Give me One Moment in time

In life there are occasional moments, fleeting passages of opportunity, for an expression of ourselves, which tells the world all they need to know about us. About who we are, what we stand for, those things we cherish and defend with all we have. Such moments however rare, offer the complete stranger the opportunity to see into the very core of our being, and to make an assessment, a judgement of who we are.  This video encapsulates one of those rare moments, and it is reproduced here with the kind permission of it's creator, Graeme.

Tribute Day - Ibrox

I have had many proud moments in my life. The birth of my children, standing in Port Stanley being hugged by the people I had just liberated, this video however ranks up there with all the foregoing. It  reminds me of a day when both my family of Rangers supporters and my club, who have been an ever present constant in my life, reminded me of all that I am and all that I stand for. Without compromise.

It is fitting it opens with Abide With Me. In the journey and adventure which is life itself, family, friends, loved ones will come and go. You will always return to Rangers, they will remain and offer themselves without demand, as a constant to us all in the journey of life. They will be the anchor which forever holds. Without compromise.

It is a video which represents the best life has to offer, fellowship, celebration, truth and honour. There is no stage management, nor is there anything cosmetic about it. No spin, no masks, no smoke, no mirrors. Just a genuine show of appreciation from the Rangers support for the men and women who never hide behind spin doctors, whose courage is defined by actions not by stage managed soundbites. It is a courage not motivated by self seeking or self glory but which is exercised time after time after time, that we might experience and enjoy that ,which so many throughout our world can only wish for, freedom itself. Without compromise.

One only has to the look at the faces of our brave men and women to grab a sense of the appreciation of their reception. If ever a picture paints a thousand words then this is the moment. Perhaps it was the military precision of the flawless card displays, which would have done any drill parade proud, perhaps it's the symbolism, banners or flags which so many could identify with. For culture does not live in books or soundbites, but in the hearts of people expressing it through flags, song, banner and symbolism. Without compromise. Without fear. Without intimidation.

In a year which has seen so many try to take away all which we stand for, all we represent, all we  defend, we need only look to our guests at Ibrox this tribute day for inspiration, for resolution and for example.

On a day which HM Forces were guests of Rangers Football Club, and were asked to take a bow, it should perhaps serve as a reminder to everyone, that this football club and its support will never bow down to anyone, neither man born of woman, nor for that matter lie born of woman.

Proportionate and Appropriate

A certain journalist, who shall remain nameless, is the latest to have a pop at Rangers fans who dare to subscribe to conspiracy and agenda theories. For those amongst us however, of such a disposition, that unanswered identities leave you in a state of flux allow me to furnish you a clue – its the same journalist who claimed on national TV he had never used the word “cheats” with regard to Rangers use of EBT's, whilst at the same time social network sites were buzzing with screen shots of him saying exactly that. I believe the term is hung by your own petard.

According to some, its utter poppycock and the domain of the “internet bampot” to suggest that BBC Scotland have something of an anti-Rangers bias operating within. But whilst they are very quick to dismiss such claims from Rangers supporters, they are far less efficient in explaining what some refer to as  “Operation Blackout” at  BBC Scotland, when it comes to reporting anything remotely negative regarding Celtic FC.

BBC Scotland were the only major news outlet in Scotland which did not report on Celtic players John Hartson and Stephen Pearson apparently engaging in a sectarian sing-along at a supporters function. Nor did they feel moved to report on Anthony Stokes attending the funeral of Alan Ryan, the leader of the Dublin brigade of the Real IRA.  If nothing else however, BBC Scotland are at least consistent – the ugly crowd scenes at Dens Park last week which Dundee official Jim Thomson described as the “worst in 20 years and a throwback to the 70's” were deemed not to be newsworthy by someone within BBC Scotland.

Of course the BBC prides itself on neutrality and accuracy. Perhaps then those at BBC Scotland would care to explain this......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18169502

So, could Rangers be stripped of past titles and trophies?

Precedence exists for this kind of rule-breaking and subsequent punishment in football and other sports.
In 1994, Marseilles were found guilty of financial irregularities and a match fixing scandal involving then president Bernard Tapie.

The French club was forcibly relegated to Ligue 1 and lost its 1992-93 Division One title and the right to play in the Champions League in 1993-94, the 1993 European Super Cup and the 1993 Intercontinental Cup.

So let me get this right...a tax avoidance scheme which a Tax Tribunal deemed lawful is on a par, or equivalent to bribery, corruption and match fixing ?  Neutrality and accuracy ?

But it would seem that asking questions concerning the neutrality of BBC Scotland is no longer the monopoly of the “internet bampot” with  Archie MacPherson and James Traynor, long standing employees of BBC Scotland,  being particularly critical of their conduct with regard to Rangers FC.  Many will point to the fact the latter is now employed by Rangers FC, conveniently ignoring the fact that much of his criticism was levelled long before he took up his current role at Rangers.

But so often in the forming of opinions, subjective experience plays a pivotal role in our decision making process.. Some of you will remember a few weeks ago I pointed out that  the details of BBC Scotland's exclusive interview with Craig Whyte, (an interview which just co-incidentally was organised as Rangers were embarking on a shares flotation) was leaked to internet blogger Phil Mac Giolla Bhain, who then usurped the BBC's exclusive by releasing the details in his blog a whole day before BBC Scotland published its “exclusive”.

One could be forgiven for thinking that such a breach of trust, of journalistic integrity, of accountability and responsibility to the BBC licence payer would provoke an appropriate response from those within BBC Scotland. Instead, this is what I received in response to my complaint regarding the foregoing.

Thank you for your e-mail addressed to the BBC Trust, who have forwarded it to BBC Scotland for response.

Your comments were passed to the Head of Sport, who has asked that I forward his response as follows:

BBC Scotland takes issues of security and confidentiality in relation to editorial material very seriously and we have spoken to staff to remind them of their responsibilities in this area."

No denial. No investigation. No accountability nor responsibility to the licence payer. An interview which BBC Scotland hailed as an “exclusive” was usurped by an employee within their own organisation and BBC Scotland felt “a reminder to staff about security and confidentiality” was the proportionate and appropriate response.

History of course has two particularly annoying characteristics, that of repeating itself and catching up with us. Just ask the BBC managers now under the spotlight with regard to the Savile investigations, who deemed their responses to complaints as “proportionate and appropriate”.

Heart of Darkness

To tear treasure out of the bowels of the land was their desire, with no more moral purpose at the back of it than there is in burglars breaking into a safe.

(Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad 1902)

It was one of those strange moments life throws up every so often. Three feet away from me was a total stranger whom I had never met.  And yet I was more aware of the darkness and anger within his soul than his wife, who was with him. Furthermore, he was equally aware of a similar darkness deep within me. For the badge on his padded jacket linked us in a way even our most loved ones sometimes fail to fully comprehend. RFC.

It is darkness borne out of anger, frustration, powerlessness and a desire for vengeance. Yes vengeance, and I make no apologies for it. A catalogue of unfairness, injustice, mistreatment bitterness and hatred towards our club is what fuels it. Journalists who do not know any better, are telling us to forgive, forget and move on, in fact even some within our ranks are suggesting the same.

I'm not ready, not even nearly ready, to move on.  When I do it will be at a time of my choosing not  at the direction of those who have no understanding or comprehension of that darkness and anger.

Those same journalists could wipe the floor with me as they lay out in chronological order, the facts surrounding the demise of our club and the characters involved.

But it's what they cant tell you which gives rise to understanding the darkness within. Night after night without sleep. Agonising over the latest information only to find it contradicted minutes later from another news source. The feeling of powerlessness to save something which you cherish, which has been with you throughout your entire lifetime. That which could lay claim to the many highs (and lows) of life's reflection.

Nor can they tell you what it feels like to have been made a pariah of Scottish society. To be labelled cheats, financial dopers and to be considered in the same breath as those guilty of bribery and corruption. All of course without trial. Much of what has transpired, by all involved, has been done on a presumption of guilt. They even took away our most fundamental of rights – a presumption of innocence until proved guilty. Nor will I forget the efforts by some to influence that decision making process unfairly. Nor will I forget how they were honoured for their efforts.

Before anyone moves to criticise me for harbouring such darkness and anger let me ask you a question. Has anything really changed ?

Have they abandoned the kangaroo court process which seeks to strip us of titles ? Or the transfer embargo which was unlawfully imposed ?

Has there been a heartfelt apology from those who declared us guilty without trial ?

Have we had any assurance that those same people who tried so hard to destroy our club will be prevented from doing so in the future ?

Have we had any acknowledgement from the SPL that our absence is having a detrimental affect on Scottish football as a whole ? Or by lies and mis-information are they seeking to tell us that all is well without us ?

