Libel To Offend

I've just received this email from Mr Dudley of the Gazunder:

Hello Mr Eastcliff,

I read your recent blog about Ramsgate FC with great interest and decided to look into the story. You might be interested to hear that the chairman of the club has asserted to the Gazette that the blog entry is untrue and libellous and that the club is taking legal advice. He told us the issue is not related to money. This will be mentioned in my story and I thought you might like to give us your response to the chairman’s reaction.

Best wishes, Joel

To which my response was:

Not really. I've had it up to my ears with you lot printing crap libel stories about my blog.

All the best, ECR

A trifle harsh, perhaps, but really! Ever since the Thanet Blog Wars earlier this year, when the Gazunder printed unsubstantiated allegations from a certain blue rinse councillor about 'anonymous blogs', I must say I've read our local blue top with a considerable portion of salt. In light of the fact that my original story was liberally peppered with phrases like 'rumour', 'word is', 'talk of' and 'apparently', I can't imagine even the quickest witted of m'learneds (of which there are few) being able to trump up a charge of malicious falsehood. And the question must also be asked, if the Rams are that cheesed off with the post (although I doubt they even read it until Mr Dudley kindly told them about it), why haven't they done the simplest, and cheapest, thing and emailed me demanding an apology? It's ever so easy. Just click on my email address in the top right hand corner.

Finally, I note they haven't denied arsing off the youth teams, according to Mr Dudley. Just that the issue isn't related to money. Kuh!