English Club Shuts Out Journalists With New Kind of Defense

SWINDON, England — A few months ago, a reporter for the local newspaper here went to a charity event in town. The manager of Swindon Town F.C., the city’s professional soccer club, was appearing at the function, and the reporter planned to write it up. Some handshakes, some smiles, a quick word between the writer and the manager, and a nice picture in the next day’s paper: It was the sort of thing that happened in small towns everywhere.