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Showing results for tags 'ibrox disaster'.
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did you know that when jim baxter had his trial for raith rovers it was against the rangers .
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From the Record. And what is allowed. -
THE emotional pull of the 1971 stadium disaster in which 66 people died means that Rangers must never give up the lease of Ibrox. ”THE disaster will never leave me. Never a day goes by that it doesn’t go through my mind. “I still get letters from guys who have never been back to Ibrox for a game since that day. I have taken some of them around the stadium for them to see what it is like now. “The new stadium is, in fact, a testament to those who died. In the trophy room there is a beautiful picture of the old stadium up on the wall. For me it is one of the most important things in that room and I make a point of showing it to the people who go there. “It’s important, especially for the young fans who have only seen the new stadium, that they know the history of this club, where we came from and why we came from that point.” Those words were spoken by John Greig as he received his Greatest Ranger Ever award on March 1999. The people guising as the guardians of Rangers would do well to read them and let them sink in. And perhaps listen to the words of a man I interviewed on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Ibrox Disaster. I must have written about hundreds of people in the 20 years I have worked for this newspaper but few of them left the kind of impression a softly-spoken Airdrie man did when he invited me into his home just after Christmas in 2000. Matt Reid was a 49-year-old man but a part of him was forever 19 – the age he was when he survived the disaster but lost his father, one of the 66 people swept to their deaths when the barriers crumpled on Staircase 13. Matt’s description of the horrors of that day remain vivid in the mind of this Glaswegian who was only eight in ’71 but whose own dad was in the crowd that day. He came home. We were among the lucky ones. Matt Reid spent three months in hospital after the crush. It wasn’t only his thigh bone that had broken. His heart was too. He said: “The game was a blank but every other detail is vivid. The final whistle went and we moved straight up the terracing to make our way out. We took a left, walking alongside the back corrugated shuttering, getting 20 or 30 feet, then a surge started and we got carried off our feet. “My father was agitated because people were crushing and he was protective towards me. He was panicking more than me because I’d encountered crushing before at other matches. “When we got to the top of exit 13, people were coming from three different directions to reach it. It was like trying to put a gallon of water into a pint bowl. “The crushing was really bad at the top of the stair but I wasn’t too concerned at that point, certainly not in fear of my life. But when the surging happened again I thought I would be swept down the stairs so I got a grip of a six-foot fence running parallel with the handrail all the way down that stair and I wasn’t for letting go. My father was behind me at that point. “The force of the people coming down behind me was so strong I started to lose my grip. Just at that point I heard metal grinding and crushing just down the stair below where I was. “It was like a wave of people being carried out the way as well as down and that’s when the barriers must have mangled. That’s when my father got swept away. It was as if he had been swept away on a wave of water. “I was still trying to cling on and it must have been horrible for him – the last thing I heard him shout was, ‘Oh Christ, my boy’. After about 10 minutes I finally couldn’t hold on and went down on to the stair, face down and facing the bottom. “Again there were surges and I felt people getting carried over me. I could feel their heels on my back, then when they stopped moving, this guy was standing square on my back. There was nothing the guy could have done but to me he felt about 16 stone. “I was being crushed and that’s when I was sick. The pie and Bovril I’d had during the game came back up. To this day, when I smell Bovril, I’m back there, lying face down on those stairs.” Matt was finally rescued from beneath a pile of bodies and went on to marry the nurse who cared for him in the Southern General