“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.
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MALC on 29TH JANUARY 2016 8:57 PM
Is there an email address to contact Paul67 directly on please?
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/mark-twain-napoleon-and-fatal-newspaper-mistakes/comment-page-10/#comments
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celticquicknews@gmail.com
PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 29TH JANUARY 2016 8:55 PM
40k
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Cheers mhate, if that is over a year…..100 celtic fans boycotting the paper
covers that…..fekn stupid.
Can someone put the £40k into some context please??
Is this a weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly figure that they stood to lose?
How would we be now,if for 18 months we had watched Ronaldo,Rooney,Messi,etc,playing in the Hoops.Maybe,just maybe,we have a chance to watch the next superstar in football ply his trade in the hoops for the next year and a half.A player,who even in our wildest dreams,we could not afford to buy.This should be the cause of elation in the support.For anyone who has not seen this kid,look at the clips.Phenomenal skill.Make no mistake,this is a massive deal for Celtic,and probably costing us very little money.
Ernie,
it’s all if, buts and maybes’…..it’s what has happened that matters…..a national newspaper has sold it’s soul to finance…..to hell with journalistic integrity…..slippery slope/house of cards…..call it what you want – but it is disconcerting
H.H.
Things you learn on CQN, today’s lesson, posters subscribe to the Herald :o)
.@RuthDavidsonMSP Appreciated, Ruth. What I wrote was 100% true. That said, it became very complex for Magnus. He couldn’t see a way out.
Spiers tweet
Prestonpans Bhoys
To the tune of “Kenny Dal, Harry Hood, Lou Macari’s very good”. I think.
After the 10 years we’d just had, we could afford to laugh, disappointed as we were that season.
Still won the cup, though, v Airdrie?
The_huddle,
It’s a right broad church in here, Tories too……….
Clunks
Depends if you buy a Bentley mini or even a second hand car from Parks
3 medium cars not purchased by Celtic fans would cost him his 40k
Beat bhoy,
Yip 3-1
prestonpans bhoys on 29th January 2016 9:10 pm
It’s a right broad church in here, Tories too……….
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I can understand why someone votes tory just not why someone would pay money to read the herald and others
Billybear on 29th January 2016 1:20 pm
Tontine Tim on 29th January 2016 1:08 pm
How can you used to support Celtic.
………………………………………………………………
Mo Juda..sorry, Johnson
*a couple of years back when he was the GM at Toronto FC the Toronto Star had a picture of him ad his 2 boys in it, one was wearing a Scotland top, the other a Celtic one.
IMHO I believe he still sees himself as a Celtic supporter, a lapsed one at that.
Ghuys does emdy know if Johnny Russell still at Derby County.?
Speaking of tories what ever happened to philvis and his ginger haired baby?
BLANTYRETIM IS PRAYING FOR THE KNOX FAMILY on 29TH JANUARY 2016 9:13 PM
Clunks
Depends if you buy a Bentley mini or even a second hand car from Parks
3 medium cars not purchased by Celtic fans would cost him his 40k
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/mark-twain-napoleon-and-fatal-newspaper-mistakes/comment-page-10/#comment-2763612
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Heard various figures from 10k thru to 40k.
Surely the herald is not so cash strapped that i can afford to lose 40k a year?
So then is it quarterly, £160k a year threat?
Or is it monthly, £480k a year threat?
Or weekly £2 million a year threat?
By threat I mean threat to pull advertising.If £40k is the figure then the context is hugely important.
Is it weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly?
£40k is 3 cars, but is it 3 cars a week, or 12 cars a month or 48 cars a quarter, or 160 cars a year?
Context is everything in this
The_huddle,
Like the old CQN Friday quiz, disappeared without trace…….
If it transpires that “Blakey” is the sentimental chorister………..him and his should be heading for the corporate hard shoulder.
Ratner FC,,,,,
Frannyb67
Johnny R still at Derby……also still has his house up here, if Ronny was here a bit earlier I think JR would have been a Ronny signing
Clunks
The Herald will need the money to pay staff, I’m sure that to these publications sales are now more important than journalism.
Look at Cqn , we are using advertising which some don’t appreciate but it pays the bills
As you say context is everything
DELANEYS DUNKY on 29TH JANUARY 2016 8:18 PM
Saint Stivs
Patrick Robert, my two middle names. Great name!!! :))
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Delaney Patrick Robert Dunky..? beats Rodney Charlton Trotter :O)
PRESTONPANSBHOY
met CRC last week and he said he will bring quiz probably once a month
Remember Steve(Pablo) used to give us abuse if we posted music before midnight on a Friday
JR on as sub now
BT
I publish papers that are advertiser funded so I have a good idea of where you are coming from.
I want to know the context in which the herald dropped its drawers and bent over, if you will.
Did it do it for £40k a year, £160k a year, £480k a year or £2 million a year??
If it was at the top end of the scale then it might be understandable but if they did if at the lower end of the scale then they are using it as the excuse to back down.
Does anyone know if the £40k was weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly?
BT,
Well good on CRC, I did it once and almost caused a riot by having a tie break between two when someone thought it should be three!
Of course the assumption is that the ad revenue couldn’t be gained from other sources, even 50-80% of the Parks amount
Cannae believe we have just got ourselves another fecking winger. Just at the point when GMS, SA and CMcG are coming onto a game, we go and get another person to compete for a place in the stands.
What the hell is going on? Are Celtic part of some daft billionaires lab experiment? How much disharmony can you create at a football club and still be in contention to win your domestic league?
Sad times!
Yet another example of moneyball failure.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid,…, I could go on…
BT….Talking of music…here’s a couple to get started before Croppie wakes up.
Two from Bowie..
Cause I like the geetar oan this,Moonage Daydream….FREAK OUT!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFDj3shXvco
Cause I like bowie’s singing oan this, Absolute beginners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo7KUEvV4II
Clunks
You know far more than I
I am only a fire fighting WRO
Keep up the good work
SA and CMcG arent wingers, the only real wingers we have are JF and GMS.
VP
I like the changes stuff from Bowie
Disliked the modern love let’s dance stuff though
Celtic40me I think you were attempting to be funny earlier but I have no idea what your point was.
Quote in the credits at the end of the superb sports documentary, “Red Army”, a film about the brilliant Soviet National Ice Hockey side in the 70s and 80s.
“3 things that cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth”.
Most apposite, given today’s events.
Hail Hail!
Manics, She is Suffering, Live Acoustic
https://youtu.be/pzEa4nQl0sw
beatbhoy on 29th January 2016 9:43 pm
Quote in the credits at the end of the superb sports documentary, “Red Army”, a film about the brilliant Soviet National Ice Hockey side in the 70s and 80s.
“3 things that cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth”.
Most apposite, given today’s events.
——————
I’ve had that downloaded for ages, subtitles meant I’ve not watched it as Im lazy and need to give it my full attention :O) but my brother raved about it.
BT
How dare you?
More Manics.
If you tolerate this…………
http://youtu.be/cX8szNPgrEs
And good evening all.
VP
Blinking flip
You took the hook early