Mafia? No! Spiers, The Herald and something within Scottish football

The Scottish media are a curious bunch. The newspaper market, in its heyday, was described as the most competitive in the world.

And the tag was probably accurate. Scotland has had a plethora of news titles in a country with a small population and high levels of literacy, at least amongst potential readers.

Add to the local inks, “Tartan” editions of the London titles and you should have a vibrant, not to say, cut-throat scene in which only the best would survive, through ever-increasing standards and innovation to fend off relentless competition.

That's the theory, anyway. But Scotland is a unique country in more ways than one and one of the things that sets it apart is the ability of its institutions, official and cultural, to defy the normal rules of operation that govern commerce, sociological change, the media and more.

Of course, such isolationism can be romantic. Read Heinrich Harrer's Seven Years in Tibet to discover a world in which people once lived blissfully unaware of the outside world, lovingly worshipping their deities and beatified leader, slow to anger, quick to laugh, and all while observing medieval norms of existence.

The Tibetan equivalent of the Enlightenment was a 20th-century appreciation that heritable debt was an indefensible wrong – something to which Scottish society did not awaken until 2012.

But if Tibetan society was hamstrung by a lack of democracy, for example, waiting for their leader to be “discovered” after a sign-driven search by a small pool of qualified monks, Scotland was able to nurture thinkers such as David Hume and Adam Smith; engineers like John Loudon MacAdam and Thomas Telford; scientists like William Thomson (better known as lord Kelvin) and Alexander Fleming.

We could go on – painting from Raeburn to Howson; literature from Scott to Welsh, architecture from “Greek” Thomson to Rennie Mackintosh.

The list seems inexhaustible – philosophy, art, innovation, engineering, design – all unencumbered by the fatalistic whims that may divert well-meaning monks, guided only by sign and by symbol, from their discovery. In such fertile land, even the broadcast seed (without which, in a sense, we may never have had Chi Mi`n Geamhradh) could scarcely fail to thrive and bear fruit.

A newspaper industry going back more than 250 years; the possible inventors and indisputable propagators of the worlds most popular sport. Did I omit to mention television, in which John Logie Baird planted a saltire in Glasgow's Central Hotel 90 years ago this week?

Imagine the envy of our “peers” – of whom there are damned few (and none surviving) – when considering Scottish football's first-mover advantage, supported by a highly-developed media machine. Pity those in other countries, resentful of our dominance because they never stood a chance.

Imagine some enclave of our heritage had been left to the fortunes of monks.

If that prospect caused a bead of sweat to pearl on your brow, I apologise. I can only offer the warm milk of a modern, objective, fearless and favourless, media, football and cultural plurality that can scoffingly withstand the adrenal scrutinies of the paranoid.

Oh, did I mention the Scottish football “media”? That uniquely erudite brotherhood (rarely invaded by annoying little sisters, for a multitude of obvious reasons).

They are an oft-maligned class but few of their detractors fully appreciate the pressures attendant to their endeavours. Public scrutiny, visceral criticism, occasional whiffs of smelling-salt-like innuendo. Scorn, derision, abuse – and then the unfair reactions.

No wonder they close ranks, defend each other to the hilt, communally hone swords to wield as one against all attackers.

Except … there is (and a plague on Latin) always a caveat.

Should you inhabit that stateless land of the ethereal Internet, national stereotypes will be applied to your buffoonish insomnia. You are a raging partisan, your views to be dismissed because whatever love you claim to speak of dare not utter your name.

And standing strong as a unit is not a flaw in character to those who recognise the value of solidarity. So external attackers can expect to be rebuffed – witheringly disdained as “online”, as the common fashion dictates.

We could call this “closing ranks”, protectionism or use many other terms intended to describe people “looking after their own”, without regard to ethics.

But there is another, more easily-identifiable threat that sniffs the polluted air that the Scottish media would seek to occupy. It represents an overbearing constituency, driven by self-delusion, narrow-minded resentment and supremacist aggression.

