Yesterday I was reminded of a research tool from my undergraduate days.
Professor Laurie Taylor at York was a big fan of participant observation.
The work with him in the social psychology laboratory was the best part of my degree.
He had a magisterial breadth of knowledge on this subject coupled with the comedic timing of a stand-up veteran.
Some say that he inspired Malcolm Bradbury’s anti-hero, Howard Kirk.
However, now as an author myself, I know that characters can be created by some alchemy that I do not understand.
Here is my old Professor on how the urban myth was created.
I recall one of his wise observations, “that which is cultural is not amenable to reason”.
I thought of this as I watched one of the more bizarre events in the Ibrox calendar.
The Loving Cup ceremony is one of the things that has outlived Rangers and is now practised by SEvco.
Here is the last one that the original Ibrox club held.
Certainly not amenable to reason…
Another term from my time at York with Professor Taylor was “common sense inventory”.
It is a very useful concept when, as an outsider, you find yourself in an alien milieu.
It is a key finding of any exercise in participant observation.
For example, look how Planet Fitba reacts to an officiating decision that clearly goes against a team who play their home games at Ibrox is in the same category.
No one seemed to question that such a rare event was worthy of serious deliberations.
It also served another purpose that I wasn’t aware of until last night when a very well-placed source got in touch.
He contacts me when it is safe to do so.
The scéal he had was that the sit down with the SFA at Hampden was, in part, a PR move.
He explained that the crisis talks about the fact that a Sevco player had been sent off in a domestic match were used to distract the Ibrox klanbase from the inactivity in the transfer window heretofore.
The audience for this performance art is, as always, the fans.
Of course, a central narrative in the Blue Room post-2012 is that they’re still the same club that was liquidated that year.
Consequently, they have to maintain all manner of bizarre ceremonies.
Of course, the Loving Cup thingy is worthy of a cruel satire.
Indeed, for a brand that attracts so many solely motivated by hate, the idea of anything associated with love seems a strange juxtaposition.
Indeed it would be too bizarre for a novel.
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They are experts at spotting an opportunity like this to get the awkward issues dealt with.
KTF
Hi Peter, that was the first thing came into my heads.
Something along the lines of ‘listen brothers. Remember all the hassle you had and continue to have as a result of what happened in 2011 well unless we win the league this year it might happen again’.
Such a beautiful array of crockery in the Bigotdome’s trophy cabinet eh? Not much silver polish needed there!🤣 HH
The 5 stars seem to have disappeared from their strips…have they been
A …..removed by a washing machine
B……removed because they no longer own the Intelectual Property
C……removed by FIFA as the 54 titles belong to a DIFFERENT CLUB altogether .
Anyone know?
On refereeing, there are so many bad tackles on Celtic players because the opposition are not punished early in the game for challenges. Last night , Sammon elbow on Welsh and Niang on Rogic ? went unpunished. Result 3 bad injuries later on….because its allowed.
Hearts will adopt the same tactic on Wednesday..
An unknown Hun does the draw for Scottish cup and they get drawn away to Annan Athletic. He won’t be getting invited back to the trophy room to view the world class ceramics. 😂😂💰💰
Think it’s a typo – it’s now the Loser’s Cup.
Even if The Rangers achieved a quadruple treble… they will always be losers.
And everybody knows. 🙂
This latest fiasco surrounding a ten year old club,for that is what they are,is just another example of why they should be consigned to the same fate as their predecessors at ibrox,Scottish football fared very well without them,society does not need a fan base who wreak havoc on its public places and would be more civilized with their demise.
The SFA, now notoriously known as the Sevco Football Association.
Aye. They love the auld ceramics.
It might also have been used as cover to talk about just how bad finances are without sales in next week or so. Plus the ramifications if a final decision were to be rendered in the Ashley case in near future?