D'Artagnan

Aside the safety issue highlighted by John's article football fans have been exposed to a different Policing model from other sporting events.

I remember in the 80's alighting from the train at Dundee Railway Station and being "ordered" by Police to board a bus which ferried us straight to the ground. Refusal to board was not an option.

"After all, we were only football fans"

Nail, dead centre, on the head.

To be even fairer Frankie I have written & concerned myself with all matters Rangers, before Vanguard Bears existed.

Vanguard bears believing the press. Something ironic in there.

 

I expect king did say some such.

Oh dear,

Tbh GS I would have thought better of you. Still the messenger is always the easy target.

I think we all know that DK got carried away in various press conferences when pressed on that particular topic.

 

I think most of us accept that circumstances have changed since that point.

 

Whilst regrettably learning to take what the chairman says regards transfer spend with a pinch of salt........ I am impressed with what is actually happening and how the club is being organised.

 

Never in my time as a supporter have I known such a professional approach to the football operation allied with an attempt to bring expenditure into line line with revenue. All done with several ongoing issues that reduce revenue and opportunities for investment.

I agree entirely.

But thats not the point - its that he is categorically denying ever making such comments.

That's fine D'art but what is it ?

Its that King has been categorically denying ever making pledges about £ 30 million investment from his kids inheritance despite being reminded by KJ that he and others in MSM have the comments on tape.

Can you expand on what you think the "full story" may involve ?

 

It's up to you to do so if you have grounds to believe there is a "full story" rather than leave it in the air knowing that Jackson won't come along to do it.

Its not what I think the "full story may involve" Buster - its what I know is the full story and the motivation for the article in question.

I supported the merger and still do. But if it's to be independent from club then club should not be sending CG anywhere IMO. CG is not on board of Club1872 is he?

You will find to your surprise I agree with you entirely BG.

A clear lack of forethought is endangering the notion of Club 1872 being independent of the club.

FWIW, I don't think this is some sort of hatchet job and I'm glad Jackson is attempting to place King under a wee bit of gentle pressure.

 

However, I'm glad the fella submitted the article as I think there's more to Keith's criticism than simple concern.

Youve got it in one. He alludes to it later on twitter somewhere - dont know exactly what was said but I saw Spiers jump on it desperately as some sort of "vindication" of himself.

Unfortuntely Frankie we are not getting the full story here, But its up to Jackson to qualify the reasons for his Monday column not me.

Wonderful to see our Captain picking up awards.

Hopefully the next one he receives, courtesy of the club, will be a place in the Hall of Fame.

For those of who like me were the product of a strict Brethren upbringing the word ‘Messiah’ is only used exclusively for one character in history, and Him alone. But I don’t think anyone would argue that the arrival of Mark Warburton has been akin to mana from heaven for the long suffering blue legions.

It would probably have been sufficient if the gaffer had come in spent a few shekels on decent tried and tested pros and secured promotion that way back to the top flight.

Perhaps had he laid the foundations of a youthful squad we would have been prepared to even wait a further term to secure promotion as we watched the ‘Warburton Babes’ develop into a promotion winning side.

And perhaps that patience would have been just as evident if we saw the nucleus of a footballing side, playing attractive exciting football which not only took our breath away but was also capable of sweeping aside the opposition.

But no not for Mark Warburton. Not only did he place an emphasis on youth, not only did he establish the nucleus of an exciting, attractive skilful squad, not only did he win the championship at a canter ‘“ he did it all on a shoestring budget. When his team, weakened as it was through injury, then went on to secure a Scottish Cup Final slot disposing of the SPL Champions elect with a brand of football likened to watching Barcelona you begin to understand that something truly magic is happening down Ibrox way ‘“ with or without the now famous ‘magic hat’.

Football honours aside, Mark Warburton has given us back something else ‘“ our pride, our belief, our optimism and our willingness to dare to dream. He has done it based on principles which this club was raised on ‘“ hard work, dedication, professionalism and desire. He exudes a self-belief which is contagious. When doubters suggested we had to vary our play with a Plan B as teams adjusted to the free flowing Rangers ‘“ Warburton stuck to his ideals insisting we just had to do Plan A better.

The man is a class act who knows his football and footballers inside out. His professionalism and discipline made headlines when it was revealed Rangers players are subjected to urine tests to check for dehydration. When these sort of stories are deemed ‘newsworthy’ up in Scotland is it really any small wonder that our nation lags behind the rest of the footballing world?

The gaffer has the necessary ruthless streak required by all successful managers as the talismanic Waghorn discovered last Sunday, where despite his pleas, there was no place on the bench for anyone not deemed fully fit. No room for sentiment nor favourites.

Mark Warburton and Rangers were made for one another. The two share a football philosophy based on hard work, desire and dedication, his values reflect the values of our club with both having a burning ambition to bring greater success to Rangers Football Club.

