When I started writing about the Rangers scandal I realised that the Glasgow media were part of the problem.

They were too close to those at the top of the marble staircase and too easily cowed by the Ibrox mob.

The Sun serialisation debacle showed that the klan can wield  power  in Glasgow.

I know that the mainstream media outside of the city, indeed furth of Scotland would be required to break the media silence.

That is why I welcomed the involvement of Alex and his Channel 4 colleagues back in March.

All of the people in Scotland who want to live in a decent society (which is almost all of the country’s population) owe a great debt of gratitude to Alex Thomson and his colleagues on Channel 4 News.

The man himself has covered 22 wars and isn’t frightened by what Glasgow has to offer in terms of threats and intimidation.

Moreover, he saw how the local hack pack had wilfully ignored the Rangers story for, in part, precisely the same reasons that he explores in his piece tonight.

That is why he saw the value of those outside  the Scottish mainstream, including myself that had been willing to tell the story of the Rangers scandal.

As has already been trailed Gary Allan QC will say tonight that a “criminal underclass” exists around the Ibrox club.

Graham Spiers first used the term “white underclass” to describe this element of the Rangers supports in the aftermath of the rioting in Manchester in May 2008.

This was before I had written a word on the club as a journalist.

However, it is an apt term for a group of people, self-selecting, who do not wish to abide by the norms of civilised society.

It is for another day why they find Ibrox to be such a warm house where their hatreds are incubated, but it seems to be the case.

What will be screened tonight by Channel 4 news will not feature an outside broadcast from Baghdad or Mogadishu.

All of those interviewed are resident in Scotland.

Therefore, this piece would have been within the production budgets of the Scottish broadcast organisations.

However, the local media remain under the toxic influence of the klan so it had to be compiled by people travelling up from London.

The criminality of the klan is now a UK story.

How quintessentially British!

The Scottish print sector, especially the tabloids, chases the Ibrox demographic.

Working to tight margins editors fear a boycott of their title, or simply a general fall off in sales.

The klan knows that intimidating journalists does often bring real tangible results for them.

Apparently their belief system is so fragile that they cannot abide anything in the papers that is at variance with that world view.

Subsequently, I have long since given up on the local media tackling this issue in any concerted or meaningful way.

That this is allowed to happen in the major city of a mature democracy is a permanent embarrassment and an occasional disgrace.

The decent people in Scotland owe a debt of gratitude to the people at Channel 4 news and the brave people who went on camera to denounce the klan.

Good journalism draws a line in the sand and that is what Alex Thomson has done on this issue.

In the coming days what side of that line you find yourself on will tell you a lot about what kind of Scotland you want.

Comments

  • Patrick

    Mick

    have you tried asking Alex Salmond whether he is prepared to accept that the three evils I mention are prevalent in all parts of this bigoted little country.In particular you might ask him to publicly condemn those who follow his own team Hearts for their sectarian behaviour.

    I wager the referendum will be history before any of these things happen.

  • Mick

    Patrick, I understand your sentiment completely but Scotland stands on the cusp of an historic decision. Engage fully with the ‘yes’ vote, enshrine tolerance in a constitution, support social inclusion and global enfranchisement in a free country. This in itself will marginalise the types that you refer to. Let’s not let this opportunity pass us by.

  • Patrick

    I’m with you Mick.

    Indeed I would go further I not only don’t miss the games against Newco Oldco Sevco or whatever I would actually prefer there never to be another,

    If we can remove one of the rallying points for the knuckledraggers and neanderthals this would speed the day when Scotland will be free of bigotry, anti-Irish racism and sectarianism. With these gone what remains of Rangers F.C. willwither and die.

  • Mick

    Cooper 0, Celtic v Rangers was magical in a warped medieval kind of way. I don’t miss those games at all. Going by what has been seen and heard from the followers of the franchise club, there are too many in attendance who are resistant to change. Personally speaking I’ll be quite content never to see a resumption of hostilities.

  • Mick

    Ben, I’m not having a go at you. I think though that it is better to engage with the myths as espoused by Cooper 0 rather than resorting to mutual animosity. Reading your posts, I get the impression that you’re better than that. No of fence meant and hopefully none taken.
    Phil, also no offence meant but could you get your finger out and pen something new please. We appear to have gone from the underclass to Father Ted via nazi submarines and a half-cut Winston Churchill.

    • Ben mcginlay

      I know you are not having a go. And no offence taken Mick. I’m sticking by my thoughts and feelings on this one though. I will not mention or even answer any his posts because the repetition is becoming boring and its not fun anymore. Also I wouldn’t mind it if they disappeared off the face of the earth. If that makes ME a bigot in their eyes, then so be it. I will not back down from them in any way, shape or form..

