Spiers and The Herald have a slice of humble pie.

[26th of foot 5,827]

Who’s next in line for the bully boys?

 

By Robbie Dinwoodie

 

IN 42 years in print journalism I have never come across a worse failure of a newspaper to back a writer than that of The Herald and Graham Spiers.

I left The Herald four months ago on good terms and the paper had my loyalty for 28 years. Should a reporter get something wrong there is a duty to raise a hand and accept responsibility. But when a journalist insists on and can prove the veracity of a story an editor should provide full backing. That’s the deal.

Yesterday this apology was carried by the newspaper’s website: “In a recent column for heraldscotland, Graham Spiers said an un-named Rangers director had praised the song The Billy Boys.

“He also questioned the willingness of Rangers directors to tackle offensive behaviour, and The Herald and Graham Spiers accept this was inaccurate.”

But Spiers, himself a Rangers supporter who was once given police advice on threats from the club’s fanatics, did not and does not accept this. “My opinion – as expressed in my column – was based on a truthful account of my meeting with a Rangers director,” he insisted yesterday in a statement saying “the pressure brought upon the newspaper became severe.”

A hard-line fans’ website swiftly boasted that the threat of withdrawal of £40,000 in advertising revenues by motor sales and coach operators Park’s clinched the climb-down. The owner is a Rangers director. I hope this is not true.

The irony is that this website — the same unsavoury crowd who recently threatened critics and their wives and children — loudly trumpet the merits of the full bigoted songbook at Ibrox. The previous article proclaimed the Billy Boys football’s “haka” for the Protestant Unionist Loyalist community.

It used to be press passes and access which were threatened. If it’s advertising, who’s next?

 

https://robbiedinwoodie.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/whos-next-in-line-for-the-bully-boys/

 

Okay Robbie, I'll bite.

 

When John McGuire, owner of Phoenix Honda decided to remove several pages of full page, full colour advertising(three days of each week) in protest at the Daily Record printing the headline, 'Thugs and Thieves', what did you write?

 

Remember, Sellik players chased, and ran down a reporter and photographer during their Christmas night out in Newcastle? They stripped the snapper of his most expensive equipment and lobbed it into the river. Hence, 'Thugs and Thieves'. McGuire exercised his right and went further, he transferred the entire advertising budget to Radio Snyde on a five year deal. McGuire was delighted that the then Chief Execuitive of the station was former Sellik PRO(when did he ever cease) and stated, "delighted to invest in a Celtic friendly environment".

 

I would wager that as a man of principle, you penned a hard hitting article in support of your fellow NUJ members, didn't you?

[ian1964 10,409]

Angela Haggerty sacked by The Herald

 

Captain Haggerty‏@AngelaHaggerty

I have been sacked from my Sunday Herald column after expressing solidarity with @GrahamSpiers

 

Edited January 29, 2016 by Frankie

[craig 5,195]

Angela Haggerty sacked by The Herald

 

Captain Haggerty‏@AngelaHaggerty

I have been sacked from my Sunday Herald column after expressing solidarity with @GrahamSpiers

 

 

Or maybe just because she is a bigot, or a terrible columnist.....

[Frankie 8,146]

What a shame!

 

PS: Please keep criticism sensible and avoid name-calling.

[ian1964 10,409]

Jeez!,it's getting like Sunday school on here!...................

[der Berliner 3,234]

The sanctification of soon to be St. Angela is in full swing, hot on the heels of Spiers' and McLaughlin's. Since we don't want to give the scribler any unnecessary hits, feel their pain here:

 

Scottish Media Failure Exposed

 

Veteran Scottish journalist Robbie Dinwoodie writes: “…in 42 years in print journalism I have never come across a worse failure of a newspaper to back a writer than that of The Herald and Graham Spiers” and asks: “Who’s next in line for the bully boys?”

 

It seems we didn’t have long to wait for an answer.

 

Next in line is Angela Haggerty, editor of Common Space and Sunday Herald columnist, unceremoniously ditched by the Herald editor Magnus Llewellin after pressure from the Rangers board. The reason? She was told that “representatives of the Rangers board” threatened legal action after she expressed solidarity with Graham Spiers on Twitter, who himself was under attack for writing a column about Rangers. See Graham’s statement about the affair here.

 

This is nothing less than disgraceful intimidation by Rangers FC aimed at silencing critical voices. It has no place in a Scottish democracy and should be condemned by all regardless of affiliation or club support. Haggerty writes: “The irony of this happening less than a week after my column about intimidation at the hands of Rangers fans is just beyond belief and I’m feeling quite upset about the whole thing tonight. I’ve been sacked simply for expressing support for a fellow journalist. They’ve just reinforced the mob mentality.”

