Traynor Off The Record

[ian1964 10,447]

http://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/traynor-off-the-record/

[Ergatrude 0]

I am hearing on the grapevine that Jim Traynor and the Daily Record are about to part company.

 

My information is it concerns Editor in Chief Allan Rennieâ??s decision not to run the Anthony Stokes attending a RIRA fundraiser story on the Record front page.

 

Apparently the Stokes story was set to be the lead but Rennie intervened and switched the Stokes piece with the complete non-story about some guy with a criminal record interested in buying shares in The Rangers.

 

Traynor was apparently livid at this decision and it was the final straw in what I am led to believe has been a stormy and unhappy time for him at the Record.

 

Although by no means universally liked by the Rangers support, Jim Traynor has won a lot of admiration from many in the light blue legions in recent times for his withering attacks on the bigots and bozos who are ruining the game here in Scotland by pursuing a virulent anti-Rangers agenda.

 

It seemed to me that JT started off believing that Rangers were in some way guilty of wrongdoing and should man up to any punishments dished out but he became more aware as time went on that what was supposed to be a just and fair response by the football authorities to the Rangers situation was, in fact, a hate-driven witch hunt with sinister roots.

 

My own opinion of Jim Traynor is that he is our best football journalist by a country mile, though not always right and often spectacularly wrong.

 

He is the one journo with the guts to speak his mind, or at least try to, given the shackles so many in our media now work under.

 

The truth is that Jim Traynor knows the score about how the media functions in Scotland and it is evident he chafes against the restraints imposed by political and external influences.

 

Given that print media is collapsing in Scotland, JT might just find that blogging is a good outlet for his considerable talents.

 

I used to like to chide him for his remark that he would never work for a tabloid and I wouldnâ??t be surprised if he has made the same comment about blogging. But a Jim Traynor blog with no restraints would be good fare, I am sure, for those who like the fitbaâ?? in Scotland.

 

It is my understanding that Traynor will continue in his stint with the BBC. This is ironic, given that the BBC in Scotland is regarded by many to be the most bias and agenda-driven media outlet around.

 

Maybe JT will decide he has had enough of the Beeb if they continue their own anti-Rangers agenda.

 

Thatâ??s not to say that Traynor is a â??Rangers man.â? What I believe him to be is someone who dislikes injustice and partisan dealings.

 

One thing is for sure. We could use plenty more like that in our media pack up here in Scotland. As well as editors with balls that are not afraid to cross the powerful anti-Rangers lobby that has an iron grip on football and the media.

 

You can take something else to the bank â?? Scottish football will be hearing from Jim Traynor for a long while to come.

[pete 2,499]

I like Jim Traynor and think he mostly talks a lot of sense. He seems to be able look at things from a neutral point of view.

I am not sure if he really is an Airdrie supporter or a bear in disguise.

It is okay being a blogger but that doesn't put bread on the table. I think he would prefer a real job that pays money.

[tango 0]

It was never a job. More of an absolute joy, if truth be told.

 

But all good things come to an end and when they do, itâ??s important to end with some good things.

 

When writing this, my final newspaper column, the memories come flooding in. When the time comes to change direction and move on, let the best of those memories rush from every corner of your mind and keep the worst of them locked away.

 

If people who have abused you because of their own bigoted and narrow-minded ways, or events that might have saddened you deeply, are allowed light and oxygen you let them tarnish and blacken what youâ??ve done and achieved.

 

For instance, this column â?? the final one after 37 years in newspapers â?? could bang on about supporters who have spat on my coats and jackets, thrown all sorts of insults and occasionally bricks and bottles. But that would demean everything.

 

I could name managers, players, club directors and administrators who, because the truth can hurt, have wished me all kinds of harm and misfortune. But neither they nor their words mattered. They damaged and shamed only themselves.

 

So from Andre Agassi (tennis is such a wonderful sport) to Zinedine Zidane (football really is a beautiful game despite the money grabbers and crooks), it has been amazing. Itâ??s been a blast. Uplifting but also a deeply humbling and, at times, disturbing journey.

 

When Scotland were in Bucharest to play a European Championship qualifying tie against Romania, a couple of years after that madman Nicolae Ceausescu had been overthrown by revolution, players broke down. So too did supporters.

