King Billy & The Boatman

[andy steel 0]

Stupidity, wrote Flaubert, is the need for answers. Its an interesting thought, but it's made less impressive by human nature; whether it be stupid or not, most of us want answers. Why are we here? Does she love me? What's for dinner?

 

Perhaps if we qualify Flaubert's thought to suggest that expecting answers from a position of powerlessness is stupid it would be easier to agree with him. For those of us who have stood by and watched the unfolding shambles that our club has become over these last few years, the desire for answers is only matched by the realistaion that, as nothing more than fans, we're not going to get them.

 

Or at least, only when it suits certain people. Prospective owners make confident claims, which may or may not turn out to be true (in the case of Craig Whyte, I doubt there is anyone who is still making up their mind on that one), former board members hint darkly at worse days ahead, and media types suggest that they have information which, if only they could tell us, woul clear things up. All that is certain is that we, at the bottom of the pile, will be left in ignorance.

 

Those in power rarely feel the need to keep those without informed, be they politicians, businessmen or aristocrats. Being given a taste of control seems to lock that part of the brain which requires us to treat others with a measure of respect. Reading James Farrell's superb trilogy of Empire analysis this week (The Siege of Krishnapur, Troubles and The Singapore Grip, all highly recommended) emphasised this connection - once a person gets power, decency tends to be overpowered and excused by expediency.

 

There is an anecdote in The Singapore Grip which may interest some Rangers fans. A character recounts the tale of King William crossing a river following the Battle of the Boyne. A boatman asks the King how went the day; 'What's it to you? You'll still just be a boatman' replies the Original Orangeman. Which sums us up at the moment: we'll still just be fans, regardless of how the battles for the club go.

 

Holding the reins of power has become a tired topic for us, as the club passes from the dodgy ownership of Murray to the outright criminal one of Whyte to the...well, we don't know style of we don't know who , with funding from we don't know where. Hardly surprising, then, that we should seek answers, even if we know that being outside the charmed circle we're not likely to get them. We never were part of any 'establishment'.

 

Well known blogger Gerry Hassan is in the unfortunate habit of peppering his politcial blogs on power with 6th form stuff about why Rangers fans are so angry these days; his belief is that it is our loss of power within the establishment that is infuriating us, while those cheeky chappies across the city, always marginalised, feel less angst about being persecuted. I don't know how many fans Gerry has spoken to who feel this way; speaking for myself I can safely say that, should I ever have stepped confidently up the marble staircase, proclaiming it my right as a memebr of the establishment, I'd have found myself sitting on my arse in Edmiston Drive before you can say downtrodden proletariat.

 

I'm not angry because some notional power has been taken away from me, and I'm only too aware that, as a boatman, whoever takes over will continue to treat me with contempt and disdain. All I ask is that we move on from shadowy, off the record briefings and claims of business confidentiality, and let those who put their hands in the pockets know what is going on. How many other businesses, I wonder, would treat their customers with such off handedness, and still expect them to turn up?

 

Push people too hard and eventually they will hit back. King Billy's boatman may have felt like kicking him overboard, but knew if he did it'd be the end of him. At the moment we are, rightly, concentrating on ensuring a future for the club while economically targetting those who are trying to ensure we suffer as much damage as possible while weakened. But a point in time must come, surely, where we can turn inward, and deal with those inside our club who have treated us in such a high handed manner. They would do well to remember that even a boatman can have his day.

[stewarty 1,959]

Stylish and thought provoking as ever, Andy. Thanks!