Jordan takes journalist to task over Newcastle and Steve Bruce coverage

Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope joined White and Jordan live from Newcastle this morning to discuss all things about the club.

It has been all change for the Magpies over the last two weeks with a £305million takeover being completed and Bruce now sacked as manager.

Hope was critical of Bruce early on and was even banned by Newcastle for a story he wrote about a bust-up with Matt Ritchie - which proved to be true.

Jordan and Hope clashed live on air about the latter's coverage of the manger's reign.

Read their exchange below:

Craig Hope: "The level of stories I've broken, the number of them and the accuracy of them over the last two years, you've got to understand that I've got a handle, a temperature of what it is like on the inside.

"I was banned for writing a story that was true. I know what a significant number of people on the inside there think of Steve Bruce and his management of the team.

"My opinion was coupled with the information on the inside and what I was hearing, allied to what I saw as well.

"Simon made out that I was putting ideas in the supporters' heads. I wasn't at all. I was listening to the supporters and what they felt."

Simon Jordan: "None of you journalists have ever owned a football club, ran a football club, picked a team, bought a player, but you have the zeitgeist. You've made a supposition that you can't possibly substantiate because Steve Bruce didn't know how long this takeover would take.

"I do because I do know the fella, I can talk about experience. I'm not Steve Bruce's PR manager. Your supposition that he has not done the job he was brought into do, he was brought in to maintain the status quo for Mike Ashley.

"He wasn't brought in to win the league, he was brought in probably to take the falls, sit in front of the media, listen to some of the nonsense you guys write, which is based upon a predilection of perception you don't really understand.

"Your first article you wrote, Craig, straight out of the gate was telling the world that this man doesn't have any tactics.

"You can't sit there and say you gave him the benefit of the doubt on day one and day two I decided I didn't give him the benefit of the doubt and had his best interests at heart and was a fair and equitable person.

"I'm a great believer in the value of local press because I understood it and wanted to use it, but some of the most poisonous and divisive press clubs get come from the very people you would want to patronise at the club.

"Steve Bruce isn't entitled to a pass and entitled to say something is good when it is crap. When I look at some of the articles that were written and some things you say, and it's your football club and you have a right to say what you want, you support the team and I understand it.

"I look at it from a fair and motivated point of view on it. I hate bullies and lack of equitability, I hate the unfairness of some of the things you guys did.

"That's the reason I wanted to give Bruce a voice. First of all, most of you don't know the square root of bugger all about what really happens in football clubs."

When asked if he regretted any of the stories he wrote, Hope said: "Absolutely not. I made a judgement call fairly quickly. People I respect said I perhaps went too soon, but I got a feel based on my own journalistic instinct. My own footballing knowledge and based on what I heard on the inside.

"The stories I've broken over the last couple of years prove I have got a handle."

Jordan: "Seek and you will find, Craig. Every single football club up and down the country you will find players who will moan.

"You can get Matt Ritchie to come down here and tell you how badly treated he was by Steve Bruce.

"I can find you in 91 other football clubs in the country where there is a player in the dressing room whining and moaning at the way he was treated."

Hope: "This protection of Steve Bruce beyond Tyneside, that antagonised supporters here and at times it multiplied the criticism of Steve because they were getting their own backs on you guys.

"I know why that exists and I think it's for three reasons. He's a former Manchester United captain who is of an age whereby he's 10-15 years older than a lot of the guys in the media who are powerful voices and I get why they respect him. Wonderful playing career and I have nothing but respect for what he did in that regard.

"He must be a good bloke - there are too many people I respect, people like Alan Shearer, who says he's a good bloke to be around. I don't think we saw that side here. I think we saw a version of Steve and he will look back on and say maybe he didn't like himself.

"At times he could be quite petty and vindictive. He fell out with people. Respect is a two way thing and I don't think he was very respectful to myself at times, banning a journalist for a story that was true.

"I don't think he was respectful of his players."

Jordan: "There's no point banning a journalist because you give them more power than they are entitled to. You give them more credence and meaning than they are entitled to.

"I spoke to him last week and told him I wouldn't go into a press conference and tell them I'm going to smack them. I wouldn't do it as I wouldn't give them that value.

"If you've got strong feelings about them then don't let them know.

"I employed the fella. It might have been a long time ago, but I understand how he works and watched his record.

"I understand him as an individual and if anybody was going to fall out with Steve Bruce it would be me, and I did fall out with him. I gave Steve Bruce a bigger smack than any of you because I put an injunction on him and made him look a fool in football terms.

"What was happening to this guy was a pile on. Some of it his own making, but a lot of it was based on the tone and temperature of the circumstances Steve Bruce was working in."