Spiers hits back at The Herald in Billy Boys row
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.