Data Policy

Who we are

The Steelmen Dispatch is an independent Motherwell FC publication. We are the data controller for any personal data collected through this website. You can reach us at editor@steelmendispatch.co.uk.

What data we collect and why

Newsletter

If you sign up to our newsletter we collect your email address. We use this solely to send you the Dispatch newsletter. We use Mailchimp to manage our mailing list — your email is stored on their servers in accordance with Mailchimp’s privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email we send. Lawful basis: consent.

User accounts

If you create an account (required for My Well and the Forum) we store your username, email address and a securely hashed password. We use this to provide you access to those features. We do not share this data with anyone. Lawful basis: contract (providing the service you signed up for).

Comments and forum posts

When you post a comment or forum reply, we store your display name and the content of your post. If you post while logged out, we also collect your email address for notification purposes only — it is never displayed publicly. Lawful basis: legitimate interest (operating the community).

Shop purchases

If you purchase from the Dispatch shop, we collect your name, email address and delivery address to fulfil your order. Payment details are handled directly by our payment processor and are never stored on our servers. We retain order records for 7 years to meet legal accounting obligations. Lawful basis: contract and legal obligation.

Site analytics

We use SiteGround’s built-in analytics to understand basic traffic patterns — such as which pages are popular, which countries visitors come from, and how people find the site. This is processed entirely from server access logs and does not place any cookies on your device, nor does it track you across other websites. No personal profile is built from this data. Lawful basis: legitimate interest (understanding how the site is used to improve it).

Security and technical data

We use Wordfence, a security plugin, which processes IP addresses to detect and block malicious traffic. Our hosting provider (SiteGround) also logs server activity for uptime and security purposes. This data is not used for any other purpose. Lawful basis: legitimate interest (protecting the site and its users).

What we don’t do with your data

• We do not sell your data to anyone, ever.
• We do not use ad networks such as Google AdSense. There is no targeted advertising on this site.
• We do not use your data to build advertising profiles or share it with data brokers.
• We do not send marketing emails unless you have specifically opted in to the newsletter.

Cookies

This site uses cookies only where necessary for it to function:

• Session cookies — to keep you logged in to your account while you browse.
• Security cookies — set by Wordfence to help identify and block malicious requests.
• Comment cookies — if you leave a comment, WordPress may save your name and email in a cookie so you don’t have to re-enter them next time.

We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking cookies. Our site analytics are server-side and require no cookies at all — see the analytics section above.

How long we keep your data

• Newsletter: until you unsubscribe.
• User accounts: until you request deletion.
• Comments and forum posts: indefinitely, as they form part of the public record of the community, unless you request removal.
• Order data: 7 years, as required by HMRC.
• Server/security logs: up to 30 days, managed by SiteGround.
• Analytics data: aggregated and not personally identifiable; retained as part of SiteGround’s standard server log cycle.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Correct any inaccurate data.
• Erase your data (the “right to be forgotten”), where no legal obligation requires us to keep it.
• Restrict how we process your data in certain circumstances.
• Portability — receive a copy of your data in a machine-readable format.
• Object to processing based on legitimate interest.
• Withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis (e.g. newsletter).

To exercise any of these rights, email editor@steelmendispatch.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.

Complaints

If you believe we have handled your data unlawfully, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) — the UK’s independent data protection authority. You can contact them at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113. We would always prefer you contact us first so we can try to resolve it directly.

Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this policy we will note the updated date at the top of this page. We won’t use your data in ways that conflict with the version of this policy that was in place when you provided it.