There is a wonderful line in the movie The Post where the Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee (played by Tom Hanks) expresses a concern to his colleagues.
He observes that an experienced reporter at their much bigger rival the New York Times has not had a by-line for three months.
Bradlee then (correctly) deduces that he must be working on a big story.
It’s a genuinely great movie.
I recently mentioned this film to a journalist buddy who, like me, is old enough to remember the hot metal era of journalism.
Before the digital age staff reporters could be tasked by an editor to “go find me something on that and come back when you have a story”.
It was the era of shoe leather, secondary cigarette smoke and clacking smith coronas.
Journalists got out there, sat down with sources and followed leads.
Such an investment of staff time is simply unthinkable in a modern newspaper.
Consequently, churnalism rushed in to fill the vacuum left by quality reporting.
The daily grind of copy and paste and user-generated content is now the norm for most staffers.
In the journalism schools, students are told that a press release is a source.
Good grief…
This site exists, in a sense, because of the paucity of real journalism on Planet Fitba.
Moreover, the daily traffic here is a testament to the need that it serves.
If all was well with the Fitba Fourth Estate then there would be no need for this site.
One NUJ colleague remarked to me last year that Downfall was the product of thousands of hours of investigative work.
He was correct.
When Downfall was published in 2012 Kevin McKenna broke with the fatwa on the book and wrote a review in the Scottish Review of Books.
In it he stated that:
“If Mac Giolla Bháin had been employed as a staffer on any of Scotland’s national newspaper titles he would be a certainly to be crowned sportswriter of the year, news reporter of the year and journalist of the year for his work on the Rangers story.”
That was very kind of Kevin.
However, one thing that I would add was that within the current business model in the print sector the idea that a staff journalist would have been allowed the time I gave to this story is fantasy.
What you see here on this site is very much tip of the iceberg.
Consequently, there is much that you do not see:
FOI requests, and the inevitable FOI appeals (I did one of the latter yesterday).
Questions into media offices (I occasionally get an answer, but their silence is often more instructive).
And so it goes on…
This site is ten years old this year.
Since 2008 it has shone a light into neglected corners of Planet Fitba, while the chaps in the mainstream media were actively looking the other way.
Of course, this epoch-changing technology didn’t exist in 1971.
The movie opens with Daniel Ellsberg using a photocopier to get the incriminating documents out of the Rand Corporation building.
Back then the Xerox was a huge help to anyone who wanted to pass a dodgy dossier to the media.
Today the whistle-blower would use an encrypted thumb drive.
The damning evidence might turn up on a blog, especially if there is no free press in the country in question.
There are no succulent lamb types portrayed in The Post, just damn good reporters competing with each other to get the story out.
The Washington Post is up against the much bigger New York Times.
They’re in a race to break the big story about a government report about the doomed nature of the Vietnam War.
The documentary evidence leaked by Ellsberg proves that successive US administrations have been lying as their soldiers have been dying.
The right of the newspapers to tell the people about this is ultimately tested in court.
Thankfully those Enlightenment Rebels who defeated Britain in the 18th century saw that a future US President just might want to prevent such journalistic scrutiny.
In The Post, the newspapers have their First Amendment rights upheld in court and the people have the right to know what is in the Pentagon Papers.
What Ellsberg had smuggled past the security guards then becomes public knowledge.
Three years after the Tet offensive of 1968 it is a turning point in the hearts and minds of the American public.
US Administrations back to Truman had been lying to them about the prospects of a military victory in Indochina.
After the Pentagon Papers, the only thing that the Nixon Administration could do was to get the hell out of Saigon.
“Peace with honor” was the euphemism for defeat.
This is weighty stuff and much more important than Keith Jackson’s unquestioning credulity in November 2010 about the net worth of Craig Whyte.
However, any time that the media are craven and venal then democracy suffers.
In the digital age, there are no Chinese walls between the sports desk and the news desk.
If PR companies can unduly influence one part of a newspaper then the Domino Theory is in play.
Once the succulent lamb has been ingested then the contagion can spread throughout the title.
For the avoidance of doubt, there are very many fine news journalists working in Scotland.
I’m honoured to have some of them as friends.
Their private opinion of the sports desk chaps is, well, witheringly unkind, but not essentially untrue.
When it comes to matters Ibrox the press pack is cowed.
On Planet Fitba the local media exist to keep The People soothed and poorly informed.
That is why there is has been precious little questioning about the recent…ahem…overdraft from Close Brothers.
