“If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you’re mis-informed.”
Mark Twain had a knack for overstatement, but you wonder if there was ever a golden age of the newspapers, and if so, what it looked like. In Scotland, it’s seldom looked like it has this week.
Some weeks ago, Graham Spiers, writing in The Herald, made reference to comments he claimed a Newco director made about the Billy Boys song. Spiers didn’t name the director, but questioned the club’s board’s willingness to tackle offensive behaviour.
The Billy Boys were a Glasgow razor gang from the 1920s and 30s, named after their leader, Billy Fullerton. Glasgow was one of the poorest cities in the industrial world, with high unemployment and mortality rates, squalid housing conditions and what we would now term disaffected young people who drifted into criminal gangs. The Billy Boys were known as a Protestant gang (there were similar Catholic gangs) and started going along to watch Rangers, and singing their signature tune, in the 20s.
So far, so anthropologic. The song, the gangs, the disaffected masses were a product of their time, but the song persisted through the decades, including the “up to our knees in Fenian blood” third line. It was the mood music to employment practices at Ibrox from the 20s until 1989.
Scotland has changed enormously since then. We are a genuinely plural society, not one scandalised by “mixed marriages”. The vast majority of people don’t care who or what you are, boundaries have been pushed back, there is a fairly level playing field, no matter your creed or colour. All of this change brought focus to the Billy Boys song, it’s not the mood music to modern Scotland, or to ANY Rangers fans I know.
I couldn’t care less about the song. For me, it is a millstone around the neck of Newco, as it was of Oldco. It drags them down to a place they can ill-afford to be. It offends (not alone in football), has a criminal legacy (not alone in football), but it’s unique quality is that third line. You can’t say that about any group of people anymore.
Spiers has put his neck on the block over sectarianism at Ibrox repeatedly over the years. He wrote about his recent experience at Ibrox, expressed an opinion, and submitted his copy.
The club complained. Football clubs complain lots about many things. There’s a set answer newspapers give to these complaints: “It was an opinion piece”. They never retract or apologise for “an opinion piece”.
I’m 100% certain The Herald’s first response to Newco was “it’s an opinion piece”. This would normally have been the end of it, but on Wednesday The Herald issued an apology.
Spiers then became a blogger to explain “My opinion – as expressed in my column – was based on a truthful account of my meeting with a Rangers director.”
Who you believe is irrelevant for this topic. The only relevance is that within a 24 hour period, The Herald and Evening Times group changed how they deal with criticisms of an opinion piece – and then used six degrees of separation to drag Celtic into a sectarian headline.
“Ex-Celtic player in dock for sectarianism”, screamed the Evening Times, using the Celtic badge into the bargain. A woman is on trial for allegedly making a sectarian comment on Facebook. She once played for Celtic under-19s, never the senior ladies team. She doesn’t play for Celtic Ladies under-19s (or any age group) anymore, and didn’t a year ago when she made this comment. She never held an employed position at the club.
An amateur, juvenile, registered with the club who are a member of the Women’s Association. Fill your boots, Evening Times. The apology will do them no favours with any constituency, it will cost them more readers in each than sticking to their guns would have. Reacting by grasping onto something so tenuous to drag Celtic into the murky waters was unconscionable.
They do not report in this manner elsewhere. Headlines for court appearances never lead with the person’s club memberships, “Prestwick Golf Club member in driving ban”? You’ll never read this.
One very good political journalist once told me “The football content pays my wages”. That being the case, The Herald’s already difficult job to survive has been enormously undermined. Spiers also explained “the pressure brought upon the newspaper became severe”. They can ill-afford to lose advertising revenue streams, or readers.
Napoleon once said, “‘Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets”. He’s been dead a long time, though. Newspapers can now make themselves impotent in an afternoon.
1,255 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- ...
- 34
- »
Blantyretim,
Take it you are in 110/111/112?
BT,
Shamefully no….decided being under the dentists drill was a better option ;-))….am now pain free thanks be to modern medicine….
H.H.
Mon the Rams!
Spent two of my teenage years in Derby.
Would be at the Baseball Ground one week in my Hoops and hitch hike the next week back to Paradise. Ach Rooney. Great goal.
The Herald / Evening Times have pandered to the bigots pound. The result is that circulation will decline more rapidly than before …..Glasgow is a city with a long memory and they have really messed this up.
The Herald Group in the past had employment practices that would have made Campbell Ogilvie feel at home. It’s a pity they have taken a step back into the Middle Ages to appease Rangers directors with a soft spot for the Billy Boys.
The Herald / Evening Times does not deserve the objective journalists it has hung out to dry. It fully deserves the plethora of Sevconians Matthew Lindsay , Chris Union Jack etc
It is good they have showed their hand and their bond to the bigots pound
PRESTONPANS BHOY
I gave my ticket up a few years ago but mini and my nephews are situated in front of green brigade.110
3 have decided to stay only 1 has decided to move into north stand in front of my dad who takes them home and away.
BSR,
Me too!
Does anyone know with these loan deals do the players still have to go through the obligatory, it would make sense they would come with a stamp of approval from the loaning team
Justcuriouscsc
HH
gsu
obligatory medical that is
HH
gsu
Saint Stivs
Patrick Robert, my two middle names. Great name!!! :))
prestonpans bhoys
I may get a letter tomorrow from Celtic,if not
looks like I’ve made the cut, hope so.
Great goal from Rooney,backed him at 9/2.
hateaftertimersCFC.
