A Divided House

[Guest JCS]

My last contributin before I take a long, leisurely break. I hope you enjoy the read. JCS

 

When the under noted Daily Record article was brought to my attention on Friday past I must admit it got my dander up. So I thought a response to the arrogance of Stewart Regan would be in order. The article in question (21.06.2013) was headed with the usual photo of a smug, self-confident Regan over the headline;

 

â??SFA chief Stewart Regan: We canâ??t financially prop up clubs in trouble but we can offer guidance and supportâ?

 

Now thereâ??s a novelty; Stewart Regan offering guidance and support! Wasnâ??t much of that on offer last year when we were in crisis and being kicked at every twist and turn by Regan and his buddies at the SPL. What we got instead was the rule book thrown at us, and a list of sanctions as long as Gulliverâ??s arm!

 

Indeed, Regan and his cronies often resorted to more â??creativeâ?? interpretations of the rules when the existing ones were not conducive to the Rangersâ??bashing agenda that was then in full swing. In fact, new rules were devised when the existing ones simply werenâ??t good enough, and new sanctions were conjured up when the rule book didnâ??t quite meet their needs. The fact is, there were no offers of â??guidance and supportâ?? to Rangers when we most needed it; just hatred, vindictiveness, deceit and blackmail. Even the courts were ignored in their haste to exploit our brand and prop up their ailing, bankrupt product.

 

Now contrast that with Reganâ??s â??heartfeltâ?? confession to the Daily Record on Friday past.

 

â??Iâ??d love to go into the SFAâ??s wallet and give Hearts the money to make their problems disappearâ??â? he said. â??Wouldnâ??t it be nice if the SFA had a bottomless pit of money and could make everything better for those in distress?â?

 

Oh, how heâ??d love to help all of those clubs who are in a perilous financial position, and offer them the heartfelt support and assistance of the SFA â?? unless itâ??s Rangers Football Club, that is! Iâ??m sure, like me, you find the utter hypocrisy of his statement gut wrenching in the extreme. But, truth is, Reganâ??s tenure as Chief Executive of the Scottish Football Association has been littered with such hypocrisy â?? by such ludicrous, outlandish and insincere sentiments. But he undoubtedly reached the pinnacle of his crassness with the statement that he intends to,

 

â??Assume the role of a counsellor and offer practical help to a game suffering from the consequences of its addictive personalityâ?

 

I must say I found that one quite nauseous â?? and utterly ridiculous â?? even for an inveterate bumbler and incompetent like Stewart Regan. The dogs in the street know that he has presided over a regime that has lurched from one crisis to another as Scottish football has become the laughing stock of world football. The truth is Regan couldnâ??t offer counsel to anyone with even a modicum of insight and honesty. How could Regan ever â??assume the role of counsellorâ?? or possibly offer â??practical helpâ?? , when he was acutely aware of the â??addictive personalityâ?? â?? the financial mismanagement â?? that he so glibly speaks of, and did absolutely nothing about it? The inescapable fact is he â??fiddled while Rome burnedâ?? and is almost wholly responsible for bringing Scottish football to the parlous state in which it now finds itself.

 

Reganâ??s arrogance is matched only by that of sidekick, Neil Doncaster, who has consistently â??fumbled the ballâ?? as the SPL has descended into chaos and insolvency. But, like it or not, they have bludgeoned the SFL into submission, and in â??persuadingâ?? them that the Scottish game will be revitalised by adopting their rather dubious proposals for the so-called â??reconstructionâ?? of Scottish football, they have won a temporary reprieve as the SPFL replaces the sick and ailing SPL shortly.

 

But beyond the incestuous confines of the SFA Board, I suspect that no one really puts much credence in what Stewart Regan says these days, although it is a sad fact that his position appears as safe now as it was when he was first appointed three long (and tortuous) years ago. The indifference of the press, and the active connivance of the â??movers and shakersâ?? in Scottish football make it relatively certain that we will have to endure Reganâ??s incompetence for a while longer. It fact, it seems to encourage him to ever greater incompetence â?? an incompetence that is matched only by his growing arrogance and his all-pervasive ego.

