The recent revelations of a potential winding up order being served on Rangers Newco certainly does have a sense of “deja vu all over again” for the average reader of this blog.
It reminds me of an episode of the excellent Western series Alias Smith & Jones. The episode was called The Posse That Wouldn’t Quit. In the story, the eponymous anti-heroes were being tracked by a particularly dogged group of law-men whom they just couldn’t shake off – and they spent the entire episode trying to do just that. In a famous quote, Thaddeus Jones, worn out from running, says to Joshua Smith, “We’ve got to get out of this business!”
The SFM has been trying since its inception to widen the scope and remit of the discussion and debate on the blog. Unsuccessfully. Like the posse that wouldn’t quit, Rangers are refusing to go away as a story. With the latest revelations, I confided in my fellow mods that perhaps we too should get out of this business. I suspect that, even if we did, this story would doggedly trail our paths until it wears us all down.
The fact that the latest episode of the Rangers saga has sparked off debate on this blog may even confirm the notion subscribed to by Rangers fans that TSFM is obsessed with their club. However even they must agree that the situation with regard to Rangers would be of interest to anyone with a stake in Scottish Football; and that they themselves must be concerned by the pattern of events which started over a decade ago and saw the old club fall into decline on a trajectory which ended in liquidation.
But let me enter into a wee discussion which doesn’t merely trot out the notion of damage done to others or sins against the greater good, but which enters the realm of the damage done to one of the great institutions of world sport, Rangers themselves.
David Murray was regarded by Rangers fans as a hero. His bluster, hubris and (as some see it) arrogant contempt for his competitors afforded him a status as a champion of the cause as long as it was underpinned by on-field success.
The huge pot of goodwill he possessed was filled and topped-up by a dripping tap of GIRUY-ness for many years beyond the loss of total ascendency that his spending (in pursuit of European success) had achieved, and only began to bottom out around the time the club was sold to Craig Whyte. In retrospect, it can be seen that the damage that was done to the club’s reputation by the Murray ethos (not so much a Rangers ethos as a Thatcherite one) and reckless financial practice is now well known.
Notwithstanding the massive blemish on its character due to its employment policies, the (pre-Murray) Rangers ethos portrayed a particularly Scottish, perhaps even Presbyterian stoicism. It was that of a conservative, establishment orientated, God-fearing and law-abiding institution that played by the rules. It was of a club that would pay its dues, applied thrift and honesty in its business dealings, and was first to congratulate rivals on successes (witness the quiet dignity of John Lawrence at the foot of the aircraft steps with an outstretched hand to Bob Kelly when Celtic returned from Lisbon).
If Murray had dug a hole for that Rangers, Craig Whyte set himself up to fill it in. No neo-bourgeois shirking of responsibilities and duty to the public for him; his signature was more pre-war ghetto, hiding behind the couch until the rent man moved along to the next door. Whyte just didn’t pay any bills and with-held money that was due to be passed along to the treasury to fund the ever more diminished public purse. Where Murray’s Rangers had been regarded by the establishment and others as merely distasteful, Whyte’s was now regarded as a circus act, and almost every day of his tenure brought more bizarre and ridiculous news which had Rangers fans cringing, the rest laughing up their sleeve, and Bill Struth birling in his grave.
The pattern was now developing in plain sight. Murray promised Rangers fans he would only sell to someone who could take the club on, but he sold it – for a pound – to a guy whose reputation did not survive the most cursory of inspection. Whyte protested that season tickets had not been sold in advance, that he used his own money to buy the club. Both complete fabrications. Yet until the very end of Whyte’s time with the club, he, like Murray still, was regarded as hero by a fan-base which badly wanted to believe that the approaching car-crash could be avoided.
Enter Charles Green. Having been bitten twice already, the fans’ first instincts were to be suspicious of his motives. Yet in one of history’s greatest ironic turnarounds, he saw off the challenge of real Rangers-minded folk (like John Brown and Paul Murray) and their warnings, and by appealing to what many regard as the baser instincts of the fan-base became the third hero to emerge in the boardroom in as many years. The irony of course is that Green himself shouldn’t really pass any kind of Rangers sniff-test; personal, sporting, business or cultural; and yet there he is the spokesman for 140 years of the aspirations of a quarter of the country’s fans.
