There is an old wives tale that bad things come in three's.
However events over the last couple of weeks suggest that, perhaps, good things come in 3's as well.
It all started fairly innocuously when serial Rangers Hater Spiers decided to display his benevolent side towards Craig Thomson, the Hearts football player guilty of preying on young schoolgirls. What followed was an avalanche of tweeting which forced Spiers to suspend his twitter account. The less outlets this charlatan has to espouse his warped views...the better.
However even that paled into insignificance with the events involving the News of the World. A long series of accusations and whisperings eventually exploded into factual proof . For those who need reminding this is a publication that has sought to besmirch our club and support, and sought to demonise those who dare to celebrate such allegiance in public. They lied about our groundsmen, they lied about our training ground menu, they lied about the motivation behind the bouncy. They attempted to make Dick Campbell public enemy No.1 – his crime ? - singing Derry's Walls.
And these same columnists who sought to moralise us, were part of an organisation which was breaking the law on a daily basis and conducting themselves in a manner which quite frankly, was off the moral radar. Tragic child victims, terrorist victims and their families, fallen war heroes relatives, the list appears to be unending. The adjectives “disgusting” and “revolting” have been used to describe this newspaper's conduct... there are times when words fail to express depravity of human conduct. I would respectfully suggest to you that this is one of those times.
The demise of this newspaper and the wider discussion into journalistic practice which its conduct has proved to be the catalyst to, will at the very least demonstrate that the journalistic fraternity are neither untouchable nor unaccountable. No bad thing.
The 3rd good thing emerging for those of us who live for the blue, red and white, was the interview given to the Glasgow Herald, by media consultant Jack Irvine, and the subject matter of that interview. Its quite clear that the “strategy of folly” i.e. dignified silence is now at an end. Rangers football club will no longer be the whipping boys of lazy and hate filled journalists, nor will we be the shadowy bad guy responsible for all of Scotland's ills.
And I have a feeling that Mr Whyte's tenure at Ibrox has arrived not a moment to soon.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote to Strathclyde Police asking for statistics in relation to sectarian offences and the locus of such offences taking place. They were unable to furnish such statistics due to the manner and nature of crime recording procedures. Add to this fact that the only serious long term academic study into sectarianism in Scotland, by Prof Steve Bruce of Aberdeen University, which concluded that Scotland did not have a sectarian problem, and that it only receives such publicity due to irresponsible journalism, self-interest groups and opinion leaders .
Prof Steve Bruce - Guardian
Despite the absence of available data as to sectarian offences, the existence of serious long term academic research which suggests sectarianism is not a problem in Scotland, the Scottish Government were prepared to impose upon us all an Anti - Sectarian Bill – a piece of legislation which being rushed through with indecent haste. Such concerns were raised by a number of suitably qualified persons at the “Engagement Evening” on the 17th of June at the George Hotel Edinburgh. In the words of leading Human Rights lawyer Aiden O'Neill QC it was “the worst drafted Bill I’ve ever seen.”
Furthermore Dr. David McArdle,Senior Law Lecturer at Stirling University, a man with a wealth of experience and knowledge regarding football banning orders and other football related legislation, pointed out that all the new offences created by the new bill were already in existence under currently available legislation.
The Scottish Government were prepared to spend millions rushing through a bill which breached their citizens human rights to tackle a problem which according to the most serious academic research, did not exist. Go figure.
Perhaps the answer lies in the extraordinary outburst on the evening in question by Rosanna Cunningham who intimated to the assembled guests that the bill was motivated by “Anti-Catholicism”. Little doubt then who would be the targets had this new legislation been passed rather than postponed.
I know for a fact that her comments and tone caused considerable disquiet amongst many of the leading Protestant representatives present at the evening in question.
Perhaps wee Eck should consider very carefully his next roll of the dice on this legislation, and the persons he chooses to oversee its content and some of the motivation behind such content.
Scotland's Protestants seem to have forgotten in recent years how to protest effectively, or allow their majority voices to be heard over the more vocal minorities.
But they certainly haven't forgotten how to vote.
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