I give our hacks a hard time, as everyone is doubtless aware.
They deserve it.
I think many of them are lazy. Others are useless.
Some are simply biased and can’t write with anything approaching objectivity.
There are some who are moral cowards, others who would watch our whole sport disintegrate because they lack the imagination to conceive of it being better and others still who simply suck off a game whose fans they plainly hate.
You could pick a hundred reasons why I don’t rate any of them.
I have suggested no longer buying their papers.
I have said our club should ban the worst of them from Celtic Park, because if you’re going to constantly criticise someone, and for no reason at all, then you ought not to expect to be allowed to do it from a soft seat in their living room.
Celtic supporters, as a whole, are fed up with these people and their credibility with us is just about zero.
We don’t like or respect them.
But we draw the line, and always have, at threatening them or trying to do them out of their jobs.
Everyone knows that Jim Spence took a lot of stick from Sevco supporters, and for the simple act of pointing out to them what every single person – including them – knows full well; that the club they once followed is gone and that they follow a NewCo.
His case drew a lot of attention and a lot of us feel he was badly let down by his bosses at the BBC, who many believed pandered to the mob instead of standing by their man.
If a man like Jim Spence could be hung out to dry, what chance others, those without the might of the national broadcaster standing firmly behind him?
Since then we’ve seen other journalists under attack too, everyone from Andrew Smith in the Scotsman to the long running campaign against Graham Speirs.
This is to say nothing of the treatment the bloggers get; numerous members of our community have been threatened and others have been targeted in ways too sinister to properly contemplate.
Entire Sevco fan sites have been devoted to assembling information on, and harassing, those who work in the blogosphere.
Many of us have chosen to work in anonymity as a consequence of this.
Even something as innocuous as sending a tweet can make you a target for these reprobates; numerous Celtic fans on Twitter have found themselves immortalised on Sevco sites simply for re-tweeting pictures or messages.
On some occasions, the people responsible for this cyber-stalking have actually lobbied the workplaces of their targets in an effort to have them fired.
Their deplorable behaviour knows few boundaries.
Criticism of their club, whether right or wrong, indeed, even commentary on it, makes you a target.
Last week I wrote a piece on their intolerance and ingratitude for On Fields of Green, where I highlighted the treatment being meted out to freelance journalist James Doleman, who has been covering the court proceedings involving the club.
The abuse he got was disgusting and quite unhinged.
There he was, trying to bring information to people who otherwise would only have the low Level PR version, and they slated him for it.
In the piece I marvelled at their embrace of ignorance over enlightenment, at the way they would rather not hear or read inconvenient facts and prefer to live half in a fairy tale of their club playing European football in two years.
Over the weekend, I was astounded to discover that Jim Spence has heard stories about another journalist whose job is now under threat because of these people who can’t stand to be confronted by the reality of their club’s situation.
Jim didn’t name the individual, to keep him from further abuse, and I don’t want to speculate on who it might be, but his disgust was obvious and his anger was equally apparent.
Jim still reveres the profession, and it offends him to see these people subjecting his colleagues to this appalling treatment.
That doesn’t matter to them. Very little does.
These people are determined to continue waging war against the facts and the truth and against any opinion they don’t like, not to mention those who hold those opinions and dare to voice them or put them into print.
These people are a serious, and continuing, threat to the well-being of Scottish football and even their own club.
Their behaviour is an affront to a free and informed society.
They are so busy with internal naval gazing they’ve lost sight of the ways in which their issues are a cause for concern for everyone who cares about our game.
Even their own fans must be disgusted by their behaviour.
To read my article on these people, from On Fields of Green, click on this link.
I think you can tell a lot about someone, by the company they keep. He’s better off now than being associated with the institutionalized bigots that is BBC Sport Scotland. The loonies have most definitely taken over the asylum and are being spoon fed that they are the victims by the SMSM and have a right to rage, bully, threaten and hound anyone who doesn’t agree with the myth, THAT RANGERS DIED. HH
Try tellin aw the people Thats no been paid, Like the newsagent who lost out on ten grand that its still the same rangers
These numb-sculls will never admit the shame they have brought on Scottish football which started long ,long before they were serco. No City in Britain want them as was clearly seen when they tried and failed to book London hotels for what they called an AGM. Maybe they should be re-named “the ostrich club” as they have not taken their heads out of the sand. Put them down to where they belong – in the gutter with their South African liar with them.
