Scotland’s “journalistic class” has come together tonight in an effort to silence the many, many supporters, of all clubs, who want to see the game cleaned up.
The enormity of the crisis facing Scottish football at the moment can’t be underestimated.
That it all emanates from one place – Ibrox – has allowed the press to turn this into a “Celtic – Rangers” issue, but fans of clubs across the country are furious, not only about the EBT use but about the greater scandals that have engulfed us since.
Those scandals were allowed to fester by a media that ceased caring years ago.
Tonight, on Clyde, they opened the show by saying they weren’t taking calls on the subject of the tax case.
So, “all about opinions” is no longer the mantra of a show that now allows only those “opinions” with which its panel agrees, and discussions which it can easily control.
This one has escaped the lab.
This one is “out there” and has considerable weight behind it.
That they think we should “move on” has already been made clear.
Now, when we, the fans, make it clear that’s not on they’re trying to move on for us.
They have no right to do it.
Over on Radio Scotland, they are in lock step on the issue that “Rangers have suffered enough”, now that one of the more courageous voices on the show, that of Jim Spence, is no longer being heard on the airwaves.
Amongst those making excuses is notorious Sevco flatterer Richard Wilson, who’s long since passed the point of even pretending to be impartial, and Graham Spiers.
I was once a huge admirer of Spiers. He was almost alone, for years, in calling out Rangers on the sectarian singing of their supporters.
He was once a voice of reason and intelligence on SFA reform and the need for strong leadership in our sport.
All that is over with.
The Romans had a saying for this; corruptio optimi pessima.
The corruption of the best is the worst.
Earlier this evening he published an astonishing, and offensive, piece which decried the “poisonous atmosphere” surrounding Scottish football at the moment.
The article pointed the finger for all the ills of our game at one group; the supporters.
In short, Graham Spiers blames us for the disgraceful state our national sport is in.
Nothing ought to make us angrier.
If the atmosphere is poisonous that’s because the media has refused to take its role seriously and help us fix the game.
Everything rotten has been stuck in a cupboard or slipped under the bed or swept under the carpet or stashed in a corner.
And as a consequence, the reek is overpowering.
This is a new low for the hacks, and a place I never expected someone like Spiers to go.
Having not convinced us to sit down and shut up, the new “angle” here is to try and convince us that the toxic smell from these scandals is a bigger problem than the scandals themselves. His solution is to hold our noses and ignore the smell.
Ours is to scoop it up, and throw the rancid lot of it in the bin.
It’s a good thing these people no longer set the agenda isn’t it?
James, I couldn’t agree with you more on this. The hacks seem to forget that history has a habit of telling the truth despite the efforts of the distorters. I would not want to be remembered for telling lies, or even worse ignoring the truth when the opportunity was there to expose all of the wrongdoings at the time. There’s no excuse as there has never been a better time in the history of Scottish sport to tell it like it is. The irony is that every fan of every other club can see what’s going on but the MSM and the fans of Scotland’s newest club can’t. Keep up the good work, James because together we have a hell of a loud voice.
My first thoughts were to bring back the death penalty, but wait a minute …… “they” are already dead. Seriously, this is a defining moment in which Scotland can show the world that yes, there has been corruption, cheating, greed, deception and good old fashioned arrogance, But we have now the opportunity to cleanse this game we love, by exorcising the demons from within the game. Nothing short of a wholesale clean out in a very public way will suffice and reverse the damage done by oldco/newco, and the S.F.A.
‘Keep fighting the good fight’ with the knowledge, that every day that passes they become even more of an irrelevance. Jim Spence might no longer have a job at the bigoted BBC Sport Scotland, but he still has his integrity unlike spiers and his sycophantic bum chums. HH
Well said I totally agree!
As a observer from south of the border, with no axe to grind, the silence on this issue in London is deafening. Not a peep, par for the course in ordinarily reporting of Scottish football, but very suspicious when the hacks have the opportunity to report a potential scandal out with their own insular world. For example the Russian athletics storm or anything remotely connected to Fifa. Given that a court has found an establishment football club, guilty of committing fraud against the establishment. I wonder what the response would be if it were a club with less of an establishment connection who have a history of championing the causes of the oppressed. Interesting!
This is turning into a rite sham..We’ve all just to go away as if nothing happened..Well I’ll tell you this James unless the clubs themselves come out and make a statement this won’t go any farther than its going..This is what these people want now..They’re trying to confuse things in this muddy water that they’re creating and they done the exact same in 2012..It wasn’t us it was the company..All that shit..I’ve been in touch with friends of mine in Aberdeen who are now saying that if The Dons board do nothing they are walking away from the game altogether..Enuf is enuf..This Garbage have been cheating the game for long enuf..Big Johnstone on SSB is trying to make a case of when Ranjers didn’t win trophies what about that year..My answer to him was ..All the games you played should have been awarded to the other team and at the end of the season and use should have been relegated..They’re trying to muddle it all up as they did in 2012.. and the sad thing is it’s the game that’ll be the loser….What a mess this shit have made of our game..All in the name of CHEATING
No surprise. Listen to Graham on five live “through the night” last week. Blaming the fans.