 

â??We do appreciate the situations at Tynecastle and East End Park follow on from Rangers last summer. And itâ??s sending shockwaves across the whole of Scottish footballâ?, observed Regan.

 

What an astute observation! Wasnâ??t their inability to pay their players and staff a bit of a giveaway Stewart? The dogs in the street were aware of the acute, and precarious, financial position of Hearts and Dunfermline, and it is a matter of fact that the decisions taken by Regan, Doncaster and the anti-Rangers cabal within the SFA and the SPL are now coming home to roost! Those decisions may yet spell the death knell for Hearts, Dunfermline and several other SPL and SFL clubs that currently hover on the brink of insolvency and administration.

 

But even in these troubling and uncertain times for Scottish football Regan continues to play games. He offers the hand of friendship to some, while withholding it from others. He offers help and support to Hearts and Dunfermline whilst he denies it to us. He is prepared to give succour to those in â??distressâ?? now, when he denied it to Rangers for 16 months. The inescapable fact is there were no comforting or encouraging words from Regan, and no helping hand for us last year. Instead, we were subjected to an unrelenting wave of attacks, investigations and sanctions that very nearly brought us down.

 

Hearts and Dunfermline are undoubtedly worthy of help and assistance, and I wish them well in their fight to avoid liquidation. Both are old clubs with proud traditions and a rich culture and history. It is in everyoneâ??s interests that they are saved. Yet their treatment is in stark contrast to that of Rangers who were never given similar consideration. Not for us the offers of help, assistance, support and advice; that is clearly for others.

 

Even though all three clubs were criminally mismanaged by rogue owners; even though all three clubs failed to honour their commitments to HMRC; even though all three clubs spent beyond their means, Regan, and his fellow travellers in the press, continue to sustain the myth that there is no comparison between these situations. There are many, many similarities between these clubs, yet we have been vilified and pilloried at every twist and turn, whilst Hearts and Dunfermline are deemed to be clubs in â??distressâ?? to whom Stewart Regan would give money from the SFA â??walletâ?? if it were in his power to so do.

 

Nevertheless, our fight is not with Hearts and Dunfermline nor, indeed, with any club that may find itself in the same unenviable position â?? no matter how vitriolic their fans and officials may have been. Our fight is with those, like Stewart Regan and Neil Doncaster who have manipulated these situations to suit their respective agendas. Our fight is with the managing Boards of the SFA and SPL that have consistently endorsed the partisan policies of both Chief Executives, whilst encouraging them to even greater excesses. Our fight is against those who sought our demise and sought to cloak their vindictiveness and hatred under the guise of â??sporting integrityâ??.

 

What we must do now is be vigilant. We must ensure that the rules are applied fairly and equitably to all, and that no club suffers unjustly. Our job now is not to seek retribution against Hearts or Dunfermline but, rather, to make sure that Regan and Doncaster apply the rules consistently and in accordance with the precedents they have so publically set during the past 16 months. If they fail to apply their rules and sanctions consistently; if Hearts and Dunfermline are treated more favourably, then Rangers must challenge that unfairness, and must do so in the courts if necessary, with the financial help of the Rangers Fans Fighting Fund.

 

In saying that, it is a source of considerable regret that the magnificent fans of our great club have been left to fight the battles that should rightly be fought by our Board. No, I donâ??t believe we should challenge every Tom, Dick and Harry, or mad internet blogger, who attacks the club. But it is a sad indictment of our executive, and non-executive, directors, that supporters have had to carry the fight to organisations like the BBC who have consistently misrepresented our position over the past 16 months. It is a real source of concern that the club continues to maintain the traditional â??dignified silenceâ?? in circumstances where a strong, forthright and robust defence is often required. Indeed, where such a defence is mounted, it is almost always made by the fans themselves. Were it not for the magnificent efforts of prominent Rangers fans, there is no doubt that our detractors would have had an uncontested â??fieldâ?? in the press and broadcast media for their misrepresentations, slights and inaccuracies. It is little wonder, therefore, that many fans question the appointment of James Traynor as Director of Communications, when it seems we communicate infrequently, and challenge our detractors so rarely.