If you want to be reminded of what genuine journalism looks like then go and see The Post.
It is an excellent representation of those difficult and yes obsessed misfits who dig out the stories that the powerful want hidden.
The diggers are on your side dear reader, every single day.
If they’re not, then they stop being journalists and that is a betrayal.
Have a great day.
Question: which club was second in the league in 2012, just before it imploded? (Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think it was RFC)
on Sunday, Dembele for once played to expectations against Aberdeen, while Tierney was my man of the match. Some dreadful, and dreadfully inconsistent, refereeing meant the entire affair was far from aesthetically pleasing, but it ease the pain of Zenit just a little.
Meanwhile, at Ibrokes, an uncritical media cheer on a Sevco still living way beyond its means. It is important to keep in mind that we have seen this all before: July 13, 2012.
All I’ve read this Weekend is “Rangers narrow the gap on Celtic”
Naw they didn’t.
Oops, Morelos Chinese suitor now linked with another player. Still 3 and a bit days to the Chinese window closes, looks as if Newco might be holding on to him after all.
I suppose losing the car park, Edmiston House, WIFI, PA system, big TV screens and the half time pies will prove in the long term to be a master stroke rather than take the £12m on offer for the young Colombian.
With so many ICAS members around the Ibrox boardroom the fans can rest assured that the numbers have been crunched and everything is tickety boo.
Though it might be a worry that the £7m plus promised by King/NOAL in the notes to the accounts has not materialised and appears to have been replaced, in part, by a crisis loan from a finance house secured on parts of the stadium infrastructure without which Ibrox could not open for business,apart from closed door games.
I’m sure the SFA will have no problem with that. Perhaps the bid to buy Hampden from QP is part of the equation allowing the national stadium to be rented out to whoever?
With the Compliance Officer having completed his review of SFA licencing procedures, where is his report?
Will there be transparency or will it be buried because if he’s even half done his job the SFA will stand exposed as having granted a UEFA licence to a club with overdue tax payments.
Duped or complicit?
The licence application from Oldco was therefore fraudulent from the start.
Who signed off on the application on behalf of Oldco?
Was the signatory also a member of the SFA licencing sub committee?
Surely not?
Is he/she still involved in Scottish football?
It’s heading for 6 months now since Regan tasked the CO.
A comprehensive review of the paperwork should have taken a couple of days at most.
Who did what when, who was in the know.
Either of 2 things has happened.
1. The review has been killed stone dead, for the good of Scottish football, and we all must move on.
2. The CO has passed his file to Police Scotland fraud squad and a criminal investigation is under way to establish those who perpetrated the fraud and those involved in the subsequent cover up, irrespective whether they are still employed at Hampden or Ibrox.
Those involved should be shitting themselves that the truth will out instead after 6 years they will be sitting smugly have home thinking they have got away with the biggest fraud in Scottish football history.
Neil Lennon sent to the stand…..shocker.
Daresay the numpties at Hampden will throw the book at him whilst continuing to cover up the weekly clangers made by their match officials.
They are the worst in Europe by a country mile and can make mistake after mistake and still find themselves in the frame for the big games.
Fleming is untouchable in his role as ref boss despite, over the course of many years having led an organisation that has failed to produce one,just one, official that we can all agree is the real deal.
Beaton, Madden, McLean, Collum, Clancy, Dallas, Muir, et al, all of whom regularly make huge wrong calls then turn up at Hampden in charge of a semi final or final or a Celtic/Newco game.
There are often press referrals to Scottish referees being a tightly knit bunch, almost a closed shop, precluding outsiders from climbing the giddy heights to the top.
We should be following the English example where officials declare any club allegiance that then precludes them from being in charge when then favourites are playing!
On top of that they should declare membership of any ludge, masonic, orange or hibernian.
Why not? Why would you want to sign up to be a member of an organisation then hide the fact?
Is there something to be ashamed of? If so why join in the first place?
Fleming and his fast trackers should be shown the door and a respected figure brought in from outside Scotland to shake up the system and produce officials we can be proud of who will officiate without fear or favour.
Ah, would that be referees of the Lanarkshire variety to whom you refer? Wonder what it takes to ascend that particularly greasy corner flag?
James O’Hare and Kevin O’Donnell made it to the top but were soon back where they came for as they didn’t quite grasp the Scottish referee rule book.
What about Madden yesterday? Stops a Celtic attack for an Aberdeen foul when the Hoops had a clear advantage.