To be fair though, what else could Rangers fans do? Green had managed (and shame on the administration process and football authorities for this) to pick up the assets of the club for less (nett) than Craig Whyte and still maintained a presence in the major leagues.
If they hadn’t backed him only the certainty of doom lay before them. It was Green’s way or the highway in other words – and speaking of words, his sounded mighty fine. But do the real Rangers minded people really buy into it all?
First consider McCoist. I do not challenge his credentials as a Rangers minded man, and his compelling need to be an effective if often ineloquent spokesman for the fans. However, according to James Traynor (who was then acting as an unofficial PR advisor to the Rangers manager), McCoist was ready to walk in July (no pun intended) because he did not trust Green. The story was deliberately leaked, to undermine Green, by both Traynor and McCoist. McCoist also refused for a long period of time to endorse the uptake of season books by Rangers fans, even went as far as to say he couldn’t recommend it.
So what changed? Was it a Damascene conversion to the ways of Green, or was it the 250,000 shares in the new venture that he acquired. Nothing improper or unethical – but is it idealism? Is it fighting for the cause?
Now think Traynor. I realise that can be unpleasant, but bear with me.
Firstly, when he wrote that story on McCoist’s resignation, (and later backed it up on radio claiming he had spoken to Ally before printing the story), he was helping McCoist to twist Green’s arm a little. Now, and I’m guessing that Charles didn’t take this view when he saw the story in question, Green thinks that Traynor is a “media visionary”?
Traynor also very publicly, in a Daily Record leader, took the “New Club line” and was simultaneously contemptuous of Green.
What happened to change both their minds about each other? Could it have been (for Green) the PR success of having JT on board and close enough to control, and (for Traynor) an escape route for a man who had lost the battle with own internal social media demons?
Or, given both McCoist’s and Traynor’s past allegiance to David Murray, is it something else altogether?
Whatever it is, both Traynor and McCoist have started to sing from a totally different hymn sheet to Charles Green since the winding up order story became public. McCoist’s expert étude in equivocation at last Friday’s press conference would have had the Porter in Macbeth slamming down the portcullis (now there’s an irony). He carefully distanced himself from his chairman and ensured that his hands are clean. Traynor has been telling one story, “we have an agreement on the bill”, and Green another, “we are not paying it”.
And what of Walter Smith? At first, very anti-Charles Green, he even talked about Green’s “new club”. Then a period of silence followed by his being co-opted to the board and a “same club” statement. Now in the face of the damaging WUP story, more silence. Hardly a stamp of approval on Green’s credentials is it?
Rangers fans would be right to be suspicious of any non-Rangers people extrapolating from this story to their own version of Armageddon, but shouldn’t they also reserve some of that scepticism for Green and Traynor (neither are Rangers men, and both with only a financial interest in the club) when they say “all is well” whilst the real Rangers man (McCoist) is only willing to say “as far as I have been told everything is well”
As a Celtic fan, it may be a fair charge to say that I don’t have Rangers best interests at heart, but I do not wish for their extinction, nor do I believe that one should ignore a quarter of the potential audience for our national game. Never thought I’d hear myself say this, but apart from one (admittedly mightily significant) character defect, I can look at the Rangers of Struth and Simon, Gillick and Morton, Henderson and Baxter, and Waddell and Lawrence (and God help me even Jock Wallace) with fondness and a degree of nostalgia.
I suspect most Rangers fans are deeply unhappy about how profoundly their club has changed. To be fair, my own club no longer enchants me in the manner of old. As sport has undergone globalisation, everything has changed. Our relationship to our clubs has altered, the business models have shifted, and the aspirations of clubs is different from that of a generation ago. It has turned most football clubs into different propositions from the institutions people of my generation grew up supporting, but Rangers are virtually unrecognisable.
The challenge right now for Rangers fans is this. How much more damage will be done to the club’s legacy before this saga comes to an end?