Hospital. The one good thing to come out of the Disaster, he told me that day. But for generations of Rangers fans, another good thing came out of that terrible afternoon. Ibrox was rebuilt and in many ways has become a monument to those who fell on January 2, 1971. It’s not only the names of the dead on the wall, it’s not about the statue of Greig – the man, who with Sandy Jardine and the other Rangers players, attended so many funerals in the weeks that followed. No, the spirit of the 66 is seeped into those red bricks. They are a part of that rebuilt stadium. You might not see it but you feel it, particularly every January. Ibrox Stadium is a memorial to these people, as much as it is a stage upon which the hopes and dreams of thousands have been played out over the years. And now the very people who are supposed to be custodians of this club seem to be prepared to hand it over to Mike Ashley. They’ve posted an advance notice with the Register of Scotland, which would mean if they accept another loan from the Sports Direct tycoon and default on the repayment terms, they’d have to sell it to raise the cash to pay him back. Think about that for a moment. The very people entrusted with looking after the best interests of their club have put its ownership of the stadium at risk. The Rangers board which agreed to this set of circumstances have to examine their consciences. Two of them, Derek Llambias and Barry Leach are Ashley’s men of course. As the Newcastle owner drip-fed loan deals to keep the lights on at Ibrox he demanded more and more control. This is a man who refused to pay into the last share issue, then spent £800,000 shortly after buying them from another investor, which meant Rangers didn’t receive a penny of that money. In desperation the club had to go cap in hand to him for more cash and thus he was able to exert even more influence. If Ashley, Llambias and Leach have squared off those tactics in their own minds so be it. But perhaps they should sit down with the relatives of the 66, look into their eyes, and tell them Ibrox may no longer belong to Rangers. If they can do that without blinking then Rangers really are careering into hell on a handcart. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/david-mccarthy-66-reasons-rangers-5001307 -
EGM requisition has been delivered to Ibrox within the last couple of minutes. Statement klaxon to follow no doubt.
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There will some of you reading this who, like me, are old enough to remember the Ibrox Disaster and the aftermath. They were indeed the darkest of times, and words cannot adequately convey what it was like to live through it. I can’t begin to imagine what it was like for those who lost loved ones, but I know how bad it was for those of us who knew some of those who perished. As a support we needed hope and Willie Waddell gave us that. He spoke of building a stadium which would stand as a testament, a memorial to those who perished that day – and he delivered. The wonderful stadium we have today is that legacy from yesteryear. I’m sure I’m not alone amongst our support who recognise our modern day Ibrox, not just as a stadium but a living memorial, a tribute to those who perished. Ibrox is not just a stadium, it is a beacon of hope, of remembrance, of inspiration to every one of us who cast a favourable eye towards her. Quite simply she is beyond price. Even during the aftermath of Whyte, the fact we had a stadium and a support like ours filled me with hope and optimism for the future, even during the blackest of news days, and of course, there were many of them. I could witter on all day about broken promises, broken assurances and cite examples, but what would be the point? If men cannot understand the significance of their actions today, or what Ibrox means to us, the fans, then I doubt they will lose much sleep over their broken promises. As I’ve warned for some time, those currently at the helm of our club are not fit for purpose. Furthermore they clearly know nothing about our club, nor care for our traditions, our values or our history. As a beacon which has served this support for generations is dimmed by the actions of imposters, perhaps it will prove to be the spark which brings unity and a unified sense of purpose to those who truly care about our club. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
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God Bless the 66.