Ajer and Simunovic have a nasty clash of heads, Madden waves play on and Aberdeen miss a sitter as a result.
It’s little wonder that our officials are not allowed to explain some of their decisions because many of them are just inexplicable.
I’m a celtic fan but watch all the panic buttons getting pressed now the bennys are breathing down our necks .We had our chance to deal with them 6 years ago when the corruption was there for all to see but we had the blinkers on and ignored it all because the bennys where down .Now they look like they are coming back watch for all the noises being made about the cheating again to late guys games should have been boycotted then not now because they are in eye shot of us you only have yourselves to blame as you all kept going to every game that was out there giving your hard earned cash to yhe crooks .So dry your eyes and get on with going along with the flow as you all have done for the last 6 years.
Agree totally. It doesn’t make you a die-hard to attend every game, it does, however, to take principled stand not to. There’s a reason why Ipox tickets are not so hard to come by… Same as a Hamdump final ticket….The principled refuse to go. End of.
Phil
Slight difference in observation – The Post is a brilliant movie for the reasons you say but a part of the story was how Ben Bradlee realised he had previously been partaking of the succulent lamb with JFK and Jackie. He realised in the movie that JFK had been using their friendship to keep the media at bay.
Bradlee of course puts himself on the right side of history . It shows how the media ultimately have to make a decision of who rhey serve. As you say a great parable for the Scottish football media.
Indeed.
That’s a telling scene.
I firmly believe that the comments of Bob Mack have more than a little substance. I think the authorities will do everything they can to keep sevco alive in some form for the simple reason that they will not want 50,000 Neanderthals wandering around the streets of Scotland at the weekend, with an extra £50+ in their pockets to spend on drink. They would collect in their various pubs and clubs, working themselves and each other into a rage, over how their downfall was a direct result of a fenian conspiracy. That would NOT take long to develop into planning to get even. It would start with targeting known “Papes” and grow from there. It might be better if they survive in some form for a while. They WILL drift away in dribs and drabs if they don’t start winning trophies. This would lead to a slow lingering death which I personally think would be less dangerous to society as a whole than a sudden catastrophic death. This though could take several years and there is the danger of a sugar daddy appearing during that time.
… Can’t disagree but, at the same time, the law should exist to protect us all from their grievous excesses. Is it not better to suffer the full backlash and have a world media pour scorn on our institutions? If I still lived back home I would welcome the hard crash to assist in the destruction of all the old boys networks. However, having chosen to raise my children on foreign colonial shores, I truly wouldn’t wish that on any of my Fenian, or not, brothers and sisters. Whatever the fallout, I hope their football focal point simply collapses under the weight of its own hubris tic sense of entitlement and, without so much as a wiper, ceases to exist. RIP Rangers, and your bastard offshoot. We knew you once, and then, fleetingly!
*wimper
It makes me wonder who “Deep Throat” is at Ibrox or is the multiples? Yet another interesting read Phil, keep on fighting the good fight. we all appreciate it.
By a distance Phil, this post here is, in my opinion, your finest. Wonderfully written in a manner you can sense the passion you have for your industry.
To quote you, “hat tip” for an absolute joy of a read
You have to laugh at the bennys on follow follow they have us in meltdown and they are going to win the league. They have Tav and windass on new deals and so called improved contracts but they don’t kick in until next season while praising morelos for wanting to leave because they think they can get plenty for him from an English premier league team lol.When Warbo next England manager came out with this stuff he was hounded out the club for trying to better himself oh the bennys they’re so funny .And morelos is still waiting on his pay increase remember he is a 15 million pound player so must command that wage surely the chislers won’t pull a fast one with the great more or less after telling him what he was worth in all those newspapers tv stations radio stations.
Excellent post Phil but can I just say that after what can only be called a complete and utter fucking shambles from our own team last night then maybe you could start a thread or topic on how the fcuk Brendan did not spend “real money” on a goalkeeper given 1. he has money to spend. 2. The added bonus on the Virgil sale % and finally 3. we all knew that Doris was fuckin brutal?
just a thought………………
A fine story and well told, however, and much nearer to home…
For the Scotia Nostra …..
No Happy Endings will ensue
Goodnight and may the Lord have mercy on your souls.
The end is now in play
Aye and where is the hero of a thousand heroes? Davie Leggatt – he seems to have disappeared.
