The Terrible Journalism & Tom English Thread

[RandomGuy.]

Take it nobody ever double checks articles before the put them up? Its completely farcical that an article a day has such an obvious error in it. Not to mention the "Gossip" forum which would rather promote stories about Rangers fifth choice goalkeeper than any actual transfer rumours.

[Hammer Jag]

Hibs - Not in the Premiership because they are not good enough.

Hearts - Relegated because of financial mis-management and because they weren't good enough to overcome their points deduction.

Rangers - Not in the Premiership because they were liquidated and had to start from scratch. Phoenix club not good enough to win a play-off against a dreadful Motherwell side.

Dundee Utd - About to drop out of the Premiership because they are the worst team in it by quite some distance.

Someone will need to explain why shoehorning any of these sides into the top-flight would help our game.

Could you imagine if Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd and Arsenal all dropped out of the English Premier, all within a few seasons of each other? The English press would be telling the world how competitive and cut-throat their league is.

Up here, it's the complete opposite.

With the likes of Keith Jackson given prominent roles within the media, it's a race to the bottom.

Thank f**k for the good people of P&B.

[RandomGuy.]

Hibs - Not in the Premiership because they are not good enough.

Hearts - Relegated because of financial mis-management and because they weren't good enough to overcome their points deduction.

Rangers - Not in the Premiership because they were liquidated and had to start from scratch. Phoenix club not good enough to win a play-off against a dreadful Motherwell side.

Dundee Utd - About to drop out of the Premiership because they are the worst team in it by quite some distance.

Someone will need to explain why shoehorning any of these sides into the top-flight would help our game.

Could you imagine if Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd and Arsenal all dropped out of the English Premier, all within a few seasons of each other? The English press would be telling the world how competitive and cut-throat their league is.

Up here, it's the complete opposite.

With the likes of Keith Jackson given prominent roles within the media, it's a race to the bottom.

Thank f**k for the good people of P&B.

Man Citys an interesting example tbh, if the Scottish media were down there they'd all be moaning like f**k about City being so successful when the likes of Leeds are floundering

[hoopy1967]

I hope Loonytoons gets bad AIDS.

FTFY

[Miguel Sanchez]

I'm surprised nobody picked up on Jacko referring to Saturday's "Tayside derby"

[AMC13]

Has everyone seen this from the Sunday post?

https://www.sundaypost.com/sport/football/gordon-smith-league-reconstruction-with-old-firm-b-teams-would-be-a-boost-to-everyone/

Why is Livingston in the Championship North when we are more southern than East Stirlingshire.

Also Stenhousemuir are in the North with us. Even though Stenhousemuir and East Stirlingshire share the same ground. Whoever wrote that is a stupid c***.

[ICTChris]

A 16 team league is the shibboleth of Scottish football. It doesn't allow enough games for a start and I don't think there's anything intrinsically wrong with having a 12 team top division.

Having said that this Gordon Smith plan is pretty much the worst I've ever seen. Moving relegated teams from the Premiership straight to a regional noddy league with fucking 'B' teams? Absolute rubbish. He's a summer football advocate as well, quelle surprise.

[7-2]

I'm surprised people are surprised at finding bigoted propaganda. The clues were there with the words Keith, Jackson and Daily Record. That any non-Old Firm fan still reads their bile is disappointing, even if it's in an ironic or rubber necking, car crash fashion. You know what your going to get. Best just to leave the poison to be read by their target market. Well, those in that market that can read that is.

[Swello]

I don't think there is anything massively controversial in the Jackson article, it is simply another in a long line that takes the conventional media/pundit view that Scottish football is merely treading water until Rangers (and to a far lesser extent Hibs) are back in the top flight, a couple of real diddy clubs can be jettisoned and we can *finally* get back to normal. The fact the last few years have seen a genuinely good distribution of cups and high league placings (and therefore prize money) is simply not relevant to too many sportswriters that have struggled to move on from a view of Scottish Football that is a decade past it's sell-by date. The fact that many (well run!) clubs have thrived in the absence of the broken bigger clubs should be something that is celebrated rather than wished away in return for going back to an imagined status quo. I think there are some really good sportswriters out there but the inability to deviate from the received wisdom/line-to-take seems every bit as bad as their colleagues on the politics desk.