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BBCBMcLauchlin @BBCBMcLauchlin 1m1 minute ago George Letham, George Taylor and Douglas Park offer Rangers £6.5million alternative to Mike Ashley investment#bbcsportscot -
Posted on Facebook by Jim Hannah Dear All, Please all see attached pictures from the IBROX DISASTER MEMORIAL PLINTH; You will notice the face of the Memorial plinth has changed, the brickwork was in such a state of dis-repair, I decided to call in a brick builder to see what was happening and what could be done to resolve the problem. The bricklayer told me the reason the bricks were breaking up, was water had got into the brickwork and when it froze and then expanded the brickwork started to break up. Given some of the conversations I’ve had over the years with some of the families, the thing that crept up more than once was the size of the text on the Blue panels, it was so small you could hardly read it, also the picture in the middle was of fans celebrating, which to be honest in my opinion was in bad taste, given it was a Memorial for the Fans who tragically died in three separate disasters at the Stadium. I spoke to the brick layer and asked if he could engrave the names of every Fan who tragically died in the three Ibrox disasters before then, thankfully he said he could turn it round in time. The brickwork finished yesterday and each one of the Disasters has its own panel. I also spoke to a Rangers Fan Billy Rafferty, (who does iron work) and asked if he could oblige and erect a small railing around the Ibrox Disaster plinth which he agreed to do in a matter of hours before his company broke up for the holidays. The reason for the small railing was to hold the wreaths and flowers in place with as you will all know blew all over the place when it was windy. Unfortunately, I did not have time to contact all the Family members before embarking on the repair work which was carried out on the Memorial plinth, I apologise for this, however I hope you all understand it was carried out with the best intentions of the Families and the Fans who tragically died at Ibrox Stadium in the 1902, 1961 and 1971 Disasters. Best Regards Jim Hannah Rangers FC
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Rangers Supporters @rangersfctrust · 2h2 hours ago The RST has tonight released the following statement:Read: http://tl.gd/n_1sj12bm The RST has tonight released the following statement: The Rangers Supporters Trust is disgusted to learn that a group of Celtic fans daubed offensive, sectarian graffiti, mocking the Ibrox disaster, on the walls of Tynecastle stadium during a recent visit there. We are even more disgusted by the attitude of Celtic Football Club towards this incident, which is to try to distance themselves from the behaviour of their fans rather than taking responsibility for it. We welcome Ann Budge's recent statement and fully support her attempts to highlight the disgraceful behaviour of a sizeable minority of the Celtic support. The group responsible for this are affiliated with The Green Brigade, who have been encouraged and tolerated by Celtic Football Club officials. This despite outward shows of support for the IRA and various offensive banners including one protesting against Remembrance Sunday. In the past few years we have seen riots in Dundee, wide-scale vandalism and disorder at Fir Park and Tynecastle and various acts of public disorder in Glasgow centred around Celtic fans. Throughout all this, Celtic's PR machine, has sought to quell reporting of these incidents and no substantive action has been taken against the perpetrators by the Celtic Chief Executive, Peter Lawwell. Celtic Football Club has a major, ongoing issue with their fans which their constant denial of facts will not solve. Their official fan groups, including the Celtic Trust, seek to legitimise this behaviour by, for instance, campaigning for the right to display public support for terrorism without penalty. We hope that belatedly, with their fans' disgraceful mocking of the Ibrox disaster, Celtic will start to take their hooliganism problem seriously and the SPFL and SFA will do likewise, despite the strong influence wielded by Celtic in their boardrooms
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A few of our members and subscribers over the last year or so will remember that an English production company were aiming to put together a feature-length documentary into the experiences of the fans over the last few years coupled with help from various supporters, players and RSCs. I'm pleased to say that after around nine month's work, these efforts are about to be published by way of a 90minute cinema film (and DVD release) over the next month or so. SDMC Productions kindly gave me an opportunity to put together a short review of an early edit of the documentary ahead of the final release which now follows. At the outset I think it's important to note that the budget for this film was partially crowd-funded and, thus, quite small so I certainly didn't expect a Hollywood standard production. As such, if the viewer can tune their expectations to that level then they'll get more out of the experience. With that in mind, it's fair to say I enjoyed some aspects of the film whilst being slightly disappointed in others. Basically, the documentary follows and interviews a number of fans in their Rangers supporting rituals and experiences - some related to events since 2011/12, some of a more general nature. While it can be said that a few of the interviews are perhaps somewhat repetitive and occasionally bland, the viewer can't fail to feel the love these fans have for their club. As much as every Rangers