Yesterday I woke to beautiful blue skies over Edinburgh. I left my house at 7.30 and saw a plane leave a thick trail which hung in the air, then another and then another. This went on all morning, plane after plane zipping across the capital skies. The trails hung and spread with the wind until the sky was grey and the sun was blocked.
This goes on several days a week in most parts of the country but not once have I read about it in any paper so I do my own information gathering.
I found the patent for the chemicals being sprayed upon us and the company that manufactures the planes (lockhead martin)
The spray is most often barium, alluminium and strontium.
Every area of Scotland gets regular doses.
The object of the exercise is to block the sun to cool the earth.
The water and food supply is now contaminated.
We all breathe this poison.
Not one single journalist in Scotland has ever investigated this.
Not one single article has observed or made comment on this.
I guess you don’t see the trails when it’s cloudy. Maybe it’s water vapour turning to ice as it cools after leaving the jet engines.
Good point- in addition to planes we are getting poisoned even more by the diesel cars we use. Manufacturers are keen for us not to move to electric too fast because they want to squeeze more profit from their already established petrol and diesel car factories.
Phil certainly won’t report on these important issues because Phil only “reports” on RANGERS ain’t that right Phillip? What a freelance journo u are Phillip. There’s only one thing ever on your mind. “RANGERS” Ur bitterness will consume SOMEDAY! Chapuea or however u spell it. Lol. Please feel free to leave a reply about ma spellin chief!
What a great read Phil, the only thing i have read recently that was better than that was when i read it a second time.
Hope you realise how much your work is appreciated by so many thousands out there.
The churnalists that take a wee gander at your stuff must be absolutely mortified.
Thanks for doing what you shouldn’t have to, and once again that really was a great piece.
Hail hail.
Speaking to a pal today who is bracing himself to visit Ibrox tomorrow to chase up a 5 figure debt that is way past overdue. The finances are at the bare bones now apparently. Echoes of the previous incarnation prior to its demise.
Thanks for that Phil,looks like betrayal then.
Any ‘sports journalists’ with integrity in Scotland are an endangered species.
Some might say;comparable to the Dodo no less.But,almost certainly in rapid decline.
HH?
It is very easy to criticise what passes as sports journalists, however, should any of them attempt to truly investigate and attempt to print an accurate account of what is happening at Ibrox would probably be out on their ear.
If this article is suggesting that standards in journalism are poor now compared to what they once were, I’d need to disagree, Phil. I think standards are equally bad now. They were always pretty bad, I think.
Before the web, more people relied on newspapers for what we call “news” and consequently newspapers had more resources, money, profits, staff, and (crucially) advertisers. None of that should be confused with more integrity.
The Pentagon Papers and Vietnam is a good example. Before say 1968, the US media was uniformly supportive of the Vietnam war. Opinion on the war changed around then, but not because of anything the newspapers were doing.
There are a million other examples that support the view that the media was just as bad before say 1998 as it was afterwards in the age of the Web. Look at the Jimmy Savile saga which the traditional news agencies seemed to have known about for years; we didn’t read a word about it until recently.
You say churnalism has filled the gap and on a certain level it has but it hasn’t been successful. Newspaper sales prove that.
If there’s reason to be cheerful and hopeful, and I think there is, its down to people like you, Phil, and others, who now have the freedom to investigate what they want without the presssure of corporate bosses and advertisers hissing at you in the background.
And, don’t forget, there are millions of ordinary people engaged in the flow of information today, creating news, influencing the narrative, changing perceptions, and uncovering all sorts, rather than just sitting passively consuming whatever news agencies serve up to them.
In terms of the flow of information and letting people know what’s going on in the world, we’ve really never had it so good.
Went to see The Post movie today.
Powerful stuff.
Sorry to add this to you wonderful post Phil but really have to mention that dreadful performance tonight. When are we going to drop that disaster of a full back lustig? And who is telling tierney to always look to pass backwards first? We are going to struggle unless something changes,there is no threat in the team. We need a big performance on Sunday at Aberdeen.
Blimey, when was the last time Celtic went 2 matches in a row without scoring a single goal?
Phil, as usual a great item and it’s refreshing to see such old school thoughts when it comes to journalism. Our free press is under attack from all angles, this week Jeremy Corbyn released a blog telling newspapers to “ watch out “ if labour gets to power and all because they reported his meetings with a Czech spy in the eighties, this being the same party that is determined to go through with levenson 2 and all the restrictions that will bring.