The only thing that does really annoy me in the Jackson piece is the cringing notion that because someone down south might see a small ground or one with gaps where a real team would have a stand somehow makes those clubs responsible for the shite commercial terms that were secured for broadcast rights. The Record has, for as long as I've been around, alternated between denigrating and utterly ignoring non-OF football in Scotland (and non-city clubs especially) - so it seems a bit rich now to complain about the way others perceive "the product" (blech). If there is one model that I never want to see Scottish football follow again, it is the TV money funded insanity that's in place down south.

[williemillersmoustache]

The only thing that does really annoy me in the Jackson piece is the cringing notion that because someone down south might see a small ground or one with gaps where a real team would have a stand somehow makes those clubs responsible for the shite commercial terms that were secured for broadcast rights. The Record has, for as long as I've been around, alternated between denigrating and utterly ignoring non-OF football in Scotland (and non-city clubs especially) - so it seems a bit rich now to complain about the way others perceive "the product" (blech). If there is one model that I never want to see Scottish football follow again, it is the TV money funded insanity that's in place down south.

Double-decker buses, half-stadiums and supermarkets bad, songs about the blood of catholics and/or a celebrated list of terrorists good, is the message.

[7-2]

Double-decker buses, half-stadiums and supermarkets bad, songs about the blood of catholics and/or a celebrated list of terrorists good, is the message.

Indeed. Broadcasters apparently must apologise for any random swear word picked up on their microphones but tens of thousands singing bigoted songs is obviously no problem as it's never mentioned.

[Swello]

Double-decker buses, half-stadiums and supermarkets bad, songs about the blood of catholics and/or a celebrated list of terrorists good, is the message

To be fair, Sky market the OF game for everything other than the football (picture a cliched opening montage: Wagners's Ride of the Valkyries, Ibrox/Parkhead with thunder clouds, then footage of 6 crunching tackles interspersed with shots of rednecks with King Billy tattoos/tricolour sunglasses/monobrows - maybe a grotesque housewife hanging out a slum window near the ground waving a union jack, etc) - so maybe that is precisely what they will pay more for - a sectarian safari for English viewers jaded with normal EPL fare....

[Dee Man]

I don't think there is anything massively controversial in the Jackson article, it is simply another in a long line that takes the conventional media/pundit view that Scottish football is merely treading water until Rangers (and to a far lesser extent Hibs) are back in the top flight, a couple of real diddy clubs can be jettisoned and we can *finally* get back to normal. The fact the last few years have seen a genuinely good distribution of cups and high league placings (and therefore prize money) is simply not relevant to too many sportswriters that have struggled to move on from a view of Scottish Football that is a decade past it's sell-by date. The fact that many (well run!) clubs have thrived in the absence of the broken bigger clubs should be something that is celebrated rather than wished away in return for going back to an imagined status quo. I think there are some really good sportswriters out there but the inability to deviate from the received wisdom/line-to-take seems every bit as bad as their colleagues on the politics desk.

The only thing that does really annoy me in the Jackson piece is the cringing notion that because someone down south might see a small ground or one with gaps where a real team would have a stand somehow makes those clubs responsible for the shite commercial terms that were secured for broadcast rights. The Record has, for as long as I've been around, alternated between denigrating and utterly ignoring non-OF football in Scotland (and non-city clubs especially) - so it seems a bit rich now to complain about the way others perceive "the product" (blech). If there is one model that I never want to see Scottish football follow again, it is the TV money funded insanity that's in place down south.

It's not controversial in so far as he's regurgitating the same pish that these self-appointed voices of authority have been churning out since the demise of Rangers but these clowns need to be called out and humiliated everytime they do it rather than letting them off with it just because we're used to it.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that it's Celtic and Rangers fans that pay the majority of their wages and that's why they pander to them but to do so while disrespecting smaller clubs is condescending bullshit and bang out of order.

I hope Keith Jackson gets run over by a double decker bus while he's on his way to buy a shed. The irony would be beautiful.

