Bill McMurdo - A Sneaky Man

[ian1964 10,513]

September 7, 2012 · by billmcmurdo · in Uncategorized

 

I vividly remember the tears running down my motherâ??s face, standing at the kitchen sink, as news came through of the Ibrox Disaster on 2nd January 1971.

 

I remember the dark days that followed, days full of horror and gut-wrenching grief as a country mourned.

 

This grief and shock was felt keenly by all involved with Celtic, as much as Rangers.

 

The whole world saw the Old Firm united more than they had ever been in history.

 

I was not yet seven years old.

 

Even today, when I play fervent Celtic man Matt McGinnâ??s song on the Ibrox Disaster, I am left weeping.

 

You do not mess with any Rangers fan when it comes to the Ibrox Disaster.

 

When I first read Alex Thomsonâ??s comments on Rangers fans being Daleks, it was actually prior to David Leggatâ??s blog on the matter. I knew right away, despite Thomsonâ??s subsequent protestations, that he was having a dig at Rangers fans in the odd little section on his Twitter timeline.

 

Twitter is a strange place because you are holding multiple conversations at once most of the time, while many others are watching on and can chip in.

 

Thomson compared a Rangers fan to a wasp and this fan, probably jokingly, told Thomson that was probably not the best word to use â?? given its connotations, no doubt. It was then that Thomson used the strange term Daleks, which prompted other users â?? clearly Celtic fans by their Twitter ids â?? to jump in and start talking about wasps.

 

In a nutshell, it was obvious that they were not talking about wasps and Daleks â?? a conclusion reached by many who have read the feed, including David Leggat and my editor at CRO, who ran my piece on the Dalek jibe.

 

To be entirely honest, I was unaware of the meaning of the Dalek term until it was pointed out to me by a source that this was one of Alex Thomsonâ??s blog-writing Celtic chums sick joke about the Ibrox Disaster i.e. Daleks canâ??t climb stairs.

 

After further investigation and verification that this was a term used to mock the terrible tragedy that took place on Stairway 13, I decided to write the piece.

 

I am aware that certain people in the Rangers ranks who were cosying up to Alex Thomson werenâ??t happy.

 

Well, I donâ??t write this blog or any other for their benefit.

 

It appears to me that there is a fair amount in the ranks of the Rangers support who bluster but have no stomach for the dirty war that is being waged against the club and its fans. Thatâ??s for them to deal with.

 

Alex Thomson maintains he was just talking about wasps and Daleks and wasps that talk like Daleks. This is a man employed by Channel 4 to go to war zones and report on serious issues. Maybe they ought to check him for shell shock.

 

Mr Thomsonâ??s credibility has been torn to shreds several times recently by several national newspapers who question his veracity and his judgment. In addition, he has been outspoken in his criticism of the Scottish media pack.

 

His arrogance is evident just by reading his Twitter account.

 

His anti-Rangers attitude and cosy relationships with known Rangers-haters have enraged legions of Rangers fans.

 

Quite frankly, he is just a sneaky mischief-maker, intent on winding up Rangers fans and turning them against the club and each other.

 

Just like his pal with several names.

 

Alex Thomson is a what you would call an old-fashioned baiter. And he is very good at it.

 

So good you could say that he is a master baiter.

 

I try to be reasonable in my blogging.

 

But, like many Rangers fans, I am touchy about that terrible day when 66 people lost their lives on Stairway 13.

 

Only the sickest of minds would find anything funny in the Ibrox Disaster.

 

If Alex Thomson really was just talking nonsense with no malice or ill-intent, then I would happily apologise for my piece.

 

However, he does himself no favours with his sneering, sneaky attitude to Rangers FC and its supporters.

 

Here is a link to Matt McGinnâ??s song:

 

 

http://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/a-sneaky-man/

[26th of foot 5,902]

As someone who descended stairway 13 a couple of minutes before the Disaster, it is a case of, 'but for the grace of God'. Actually, my old man NEVER saw the end of a game in his life, demanding we leave all games with a few minutes left. Anyways, I am touchy too about that day. Sixty-six folks, including primary schoolboys from Fife attended the football and did not return home. Another almost 200 were injured and the photographs of stairs ilttered with shoes, is imagery that will not disappear.

