Try a little kindness (21/06/1994 - The Malay Mail)

Publication : MM
Date : 21/06/1994
Headline : Try a little kindness


WHEN sportswriters are forced to sit on a wet ground to cover a Premier
League soccer match, which mind you is a professional league, you cant get
any more unprofessional. Never mind, kindness.
This was what happened at the Perlis-Kuala Lumpur match at the Datuk
Sheikh Ahmad Stadium on Saturday evening. And frankly, it was the pits as
far as treatment of the Press is concerned.
We can handle modest looking rooms, with wobbly chairs, and even fans
that sound like they are going to take off any moment. For God's sake, we
are not looking for a place that looks like a room in The Ritz. But when
you give us a wet ground, that's something no one will take sitting down.
What more when you are not even allowed to take chairs inside the fenced
area to sit on. At first a Perlis FA official allowed us the luxury of a
chair or two, and the two of us do it, but five minutes into the match a
Police officer had them removed as it was against the rules.
When asked where should we sit then, he arrogantly said we should sit on
the ground. Maybe he should try doing that sometimes.
But the question is, why isn't there a Press Room, or even a miserable
place designated for the media. We are talking about going professional,
and here you have an FA who cant even handle something so simple and basic
like arranging for Press seats.
The local reporters may be used to it. They even brought plastic sheets
to the game as they knew they would have sit on the wet ground on that
rainy day.
But they have no reason to. When asked why they allowed it, they said
they had requested time and again for Press seats, but no one paid
attention.
Frankly, we are all quite tired of asking for some decent place to work
from. Gone are the days when we only carry a notebook to venues. Now we
carry laptops and work from the venues.
We have gone professional, but it's obvious that some FAs haven't. Yes,
Perlis aren't the only ones who cannot provide for Press seats.
We have literally begged FA of Malaysia to inform all State FAs of the
our requirements, and we have been doing it year in year out. But who
cares.
Sometimes one wonders how the the FA of Malaysia officials, who inspect
venues before the season kicks off, give the nod when there are
shortcomings.
Perhaps they too believe the media aren't important enough for them to
pay any attention to. Not even important enough to have telephone lines
installed, or to have team lists provided before kick-off.