Its geographical bases are known, as are many of the ranks of its personnel. And yet, somehow, this entity escapes retaliatory, never mind pre-emptive strikes. Defensive actions are of the type that are likely to leave loyal footsoldiers disillusioned.

Because accusations of cowardice are as absurd as those of infiltration. And charges of hypocrisy would surely be rejected as the rantings of an unruly mob without legitimacy.

So, what should we make of The Herald's proud apology for and on behalf of the title and Graham Spiers?

Spiers questioned the will of some at Ibrox to challenge the increasingly loud, guttural roars of legions of customers who believe that spleen-venting expressions of eye-popping prejudice are the best way to prove that 144 years of tradition are alive and in rude health.

He alleged – as noted in the Herald apology – that “at least one member of the current Rangers board thinks that The Billy Boys is a tremendous song”.

He went on to mention managing-director Stewart Robertson (without any reasonable accusatory allusion to him): “There has been real progress made at Rangers in recent years. Mr Robertson and your ilk, please don’t slow it down.”

The Herald chose to use a picture of Mr Robertson, to illustrate the story.

The result has been that, at the time of writing, the apology is the most-read “story” on The Herald website.

It could be inferred from Spiers's comment on Twitter, “Is my opinion - doubting the Rangers FC board's mettle to fight bigoted chanting – 'inaccurate'?”, that he did not authorise the apology on his behalf. That in itself – a news title putting words in the mouth of a writer – seriously questions a title's journalistic ethics.

When one of the leading Scottish sportswriters feels the need to go to social media to have his view heard, we are facing something dramatic.

We can imagine, especially from the statement, that Spiers is anguished by this but that is something we can choose to care about or not.

What is more deserving of our immediate attention is what is happening in Scottish football, with special current reference to stories circulating around the club claiming the history of Rangers.

We have “journalists” clearly, laughably, doing the bidding of Level5 PR. Representing Rangers. I was present at a social gathering during which one news hack angrily objected to the condemnation of the news media, outlining the threats – necessitating police communication relating to his family's activities and whereabouts – that he had to endure.

Recently, the BBC's Chris McLaughlin has been banned from Ibrox – again – at least keeping Graham Spiers company.

The Herald went far beyond a simple apology. Not only did they speak for Spiers (without his consent, as he says himself), they pulled the piece from their website. No minor edit with an explanation as their footnote.

They admitted that they should not have published the piece (that's what editorial responsibility is – and it is exercised pre-publication), they left their own writer marooned (the convenience of using freelancers – a staffer could have challenged them) and they completely capitulated without the least pretence at a defence of editorial integrity.

And, however the very vulnerable freelance Spiers tries to be diplomatic, the title has hung him out to dry.

Will the Scottish media professionals stand with Spiers? Will the National Union of Journalists? It may be rash to second-guess those stalwarts.

Did any BBC journalist question whether Jim Traynor may have breached the BBC charter in representing narrow, paid interests whilst still employed by the state broadcaster?

Did Graham Spiers – or did he, like every other mainstream journalist, ignore the inconvenient truth?

Cosa Nostra – “something between ourselves”, as a very loose translation.

Whether the personnel are monks or Mafiosi, we can see something that is being directed from above and the wise will observe “omerta”.

The Internet is inhabited by lunatics and fools. We should await the leadership of the real media – you know, the ones we can trust.

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Rangers must uphold progress by resisting return of 'the old songs'

2:05pm Wednesday 30th December 2015

Rangers FC, in whatever guise you recognise it in the post-2012 period, has made considerable strides to eradicate bigotry around the club.

Whereas as recently as 10 years ago – and it really was excruciating – Ibrox Stadium resounded to sectarian chants, in more recent times the atmosphere has been cleaned up, with erstwhile dodgy songs adored by many Rangers fans being put on the back burner.