fan supports/views the club in a different way, I could definitely feel an affinity in which the passion these guys follow follow. That passion is certainly aided by some of the (apparently expensive) archive footage contained in the video. Whether it's the goals from our Cup Winners' Cup win in Barcelona '72 or Lee McCulloch grabbing another winner against lower league opposition, I'll never tire of cheering them in. That glimpse of our continuing history should evoke pride in all of us. In addition to the footage, interviews with Dave Smith and Dave McPherson show just what the club means to former players as well. My edit didn't have the interviews with Gordon Smith and Alex Rae but I'm sure the final version will emphasise that player/fan relationship. Unfortunately, where the producers missed a trick was perhaps not concentrating a little bit more on not only where the club is now but why. In that sense, some of the fan interviews only very lightly touched on the events of 2-3 years ago and I feel a more in-depth examination of Rangers troubles may have been appreciated. However, on our forum, the film director did say they weren't overly interested in an exposé of what happened but I do believe more should have been made of why we are where we are now. Similarly, while the untimely death of Sandy Jardine and the Ibrox Disaster of 1971 are understandably juxtaposed later in the film, this felt rather clumsy. Taking these comments on board, while I certainly enjoyed parts of the documentary, for some, the content may be seen as superficial or overly sentimental. However, that's not necessarily a major criticism as supporting Rangers nowadays - be it the daily financial or legal analysis - can be a complicated and stressful process so perhaps a more simple study will provide a welcome antidote to the constant headache many bears have nowadays. All things considered SDMC have clearly worked hard to independently produce something our fans will appreciate and I thank them and all involved for their efforts. You can judge for yourselves when the DVD is released and you can pre-order this below on Amazon. Furthermore, we'll have an opportunity on this site to win a copy of the full-length release next month. Glasgow Rangers FC - The Blue Bear Rises (SDMC Productions) £14 - Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glasgow-Rangers-FC-Blue-Rises/dp/B00O7QL29G
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http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/latest-news/289-is-donald-findlay-right-discussing-our-rangers-addiction Waking up to another Rangers controversy is nothing new. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Monday, a Thursday or a match-day, there’s always another Rangers related story to keep this ongoing farce alive. From the boardroom to the dressing room; from the small grounds in Scotland to the businessmen of Singapore; the bizarre nature of what has happened to one of Scotland’s proudest institutions continues to make waves wherever and whenever you care to cast a sideways glance. It’s impossible to hide from. Now, I’ve not read all of what Donald Findlay has said to journalist Stephen McGowan in today’s Daily Mail. The ‘debate’ surrounding about whether or not Rangers are a new club isn’t something which particularly attracts me. For me, the opinion of the law lords and football authorities is enough – Rangers is the same club with their history and successes intact from one company vehicle to the next. In many ways though, does it really matter what they or Donald Findlay think? I still follow follow Rangers with the same excitement and love I’ve always done. I always will. Many hundreds of thousands agree. However, and here’s the rub, some do feel differently and I can empathise with that. Why? Well, there can be various reasons. For one, the club’s reputation has taken a huge hit – doesn’t matter how fraudulent Craig Whyte and his associates' actions are proven to be, our club almost died. It doesn’t matter with how much disdain the Scottish football authorities, fellow clubs and fans and the Scottish media approached this fall from grace; we had to start again in Division Three. In that sense, of course the club’s reputation has changed forever. No Rangers fan alive has had to experience such a dramatic change in fortunes so it’s inevitable our mind-set has as well. Moreover, since administration, the situation has hardly improved. The Rangers brand (and tradition as well perhaps) is no longer associated with success and pride and honesty and hard work. Instead, embarrassment, dishonesty, manipulation, excess and fraud are now bywords for our club. Yes the team on the park may still be the team we love but unlike our fathers and their fathers before them, we’ll now forever have to associate on-field displays with the performance of the boardroom. Some may find it easy to refrain from such, but many others cannot. Not as long as the money we pay into the club can be withheld by companies with a somewhat different relationship. That particular landscape has changed forever; it’s undeniable. Moving on, and even within our fan-base things have altered for the worse. Small minorities they may be but the division amongst some fans is bordering on the obscene at times. Bear antagonising bear is not only counter-productive but downright bizarre. Disagreement can and should be healthy but some supporters have taken that to all new levels. In the modern era of online debate that may well be inevitable but it’s a change from previous times and it’s not a good one. These aren’t arguments in private RSC cubby-holes but very public fall outs which can be seen by all. They