How the hell can anyone say (like tom Watson) that there is nothing wrong with making a news outlet pay all costs of any libel action no matter the outcome, unless they join a so called press adjudicator that’s funded by a man who despises them. As my old boss said almost every minute “ you couldn’t make that up”. I would rather have a free press that make the odd mistake and got a kicking in the courts if they messed up, if it meant holding every bent politician,dodgy copper, immoral judge and slimy businessman to account. If the press ain’t free from any interference then we just become a colder version of turkey.
I’m not sure that there is much interest in this corner of Planet Fitba any more.
The world of football has some wonderful bloggers and some excellent journalists. Here in Scotland we get the journalism that our game deserves.
Celtic take on Zenit tonight. 2 great sides who, whilst not at the top table, represent an interesting clash on a number of levels : styles, cultures, ambitions, owner structures, fan perspective ect.
This is a sporting occasion worthy of an innovative story, but we won’t get one. Why? Because the newspaper journalists are not capable of creative writing and you waste your undoubted talent on picking the Sevco scab over and over and over again.
Sometimes you need to remember that it’s just a sport.
Treat us to a classy bit of writing about why ties like Celtic v Zenit is important in respect of reflecting an often ignored facet of the modern game.
In Scotland it is not ” just a sport”. It is a corrupt anachronistice remnant of a bitter, ignorant, sectarian culture that still exists today. It stopped being a sport when it was hijacked by the original Glasgow Rangers via The Primrose Pledge in the early 1900’s to be a visual demonstration of Protestant superiority over the Irish (predominantly) Catholic Diaspora which resided mainly in the West of Scotland.
That was when Rangers became the Establishment team.
Over the last century the almost incestuous relationship with the Orange Order was confirmed and the SFA in it’s role as the Regulator and Administrator of Scottish Football became the gaurdian of Ranger’s (Protestant) interest in the sport.
It is a corrupt organisation. An organisation run by small self seeking men existing on masonic patronage ( a not unknown feature of business in Scotland ).
Hear hear that man,very well said.
It’s been ingrained for centuries and will probably take the same amount of time for meaningful societal reform to occur,if ever.
Scotland ??????? has to keep apace with the World and it’s many and varied cultural plethora’s from All Four Corners of the Globe.*!!
And for that to happen Scotland has to be seen be a truly modern,forward-thinking nation,not one celebrating sectarianism,war,mass murder,and
glorious ‘bygone days of yore’.
Adapt – Survive -Thrive
?☮️?
Thanks Phil.
HH?
*[for all u flat earthers]
Sorry JT,
but Phil is an ‘independent journalist’ and your comments should have been directed at the tabloid newspapers who ACTUALLY employ so called sports journalists.Do you see see the clue there,it’s in their job description,although you wouldn’t know it reading any articles of their work.They All have hidden agendas which they follow follow to the letter,that’s IF they want to keep their jobs.Spouting garbage verbatim from their bosses who are almost certainly Masonic Lodge and Orange Order masters.
You’re having a go at the ONLY Sports journalist with any integrity reporting news that would not see the light of day or printed in ANY Scots press.
Your views are of such a nature,I’m thinking you’re a secret current bhun.
Anyway we are All entitled to our opinions,even skewed ones.
HH? AGAIN thanks for THE TRUTH Phil.
Lol Gary Ralston anything but a journalist you can’t take this guy seriously when he attempts to write .I think even if you where there in the room when he is talking it would be a case of follow the bouncing ball as he attempts to put a sentence together.
Phil, as bad as Keith Jockstrap and the Daily Rancour may be – those centrist US forces aren’t “real journalism”.
You are “real journalism”. Even if you are a Celtic fan.
Agreed.
On the “skeleton key” to the whole Watergate story being ignored by the intrepid WaPo heroes, a nice story:
https://consortiumnews.com/2018/02/20/how-the-washington-post-missed-the-biggest-watergate-story-of-all/
Props Sir ?
An educational as well as an entertaining read Phil.
Great blog Phil.
You evoke the era of great journalism as the film does but you must feel saddened at the way the sports hacks go about their business.