It would be totally wrong to ignore this progress at Rangers. I remember the summer of 2006 when Paul Le Guen arrived at the club. Ibrox was mired in “fans issues” and bigotry, and Le Guen was utterly perplexed by it all.

One of the first things the Frenchman had to do was take part in initiatives set up by the club, begging Rangers fans to stop singing these songs.

To a large degree, many of these measures worked. Rangers made significant progress in quelling its bigoted sentiment, and the club made great strides in the years ahead. Ibrox, I believe, in time became a much healthier place in which to watch your football.

The Billy Boys, an anti-Catholic anthem beloved of Ibrox, was put on mute. Indeed, for a number of seasons it seemed to disappear completely, at least at Rangers home games. This, surely, was progress.

But few of us had any illusions about it. More than once I’ve been told that, if you venture onto a Glasgow subway train with travelling Rangers fans, their old anthems can be given quite an airing. The old songs appeared to have survived and thrived, being sung with gusto whenever a more guarded context will allow.

And then there were these occasional public eruptions of it, such as at the infamous 2011 League Cup final at Hampden, when some of the choral stuff exhumed by the Rangers support that day took us back to a pre-Enlightenment period.

It is staggering, in this day and age, to hear stuff about Catholics, ******s, *****s, the Pope and the rest emanating from thousands of people. It is as baffling as it is sad.

Now this Rangers FC board – and I am not convinced by their mettle on this issue – faces a fresh test.

At Ibrox this week we heard a further eruption of what might euphemistically be called the “old songs”. It was another example, amid all the progress that Rangers have made, of the cap being blown off, and of some Rangers fans getting back into the party mood in the way they like best.

Social media was very interesting following that Rangers-Hibs game on Monday afternoon. Setting aside some preposterous stuff from the Rangers Supporters Trust, who were in full denial mode, there were a number of Rangers fans openly lamenting the re-emergence of these songs, and condemning them.

I have said this often enough: there is a new generation of Rangers supporter that the club should nurture and cultivate. They want nothing to do with this old obsession with “******s”. They are modern, decent, football-loving fans who love the game and love their club.

Rangers need to embrace these supporters, and leave to one side those others – including some official fan groups – who said after the Hibs match (I paraphrase): “Well done, lads, terrific stuff, great atmosphere, great to hear the old songs…”

Will this Rangers FC board, as has been required in previous years, step up to the plate? I hope so, though I doubt it.

I write as a journalist who has been banned by Rangers. None of that aspect bothers me. Football clubs sometimes do these daft things. I want nothing but the best for Rangers as they ascend towards the Ladbrokes Premiership. Indeed, I want Rangers challenging for the Premiership title as quickly as their football will allow.

But when Stewart Robertson, the new Rangers managing-director, informed me of my press ban, I would say his demeanour was that of someone somewhat embarrassed by the action being taken.

I do not believe Mr Robertson is anything other than a decent man – but his pitiful reasons for my ban, which included my past criticisms of Rangers over bigotry issues, sounded distinctly unconvincing.

It also doesn’t help right now that at least one member of the current Rangers board thinks that The Billy Boys is a tremendous song. This being the case, the club may well go backwards, not forwards.

On their dreaded songs issue, I hope this Rangers board go forward, not backward. I hope they are pro-active, not passive. I hope they acknowledge a potential threat, and don’t lapse into denial.

But, frankly, I’ll believe it when I see it. Banning writers who write about the issue is an ominous start.

It is now 39 years since Willie Waddell, then the Rangers general-manager, made an on-field public declaration which signalled an end to Rangers FC’s old anti-Catholic policy. I was there that day at Ibrox as a 12-year-old kid, though the fuss then was beyond me.

It remains my belief that, taking that day as a starting point, it will take 50 years for Rangers to fully flush out its bigoted baggage. There are pitfalls along that long road, as we witnessed again this week, but at least the journey is being taken.

There has been real progress made at Rangers in recent years. Mr Robertson and your ilk, please don’t slow it down.

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