And by then will it be too late to do anything about it?
Most people on this blog know my views about the name of Green’s club. I really don’t give a damn because for me it is not important. I do know, like Craig Whyte said, that in the fullness of time there will be a team called Rangers, playing football in a blue strip at Ibrox, and in the top division in the country.
I understand that this may be controversial to many of our contributors, but I hope that this incarnation of Rangers is closer to that of Lawrence and Simon than to Murray and Souness.
dentarthurdent42 says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 21:44
Regarding the rebuttal by Mr Traynor, published on the Club website. It appears that he is going to keep his job.
Why would Mr Green retain the services of Mr Traynor given the links to TEGF?
Traynor implies that sending prepared articles to football figures to review prior to publication is commonplace in the media. The Tweet below from Tom English, in response to a question about the story, implies differently.
Tom English
@TomEnglishSport
@BigWindies @HoopyHoop1967 @alextomo @mrewanmurray If that’s all true then it’s cringe-making stuff, no doubt about it. Mortifying
What struck me most about his response is that he clearly doesn’t think much of TRFC’s fans if he expects them to swallow that. If a spokesman for my club released a statement like that in reponse to similar accusation, I would be absolutely raging that he thought so lowly of me.
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/rangers-strike-it-lucky-with-their-new-owner/
I could have helped the secret agent a year earlier..
upthehoops says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 21:55
Traynor implies that sending prepared articles to football figures to review prior to publication is commonplace in the media.
==============================
They regularly get the subjects of their articles to ok stories about them, and amend those stories at the request of the subject. Seriously.
That’s not journalism, it isn’t even reporting. It really is just writing press releases, and getting the agreement of the club.
Or was that only with Rangers. Did it happen with other clubs. Did Hearts get to proof read the material about their owner / chairman and amend it to suit their own agenda. Would it be ok if I seriously doubted that.
How could we not see this ? JT, Undercover stealth operator !
Wow ! You would have thought he would have shared this unique status to the wider community after the MBB disappeared off the scene…. No ? Oh well, I guess we will never know why he decided to keep his incredible journalistic skills under wraps…. who knows what is going on in the mind of this literary genius ?
Who, indeed.
I suppose corroboration will be forthcoming from his ex-colleagues who will be only too eager to bask in the glory of this shining light ?
And Phil as I think we will find out tomorrow the floating charge is still owed to our boy.
wonder if the BBC and DR will confirm JT’s attempts to go undercover to expose CW – and that it was common practice for a story to be ok’d before print
I’m not sure really sure that there is room for two Music Hall turns in the Rangers management structure, but it seems we have them anyway. Our very own chuckle brothers.
Some enterprising wag has set up a Jim Traynor parody account on twitter, why bother? How can you possibly top the original?
the names traynor, james traynor…
Craigie. A liar? Really? Be easy to tell. He has all the tapes. Clever man.
“Thomson publishes the content of emails in which I make it clear to Whyte that a story about his spending plans will start with the figure of £15m for new players. It was necessary to let Whyte view the piece so that it would be difficult for him to try to deny it later.
The email was sent …… because I wanted Whyte to see the figure”.
Nah Mr Hutt, you sent it because you wanted him to see you were not quoting him on it. In such circumstances, it would have been easy for him to deny it. Your motives were altogether different.
The problem with habitual liars is they don’t know when to stop.
While I can appreciate the sentiment that today’s story is not of the earth shattering proportion we might have been hoping for, let us consider what we’ve been given. The MSM smoking gun.
The principal architect of the succulent lamb vision of Scottish football has been exposed, in effect submiting his copy for the approval of the man who took over the runaway train, while he was visibly (it seemed to us, and we were right) running it into the buffers. He visibly conspires over the ‘warchest’ figure being drip fed to the easily duped. And his denial today is nothing of the sort: it is of the achingly familiar they-have-an-agenda school.
This community of corruption will not have involved merely one journalist, only one newspaper, or solely one club. But it lets us know where we, the paying public stand in the hierarchy. At the very bottom, my friends. Remember this as you fish in your pocket, at the newsstand.