help no-one. Considering all the above, it’s perhaps more surprising to suggest anyone doesn’t approach supporting the club differently. To be clear, it’s not that our love has decreased or that our history and success has somehow been removed (such arguments are ludicrous) but that what has happened in recent years has changed us all forever. Indeed, it has to – we have to learn from our mistakes and ensure it doesn’t happen again. That’s not to say we can do so easily – we can’t – but if we try to hide from it then we’re no worse than an addict glossing over their dependence. To sum up, while I fundamentally and strongly disagree with Findlay in terms of Rangers still being the same Rangers, he is right to an extent. Of course the club is the same one we've all supported but there are elements of recent events which will have affected us all in different ways. Perhaps it's the divided fans taking each other for granted, perhaps it's the club's total disdain for our opinion, perhaps it's the media apportioning blame to the wrong people, perhaps it's the manager refusing to learn from his mistakes, perhaps it's the constant stress amidst the whole farce but no matter the issue, it has become very difficult to support Rangers nowadays. It should be fun, it should be a release from the everyday hum-drum but it's not - in fact I'd say supporting Rangers is just another daily stress and only our fans will understand just how bad it's been. For some, even someone like Donald Findlay, the challenge may be too much but shirking from his opinion won't help. To that end, if anyone has found the last few years hard then we should be working together to talk through our worries - not hide from or belittle them. Supporting Rangers isn't something you can turn on or off. It's an addiction which infects the soul. Thus, I'd say anyone who hasn't had their heart broken and their faith challenged is in the minority. However, broken hearts can be repaired and reputations restored. My name is Frankie and I'm an addict.
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http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/news/local/dundee/rangers-fans-fury-at-ibrox-disaster-tweet-1.653603
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“But our leaders didn’t just lie to us. They terrified us with spectres of mushroom clouds: they attacked our patriotism if we questioned them; they insulted our intelligence if we said we doubted them; they mocked our reservations; they withheld information; suppressed facts; invented threats and deceived us into backing an illegal war which has left tens of thousands of Iraqis, Britons and Americans – who should be alive today and with their families – very, very dead indeed.” (Neil Mackay – The War On Truth) Despite the recent experience many Scots will have had for having their patriotism attacked for merely daring to question, Mr Mackay’s book actually deals with the Iraq war, where amongst other things, he explores and displays considerable understanding of the various mechanisms and machinations used by the UK and US governments to sow the seeds of a lie. In explaining how the lies were told Neil Mackay tells it from the perspective of the US/UK governments and asks the question “So how are we going to twist the truth – some would call that a lie – and make it look as if Saddam was up to his sweaty little armpits in illegal weapons” I would ask you to bear that quotation in mind for the remainder of this article. Neil Mackay, author of The War of Truth, is the same Sunday Herald journalist who wrote the following article. http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/george-square-trouble-the-night-our-readers-became-reporters.1411314286 Some of you may recognise some of the phraseology used by Mr Mackay within the article. In fact the “statement on Vanguard Bears website” is not actually a statement at all; it is the re-production of an article I wrote on my blog some days before entitled “2 sides of a coin” – which appeared on some other Rangers forums and was subject of discussion. http://immortalrangers.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/2-sides-of-a-coin-2/ Despite the fact Vanguard Bears followed the caveat I asked of any forums publishing my work i.e. that it is reproduced verbatim, without any additions or deletions, you will notice that Mr Mackay has engaged in some fairly extensive and selective editing . Mr Mackay claims in his article “Yesterday it posted a statement online reading: “Our voice is on the rise, we must by actions, not words or political soundbites, ensure our Union is defended.” There is a particular twist to this however – some may even call it a lie – but allow me to share with you the unedited version which I originally wrote, was reproduced verbatim, and is still displayed on my blog. “Our voice is on the rise, we must by actions, not words or political sound bites, ensure our Union is defended, by attacking the root causes of social injustice and poverty within our society.” Remind me what you wrote in The War on Truth Mr Mackay ? “they withheld information; suppressed facts; invented threats and deceived us” Perhaps the original unedited version doesn’t produce the kind of terrifying spectres Mr Mackay was seeking to portray. I’m sure Scots of whatever political persuasion found the scenes at George Square unedifying, I know I certainly did. Of course the Sunday Herald, and it’s pro-independence stance has been of considerable financial benefit with the newspaper boasting a doubling in circulation figures. It seems the truth certainly can be bought at a price, and that has got to be the most unedifying aspect of all.
