As Cilla Would Say - Surprise Surprise

[Gem]

Premier League Footballer Obtains Super Injunction

Premier League footballer obtains injunction to stop paper writing about private life

The row over celebrities using draconian privacy laws to restrict the public's right to know was reignited after a Premier League footballer obtained an injunction to prevent a tabloid newspaper writing about his private life.

The player, who is a household name, obtained the legal order on Friday night after discovering that a Sunday newspaper was planning an expose.

He is the latest in a series of high-profile figures attempting to block the media reporting on matters they would rather keep secret.

MPs and civil liberties campaigners are among those who have expressed alarm at the ease with which celebrities can obtain gagging orders.

Powerful showbusiness and sports stars are increasingly relying on the injunctions, rather than challenging unfavourable stories in the libel courts.

Last week it was revealed that golfer Colin Montgomerie, who has a personal fortune of £25 million, had obtained a super injunction designed to prevent the reporting of matters dealing with his private life.

It is called a super injunction because the media are not even allowed to report details of its existence. The existence of the order is only in the public domain now because a newspaper on which it wasn't served chose to report about its existence.

Critics say that many of those who seek injunctions are primarily concerned with protecting their commercial interests and not their privacy.

In January, Mr Justice Tugendhat decided he should lift a gagging order he had previously granted preventing newspapers from reporting that England football star John Terry had had an affair with Vanessa Perroncel, the ex-girlfriend of his England teammate Wayne Bridge.

The judge decided that Terry's primary concern had been to protect his reputation with his commercial sponsors, rather than his privacy.

He said that the injunction was 'not necessary or proportionate having regard to the level of gravity of interference with the private life of the applicant'. He added that the nub of Terry's complaint was 'to protect his reputation, particularly with sponsors'.

Terry, 29, who earns £7m a year as a footballer, also earns millions from sponsorship deals with companies such as Samsung, Umbro and Nationwide.

Media lawyer Ambi Sitham said: 'There has been an increasing use of privacy law to protect the often false public personas and the commercial interests of high-profile individuals.

Privacy law was never intended to be used as a de facto PR tool but to protect genuinely private matters.'

----

Could be Frank or Ashley... but I reckon it's Gerrard. And what a f**king surprise that JT was outed at a crucial time of our season. The media loved it, not only did they get what they wanted (his England captaincy removed) but his form did drop a little. Unfortunately for them he had the last laugh with winning the Double - but for a moment it did affect us.

[bluemoon]

Premier League Footballer Obtains Super Injunction

Premier League footballer obtains injunction to stop paper writing about private life

The row over celebrities using draconian privacy laws to restrict the public's right to know was reignited after a Premier League footballer obtained an injunction to prevent a tabloid newspaper writing about his private life.

The player, who is a household name, obtained the legal order on Friday night after discovering that a Sunday newspaper was planning an expose.

He is the latest in a series of high-profile figures attempting to block the media reporting on matters they would rather keep secret.

MPs and civil liberties campaigners are among those who have expressed alarm at the ease with which celebrities can obtain gagging orders.

Powerful showbusiness and sports stars are increasingly relying on the injunctions, rather than challenging unfavourable stories in the libel courts.

Last week it was revealed that golfer Colin Montgomerie, who has a personal fortune of £25 million, had obtained a super injunction designed to prevent the reporting of matters dealing with his private life.

It is called a super injunction because the media are not even allowed to report details of its existence. The existence of the order is only in the public domain now because a newspaper on which it wasn't served chose to report about its existence.

Critics say that many of those who seek injunctions are primarily concerned with protecting their commercial interests and not their privacy.

In January, Mr Justice Tugendhat decided he should lift a gagging order he had previously granted preventing newspapers from reporting that England football star John Terry had had an affair with Vanessa Perroncel, the ex-girlfriend of his England teammate Wayne Bridge.

The judge decided that Terry's primary concern had been to protect his reputation with his commercial sponsors, rather than his privacy.

He said that the injunction was 'not necessary or proportionate having regard to the level of gravity of interference with the private life of the applicant'. He added that the nub of Terry's complaint was 'to protect his reputation, particularly with sponsors'.

Terry, 29, who earns £7m a year as a footballer, also earns millions from sponsorship deals with companies such as Samsung, Umbro and Nationwide.

Media lawyer Ambi Sitham said: 'There has been an increasing use of privacy law to protect the often false public personas and the commercial interests of high-profile individuals.

Privacy law was never intended to be used as a de facto PR tool but to protect genuinely private matters.'

----

Could be Frank or Ashley... but I reckon it's Gerrard. And what a f**king surprise that JT was outed at a crucial time of our season. The media loved it, not only did they get what they wanted (his England captaincy removed) but his form did drop a little. Unfortunately for them he had the last laugh with winning the Double - but for a moment it did affect us.

Bound to be Gerrard.

Those rumours at the tail end of last season were everywhere.

Personally hope its Rooney, the horrible c**t that he is.

[Gem]

Rooney would be good also, nasty sarcastic f**ker. No pride in the England shirt, those sarcastic hand waves the other night were pathetic.

But Gerrard? Oh saint Stevie f**king me? That would be ever so sweet.

If it's Crouch then I'm not bothered, he's a boring lanky streak of. I so hope the media continue to fight this. Didn't Terry get a super injunction but then lost it? Can't remember.

[BlueNose]

Didn't Terry get a super injunction but then lost it? Can't remember.

Yes he did.

im hoping that this is gerrard,i hate him with a passion and i dont care about england so if his season becomes derailed then i'll be there laughing at every mistake him and his bar steward team-mates make

[PloKoon13]

Everyone will say it's Gerrard considering the wealth of rumours.

I'd imagine it's complete bollocks.

[Andreas]

Think its bollocks as well, but hoping its Gerrard - would just simply be hilarious.

[TheWestwayWonder]

Somehow, I imagine the press wont be falling all over themselves trying to get this overturned.

Unless its Ashley or JT, in which case, they will volunteer to pay the HM's court fees

[Zola]

wishful tit for tat gossip bollocks. Gerrard won't be getting in any bother I really don't think.

To me Its probably Crouch getting some restraint put on slags mouths before he loses his own parasite slag fiancé.

Edited August 16, 2010 by Zola

[Scott]

[mad_mac]

This again....it'll come to nothing

[Tim W]

Is this the 16 year old coming back to life of should one say producing it?

[Gem]

Scott - it was all spectulation previously - now if the courts have actually stopped the story then we know there's a story to stop.

[Zola]

Yes but that's exactly what it is. Spculation and rumours.

Could be about anyone....

zzzz