 

Haggerty told us: “I’m deeply saddened and disappointed by this decision. This is a very dark day for freedom of the press in Scotland. This dangerously reinforces the behaviour of all of those who have targeted me since 2012 with racist and misogynistic abuse, as well as more sinister threats and harassment. At times I genuinely fear for my safety in this environment. The only positive that can come from this is for all of us to respond with an even louder message: we will not be intimidated, we will not be silenced and these campaigns of harassment have no place in Scotland. It has gone on for far too long.”

 

Robbie Dinwoodie explaining the Graham Spiers case writes: “Yesterday this apology was carried by the newspaper’s website: “In a recent column for heraldscotland, Graham Spiers said an un-named Rangers director had praised the song The Billy Boys. “He also questioned the willingness of Rangers directors to tackle offensive behaviour, and The Herald and Graham Spiers accept this was inaccurate.” But Spiers, himself a Rangers supporter who was once given police advice on threats from the club’s fanatics, did not and does not accept this. “My opinion – as expressed in my column – was based on a truthful account of my meeting with a Rangers director,” he insisted yesterday in a statement saying “the pressure brought upon the newspaper became severe.”

 

Let’s be clear, what’s at stake here is not the sensibility of one writer, or one football club, the principle of free speech is under threat by the total weakness and culpability of the Herald newspaper editor. He should be protecting and supporting his writing staff not capitulating to threats.

 

The club’s track record on bans and intimidation is well-known. The BBC’s Chris McLaughlin was last year banned for including in his match report of a Rangers – Hibs match mentions of three arrests for sectarian singing.

 

This ban has recently been just been re-instated with the BBC issuing the following statement: “BBC Scotland said: “We are disappointed that Rangers took the decision to ban our reporter Chris McLaughlin from Ibrox. We believe it is unjustifiable and we stand by the integrity and the quality of our journalism. We will continue to report on Rangers both on and off the pitch and will feature match action where appropriate but, until this issue is resolved, we will not be sending journalists to Ibrox or attending Rangers’ press conferences.”

 

At least in this instance a media outlet had the good sense to support their journalist. In Haggerty and Spiers case they have just capitulated. It will be interesting to see what the SPFL, the NUJ, Scottish PEN and the wider Scottish football community’s response is to this. Bella Caledonia can only offer complete solidarity to both writers. Angela Haggerty’s Sunday Herald column will be appearing in these pages instead of in print on Sunday. We hope you will read it here.

 

http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2016/01/29/scottish-media-failure-exposed/

 

Big bad Rangers board forces the hand of the independent and free media. Yep. I can fully understand the sentiments of this fellow "Rangers fan":*

 

Arthur Wilson 2 hours ago

 

I have been a Rangers supporters for over 60 years.

 

The people running the club are a disgrace to the name. I will not be back to Ibrox as this is not the club i love.

 

Shameful behaviour by the Herald. I will never buy that rag again.

 

This could lead to a slander lawcase against the website's owner, if someone takes it up:

Andy Borland 14 mins ago

 

How pleased the fascist underclass of the Rangers support must be to have their views mirrored by the Rangers directors.

 

As for the Sunday Herald, if they are incapable of supporting their journalists then they should have no expectation for the continued support of their readership.

 

*Just in case, this is irony.

Edited January 29, 2016 by der Berliner

[Frankie 8,146]

Jeez!,it's getting like Sunday school on here!...................

 

This forum has a reasonable reputation of being free from daft abuse.

 

As much as I cannot stand that woman let's not give her ammunition for her unfair generalisations.

[Germinal 27]

You'd have to suspect the paper of using a convenient excuse to cut costs. Expressing solidarity is hardly a stackable offence.

[craig 5,195]

You'd have to suspect the paper of using a convenient excuse to cut costs. Expressing solidarity is hardly a stackable offence.

 

Nah, it is all #Rangersbad don't you know....

 

Seems that Rangers have been converted from being a basketcase to fascists to convenient patsies now.

 

What a squalid sports media Scotland has

[Frankie 8,146]

You'd have to suspect the paper of using a convenient excuse to cut costs. Expressing solidarity is hardly a stackable offence.

 

If my company sacked someone and I went onto social media to criticise them, I doubt I'd be flavour of the month either. Especially if I repeated the sacked colleague's comments.