Alex Ferguson is getting on a bit, isn’t he? Or maybe not.
Because once upon a time, this guy would have been way too astute and way too savvy to fall into the trap some think he’s blundered into on Ibrox’s official club channel. And yet, even if he’s not as sharp as he used to be, he didn’t fall all the way down. In fact, I think his answers were far slyer and subtler than the club’s pitiful media stooges want to admit.
The headlines scream of how he scorned the behaviour of the other clubs in the 2012 vote to decide the fate of the NewCo. But you have to read the articles themselves to see that Ferguson didn’t commit to outright condemnation or endorse the Ibrox version of events. The crucial bit of that interview isn’t in any of the headlines, and yet it stands out a mile.
Talking of the top flight clubs who allegedly lost a few quid from the absence of a team with the name Rangers in the league he says this.
“I think it was a lesson to the ones who voted to put them out because the crowds went down, they were missing the Rangers fans,” he said.
It sounds like the shambling rambling of an idiot.
Because what clubs did, of course, was made sure that their own fans were still willing to come through the gates … had the second Ibrox club been voted into the top flight those fans would have been gone for good. So even if you believe that clubs did lose money, they would have been in a far worse position had doing the right thing not won the day.
Nor was it just the SPL clubs which didn’t want them. Clubs in the Championship voted overwhelmingly not to have them in that league either, although there would have been clear financial advantages for those clubs to having them there.
Ferguson might not be familiar with the term “sporting integrity.” Or maybe he just forgot. Which is sort of the point here. Because as daft as his comments appear to be, he’s not daft enough to go the whole way, and nor is he happy to leave that on the record without a very big caveat.
What he says next is his way of telling us not to pay attention to that utter drivel.
“I can’t remember all the reasons why that happened but they could have found a better solution to it because at the end of the day the health of the game is derived around supporters and those supporters weren’t there.”
When someone makes a statement about the past and then says they can’t remember what actually took place, that’s as good as a nod and a wink. It renders invalid everything that came before, and Ferguson is certainly still smart enough to know that.
It reminds me of a moment from the 2016 Brexit referendum, the moment when I fully lost my happy thoughts about Jeremy Corbyn’s conduct in that campaign, and having read several books on it since my anger has only grown the longer I’ve considered it.
Corbyn was in a bit of a bind, as a Leaver at the helm of a pro-EU party. He had, for weeks, resisted saying anything at all and then he finally gave a speech at The Senate Building in London. Reminding the audience, before he said a single word on the referendum, that it had been the inspiration for George Orwell’s Ministry of Truth in 1984 – in short, the government department dedicated to spreading lies – he said, “Let’s see if it is.”
It didn’t take code-breakers to work out what message he was trying to send. Even if this speech hadn’t been decidedly lukewarm on the idea of supporting Remain, that was more than just a nod and a wink. And that’s what Ferguson did here.
The press is all over this interview, and none wants to highlight that the headline claims are rendered nonsensical by his assertion that he has “forgotten” the finer points of what was going on at the time, but that remark is on the record just the same.
Which I suspect is exactly where he wanted it to be.
The idiots over there will lap this up as their acolytes in the press corps have, and they will banish from mind and thought everything they themselves remember about Ferguson and his history with their club, but this is after all what they do.
They focus on the fluff. They cling to every small victory, even though none of it can overturn a single vote, far less mitigate the damage the club they once followed did to itself, before it circled the drain.
Ferguson may have expressed some sympathy for them, and praised the fans – although they weren’t fuelled by devotion to their club as much as by hate for every other club, an important distinction that would take a whole other article – but he doesn’t fully endorse the fantastical garbage they cling to like a rubber ring in a choppy sea.
He could have. But he doesn’t remember it all that well. I don’t know where he gave that interview, but if it turned out to be The Ministry Of Truth I would not be at all surprised.
Like Corbyn, he’s made sure that the message has gone out. Even if they missed it.
Journalist: “Arsene, what did you think of your player receiving a red card for headbutting an opponent?”.
Arsene: “I didn’t see it”.
They went bust and ceased to exist leaving behind a shameful mountain of debt which included non payment to the very institution they claim to be the most loyal to. You really could not make it up. We will never ever let them and the gutless media forget the true facts.