 

But, perhaps, the most disappointing aspect of our ongoing fight for revival, rehabilitation and restitution is the very obvious disunity of Rangers fans. The fleeting cooperation of last Aprilâ??s momentous protest march to Hampden, when fans united behind the banner, â??Rangers Fans All Together Nowâ?, is a dim and distant memory. I suspect that banner might now read, â??Rangers Fans Fractured Nowâ?. Nowadays we seem to spend our time squabbling and bickering on internet sites, while blogger attacks blogger and fan attacks fan. Even those who worked so hard to sustain their complaints against the BBCâ??s biased journalism recently came in for unwarranted criticism on several sites!

 

If we are to regain our rightful place in Scottish football â?? whatever the â??reconstructedâ?? leagues may look like in future â?? then we must learn from our enemies and detractors. We must learn the bitter lessons of the past 16 months or continue into be treated as football pariahs. We must harness the tactics of our enemies and turn them to our advantage. Celtic have done so to great advantage, despite the many warring factions that characterise that club. They rarely wash their dirty linen in public, and they know when, and on what issues, to maintain a united (and almost unbreakable) front. Thatâ??s why they dominate the SFA and the SPL, and why they will dominate the new SPFL when it comes into existence shortly.

 

The fact is we have contributed heavily to our ongoing problems by our very public infighting; our factionalism and our obvious lack of direction and leadership. At some point â?? hopefully in the not too distant future â?? we will come to realise that there is more to unite us than divide us. Perhaps we will quickly come to the realisation, as Abraham Lincoln did that, â??a house divided against itself cannot standâ?? . As Winston Churchill once famously said, â??When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.â? Either we put our petty squabbles aside and unite, or we will never again be able to display the strength and leadership that was the hallmark of our club in the past.

[pete 2,499]

Thanks mate I enjoyed reading that, although the thought of that smug-assed smile of Regan had me heading the wall.

[Blinkyman 0]

I may not understand the internal politics of the forum but it fails me to understand the lack of response to this excellent thread.

What is the usual comment, " noticeable by the silence"....................

[UCF2008 0]

I agree with a lot of what the OP mentions and it is a well written article.

 

However, I do take issue with a couple of points. For one I don't personally believe the support is more fractured than usual. We all have our own points of view and internet forums provide a platform to voice them and debate issues. Internet forums aren't however a reliable guage of the opinion of the broader spectrum of the Rangers support nor do they provide a clear picture of the unity or lack thereof within our fanbase. Inter-forum political clashes and petty squabbling are rife, but this isn't anything new. It's been this way for years. Even before we had anything to really piss us off and be at one anothers throats over like we have in the past year we were still managing to do so just fine.

 

Sustained high attendances at Ibrox and wherever our team has played over the past year tells me all I need to know about the state of our support. I'd say it's in pretty good health. We don't all agree on everything, but why should we? We should be proud of our individuality and diversity. We are the people. We're not sheep. We're not automatons. We don't bow down to anyone.

 

We're not like them and the last thing I'd want for us is to start playing them at their own game. They are where they are at the top of the SPL not because they outplayed or outsmarted us but because they conspired and cheated and eventually it paid off for them. We're on our way back though and that alone leaves a sour taste in their mouths as they toast their hollow victory. Leave them to it. They'll get their comeuppance.

[Guest JCS]

I agree with a lot of what the OP mentions and it is a well written article.