 

Thomson's first attempt at knowingly pushing the envelope ie tweeting the image of Greig's statue walking away was truly appalling but he was allowed the defence of ignorance. He was allowed on to BBC Radio Scotland and for ten minutes Stuart Cosgrove(Channel Four's Commissioning Editor) hand led him through the mitigation. I wonder if Cosgrove will ride to the rescue again?

 

 

The sensitivities of Rangers supporters do NOT count. The common currency among Thomson, Cosgrove, McGlone, ............. etc is that the Disaster is a sniggering expression of hate.

[aweebluesoandso 290]

Thomson has zero credibility left, his future reports from any war zone will always have a question mark hanging over them for me. My first reaction to any news report he makes will be "what is his agenda" is he telling us the truth, or is his reporting being manipulated by partisan politics again.

 

That's a damming indictment for a journalist.

[Guest cail]

Thomson has zero credibility left, his future reports from any war zone will always have a question mark hanging over them for me. My first reaction to any news report he makes will be "what is his agenda" is he telling us the truth, or is his reporting being manipulated by partisan politics again.

 

That's a damming indictment for a journalist.

 

Not in Scotland it's not m8,it's run of the mill average journalistic thoughts there.

 

I actually got to the top of 13 that tragic day and the look on fans faces urging everyone to turn back is one i'll take to my grave.

We actually tried to hop the fence that ran along the back of the Rangers end outside the cover that led to stairway 13 but because of the crowd pressure could'nt get over it.

I have long thought about what i'd have seen if we had got over that fence.

I was 14 years old and i can remember that day like it was yesterday.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

imho when the likes of spiers Thomson etc start down the path of trying to keep their flagging careers going by rangers hating. it shows a desperation that will lead to obscurity soon enough.

[DUDE 0]

So good you could say that he is a master baiter.

 

Pure quality!

 

Thompson is a highly questionable character and if he was aware of the meaning of the Dalek- metaphor amongst Celtic support it only shows how malign he is.

[stewarty 1,896]

Pure quality!

 

Thompson is a highly questionable character and if he was aware of the meaning of the Dalek- metaphor amongst Celtic support it only shows how malign he is.

 

There is only so many times he can pretend to say "I don't know", "I didn't read it", "I am not endorsing x or y view, just forwarding it on", before your agenda becomes clear.

 

When Tomo came on the scene, there were early signs that he was a puppet. From his use of phrases and language that had become the choice of anti-Rangers bloggers, to the angles he chose to take in his frequent attacks on Rangers, the media, the SFA, et al. Now, that is not to say that some of his angles were not justified, but it was to say that the way in which he was selective in his choice of angles that was so obviously suspect. If I recall, he did a few early blogs where he purported to seek the views from both Rangers and non-Rangers fans. We cannot suppose to know the ins and outs of everything he was told, but as I say, the way in which he went straight for certain angles, was at the very least suspicious.

 

Then when you compare the complete and utter dismantling of Tomo's credibility that has occurred since those early flurries, it is has hard not to reflect back on those early exchanges and see straight through the way in which he cherry picked the angles that suited whatever agenda he was pretending to follow.

 

In the spirit of fighting back, that I'm sure McMurdo would approve of, perhaps we need to begin our own campaign of targeting Tomo's peers and highlighting his incompetence in the hope that more than just Leggo will go straight through him

[DUDE 0]

There is only so many times he can pretend to say "I don't know", "I didn't read it", "I am not endorsing x or y view, just forwarding it on", before your agenda becomes clear.

 

Exactly. That goes especially for writing the foreword to Three Names' book and claiming not having known what a mental bigot that muppet is. And then he stood by it anyway.

[biggordy 0]

IF, there was no Rangers, there would be no mad phil, we wouldn't know who alex thomson is, and spiers would be writing for Farmers' Weekly.

 

A bit pathetic really that your "journalistic" career is only known by being critical of a worldwide renowned, successful sporting organisation.

[DUDE 0]

IF, there was no Rangers, there would be no mad phil, we wouldn't know who alex thomson is, and spiers would be writing for Farmers' Weekly.

 

A bit pathetic really that your "journalistic" career is only known by being critical of a worldwide renowned, successful sporting organisation.

 

Not sure about McGobber though. He definitely would have a go at somebody/ something else if it wasn't for Gers. But at the end of the day these chaps know who they owe their job to and that must be a very sad perception.