Phil MacGiollaBhain (@Pmacgiollabhain) says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 22:05
Come now, Phil. You’re being a bit harsh.
How else can Mr Traynor speciously justify his actions at the time.
He was carrying out covert operations on Mr Whyte, to extract information and a story that other people had broken months earlier. He was getting Mr Whyte on-side, and printing his propaganda in order to achieve what others had done through journalism a considerable time before. He was misleading his readership, and the Rangers support in order to get damning material that you had made available to everyone else interested in the truth a year earlier. By doing this he got to the bottom of the Ticketus deal and was able to break it to the public in Scotland, no-one else could have done that.
Are you accusing him of revisionist mendacity.
ianagain says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 22:13
And Phil as I think we will find out tomorrow the floating charge is still owed to our boy.
=================================
Sorry if this is a naive question, however what debt to him is secured by the floating charge and on what basis.
Sorry to argue by analogy, but if the building society have a charge over my house, and I owe them £1, then their charge is effectively worth £1. The floating charge if it still exists is really only worth what is owed to the holder I would have thought.
OMG was JT actually Perry White
Later still, Perry’s reporting skills earn more praise after being the first to discover that Superboy has moved to Metropolis from Smallville. (Superboy had intended to keep his move quiet for an undefined period of time, so as not to alert anyone to Superboy and Clark Kent leaving Smallville around the same time.)[6]
Finally, during Clark Kent’s junior year of college, Perry is promoted to editor-in-chief of the newspaper, after the retirement of the paper’s previous editor, the Earth-One version of George Taylor.[7]
In the early 1970s, the Daily Planet is bought by Morgan Edge, president of the media conglomerate Galaxy Communications, with much of Perry’s power in running the paper overtaken by Edge.[8] In the months just prior to the Crisis “reboot” in 1985, it is implied that Perry White is beginning to succumb to Alzheimer’s disease, manifesting in increased forgetfulness and confusion.
http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/opinion/item/3359-thomson-should-blog-off#.
I nearly fell off my chair laughing at this effort from JT. So we all got it wrong JT was just involved in a covert operation. Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Daniel Craig if you read TSFM watch your back. You have a rival Mr Bond.
schottie59 says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 17:26
from CQN Can anyone confirm if this is the 4th official from last night?
looks as if he is delighted that Juventus won
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/604027_10151227482301455_1587026969_n.jpg
————————————————————————
Just to satisfy myself, I slo mo-ed this on the TiVo catch up thingy. This is definitely NOT the 4th official. He is a member of the Juventus party.
“Graham Spiers @GrahamSpiers
“Stop worrying about bloggers,” writes James Traynor tonight, fretting himself silly about bloggers. Cringe-making stuff, these revelations.
“
James Delirious Traynor
This blogger conveniently forgets to mention it was my work, along with that of the Daily Record’s Keith Jackson, which finally exposed Whyte and brought him down.
now that is funny. Come on CW, release the tapes.
Nope
No Spiv does anything so publicly simply out of spite
There`s always a money angle
So
The release by Whyte of emails to/from JT following release of emails by Whyte to/from D&P are not down to going in the huff or taking revenge
They are probably to put pressure on the consortium to cough up money promised and not paid
The implied threat is that Whyte has information on the other Spivs that is very difficult for them to defend without leaving Glasgow permanently
I suspect this information also paints Whyte as complicit in the Sevco scam and the other Spivs think he is bluffing
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/when-journalists-forget-which-team-they-are-on/
Little did I know they were secret agents
The floating charge according to Craigy is worth £1mil. And according to [Edit] Green he got it for free. I believe the man with the James Bond recording device.
Did JT ever pull up CW asking where the £15M was? I guess this would have been the 1st question asked on Sept 1st or Feb 1st – the mornings after the transfer window closed
I mean, he did go to all the trouble of showing CW the story stating £15M – and he agreed with it, so couldn’t deny it later
Or did Jim forget to ask – not even in anger when he wasn’t given the job he wanted from CW?
wow, chic young did exclusively reveal something that was true.