[williemillersmoustache]

To be fair, Sky market the OF game for everything other than the football (picture a cliched opening montage: Wagners's Ride of the Valkyries, Ibrox/Parkhead with thunder clouds, then footage of 6 crunching tackles interspersed with shots of rednecks with King Billy tattoos/tricolour sunglasses/monobrows - maybe a grotesque housewife hanging out a slum window near the ground waving a union jack, etc) - so maybe that is precisely what they will pay more for - a sectarian safari for English viewers jaded with normal EPL fare....

Then the c***s should re-brand it as wrestling. There you can hit each other with chairs, everyone knows the results are fixed and they don't care as long as there's a bit of blood and snot on the canvas. Seems perfect for the average knuckledrager.

[Dons_1988]

The problem is football is now a mass market product that needs to reach as big an audience as possible. Unfortunately a football match simply isn't enough to draw in those armchair fans.

Just look at the EPL, they talk up all these faux rivalries between managers etc to add to the drama because it entertains the muppets who watch it.

It just so happens that in this country, Celtic and Rangers are essentially a freakshow, their oh so important to them religious background is now just a marketing tool for Sky. It doesn't matter that the quality of football is awful, that's not what the armchair twat is wanting. They want red cards, fights in the stands and loud noise.

Be happy that you are not sucked into that absolute drivel. Those who are in football are no better than people who are sucked into the likes of X factor or any other contrived tripe.

[Dee Man]

I've just read an article by Davie Provan (I know) from Sunday's Scottish Sun (I know). Usual pish:

"That nearly 50,000 fans packed Ibrox for a mid-winter second division match re-enforces the madness of putting Rangers in the bottom division four years ago.

Every Premiership club has suffered from their absence.

But Monday night's win suggests Mark Warburton's team will reclaim their top-flight status next May.

Psychologically, the victory was worth more than just three points after Alan Stubbs had cranked up the heat pre-match.

Bottle will have a big say in this Championship title race."

Provan appears to share the same pea-brain as Jackson.

- Clubs should not be punished accordingly if they have large crowds.

- "Every Premiership club has suffered from their absence" - putting aside the fact that that is an outrageous lie, he seems to have overlooked the fact that lower league clubs will have benefited from The Rangers' visits - financially obviously, not on at street level.

Edited January 5, 2016 by Dee Man

[sergie's no1 fan]

A 16 team league is the shibboleth of Scottish football. It doesn't allow enough games for a start and I don't think there's anything intrinsically wrong with having a 12 team top division.

Having said that this Gordon Smith plan is pretty much the worst I've ever seen. Moving relegated teams from the Premiership straight to a regional noddy league with fucking 'B' teams? Absolute rubbish. He's a summer football advocate as well, quelle surprise.

I had a thought about the 16 team league the other day. The only way you could try and get around the fixture issue is if teams play everyone twice then the league splits in to 4 groups of 4 after 30 games and then you play everyone in your group home and away to bring the amount of games up to 36. It sounds so crazy that it just might work!

Top 4 going for the title

Next 4 fighting for a European place

Next 4 would have meaningless games but they could blood in youngsters, and would have no chance of being relegated

Bottom 4 fighting against the drop

One of the main arguements against that would be the points total thing which winds people up just now when a bottom 6 team have more points than a team finishing in the top 6, you could have that happening in a couple of the splits.

In my opinion the ideal number is 14 given the size of clubs in this country but that number is just unworkable.

[sophia]

Auntie reported today that David Hopkin has taken over from the sacked Allan Moore.

She also passed on the news that Temba Bavuma has become the first black South African to "bowl a century".

[1320Lichtie]

Auntie reported today that David Hopkin has taken over from the sacked Allan Moore.

THREE times that had me shaking my head at the radio on the way home tonight. I was actually nearly convincing myself that he had ended up there!!

[Stu]

Provans article is absolute gold every Sunday. I usually have a wee scan first to see when the first mention of one of the old firm is, usually the second paragraph at most.

Derek Johnstone's column is usually a good laugh too, simply because he can't bring himself to say anything negative against Rangers at all, regardless of how ludicrous a position it puts him in.