Newspapers past and present have always pedalled propaganda but I genuinely think that their audience are erudite enough to filter information. Sports journalists(I use the term loosely) in this wee country seem to think that propaganda should be spewed forth to their readership and that’s where they have went wrong and why people have stopped buying newspapers. When you only aim to preach to the peepul, fill their heads with delusions and keep them in denial then their audience will eventually whither and die. Receiving information from Level 5 and putting it to print does not a journalist make. They wouldn’t think for a minute that they should look for secondary sources as that might put the whole clusterfuck that is sevco and s.f.a. under scrutiny and they don’t want to rock that boat, no siree. They can fool some of the peepul some of the time but their days are numbered as is the institution at Ibrox that they fawn over. HH
With any piece of luck the “Clusterfuck” will be the over due demise of the lazy and knowingly false reporters. As their employer work dries so will their Employment for who in their right mind employ such biased and lazy supposed to be Journalists.
HH Phil
Isn’t it wonderful to see so many Newco fans wishing Celtic progress in Europe tonight, how refreshing.
Did anyone hear the voice of a football yesterday,Ray Wilkins, opine his view that United would put Seville away comfortably last night, instead they hunt on for an undeserved draw.
Not content with that when asked where Sevilla would finish in the EPL, he replied bottom 6!
Mourinho must be the most negative manager since well …..Walter Smith.
At least Wattie could claim to have been limited by the meagre resources he had in comparison with Jose and his star studded squad.
I am assured that The Post is a complete distortion of history and that Bradlee and the woman who owned The Post (I think her name was Catherine Graham) had feck all to do with the Pentagon Papers seeing the light of day. It’s well known that Bradlee was a CIA asset. Like most of the journalists at the time they were (still are) part of the Agency’s ‘Mockingbird’ programme. And before anyone starts shouting about Watergate, and the wonderful job done by Woodward and Bernstein, they were spoon-fed that story because the Agency wanted rid of Nixon (all that detente bullshit was bad for the business of the military industrial complex) and as another assassination would have looked a tad off after the Kennedy’s , King and Malcolm X , the Watergate wheeze came into play. Honestly, that was the most inept burglary in history, and carried out by the same men who successfully, and skilfully burgled the office of Elsberg’s psychiatrist. It was a set up that was meant to fail and point to Tricky Dicky. They played him like a fiddle. But hey! This is a Tom Hanks movie and his forte is distorting history (see Saving Private Ryan or Bridge of Spies or Parkland) decent movies but historical pish. I know. I should get out more.
Spot on mate
It’s always interesting when people don’t want to know something – it is quite unnatural. Humans have prospered over millenia by being “the curious ape” who wants to understand how things work and use that knowledge to their advantage. This trait is so strong that every single civilaization in the world – ever – has created gods and religion to explain the movement of the sun, moon and stars, the tides, the weather, the seasons, and all other natural phenomena.
So for a culture to NOT want to know, suggests strongly that they already DO KNOW but don’t want to know or think about the details that are so troubling and that they are powerless to change.
Rather like the Jimmy Savile case, so many people knew he was up to no good – serious no good – but so many didn’t want to know the details – details they could never un-hear, un-see, un-learn. This is compounded by a sense of powerlessness – so many who suspected serious wrong doing felt they had no power to stop it and would be harmed by raising the topic with their superiors or laugheed at by the police and authorities. Those with power to act often claim similar powerlessness as a defence for their inaction – their personal lack of courage – for their own selfish motives – demeaning the genuine powerlessness defence.
In the case of Rangers, the typical fan isn’t stupid enough to believe in “Going For 55” but doesn’t want to think about the details of why they are doomed to be inferior to Celtic and othewr for a very long time to come. They don’t want to know the details of their Chairman being a lying crook who has exploited everyone around him – including them – time and time again. They don’t want to hear the details of their board being pathetic yes-men out of their depth running a football business. They don’t want to think about the details of how bad life would have been for a decade without massive tax evasion to buy/pay unaffordable players for sporting advantage. They don’t want to know about the details of ganmes and titles gifted by corrupt officials – bears in black. They don’t want to think that their club is heading for liquidation in the near future. Essentially, they don’t want to think about all those nasty details because they all point to one thing – and only one thing. The superiority they have been taught as a birth right is a charade created by shamen and witch doctors. In fact, without unfair advantage – they are actually rather crap at football – rather crap at business – rather crap at life.
And the SMSM clerics are happy to go along feeding the superiority myth in order to drive their Audis, pay the mortgages on their large houses and dine in nice restaurants that their “people” will never afford.
But the peepul DO KNOW – and it burns their souls.
If there is social unrest as cleric Regan predicted – it will be directed inwards – to the shamen and the witch doctors – the historical “enemies” and “haters” will be mere bystanders.
The devil is in the details – and the details will never go away peepul – no matter how much you don’t want to know them.