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RFC Maybe we can talk about this without any unecessary snyde remarks about the board?
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Did I hear the orange bloused presenter say Rangers were relegated and stripped of titles ? Could have misheard the last bit. Otherwise what a waste of time. Pity it hadn't been Forlanss or Bluedell or BH or some other articuLate bloke with a bit of expertise to argue the case. According to Haggerty Rangers didnaemwin the tax case, so they didn't . Fair enough. The HMRC appeal was for the most part refused. Slight difference but largely the same outcome. But, she says, there will still be money due to,the taxman so we'll all have to putmthatnin our pipes and smoke it. I reckon this dame has a future on Radio Bahgdad.
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Are we getting a new home kit this season
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Remember, the Donegal based fantasist has been all over the on going Rangers situation these last five years, like a rash. He has published a book, received the funds to publish another two(a novel and a revisionist history of the Irish in Scotland). He was welcomed on phone-ins, eulogised and lionised in turn, because he told the usual suspects what they needed to hear. Cosgrove and Spence were supporters, Radio Snyde's objective host of ra show, Jim Delahunt often introduced Phil as, 'a journalist who has built his own most substantial platform'. I wonder what their collective and individual take on Phil's ill-disciplined pronouncement on yesterday's Appeal result? "The sequence of events that ended in June 2012 with the club established in 1872 lying in a lifeless heap at the bottom of the marble staircase was almost entirely created by important people at the top of said staircase". Of course, the Ibrox Disaster analogy is most attractive to Phil et al. Again, please allow me to remind Gersnetters of Channel Four's Alex Thompson's YouTube sequence of John Greig's effigy stepping off the plinth and walking away, the strapline being, 'we don't do walking away'. Thompson was invited on to BBC Radio Scotland by Channel Four's Director for Diversity, Stuart Cosgrove to be coached through an apology for offence due to ignorance. It was an east 20 minutes for Alex as Stuart prompted him to a laughing conclusion. Two days later and a further two articles from Thompson had Rangers supporters continually referred to as, 'Daleks'. Notoriously, Dalek have problems with stairs. A further reminder, Alex Thompson, the journo that patrolled the back streets of Baghdad, was brought to the Rangers story by constant pleading from Dearest Phil, Cosgrove, and Roy Greenslade.
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Monday, 14 April 2014 20:00 Business Review Update Written by Rangers Football Club "THE Board of Rangers Football Club notes the concern of supporters around the timing of release of an update from the Club’s business review ahead of the renewal deadline for season tickets. The Board confirms, in accordance with its previous announcements, that the business review will be completed as planned and an update will be issued to shareholders and supporters on 25th April, ahead of the season ticket renewal deadline as previously indicated." http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6763-business-review-update
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pv9ClLBn6M
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Liverpool played "absent friends" over the anfield tannoy at half time today, in memory of the 66 who died in the ibrox disaster. The song is from the hillsborough ibrox memorial groups new charity cd that was released just last week. http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/late...r-hillsborough True class from Liverpool F.C.
