Priorities, Retweets and Poor Company

[JohnMc 2,463]

It's been bugging me since Saturday night and I needed an outlet for it! I don't know where the 'Writer's' forum bit is anymore, I can't find it. So I've posted it in here, take it out if it's not suitable for the Rangers forum, publish it on the main site or ignore it and let it drop off the page, I'd an itch I needed to scratch and now it's done!

 

 

 

I’ve read a number of articles over the last 12 months about how Donald Trump’s mastery of Twitter has played a huge part in securing firstly the Republican nomination and then the presidency of the United States. The Washington Post described Trump as the “master troll” and his use of Twitter clearly allowed him to garner as many column inches is it does followers. The ability to speak, or at least tweet, directly to the soon to be most powerful man in the world is one of astonishing things that we now take for granted. Up to this point politicians for most of my life have been otherworldly beings. Seen and heard only through the media successful politicians mastered sound-bites, oratory, a wholesome look and the ability to smile on demand. Social media is changing that.

 

I went onto Twitter on Saturday evening to see what was happening in the world. My timeline is mixed and contains people from my professional life, allotment and gardener writers, photographers and naturalists, journalists, politicians of various hues and, of course, some football talk. Two stories caught my eye; the untimely death of the writer and journalist A.A. Gill and a Glasgow based MSP called James Dornan asking for an investigation into safety at Ibrox.

 

Dornan seemed to be suggesting there was cause for concern regarding the structural well-being of Scotland’s finest football ground. Naturally I was alarmed by this and looked to find the source of his concern; I hadn’t expected it to be a delusional, obsessive Irish blogger called Phil Macgiollabhain. Who, and what, Mr Dornan chooses to read in his spare time is his business, but whom he chooses to re-tweet is an insight into his priorities and his judgement. Many people were rightly appalled. The blogger in question, like Donald Trump, has managed to find an audience for his bizarre world-views. He writes with an earnestness found only in the fanatically neurotic, it reminds me of David Icke’s famous appearance on Wogan when he was convinced he was the son of God. Like all of us he has a living to make and he’s clearly found a constituency for his world views in the unhinged, fringe of Scottish society, if he can make a buck out of them who am I to judge. Still, it was a surprise to find an MSP among them.

 

The Sunday Times columnist, A.A. Gill, died of cancer at the weekend, he was 62. I didn’t always agree with what Gill wrote, but I usually enjoyed how he wrote it. Acerbic, humourous, thought provoking and challenging, Gill was a master of words and had been at the top of his profession for several decades. His death prompted me to buy the Sunday Times once again and read his final article, ironically about the diagnosis and treatment of his cancer. Being published the day after his death added to its poignancy but it was Gill’s insight into cancer survival rates that struck a nerve with me. The UK has the worst cancer survival rates of any Western European country, and, of the UK, Scotland has the worst rates of all. In Scotland you’ve a 46.6% chance of surviving cancer, in Northern Ireland it’s 51%, in Germany 59.1% and in Sweden it’s 64.7%. My mother was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, like me, she lives in Glasgow, the centre of the developed world’s worst example of cancer prevention, detection and treatment. We should be ashamed.

 

I try and avoid much of the faux outrage I see online. As a middle-aged father I long ago figured out where the importance of football really comes in the grand scheme of things. But I was genuinely angry at the priorities and choices being made by this particular elected politician. If we take Mr Dornan at face-value and accept his explanation that he’s concerned for the welfare of supporters then you still have to ask why the Retweet? Why not place a call to Glasgow Council, or to Rangers themselves, and find out if safety certificates are in place and up-to-date, surely as an MSP you carry a bit of clout and can get answers? Wouldn’t that have achieved more or is trolling now so ingrained in those who seek public office that what is seen is more important than what can be done?

 

What offends me most though is that any MSP, MP, MEP or councillor in Scotland feels that this is a subject they should be engaging on. The lowest cancer survival rates in Europe news followed on from the report that Scotland's schools have recorded their worst ever performance. With three children at the local primary and a mother visiting the Beatson every fortnight I don’t care what delusional narcissist bloggers make up and I don’t expect members of the Scottish Parliament to care either.

 

Here’s the thing, I’m exactly who you need to be reaching out too Mr Dornan. I’m not a died-in-the-wool unionist, I’ve voted SNP before, and may do again, but I voted ‘No’ in the referendum. I’m one of 55% that needs to be won over. Here’s a clue, trolling football supporters isn’t the way to do it. Focus on the things that are really wrong with this country whilst you have the chance, things that really concern your constituents and the vast majority of the people who live in Glasgow. There’s Japanese proverb; ‘When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends’, maybe that might help you understand why so many were appalled by your Tweet. By the way Japan has a cancer survival rate of 58.2%.

