BBC Scotland have gone the extra mile not to link Stuart McGaughay with their beloved ‘Rangers’.
The 30-year-old from Airdrie appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court yesterday charged with throwing a coin at assistant referee Calum Spence as the tribute act lost 1-0 at Livingston last Sunday.
Everyone who watched the match or followed it on social media knows what club McGaughay was sporting but it seems that the state broadcaster are afraid to state the obvious.
The report introduces the accused as a ‘football fan’ and does mention the match that he attended but beyond that there is nothing to link the football fan with a particular team.
@BBCScotlandNews
doing their damnedest to avoid referring to the club this scumbag follows.
Man banned from football over Livingston FC coin attack – https://t.co/by99tJoYMi— Brendan A ???????? #fbpe (@Toomai2) October 5, 2018
They missed out the fact it was a rangers fan! Nothing what so ever to do with the livingston fans. @BBCScotlandNews
Get the facts correct!!
Man banned from football over Livingston FC coin attack – https://t.co/G1t8r8ZsG8— Gary James Wallace (@garywallace19) October 5, 2018
Did anyone see a mention of Rangers in this….eh…report?
https://t.co/aMZkgeIW5L— 7 in a Row–3 to Go (@ticfever) October 6, 2018
“A football fan”…? How about a @RangersFC fan? But no, we mustn’t offend them or they might not ever let us back in to Ibrox eh?
Man banned from football over Livingston FC coin attack – https://t.co/YgHibCLxUV
— Frazer Low (@FrzrLw) October 5, 2018
The utter determination of the BBC, yet again, to avoid calling the perpetrator a *Rangers fan.https://t.co/6rcZBseU77
— Larsson’s Chip (@roonye77) October 6, 2018
Curious as to why we don’t get to know which team this thug was there supporting? #bbcsportscotland BBC News – Man banned from football over Livingston FC coin attack https://t.co/QZ9vIum4T4
— Alan Weir (@oldgreydoc) October 5, 2018
BBC deliberately avoid to report that the culprit was a Rangers fan? https://t.co/U4k8z2Xycr
— Michael McCahill (@MickMcCahill) October 6, 2018
The stance taken by the BBC follows other media outlets who prefer to label trouble involving Ibrox fans as ‘West of Scotland’ supporters or in the case of those that stabbed Osijek fans at Ibrox all that is known in that they were Scottish.
There has been no statement from Sevco, the SPFL or SFA on the latest missile throwing incident from Ibrox fans.
BBC Scotland currently has a laughable dispute with their former presenter Jim Traynor that prevents direct match and media conference but fortunately Alex Rae (EBT), Kris Boyd (EBT), Barry Ferguson (EBT), Billy Dodds (EBT) and Steven Thompson (EBT) are able to fill in the void alongside chief cheerleader Kenny Mac.
