BBC wrecks all-time classic – and almost affects the outcome

Celtic 0 - 0 Dundee Utd
(Celtic win 11-10 on penalties)

What can you say after a cup semi-final is settled 11-10 on penalties?

Firstly, you can congratulate two teams on a classic football encounter, praise the players for their nerve and sincerely commiserate with Dundee Utd, particularly their two players who missed penalties. The Terrors produced an outstanding performance and their level of professionalism under the extreme pressure of a penalty shoot-out on live television should be commended by all.

For many years United have represented all that is best in Scottish football, in recent times under the governance of the late Eddie Thompson, and today’s side is bettered as a football team only by the Scottish champions. This is the best United side since the heyday of Jim Mclean and they should be challenging far more strongly for the second place in the SPL table that their ability fully merits.

Without a doubt, Willo Flood and Lee Wilkie will be agonising over their penalty misses but we have seen many truly great players miss on these occasions and the two players would do well to spend more time reflecting on their performances, which let none of their supporters down.

Both sides produced some excellent football and, however incredible, two sides who sought to attack at every opportunity failed to score in 120 minutes of open play yet could hardly miss when the tension was at its height.

Add to that the spectacle of Scotland’s two best goalkeepers, close friends, Polish compatriots and soon-to-be club-mates facing each other from the spot and scoring – with Artur Boruc’s deftly floated strike the most audacious spot-kick since Panenka.

Yet for all this, someone, somewhere was contriving to spoil the occasion.

The BBC – the world’s oldest broadcaster, allegedly most respected, and one of the few that demands payment on pain of criminal proceedings – managed to wreck one of the great encounters Scottish football has seen in decades.

This was incompetence on a grand scale, for sure, but it also reflected policy that was contemptuous of the Scottish TV licence-payer.

It is irritating at the best of times when viewers are forced to “turn over to BBC2” to see the entirety of a game. But the BBC really went the extra mile in ruining a great night of football – in bending over backwards to prioritise its national schedules, the BBC managed to contrive the first change while play was going on.

Presumably, nobody at the corporation either understands the potential for cup semi-finals to go to extra time and penalties or recognises the fact that matches can turn in the time it takes for someone to reach for the remote control.

That was bad – but Auntie (presumably so-called because it knows nothing about football and doesn’t understand that distracting people while they are trying to watch a game isn’t cool) wasn’t finished. After Lee Wilkie’s penalty miss (the first in 19) gave Glenn Loovens the opportunity to win the tie, the Beeb actually managed to change the broadcast again while Loovens hovered over the spot.

Curiously, this coincided with referee Callum Murray delaying Loovens’s attempt to take the penalty. At the time, that looked to be outrageous interference – it is a well-known tactic of gamesmanship when trying to put a player off his penalty. Not totally unsurprisingly Loovens missed.

However, there is a serious question to be asked. Was Murray instructed to delay Loovens to accommodate a second channel switch by our inept national public broadcaster? If so, the incompetence of the BBC very nearly materially affected the outcome of the match. That can never be allowed to happen again.

Aside from those very real suspicions (which if unfounded would strongly call Murray’s actions into question), the public have been let down by a corporation that clearly sees Scottish viewers as being less important than its current affairs schedule.

The least the BBC can do is publicly apologise and re-broadcast the match for those whose attempts to record it on Sky+ were ruined. This, however, will do nothing to compensate for ruining viewers’ enjoyment of the game.

In the light of this latest debacle, it is perhaps just as well that there is now so little live sport on the BBC Scotland. The corporation clearly lacks the professionalism to be trusted with the game of football.

• BBC Complaints
  

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The day the Celtic manager became media-proof

There were many observations – a lot of them ignorant – on Gordon Strachan’s walking out on the Celtic Park media conference on Friday. (Notably Saturday’s Football Focus misrepresented the issue before being corrected)

For those who don’t know by now, having agreed with the media that there would be no discussions on his future at Celtic for the Sunderland manager’s post, BBC Scotland’s Chris McLaughlin decided to ask: “Do you see your long-term future at Celtic?”

What was on McLaughlin’s mind, only he can answer. Was he having a brain-dead moment? Was he trying to be antagonistic? Broadcast or print journalists are rarely expected to respond to such speculation.

And, ironically, the question came after Gordon had insisted on maintaining a gentleman’s agreement, despite others having leaked information on a managers’ meeting to the press.

But Strachan’s upset was clear: “When I give you respect, I don’t get it back.”

He didn’t mention his counterpart at Ibrox (and probably wasn’t thinking about him). But it must irk the Celtic manager that a special level of disdain is reserved for the incumbent in that role in a Scottish media that fawns over anyone who happens to occupy the Ibrox hotseat.

It has always been this way in living memory and Celtic managers have responded in a variety of ways. Alex Ferguson remarked how Jock Stein gathered information on the hacks who followed Celtic around, often making reference to their secret vices just within their earshot.

Billy McNeill famously punched Gerry McNee, who had been so thin-skinned on hearing some implied criticism of his work that he foolishly suggest Billy discuss it with him outside.

Kenny Dalglish moved media conferences to the Celtic social club and had inveterate liar and embittered Celtic critic Hugh Keevins forcibly ejected.

But, when the press held power, many Celtic fans were sadly misled – goaded into abusing the key figures at Celtic by reporters and editors with an all-too-obvious agenda.

Josef Venglos was subjected to humiliating abuse, as was John Barnes, while a torrent of criticism was directed at McNeill, Dalglish, Jock Brown (yes, he was human too), Fergus McCann and latterly Strachan. Even Martin O’Neill was attacked for putting his arm round Neil Lennon in a show of support.

