encourage long distance journeys and are not financially led…

OUR CLUB. OUR TOWN. OUR COMMUNITY.