Graham Spiers - A cause for Celebration

[D'Artagnan 173]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/spiers-on-sport-rangers-new-club-or-old-and-the-bbc.1371631860

 

 

For those who haven't read Graham Spiers Herald article from today, may I respectfully suggest you do as I doubt you will find a better example of sub standard journalism anywhere.

 

The article by Mr Spiers follows on from yesterdays BBC Trust ESC ruling which declared BBC Scotland inaccurate in their use of language and terminology to describe our club. Mr Spiers argues that Rangers did in fact die and are in essence a new club. To support his assertion he cites a number of examples including comments from Richard Gough, Charles Green, Jim Traynor, Walter Smith and an Ibrox debenture .

 

Those who are familiar with courtrooms will notice the absence of any expert witnesses from the examples cited by Spiers. An expert witness of course has both the authority and expertise rather than just the passion for the subject matter.

 

In terms of journalistic integrity one has to consider how Mr Spiers can omit the testimony of so many expert witnesses who have ruled on the issue, and only include the passionate but nevertheless unqualified indivduals he has seen fit to support his assertion. It seems almost inconceivable that such an experienced journalist could make such a glaring and schoolboy error.

 

But we have a newspaper industry in crisis with plummeting sales and Iâ??m sure more than a few journalists are getting a bit twitchy about what the future holds. I noticed the aforementioned Mr Spiers recently on twitter blowing his own trumpet (no doubt for his editor's benefit) with regard to his interview with Donald Findlay, hailing it the most read article in the Herald. Is this the game Mr Spiers has been reduced to ? Imbalanced articles and controversial characters in order to boost his readership figures ? This latest one has all the subtlety of a fisherman with a enormous hook deliberately baiting the Rangers support in order to get hits. I say that because quite honestly no journalist could be that bad surely ?

 

I of course realise that in providing a link to his article I will boost his figures. But I quite sure in the long run the excellence and quality of the articles produced by another Herald journalist, Richard Wilson, will win out over the nonsense produced by Spiers. Richard Wilson is obviously a journalist in the thick of things, working contacts, sources and following up on leads to deliver articles of balance and substance. Spiers on the hand is the epitome of Alex Thomson's attack on the Scottish press - â??lazy and sycophanticâ?. If ever there was a case of a journalist resting on his laurels then Graham Spiers is it. (For the hard of hearing please note I said laurels not morals, as that is something, which like his expert witnesses, Mr Spiers appears to be lacking)

 

And what of those expert witnesses which Mr Spiers fail to cite. For instance Lord Nimrod Smith, one of countryâ??s most respected legal experts who ruled :-

 

In common speech a Club is treated as a recognisable entity which is capable of being owned and operated, and which continues in existence despite its transfer to another owner and operator. In legal terms, it appears to us to be no different from any other undertaking which is capable of being carried on, bought and sold.

 

The irony is of course that such a ruling was made on the occasion of this â??new clubâ? answering to the charges of â??the old clubâ?. Another aspect Mr Spiers appears to have missed when he was busy noting responses from debenture holders.

 

Mr Spiers also fails to mention the SFA, the SPL, UEFA and the European Clubs Association. Not forgetting the Advertising Standards Authority whose very involvement highlights the ridiculous measures some will stoop to.

 

With no disrespect to Richard Gough, Jim Traynor or an Ibrox debenture holder, I think I know who I would rather have ruling that my club has a continued existence.

 

But I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Spiers. His shoddy, poorly prepared and poorly researched article only serves to highlight the absence of intelligent argument for those who wish to delude themselves that Rangers have â??diedâ?.

 

Rangers â?? Now, Then & Forever, (Confirmed by expert witnesses)

Edited June 19, 2013 by D'Artagnan

[54andcounting 0]

Thanks D'Art...but I just can't click on the link, it's nothing to do with giving him a 'hit' or anything, it's just that anything he has to say is cringeworthy.

His anti-Rangers stuff is really sad for someone in his position. He's a tortured soul.

[der Berliner 3,283]

Thanks D'Art...but I just can't click on the link, it's nothing to do with giving him a 'hit' or anything, it's just that anything he has to say is cringeworthy.

His anti-Rangers stuff is really sad for someone in his position. He's a tortured soul.

 

I C&P'ed his article in the BBC thread. As I said there, he should be banned from Ibrox et al sine die.

[54andcounting 0]

I C&P'ed his article in the BBC thread. As I said there, he should be banned from Ibrox et al sine die.

 

That would make me very very happy

[der Berliner 3,283]

That would make me very very happy

 

Would have done that years ago, alongside quite a few others. The free spaces can be filled with the lads from the local papers of AIrdrie, Brechin et al ...

[RANGERRAB 3,299]

I simply do not understand why the club do not give this fading, no mark excuse for a journalist a life ban from Ibrox and also give THE HERALD an indefinite ban until such time that an unreserved apology is issued by them.

Spiers claims to have been a Rangers supporter in his early days. Well he most certainly is not one now. He is most firmly in the pocket of the dark side as far as I'm concerned. I've often thought he was touting himself for some sort of media position at the girodome should such a postion ever become available.

It seems to have passed him by that the SFA, SPL, UEFA, ECA & most recently the ASA all recognise Rangers as the same club. What makes Spiers think they're all wrong & he's right ? He is part of a group within the corrupt scottish media who seem to take it in turns to attack us often making the most outrageous statements & claims that any sane publication would not dream of publishing.

Well now is the time for CEO Mather to grow a pair & make an example of Spiers & this newspaper no Rangers supporter should ever consider buying. Prove you're not Bain in disguise. Over to you Craigie boy.

Edited June 19, 2013 by RANGERRAB

[andy steel 0]

Meh, its just the cosy club closing ranks against the disgusting horde from the streets who pay their salaries.

 

For all their whining they have little choice but to take the judgement on board. Let them bleat.

[54andcounting 0]

As a youngster reading the football newspapers pages meant seeing how your team faired..nowadays sports writers like Spiers can't write anything to do with it, yet he has a job as a sports writer???...his hate filled bile and his like stopped me buying papers long time ago and yet this relic continues in a job? get him tae fuck!

Edited June 19, 2013 by 54andcounting

[Chibmark 15]

With the greatest respect to all, including Britney, the legal claims and counter-claims are all irrelevant in my opinion.

 

A football club, regardless of whether it's Pollock Juniors or Juventus, is its fans. No fans, no club.

 

We Rangers fans support a group of players who've played at Ibrox, in blue, since 1899. Our players have won us many trophies and provided us with so many great memories that have provided us with immense joy over the years. Owners have come and gone, players, managers, but the fans have always been there.

 

The Rangers fans support Rangers Football Club, as long as the fans support the team, then there will always be a Club. The Club is there for the fans.

[andy steel 0]

& btw, devoting a column to the VB's victory over the BBC when Hearts are in crisis points to a pretty shit comprehension of Scottish football.