How very sad but true Cassandra’s Cat. All good points eloquently made. It’s like the peepul stick their fingers in their ears and hum loudly(well they’re always humming).
They say the truth will out but the corruption involving Murray, King, Regan, Doncaster et al is itself an institution now and has become the norm. Only when sevco finally shuffle off this mortal coil will true democracy in the beautiful game begin. Hopefully that’s sooner rather than later! HH
P.S. How much for Alfie today? 😉
COGNITIVE DISONANCE
Have a good weekend all !!
Brilliant piece Phil. Not one iota of this can be denied.
An unfettered free press is central to true democracy.
Without it we would not have known about The Vietnam war or the massive casualties of Tet or of Nixon’s vile behaviour.
We only have to focus on the past few days where Jeremy Corbyn has been persecuted, vilified and demonised by the right wing media and also biased mouthpiece the BBC on the basis of allegations made a discredited Czech agent . These allegations have subsequently been debunked by both the Czech and Stasi archivists.
All unsubstantiated lies, but the damage has been done.
Although our problems up in this little backwater are minuscule in comparison to the above the principles are vey much the same.
We have ,and still are, being done by our media. Free press.
AYE RIGHT.
Stunning, once again, Phil!
What a man and what a great birthday present for this young, oldish, or should that be old youngish man (born 1947).
Great journalism!
All the sport hacks should read this, then hang their heads in shame. A truly wonderful piece of REAL journalism. Thank you so much Phil.
What shame Grant… they have no consept of SHAME or TRUTH or JUSTICE. HH
More power to your elbow Phil, the pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Great blog, COYBIG tonight against zenit. G.
Lol on follow follow there the fans are totally over the moon about the work being carried out over in ibrox stadium and the area around it .Don’t the bennys (that’s the guy from crossroads remember him )not know or realise that that’s part of the agreement that was signed off when they got the loan from the pawn shop thickos or what .
Was on ibrox noise there now they are saying keep morelos get him picked for the world cup it goes well for him there then he is worth 25 million a think the bennys have been sniffing the glue again
Phil – there is absolutely no chance whatsoever that Hollywood will ever produce a Scottish newspaper equivalent of All The President’s Men… for a kick-off (no pun intended), who will play the part of Keith Jackson?.. Sir David Murray?.. The courtroom scene, portraying the trial of Craig Whyte, would be somewhat enthralling – however, those “outside the loop” would deem this whole movie so far fetched, it would win an Oscar for Fictitious Movie of the Year.
I think the Rangers story should be Armando Iannucci’s next movie project.
The perfect follow up to “The death of Stalin”.
After all, it’s been making us LOL for years now and Iannucci is the ideal man to bring all of its absurdity to the big screen.
I’m a bit stuck on the casting possibilities though?
Peter Capaldi is a stick on for Alistair Johnston. Although, we would have to age up a bit.
Gary Lewis might, I say might, do as Walter Smith.
After that I’m lost. In fairness it’s a potentially huge cast list if the whole story is told.
Who plays Murray, Charlie Chuckles (Roy chubby Brown perhaps?) fat Sally, bomber Brown, Craig White………….????
Well said!
But Phil, surely the £15m when they sell Morelos will save them. Aye ok.
Unfortunately those gallant journalists at the (left wing) Washington Post and (left wing) New York Times, in their naïve idealistic support of anything anti-American and pro-communist, helped in their own little way and through exercising their democratic right to free speech, to condemn the people of Vietnam to years of poverty and systematic control by a totalitarian puppet soviet communist government.
Hollywood is always very happy to sentimentalise and immortalise left wing ideology like this stuff. I mean, look at how much Harvey Weinstein loved Hillary Clinton, the Democrats and womens rights.
Sorry, Phil, don’t buy this ‘great journalists’ angle on the film. I think you also do yourself a disservice by association too – what you have done is of far more value than what these guys did. EVERYONE in academia and the press in America was anti-Vietnam at the time.
Yeah great film phil pity it wasnt downfall
I gave “The Post” Three quarters of an hour and you could see (if you didn’t already know) what the outcome was to be, I turned off as it seemed a remake of “All the presidents men”. I can see how it could enthrall real journalists. Maybe I’ve just been turned off by the excuses for main stream journalists in Scotland.
Very stirring piece Phil.
You have my upmost respect and admiration.
There are, unfortunately, too few like you.