  • Mick

    I used the submarines as an example of how myth becomes reality if repeated often enough in influential circles. The follow-up comment on Father Ted I used to show that if there is enough disinterest then this is easily achieved (I was under the impression that it had been banned on the word of a friend from Meath). If there is a genuine opportunity to dispel these ‘truths’ they should be taken at every opportunity, no matter how painful the process.

  • Mick

    An Irish writer gave us Father Ted, Channel 4 commissioned the series. My understanding is that it was rather pointlessly banned in the RoI as most of the country can pick up C4 anyway. Now is that a fact or a fallacy? Be the ref anyone?

    • Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

      Father Ted wasn’t “banned”, but Dermot Morgan had pissed off the government of the day with his “Scrap Saturday” radio show. He also annoyed lots of people in RTE. There was no “banning”. Myth.

  • Neil

    Celtic good
    Sevco bad

    ;0)

  • James Stephens

    And on the subject of the Irish Free State’s supposed re-fuelling of u-boats, I’m curious about a number of questions this raises;

    (1) where did the largely impoverished Irish Free State acquire these vast amounts of fuel that would be required for all these u-boats?

    (2) was British intel on the ground in Ireland so bad that they did not notice these great big bloody u-boats being re-fuelled?

    (3) if British intel did inform WC of this supposed u-boat re-fuelling why did he take no action against the Irish Free State in the form of an invasion or destruction of the guilty ports in question? He would have been perfectly within his rights to do so if it were true. He had already destroyed the Vichy French Navy in 1940 because he could not be guaranteed their neutrality. What, was big Winston scared of li’l ol’ Ireland?

  • John Surgeon

    “Permanent embarassment and occasional disgrace” is a quote from Ian Archer (a Scottish sports’ journalist, incidentally) from the 1970s. Though one could easily argue a ‘occasional embarassment and permanent disgrace’, which brings me to the roots of social bigotry and religious intolerance within Scotland. I believe this goes back to the policy of Harland & Woolf in the shipyards of Belfast (c. 1903) who persuaded the Ibrox club to follow suit.

    • Patrick

      I note the suggestion that anti-Irish racism and anti-Catholicism was imported from across the water in the early years of last century.

      What utter tosh. Both have been features of Scottish society for centuries.

  • James Stephens

    To gain an insight into the mindset of your average rangers fan one need only delve into one of their vile fan forums such as rangersmedia. Some of their comments regarding catholics and/or the Irish would not be out of place in “mein kampf”, I am not kidding. In between disgusting, and constant, jokes about child abuse of course. I doubt if a single topic goes by without sick jokes about child abuse for the purpose of cheap point scoring. And no “decent” fan ever pipes up to tell one of these bigots they’re out of order. On the contrary, they all lap it up.

    Rangers is apparently the biggest supported team in Scotland – scary.

  • Mick

    Fact-based argument Phil, can’t beat it and corroborated by someone as illustrious as Ludocic Kennedy.
    Changed days as well. Only 5 comments on that piece and 2 of those yours. It must be very satisfying to look back at how your site has evolved over the years. Respect sir.
    This is what I mean by my comment Ben. Facts better hearsay and supposition every time.

  • Mick

    Ben, the decent guy comment in relation to Cooper 0 was mine and I stand by it. Seems to me that he is fighting his corner on here but is using fallacy accepted as fact in some quarters to do so. If he is here and open to discussion shouldn’t this be taken as an opportunity to put the true version to him rather than trade insults. I have in my time listened to otherwise intelligent (English) people insist that the RoI re-fueled Nazi submarines because this suits the agenda that the RoI is in some way an enemy of the UK, thereby completely ignoring the mass internment of IRA volunteers in the South during the war as it was felt that activities could jeopardize the neutrality of a fledgling nation state.

  • H p Gallagher

    In reply to John burns. No one is asking you to vote snp. You can vote who you want in an independent Scotland. And by the way the poisonous. Groups you mention have always been there as part of the union. Hope you have the butchers apron flying from your window come the vote in 2014. To all fellow Celtic fans who sing about Irish freedom is it not ok for your own country to have it.

  • Stevie Reid

    Deary me ! Look in the mirror cooper, and this new club also. Look in the mirror and be true to what you see. But, can you look in the mirror for the smoke. And, can you ‘bear’ what is looking back at you ! Time for the so-called decent sevco support to take a good, long, hard look at themselves in the mirror..(minus the smoke.)

