“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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Quonno
I read that earlier, took it be a sarcastic comment as they ask you to ‘listen carefully’ for it when 30,000 are singing on the clip!
Quonno 5:10
NAIL HEAD
Mr Pastry
Thanks for the reply. It is common practice for the senior staff of any large organisations, when facing questions from the media, to receive briefing packs and lines to take crafted by the organisation’s press/ PR staff. This is to keep them right and ensure they don’t say anything that could detract from the organisation’s interests.
There’s nothing sinister in it.
For any Senior Celtic employee in these times, the issue of the newco/ “do you miss rangers” has loomed large in interactions with the media.
If our club is as well managed as I read on these pages, I would expect our senior staff to be aware of our fans’ interest in their response to such questions, especially given the scale of the financial doping and cheating undertaken by Rangers which saw us all unwittingly pay money into a bent sport.
I would expect the club’s senior management to consequently be well briefed on such matters and to receive and use expert advice on choosing their words carefully.
So a question to John Collins on do you miss Rangers could have been pre-empted with a response along the lines of “scottish football has changed much since i was a player. For now we are involved in a contest with Aberdeen for the league and are striving to improve in Europe. That is all I concern myself with.”
The issue of Dermot Desmond voluntary singing the Huns praises is another thing entirely and I hope does not reflect the settled view of our senior management and board.
Quono,
It doesn’t really matter who the offended/offending director is/was.
The leverage used in sacking Spiers and Angela Haggarty was the assumed threat of withdrawing advertising revenue from the Herald.
We sometimes are inclined to forget the influence prominent advertisers have in the media.
Whether Parks “likes” the BB is neither here nor there, (then where is it?.Ed).
The broadcast media are equally vulnerable to the same influence and, as we know, Clyde succumb.
BBC Scotland, has no excuse, though.
Before heading for dinner.
If this is a measure of THEIR arrogance now, just think of what is coming next season.
https://twitter.com/bbcscotlandnews/status/693119909023354881
Bada
Paddy Roberts looks a player … I believe wee James has similar talents if only he would be more direct instead of cutting across the opposition defences
The Sunday Herald has over the last few years tried to develop its own identity,so I find it very disappointing to read this:
Neil Mackay says on Twitter that he was not behind the sacking of Angela Haggerty. He says it was Magnus Llewellin.
A wee bit of backbone from the Sunday Herald editor was certainly neded here.
Wouldn’t it be a good idea for all the “unemployable in Scotland” journos to band together and create a much needed fearless, truth seeking media venture without fear of their jobs ?
Scotland is crying out for such a vehicle and a crowdfunding approach would I guess generate vast support from those so disillusioned and disgusted by the Ibrokes-centric, truth avoiding, mob placating, masonic handshake driven excuse that masquerades as the Scottish Mainstream Media.
THOMTHETHIM FOR OSCAR OK on 29TH JANUARY 2016 5:15 PM
Quono,
It doesn’t really matter who the offended/offending director is/was.
The leverage used in sacking Spiers and Angela Haggarty was the assumed threat of withdrawing advertising revenue from the Herald.
That is why I am sick to death advising on CQN, hit THEM and THEIRS in the pocket.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/mark-twain-napoleon-and-fatal-newspaper-mistakes/comment-page-5/#comment-2763423
Alex Thomson Exposes The Vile Bigotry And Threats From Rangers Fans
2013 this was aired. Nothing has changed
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AwIC5FIEVVc
In a recent TV piece about Pep Guardiola and his next move – it was stated that Manchester City represents the biggest project in World football.
Surely it is a magnificent ‘feather in our cap’ that our club is so highly thought of in Manchester.
Peter Lawwell comes in for some amount of criticism on here – personally I believe he does a great job for our club and is a credit to it.
Mr Pastry
No doubt Patrick Roberts will be a good player.
But i cant really see the point of improving other teams players….if we cannot afford to buy them.
Jason Denayer springs to mind.
HH
EMBRAMIKE SAYS “THE HUNS ARE DEID” on 29TH JANUARY 2016 5:18 PM
Wouldn’t it be a good idea for all the “unemployable in Scotland” journos to band together and create a much needed fearless, truth seeking media venture without fear of their jobs ?
EDIT
….and they could title it Je Suis.
–
Just watched clips of Patrick. The Celtic Support will love this guy.
The Green Man on 29th January 2016 5:27 pm
Let’s say it’s felt we need a player of the Robert’s type but at the moment there’s none available that are sufficiently good and at the right price.