 

It was 1991 and the horrors of the Romanian orphan crisis were becoming clearer to the outside world.

 

It was heartbreaking. Even the most hardened cynical hacks cried at the sight of swarms of hungry, distraught children wandering the streets begging for morsels.

 

I know I said the bad memories should be locked away but those kids, who snatched all the money we could muster as though we were making them instant millionaires, can never be forgotten.

 

Strangely, another memory also concerns tears. But this time they came from a Brazilian great sitting right in the middle of Avenue Foch in Paris at the start of the 1998 World Cup finals.

 

Nilton Santos was there with Pele, Carlos Alberto and another great, Alfredo di Stefano, who was claimed by both Argentina and Spain.

 

I was there because Iâ??d had a say in selecting the team of the 20th century â?? just for the Record that team was: Lev Yashin, Carlos, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Moore, Santos; Johan Cruyff, Di Stefano, Michel Platini; Garrincha, Pele and Diego Maradona. Then I sat with Pele, Santos and Di Stefano listening to their tales.

 

It was fascinating, even when Santos, who had been a father figure to the deeply troubled Garrincha, wept as he spoke of the tormented genius and his final tragic years.

 

But there were loads of laughs with the greats of the peopleâ??s game to giants of other sports. Heroic characters such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Leonard, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver, Ilie Nastase, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe (did I mention tennis is a wonderful sport?), Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Mark McGwire (baseball is such an hypnotic and simply beautiful sport, maybe even the best) and the 49ersâ?? Jerry Rice.

 

There are just too many to list. But itâ??s been a privilege to have seen them in the flesh and even under the threat of extreme torture, such as being forced to listen to recordings of SFA/SPL meetings, I could never say my job has been anything like work. Itâ??s been a pleasure.

 

Until recently.

 

Unfortunately, there has been the last twisted and bitter year during which Scottish football, unable to deal with the Rangers crisis in a civilised manner, has tried to tear itself apart. All in the name of sporting integrity, of course.

 

Actually, for the last couple of years some of the most bilious types have been allowed to emerge from the shadows and spew invective that sadly became regarded as fact, even though what they were saying and writing wasnâ??t even close to being definitive. Or honest. Overnight all sorts of anonymous bloggers became experts. These champions of decency had all the answers. They knew better than anyone else. They said over and over Rangers would be done for cheating the tax man.

 

They were wrong, the Rangers Tax Case blog in particular. Yet he/her/they stated: â??This blog has been accurate on all of the major points of the case except the one that matters most to date â?? the FTT (First-tier Tax Tribunal) outcomeâ?.

 

Excuse me? Accurate on all the major points except the bit that matters most. And thatâ??s all right is it?

 

Thatâ??s a bit like a team manager saying after a defeat: â??Hold on, I picked the right team and I believe my tactics were correct. So the result doesnâ??t really matter.â?

 

Dolts. The result is everything. If any of the Rangers Tax Case bloggers are trained lawyers, would you want them to defend you in a court of law?

 

Even now so many â?? and I include some fellow journalists â?? still cannot bring themselves to accept Rangers did not cheat the tax man by using EBTs.

 

One journalist declared it to be â??a government conspiracyâ? when he heard the ruling in Rangersâ?? favour.

 

Perhaps in time more will be written about this kind of hack and the rabid desire to help bring down Rangers, a fierce desire that, sadly, was widespread. Actually, Iâ??m sure more will be written about them.

 

Just when did they become consumed by such eye-popping rage? Was it always there, a dormant fury against Rangers and their fans, who deserve enormous credit for having saved their club, just waiting for the catalyst?

 

Now they canâ??t help themselves. They canâ??t stop foaming at the mouth and we can be sure their determination to have titles stripped will go into overdrive.

 

They need some kind of victory or they might explode and that would be terribly messy. All that bile all over the walls and streets.

 

Unfortunately reason was never allowed to be a player in this grotesque game, which quickly became dominated mostly by

incoherent imbeciles fuelled by all that hatred.

 

And letâ??s not forget how some with telly platforms were prompted by

those bloggers and ill-informed commentators. Stupidly they allowed themselves to be duped by supporters with dangerous agendas hidden under the banner of integrity.