Should Mr Traynor see fit to walk away from the Sevconian gates,where next for his talents?
Answers on a Valentines Card.
Infact don’t bother ,his leaving would not be worthy of comment.
Phil, we must have lots of Churnalists in Scotland. I expect that we have others still on our sports radio shows taking up Traynors mantle
dentarthurdent42 says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 21:44
Mr Traynor has responded with an “opinion piece” on the Rangers website.
http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/opinion/item/3359-thomson-should-blog-off#.URwGQs_7CWo.facebook
_________________________________________
Has anyone seen the pis* stained alky and traynor in the same room? This reads like Leggat’s worst. Hard to believe the squalid nature of this rubbish. And yet, so easy to believe.
@Chipsandblog
Sadly yes
Ouch….
“Graham Spiers @GrahamSpiers
“Can I just say I’m embarrassed to be a journalist today. I’m ashamed. Has my industry ever grovelled or toadied so low?”
“
THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL MONITOR
“Asking the questions the media won’t ask”
Or
In Jim Traynors case
” Not seeking the approval of those we wish to regulate before blogging”
pau1mart1n says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 23:01
In keeping with the espionage motif, would that mean chico will be starring in the Accidental Scoop?
(Please the idea of JT being a would be Gerald to David Murray’s Karla, is surely too much even for Green’s People, though they are probably not short of the odd Little Drummer Girl)
justpedylan on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 23:09
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dentarthurdent42 says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 21:44
…….
Has anyone seen the pis* stained alky and traynor in the same room? This reads like Leggat’s worst. Hard to believe the squalid nature of this rubbish. And yet, so easy to believe.
————————————————
Well I haven’t seen the two of them in the same room. But then again I have never seen JT and the big fat Scottish spy from Austin Powers, (sorry his name escapes me 🙂 ), in the same room either. Jeez the conspiracy theories are abound in the land of the double agents.
scapaflow14 says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 23:14
=========================
Graham, you used to be a journalist, a real one.
Not like the imposters who have embarrassed your profession.
It really isn’t too late to be one again.
You can do it if you want to.
A wee tribute to JT (or Eighty-Six)
http://www.wouldyoubelieve.com/cast.html
Keith Jackson of course would be Agent 99 🙂
RangersTaxCase has mysteriously come back to life somewhat
Big Pink says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 23:53
Beat me to the draw 🙂
[BP – Okay you have it then!]
I think it’s a Told-You-So after the Agent 86 stuff today.
“Big Pink says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 23:55
I think it’s a Told-You-So after the Agent 86 stuff today.”
Yes as it seems to be all the historical posts about Whyte, but good to see life in the old dog again.
Cosgrove, English and Spiers are the ones I would trust. Graham wobbled a little bit after the BTC reprieve but that was understandable with bears demanding apologies in their usual way.
the EBTs were morally wrong regardless of what the BTC concludes. We live in a society were getting away with it is all that matters. Getting loans that would never be paid back and never have any tax paid on them is just greed from people who were already getting far too much money.
It allowed old Rangers to put a team on the park that it would not normally be able to afford to the detriment of every other SPL club and yet we are told the new club should be in the top division to help the other teams finances. NO, new clubs need to work their way up from the lowest division, with the same officials and TV rights as all clubs from that league.
I can’t decide whether Traynor’s response is bullshit or horseshit. So difficult these days. Maybe lambshit? Anyway, I’m off to investigate Woolworths. I’ve a hot lead that suggests they may be in trouble.
Is it just me or has the League reconstruction talks gone very quiet? Also isn’t the LNS findings due out this week ?, I think the time scale of two weeks was mentioned somewhere.
Flocculent Apoidea says:
Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 00:04
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I can’t decide whether Traynor’s response is bullshit or horseshit. So difficult these days. Maybe lambshit?
_________________________________________________________________________________
I call it Govanshit because it’s not just any old shit – it’s Rangers shit, and there’s so much of it, it merits it’s own name.
