Spiers and The Herald have a slice of humble pie.

[ian1964 10,761]

The thing that gets to me,apart from the obvious lies spouted by Britney,is the backing he is getting and the shite that is aimed at Rangers fans for it?,it was the club that instigated the lies from Britney,yet all over twitter is how the Herald have bowed to the bullying Rangers fans!,even more lies in their defense of Britney which actually just shows them all up for what they are!.

[Bearman 9]

Bullying by Rangers...that's hilarious!

[ian1964 10,761]

Bullying by Rangers...that's hilarious!

 

Rangers fans mate,not one of the Britney simpathysers mentioned Rangers the club who took the action!

[ian1964 10,761]

Sons of Struth

6 hrs ·

 

FREEDOM FOR PRESS, OFFENDED AND THE BILLY BOYS

 

There seems to be another storm brewing into a hurricane as the name of our club gets attached to it. Without our club being attached it is a nothing story.

 

A journo (G Spiers) writes an article stating a Rangers director had said the Billy boys was a “great song”. He ties it in with the usual “Rangers are bad” rhetoric and his newspaper (The Herald) issue an apology.

 

Said journo publishes a retort via a blog and basically goes against the paper and its previous apology.

 

A second blogger cum journo (A Haggerty) cries foul and also has a pop at their employer (The Herald)

 

It now appears neither is currently employed by the paper. Call it sacked, call it resigned, call it whatever you wish but they seem to be upheld as some sort of modern day martyrs in some quarters.

Why? Simple, the club in question in the original article was Rangers.

 

If the story was about any other company, club or body this story would have received no more than a “pft” from the casual observer.

 

One thing has not came out, proof. We are led to believe that an unnamed director told the journo the Billy boys was a “great song”. No name and no proof.

 

If the paper had the proof the apology would not have been written and the story would have been in every red top within hours.

 

The two journos seem to be seeking the support of others based on the grounds of a free press and we see some jumping on the bandwagon of “BULLY boys” in some sort of vain attempt to blame the Rangers support for the outcome.

 

I totally agree on the cry for a free press but to hijack such a noble notion for their own benefit is both crass and undignified. A free press allows you to say what you want but it has to stay within the realms of the law and unfortunately for some the proof to back up their claims finds them foul of the law. Should we ignore the law and the responsibility of a reporter to actually report factually and just cry “free press” when they fall short of their legal responsibility?

 

I am neither a blogger nor a journalist but I understand this responsibility and although I have had numerous legal letters I have never been accused of making things up. Why should two paid individuals be different to me?

 

Under normal circumstances a journo writes an inaccurate piece, the paper writes an apology and that’s that, but when the article is about Rangers it takes on a whole new level of response and self-righteousness. The usual suspects will be offended and defended by their own wee gang of like minded Rangers haters. You know the ones, the use terms like “Klan” to describe me and you.

 

This brings me on nicely to my second point today, offended. What does it actually mean? I like the way it’s tackled by Stephen Fry

 

“It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so fucking what."

 

I do however understand that society can’t handle everyone just going out their way to deliberately offend each other but to be offended is such an obtuse emotion.

 

The words Klan, Hun and Orange Bastard are often used to describe me and other Rangers fans, does it offend me? No but I can understand why others may be and in a tamer version of Frys words, so what. I don’t like the words but that doesn’t mean I am offended.

 

“I am offended” is becoming the fan version of “sporting intergrity”.

 

So I have covered anti Rangers writings and offended so why not now go for the elephant in the room, The Billy Boys.............

 

Lets start by dissecting the words of the ditty as I don’t believe the song in its entirety nor the tune can be either offensive nor sectarian.

 

Hello, Hello

We are the Billy Boys (No issues surely with the intro)

Hello, Hello

You'll know us by our noise (Fans singing want to make noise)

We're up to our knees in ****** blood (we shall cover this below)

Surrender or you'll die (Football teams not surrendering isn’t a bad notion)

For we are

The Brigton Derry Boys (a description of a group)

 

It would therefore appear to me that the song in itself can’t be an issue but two words may be disliked/offensive to some.

 

****** Blood may not be my favourite word in a song if I indeed was a ****** but I cant think it would cause me any great distress nor offense if it was sang at a football match by my most bitter rivals. No more so than when I am greeted with “Soon there’ll be no protestants at all” when I visit the ground of our rivals, but i understand some may see both differently. Stephen Fry covers this off in his own manner....

 

If indeed I was a ****** I don’t think I could be offended at all by the use of the word and if I wasn’t a ****** then I have no right whatsoever to be offended as the song is in no way aimed at me.

 

The word was self invented by Irish Republicans and I will allow Wikipedia to explain in fear of being termed a bigot

 

****** /ˈfiːnɪən/ was an umbrella term for the ****** Brotherhood and Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), fraternal organisations dedicated to the establishment of an independent Irish Republic in the 19th and early 20th century. The name ****** was first applied byJohn O'Mahony to the members of the Irish republican group that he founded in the United States in 1848

 

I will concede however that if I was a ****** I could take exception to others being up to their knees in my blood. Here lies the issue

 

We now have to take the carful steps of not being offended by “soon there’ll be no protestants at all” etc but that fact does work both ways. Doesn’t it?

 

We also, as with the “Free Press” situation, need to consider the actual law.

 

The law may or may not be eventually clearer or changed but we can’t change it with retrospect. We need to accept that fans are and will most likely continue to be arrested for signing these words.

 

We have three options

 

1) Keep singing

2) Stop singing

3) Change two words

 

I obviously cant encourage other to receive a custodial sentence and therefore, until clarity can be given, I could not encourage a status quo.

 

“we are up to our knees in EBTs” was sang at a recent game but i am more inclined to chant “up to our knees in league trophies” as a more appropriate chant to annoy our nearest challengers in that particular trophy count.

 

I am sure the song will be sang again soon, to sing it is not a crime but i would love to be in court the day a fan is brought to task for signing “league trophies”. Until then, stay offended............

 

Craig

 

[Bearman 9]

Maybe they should play the song over the tannoy using a version with 'up to our knees in trophies' instead of the "offensive" words? Then all the fans could join in, especially our younger fans.

[ian1964 10,761]

I was offended - steve hughes

 

[Bearman 9]

I was offended - steve hughes

 

 

That guy is brilliant! It's amazing how comedians can think up stuff like that and folk can really appreciate the funny side of life.

 

However...can you imagine him being Scottish and wearing a Rangers jersey doing that act? He'd be accused of being a bigot. Sad country we live in.

[ian1964 10,761]

That guy is brilliant! It's amazing how comedians can think up stuff like that and folk can really appreciate the funny side of life.

 

However...can you imagine him being Scottish and wearing a Rangers jersey doing that act? He'd be accused of being a bigot. Sad country we live in.

 

I think that is exactly what we need!,if there is any up coming comedians then they could do no worse than copy this guy!

[Bearman 9]

Next time we play the 'offended' at Ibrox the club should play this video pre-match and at half-time, Steve Hughes wouldn't mind the extra cash either.

[Bearman 9]

I think that is exactly what we need!,if there is any up coming comedians then they could do no worse than copy this guy!

 

I think there's a few on here