 

However, I do take issue with a couple of points. For one I don't personally believe the support is more fractured than usual. We all have our own points of view and internet forums provide a platform to voice them and debate issues. Internet forums aren't however a reliable guage of the opinion of the broader spectrum of the Rangers support nor do they provide a clear picture of the unity or lack thereof within our fanbase. Inter-forum political clashes and petty squabbling are rife, but this isn't anything new. It's been this way for years. Even before we had anything to really piss us off and be at one anothers throats over like we have in the past year we were still managing to do so just fine.

 

Sustained high attendances at Ibrox and wherever our team has played over the past year tells me all I need to know about the state of our support. I'd say it's in pretty good health. We don't all agree on everything, but why should we? We should be proud of our individuality and diversity. We are the people. We're not sheep. We're not automatons. We don't bow down to anyone.

 

We're not like them and the last thing I'd want for us is to start playing them at their own game. They are where they are at the top of the SPL not because they outplayed or outsmarted us but because they conspired and cheated and eventually it paid off for them. We're on our way back though and that alone leaves a sour taste in their mouths as they toast their hollow victory. Leave them to it. They'll get their comeuppance.

 

I wholeheartedly agree that the internet is not a reliable measure of opinion- and certainly not a gauge of the collective views of Rangers fans - but it is a 'snapshot' of those views, and many of the more 'prominent' representatives give forth on various sites about current 'issues' within our support. We are, indeed, a very broad church, and long may that continue, but there are many fundemental issues on which we find it difficult to articulate a collective view, when a cogent, collective response would be helpful and influential. Our support is magnificant, and my criticisms are maore about tactics than division, but the rivalies that are evident between certain groups is unhelpful and often magnified out of all proportion. You are right to say that we have our own - unique - identity, and we must maintain that at all costs - but in these unique circumstances for our club, the petty squabbling and the political in-fighting is hurting us. Like you I care not a jot for Celtic or their supporters, but he can, nonetheless, learn from their strategy and tactics. That is not to sat that we should adopt them but, rather than we should be aware of them. Thanks for your comments

[Blue Moon 1,118]

What a great article.

 

I could feel my hackles rising as I was reading it.

 

What I would say is that there are too many fans groups.

[der Berliner 3,286]

Gersnet is a great place to be. If people with interesting and informative articles like the above would make these available to the Main Site, it would go out into the world via NewsNow, Twitter et al. That is how you can make far more people aware of your and our thoughts on the matter, littered with the facts you apparently do not see in the Scottish media.

Edited June 25, 2013 by der Berliner

[UCF2008 0]

We are, indeed, a very broad church, and long may that continue, but there are many fundemental issues on which we find it difficult to articulate a collective view, when a cogent, collective response would be helpful and influential.

 

I agree and while I have been and remain skeptical of a fan ownership model I do think that having a supporters representative on the board could be a step towards achieving a more cohesive response. We need a conduit through which our opinions can be gathered, balanced and expressed on our behalf both to the club and the media.

 

How we would go about acheiving this aim is, I would guess more difficult from our end than it would be for the club. Nonetheless, if we can successully nominate and elect such a spokesperson then I think at this point in time the club would be open to it.

 

Like you I care not a jot for Celtic or their supporters, but he can, nonetheless, learn from their strategy and tactics. That is not to sat that we should adopt them but, rather than we should be aware of them.

 

Absolutely. We should always be on our toes and ready to fend off their attacks. They'e relentless. I'll give them that. Funnily enough though I think it's their collective mindset which is their undoing when it comes to deploying many of their underhand tactics. You can see them coming a mile off mainly because they're all singing from the same hymn sheet.

[calscot 0]

I may not understand the internal politics of the forum but it fails me to understand the lack of response to this excellent thread.

What is the usual comment, " noticeable by the silence"....................

 

Sometimes there is a lot less to say when you completely agree with something... That's what the agree and thanks buttons are for, and the OP seems to have had a number of those...

[BlueMazza 0]

Great article. You've given me a timely reminder of Regan' behaviour. With things settling down a bit at Rangers, it's easy to put to the back of your mind all the hate we've had.