So until I see some measure of remorse from those responsible for our condemnation, or those who sought to punish us on a presumption of guilt, or until there is acknowledgement that our club and it's support are a vital component part which is essential to the ongoing survival of Scottish football, then I'm afraid you will not find me forgiving, forgetting or moving on.

That's what happens you see when you steal the treasure out of the bowels of the land.

Rangers First

There are some who will have missed the thread on the Follow Follow website regarding David Leggat's latest blog – The Enemy Within. Let me assure those who did – you are the lucky ones. The sight of the Rangers support tearing strips off each other was as unedifying as it was heart breaking.

Personal attacks, personal recrimination, personal accusations, personal animosity. You will note the repeated use of the word “personal”. When the person is put first you can rest assured that Rangers come a very poor second. Isn't it about time we made sure that in our every action, word and deed that our sole motivation is simple – Rangers First ?

Or does satisfying old scores, personal feuds and age old divisions take precedence over putting Rangers First ? Perhaps, more alarming, have we reached a stage, when we truly believe that settling such scores are actually putting Rangers First ? Almighty God, help us in our blindness and pride filled ignorance.

What an indictment it is on us as a support that in an age of computers, internet, social media and e-mail we are more fractured as a support than were before these tools were available to us. These tools should be utilised to fulfil the potential this support has, working as a cohesive unit, not vilifying one another. If the Rangers support organised and orchestrated a one day unofficial general strike – this country would grind to a halt. That is the potential, but time after time after time we fail to fulfil it.

It is unrealistic to strive for complete unity. In any family unit there will always be differences of opinion, method and approach. It's normal. Our challenge, and our ultimate effectiveness as a support will be determined by our ability to both recognise our differences, live with them, and find the common ground which allows us to perform effectively in our strive towards the common goal – Rangers First.

(This is not just an ideal..it is a challenge to the leaders of the various Rangers factions, and I sincerely hope the Rangers support as a whole hold you accountable)

I have spent years writing and blogging, defending our club, defending our support, defending our traditions from attacks by all and sundry. I am not the only one. But all those hours, pouring over research to ensure what we produce is accurate, visiting the very heart of the soul to tap into that which is mystical and beyond rational to explain our love for the Rangers, will count for nothing if personal vendettas, personal agendas and an inability to work, together, towards a common goal, fail to put Rangers First.

To quote a historic Rangers mantra....”Rangers deserve better”

To quote a historic Nike advertising slogan … “Just do it”

And with that this musketeer bids you all a fond “ Adieu”

RANGERS FOREVER

Kind Regards

D'Artagnan

G51 2XD

Ok it's confession time.

When it comes to the world of social media I am particularly technophobic. Perhaps there is some truth to the adage about old dogs and new tricks. At the request of others who asked for my blog to be “social media friendly” I ventured warily into the perilous world of Twitter and Facebook. I manged to navigate the former with just a modicum of pain, the latter,  however proved to be a step too far. My Facebook page exists solely because Mrs D'Artagnan was kind enough to set it up for me.

Nonetheless Facebook continues to perplex me. For instance I responded to what I thought was a message from a friend only to find myself in the middle of a cyber farm. Things went downhill pretty fast after that. I noticed that on the maps section of my page Ibrox was listed as a place I had visited. This bamboozled me and I came to the conclusion, alarmingly I might add, that my wife was tracing my movements via my mobile phone.  It was only later I learned from her that she had put this in manually to be something old and familiar for me in the strange and daunting environment of Facebook.

Several months on and I haven't changed it.  G51 2XD still shows when I log into Facebook. It’s more than just a postcode or a security blanket for a technophobic blogger. It represents over 40 years of memories and an unbroken passion for a football club. In fact it's safe to say when I first started making the pilgrimage to G51 2XD  I still believed in Santa Claus.

The entry on the recent Montrose match day programme had only served to underlined this. The assertion that our club is now defunct appears to have been lost on my inbuilt human navigation system. My eyes and ears appear to have been tricked as well. Because a trip to G51 2XD allows my to see the Rangers I have followed for over 40 years amidst the choruses I am familiar with.

It's the same G51 2XD where I was mesmorised by Davie Cooper, the same G51 2XD where the King of Ibrox Park, Parlane reigned, in fact its the same G51 2XD where my older brother before me raved about Brand, Baxter and Caldow.

That's not to say some things haven't changed along the way. I no longer alight from a train at Partick and take the subway to G51 2XD. The latter mode of transport of course put me in touch with my own mortality the week after the Moorgate Disaster. Those who travelled on the old underground will know exactly what I'm talking about. And of course there is no longer a maritime passage to G51 2XD, for those of us who embarked from Kelvinhaugh and Finnieston during the long overdue upgrade of the aforementioned subway.

And despite this being an age of Health & Safety I no longer wear the obligatory customised hard builders hat, nor do I eat unwrapped cheese or ham rolls from a cardboard box which had seen better days (along with the rolls) all served with a dessert of macaroon bars. The six foot Union flag which once adorned my shoulders is now replaced by a small metallic one on my lapel. The symbolism may have changed but the beliefs most certainly haven't.

But should I trust my sensory perceptions that my club is very much alive despite repeated assertions to the contrary ? Perhaps...but a little more objective evidence wouldn't do any harm.

Lord Nimmo Smith, who chairs the SPL 's independent panel panel probing alleged undisclosed payments to players by the “defunct” club, and which the club which currently plays at G51 2XD  is being brought to task for, stated that Rangers FC is a recognisable entity which continued in existence notwithstanding the change in ownership.  Pretty conclusive.

But there is more bad news for the proponents of Sevco...

European Clubs Association - Rangers

And those pesky Europeans are at it again....must be some kind of grand scale conspiracy...

UEFA - RANGERS

88th in UEFA rankings. I'm sure you would all agree that's not bad for a football team, who as some would have you believe, have never played in Europe before.

So I will keep making my pilgrimage to G51 2XD to see the Rangers, and I will leave those proponents of Sevco and “defunct” to their own deluded and hate filled wishes.

But I have a parting life lesson  for them from a little boy who, when he first went to see his beloved Rangers,  still believed in Santa.

Believing in something does not make it true, no matter how much you wish for it to be so. And the Rangers will still be here when your keyboards eventually fall silent.

We shall know them by their deeds...

Two events caught my eye on the internet cyber world over the weekend.

The first was considerable excitement on some Rangers forums that a Scottish newspaper intended to print a recording of a high ranked football official alluding to "burying Rangers”.

The second notable occurrence was a blog by Ms Angela Haggerty, editor of Phil Mac Giolla Bhain's book - Downfall. Ms Haggerty as some of you may remember was particularly angry and outspoken when the Sun newspaper decided against serializing the aforementioned book, suggesting it's author was "tarred with a sectarian brush". This is how the Scotsman newspaper reviewed the book recently.....

The sirens started to sound at the first of several references to Rangers supporters as “the Ibrox klan”. The author makes no attempt to disguise his hatred for Rangers, stating at one stage “please let this football club die”. And yet he yearns to be taken seriously as a journalist, repeatedly complaining that no-one from the mainstream media ever calls him. As the tale unravels, Mac Giolla Bhain starts to disappear up his own rear, declaring: “I am aware of my own contribution and I rather like the guy I see in the shaving mirror every morning.” These are two classic mistakes: believing you are the story, and wanting a story to be true. When it’s not. 

Ms Haggerty of course has been a guest on disgraced lawyer Paul McConville's blog Random Thoughts on Scots Law. For those thinking of visiting this shamed lawyers blog let me give you some advice to help you navigate his blog. Rangers, who have managed to generate over 600  "random thoughts" for Mr McConville, are not some mass murderer whose release, on compassionate grounds proved the catalyst for both political and legal arguments. You will find a person fitting that criteria under A for Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrah. Surprisingly this had only managed to generate 1 random thought for Mr McConville. Funny that.

Of course McConnvile himself is no stranger to being a guest on the blog of others having featured on the Scotzine website recently.

Oh what a wicked Web we weave.

Surprisingly there is a connection between those excited Rangers fans I referred to on the opening paragraph and Ms Haggerty's latest blog offering. The connection is in the word “injustice” which Ms Haggerty uses almost as frequently as she uses the word Sevco.

Do we as Rangers fans really have to hear on tape that some on the upper echelons of our footballing hierarchy wanted Rangers dead and buried ? Do their actions not speaker speak louder than any words, recorded or otherwise ?

Have we forgotten that the footballing authority in this country abandoned the fundamental principle of justice, that you are innocent until proven guilty, as they sought to deal with our club ?

That their solution of a five way agreement was a presumption of guilt which they tried to blackmail our club into accepting ?

That a host of football chairmen from the SFL were publicly commenting that the football authorities in this country were bullying, threatening and intimidating them to pursue a course of action with regard to our club ran contrary to natural justice ?