BT
My local does a “cheap week” for members around Cheltenham but if I prefer to watch the horses over your neck of the woods, the company is great Celtic & the nags, some people can fallout on here, I have been in company that all fall out at the same table !
Unlike here face to face I like to fling in a wee grenade but on a forum no way, words are a lot worse when typed !
Can’t get excited about a loan signing. We already have Allan, Christie and GMS trying to establish themselves in the team and promising youngsters like Nesbitt who will now find it harder to break through.
And judging by that video clip he’s a bit like James Forrest – no end product ;)
We have an addiction for left footed players.
BT
I am going for the standing area. If you stand beside me and share my fag, you will be fine.
Stranraer with the freezing Irish Sea blowing in, did my joints and yours nae favours. ;))))
DELANEYS DUNKY on 29TH JANUARY 2016 8:18 PM
Saint Stivs
Patrick Robert, my two middle names. Great name!!! :))
————–
His middle names are William and King.
Blantyretim,
I’m in 112 and found out yesterday that our seats were to be removed for the seating area, Nye Bevan next to me got to keep his. After a phone call with CP ended up in 110 for next season
Kidding on they are John & Joseph, the same as mine.
Could the issue with Speirs be that he has refused to identify the particular director involved, thereby allowing the other five to claim that they have been defamed?
Charlotte Fakeovers @CharIotteFakes 46s46 seconds ago
I am in possession of incriminating emails from the Sevco board member, regarding views on singing of The Billy Boys. @Herald_Editor
Nye Bevan,
Think you are safe, I had to respond by next Friday, so you would have been told by now. Hohum wiz a good seat for the last 5 years…”
We should all (fans of all clubs) be concentrating all of our efforts to enforcing change at the SFA…..we all agree it’s not fit for purpose…..and this should be our anthem
explicit lyrics advisory
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DrdjgEL55Vk
H.H.
TTR
My favourite wee cousin is JohnJoe. Nice one. :)
Yesss the Rams!
DD
As much as I enjoyed your company along with that of Eddieinkirkmichael Almore and R the 2nd half I was in the company of the minx and Dena, cuddles all round
Only spoiled by HT , my da and freestate .;-))
ernie lynch on 29th January 2016 8:26 pm
could the issue with Speirs be that he has refused to identify the particular director involved, thereby allowing the other five to claim that they have been defamed?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
makes no sense….if they claimed defamation, then surely it would reveal the name of the director alleged to have made the comment…no?
H.H
THE GLORIOUS BALANCE SHEET on 29TH JANUARY 2016 4:53 PM
Parks also spend a fortune on advertising with the Daily record group which now owns all the local Lanarkshire newspapers.
I am sitting with a weekly Lanarkshire rag in front of me right now and there are four pages of full page adverts for the Parks Motor Group in there.
You can bet your bottom dollar this is very much in the minds of daily record editorial and management staff when handling their coverage of Sevco and the three bears.
Simple solution is for Lanarkshire based tims not to buy any cars from the Hun and he won’t be able to justify the advertising spend and so be able to control the west of Scotland press.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/mark-twain-napoleon-and-fatal-newspaper-mistakes/comment-page-5/#comments
——————————-
Been going on for years and years, allegedly Arnold Clark were the biggest recipients?
Very poor rep etc yet never had any negative stories written due to fear of adverts getting pulled.
Daily record owns many local papers now…..
There are very, very few truly local publications and independent media now
BT
Minx and Dena, or us four desperadoes?
Nae competition mate. You made a wise choice at half time. :))
Lionsroar @ 18:32
As I said wouldn’t like to walk it from Carmunnock to Kings Park. Thanks but no thanks regarding the offer of a seat dare say with such esteemed company attending there will be a large queue at the door wishing to rub shoulders with you and them. Also the irony of doing charity nights on the premises of one of the richest organisations in the world doesn’t appeal to me.
Who glued the gopher on Savage’s head?
Would never buy any newspaper in this land.
Or buy a car from Parks motor group.
The Parks of Hamilton contract for buses to carry our players should be brought to an end.
BSR
Little did they know how infamous those gnashers would become!
Genius chant, though.
I remember a Glasgow Cup final, 1975, Rangers (1872-2012), draw I think, they had won their first title in 11 years, were letting us know, and suddenly came the riposte:
We had nine
You had none
So we had to give you one
Na na na na na na na na na.
Beatbhoy,
Remember that chant well :0)
ahhhh I get it now penny just dropped Mr Lawell refuses to denigrate The Huns in any way just it in case Parks takes away access to his luxuriously kitted out five star coaches.
THELURKINTIM on 29TH JANUARY 2016 8:35 PM
ernie lynch on 29th January 2016 8:26 pm
could the issue with Speirs be that he has refused to identify the particular director involved, thereby allowing the other five to claim that they have been defamed?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
makes no sense….if they claimed defamation, then surely it would reveal the name of the director alleged to have made the comment…no?
####
And if he denied it and Speirs refused to identify him?
The point is that Speirs made, what on the face of it, is a defamatory comment about one member of a very small group, who are all easily identified.
In the circumstances the ‘innocent’ directors might be able to sue.
mickbhoy1888
There is always McGills
Love
Trying to catch up,,how much was Parks advertising worth to the Herald?
40k
Is there an email address to contact Paul67 directly on please?
May have been posted but this is Patrick Roberts,
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eaKOkGPi1Wk