  • Stevie Reid

    Cooper..that’s nonsense, and you know it. The “we arra peepul” mantra is all about self entitlement, thinking they are some sort of superpower, the master race. You can dress it up any way that you care to, but we all know that is the meaning behind it.

  • Tom Daly

    To Robert Hunt:
    Please do not try and use the age old excuse that both fans and clubs are as bad as each other.
    Your season book holders attacked our manager and left him for dead lying in a lane.
    Your season book holders sent bombs to our manager and tried to kill him.
    Your despicable coach sent his hordes a message and that was to seek out and intimidate the people who sat in judgement of your club.
    Your club cheated its way to upteen titles.
    Your club cheated the British public out of over 100m in tax.

    If what you say is correct and there are decent Rangers fans out there then why has all the above been allowed to happen and why have you not apologised to the victims of your club.

  • tricky ricky

    the rangers fans/protestants can say all they like. the fact is that in scotland, in 2012, there is still a large majority of them who truley HATE Catholics. as a taxi driver on the west coast i see it everyday and from the most surprising folk. the wee wummin goin up to her lovely detached house. what you hear from these folk is crazy.

  • hokeypokey

    Let’s hear it for Glenn Gibbons!
    We are quick to give the Sevco sycophants in the MSM a good kicking, and rightly so! However, we need to get fully behind the few good men who refuse to swallow the Media House propoganda.

    http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/sfl-division-three/glenn-gibbons-green-must-think-we-are-yokels-1-2602048

  • Antonious F

    my response to Mr Thomson’s blog is also pretty apt for this one Phil.

    As an old lawyer friend of mine used to say ‘when you do not have a compelling argument to support your case, always go for character assassination to deflect the blame’.

    you have to excuse them, they are used to a certain standard of reporting that supports their world view. a pity their world is so small though. New club, same old CULLture

  • EddieB

    I had to buy mine from under the counter too, which at the time was exciting – smuggling contraband out the shop. It is also a sad state of affairs that we have to hide books from ignorant red necks. Very sad indeed.

  • Phil.

    Ihave read the book twice and passed it on to a few friends out here who dont have thier own copies,every one is of the same opinion though,great read informative factual.I am sure you are starting to prepare for part 2 although i think there is still quite a way for this to run.

    Keep the Faith Phil.

  • Tom Daly

    As a Celtic and Scotland fan abroad I have watched and read with great interest the few people like yourself who have dared write about what is without doubt the biggest scandal to hit British football.
    The fact that the scottish MSM refuse to cover it properly is hugely dissapointing not only to their readership but to all the decent scottish football fans.
    People like Jim Traynor etc have let us all down, guys like this have a voice and could have used it to weed out the vile underclass that supports sevco and then put pressure on that club to come clean and use this as an opportunity to rid themselves of this hatred. Instead the club including its coach Ally McCoist have joined ranks with the so-called hard core minority factions and instigated a tactical hate campiagn against anyone who doesn’t toe the party line.
    I remember some years ago before leaving for Australia reading a column in the Evening Times, written by the then player Ally McCoist. Even back then, Ally knew how to gain approval from the hordes and hit us with the cause for the west of scotland bigotry problems. He stated it was because we seperate our children at the age of 5 when sending them to school. This was a hugely popular subject with most hard lie rangers fans and Ally being Ally knew his comments would go down well. The Sevco coach hasn’t changed and his willingness to play to these people has resulted in decent family men having their lives threatened. When this is all over and the corruption and intimidation has nowhere to hide people like Jim Traynor etc who refused to ask the questions that matter will be brought to task by the decent scottish football fan.

  • Mick

    Of course they are all liars, they did not follow the party line. Stalinism writ large in the smallest wee best country in the world or some such.
    Phil, small succour, I know, but more people care for your family than wish them harm. Be safe and don’t let them stop you, your bravery is an inspiration.
    I note that Coop 0 is getting some grief on here for his perceived threat that he would deck anyone calling him a klan member. To be fair to him he comes across as a reasonable guy and would say that were I in his position I’d probably do the same. An unwarranted insult is just that and no more.
    One other comment, we have more in common than we have differences, Viva la quinte brigade, let us all remember them tonight.