That the government agency investigating Rangers alleged tax discrepancies was leaking confidential information to a number of unknown persons who used that information to manipulate and per-meditate public and media perception with regard to the outcome of this case.

Having failed to stem the leaks, that same government agency failed to involve the Police in the search to attempt to identify those responsible, such leaks of course represented a Breach of the Official Secrets Act, The more cynical amongst us have even suggested that HMRC were less than thorough and professional in their actions, as the consequence of such leaks, despite their criminal nature, suited their purpose.

So no, I don't need to hear a recording to know that some within the echelons of our footballing authorities did everything within their power to see our club dead and buried.

But of course none of the injustices aforementioned are cited on Ms Haggerty's latest blog.

Still.... perhaps her next job will be to edit the Oxford Dictionary, that will give her the perfect opportunity to look up the definition of “injustice”.

Investigating the Investigators

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

Despite often being attributed to Voltaire himself, it was actually Evelyn Beatrice Hall (Voltaire's Biographer) who penned these words. One line in and I digress already, that, even for me must be some kind of record.  But to more serious matters....

I have to confess that David Leggat's Legoland Blog is not my first bookmark for Rangers related issues. But in true Voltaire fashion I have to say I was utterly appalled at his recent treatment at the hands of Strathclyde Police. In fact we all should be appalled – it was a full frontal assault on the principle of freedom of speech in this country.

His alleged crime ?  Naming an individual who had been mentioned on twitter by someone else (without sanction I may add) as a suspect in the HMRC leaks of the Rangers Tax Case. In other words... good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander.

I thought the fundamental principle hammered into every recruit who passes through the Scottish Police College is that they would discharge their duty without fear, favour malice or ill-will towards anyone. Back to college for some methinks.

Post incident Leggo has directed much of his ire over the incident towards Strathclyde Police lawyer Duncan Campbell. I think he is barking up the wrong tree. The decision for the Police to become involved was an operational matter not one made by some lawyer employed by them to sift through employment contracts etc. Sure he may have been consulted for his legal knowledge, he may even have advised the Police, but at the end of the day the decision for the Police to become involved in what at worst amounted to a civil case of defamation( if even that), was purely an operational decision taken by a Police Officer, and probably a fairly high ranked one at that, within Strathclyde Police.

Furthermore in cases which have a considerable grey legal area, my understanding is that the Police are far more inclined to contact the on call Procurator Fiscal for advice rather than some lawyer employed by them. They are after all answerable to the Fiscal.

But it doesn't end there. For Leggo alludes to the fact that if he did not remove his blog article he was offered a nights bed and breakfast courtesy of Strathclyde Police. I thought in these days of liberty, human rights and lawyers strikes, that arrest was not the preferred option when the interests of justice could equally be served by service of a copy complaint/summons on the accused. After all Leggo did not fit the common law criteria for arrest. He was not of “no fixed abode” because Strathclyde Police, after all had come chapping at his door, nor was their an evident intention to abscond or a need to prevent a repetition of the offence. So why such heavy handed tactics to oppress freedom of speech ?

The whole incident is now of course subject of an official enquiry and I'm sure Leggo, in his own indomitable style will keep all interested parties updated.

But on the subject of Police Investigations, or perhaps lack of them in this case, I didn't share my fellow bears joy upon hearing the news that Sir David Murray had instructed his lawyers Levy  McRae to petition the Crown Office to launch a criminal investigation into the leaks at HMRC during the now ill-fated Rangers Tax Case.

My initial reaction was “What ?”.

Are you telling me that a government agency which was leaking information at such an alarming rate, which allowed the beneficiaries of that information managed to hold a whole nation captive for several months, and the quantity and the quality of the leaks even allowed them to win awards, had not involved the Police to date ? That the epidemic level of breaches of the official secrets act were not reported by those in charge at HMRC ?

If not then we deserve answers as to why not.

Why has such glaring breaches of criminal law not been reported by those whose job it is to investigate ? My information is that despite an internal investigation by HMRC the perpetrator (s)of these leaks has not been identified. So in the most high profile tax case in Scottish history the investigating agency are aware of tsunami size leaks and breaches of the law within yet, to date it remains unreported as a crime ?

Why were the Police who have the power to search homes, the technology to forensically check computers, the ability to examine documents for DNA and fingerprints, the authority to access phone records, not brought in to identify the culprit ?

Forget conspiracy theories, if this matter has not been reported to the Police we are talking about professional incompetence at a level which should prove to be a catalyst for a government enquiry into the whole affair.

I must go for now....I have a letter to write to my MP.

The Apocalypse cometh...

I've lost count of the number of times I've watched Apocalypse Now, and yet despite countless viewings, I'm still undecided on Willard's feelings at the end towards Kurtz strategy. Did he sympathise or find the tactics abhorrent ?

For the younger bears out there who may not yet have enjoyed this Coppola classic - the story revolves around a special forces commander Col Kurtz (Marlon Brando) who had gone rogue. Frustrated with fighting an enemy who won't play by the rules Kurtz embarks on an unconventional and irregular strategy of doing unto others as they would do unto you. Except worse. Much worse in fact. Suffice to say that the words Geneva convention did not feature in the Brando's unconventional and irregular strategy. So much so that the Pentagon despatches another special forces operative, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen)  to bring closure to Kurtz's regime.

Of course unconventional and irregular doesn't have to contain the element of brutality. During the Falklands war I served in a commando unit who did much of it's fighting behind enemy lines. We operated on a mantra of the three d's - disruption, destruction and demoralising. Post war a summation of our role was described as “unconventional, irregular but highly effective" Without I may add, the element of brutality espoused by Col Kurtz aforesaid.

These last few months have seen the Rangers support face an enemy who, like Brando's adversaries refused to play by the rules. Our club was branded guilty without trial, our chairman blackmailed by those who are expected to display governance, fairness and justice. But injustice did not stop at Rangers doorstep. SFL chairmen were bullied, intimidated and threatened to embark on a course of action which ran contrary to any sense of natural justice. Unlawful and unjust sanctions were imposed upon our club. Shame on them.

The Scottish press participated in the bloodfest labelling us cheats tax dodgers and much worse. Government agencies breached criminal law in the stampede to damage or club beyond repair. Internet bloggers manipulated government agency leaks in an effort to further destabilise or club. This bloodfest became an unstoppable force whose intent was clear – the death and destruction of Rangers FC.

Scotland became the scene of the eternal cosmic conundrum - the unstoppable force versus the immovable object. Two forces propelled by those timeless human emotions – love and hate.

And at at the end of carnage there was only one left standing. The immovable object - the Rangers support. Driven by love rather than hatred, and against all rational thought and soothsayers of doom, the Rangers support proved to be the unflinching and unbeatable vanguard of Rangers football club. Their love for a football club, which for many symbolises their very identity, was put to the test. They were not found to be wanting.

It's perhaps symptomatic of the problem, that press reporters outside Scotland, from far flung continents, want to report on the supporters who would not let their club die. Perhaps those Japanese reporters at Ibrox recently felt the unflinching loyalty and devotion of the Rangers support in the face of adversity would resonate in a culture which still holds the values of the Samurai in  high regard.

Its against this backdrop that the boycott of Rangers forthcoming Scottish Cup tie at Tannadice could therefore be described as both unconventional and irregular if not surprising. Dundee United chairman Stephen Thomson epitomised everything which was wrong with Scotland during the Rangers crisis.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18365480

No Stephen views haven't hardened – unbridled hatred was allowed to replace a desire for fairness and justice. Lack of remorse ? You want us to apologise because you have pre-empted the result of a tax tribunal and declared us guilty ?  And how dare we have the audacity to challenge a ruling which the court ultimately ruled was unlawful within the context of the SFA's own regulations.

I become infuriated when I hear journo's, post tribunal verdict, state they “understand Rangers fans anger”.  No they don't. They have no idea at all. Only Rangers supporters truly understand the anger. There is a fury within the Rangers support which burns in a manner akin to napalm – it cannot be extinguished. A fire of righteous indignation has spread right through the Rangers support.

If Scotland was to genuinely reflect on it's treatment of Rangers over the last few months, it would quickly realise that the club is due a heartfelt apology. Whether such an apology is forthcoming is another matter. If it was, it would go some way to dousing those flames of anger within our support.

If however, its not then the unconventional and irregular may become the norm, with a brutality which would put Kurtz strategy to shame, and Scottish football will face a financial apocalypse as a consequence. Perhaps as ever, “sorry” will prove to be the hardest word.

We have come a long way from the opening paragraph and the jungles of Cambodia so perhaps it's fitting I close with the words of Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall) from the same film....

“I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells of victory”.

Leveson - The Rangers lesson

One could be forgiven for thinking that David Cameron's quick response to Lord Leveson's findings, and his caution about “crossing the rubicon” because of press phone hacking, was derived solely due to a quick scan of the findings, with most of his short focus being on the phone hacking bits.

