AFTER six years trying to prize stories out of Hearts football club, former Edinburgh Evening News reporter, Paul Kiddie, is now in the job of news management on behalf of the club.
It follows a year spent in Florida, due to his wife’s work. And before, when he was Hearts correspondent for the News, he was banned not once, but twice, by the club – albeit when it was under different ownership.
Kiddie is on a six-month contract, covering for Clare Cowan, who is on maternity leave. Officially, the club is operating a policy of minimum contact with the media, which will hardly make his job smooth-running.
He told Spike: “I think my appointment has been welcomed by the media, in general, insofar as I understand what they need and will do my best to help the media out. Hopefully, there’ll be a thawing of relations between the club and the media within the next few months, which I expect will make my job easier to do.”
Kiddie’s return from Florida, towards the end of last year, was made easier by an offer from the club to edit its bi-monthly magazine, The Beat, which he continues to do.