Don’t forget Ferguson is on record saying that he wanted to give the Rangers 2 strikers on the cheap when he was manager of Man Utd because he ‘wanted Rangers to beat Celtic to the Scottish League title ! ‘ The Rangers could not afford them .Where to begin dissecting that little nugget of loyalty …God only knows ?The dangerous thing about that also is that it is still in place today …there are all kinds of people and organisations out there ,desperate to help in some way to help the Rangers win the championship . Keep your eyes peeled at all times .
Aye John – And none more than The SFA and The SPFL (Refs, VAR & Fixtures) also SKY tv (Fixtures)…
Oh and I’d best not forget – Certain members of our own board – much to their eternal shame !
the same feggie who was told his arse was out the window from the top of the marble staircase ,because he was dating a catholic ,and even worst married her, no shame from this guy .
I know a couple of huns who have never forgiven him for outing the old klub’s sectarian employment policy which also applied to players marriages.
Indeed I believe Don Kitchenbrand left them for this reason, because he had married a Catholic.
Some members of our own board Also used a bit of word play without stating the hard truth about the new rangers
what an old git !!! talk about selective memory….ffs
this is the same hypocrite that was a boyhood fan of the club/institution which openly discriminated against catholics….although he married a catholic girl…he only rebelled when “his” catholic was brought up by the club board members….what a bitter old cunt…
once a hun…always a hun….
he was a dirty, bitter, bad tempered, wee bastard, and a very ordinary centre forward at that….
if there is a hell, hope he burns in it.
never liked the wee bullying bastard….
He is correct in that they could’ve handled it better – They could’ve easily done…
How I hear some ask ?
Simples – By stripping Rangers (as they were then) of EVERY single bit of silverware that they won through financial cheating every other club in Scotland, but more specifically obviously Celtic –
He also partly insulted their fans 35 years ago as a summariser with STV for their live coverage of The 1988 Scottish Cup Final Win v Dundee United…
As the Hoops fans held the scarves above their heads after the final whistle, he said “They are the best supporters about – no doubt about it”
I actually still have that on VHS Video and dig it out with a few Lagers and Whisky’s on the dark winter nights –
He often praised The Celtic supporters while manager of Aberdeen for staying behind in defiance when at Pittodrie especially when his very talented team knocked us outta goodness knows how many cup competitions back then !
SPFL & SFA broke the rules by allowing a new club direct entry into the 3rd division, they leap frogged other teams who should have been promoted as per the rules.
The secret 5 way agreement would shed more light on the subject but its a secret, SPFL, SFA and Celtic (Peter Lawell) have lied to all fans in Scottish football.
Sir Alex may have forgotten that Rangers were liquidated, out of business and gone for ever.
So Sir Alex any voting was not to keep Rangers out, they had perished and SEVCO changed to The Rangers by Charles Green were born
A team of imposters bought the assets, ibrox, training ground, players, however a New business cannot claim to be the same club.
The Rangers were formed in 2012, they have minimal history.
The only way for Rangers history to return is for them to come out of Liquidation and pay back all the debt.
You cannot accept the old clubs history without accepting the debt.
Ps old firm derbies are now between Queens Park & Partick Thistle
He`s obviously hinting at Celtic with the top tier closed during that period. His wife left the Church for him, so he was no less bitter than them. He was even luckier than Ange was during his career where he had little financial competition at the start.
Ferguson would have been aware of the CLUB being liquidated, but I ll give him the benefit of the doubt, that his recollections have been replaced by the Continuity Myth. After all that’s what it’s about.
If it’s up to us to remind him, perhaps write to him direct ( short n sweet) as he’s never going to read Celtic blogs…for example
Sir Alex,
Rangers were liquidated. A new club started in 4th tier. They died, because they lied and cheated the fans you refer to.
Thank you.
Mr. Ferguson might recall how he was treated at Ibrox when he was younger. It’s all there in his books.
Effarr are you still living in the 1950’s. “His wife left the church for him” what a ridiculous thing to come away with. You actually sound like the bigots at Ibrox Alex Ferguson has complained about in print and documentaries since he retired. The one thing that Ferguson isn’t, is a bigot.
In my opinion some form of Rangers was always going to be resurrected after 2012 for financial reasons alone, but the old club should most definitely have been stripped of all trophy’s won during the cheating years.