TRFC boardroom ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k2YEc6dozA
scapaflow14 says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 22:45
“Graham Spiers @GrahamSpiers
“Stop worrying about bloggers,” writes James Traynor tonight, fretting himself silly about bloggers. Cringe-making stuff, these revelations.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
Why mention the Bloggers ITA unless they are actually in your part of town. Still nothing to worry about Jamesy.
Slightly O/T
I literally bumped into JT a few months ago in Glasgow’s merchant city ….. And was very suprised at his physique …. Viewing him on TV I thought he was a big tall sort of guy …. But in real life he is short …. About 5’2″ – 5’4″ I’d reckon …. With a very rotund waistline …. A Mr Blobby type ! ……
I intend no offence to small people …. Just stating an observation
The Quare Fellows Pushing Buttons at the Ibrox Circus
The old adage that ‘there’s no such thing as bad publicity’ is often attributed to the 19th century American showman, scam artist and circus owner Phineas T. Barnum.
PT Barnum was a self-publicist of the highest order and would never miss an opportunity to present his wares to a gullible public. Although Barnum was also an author, publisher, philanthropist, and, for a short time, a politician, he is recorded as having stated that his personal aim was “to put money in my own coffers.” This honest admission struck me as being eerily similar to the soundbite we heard from Charles Green about Yorkshiremen being “born with big hands to grab more money”……
http://theinternetbampot.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/the-quare-fellows-pushing-buttons-at-the-ibrox-circus/
bayviewgold says:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 23:53
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RangersTaxCase has mysteriously come back to life somewhat
———-
Aye and a wee tweet too. I suppose Mr Traynor may find the RTC blogs relevant to his timeline of events. A new RTC blog coming up?
Morning all,
The wife is none to happy this morning – she asked if I had remembered that this was a special day. I could not resist and reminded her that a year ago RFC went into administration.
Its interesting to see the long list of journalists who have condemed the behavour of Mr Traynor. Mr Spiers and Mr English, well done.
What about the others? Where are you?
Excellent blog Humble Pie. Many articles on here, and on blogs associated indirectly with this site show up much of the football media’s output as being juvenile and crass.
Tom English points out that Rangers spin can’t take away the disgrace…
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/top-football-stories/rangers-spin-can-t-take-away-the-disgrace-1-2790534
…and in doing so, tries to continue the spin that it was all wee Craig’s fault.
First part of a multi-part interview with Paul Murray, probably the closest thing that the decent Rangers fans have to a figurehead. We would probably be seeing a very different tone from Ibrox had Duff and Duffer sold to Murray’s consortium
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-rangers-director-paul-murray-opens-1708575
Lord Wobbly says:
Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 07:59
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Tom English points out that Rangers spin can’t take away the disgrace…
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/top-football-stories/rangers-spin-can-t-take-away-the-disgrace-1-2790534
…and in doing so, tries to continue the spin that it was all wee Craig’s fault.
———–
Morning Wobbly (that sounds like a physical condition),
I felt Tom English was pointing out that if the obsession with being the same club continues, so will the on-going preoccupation with the dumping of the debt. That was underlined by Mr G. Smith who’s just been on the wireless saying that when Rangers get back to the top league they will have ‘more money than any other club’.
Newpapers (not to mention TV channels) need to strike what must be a difficult balance between clubs and their PR departments wanting to completely control access on the one hand, and on the other hand producing journalism that has some original insight, from the point of attracting and entertaining readers. At the moment, virtually of their football output consists of identical stories or interviews, gormless conjecture (‘Rangers to sign Messi?’), telling us what isn’t going to happen (‘Albion Rovers confirmed today that Messi will not be signing for them’). They could do with taking a long hard look at the standard of investigation and writing on various blogs (from all points of view) and consider whether a purge of their staff member / contributors might be useful to get rid of some of the more compromised / ridiculous / feeble ones and refresh the debate. In dong so, they might hope also to gain a degree of credibility that too many of their current writers are beyond the point of being able to achieve. A few new contributors to the media, with fresh perspectives and less baggage, wouldn’t go amiss as part of Scottish football lifting its horizons.
radio scotland now.
alex thomson
Lord Wobbly says:
Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 07:59
—————————————————–
I am not so sure that is fair Wobbly, it is a good piece, straight and to the point. I don’t think it was his intention to document the complete history of “the downfall” or dig deep into the real root cause, just to comment on the administration and the fact they walked away from 15m of debt and that part was down to White.