Mark Warburton is on record as saying ‘I would love to be here for a long time’

Funnily enough so would we gaffer.

They're both playing the game imo, knowing what they're doing and the reaction it will get.

 

Bit disappointed to see Walter doing it but I admit to being a puritan.

I dont know if Walter is playing a game - but he sums up my feelings of bitterness exactly. I'll neither forgive nor forget.

Ridiculed? she should be sacked

When Neil McKay writing for the Sunday Herald fabricated one of my articles to lay the blame for the "George Square Riot" on Rangers fans I complained & IPSO ruled it was a clear breach of editorial guidelines. The newspaper printed an apology and retraction.

A year or so on and the offending journo has now been promoted to Editor of the newspaper.

IIRC he was a member at one point.

Nope he was a trialist.

Club1872 has a lot of work on it's hands going forward, no1 consideration for me is getting the wider fan base involved with the concept. Those of us already members of the various supporters groups are generally still getting involved, by continuing our financial input. But attracting those fans not involved in any fans groups, by simply asking them to pay-up and join, might not attract the numbers we need to make it numerically successful imo.

 

Every support should be able to join free of charge imo, that way you will get those with less financial resources to spare joining, i'm thinking here of children, the disabled and pensioners, also parents and grandparents joining their family members, thus continuing the family lineage links to the club.

 

Everyone regardless of financial input should carry the same or equal voting rights.

 

Those of us within the support with the financial resources, should carry those within the Rangers family without the financial resources to contribute much or anything.

 

That's not to say we shouldn't encourage new members to take up the financial responsibilty of helping the supporters group or the club.

If the true aim is a unifying of the support then financial restrictions should not be put in place.

That will depend if those who control the mechanism for doing so are willing to do so, I remain sceptical given the abolition of the two organisations that offered a route.

FS

Given the proposal includes the dissolution of the 2 current mechanisms available to us, as well as the considerable concerns expressed by the wider support re ST Holders & RST's, I would hope the club itself would seeks to ensure the aforementioned are given significant representation in the evolution of this proposal.

Great read with a superb and uplifting conclusion

A real toughie - Holt or Wallace - may have to toss a coin in the end. Both been outstanding all season.

It isnt the BBC as an organisation as such------its certain individuals within it.

They should be named----identified. this is where the BBC fails in its duties as a national brodcaster.

They always protect their own employees-----whether they be right or wrong.

A certain DJ proves this. If they were not prepared to out him ,who are they prepared to out?

Im no longer convinced of this lb - that its just one or two indivduals. The complaints by the bears on VB & Rangers Media regarding the furore over their description of us as a "new club" was escalated continually through several tiers of management at Pacific Quay until it was eventually referred to the BBC Trust who issued their ruling. Furthermore the protection and whitewashing of Spence's conduct, and more recently McLaughin as referred to earlier by 26th of foot, would suggest otherwise.

Also, I don't have an "opposite culture" whatever the fuck that is, Martian perhaps? I'm culturally, linguistically, socially and ethnically identical to the Irish and those or Irish origin. So are you.

I doubt very much that is strictly true John - if you consider the entailment of that statement.

Adams has publicly declared he wishes to eradicate all traces of British Culture from Northern Ireland - that manifests itself most visually in the constant attempts to prevent or restrict marches and the restrictions on flying the Union Flag from buildings. How can we be a mirror reflection of a culture, part of which seeks to eradicate our own ?

There is documented evidence that the regulars of that establishment have indulged in behaviour, which had it been at a football match, would likely have led to them being arrested. That presents a clear case of hypocrisy for a political party who have managed to move beyond even zero tolerance to something akin to a breach of human rights in their zeal to enforce this legislation - as alluded to by Frankie in a previous post.

Im sure if Yousaf wanted to express his empathy with the poor in Govan he could have chosen to have the photo op at a foodbank - rather than in a licensed premises, particularly one with a chequered history of indulging in behaviour contrary to what his party legilslates against.

Perhaps the cynic in me would suggest the photo shoot was nothing to do with expresing empathy with the poor but more about securing the Cathlolic vote in Govan.

Well I think the RST deserve considerable praise.

Every week football fans are experiencing at first hand the effects of the legislation this party, not only introduced, but have made one of their flagship policies. Anyone in any doubt only need look at the judicial process concerning this.

We sit on our computers comlaining about this and that but rarely grab the mantle to challenge those who impose such draconian laws upon us - yet when soemone does they are slated for it.

What next for this government ? Perhaps they will get Stan Collymore to lead their campaign against domestic abuse.

Slaggerty now tweeting that she will be back at the Herald doing her column from this Sunday.

