TOWN chairman Lee Power has given his clearest indication yet that club’s decision to pursue a new media policy is financially motivated.

Speaking on a fans phone-in on BBC Wiltshire, Power was questioned by a caller about his decision to direct the club’s PR through social media app Fanzai.

It is an issue the chairman has spoken on a lot since the club announced before the season started that they would no longer be holding press conferences for the written press.

Previously Power has explained the move as an exciting new media opportunity and expressed his faith in Tom Otrebski, the club’s press officer and ‘in-house journalist’, to provide the coverage fans needed.

He reiterated that point once again, as well as using his cooperation with BBC Wiltshire as evidence of Town’s accountability to the independent media.

However, he also added another point about the apparent lack of benefit to the club from communicating with the local written press.

“You see some of the stories, even in the last week - I don’t see how they benefit the football club in any way,” said Power

“Everyone has got opinions, what they think and how they feel. If we’re talking about the Adver, I don’t see anything that actually benefits the football club.

“I’m here to protect and look after the club and they’re there to sell newspapers. I think things get sensationalised a lot, which I don’t think benefits anyone.

“With media in general, the world changes and the Fanzai situation was something that we looked at and one day I think will get commercialised.

“The Adver used to spend X amount, before my time, on sponsorship at the club. They don’t spend any money (now). It costs me money to have them there.

“They might say: 'well we give you free coverage', which is fine.

“The two websites; they don’t spend any money with us. So again, all the advertising they receive off the back of the football club goes to their commercial operations. Fine, I haven’t got an issue with that.

“The football club don’t benefit from it I don’t think.”