Stop the BBC silencing Robbo Robson

For years now, the BBC has published the blog of Robbo Robson in the sports section of its main website.

This blog has reach cult status.  Controversial, well humoured yet close to the edge, not afraid to address the points others shy away from and frequented by those with a true love for sport, it has provided thousands of visitors with hours of entertainment and insight.

Focused on football, Robbo also extends the blog topics to cover almost every sporting sense you could mention.  Golf, Athletics, Rugby, Formula 1, Darts - you name it, they've all been covered.

It has become the staple seasons diet of everything there is to talk about on football - on a world stage.  Pre-season it is a must read.  Post season it is a must read.  During the season you cringe at the prospect of what might have been said about your team (if you're a supporter of a big club anyway!).  The point being - it is a blog of irrestible internet column inches/pixels.

This blog regularly, almost always in fact, attracts over 1,000 responses each time it is published.  It challenges the mainstream media view of keeping on the right side of sporting figures - and goes straight for them.  It raises the lesser asked questions and isn't afraid to answer them.

However, it would appear the BBC seek to quell controvesy.  The blog is to close and site readers will instead have to read the monotonous corporate and politically correct views of the more traditional journalists on the site.

This is a publically responsible body.  Yet there has been no reason given for the blog closure. 

This petition seeks to gain an answer, justification and reconsideration from the BBC.

The Robbo Robson Blog needs to stay.  To remove it is to silence a voice of debate that doesn't conform to the diatribe purported to be the truth on other media channels.  It is precisely what makes the BBC special.  It must not be allowed to disappear.