“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
- ...
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- ...
- 34
- »
love this picture. and he wassnt finished yet , still 2 more leagues, 2 more cups …… 1 more league cup to come, i think.
tontine tim, beatsbhoy, bsr, this for you.
stein.
http://image.wikifoundry.com/image/1/tDRunpSJW66zbo7wjCUOXA118007/GW1024H742
add in the charity cup & distefano trophy for a differne magnificent 7.
http://image.wikifoundry.com/image/1/1zP8XnJfpI_xm84ARYsR4w185205
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0GFRcFm-aY
Whens Craigy up in court?
I really hope he has this on his ipod walking in.
HH
Rumours are rife about the likes of Roberts and Ajer,
BUT with the window about to close, can anyone confirm that these deals are about to be done, done or still in the “would be nice if we could do it” category?
SAINT STIVS on 30TH JANUARY 2016 7:53 PM
add in the charity cup & distefano trophy for a differne magnificent 7.
They just don’t make them like that now.
http://image.wikifoundry.com/image/1/1zP8XnJfpI_xm84ARYsR4w185205
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/mark-twain-napoleon-and-fatal-newspaper-mistakes/comment-page-24/#comment-2764221
That Liverpool West Ham game would get fitba’ stopped.
I wish to protest about the Celtic Wiki.
What about Quizball?
Tontine Tim on 30th January 2016 6:38 pm
The print medium will recover.
As did the cinema after the widespread purchase of T.V. sets in U.K. in `52 ….:-)……….
Nothing takes the place of a book or a newspaper in your hands..
imho
Mon the Celtic 100
HH
There are plenty of clubs that Man City can loan their players to, most of which will play in higher quality leagues. To be honest it does surprise me a bit that they loan to us although there are some things that we can offer that most others can’t, particularly the opportunity to develop a winning mentality in a high pressure environment. Where else in Europe is a club expected to win every single match in which they play? I can’t think of many.
Tontine Tim
Great story
Kevin McCann a good coatbridge bhoy.HH
DD@7:32′
A club that truly has synergy with Celtic, pity a few of us recognise it !
Only
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35451016
Sign John McGinn now! (and loan him back till the end of the season of course)
That run in the last minute, oooft!
Well if the Herald think that Speirs (spelling) aticle was open to court intervention and as a result they withdrew it, then what stops a private one against For withstanding his stance?
Decided this evening to take in the local football here in Italy, third league, Casertana v Lecce.
Half hour to go and one of the linesman pulls up injured.
No fourth official sot the home team, Casertana provide someone to take hispplace, naturally the opposition object and the solution is that the other linesman leaves and the opposition provide a second substitute linesman.
Farcical, this is top of the league v fourth, one of these could be in Serie B next season.
Scottish football mabey not that much worse run than some others.
Just waiting now for the first controversial call from the Lecce linesman, a riot could easily follow.
Thetimreaper
I think our Ronny has had strong links with Man C before he joined the good guys
HT
Read your post earlier today about our new signing from Man City…. Spot on (in my opinion)
PB
My son and I are treated like Kings when we visit Castellon. The Villarreal fans to a man and woman are Celtic fans. Great wee family club.
Celtic Submari!
Don’t know if it’s my phone or CQN but having real trouble refreshing the page.
I am in the sign mcginn now camp. And loan him back
I am also of the mind the Liam and Antony should be allowed to play against us.
If hibs want them to play.
Sporting integrity and all that.
Owen
I have that problem often … only access cqn on my phone
St stivs
I believe we are only allowed to loan 2 players maximum …. Although I remember sevco getting 4 or 5 from mash last year
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 30TH JANUARY 2016 8:19 PM
Tontine Tim on 30th January 2016 6:38 pm
The print medium will recover.
As did the cinema after the widespread purchase of T.V. sets in U.K. in `52 ….:-)……….
Nothing takes the place of a book or a newspaper in your hands..
imho
—————————-
Except a Kindle!
Not the phone or CQN it’s the pub WiFi.
Cheapskate bassas.
Then again even a few years ago I would have laughed at you about pub WiFi. Getting old is not always as fun as it is made out.
Elbows now Killie manager, wonder who they play next?
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
Liam Henderson & Anthony Stokes are Celtic players…… There is no way in this world Hibs are paying their full wage so anybody that thinks for a tiny second that the should even be put in the position of playing against their employers is either not the full shilling or playing with a few cards short of a deck……..
Peter & Dermot get enough slagging, imaging them paying players to play for another team to win a trophy against us (that’s if we beat Ross Co to even get there)
TTR
I have watched the McGinn brothers closely since their youth football days in Clydebank. I reckon one of Jack’s grandsons are destined to wear the Hoops. Looking like John is closest to our level. Paul and Stephen are good players too.
TSOAL
I hope that was not a comment on my Internet preferences :-o
Jack McGinn’s grandson scored a pearler for St.Mirren to beat the hun and help us in the race for Tommy’s Title.
(sure it was that season?)
One more sleep. But not for a while yet………
Well here we are in a special place
What are you gonna do here?
Now we stand in a special place
What will you do here?
What show of soul are we gonna get from you?
So elbows leads Kilmarnock into ” battle ” at Ibrokes this week … interesting
Apart from the time of “The Quality Street Kids”I dont think I can remember a time we had so many terrific youngsters.The wee Roberts guy will join the likes of,Tierney,Allan,Christie,Rogic,Joze,Shiavatchenko,Henderson,LG,Mc Gregor,never thought I would mention the last guy,but he has some talent.With Broony to lead them,the future definitely looks bright.
Lets see what the rest of the window brings.If nothing else,I am happy.Great business done.
Surprised to see Craig David on JonathanRoss show. Isn’t he usually making love on a Saturday?
Turkey
The future is Green and White bright.
I share your optimism.
Turkeybhoy i would like to see Mikey OHalloran alongside the young celts in your post,
We’ll need to play 22 a side if we collect all the new bling we are wanting.