However, I sense that something has changed. With the advent of the internet bringing numerous Celtic sites and forums to fans’ computers, not to mention better-quality sports coverage from non-Scottish titles, supporters have choices. And increasingly, that choice is to make up our own minds, discarding the vacuous pronouncements of the fourth estate with the contempt they generally so fully merit.

Walter Smith or David Murray need not fear criticism from the press because unwritten codes prohibit such comment.

But with Strachan’s defiance, there was a sense of confidence. Perhaps there was a realisation that the Scottish media have damaged their credibility irreparably with Celtic fans to the extent that all their jibes, spin, and venom are utterly irrelevant.

Celtic fans will still criticise the club and certain people when they feel the need to. The debate between us will continue to be vociferous.

But as far as those reporters, writers, subs and editors who think of themselves as bona fide journalists are concerned, they might as well be talking to themselves.

Friday 5th December 2008 – the day the Celtic manager became media-proof.





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Plans leaked for Rangers BBC protest

At some personal risk, one of our contacts has obtained a pre-issue copy of the planned itinerary and code of conduct for the next Rangers supporters' protest at the BBC. We would like to stress that no civil servants or senior parliamentary figures were involved.

BBC Scotland Protest – Dec 20th 2008 – 12.45PM – Outside BBC Scotland HQ Pacific Quay

Brothers and sisters, As many of you will know, we the Loyal followers of Rangers Football Club have been denigrated and depicted as animals by Republican Romanists in the Scottish media and their counterparts across the continent.

Every right-thinking individual knows that we are a happy-go-lucky, dignified, honourable group of men and women and we have taken this stand to demonstrate that we will not be portrayed as racists, bigots or sectarian thugs – especially by Papes, Fenians, Timmies and former pupils of apartheid educational establishments – and are prepared to use force as a last resort to make this point clear.

The joint command of the Rangers Volunteer Freedom Defence Fighters have issued the following statement outlining conduct to be followed at all times and a handy programme of events for our peaceful assault on Pacific Quay.

11.00: Assembly – Bears will assemble in good order at the Govan Orange Halls

1130: Parade on the Queen’s highway towards Pacific Quay. (The precise route will be as follows: O’Halloran’s Butchers (spending no more than 15 minutes. Beware of broken glass), St Gerards RC Church, Our Lady of Consolation RC Primary, St Patrick’s RC Church, Lloyd’s Pharmacy, Subway (Sandwich shop – NOT the Undergound this time), Glasgow RC Cathedral, BBC HQ in Pacific Quay. Time is limited so stops at these points on the route will have to be minimal. Be warned.
We have been advised that Papists and Celtic supporters hell-bent on disrupting our protest may be within these churches in large numbers provocatively practising the Sunday Mass and making various religious gestures. Rise above them!
And DO NOT partake of refreshment at their bread and wine stalls!

1245: Peaceful Protestantism at BBC HQ. Several events have been planned and thanks go to all who have contributed to the organisation as well as our many celebrity fans.

1300: There will be a mass recitation of the news bulletin completely exonerating Rangers of any wrongdoing by UEFA in the disappointed voice of Kheredine Idessane. This will be led by former Ranger Bob Malcom (FTP), who is having his hair specially styled for the occasion.

1315: There will be a minute’s silence for those who lost their dignity for the cause. Special remembrances of the day: Donald Findlay and Andy Goram (whose bar is sponsoring the armbands).

1317: (to be confirmed) Depending on how long the minute’s silence takes, we will then be treated to a stand-up comedy routine by celebrity Bluenose Colin Montgomerie. He will also be signing copies of his book, Smiling in Adversity

1330: Hell’s Burger Stand – Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay will exhibit his special meat and two veg. (Thanks go to Sisters, Mrs Wilomena Wright and her daughters Chardonnay and Blossom Hill, who have agreed to accommodate and entertain Gordon).

1400: Special message from world famous Bluenose Mr S Connery from the Marbella Loyal RSC, who is to send a video message highlighting 007 points.

1415: Sean Connery will then be repudiated as an enemy of the union with an all-too-suspiciously sounding Timmy name

1500: Guest star, Bluenose and anti-drugs campaigner Marti Pellow will lead the singing with a specially-penned version of Ulster, Just Say No. It is hoped the crowd will join him in community singing of “Wishing I was lucky”

1530: Irish flag/Celtic shirt burning

1540: Run like *&$% to try to catch the end of the Rangers game

NOTES

• Throughout the day, Jimmy Spratt and Northern Ireland Culture Minister Gregory Campbell will be on hand to offer personal hygiene advice to the Manchester and Barcelona heroes.

• Beware Timposters and infiltrators! We have already had to deal with an enquiry from a couple claiming to be Bluenoses named Rose and Harry, before an eagle-eyed volunteer spotted that this could be contracted to the Rosary! We have also dispensed with the services of Mr Chapel.

• We have been legally advised by our legal advisers against exercising our right to free speech by singing the Famine Song, as this may tend to open us to criticism. As a compromise, we have decided that old favourites A Father’s Advice and the Billy Boys will be sung to the tunes of Sloop John B and Home on the Range respectively. We are confident that this cannot be portrayed in any negative way.

• Robust protesters (all you Lambeg drummers out there) are especially welcome to carry banners. A 3mx2m monitor displaying the offensive headline: "Rangers in Union Flag row" will be carried and ceremonially disconnected, at which point it will be pelted with beer bottles in a controlled and peaceful manner.

All in all, it should be a great day out where Bears come together to stand up for our culture, dignity and parity of esteem.





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