What I am saying is this case, I don’t believe he set out to deceive in the piece, mearly to target a specific topic and the reasons behind that.
nothing new from AT
On league reconstruction, I would like to see a 12 18 18, with the top 6 spl clubs providing a reserve team playing in division 1. They cannot win promotion, but will improve quality.
Alex Tomo on Radio Scotland at 0845 – has evidence of another journalist other than JT a different newspaper and newspaper group of running stories by RFC before publication.
Long Time Lurker says:
Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 08:49
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Alex Tomo on Radio Scotland at 0845 – has evidence of another journalist other than JT a different newspaper and newspaper group of running stories by RFC before publication.
———
More succulent ingratiation? Are betfair running a sweepstakes on this? After all, the public do appear to have been horsed, in the mane :).
Back to a bit of reality at Motherwell. Cant agree with Derek Weir that higher attendances were promised, rather the promise was we would not attend at all. The opinion of the Well soc seems to be the visiting support are being charged too much in the current climate. Hence the reduced attendances coupled with the fact of our poor home form earlier in the season.
http://www.motherwell-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/motherwell_agm_107_held_at_fir_park_783300/index.shtml
smudger was also on radio shortbread (08.30ish)
smudger quite happy to mention 1 year since ADMINISTRATION, as the big event and liquidation was just another minor event, then rangers attempt to get back to – where “they” were a year ago.
why won’t they focus on the LIQUIDATION and what it means,
as rangers are NOW in LIQUIDATION, and sevco5088/sevcoscotland/sevcotherangers HAD to START in division 4 in scotland.
Danish Pastry says:
Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 09:02
I was thinking on the bus this morning who the other journo could be. Different newspaper and different group.
I must admit thinking about AT’s comments was a distraction from the Daily Telegraph cryptic crossword.
Was there not a TV series as well…..Forsyth Saga?
Long Time Lurker
I’m sure the debenture holders would love to have a word with any journo who was running things past Craig Whyte. Especially as they lost out…oh #karma. Hang on, I can think of another journalist who writes for a newspaper and works for the BBC. Coincidentally.
So if I follow the argument correctly.
As opposed to being a eater of succulent lamb, Charles Green has employed a man who openly admits that he ingratiates himself with football club owners/chief execs with the main intention of using his decades journalistic experience to sniff out the real story and exposing them for what they really are.
£140k a year and then a nice book deal telling the ‘inside story’ of the third demise of a great Scottish institution? Nice work if you can get it.
Charley boy – watch your back – you have been warned!!
PS
Of course it could be that Jim has seen the books and is trying to get himself sacked for not being trustworthy 🙂
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Traynor “exposing and bringing down” Craig Whyte, 31 Jan 2012. http://bit.ly/VVoZ3a 7 months late & only fortnight before administration
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he is back
does he smell blood ?
I assume Alex Thompson will be able to back up his story.He would’ve expected Traynor to come out with something like the nonsense he posted last night.Is there not more expected today?.
Big story today though is the re-appearance of RTC.
The question is,Why?.
In the world of PR, as opposed to serious journalism, sending draft copy to the interviewee for comment/correction is pretty common. If Daniel Craig is being interviewed by a magazine about the new James Bond film the journalist will send the draft to him (or more likely his press agent) for approval. Up to a point that’s acceptable. What’s in magazines and Sunday supplements is pretty bland stuff, and the interviews, just like the chat show appearances, are all part of the publicity band-wagon. I mean when did you ever hear Graham Norton ask a incisive question?