They don’t know anything else, it’s the way they’ve been brought up. Daddy bigot to son bigot.
HH
I really do not know why anyone is at all surprised at the dismal antics of the Sevconians. Their much lauded culture dictates their actions. Their default setting is hate fueled aggression. Always was, always will be, regardless of any obvious reality or truth.
Good piece. It is a serious problem as I think it’ll only get worse, they just aren’t nice human beings. Keep writing HH
IT IS ALL OVER SCOTLAND NOT JUST JOURNALISTS I WAS MADE SURPLUSES TO REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE I KNEW THE SAME AS JIM SPENCE
Whilst I agree with you, I believe that Celtic should never ban a journalist. That is part of the problem. Just because they write something we disagree with or they are bad at their job should be meaningless to the club. We are stronger than their lies and mistruths.
The Sevco supporters will be the first one’s to point out that there is no Santa Clause – its not a real person – Ranger’s on the other hand . . .deluded fools!
James, the standard fan response is either ‘it wisnae us’ or ‘we have been punished enough’.
How the hell are they going to cope when UEFA eventually bring them to book on the 2011 Euro licence issue.
What are we looking at, a 5 year ban, 10 years?
Telling porkies on the licence application will not go down well with UEFA.
The worse news of course is that if the SFA was complicit in signing off on the licence then every Scottish club will be impacted.
Let’s see how Stewart Milne feels about the cheating shower when Aberdeen are denied European football as a direct consequence…………their fans will already be bursting his chops on his recent time to move on message.
They are angry because they let their club die and the whole world witnessed it
FC Twente banned for 3 years from European football and their licence to play football threatened if they do not fully comply with the authorities in further investigations into 3rd party ownership.
From what I’ve read there is no suggestion that the Dutch football authorities colluded with Twente’s licence application.
You can bet your bottom dollar that if we were in ST renewal territory Lawwell would be all over the SFA for an answer to Res 12……..he’s clearly not.
This has dragged on for months now, everyone knows that the licence was issued based on false information provided to UEFA by Rangers and the SFA…….not so much false as barefaced lies.
Lies which our football authorities were fully aware of at the time.
If UEFA stick their nose in this then the consequences for Rangers and the SFA are likely to be dire…….other Scottish teams may be impacted by a ban as well.
The clubs, including Celtic, have let their supporters down badly.
In the event of another insolvency in Govan any attempt to aid Rangers 3 outwith the current rules in place will lead to a mass walk away by the fans of every other team…..of that there is no doubt.
Each day that this farce continues is dragging our game through the dirt…………our football authorities are craven cowards and so are the club’s.
And guess what? The worst is still to come. Ashley’s judicial enquiry and the criminal court cases will have even the most ardent Rangers apologists running for cover.
Hi , couldn’t agree more.
James, I agree with most of your observations regarding journalists but let’s be real, we know they have a mortgage to pay and a boss to please, just like the rest of us. We know papers don’t sell without a story, true or created and that’s just the world we live in. Many clubs want to proscribe them and gag them but these days it really doesn’t matter what they say, as the truth will comes out anyway you just can’t stop it. Let the dark forces try all they like to manufacture the “truth” they are wasting their time and let us relax and treat those with a “different opinion” with tolerance and I know who will win out in the end.
Ahahaha. As a Juve fan I find your statements about Rangers as laughable. The whole world knows that Rangers didn’t die except the Celtic fans. You are both Mickie Mouse clubs in a Mickie Mouse league so get over it. I can also tell you that most of Europe hates the cheating Celtic. FORZA JUVE. FINO ALLA FINE.
At the end of the day it’ll be down to The Fans of All clubs to decide what happens here..Ivecsaid it all along its time for a Boycott..Itsvthe only way to bring this to the Attention of UEFA..For the good of the game we must stop going to the Games..its the only answer..If Lawwell & Other Clubs won’t do anything then we must..I won’t be back at Celtic Pk until this is sorted..And I’m not alone in that thinking..HH