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Mark Twain, Napoleon and fatal newspaper mistakes

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

“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.

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“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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  1. Burgas Hoops on

    NatKnow

     

     

    I’ll hear no criticism of The Eastern Star. They do the best fish supper for miles around…

     

     

    -))

     

     

    Some of the ugliest woman i’ve ever had the misfortune to clock my eye’s on -))))

  2. !!Bada Bing!! on

    I hope Roy Greenslade and Alex Thomson are aware of the ‘truth defenders’ at the Herald

  3. quonno on

    WEEMINGER on 29TH JANUARY 2016 3:26 PM

     

    quonno on 29th January 2016 3:24 pm

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I suspect GS can’t actually prove the director in question said what is claimed.

     

     

    If others in the media and elsewhere don’t defend Speirs then journalism’s historic plea of ‘Source Confidentiality’ is blown out of water for ever.

     

     

    We demand to know who this Director is.

     

     

    – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/mark-twain-napoleon-and-fatal-newspaper-mistakes/comment-page-3/#comment-2763341

  8. NatKnow on

    WEEMINGER on 29TH JANUARY 2016 3:26 PM

     

     

    quonno on 29th January 2016 3:24 pm

     

     

    I suspect GS can’t actually prove the director in question said what is claimed.

     

    —————————–

     

    You mean legals is the issue for them re: Spiers?

     

     

    If so – what about Haggerty?

  9. Fassreifen on

    If as GS says an exchange about the Sevco director’s comments subsequently took place via email, then GS will most likely have a copy of it he could produce in court if necessary. Probably taking legal advice as we speak.

  11. expat_celt on

    James Doleman ‏@jamesdoleman 18m18 minutes ago

     

    Lord Malcolm says Rangers only talked about two different entities ‘so they could still say they won the league”

     

     

    The proverbial squeak bum time?

  15. 'GG on

    Mea Culpa @ 12:09 on previous thread.

     

    Govania Saga

     

    Genuine Laugh Out Loud piece.

     

    I hope everyone gets a chance to read and retread it.

  16. quonno on

    NATKNOW on 29TH JANUARY 2016 3:33 PM

     

    WEEMINGER on 29TH JANUARY 2016 3:26 PM

     

     

     

     

     

     

    quonno on 29th January 2016 3:24 pm

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I suspect GS can’t actually prove the director in question said what is claimed.

     

     

     

     

    —————————–

     

     

     

     

    You mean legals is the issue for them re: Spiers?

     

     

     

     

     

     

    If so – what about Haggerty?

     

     

    Think about her as a secondary picket.

     

    – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/mark-twain-napoleon-and-fatal-newspaper-mistakes/comment-page-4/#comments

  21. Burgas Hoops on

    ‏@StanCollymore

     

     

    Scots.

     

     

    If you value journalistic integrity without fear of bullying by institutions, boycott the Herald.

     

     

    More moronic Masonic behaviour.

  22. quonno on

    BURGAS HOOPS on 29TH JANUARY 2016 3:47 PM

     

    ‏@StanCollymore

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Scots.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    If you value journalistic integrity without fear of bullying by institutions, boycott the Herald.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    More moronic Masonic behaviour.

     

     

    If they are knocking friar out of each other, then they are leaving us alone.

     

     

    – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/mark-twain-napoleon-and-fatal-newspaper-mistakes/comment-page-4/#comment-2763362

  25. Burgas Hoops on

    quonno

     

     

    “If they are knocking friar out of each other”…………..then they are leaving us alone.

     

     

    And that’s just the eastern star mob.

  27. NatKnow on

    QUONNO on 29TH JANUARY 2016 3:44 PM

     

     

    NATKNOW on 29TH JANUARY 2016 3:33 PM

     

     

    WEEMINGER on 29TH JANUARY 2016 3:26 PM

     

     

    quonno on 29th January 2016 3:24 pm

     

     

    I suspect GS can’t actually prove the director in question said what is claimed.

     

     

    —————————–

     

     

    You mean legals is the issue for them re: Spiers?

     

     

    If so – what about Haggerty?

     

     

    Think about her as a secondary picket.

     

    ————————————————————-

     

    I don’t have Twitter mate so no idea what she tweeted – perhaps she re-tweeted something with possible legal implications?

  29. lionroars67 on

    Celtic Collectibles ‏@CollectCelticFC 1h1 hour ago

     

    Celtic Collectibles Retweeted Jim Spence

     

    And I would bet the exact same Clubs Fans are only ones who made threats against you Celtic Collectibles added,

     

    Jim Spence @JimSpenceSport

     

    For all the questions I ever asked on radio only 1 set of fans campaigned for my sacking. Others may have disagreed but drew a line at that.

  34. lionroars67 on

    johnjames

     

     

    RIFC Rebuttal

     

     

    Having returned to court from lunch, Lady Dorrian, Lord Bracadale and Lord Malcolm have invited Mr Walker to rebut the case presented by Mr Green’s counsel. As was stated in the original hearing, Charles Green used the same firm of solicitors as Andy Coulson to draw up his indemnity agreement.

     

     

    Mr Walker counters that the indemnity clause does not use clear words. He asks

     

    why would anyone want to take on a liability for someone else’s negligence? He posits that the legal bills of an employee accused of ‘fiddling their expenses‘ would not be met and that ‘everyone was trying to get in the same position as Mr Coulson.‘

     

     

    Mr Walker attests that “no-one could have contemplated picking up the tab for this sort of crime.” Mr Walker asks the question “can the victim (RIFC) be the indemnifier?” Mr Walker goes further by stating that Green’s appeal is not even close to the line of consideration. He also notes that the alleged crimes occurred prior to his appointment as CEO. Walker posits that the court should consider how “sensible business people” would understand the legal indemnity clause and that the court must distinguish between crimes carried out for personal gain as opposed to those seeking an advantage for his employers. Mr Walker states that Andy Coulson may have committed a crime but that this was done through a “misconceived understanding of his duties.” I should add that Mr Coulson was convicted and imprisoned for his crimes. He sold his assets, including his house to pay for his defence costs, and is awaiting full recompense by News International’s insurer.

