How the Daily Mail Turned Jessica Ennis’ Bottom and Colin Murray Into a Stick to Attack the BBC

Fans of the Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy might remember the Dentrassi. These aliens were “the best cooks in the Western Galaxy”. They provided the in-flight catering on the Vogon Destructor Fleet.

When Ford Prefect and Arthur Dent escape the destruction of earth by hitching a lift on a Vogon ship, they get the chance to sample some of the Dentrassi cooking on board. After a huge build up by Ford about how wonderful it will be, Arthur bites into the Hagra Biscuit, and declares it revolting.

Ford, disbelieving, bites into his, and on finding how horrible it tastes, he declares:-

“These guys must really hate the Vogons.”

For some reason that phrase comes to mind whenever I have the good fortune to read something in the Daily Mail which refers to the BBC. The Daily Mail must really hate the BBC, and seems to go out of its way to find an angle in as many stories as possible to the detriment of Auntie Beeb.

Yesterday saw a perfect example.

The Rangers Ban on the BBC – NUJ Code of Conduct and SFL Rule 71.4.1

Two weeks ago we saw the reaction of Rangers to the publication of the “Rangers masterplan”. The reaction might be seen by some as rather extreme.

The day after the publication, the BBC had sent its journalists along to Ibrox for the Third Division title-winning celebration.

Amongst the BBC staff on site at Ibrox were Chris McLaughlin and Chick Young.

As the day progressed, the BBC reported that Mr McLaughlin had been told to leave and that Mr Young too had been removed, although he was told that he could stay to watch the game but could not broadcast from the ground.

One might wonder why they were allowed in to the ground, except of course that barring the BBC from the ground pre-emptively might not have been as attractive to the customers as turfing them back out.

My Thoughts on Chris Graham’s Comments in the Rangers Standard about his Sportsound Boycott

Chris Graham is a Rangers fan. Since the descent into administration he has had the mantle of “reasonable Rangers fan” thrust upon him and as such has popped up several times on STV to talk about the latest development in his team’s remarkable saga.

He and I have exchanged light-hearted banter, dating back to October 2011 when he classed me along with RTC and Phil Mac Giolla Bhain as “barmy bloggers”. That was august company into which he had placed me, especially as his writing about me, and his blog then being linked to on Follow Follow by a poster called “Fury” lead to the most views of my blog on any one day up to that point.

Since then he has told others that I do not possess the moral qualities to have a guest article posted on his Rangers Standard website, and he has pointedly remarked on a few occasions that he does not read what I write, on the basis that I am “discredited”, “disgraced”, “a Rangers Hater” etc.

Last week’s BBC Scotland invitation to me to appear on Sportsound almost gave me the chance to converse directly with him. However, as Chris himself has explained, he would not take up the invitation.

After I had written my piece about it and Andy Muirhead at Scotzine his, it was Mr Graham’s chance to take up the pen.

A QUESTION OF BALANCE – a Guest Post by JohnBhoy

JohnBhoy posted this as a comment on an earlier thread. I thought it worth a “guest post” slot.

Thanks JohnBhoy!

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The old Rangers understood the theory of balance. If all competing influences have parity – similar club size, domestic fan base, financial clout etc. – then this could present the dangerously unpredictable fiasco of a level playing field, leading to ludicrously unfair equal competition between two city rivals, namely Celtic and Rangers. Thankfully, EBTs came to the rescue and redressed the balance in Rangers’ favour. That is the kind of equilibrium that appealed to the old Rangers. For every fiver that you pay in tax, we’ll pay ten less.

The new Rangers likes balance too, in a variety of contexts: financial balance (no debt, courtesy of unpaid creditors), football balance (leapfrogging The Spartans FC to gain entry to the SFL without the need to follow the same rigorous, competitive application process), social balance (march on Hampden, boycott etc.) and msm balance (James Traynor, writing for The Daily Record while seeking, and finally securing, employment with Rangers).

The Royal Television Society – Is It Full of “Rangers Haters”? TV Journalism Award News

I have just caught up with news from last night’s Royal Television Society Awards Dinner. The area being lauded last night was Television Journalism.

Two names familiar to readers of this blog, and more so to followers of the “Rangers Story” were recognised for their work.

The full list of winners can be found here.

The two whom I want to mention are as follows:-

Drum roll please ….

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