No surprise given the "journalistic integrity" of the editor.

https://immortalrangers.wordpress.com/2014/09/24/the-sunday-herald-the-war-on-truth/

And so it began. Like a pack of hungry wolves vying for the choicest cuts of the prey they lined up according to pack hierarchy. On offer was the kind of succulent dish guaranteed to have the Rangers Antagonistas (a particular brand of NUJ card waving individual who appear to believe that aforementioned card is the real life equivalent of Monopoly’s Get Out of Jail Free Card) licking their lips in culinary anticipation, perhaps even salivating, at the mouth-watering prospect of a meal where Rangers were the main course. Rangers were the “bully boys” of course whose conduct was “intimidating” thus suppressing (even endangering apparently) freedom of speech in Scotland as well as undermining journalistic standards. Phew! – That’s some litany of charges.

The truth of course was completely different. Graham Spiers, and not for the first time, had written an article for which was particularly damaging in respect of Rangers and their board in particular. The publishing of this article in the Herald proved to be the catalyst for Rangers to make a complaint to the Herald’s editor, Magnus Llewellin.

Contrary to many of the accusations being made Rangers did not threaten legal action, merely asked for evidence of the claims – but we should all be familiar with the routine by now – let’s not let facts or the truth get in the way of a succulent serving of Rangers bashing.

But worse was to come for Llewellin as he investigated the circumstances surrounding the Rangers complaint as the subsequent investigation revealed significant staffing errors at the Herald. The newspaper was left in a position where the Spiers article would be indefensible in court and the newspaper subsequently published a retraction and apology for the article.

You could be forgiven at this point for thinking that procedural staffing errors as well as sloppy and sub-standard journalism would have been a lesson for the learning for most, but this is Spiers we are talking about, and we all know by now that hell hath no fury like Graham Spiers scorned.

Without a care for the potentially precarious legal position he had placed his newspaper in or the job security of his colleagues at the newspaper, Spiers then embarked on a journey of no return by publishing a blog on the internet defending his action and further undermining his own editor. It’s all about Graham Spiers. He clearly knew this action would have terminal consequences acknowledging same via a tweet.

Of course the jungle drums were quickly beating and it wasn’t long before the Cavalry arrived in the form of the NUJ, with general secretary Michelle Stanistreet stating: “It is outrageous that commercial meddling has led the Herald to sack a respected columnist”

Perhaps Ms Stanistreet would care to elaborate to the rest of us the “commercial meddling” which was involved. We await with baited breath.

But the chaos machine which is Spiers` ego was now in full overdrive. Appearing on BBC Scotland’s “Off the Ball” programme on Saturday 13th February 2016, Spiers repeated the assertions he had made in his Herald article, prompting presenter Stuart Cosgrove to release the following statement on behalf of BBC Scotland.

“Earlier in the programme Graham Spiers made comments about a newspaper story he wrote about Rangers. The BBC would like to make clear those views are not endorsed by the BBC”

Spiers then proceeded to confirm that the hole he had been digging for himself had almost reached Australia.

This is the same Graham Spiers who reported that Aberdeen fans were singing ‘Nice one Jimmy” at Ibrox when a whole host of his fellow pundits condemned them for what they were actually singing.

It is also the same Graham Spiers who wrote about “thousands of Rangers fans racially abusing Bobo Balde” a statement he was later forced to retract under challenge.

The same Graham Spiers who wrote poisonous articles on Rangers legends Jock Wallace and Davie Cooper, following their deaths.

The same Graham Spiers who waxed lyrical about Fiorentina’s “long and illustrious European history” but was happy to peddle the Rangers are a new club nonsense. Seems what is good for the Italian goose is not good for the Scottish gander.

And finally it is the same Graham Spiers who humiliated himself on national television when challenged by Chris Graham, and whose lies that night almost caused a twitter meltdown as screenshots of his actual comments were posted.

It may well be true that journalistic standards in Scotland are under serious threat, but the clear and present danger it faces does not come from anyone inside or connected to Rangers Football Club. The journalistic community should look a lot closer to home to find those responsible for endangering their profession.

I tend to be relatively sanguine about newspaper stuff but even if it wasn't "deliberately inflammatory" the editor must have known it would be viewed as such and the defence of "it's truthfull" really doesn't wash, because the issue could have been avoided and the same point made if the player's first name had been added to the headline.

 

I don't buy newspapers since I stopped getting the FT so know nothing of the history but perhaps it was the proverbial straw.....

 

That said, I would never ban a journalist, I don't care what they write unless it is downright lies on matters of fact rather than opinion and only then after several warnings and opportunities to withdraw and/or correct.

 

I am in the SDM camp on this; and you know that his view was if you don't like what they write don't buy the paper, so I suppose don't advertise in it is just an extension of that principle.

Absoluetly astounded by this BH.

The damage to this club and support from various media outlets over the years is damnable.