Out option is therefore a) take a player of the right quality on loan until a suitable player is available to buy or b) buy one that’s maybe not quite good enough right now.
I think in that case a) especially when it’s a long loan is the better option.
Tony watt signs on loan for Blackburn rovers
bada
i think the same, a speed merchant that actually is effective.
let forrest go.
Got this reply to an email from The Herald….
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
THE GREEN MAN
If he’s as good as we hope we’d only have him for 18 months before he was sold on anyway.
BLANTYRETIM IS PRAYING FOR THE KNOX FAMILY on 29TH JANUARY 2016 5:23 PM
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AwIC5FIEVVc
Interesting in that piece both Ragers and Strathclyde polis declined to be interviewed
GLORIOUS BALANCE SHEET
Right first time m8.
Ken Gallacher.
If I recall right he used the write the “playing for Rangers” series of books.
A truly appalling Journo.
Delighted to get the City boy on an 18 month loan deal.
If he is instrumental in getting us through the qualifiers, he will have done his job.
There may be a recall option clause after 12 months.
Win/win. We get a talented player and City get back a player who, hopefully will have gained CL experience.
Very excited about Patrick Roberts! Great to have a working relationship with a club like Man City.
the thing about the deneyar loan though, the boy helped win us trophies, looked good in the jersey, and became a really good player to watch.
i like it we had him for the season, and maybe, just maybe, someday he will be back.
if you look at the misfits who keep underacheiving, then, give me loans any day.
even gudetti controbuted some.
i bet he actually wishes he had stayed.
cmon young paddy roberts.
Time to abandon the youth academy at Lennoxtown. Let them learn their trade at Hibs or Ross County, cut out the middle man. If they show promise then we can buy them with the £1-2m saved from pretending to give our own a chance.
!!BADA BING!! on 29TH JANUARY 2016 5:08 PM
They are playing I up front at the moment and big sam has made noises about needing another striker in all window. Hopefully fletcher can come now
CELTIC40ME
Agree re 18months statement
If this Bhoy is good we would do well to hold onto him for any longer
Well done to PL and RD for getting him in
Our own do get a chance, we produce players every year, but making the breakthrough to be a 1st team player, very very difficult.
who we got just now –
Tierney, Forrest, McGregor.
More youngsters will get a chance under Ronny than ever before. He’s not scared to throw them in.
Big Pierres 2 front teeth
Posted by a couple of boys on previous article.
Makes for lovely reading, the truth.
Dewar ” the Rangers football club does not exist, it is an idea in people’s minds, a myth of continuity”
Poetry spread for those with sore eyes by Internet balm pots.
hebcel I loved your post about withdrawing funds from organisations you have a problem with. I have been saying that about Celtic for years. Are you withholding funds from Celtic? After all they are propping up racism?
Mr Pastry I am glad you realise that Scotland has a racism problem. However you then say that it will never change. If only you had told Newton Mandela that a few decades ago. It would have saved him a load of trouble.
Dewar ” the Rangers football club does not exist, it is an idea in people’s minds, a myth of continuity” –
is that the
CRRA,
continuity real ranger-ish army
Saint Stivs
Tierney should be proof that we have talented youngsters of our own capable of at least being given a chance. What does Roberts loan deal say to Nesbitt, a player the manager said is as good as he’s seen at that age in his position.
Looking forward to a good Celtic evening tonight
Celtic charity quiz night at Christ the king church hall, Carmunnock, the charity is classrooms for Malawi
I will have the pleasure of some CQNrs, Hamilton Tim, CRC, Cowiebhoy, SFTB, Heaven67… this is the kind of night football fans get no publicity for and none more than Celtic fans, on a day when those across the city have disgraced themselves, approx 200 Celtic fans will be having a Celtic night the Celtic way, charity at its heart
Neganon 2
Newton Mandela would definitely have understood the gravity of the situation.
TheTimReaper
———————-
Agree 100%
We can’t be the big club that we know we deserve to be at this moment in world football, due to our domestic circumstances – so, in my opinion the next best thing is to stay close to the biggest and best.
Manchester City probably could have loaned this boy to at least fifty clubs – that they chose Celtic says much about the relationship that Peter and Ronny have with them and the esteem in which they are held.
Yes we have had some bitter disappointments over the past two years in Europe, however we continue to run our club to the highest ethical standards – City can see this and I am sure many others do also – it’s a pity some of our own are so super critical and dismissive.