Scotland's Sports Press - Sooking-Up Rather Than Stirring-Up

I DESPAIR at the state of the Scottish football media. In particular, I am distraught of the lack of the supposed USP of the “quality” football press in the country. I refer here to what used to be called the “broadsheet” newspapers, those big papers which had the space to provide clear lay-out for in-depth articles on a particular subject, rather than, as too-many of the red-tops do, pontificating through headlines.

The broadsheets are supposed to have gravitas, bottom, call it what you will. They are supposed to tackle serious subjects, in a serious and thorough manner – not in the Scottish press these days. They have, sadly, joined “The Daily Ranger/Rhebel” (choose your form of bigotry), “The Hun”, The Daily Heil” and “The Depress” in chasing the Old Firm readership.

The Herald's website each day lists in descending order of readership, the Top 20 most-read stories. I have seen days when 10 of these 20 stories concern one or other of the Old Firm.

But still, these papers are shedding readers just as quickly as the red tops. I keep hoping, they will become a bit more diverse in their sports content, I reckon there are readers to be gained by this, but, the will to try this is simply not there.

One of the core values of journalism is to hold people to account, to question the status quo. This doesn't happen in Scottish football. Guys no longer with us like Ian “Dan” Archer during his time at The Herald and the Sunday Standard, or Glenn Gibbons at The Scotsman, (who although guilty of gross brown-nosing of Alex Ferguson) would take great delight in pointing-out where the big two were going wrong, or falling down. Was there ever such a brief, succinct but damning indictment of any football club as “Dan's”: “A constant embarrassment and occasional disgrace” put down of the Rangers support.

Gerry McNee, who operated in the red-top sector, proudly bore the scars of his refusal to cow-tow to the Old Firm, the fact he was allegedly “gubbed” by Rangers' boss Graeme Souness and Celtic gaffer Billy McNeill.

Today, the fans with lap tops are just that, too-busy cosying-up to the Big Two to maintain their critical faculties. For instance, other than the Donegal-based Phil Mac Giolla Bhain, who is invariably right on the money whenever he posts on his blog, nobody appears to be observing critically the unfolding disaster along Edmiston Drive, where the High Heid Yin – referred to by PMGB by: “the glib and shameless liar” tag he was given by a South African judge, has been getting away with murder since he assumed the chair.

I had, in my innocence, paid little attention to how the media works when it comes to powerful institutions, until this week, when I was given a copy of Sunday Times journalist David Walsh's seminal work 'Seven Deadly Sins' the chronicle of his long pursuit of disgraced Tour de France “winner” Lance Armstrong.

In one of the early chapters, Walsh explains how one of the journalists from the French sports daily 'L'Equipe' having decided to concentrate on exposing illegal drug use in sport, and in particular around Le Tour, was harried and eventually sacked, because of the attitude of colleagues. His constant digging after cases of drug misuse was making their cushy life of easy access to the star riders, corporate hospitality and access to parties and functions was being put in danger by his digging, which was embarrassing the guys who ran Le Tour, and cycling's governing body the UCI.

As far as I am aware, no Scottish journalist has ever been sacked, for trying to embarrass either of the big two, or the SFA, another body which might benefit from the searchlights of truth being shone on its activities, but, I am aware of journalists having the facts of life made clear to them – you don't diss the Old Firm, if you want to advance in Scottish sports-writing.

I can vouch for this. Years ago, I was asked by one of the red-tops, to cover a pre-season friendly, at Love Street, between St Mirren and a Celtic XI which lined-up with a mainly fringe players XI. Over the first 80 minutes, it was one-way traffic, as Saints played Celtic off the park. However, they could not score and, with ten minutes left, Henrik Larsson came on, to score the only goal of the game, two minutes from time.

In my report, I emphasised how much Saints had ran the game, and how it had all been changed by Larsson, who, it has to be said, did little other than score the crucial goal – but, that's what he did brilliantly.

My report was totally re-written. Not a single St Mirren player was name-checked, it had become a hymn of praise to “the Magnificent Seven”, which bore no relation to what had actually happened. I have never again worked for that paper, I couldn't.

Plenty of good Scottish footballers have gone to England and prospered, as have one or two Scottish sports writers, in particular Hughie McIlvanney, who, don't forget, was only the second-best writer in his family, but, is now recognised as Britain's greatest sports writer.

I remember a trio of young Turks, who burst onto the scene at the start of the 1990s, but were quickly off-loaded to their papers' Fleet Street headquarters, for the “crime” of doing their own thing and not tagging along with the pack, sharing information and not rocking the boat. All three did very well in the south. I sometimes think, the plan for football writers up here is to set the bar low, and keep it there.

About 25-years or so ago, the BBC did a documentary on McIlvanney, which included some footage shot at Wembley, in the press box, before an England game. There were frequent shots of one immaculately-suited journalist, sitting there, his lap top – which were just coming into use firmly closed, puffing away on a large Cuban cigar. He was the picture of entitlement.

This was one of the main football writers for the then biggest-selling Scottish paper. Watching the footage on a tv screen on the editorial floor, the paper's Editor is reported to have exploded: “Look at that arrogant Cunt, and he doesn't even have his lap top open. Apparently, the Sports Editor was instructed to haul him over the coals when he got back to Glasgow, but, said journo was never even spoken to. He retired with honour, having written little of nothing of note. However, he had “fantastic contacts”, and was popular right across the game – because he was a brown-noser rather than the shit-stirrer journalists are supposed to be.

Just this week, the Scottish media has been going overboard about Celtic beating the Lisbon Lions' “record” of 26 straight domestic games unbeaten. But, and here I must congratulate The Herald on a fine piece, Lisbon Lions Legend Jim Craig – one Celtic supporter who does know his history has pointed-out, even the Lions' great run wasn't a domestic record. The Celtic team of 1915-17, then in the middle of their phenomenal run of six straight Scottish League titles, put together a 62-game unbeaten run, winning 49 of these matches.

But, to the 2017 Scottish football media, Scottish football only seems to have been going since 1967.

There was another piece earlier this week, written by our old friend, the RWM of the Lap Top Loyal, suggesting that, unless Aberdeen gets their big move to the outskirts of the city, the club will die. Aye Right. Pittodrie is far from being a slum; yes, it could benefit from upgrading, but, in any business, the rule of thumb is, do not spend money on massive infrastructure projects until you have out-grown your current base.

Pittodrie is not operating at anything like capacity. In addition, Pittodrie has a greater capacity than the proposed replacement. It is convenient for the city centre, getting to and from Pittodrie is a lot easier than it will be to get to and from the new stadium.

Making better use of the current facilities, upgrading, and, more-importantly, attracting bigger crowds by playing better, winning football, would seem to me to be a better option than going deeply into debt to fund a new HQ miles from anywhere.

OK, the new place might work, if Aberdeen can put in the pubs and eating outlets which will attract the fans pre-match, and persuade them to hang around post-match, putting money into the club's coffers. But, we all know, that is not going to be allowed to happen. If you haven't got a car, it is going to be very difficult to get to the new ground, so, attendances are more-likely to fall than rise – I say this mindful of the fact, outlined above, Pittodrie's capacity is larger than what is planned on the outskirts of the city.

No, the whole piece made no sense. There were also some padding paragraphs, bemoaning the current state of Italian football, and suggesting new grounds for the likes of Juventus and Roma were going to turn things around. Pure shite, the reason Serie A is in decline is because they don't have the cash to compete with the English Premiership, or the big Spanish and German clubs – crumbling grounds are a side-show.