What he has failed to take account of are the many many lives ruined not by phone hacking, but false, erroneous and inaccurate articles. The type of article which one of the witnesses stated drove her son to suicide due to the false articles printed by the press about his murdered sister. Perhaps this was epitomised best by the McCann's who when interviewed cited a newspaper report about them “selling Madeline” rather than any reference to phone hacking.

Those of us in the Rangers family have witnessed such press vilification over the last few months. Lies, manipulation of facts, reporting which lacks balance and fairness and often fact, characterise how the Scottish Press have reported the crisis at our club. In fact some, such as the BBC, have been directly responsible for some of that aforesaid crisis, due to their conduct.

But David Cameron has a major problem as he tries to convince us that the press are some kind of moral guardians of society and thus should not be exposed to legislative scrutiny. For instance what happens when those moral guardians are themselves immoral ? What happens to that guardianship when members of the press believe themselves to be above the law. ?

Where was such guardianship when murder victims phones were being hacked ? The culture of phone hacking seems to have been accepted practice amongst a considerable number of journalists. Where were all the whistle blowers exposing such abhorrent practices ? There is a reckless and cavalier arrogance amongst some of our press much of which has been evidenced during the Rangers tax case.

24 hours after a first tier tax tribunal had declared Rangers not guilty Graham Spiers was writing an article about the immorality of EBT. Not bad for a man who had been exposed on national TV hours earlier as a liar. No remorse or apology for his false and damaging accusations, just an attempt to justify them. BBC Scotland and Channel 4's Alex Thomson have followed a similar line.

The pen is mightier than the sword – but so too is the poisonous pen. It's not even a month since Lord MacAlpine was falsely accused of being a paedophile by members of the media. How does that fit into Mr Cameron's rubicon ?

But emotional damage is not the only by-product of poor, sub-standard and malicious journalism . The coverage of the Rangers use of EBT's has demonstrated there is a financial cost as well. Since the verdict many people have been asking “What if ?”

It's a good question. What if the BBC documentary had not been so one-sided and biased would the Rangers name have been less toxic and thus more attractive to buyers if they had not been led to believe the first tier tax tribunal was a foregone conclusion which would not go in Rangers favour ?

The recommendation by Lord Leveson that the press requires to be legislated will find little opposition amongst the Rangers support after what we have endured these last months.

There is a saying that “society gets the press it deserves”.

Perhaps a caveat to that is that the press gets the legislative control it deserves.

BBC Scotland - Objective Journalism R.I.P

It has been some considerable time since, with the help of a Vanguard Bears dossier, I wrote about the bias and lack of factual reporting towards our club by BBC Scotland. (A River Runs Through It) It will come as no surprise to anyone that the Vanguard Bears dossier regarding BBC Scotland is considerably heavier now, given what has transpired over the last few months.

But it was today, and from the pen of a non-Ranger that the final death blow was delivered to BBC Scotland. That it came from from a man who has worked for the BBC for over 40 years, and who is respected as something of an “elder statesman” amongst Sport Journalists, merely served to highlight how far BBC Scotland has fallen. A fall from which it may never recover, certainly not in this Bear's lifetime. I wont let them and I would suspect there are many reading this who feel exactly the same.

Archie MacPherson didn't mince his words. He thoroughly condemned their lack of journalistic integrity, in fact he even taunted them to use their skills to produce a documentary which asks why Rangers appear to have been singled out for such microscopic examination and failed by so many who are required to be impartial.

I think you will find Archie that those who were responsible at BBC Scotland, for so openly manipulating facts, just don't have the appetite or enthusiasm for such an examination -  not if it serves to vindicate Rangers and point the finger at others.

They are not hacks they are hags who have concocted a cauldron of poison, venom and vindictiveness towards our club. Anyone partaking of this vile brew will notice the bitter and sour taste is caused by an essential ingredient being absent – objective reporting.

Their organisation is currently banned from Ibrox, and appear quite comfortable with their imposed exile.  That ban stems from their footage prior to the Rangers v Motherwell match. A montage which the Samaritans organisation saw fit to criticise. They seem to be comfortable with the fact that they have marginalised a considerable proportion of the Scottish people against them.

They have either leaked or colluded with internet bloggers regarding their “exclusive interview” with Craig Whyte, as details of this “exclusive” appeared on the blog of a man described as “tarred with the sectarian brush” a whole day before BBC Scotland released it's well er...not so exclusive.

It came of course as no surprise to the Rangers support that BBC Scotland decided that a man whose lack of credibility and integrity they had worked tirelessly to expose whilst chairman of Rangers was suddenly credible enough to earn an exclusive platform at the BBC to spout his lies just as Charles Green was trying to attract investment into Rangers by way of a share issue. Co-incidence ? Not on your nelly.

There is a touch of irony about Archie's timing however. It comes on the day the BBC are reported to have sacked 2 members of staff for misuse of social networks following an FOI request from right wing think tank Parliament Street.

Speaking afterwords Parliament Street Director Steven George Hilley commented ..

“Misuse of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook by employees can compromise the integrity of publicly funded organisations and trigger long-term reputational damage.

Perhaps.

But not nearly as much damage as has been caused by those currently working for BBC Scotland at Pacific Quay with their clear anti-Rangers agenda.

REVELATION NOT RECRIMINATION

I was bemused this morning by a tweet from journalist Tom English which read....

“rangerstaxcase was a phenomenon. Total respect for the quality of that blog's information. But it became bitter and pompous and lost its way”

It would appear post verdict that the bewitching powers of the Rangers Tax Case Blog still appears to be exerting it's enchantment. What Tom English fails to recognise is that the quality of the information he refers to was obtained as a result of an employee (s) of HMRC breaching the trust of his/her employer and consequently embarking on a course of criminal conduct.

Furthermore the “bitter and pompous” nature of the blog's writers gained a credibility and respectability. It was honoured with awards, such was the extent of their stream of exclusives which appeared on an almost daily basis. Intelligent people ignored the clear motivations of those involved with the blog, they were “in the know”, their information and revelations were second to none. It appeared at times they had a hotline or a passport to the evidence HMRC's investigators had collected.

Post verdict there are now recriminations from the journalistic community towards this blog which appeared to enchant a nation to believe Rangers FC were guilty.  And of course those of us in the Rangers family are quite rightly demanding the role and conduct of HMRC be examined.

But this should not be done out of anger or recrimination, nor should such demands for an enquiry be confined to those of who are Rangers supporters.

The Rangers Tax Case Blog was successful in making the name of Rangers toxic. The financial consequences of this are well documented and do not need repeating. But they were only successful in achieving this, and their awards, as a result of the steady stream of leaks which came from HMRC and which they used to full benefit. Without such disclosures this would merely have been a “bitter and pompous” blog.

Therefore it is not only in Rangers interest, but also the public interest for a full and public investigation into HMRC. A member or member(s) of their staff are responsible for a gross breach of trust and have embarked on a course of conduct which is criminal.


http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/cogmanual/cog904510.htm

The normal rules of confidentiality are set out in The Guide - to working in HM Revenue & Customs (HRLG3.2.5). These rules must be observed strictly with regard to:

information obtained during a compliance check, and

confidential official instructions issued for use within the Department.

The rules apply to contacts with

other Government departments

the public, or

any third party.

All employees of HM Revenue & Customs are under a very strict legal duty to maintain the confidentiality of information held about its customers. All HMRC staff are bound by the provisions of the Official Secrets Act 1989 and the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005.

S18 of the CRCA also makes it clear you must not give (‘disclose’) HMRC information to anyone unless you have the lawful authority to do so - this includes other Government Departments & their Agencies, local authorities, police, any other public bodies, agents and members of the public.

Refer to Information Disclosure Guide (IDG) for more information. There is a Quick reference Guide at IDG20000.

Given the numerous exclusives which the Rangers Tax Case Blog revealed it would appear that these breaches of trust and criminal behaviour were not just a one off but were committed repeatedly and in a consistent manner.

Therefore the following questions at the very least need to be answered by HMRC :-


Did they launch an investigation into the leaks. If not why not ?

Was the culprit identified and if so what punishment did he/she receive ?

Was any person prosecuted as a result of these leaks ?

Given that these leaks are criminal were the Police involved ? If not why not ?

How was it that an employee of HMRC was able to provide what appears to be a steady stream of information over a consistent period to the Rangers Tax Case Blog ?

What action plans did HMRC management  put in place to prevent such leaks ?

These questions are not going to go away. Given the consequences and the damages which these leaks caused it is absolutely essential that a full scale enquiry is launched. The demand for this is not going to go away – if the many thousands of persons who have signed the online petition are ignored then we will simply escalate the matter further.

You can rest assured of that.