     

    Lord Bracadale asks Walker if he is drawing a distinction between accidental and deliberate criminal conduct? Mr Walker states that he is not doing so. This is not surprising given the Coulson case precedent.

     

     

    Lord Malcolm notes that the original judgment “does not agonise on the nature of Rangers football club.” Mr Walker states that “in common parlance people do not talk about Rangers football club meaning Sevco Scotland.” Mr Walkers posits that the club is the ‘trading entity.‘

     

     

    Lord Malcolm states “I don’t think this is going to work Mr Walker. You cannot have it both ways.”

     

     

    Lady Dorrian inquires “why would they do that?” (make a distinction between club and company),

     

     

    Lord Malcolm responded that Rangers only talked about two different entities ‘so they could still say they won the league.’

     

     

    Mr Walker is attempting to make the case that Green was only indemnified by being CEO of the club, and not as CEO of the limited company. Lord Bracadale countered that it would be”odd” if Green would not be indemnified as CEO of the Ltd company. At this point Mr Walker turns to Mr Blair for instructions.

     

     

    Lord Malcolm opines that if witnesses were called “there is a great danger of self-serving evidence from the old regime”

     

     

    At this point in proceedings, Mr Walker ends his submissions. Mr Dewar for Green is then invited to address the court. Mr Walker states that “the more this debate goes on the more the danger we make this more complicated than it really is.”

     

     

    At this point the hearings ends. The written judgement will follow

     

     

    About these ads

  35. petec on

    NegAnon2,

     

     

    It is a big ask I know, Celtic, and I mean the Support, deserve every bit of success that comes its way.

     

     

    I saw weakness last year in the first 11 when they couldn’t win from a position of strength, arguably, we are weaker this year, hopefully though, we are stronger now. Freedoms fight will be won, in the end.

  36. Mr Pastry on

    I sincerely hope that those of our number who have been constantly calling for the Celtic board to make pronouncements on the validity of the Ibrox claims of separation of club and company, have been taking in today’s court proceedings.

     

     

    Even the apparent dismantling of the myth of club AND company by Lord Malcolm in the highest court in the land, is rubbished by those on the Ibrox side of the argument – so why on earth would Celtic weighing into this cesspool do any good whatsoever? It would only embroil us in the farce and lead to ‘Old Firm’ type headlines and stories.

     

     

    We are outnumbered in this little bigoted country and will always be the fall guys when the establishment in Scotland decide to have their way – do we really need another skewed act, like that of the Herald, to confirm this?

     

     

    Please – no more “Celtic should do this”, or, “Celtic should say that”. When the ‘dust has settled’ legally, there will be, I am sure, a, considered and legally sound, statement from our board of directors, on all matters pertaining to the outrageous conduct in Scottish football over the past twenty-five years.

     

     

    We will, at that point, be taken much more seriously and enhance our reputation in the football world and society in general.

  37. Billybear on

    Must agree re comments about how two journalists have been hung out to dry. Emailed this to The Herald, have since had a `justified` response…..

     

     

    Absolutely shocking the way you have conducted yourselves regarding Graham Spiers and now Angela Haggerty. Money talks louder than honesty and integrity in your world. I personally buy The Herald, if not every day, at least twice a week, and always on a Sunday. That is not a lie. Even when I`m abroad I make sure someone buys/keeps the Sunday one, (Trivial as it may seem I love the crossword!) let me tell you, albeit with a slightly heavy heart, I will never buy any of them again. Actions worse than the gutter red tops.

     

     

    Reply was,

     

     

    Dear Mr O`Flaherty (OK ,I made THAT wee bit up)

     

     

    A Graham Spiers column published on heraldscotland in December made a claim about an un-named member of the six-strong board of Rangers. This presented a legal issue which had to be addressed and which was discussed at length, by all parties involved.

     

     

    The issue was whether we could defend in court a contentious statement and the advice given was that we could not. Finally, on clear legal advice, we were left with no option other than to apologise and seek to draw a line under the matter.

     

     

    After the apology was published we had to abide by it and the spirit in which it was published. Unfortunately that apology was then undermined and we had to take appropriate action.

     

     

    Our titles have a long history of supporting quality journalism and defending free speech and robust comment. This made all the more difficult the action we had to take.

     

     

    While one of our advertisers is on the board at Rangers that was never an issue and we shall continue to report and comment on the pressing issues of the day without fear or favour.

     

     

     

     

    Magnus Llewellin

     

    Editor in Chief

     

     

     

    in a nutshell, IMHO, Bollox

  38. THE EXILED TIM on

    HUns being huns and deciding to push their weight around could imo backfire on them big time, the NUJ are involved along with a host of others, had they just let it rest, it would have drifted off into the sunset, but huns being huns and as thick and feckwitted as they are………..

     

    I hope they all burn in hell.

  40. !!Bada Bing!! on

    TET-will be interesting to see if the compliant cowards on Clyde and Shortbread report on today’s sackings.

  42. Greenpinata on

    Hear he, Hear ye.,

     

     

    Listen up to Greenman.

     

     

    Great post on yonder thread by Meo Culpra@ 12.09 hrs.

     

     

    I beseech ye all, read the ” Saga of Govania,

     

     

    Fare thee well.

     

     

    Huzzah, Huzzah.

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