“Serious” journalism is supposed to be different. The problem nowadays is that the PR machines of companies, political parties, government departments and other organisations really do thier utmost to control the media. I recall the interview on BBC a few months ago of Sir Cardigan. Several contributers on this site bemoaned the lack of any penetrating questions by the interviewer on any of the areas we are interested in. But as someone esle pointed out the interview was probably arranged on the basis that certain questions were out of bounds.
99% of all modern newspaper copy consists of press releases, stuff culled off the internet and news agency articles. Just pick up any two newspapers and once you get past their front pages see how much of the printed material is identical. The big Fleet Street titles don’t even employ court reporters any more. Court case reports come from news agencies.
I’m guessing that what Traynor did with Whyte is pretty much standard practice with the big clubs these days. It is however wrong, and it is an indication of how far journalism standards have fallen. It’s gone from being a trade searching for the truth to one which just repeats the lies without thought or question. The old standard used to be never print anything until its been corroborated from two independent sources. Unfortunately the days of “standards” are long gone. The journalist’s job is merely to regurgitate the corporate PR. No wonder JT is able to move effortlessly from one side to the other. it’s just the same job he’s doing, from a slightly different position.
A relatively good piece by Tom English this morning but I disagree with the following bit:
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“While we’re in reflective mood, this is my take on one aspect of what has happened at Rangers. Some wish to call them Sevco, but I don’t. They play in blue, they play at Ibrox, they draw massive crowds, they are the source of the same kind of obsession from across the city as they always have been, so they are Rangers. If they were a new club, then Celtic people would ignore them, but they don’t and they can’t and they never will.”
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The team who play at Ibrox have, no doubt about it, the same DNA as the old RFC(IL) in the same way that old Dolly the sheep (RIP) had the same DNA as that other lesser known sheep but they’re clearly not the same.
Nice attempt at appeasement nevertheless Tom.
simples RTC is a gentleman that would never forget Administration Day….
Araminta Moonbeam QC says:
Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 09:31
1 0 Rate This
Long Time Lurker
I’m sure the debenture holders would love to have a word with any journo who was running things past Craig Whyte. Especially as they lost out…oh #karma. Hang on, I can think of another journalist who writes for a newspaper and works for the BBC. Coincidentally.
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i would think it is either the debenture holder or wilson
the debenture holder is long odds on fav
ianagain says:
Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 09:09
3 0 Rate Down
Back to a bit of reality at Motherwell. Cant agree with Derek Weir that higher attendances were promised, rather the promise was we would not attend at all. The opinion of the Well soc seems to be the visiting support are being charged too much in the current climate. Hence the reduced attendances coupled with the fact of our poor home form earlier in the season.
http://www.motherwell-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/motherwell_agm_107_held_at_fir_park_783300/index.shtml
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FF s take on it
#1
Today, 09:37
comfie
No Surrender
Join Date: 08-09-2011
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Motherwell AGM – let down by Rangers hate mob
Aw didms, murderwell fans feel let down by Rangers haters who influenced the vote but don’t attend match’s. All I can say is reap what you sow mother **ckers
Taken from Paul Murray’s interview from the Daily Ranger
“If the board says to all and sundry that this is the wrong thing to do and the SFA among others don’t listen or take action, then how can the club be blamed for what happened next? There was no regulatory control and no attempt to protect the best interests of the club. What more could the club have done to defend itself?”
So Murray effectively blames his namesake, (the owner, probably under pressure from Lloyds) for selling the club to Whyte against the boards wishes.
Strangely I don’t remember this financially astute “board” curtailing Walter Smith’s spending, or recommending cutbacks to ensure they are operating within their means. Perhaps if they had been willing to take these difficult decisions, (or resign from the board as a matter of principle re. the unsustainable way the club was being run), then he and his ever so principled “board” may have been able to avoid the demise of their beloved club. What happened to “protecting the best interest of the club” during these years.
What I do remember, was the camera shots of the directors box and their undoubted euphoria of winning the tainted SPL titles from 2009. 10 and 11.
He is taking a leaf out Charles Green’s version of “how to win friends and influence people”. Trumpet the good bits to all who will listen, while conveniently leaving the bad bits out.
Double standards or selective memories quite prevalent down Govan way?