One Word Answers

“Why the feck wont they die !!!!!!!!, we’ve done everything to de-stabilise them.”

Why is it a football club in the lowest league of Scottish football can eclipse the attendance figures of the combined matches in the so called top tier ?

“Why are they doing this ffs !!!. How can they buy season tickets after Whyte - this new guy is an unknown”

In 2012, following their club being forced into liquidation by a largely unknown Mr Whyte, Rangers supporters en mass saved their club from further financial ruin by buying season tickets on an unprecedented scale. This despite little being known about the new owner Mr Green. Their actions were not motivated by financial projections or business plans, but by the love of something that is more than just a football club. Way more.

“What do you mean Sky insist any deal is dependant on showing Rangers ? FFS they are in the third division of Scottish football”

Rangers FC, Third Division SFL, command the highest viewing figures of Sky Television's Scottish televised matches.

“They are fecked. Mark's documentary has won a BAFTA and we have the Orwellian Award. Scotland has them convicted and Phil's book will be the coup de gras. That fecker Traynor remains they only fly in the ointment.”

In October 2012 the Daily Record suspended online comments from readers due to abuse of other posters and Daily Record journalists.. Their Chief Sports Correspondent, James Traynor, was one of the few journalists in Scotland who maintained a favourable stance towards Rangers FC. His blog was the target of a particularly vociferous and vindictive campaign due to his determination to keep an open mind on Rangers FC. Ironically, at this time Channel 4 news correspondent Alex Thomson saw fit to write about so called intimidation by Rangers fans.

In November 2012 a first tier tax tribunal ruled in favour of Rangers FC and rejected the claims of HMRC that they were guilty of tax avoidance. Post verdict the Rangers Tax Case Blog, the recipient of an Orwellian award for journalism, frantically attempted to delete all files pertaining to their award winning site.

“Two fuura pound, two furra pound”

“If Rangers play on the streets, we will fill the pavements”

As Scottish Premier League Clubs are forced to offer “saver” deals in order to attract supporters to to matches, on Friday 23rd November 2012, Elgin City announce their forthcoming match with Rangers is cancelled due to the over sale of tickets and on the health and safety advice of the Police.

One word..

Rangers.

The legend goes from strength to strength.

So shall they reap as they have sown...

It resembles the desolation of the aftermath of a battlefield. The keyboards of the Rangers Tax Case bloggers have fallen silent in a manner akin to a Nazi artillery unit. Their frantic and forlorn attempts to delete all trace of their blogs the actions of an innocent man/men ? I say forlorn because they are still available via the google servers albeit as raw data.

Of course like any battlefield pockets of resistance remain. We were treated to Graham Spiers post verdict espousing on the immorality of EBT's. Pardon me Mr Spiers, but I will pass on lessons on morality from a man who was caught lying on national television only this week.

James Traynor, one of few journalists to emerge with any credit from this whole debacle, summed it up perfectly. He was ashamed to be part of the fraternity of Scottish journalists. Let me say this to you Jim, you should feel no shame nor should you feel guilty by association.

Nor should the guilt be attributed to solely to one area of Scottish society. Many months ago I wrote that Craig Whyte's shame proved to be the catalyst to a nation's disgrace. An entire nation seemed to sweep aside the fundamental principle that a party was innocent until proven guilty. Holyrood was silent as a nation moved to convict Rangers. Where were the moral guardians of our society, of fairness, equality and justice ? The word “cheat” became synonymous with Rangers.

But not only did Scotland abandon a fundamental principle of law upon which every civilised nation is built, in it's thirst to quench and justify it's hatred of Rangers, it drank from whichever watering hole would give it succour. So often in testimony the character of the witness does much to verify the credibility of the evidence being given.

A failed and disgraced lawyer who can only practise under the strictest of supervision. A man who has been forced to change his surname with the regularity of a person on a diet of All Bran and prunes. An anonymous blog whose intent was clear – to destabilise Rangers Football Club. Perhaps their Orwellian Award will serve as the greatest reminder and indictment of this nation's disgrace.

Or perhaps not. For some of the aforementioned gained a respectability and credibility due to gross unprofessional and criminal conduct by some in publicly accountable bodies. Its is still unclear the motives behind the leaks from HMRC to the Rangers Tax Case Blog. But it gave a website driven by hate the ammunition of exclusives to fire bullets of credibility and respectability.

Equally so for the man of many surnames who managed to gazump BBC Scotland's “exclusive interview” with Craig Whyte by posting details of the interview the day before it's BBC Scotland release.

Its shouldn't be the anger of the Ranger's support which is the catalyst to official in-depth investigations regarding these bodies aforementioned, but a desire to find the truth and bring those accountable to book. Perhaps those outside the Rangers family should be asking questions of the official bodies whose conduct and behaviour was instrumental in feeding this bloodfest. Because not only did they fail Rangers – they have failed society, all of it.

There is a saying that a broken clock is right twice a day. Therefore its perhaps fitting that I mention when Graham Spiers is right. Rare happenings should after all, be highlighted. He was right when he said that as a result of the tribunal victory Rangers fans will be more dangerous than ever.

We will be. We have learned not to trust, not to be naïve. We have seen the hatred of our club manifested. We have seen a total abandonment of all safeguards of decency and fairness in the clammer to kick our club when it was down. We have learned we cannot even trust those who are required by law to be objective and impartial, that the term fair-minded does not apply when Rangers are the subject.

You gave it your best shot, you played dirty, you were underhand, cowardly. You deceived, you manipulated.

But you failed.

But you did succeed in one respect.

You have awoken the sleeping giant and filled it with a terrible resolve.

I have learned that not only is the pen mightier than the sword, so too is the poisonous pen.

It is time for them to prepare to reap the seeds which they have sown.

.

Who's sorry now ?

Its hard to know where to start. So many highlights as a result of the tax tribunal verdict.

Fortunate then that Phil Macgiollabhain with his many repetitions over the last few months of the 5 stages of grief had, paved the way of our understanding of what was to come. And come they did as those Rangers haters came to terms with the loss of the ogre which gave some sort of warped justification to their hatred of all things Rangers.

Rangers didn't cheat. Nor match fix. Nor were they guilty of financial doping. They didn't rob our front line troops of essential supplies or schoolchildren of their textbooks.

The denial phase of grief was particularly amusing. Watching Grahan Spiers on national TV squirming and stuttering and denying he had used the term cheat was hilarious whilst at the same time tweets of his screenshots, confirming to the contrary, were winging their way around the internet world.

But that was not my favourite. For me thousands of obsessed Rangers haters pouring over every single word of the tribunal summation desperately seeking some form of justification was even funnier. One in particular caught my eye concerning an amateur tax expert called Luigi on Twitter...

@tomenglishsport I accept you've had little time to react to FTTT, but have you read paragraphs 159,161&163 of judgment? I suggest you do.

To which Tom English replied ...

@Luigi19701 Those sections are from the HMRC QC, not the tribunal judges

Cue collapsing world. Oh how I laughed.

But it didn't end there of course. Random thoughts (for random read “obsessed) disgraced lawyer Paul McConville was conspicuous by his absence. His random thoughts on the Rangers tax verdict (which would have been his 600th odd random thought on our club) were a lesson in brevity as he had to nip out to his daughters musical recital. Wonder what she played “Who's sorry now” ?

But it's a story which just keeps on giving and giving.

Traynor's piece in the Record today, where he trounced all and sundry for their hatred, their willingness to accept as gospel those bigots and Rangers haters who suddenly became “tax experts” was food and drink to this Bear.

And on the subject of food...I'm off for some jelly and ice cream.

Dear Lord Patten....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-19975957


Some of you will have noticed I've been relatively quiet of late. In truth this self-imposed exile has been to allow a situation to develop or perhaps, more appropriately, not develop. You see the enemies of Rangers, within Pacific Quay made what I suspect is a considerable error last month.

It came as a surprise to all of us that BBC Scotland claimed an “exclusive” interview with former Rangers owner Craig Whyte. Much of that surprise was due to the fairly acrimonious relationship the aforementioned appeared to enjoy. After all was in not a series of damaging revelations made by BBC Scotland which caused Whyte to ban them from Ibrox and threaten court action against them ?

Adding to the surprise element was the fact that this media organisation were allowing Whyte such a platform after they had repeatedly over a series of months called into question both his integrity and credibility. And surprise surprise, this “exclusive” interview, and apparent turnaround in attitude by BBC Scotland towards Craig Whyte, emerged as Rangers new owner Charles Green was trying to attract investors to the club by way of a share flotation.

But of course BBC Scotland got gazumped.

For details of that interview were released on internet blogger Phil Mac Giolla Bhain's website on the 16th October under the heading “Hurricane Craigie set to hit Ibrox” a whole day before BBC Scotland released their “exclusive”.