[Frankie 8,146]

Excellent stuff mate - now online:

 

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/news-category/current-affairs/720-priorities-retweets-and-poor-company

Edited December 13, 2016 by Frankie

[RANGERRAB 3,254]

Since McConnell & John Reid made SLAB unelectable, the yahoos have all jumped ship to the SNP.

 

Dornan is a media junkie& SNP MSP( he was on Scotland tonight again last night) trying to win votes & support from the yahoos here over an unfounded story from an unreliable source. TheRangers board must now come out with a clear statement that these stories are complete nonsense & anyone saying otherwise will face litigation

 

FWIW there is only one stadium in Glasgow whose safety certificate I'd question and that in the east end. It's regards their old main stand whose roof is held up by pillars which are removed on matchdays. How unsafe does that sound?

Edited December 13, 2016 by RANGERRAB

[BlueMazza 0]

FWIW there is only one stadium in Glasgow whose safety certificate I'd question and that in the east end. It's regards their old main stand whose roof is held up by pillars which are removed on matchdays. How unsafe does that sound?

 

I've never heard of this before? That's quite extraordinary.

[Frankie 8,146]

FYI, we don't have the Writer's forum anymore as it was under-used.

 

If anyone wants their work published on the main site contact myself or Rousseau and we'll publish as soon as we can. Now and again we'll lift posts directly from the forum and/or ask people to expand on them but it's much better if you get in touch specifically so we can decide timing/author name/promo etc.

 

Many thanks!

[RANGERRAB 3,254]

I've never heard of this before? That's quite extraordinary.

 

GOOGLE their main stand & look at the images. You can't miss these pillars which get removed on matchdays obviously for viewing purposes. I don't know either til I was told about a month ago.

[26th of foot 5,827]

I've never heard of this before? That's quite extraordinary.

 

Sellik's Main Stand was reconstructed during season 70/71, they played home matches at Hampden that season. There has been rounds of constant litigation akin to to Bleak House's notorious case, 'Jarndyce and Jarndyce' ever since. A civil Engineering report some twenty-odd years past, demanded two wind-in/wind-out steel pillars be placed at either end of the pedal bin roof, as necessary support for the structure. The supports are removed(wound out) an hour before kick-off, and replaced(wound in) an hour after.

 

As for safety certificates, when McCann rebuilt the North Stand, the then Fire Officer would not issue said certificate because of the tunnel created by the stand's considerable over-hang, up and over the 10 foot high graveyard wall, at Janefield Street(one of three streets sold to ra Sellik by the then GDC, for a penny). Another Fire Officer was found, who saw the situation, 'the Sellik Way'.

[Darthter 542]

I think it is one major downside of Social Media.....it give people (from all walks of life) a sense of being someone.

Look at all the folk making £m's via YouTube for doing thing more than playing video games, make-up demos, video blogs of their everyday life.

Too many folk (particularly politicians) seek voter "approval" via their social media feeds - makes them look accessible to the voters. As the OP points out, they would rather try & increase their twitter following than actually do something practical. It's one thing a normal punter tweeting/re-tweeting about this kinda stuff - their options for action are very limited, but a MP/MSP etc, they can actually do something about the situation - their position carries clout.

 

Politicians need to remember that their position exists to serve the voters in their constituency.....therefore I'm sure a few complaints from his local voters may spur a wee change in attitude.

 

For the record, I am a fully paid up SNP member, and support 100% an independent Scotland, but MP's, regardless of their party, need to start tackling the REAL issues affecting this country.

[Yorkie Bear 505]

Well written, thoughtful articles like this is why Gers Net should be the go to site for all Bluenoses.

[RANGERRAB 3,254]

Sellik's Main Stand was reconstructed during season 70/71, they played home matches at Hampden that season. There has been rounds of constant litigation akin to to Bleak House's notorious case, 'Jarndyce and Jarndyce' ever since. A civil Engineering report some twenty-odd years past, demanded two wind-in/wind-out steel pillars be placed at either end of the pedal bin roof, as necessary support for the structure. The supports are removed(wound out) an hour before kick-off, and replaced(wound in) an hour after.

 

As for safety certificates, when McCann rebuilt the North Stand, the then Fire Officer would not issue said certificate because of the tunnel created by the stand's considerable over-hang, up and over the 10 foot high graveyard wall, at Janefield Street(one of three streets sold to ra Sellik by the then GDC, for a penny). Another Fire Officer was found, who saw the situation, 'the Sellik Way'.

 

And of course there is absolutely no chance of the roof collapsing during a game when these supports are removed ????

 

But the biggest issue of all is how McCann got planning permission to build three new stands after their old board said you couldn't build on that site. Rumours of old mine shafts underneath meant redevelopment supposedly wasn't possible.