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THE under fire Rangers board’s spin doctor, Jack Irvine has branded highly respected and extremely successful Scottish businessman Jim McColl a “Bullshit Billionaire.” The latest Irvine outburst comes nearly three weeks after Rangers chief executive Craig Mather promised a mini investigation into another lowlife Irvine insult when, in an email, Rangers controversial consultant PR man Irvine called the Greatest Ever Ranger, John Greig, thick. That promise of a probe from Mather came a week after the Rangers Supporters Association, the Rangers Assembly and the Rangers Supporters Trust issued an angry joint statement deploring the Irvine email and its slur on Greig, whose statue stands outside Ibrox Stadium as a tribute to the 66 people killed in the Ibrox Disaster. Now comes the latest intemperate and ill judged intervention from Irvine in a series of disgusting insults aimed at the quietly spoken and highly regarded in the real world Jim McColl. For the avoidance of doubt the fact of Jim McColl’s wealth, as contained in the well informed Sunday Times Rich List for Scotland, published on 21st April this year, is that it stands at £1BILLION. Though the self effacing McColl is more likely to play down claims that he is a billionaire and instead use that wonderfully modest West of Scotland phrase, beloved of those from the working class who have done well, that he is worth a few bob Irvine, never a man to let the facts get in the way of his guttersnipe insults, made his “Bullshit Billionaire” comments in a conversation with BBC Scotland’s economics and business editor, Douglas Fraser. And the exchanges were out there for millions to see as they took place on Twitter on Friday evening. That was the same day as Irvine’s favourite poodle of a paper, the Sun, published a wildly inaccurate story which stated as a matter of fact that Paul Murray and Frank Blin had joined the Rangers board. Twenty four hours later the same Sun had to snivel and climb down in another story, a short story, buried deep inside the paper. It was not even a proper apology, but attempted to retract that falsehood in a sneaky way. Where the falsehood about Blin and Murray, which the Sun printed as fact, came from is anybody’s guess. However, that particular story’s total lack of accuracy was in line with many of the other stories which Irvine has planted in the Sun, despite being on record in an email which I have in my possession – copies being kept safe by others – which says Irvine thinks Sun editor Andy Harries should be sacked. Now, emboldened by Rangers backing his “thick” slur on John Greig, Jack Irvine has taken to Twitter, making grossly offensive and insulting remarks about Jim McColl. -
For those of you that are unaware, the Vanguard Bears have arranged a protest for this Saturday against alleged biased broadcasting from the BBC and, in particular, the Scottish branch of the corporation (more details below). With this protest in mind, it has been interesting to note the response from the RFC supporting community to the proposed action. Obviously many back it but there are also plenty bears who remain cynical about such a move. After all, is this merely to show solidarity with an owner who has perhaps been less than forthcoming about his past (or indeed his intentions) and do we really have credible grievances with a national broadcaster bound by a variety of guidelines? Have we become as bad as the Celtic support - basing our outlook on paranoia rather than fact? I'd like to be clear from the outset. I don't believe there is a media-wide conspiracy to negatively portray Rangers (or our fans) more than anyone else. Fans of every club can point to poor reporting and this occurs to all clubs across every platform. However, with regard to BBC Scotland the situation is less clear so it's certainly worth examining why our fans are so frustrated. First of all, we have to remember this isn't a new problem just because Craig Whyte was accused of criminality by a recent BBC investigative programme. Therefore, inferences that Whyte is attempting to create a flawed siege mentality or deflect attention from him are off the mark. In actual fact, the organisers of this protest have held similar rallies over the last two years. Moreover, they also met with the BBC Scotland hierarchy to discuss these concerns. Yet the less than balanced coverage continues. Let's have a quick look at the last 6-12months and ask just a few interesting questions of the BBC Scotland coverage: 1. Why are 'neutral' sectarianism stories presented outside Ibrox (this happened again this very morning)? 2. Why were stories about letter bombs mailed to the Celtic manager presented outside Ibrox? 3. Why was our manager made to look like a fool with regard to editing news video about sectarianism? 