There is no other explanation other than someone at BBC Scotland leaked details of the “exclusive” interview to the internet blogger.

So put yourself in the shoes of the BBC Scotland editorial staff. You obtain something of a media “exclusive” and use licence payers money to facilitate the “scoop” only to find that someone within your organisation has leaked details of the interview to an internet blogger who manages to steal the thunder.

What would you do ?

The words “internal investigation” spring to mind.

Did they have one ? After all someone at Pacific Quay undermined BBC Scotland's exclusivity regarding this interview.

If so was anyone disciplined for this breach of trust ?

If no such internal investigation took place I would like to know why. Particularly when BBC Licence payers money is used to facilitate an “exclusive” interview, which an internet blogger in the Republic of Ireland somehow managed to get the details of before the story was released.

I appreciate Lord Patten is busy with other matters at the moment, perhaps someone else at the BBC Trust will answer my query. After all nothing seems “exclusive” these days....

Alex Thomson Channel 4 News. Exposed.

The following article was written after I became privy to an exchange of e-mails involving Channel 4 Presenter/Chief Correspondent Alex Thomson. 

Those who read my articles regularly will know that I am not prone to sensationalist claims and that I normally restrict my commentaries to matters which are very much in the public domain and which therefore can be substantiated. I have, on this occasion decided to deviate from the norm, and use material which is not in the public domain. I can assure you however, that these e-mails and the content I will refer to in this article, exist and can be accessed and substantiated if required.

Notwithstanding the fact the revelations I am about to make probably describe a course of conduct which is probably criminal, I'm reminded of the fact that at present, there is a government enquiry ongoing, whose remit is to examine the behaviour and conduct of journalists. All the more reason therefore for my deviation from the norm.

The background to this story has it's birth in the blog by Thomson “Threats and Silence – The intimidation by Rangers fans”. The content of that blog as we are all aware was a source of anger for many. It contained material which was false, inaccurate and of course drew criticism from not only Rangers supporters, but also Thomson's own peers in the media – Tom English who described it as “hysterical, attention-seeking nonsense” .

Of course if nothing else the rise of social networking via the likes of facebook and twitter, and the direct access which e-mails provide, has made the once untouchables, very touchable in respect of readers feedback. It was in such a exchange of e-mails with a Rangers supporter challenging the veracity of the content of Thomson's blog that he made a series of startling revelations.

Alex Thomson has made a number of allegations via various media outlets. In particular that he was threatened by a Glasgow based journalist, a claim he has made many times. The latter of course was subject of a formal complaint to the Police and that agency was of course then duty bound to investigate that complaint. This is however how Thomson describes this incident in the e-mails. Everything is reproduced verbatim – including his typing errors.

All fine then because the Sun says so.



All fine because the police say so.



Dear oh dear we don't like to question things do we?


And yes, I knew full well that was a spoof account because I'd been told. By using it I wanted to achieved two things:



1. I suspected the two Glasgow journalists would immediately play down the issue of intimidation. They did thus exposing the problem.



They did.



2. I strongly suspected it would embolden David Leggat into behaving even more stupidly by issuing more threats convinced I'd been duped.



He did.

Knowing full well that the threat had been made from a spoof account, Thomson wasted the time and resources of the Police as part of, what he claims was an elaborate ploy to “expose” some kind of sinister web of intimidation. If it wasn't so serious it would be funny.

Notwithstanding what Strathclyde Police think about having their time wasted as part of Thomson's “elaborate trap” one wonders what the other journalists in Scotland think about what Thomson alleges. In fact he seems to think they are part of a wider problem of denial.

No wider problem? Consider then Tom English, senior sportswrite Scotland on Sunday dismissing all this as "cyber-stick" "hysterical" and "attention-seeking".



Tom has at least seen fit to clarify his remarks though not apologise.



Like him you epitomise a toxic culture in genuine denial.

In doing this of course, he calls into question both their journalistic integrity and honesty. Strange from a man who himself has not been entirely honest when he has spoken on air or to the forces of law and order regarding the threat to himself.

Perhaps the biggest irony in all of this are those who not so long ago were accusing Rangers of “robbing Scotland of essential services by not paying the tax man” have suddenly become silent in criticising an individual who deprived the people of Glasgow of their services of law and order whilst they investigated a spurious complaint, a complaint which was lodged, not through fear but  to serve Thomson's own purpose.

Tom English's very public put down seems to have irritated Mr Thomson. He continues...

English isn't getting journos speaking to him. E hasn't talked to the cops. English doesn't know or care what happened at the Sun. English hasn't seen the crime reports. Or spent time with Hutton. Or seen the nuj list.



Because they don't care.

Perhaps Mr Thomson, Tom English has not spoken to the the Police because he has far more respect for them than to waste their time serving his own self-seeking agenda. I think I can echo the wishes of many Rangers supporters when I say I'd love to read the crime report which outlines your complaint, the investigation and the subsequent conclusions from Strathclyde Police which resulted in no action being taken against anyone.

As a famous Irish comedian used to say “There's more”. But I'm aware that I have already taken up considerable space and much of your reading time.

The Leveson Enquiry seeks to examine the culture, ethics and practices of the media.

Perhaps they should extend an invitation to Channel 4 News.

The "Antagonista"

Several years ago I wrote about the demonisation of Rangers supporters in a series of articles using Allports Scale of Prejudice to demonstrate my point. Many who disagreed with me back then have now acknowledged that I and the other Rangers bloggers who warned of this, were pretty much bang on the money.

I remind you of this, not to take any plaudits or credits, but to alert you and warn you of an escalation in the process.

Remarkably there still seems to be a misconception amongst some that hateful propaganda should be completely ignored, that reasonably minded people should rise above it. Have they ever stopped to consider that there were reasonably minded people in Germany in the 1930’s who didn’t buy into the Nazi propaganda machine but who found they were powerless to stop what they had ignored for too long ?

Stop and take some time to reflect Scotland on just where we are.

Case in point - The propaganda machine has been responsible for the Scottish government forcing through legislation to deal with “Scotland’s Secret Shame” – sectarianism. The academics, with their accredited research say otherwise. The statistics say otherwise. But we have bowed to the propaganda machine. If anyone from the Scottish government would care to disagree, please feel free to contact me with the statistics which show otherwise, and please don’t forget to provide me with a dissertation which counters or rebukes Prof Steve Bruce’s many years of academic research on the subject.

I use the above, not as a political rant about the Scottish government, but to demonstrate how far we have already gone down the road of bowing to the propaganda machine, and how that machine has the capability to impact and affect intelligent and reasonably minded people.

Ranger’s supporters will be well aware of some of the propaganda websites whose purpose is solely to stir up hatred and angst towards our club. The individuals they feed do not care about the questionable character or morals of the authors, it does not matter so long as they continue to bash and demonise Rangers or their support. I referred to some of them in my last article.

Alex Thomson ‘s recent blog offering concerning alleged intimidation by Rangers fans was described by Tom English at the Scotsman as little more than “hysterical, attention seeking nonsense” Nope it was far more than that Tom, it was a 3 course gourmet feast for those who despise Rangers and their support.

It matters not that it was inaccurate and erroneous. Nor that the credibility of the author has been considerably tarnished with allegations which the Police investigated and dismissed. It’s feeding the hunger of those who hate Rangers and demand that hunger be satisfied.

Therefore it came as no surprise to me that Phil Mac Giolla Bhain was quick to hold up Thomson’s blog offering as some kind of corroboration which justifies his hatred. For that hatred shines through Mac Giolla Bhain’s latest offering, an offering which sees a marked escalation in the demonisation of the Rangers support, and  which sees a concerted effort by him to link or equate the Rangers support with the most repugnant sections of  history and society. “Herrenvolk” – a reference to the German master race. “Fascist  underclass” and “klan” leave little to the imagination.

Of course that is not the only connection between these antagonista. ( This is a term I have coined for those who deliberately set out to feed the haters with one sided or biased articles, and which lack objectivity, obscure facts and seek to demonise the Rangers support) Who write or tweet with the deliberate intention of provoking , baiting or antagonising the Rangers support. Too far fetched ?

Not according to Gordon Waddell, who revealed recently on Radio Scotland that Graham Spiers was putting out tweets with the sole intention of winding supporters up. It may surprise many of you to know that Spiers is responsible for one of my most favourite journalistic articles. His tribute to his late father was moving, personal and resonant, it will have touched those who have lost a father on so many levels.

Do you think Mr Spiers your late father would be proud of you knowing you are devoting your intellect, education and energy to bait and provoke a group of people who are concerned about their club and the shoddy treatment they are receiving ? That it serves as nothing more than a source of amusement to you ?

I think you and I know the answer to that one Graham.

