After being put under pressure by ‘Rangers’, most likely in the form of the Supporters Trust, the Herald has issued an apology relating to an opinion piece by Graham Spiers.
In the article Spiers claimed that the anti-catholic hate song The Billy Boys had been described as a great song by a current director.
After a UEFA investigation in 2006 the SFA were forced to ban the song which has largely been absent from Ibrox over the last the last nine years although heard regularly at away grounds including Hampden.
During the festive win over Hibs thousands of supporters from all four sides of the ground were heard singing the banned song which went without any comment from BT Sports and Radio Scotland who both broadcast the match.
Later in the week Spiers made his claim about a current Ibrox director which prompted the reaction from the club with the Herald apologising for the ‘offending’ article.
Responding to that on his own website Spiers stated: “I feel I need to explain the context of The Herald clarification/apology published today regarding my column about Rangers FC and the fight against bigoted chanting.
Rangers took exception to a column I wrote in which I questioned “the mettle” of the current club board in tackling offensive chanting.
“This opinion was based on the fact that, at a meeting I attended at Ibrox Stadium on August 31st 2015, a Rangers director told me that he thought The Billy Boys was “a great song”.
“I subsequently expressed my dismay at the director’s comment in an email exchange with Rangers. There was, and is, no question of me calling any Rangers director a bigot.
“Rangers duly complained to The Herald about my column. As the weeks passed a dispute arose, and the pressure brought upon the newspaper became severe.
“The Herald told me repeatedly that they now had to find a way to a public resolution with Rangers. Having searched many avenues to reach an agreement with the club, the newspaper ultimately denied my request to withhold any clarification/apology until my own position was clearer.
“The Herald has never told me that they disbelieved my version of events. I also retain the highest regard for Magnus Llewellin, the paper’s editor who has tried to resolve this problem.
“My opinion – as expressed in my column – was based on a truthful account of my meeting with a Rangers director.”
Until all of the current Ibrox directors- Paul Murray, John Gilligan, Graham Park, Douglas Park, John Bennett, James Blair, Stuart Robertson and Dave King come out and condemn singing The Billy Boys many will believe the view of Spiers.
From January to June 2015 the Herald’s average circulation figure was 34,379, it’s believed that the current figure is south of 30,000 sales per day.
The majority of the press stick by their bigoted new club, if anyone tells the truth there hung out to dry. BROTHERLY LOVE !
HH
Good on Graham just telling the truth
The only thing that shocked me in the article is that Spiers has a website!
Does his vanity know no bounds?
“I subsequently expressed my dismay at the director’s comment in an email exchange with Rangers”
Then just publish the emails..
HELLO, HELLO, WE ARE THE BULLY BOYS,what a shower of sad sick bassas,
Common CELLIC supporters BHUOYCOTT the sad sick SFA league cup semi,they dinna deserve the GEREEN pound,DINNA ge yer money to the SFA they are only apologists for there bigoted pals.
They’ve nae money or brain cells. Dirty orange b******s.. oh that’s right am no allowed to say that, but they think it’s alright to sing that song .gies a break.they’re not trying to eradicate it they’re trying to incite it..keep the faith.HH
Again the bigot apologists make Scotland look like a backwards thinking nation all done to appease the white underclass or as Rangers directors call them… coffer fillers. Ill-educated and drawn towards a club (pre and post liquidation) who sings about what they hate rather than what they love they have the same self-entitled belief they are somehow better than you.
Celtic is based upon an ideology, Rangers is based upon belief. The latter sadly have no real concept of what that belief actually is.
In the words of Chris Rock in Kevin Smith’s Dogma
“I just think it’s better to have ideas. I mean, you can change an idea, changing a belief is trickier. People die for it, people kill for it”
And there it is the crux of it, “ra peepul” would rather die than give up their right to wallow in their hatred and anyone who dares to intercede on the behalf of decency will have their careers killed. That is why spineless editors whose eyes are solely on daily circulation will kow tow in the hope for profit. The largest problem with that is that “ra peepul” now belief they are morally vindicated… and the vicious circle continues, the status quo assured.
However, it is the prophets of internet bampottery who will have the last laugh and final say. Born from the idea that all of a sudden we do not have to believe all that is read the truth finally gets out there. However, those who still believe the outdated concept that if it is in the SMSM then it must be true. Black and white, written for all to see… and it has colour pictures too.
The disfunctional utopia that is Scotland where facts are dispelled in favour of the myth, just to keep those lacking in understanding perpetually laying warm in their own pish.
The Bully Boys at it again, Even Warbo will have a go at the SFA and refs…can’t have them booking rifc players
Spiers should have told the Herald to stuff it.
Can’t believe in this day and age anti catholic rhetoric still accepted in Scottish society shame on those who think its right to glorify and promote this agenda sums up why as a country we never progress when someone’s faith gets ridiculed
Only in this country! I have lived overseas since 2008 and people cant believe the stories i tell them of hatred,violence and corruption all in the name of sevco! They really are a posion and make life uncomfortable in Scotland, I stated on another site earlier if i had the money i would gladly have bought them over and demolished the stadium, car park the lot!
Dermot should have and in doing so would have been a saint! But unfortunately the goverment, police and media in this country are compliant with the whole lot of it. When will our great club stand up and say no more! And lead us out of this place! Hail Hail