4. Why, in the same report, did the organisation show our fans singing alleged sectarian songs while showing Celtic fans carrying anti-racism banners? 5. Why do the organisation choose to cover some sectarianism stories and not others? 6. Why do they have 'karaoke' lyrics for offensive RFC songs but not for other clubs? 7. Why are radio/TV debates often not presented in a balanced fashion (see Graham Spiers radio documentary)? 8. Why have Rangers had three examples of editorial problems this season alone? 9. Why have certain BBC employees mocked the Ibrox Disaster on social networking sites? Once again, as I present these rather damning examples of questionable editorial/production standards; some of us will suggest others can point to their own similar problems. Fair enough, as I've already conceded, other clubs (and supports) will be able to show negative/unfair coverage in the media. But, and it's a big but, such critics of Saturday's protest (and the RFC ban) struggle to do so when we specifically talk about the BBC. Indeed, I've asked doubting journalists and Celtic supporting friends to show me some similar examples of such strange productions/editorial standards. They can't. No matter though - even if they could point to similar problems that still raises the question of why BBC Scotland are failing to fulfil their own obligations to the millions of us who pay their television licence fee? If the Rangers support really are being unreasonable or paranoid, then the above questions should be easy to answer. Nevertheless, I obviously don't expect everyone to agree with the protest or buy into some BBC conspiracy but if Stuart Cosgrove can admit to problems within the media when it comes to Rangers, his opinion is worth discussing. Yes, he may only be the presenter of a sometimes funny BBC radio programme on Scottish football but, yes he's also Head of Programmes at Channel 4 and a former director of British Telecom. I've also had some personal dealings with Cosgrove and while he's no friend of Rangers, he's an expert on a variety of relevant issues. To conclude, I'm strongly of the opinion most footballing conspiracies are exactly that - unsubstantiated and anecdotal-only rumours about a perceived bias. For the most part, the people who spread these tall-tales usually can't authenticate them with genuine evidence of malpractice. And, often the evidence that does exist, points us in the opposite direction. However, when it comes to the coverage of Rangers related matters by BBC Scotland, I think there is a case to answer and I think the questions in this article are worth exploring. To that end, I'm happy that our club have taken a strong line with the organisation and also, in principle, back any fan protest of the BBC. I'd urge you all to carefully consider the situation and make up your own mind. If you disagree with the action then that is your right and I respect that. If you agree - I'll see you on Saturday at 12.30pm outside Pacific Quay. Protest details (via link to Vanguard Bears website) available below. Please read and respect the attached protest guidelines. http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1
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RANGERS chiefs have blasted a new specialist cop force set up to weed out footy hooligans and sectarian bigots. The Ibrox club's head of security David Martin wrote in a statement to Parliament that the national Football Policing Unit has targeted EVERY Gers game this season and that officers are filming innocent fans and kids. Mr Martin said in his submission over a Bill designed to tackle footy hate crimes: "There is a disproportionate focus on Rangers supporters." He also had a dig at Celtic fans and those at other SPL clubs for belting out "songs glorifying the death of Rangers fans in the Ibrox disaster and pro-IRA songs". Celtic supported the FPU â?? set up in the wake of the Old Firm shame game in March. Club secretary Robert Howat's statement to Holyrood read: "We remain supportive of the willingness of the Government to tackle sectarianism and extremes of behaviour." But he warned that new laws could criminalise ordinary football fans. Last night the Government welcomed both clubs' "constructive contributions". Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3785176/Rangers-Police-pick-on-us.html#ixzz1ZttUccli
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Thieves have stolen a memorial plaque to a victim of the Ibrox Disaster ââ?¬â?? just three weeks after it was unveiled in a Glasgow park. The brass plaque, which paid tribute to 16-year-old Robert Mulholland, was torn off the memorial bench in Victoria Park, Whiteinch. Rangersââ?¬â?¢ fan Joe Burke, who led the fundraising campaign for the tribute to the Drumchapel youngster, said the thieves were ââ?¬Å?nothing short of disgustingââ?¬Â. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/editor-s-picks/sick-thieves-steal-ibrox-disaster-memorial-1.1114489