 

And the result? Some of the most shallow and infantile drivel ever written. These egotists are so into themselves theyâ??ve no regard for the safety or wellbeing of those about whom they have written some awful and completely inaccurate pieces.

 

Despicable, pathetic little creatures craving some kind of recognition but lacking in conscience and morality.

 

Iâ??m so sorry theyâ??ve had to be thrown up into the same piece as some of the true greats and gentlemen of world sport.

 

However, thatâ??s it. My work here is done and Iâ??m glad â?? but just for the record, Iâ??ve not been sacked or made redundant. I was asked to remain but my conscience wonâ??t allow me to stay in our profession.

 

The journalism needed by the country, never mind sport, no longer exists in enough of the other media outlets.

 

But as Iâ??ve said, the good memories of all those sporting greats will always outweigh the negatives, especially those that bubbled to the surface throughout this last year.

 

Thanks to sportâ??s real heroes Iâ??ve had a ball and thank you for reading while I was with The Herald, the Daily Express and the Daily Record.

 

Good luck to you â?? and be careful about what and who you read in the future.

 

There are people out there calling themselves by different names.

 

But thatâ??s not the bit that should worry you. They are calling themselves journalists.

[RANGERRAB 3,299]

Come on Mr Traynor spill the beanz............ tell us everything about everyone. Should make interesting reading

[biggordy 0]

I think JT isn't afraid to speak his own mind and therefore angers different folk at different times.

This shows to me he only has his own "agenda" and no-one elses.

An "honest" journo is very rare, especially here in Salmond's Scotland.

[Frankie 8,182]

Like him or loathe him, Traynor will be a big loss to the Record and the written press.

 

In saying that, like Spiers, I'm pretty sure he'll freelance for one of the broadsheets with the occasional article.

[amms 0]

Traynor leaves a muddled legacy. Some on here might not remember him on The Herald where he was a better writer and more challenging journalist. His move to the Record was curious and for me he embraced it's 'tabloid' mentality too much. In truth his time there has not been successful, circulation has fallen below the Sun, the great bar it was always measured against, and it can't be argued that the Record is a better paper now than it was say 10 years ago. Now that's not all his fault by any means however their sport coverage isn't as good as it should be and he needs to take responsibility for most of that.

 

Personally I don't think he should have used his last article to have a go at an anonymous blog, it feels petty and embittered. I expect he's working on a book as we speak, that might be interesting if he decides to pull no punches. However that doesn't tend to be how these things work, normally secrets are kept and favours returned.

[26th of foot 5,857]

Traynor leaves a muddled legacy. Some on here might not remember him on The Herald where he was a better writer and more challenging journalist. His move to the Record was curious and for me he embraced it's 'tabloid' mentality too much. In truth his time there has not been successful, circulation has fallen below the Sun, the great bar it was always measured against, and it can't be argued that the Record is a better paper now than it was say 10 years ago. Now that's not all his fault by any means however their sport coverage isn't as good as it should be and he needs to take responsibility for most of that.

 

Personally I don't think he should have used his last article to have a go at an anonymous blog, it feels petty and embittered. I expect he's working on a book as we speak, that might be interesting if he decides to pull no punches. However that doesn't tend to be how these things work, normally secrets are kept and favours returned.

 

He left the Herald for the Express, lasted 4 weeks before accepting the gig as the Record's Chief Sports Writer/Sports Editor. Whilst at the Herald, Souness banned him for 2-3 weeks and catapulted Traynor from the back page to the front page. His writing at the Herald was exceptional.

 

I believe his resignation from the Record is a matter of principle. The current Editor is Allan Rennie, he is a Yahoo and a Lawwell Lamb to boot. Apparently, the Record had the full story on Stokes at the IRA benefit, with pictures. It was cleared for the front page until Rennie intervened and demanded a front page of a shady potential investor in Rangers. The Record was scooped by an Irish newspaper on Stokes.

 

Further, Keevins has been banned from ra Stydome and Lennoxtown for 10 weeks and Rennie refuses to rile and rage against it. He was banned for a pre-season match report that upset Lawwell. Traynor cannot believe Rennie continues to allow a situation that sees a journo unable to ply his trade.

 

The long shadow of 'Thugs and Thieves' continues to cast.

[der Berliner 3,283]

Daily Record link, just to make sure.