This is the same media that swore blind there was no corruption within the SFA and that Celtic fans in particular were all paranoid . It was then uncovered that the registration of Jorge Cadete had been deliberately delayed for which Mr Farry was made the fall guy however there is no way he could have acted alone in taking that action. Add the constant dodgy refereeing from Mr Dallas et al and it is obvious to anyone with a shred of common sense that Scottish football was and still is corrupt to it’s very core we have the EBT scandal which Mr Ogilvie was up to his neck in , Dougie Dougie gate and of course the recent cup semi in which handballs are missed from 2 yards away . So forgive me for believing that the MSM are as up to there necks in this corruption and cover ups as our Govering body and the Reanimated club from the south side are.
The Tag Lance Armstrong comes into focus here, when you cheat at any Sport medals Trophies etc should be taken away. Also the persons clubs or organisations should be banned from taking part, I can only say I hope Rangers get what’s coming let’s hear it for the truth. Hail Hail Podgie
It makes me sick every time I hear or read any report about the dead club moving on! N
I think theyre forgetting this isnt going to be as easy brushing their preferred disgraced teams antics under the carpet they will have no control over this. Its HMRC not a Scottish Entity where they can bully with their Sectarian Nepotism i hope they burn in hell
Excellent reading there, i wonder just how the so called impartial media would have frenzied into melt down had it been Celtic who had been guilty of all these crimes? That would have been good, it would not had been a case of move on ,nothing to see here ,it would instead have exhibited a “lets sit back and enjoy the show” and while we are here stick the boot into elevate the entertainment even more. As usual the Celtic support would have been called paranoid.
The BBC just like the other putrid pi$H in the SMSM are absolutely without question totally and utterly IRRELEVANT for Scottish Football in a future Scotland.
Their influence outside of Ibrox is laughable.
Their ability to report facts is as sad as it is pathetic.
Their sycophantic toadying to all things queen, country and Sevco is vomit inducing.
And their chances of ever being taken serious by anyone serious is zero.
Over to the supporters to once again sort out the mess left by Rangers, SFA , SPFL and the Chip wrapper SMSM.
Let us now see the Mother of all boycotts and protests until this rancid mess is sorted once and for all.
you cant boycott them lol this is the sad part about the game, unfortunately all the other clubs including Celtic need Rangers fans to help with gate receipts (lets do the maths) 6k home attendance average with a mid table team in SPL, Rangers 20k average with home attendance in 1st division…..
James
A copy of this article, as well as your wonderful piece of 2 years ago should be distributed to every fan blog in the country.
At a time when season ticket purchasing cannot be used as leverage, it is vital to have supporters let their respective clubs know exactly the way forward for our game.
I have a soft spot for the SFA……………………………………….Quicksand!
I am sure that all the “internet bampots” that write about everything going on at clubs should be able to get together on this and show a FULL support to what action MUST be taken, and show the “journalistic class” just what power the internet can have.
come on guys lets get together on it.
‘They’ are telling us that we can’t make a meaningful stand at this time because the season tickets are not due for renewal.
But what we CAN do is refuse to go to games with immediate effect. Make dwindling crowds and apathy towards the game a big issue BEFORE the season tickets are due.
Nothing to see here,move along…Its the same kind of apathy being shown here by the hacks as they showed after Glasgow rangers went bust,they at first reported it as to have happened,but then decided as a whole that it never happened in the first place and started reporting that they were the same team/club,as for radio clydes superscoreboard to have opened their show with the statement that NO CALLERS would get on the show if they wanted to talk about the EBT issue is a scandal especially as their host Gerry mculloch had been tweeting the same day that the show belonged to THE FANS and we could speak about whatever we wanted to,i tweeted the show and told them that it was a disgrace that they had adopted such a stance and the show tweeted me back saying. and wait for it,that it was their show and THEIR BAW !!! Im a long term season ticket holder at celtic park and as a fan feel as if ive been took for a mug over the years,and looks like Scottish football is determined to take me for a mug in the years to come too…wheres the justice ? I don’t expect to see any on these issues in the near future,we need to break this mindset of our mssm that if its not spoken about then through time it will all go away…NO THANKS !!! Hail Hail !!!
How can fans take the blame for some greedy guys who run a corrupt business. Can think of another very public figure in world football who is also being investigated for corruption. Don’t think the press tried football fans for that.
The press will be crapping themselves as much as sevco, the SPFL and SFA.
This isn’t going to blow over, fans from all clubs want JUSTICE, and a think they’ll get it, there’s know where to hide the facts.
HH
Wot worries me is that i really believe that no action will be taken over this total fiasco caused by the Diddy wee sevconians. U only have to watch both Tuesday n Wednesdays nights bbc Scotland and stv news n see the blatant showcasing of said Diddy team.
Anger is an energy….Pil…. We cannot and must not let it rest sake i even had my kid ask me today how can anyone get away with that it’s gone more than viral it’s on the streets
I agree with all of these points. If the SFA don’t take the correct action and take away the titles then Scottish Football is a sham. They have an opportunity here to stand up and do what’s right on the Rangers saga. They better take their chance.