“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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FANBHOY929
Some guy in black with a jaundiced eye with the remit to make it hard for Celtic.
One change from last weeks game against St Johnstone
Well I didnt see that coming Boyata back in to replace Simunovic. H.H.
Not mad about boyata
Is simumovic injured?
I wonder if Simunovic is carrying an injury, hasn’t made the subs bench por cierto.
Izzie. Brown Erik the Norwegian,Cifcti , Nesbit, Forrest Bailey subs
Celtic Football Club @celticfc 10s11 seconds ago
Celtic Subs: Bailly, Izaguirre, Sviatchenko, Forrest, Ciftci, Brown, Nesbitt
Expect a “special” performance from the referee and assistants today.
The lies, corruption, intimidation and facism is on the rise. Emboldened by its unopposed success.
I was watching Sunday politics this morning and ruefully grinning at the polls for the forthcoming Scottish elections. My oh my the herd mentality of Scotland is doing irreparable damage to our country. The rise of nationally, ahem, socialism, is a remarkable sight to see.
Liking the bhoy Nesbitt getting a chance to come off the bench, hope he gets a shot today and scores a couple.
Por cierto
He must be injured
Boyata and Ambrose?
whats up with rOgic? we miss him and commons
Is Janko injured?
He has not been in squad for ages.
Confusion for the haters with both Boyata and Ambrose in the same line up.
Jozo injured, otherwise as expected
Maradominic on 31st January 2016 2:09 pm
was just thinking exactly the same
Puzzled why Angela Haggerty In her’Thrown under a bus ‘ critique said Glasgow CLUBS Influenced media.
, I assume she means Celtic? She alleges Celtic have Influence on media/newspapers…really? I can recall Celtic Haven giant or any Moonbeam’s stories. If Celtic have influence or pressure how about using it.
MURDOCHAULDANDHAY & WEE OSCAR on 31ST JANUARY 2016 2:04 PM
Izzie. Brown Erik the Norwegian,Cifcti , Nesbit, Forrest Bailey subs
Brown Erik the Norwegian?
Was he no one of the guys in the Viking costumes running around Shetand wi’ an axe and a flaming torch last week? -:)
Great to see Aiden Nesbitt on the bench.
Him and one of the other youth team players were involved in the warm up before our game last week.
Not a Simo fan either, Hoping Erik comes in and makes simo focus better.
KLV
OOps! Shetland.
No Allen either, jeezo, I thought this was made for him today to, Aw well as long as we don’t get muscled/bullied off the ball we should be fine,a decent line up.
leftclick
Greate photo of KT as a nipper with naka’s boots !
Simunovic must be injured if not even on bench.
Sviatchenko not match fit, so Boyata gets the nod.
Broonie will come on at some point ;o)
Good luck and away the bould Bhoys !!!
Really worried, based on 40 years of watching LC screw ups.
PS
Anyone thinking of voting for either of the Tory parties in Ireland, one of them shoved a pamphlet in my hand today as I went into the 1st anniversary mass for my daughter’s classmate. Anyone who knows Irish politics will know how ‘local’ it is so they knew this was on.
Don’t vote for either of these charlatan parties, they care not about the proletariat.
Vote Labour
Looks like the Johansen to villa was wishful thinking
Commons?
L.C.T.
I shall be glat to meet you my friend
hail hail
Awe naw Ronny how kin ye no play Scott Allen, FFs FFS FFs awe he’s cup tied, sorry Ron you carry on mate..
To early to doubt Simo as a poor game last week was not the norm.
A central defender joining Celtic has to adjust to the leniency afforded to his opponent and the differing applications of the rules by the cheats with whistles.
Like wise Boyata who has been for the most part good.
The formation and personnel in front of the centre backs is flawed and causes them to be exposed to often.
What’s happened to Janko?
The guys not making the team/bench today maybe in RD’s plans for Pittodrie??
Mind you I would usually play the strongest team possible.
Remember it’s only a game if it doesn’t go to plan try not take it out on fellow Celts. Ttfn
Catchyeez :)
Starry…,
can you be cup tied for a diddy cup like this surely no
Starry Plough made me laugh G.
3-0 the hoops.
HH
KTF
UTLR
Leftclick.1:14.
That Twitter link was brill.
It brought tears to my eyes reading the quotes.
Starry plough
My apologies, I didn’t realise he was cup-tied.
Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession
The Facebook Celtic fans make me laugh, nae idea aboot the squad but willing to jump aff the deep end at the slightest wee thing:))
Hope Anto is up for it the day:))
Mon the Hoops
LIVE UPDATES UP
Big man out for a while according to RD not good news
marspapa
Just yanking yer chain mate Facebook went into meltdown as soon as the team was announced:))
TOMMIE20
Lefty probably stays round the corner from you!
Tart that I am,I’ll try a double-date…