Owls In Fan Website Action Threat

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="629" border="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><div class="mxb"><div class="sh">Owls in fan website action threat </div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 416px" valign="top"><font size="2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="203" align="right" border="0"><tbody><tr><td><div> <div class="cap">Wednesday have lost their opening four games this season</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Sheffield Wednesday is considering legal action against a website which contains messages from fans it considers to be &quot;damaging&quot; to the club.

Comments on the owlstalk.co.uk website have been critical of Wednesday's chairman and board of directors. </p>

The club said on Friday: &quot;A fan site has consistently been used as a forum for the posting of untrue and damaging statements about the club.&quot; </p>

The website says the comments are the typical, harmless opinions of fans. </p>

Sheffield Wednesday currently lie bottom of the Championship table, having lost all four of their games so far this season. </p>

Neil Hargreaves, who runs the website, said he was only alerted to the club's objections when he received a letter from the club saying it was going to take legal action. </p>

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="208" align="right" border="0"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 5px"></td><td class="sibtbg"><div><div class="mva"> It is the kind of comment you hear in pubs up and down the country and on phone-ins after a game
</div></div><div class="mva"><div>Neil Hargreaves, Owlstalk website</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></p>

&quot;I was terrified,&quot; he told BBC Radio Sheffield. </p>

&quot;Within 10 minutes I was on the site and removed every single one of the posts they were on about, whether I agreed they should be removed or not, just to appease the club. </p>

&quot;We completely disagree that they are defamatory and we are going to defend ourselves on that basis. </p>

&quot;Most of the comments that the club have made complaints about are typical fan-speak. It is the kind of comment you hear in pubs up and down the country and on phone-ins after a game.&quot; </p>

In a statement, Sheffield Wednesday said: &quot;The club's lawyers (K&amp;L Gates) have written to the operator of that site regarding his involvement in the publication of those statements and asking for information about the individuals that have made those statements. </p>

&quot;We are considering the response from his lawyers and are taking advice on the appropriate action to be taken. </p>

&quot;The club expects and welcomes comment from its supporters, but when those comments include false and misleading allegations and accusations, the club will need to take action to protect its reputation and the reputation of its directors.&quot; </p></font></td></tr></tbody></table>

 

I mentioned it earlier, a Weds fan was talking about it on

the Morecambe voices site

 

Sorry, 1st Time Ive Seen It

Sorry

 

no problem, i hadnt seen the bbc article though

it's pretty pathetic isnt it when a club threatens that agianst fans, suppose they are not entitled to have an opinion (N)

 

i seem to remember their club taking action

against that site previously as well

 

I know it sounds like I'm defending the Fowls, but....

... I remember when they got relegated from Premier League, and the following season advertised Season Tickets as Premiership Return Tickets. Of course, they did'nt, so could a Fowls supporter sue the club for wrongful advertising?

 

Club Chairmen are touchy creatures, aren't they?

 

It's a pity some of them have nowt better to do.

 

Bostons was closed down
http://www.bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire/content/articles/2005/09/17/sotnick_website_feature.shtml