It’s been less than a few weeks since certain people created an almighty scene when Rangers released their fourth strip commemorating the four lads who created our football club. The narrative and agenda that day was so clear to see for all. A coordinated attack with tweets staggered to cause maximum effect, an attack orchestrated to cause fake outrage.
Even if we forget about the ones with the obvious agenda, The Janette ‘IRA songs are for Independence’ Findlays of this world, the response from the likes of Michael Stewart and Nil By Mouth has been a real enlightener for anyone that may have needed it.
Michael Stewart is regularly on twitter fighting for the end of sectarianism, or should I rephrase that, Michael Stewart is regularly on twitter fighting for Rangers to get punished over anything. He waged his own single handed war against Heart and Hand podcast and demanded they were cancelled after two podders were found to have historic tweets of poor taste.
Yet a chairman of a football club, John Needham of St Mirren, has tweets with various sectarian and hate speech, including one tweet where he wishes a bridge to topple with Thousands of Rangers fans upon it.
Yes an actual Chairman of an football club, not two relatively unknown podders, an actual Chairman. No disrespect to the boys, but the point is relevant, what requires comment more? Two podders or a top flight chairman of a SPFL club?
His social media response at time of writing on this matter?
Silence
That silence speaks volumes for his very clear ‘anything Rangers is bad’ agenda. His furore over 4lads song was completely embarrassing and now so blatantly transparent.
Whether we like it or not he has a voice and one which could most likely make a difference. However he picks and choses when to use it and that seems to only be to the detriment of Rangers football club.
Graham Spiers is on his twitter this morning joking he ‘Knows what type of man’ Needham is and he’ll get him back on his ‘podcast’ if we really want. It’s all a big joke when it’s against Rangers after all. Sure he’s irrelevant and not worth a toss, but the hypocrisy is absolutely flabbergasting. This is a guy who has spent years going on about Rangers problems yet happily joking and making a laugh of a guy commenting he hopes a bridge topples and ‘Sticky buns’ etc.
But Nil By Mouth are extremely disappointing and the fact they seemed to follow Stewart and co after the ‘4lads song’ debacle was really surprising. What they have done here equally so. See there is so many subtle differences to how they seem to approach things.
The whole tone is wrong. It wasn’t derogatory, they were sectarian and hate crime tweets. Then to suggest a simple donation to our charity foundation to educate youngsters is also misplaced, how about Mr Needham resigns and takes himself off on a diversity course? The same course of action the two podders took.
I’m not here to defend the two lads, I don’t need to do that, because they themselves took the opportunity to apologise, take time away, reflect and volunteered to educate themselves on the Rangers Diversity Everyone Anyone course. They took responsibility. Has anyone else?
So why do two podders from fan media do the right thing yet Chairman of a SPFL club think a tweet is ok?
Why is it right for a newspaper to hunt podders yet be riddled with a catalogue of racist and bigoted tweets themselves, yet hide behind ‘Our investigation is complete’ and hope it goes away?
One is front page, the other is swept under the carpet.
This was NBM reaction to the 4lads song
Nil by mouth state their vision is ‘a Scotland free from sectarianism’, the language and change of apparent aggression here is really clear. Contrast and compare that to Needham response.
This is the problem when the reporting is so different and people pick and chose their times to be offended and outraged, It makes any attempt they make seem conspired or with agenda.
You either call it all out and regularly, with the same stance on each, or you will end up being ignored and having your integrity come in to question.
Rangers aren’t squeaky clean, this is not an attempt to say our club is being picked on. We have our issues and the club are spending thousands educating this country with the award winning ‘Everyone Anyone’ campaign.
But there is absolutely no doubt that we are treated differently. Everyone is absolutely sick of the double standards and I would most certainly rather be here discussing Alfredo Morelos scoring 100 goals for his club.
Two podders and an innocent song caused furore in this country. A SPFL chairman wishes disaster and used sectarian language against Rangers fans and he’s invited to make a charity donation whilst others sit in silence.
Ask yourself why that is and ask yourself who really is interested in ending sectarianism? Just who is using it as an agenda to stay relevant with no interest in ending it at all?
It all looks very transparent and agenda led, that’s very wrong.
Four Lads Had A Dream 