Wonderful read Phil, no wonder the majority of SMSM sports reporters always look disheveled, no mirrors in their hooses
A half competent sports journalist would have revelled in the stories emanating from Ibrox over the last decade.
For sure social media has touched only the tip of the iceberg and the what we don’t know will far outweigh the known.
Little of the social media stuff, yourself, JJ, James Forrest, RTC, etc, provide ever hits the mainstream as it’s suppressed.
Why, because it paints an ugly picture of the corruption and criminality within Scottish football with our football authorities looking on helpless, or hopeless……take your pick.
Everytime the call goes out to move on you just know that another issue is worming it’s way to the surface.
If it’s not another court case it’s something else.
Is anyone surprised that the SFA hasn’t nailed a new major sponsor?
Who in their right minds would want to align themselves with a dysfunctional, not fit for purpose organisation, apart from William Hill, Betfred et al?
No one, apart from self serving sycophants, has a good word to say about the SFA.
I would love to see who, apart from the players and coaching staff, will be boarding the plain to the Americas for a summer holiday.
Of course that sort of information will be classified and not available to the people who are contributing towards their wages and perks.
Joe; The football authorities involvement here is neither looking on helpless or hopeless!
The underlying problem in all of this is that they are implicated, incriminated and complicit in the whole sordid mess.
Hi Phil.
“Interesting” article in daily ranger in how Gary Ralston reckons regan was sacked because big bad Peter Lawwell wanted it and made an issue of the America’s trip.
If this is journalism then he’d be better off going back to being a cut and paste jockey.
HH
Hello Phil
Firstly keep up the good work.
Last night I was catching a train from Waverley to queen st and wobbling around the concourse in a very toxic state was none other than the intergalatic pr guru “Jabba”. He was having trouble putting on his glasses and standing still. Highlight was two young men on recognising him shouting “to loose one club to liquidation is careless but to loose two” he was not amused and very red in complexion…he stared at his phone for a while before realising it was upside down….he eventually shuffled, staggered away to board his train on plat 13……
perhaps he was at a meeting with William Hill on how to spin their record fine of 6.4m as investment into the business.
A competent observer and commentator also needs to be able to read and interpret carefully the documents s/he gets access to. Elsewhere in blogland a hapless witness to the Close Brothers signatory has been named as the signatory himself. Let’s hope he remains safe, him having a good Feniany-sounding name.
And good day to you sir ✌️Fine piece again as I stated last night it truly is a throw back to days of old when exposing truths was the drive for the stories not helping your cronies hide truths, I genuinely believe Celtic F.C. should give you a once a month magazine to be sold on match days for the fans to keep updated with the goings on in our beautiful game Phil just some thing I’d love to see happen anyway god bless ? enjoy your day! Next step petition for a statue ?. Oh how the gullibillies would hate that Phil HH
You are 100% correct in everything you say. Oddly enough I can understand why fans of Sevco do not want to face the reality of what is happening to their club. I suppose for some it is , and has representsed everything they hold dear in a single entity and at one specific venue
They can be bigoted,sectarian and racist all in one place. Sevco represents these things and has done so historically. Imagine what it would be like if for their followers that all came to an end. Great for us. Not so good for them. What would they do, apart from being even more socially reprehensible than they are now?
I have heard through people ,that politicians would rather see Sevco continue, because it provides a “safety valve” for their ideas of supremacy, and a focus to distract them from behaving like those in N Ireland who are of the same ilk. Without Sevco there could be degrees of Social unrest. You could argue that their presence creates the same thing, but I maintain it gives them a focal point.
To be honest,I want them to limp along endlessly, becoming poorer and more ordinary. Incredible how ideas of being better than others dissipate when you cannot live in the fact rather than in the fiction. I imagine your next book will be titled “Help,I fell again”. I look forward to reading it.
Phil, I’ve seen The Post, great film, Hanks is great as usual.
Our Sports desk cut and paste merchants would probably not recognise any of the characteristics portrayed by Hanks and Streep, as they involved hard work, honesty and integrity. The hunger for sniffing out a story has been replaced by lazy propoganda and ill thought out lies to appease the knuckle dragging demographic.
The ship is going down and no one is on watch, LOL.
Keep up the good fight.
I have asked UEFA on several occasions if 55 will be honoured no reply.
I have also asked the SFA to release the 5 way agreement in full for total transparency no reply.
I have asked more than 5 times about the investigation into old rangers non tax paying football club being allowed into European tournaments no reply.
I just want the truth.
Keep at them. Tell them your asking your local MP?