But back to the connection. Having written, tweeted, baited, provoked and antagonised the antagonista go running to the Police when the bait on their hook is nibbled. They expect, no actually they demand, that the ever decreasing services of the Police be used up hunting down those they have deliberately provoked and baited with their lies and inaccurate reporting. Quite simply they are every bit as morally repugnant as the bampots who respond to their antagonism with threats of violence.

Perhaps next time they seek to waste the time of our forces of law and order, those forces should inform them that not only will they investigate the threats, but they will also examine the article which gave rise to the incident to see if falls under the umbrella of conduct likely to provoke a breach of the peace.

Those who have studied prejudice suggest that those demonised normally respond to it in 2 ways. They either “acquiesce” – they consent passively/accept it reluctantly submit to it. Or of course they fight back with all they can.

We are Rangers. Not only do we not do walking away, we don’t do acquiescing either.

One Scotland - Zero Moral Bearings

“The moral compass of any nation can be judged, not just by the conduct and character of the accused, but the conduct and character of the accusers”

(Anonymous)

I despair. I truly despair. I feel powerless. Is no-one else seeing this ?  Is no-one else feeling this ?  Has our country become a nation where our opinion leaders, our politicians, our journalists have become afraid to speak out and reset a moral compass which is spinning out of control ? 

Let me re-phrase that – spinning dangerously out of control.

For I’m not alone in the feelings I’m experiencing. Anger, indignation, resentment, but most of all…… a complete lack of representation. Its ironic to think now that not so long ago 2 bears were ejected from Ibrox for displaying a banner “One Scotland – many cultures – except Rangers”  I don’t know about you but that’s certainly an accurate reflection of how I feel today.

The most fundamental of human rights – innocent until proven guilty – have been totally discarded where Rangers are concerned. It’s a sign of the times that its only recently that some journalists such as Traynor and Hannah broke cover to reveal they had seen the contents of a document which declared Rangers “guilty” without charge or trial. That in itself tells its own story.

But months ago I listened to Brian Taylor’s  Big Debate on BBC Scotland where the terms “dual contracts” “financial doping” and “cheats” were thrown about without censure in a debate about our club. Not once did Taylor, the facilitator, step in to remind the audience and the panel, that such allegations were as yet, unproven.

But of course the scene has already been set. Which appropriately, brings us back to my opening quotation.

Just who are the accusers of Rangers and how does their character and conduct stand up to the type of forensic examination being carried out in respect of our club ?

Let’s start with Phil Mac Giollbhain…also known  Phil Gillvan…also known as Phil McGillvan. A man who seems to have great difficulty not only remembering his surname, but also the age of his daughter, how many brothers and sisters he has, the licensed premises he frequents and also his occupation. 3 names will speak about a lot of things – surprising then that he never seems to mention his employment as a social worker in Glasgow and the reasons why he no longer holds such a position.

http://www.vanguardb...il-gillivan-qaa

Not for the first time, I find myself indebted to Vanguard Bears and their research.

Of course recently, the Sun newspaper were going to run serialise 3 names blog in their newspaper until an upswell of anger caused a change of direction. 3 names was accused by the newspaper of being “tarred with a sickening sectarian brush”. Its probably one of the few times in recent years that said newspaper had actually been accurate in its reporting.
I think for those of us who still aspire to some kind of moral compass the description of 3 names as a “tactical bigot” by a Southern Irish journalist probably carries a lot more weight and authority than a tabloid who sought to feed the bloodfest of hate against  Rangers by serialising his book.

But a theme is developing here. For its not only the Sun which seeks to feed that bloodfest. The editor of the Daily Record, Alan Rennie, has been begging the authors of The Rangers Tax case blog to contribute to the opinion forming columns of their publication. If anyone has any doubts please feel free to check the aforesaid Rennie’s tweets.

There has of course been considerable speculation, let alone evidence, that one of the Rangers Tax case authors is none other than Paul McConville. A quick search of google will acquaint you with both the conduct and character of Paul McConville.

In fact I wonder if the terms of his supervision order extend to his blog “Random Thoughts re Scots Law”. It seems Mr McConville has as much difficulty with the term “random” as he does with the term “justice for miners”. 291 articles about Rangers, 109 about Charles Green as well as numerous other “random thoughts” concerning our club and its employees. 

Its perhaps remarkable that a man who started a blog because his wife was sick to death of his waffle on legal matters, can attribute hundreds of random thoughts to Rangers FC and yet only one, (yes one) to the legal minefield which is Mr Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber whose conviction and subsequent release on compassionate grounds led to something of a diplomatic fall out with our closest ally.

It is worth asking the question why 2 of Scotland’s biggest selling tabloids sought to bring on board persons whose integrity, character and conduct is quite clearly flawed. Or does that not matter if they are bashing Rangers ?

But I’m not finished yet. In fact I’ve barely started.

But I will conclude this article with another of our accusers who have been something of a critical thorn in the side of our club for a long time – the BBC.  A publicly funded company whose conduct in the last few months has seen them banned from Ibrox due to a tasteless depiction of Ally McCoist falling to his death. A sketch which the Samaritans took time to criticise. And yet the BBC were unapologetic.

It came as no surprise to me. They were also unapologetic at the time of the Andrew Gilligan affair. When the Hutton report was published it showed considerable failings within the BBC ). So much so their director general Greg Dyke resigned.

Many years on the failings and arrogance of this organisation have come home to roost. The revelations surrounding Jimmy Saville have shocked a nation. Perhaps the failings of the BBC have shocked the nation even more. For those BBC apologists who are saying it was a long time ago and the culture etc was different blah blah blah….tell me then why did the BBC cancel a Newsnight documentary last year which sought to expose this perverts’s conduct ?

I hope this latest revelation will be the final nail in the coffin for this organisation. Its time they were relieved of the right to demand a licence fee, I hope the next government review remembers both their character and conduct.

For a Scotland whose moral compass seems to be in turmoil I will leave you with an observation and reflection from Freud.

“A civilization which leaves so large a number of its participants unsatisfied and drives them into revolt neither has nor deserves the prospect of a lasting existence.”

Scotland.....Brace Yourself

Imagine, just for a moment, the investigation into Rangers use of EBT's and the allegation of side payments, was not being undertaken by legal firm Harper MacLeod. Let us instead imagine that such investigation is being undertaken by a legal firm with a long standing favourable connection to Rangers.

Imagine further this legal firm saw fit to use the Rangers chief executive, and his personal testimony, to enhance the reputation of that company on their website.

I ask you to extend your imagination further to include a revelation that one of the partners undertaking the investigation had actually written the SFA articles and regulations, an alleged breach of which, was subject of that very investigation.

And then it was revealed that this said partner had stood up at a meeting in frustration and shouted at the other SPL members present that Rangers were innocent.

Furthermore that the list of sanctions or punishments being considered should Rangers be found guilty, were far less severe and less punitive than anything handed out to clubs before.

But now let your imagination run riot. With a revelation that the authorities undertaking this investigation had already declared Rangers not guilty without even charge or hearing.

And now the last bit of imagination. Can you imagine what the reaction would be to the foregoing ?

Let me help.

“Whitewash”. “Cover Up”. “Corrupt” “Conflict of Interests”.

And quite rightly too.

And yet, with a slight alteration to the characters, but not of course the facts, this is exactly the scenario faced by Rangers FC and their supporters.

It may come as a surprise to those outwith the Rangers support, that within our support there is a considerable desire and determination to see the truth come out. Rangers supporters, more than anyone else, want to know if one of our former owner's embarked on a course of action which showed utter disregard for the laws of the land, the laws of our game and the reputation of our club. The consequences which of course made our club virtually unsaleable, except to an individual whose stewardship brought it to its knees.

The problem is that the SPL hearing process is now so flawed its not only the Rangers support who have no confidence in it, but the club themselves who have refused to participate in the process. The smart money is on any result of Lord Nimmo's panel being challenged by Rangers via the courts of our land. I have little faith in this course of action furnishing us with the truth either however.

Once the Rangers legal team present the facts surrounding this whole investigation, I am of the firm opinion this will become a feeding frenzy for the press, but the spotlight will not be on our club but the many legal irregularities and questionable actions and conduct of the SFA and SPL throughout this process.

James Traynor's revelations this week have not helped matters either. His comments this week appear to suggest there were a whole host of payments to players in Scotland in “creative schemes” designed to avoid paying tax. All legal of course, but they appear not to have been declared to the Scottish Football Authorities as payments – the same charge levied against Rangers.

Rangers fans are seeking the truth, alas, it may be a long time coming. But we are also seeking justice. Equality before the law is a fundamental principle of both Scottish and European Law. If as Traynor alleges there are other instances of non-declared payments to players then the SFA and SPL are duty bound to investigate.

My fellow blogger Bill McMurdo recently described this scenario as being akin to the opening of Pandora's Box. Of course once Pandora opened the box there was no going back and despite her efforts to shut it, all manner of disease and pestilence had been released.

On closing it again the only thing Pandora managed to retain in the box was hope.

But Rangers fans will not hope the governing football authorities in Scotland administer justice with a full and thorough investigation into all undeclared payments to players.

We will demand it. And we will not stop demanding until we get it.

Scotland brace yourself.... a hurricane is coming.

Pot, Kettle, Black

 Daily Record - SFA Anger

I finish off the week with, surprise surprise, another story highlighting SFA hypocrisy. What is perhaps surprising about this story however is that it has not been greeted with the same media silence we have become accustomed to.

Daily Record - SFA Double Standards

For us as Rangers supporters there are striking similarities between the conduct of the SFA and our manager when he suggested the identities of the panel members imposing the transfer embargo on Rangers be revealed. Conduct I may add resulted in the latter finding himself on SFA charges, charges which were subsequently dismissed at his hearing.

Of course Ally was severely criticised by a considerable number of Scottish journalists for his conduct as it was felt he was merely doing the bidding on behalf of the the “internet lunatic fringe”. It will be interesting to see whether those same moral guardians in the press are equally as critical of the SFA and their demands that who ever is responsible be identified. Furthermore will we see SFA compliance officer Vince Lunny as resolute and tenacious on this case as he was in respect of McCoist ? At least in terms of cost cutting he will only have to nip along the corridor at Hampden to serve his papers.

However whilst the double-standards discussion rages it perhaps deflects from a more serious and fundamental issue at hand here. The Scottish Football Association are charged with the responsibility of governance of our game and the following is a verbatim quote from their website..

The Scottish FA is responsible for administering disciplinary procedures for its member clubs. This is essential in protecting the integrity and reputation of the game at all levels, while also providing guidelines of acceptable behaviour for clubs.

FIFA have informed the SFA that they are probing the conduct of one of Scotland's players. The SFA's response is to demand the identity of who “grassed” their player up and why it has taken FIFA so long to act. The words pot kettle and black spring to mind.

And whatever happened to protecting the reputation and integrity of the game ? Surely all people, but in particular those with a remit of governance of the game, should be concerned about ensuring that a player involved in a violent off the ball incident is brought to justice irrespective of the colour of top he is wearing ?

It would be a great pity if the double-standards issue, of which the SFA are clearly guilty, overshadowed sensible discussion over this matter because there is a more serious issue at play here. Once again those in charge at the SFA have made our country a laughing stock by their action only this time it is on a world rather than just a domestic stage.

Their conduct in this matter is quite simply an affront to any principle or notion that they uphold fair play.

I was going to finish by saying the only surprise in all of this is that someone has not tried to put the blame for this on the Rangers support. But then I was reminded from a scene from the film City Slickers and a conversation between Billy Crystal and bad guy Jack Palance.

“Killed anyone today Curly ?”

“Nope....................but the day's not over yet”

HEARTFELT THANKS TO CELTIC & THE GREEN BRIGADE

It would be considerably remiss of me, in what has been a remarkable week, not to mention the considerable support for our club from Celtic FC and their fans, in particular The Green Brigade, by way of their zombie related banners.

A zombie of course by definition is undead or not dead depending on your preference.

Considering some have depicted the Green Brigade as the hardcore element of the Celtic support, only adds to my appreciation. That they have taken the time for such a public display of solidarity with the Rangers support is quite simply staggering.

Their banner which depicts Rangers as zombies, and thus not dead, finally puts to bed once and for all any accusation that our clubs history and heritage has died. In fact I've been so impressed with it it may well be the basis for a future article “Rangers - the club who would not die” so on a personal note I must thank them for their inspiration.

But I would not be doing our friends in the Green Brigade justice if I was to stop there. For the banner depicts a lone gunman, which I presume is Stewart Regan, forlornly trying to kill of these zombies to no avail. How good of them to acknowledge that despite the best attempts of the SFA Rangers will not die.

But it would even more remiss of me not to mention the contribution of Celtic FC and their stewards with regard to these banners. For not only did they ensure that these banners were displayed on more than one occasion they allowed them to remain on display. To such an extent in fact that they have incurred the wrath of the SFA. What an honourable sacrifice.

But special mention must be reserved for the Parkhead stewards, whose syncronised turning of the backs as the banner was unfurled was quite simply drilling of the highest order. I’m sure they wont be offended if I say such a synchronised display of drill was on a par with anything I have seen from the best Royal Marines or Guards drill squads.  In fact it would come as no surprise to me if an invitation to the Edinburgh Military tattoo was not forthcoming.

But the support from our friends in the east does not end there. For a further banner demanded "Justice for zombies".  Even the supporters of our greatest sporting rivals are acknowledging that there is a lack of fairness and balance by those in authority towards our club. Amazing.

But it would appear this may not be the end of it. For the plethora of empty seats at Parkhead last night perhaps suggests some are busy making further banners.

In these difficult times for us as Rangers supporters it is particularly heart warming that rather than support your own team you would spend your time making banners displaying your support for ours.

My sincere thanks to all who have shown their support for our club by way of these banners.

Columbo comes to town

I'm probably showing my age by revealing my admiration for TV Detective series Columbo. A Columbo episode had no “whodunnit” element, but the case was constructed slowly but surely around circumstantial evidence.

Circumstantial or Indirect evidence is inferior to direct evidence – the latter being an eye witness account for example. Nonetheless in the absence of direct evidence, indirect evidence can be sufficient. Perhaps its best summed up by the following definition....

:- evidence that establishes immediately collateral facts from which the main fact may be inferred .

What am I inferring ? That the SFA and SPL are guilty of breaching Scottish and European Law, of gross negligence and gross malpractice, of conduct unbecoming of their positions of governors of the Scottish game and acting with both malice and prejudice towards Rangers Football Club.

Lieutenant Columbo's first clue surrounds the events following Rangers going into administration and the conduct of the Scottish Football Association and SPL. Contrary to obeying not only the timeless Scottish principle of law, or more recently the European Human Rights Legislation, rather than presume Rangers innocent until proven guilty, without even being charged let alone tried, the SFA presume Rangers guilty and attempt to impose upon them a package of sanctions which will see the club stripped of honours in return for a place in the Scottish First Division.

A second clue is to be found in the fact that this package of sanctions is far in excess of any sanctions imposed on a football club, even those who have been tried and convicted for far more serious crimes such as match fixing. A quick check of the punishments imposed during the 2006 Italian football scandal serves to underline this.

A third clue reveals that when the Scottish Football League became aware of what the SFA were doing they quickly distanced themselves from any involvement, their spokesperson later telling the press “We were given a first draft of proposed sanctions on June 25 — and we sent it back the same day saying we wanted no part of it. That was the unequivocal SFL stance for a very simple reason — in this country you’re innocent until proven guilty.”

Columbo's fourth clue lies in the conduct of the accused. During a series of meetings with the chairmen of Scottish Football League, Stewart Regan of the SFA conducted himself in a manner which the aforesaid chairmen later described was characterised by bullying, threatening and intimidating behaviour. Furthermore these chairmen later provided documentary evidence in the form of an e-mail which demonstrated that Regan lied during this series of meetings.

A further clue surfaces when the SFA try to impose a transfer embargo upon Rangers. A Scottish Court subsequently rules such an embargo as outwith their remit of sanctions and thus unlawfully imposed.

But the trail of circumstantial evidence does not end there. The team appointed to carry out the investigation into Rangers, Harper MacLeod legal firm, enjoy a favourable business relationship with the club who would be the sole benefactors from the excessive stripping of Rangers titles – Celtic FC. Of course its also entirely circumstantial that a personal testimony on the Harper MacLeod website, from the Celtic Chief Executive praising the firm for their stalwart service to Celtic FC, was mysteriously removed around the time questions were being asked about this firms suitability.

But even then the trail does not go cold for our Lieutenant. Because the SFA then seem to get confused about the role of Harper MacLeod – in one newspaper article they claim the company is leading the investigation, but as questions are raised as to this company's suitability their role seems to change, according to the SFA, to one of “low level” information gathering.

But alas, no coffee and doughnuts for our intrepid detective yet.

For the legal expert appointed by the SPL, Lord Nimmo, then attempts to clarify why the SFA and SPL have a legitimacy to bring Rangers to account as a non SPL club, when their articles and regulations seem to indicate otherwise. In doing so the very learned Lord Nimmo inadvertently confirms that the conduct of his paymasters, the SFA & SPL was wrong in how they treated Rangers membership of the SPL.

While many of us will forever associate the late Peter Falk with the role of Columbo it was actually an actor called Bert Freed who first appeared in the role.

And it's purely circumstantial that one of Freed's first appearances as Columbo was in a teleplay entitled “Enough Rope”