    • Ben mcginlay

      It was me Coop was referring to, but he reads my comments wrong and accuses me of calling him a nazi and a racist. I have never done this. My posts are there for all to see. I did call him a Hun. I disagree with the decent guy comment. He claims to come on to talk about ‘Planet Fitba’, but all he talks about are wrongdoings from Celtic supporters, isolated incidents from the past, trying to create some parity between the support. I don’t care what he claims. He can’t even back some of his stories up with facts. That is why I have called him a fraud and had a bit of fun with him. And do you know what. He reverted to type. I am not the only one who has a debate with him, but we are all wrong..

  • Robert Hunt

    Im sick of Rangers are the big bad wolf mentality, yes you get idiot Rangers fans and bigoted Rangers fans who like to cause trouble. its not all one sided though as you PHIL would have us believe. There are many upon many thousands of Rangers who are decent human beings and just like the banter with celtic supporters, likewise celtic supports like the banter with us. however there is bigots and idiots on the east end aswell as i have witnessed 1st hand on many occasions. its ira this ira that go intio beards bar or any bar at the barrowlands and you will find plenty ppl battering on about IRA this Orange so an so yhat. so dnt make rangers out to be the bad guy as all decent ppl know both clubs has its fair share of bigots and troublemakers. honestly it baffles me how celtic supporters class Rangers as Scotlands shame.. correction the old firm are scotlands shame. not just Rangers and not just Celtic. obviously Rangers as a club the old co club a few ppl we know who they are caused the mess the led to olld do being liquidated, that was not my fault not my fellow fans fault or even the clubs fault, it was the fault of 2 individuals Murray and Whyte. im sure if most if not all Rangers fans knew what was going on then everyone of us would have chased both out the door ourselves. anyway that wasnt my pount the point is stop classing all Rangers fans as bigots and racists we are not all the same. its a problem on both sides of the city and if you think it aint then your seriously deluded…

  • jomac

    Cooper49.
    Isn’t your argument a contradiction in itself with the sfa?
    They didn’t act in 2001 because there profile that’s been brought to the fore with blogs like phils,rtc and cqn couldn’t be dismissed anymore.
    I reckon you come on here and other celtic minded sites because you get embarrassed reading sevco sites ;-) )

  • SamBrowneBelt

    Phil
    Was in Waterstones in Sauchiehall Street today to buy my second copy of your book – the first has been given away, half-read, to spread the news to those who would never buy it – and saw that your book was proudly on display at Number 2 in the best-sellers shelf.

    It gave me a warm feeling inside – when I bought my first copy I had to ask for it, as it wasn’t on display.

    Maybe the good guys really are winning.

    • Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

      Thanks mate. Downfall has being selling very well in Waterstones. Now out on display. The klan has been faced down.

  • The Turk

    Phil I find your association with the kkk an the ibrox support completely unjust and an untruth. I am a Muslim who has been a season ticket holder at Ibrox for the last10 years as well as my father who has been going for 30 beforehand. Now in my time or my fathers time of going there not once has he or I been the subject of racial abuse or intimidation in fact we have been welcomed with open arms tbh. Now after reading your blog and watching Alex Thompson and listening to Angela hagerty I am of the opinion that all that is being peddled is complete and utter nonsense from Celtic minded people. Now I am not condoning any of the threats that have been made or the riots in Manchester but IMO the likes of your blog just gives more ammo and publicity to the select few people that do bring shame on the club. Now if you want it wouldn’t be hard to pick apart Celtic in the exact same way and will giv some examples just now – pro Ira singing in the trongate McDonald’s every single home game, edu/Bartley/aluko being racially abused and recieving death threats, novo recieving death threats, lafferty victim of sectarian abuse…….the list could go on so I really do think that rather than just looking into rangers u should look closer to home!!!! Ohhhh and what about Motherwell am sure there is a big section of there fans that are more associated with the klan aswell but u seem never to bring this up either, why is that??? Would be good to get a response but I won’t hold my breath……..

    • Blogiston

      The Muslim ‘brand’ ain’t exactly synonymous with Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (to women). What’s your position on Kurdistan and UN reported sectarian behaviour toward the Kurds?

  • hp gallagher

    billy coyle by standing against the nationalist people of scotland who only want to run our own affairs you are aligning yourself with the orange order and unionists of our country. god help us if we dont get a yes vote. its our last chance

    • JOHN BURNS

      HP Gallagher – An independent Scotland will be no friend to our minority – how many times do I need to say this.

      Rangers and their fans are not the UK – in fact they are reviled throughout the country.

      If our people vote SNP because of their hatred for all things Rangers, then we are playing into their hands.

      Can’t you see how the press in Scotland work, even with the eyes of the UK (Alex Thompson etc) on them – we would be ‘cut to pieces’ in an independent Scotland – all the old vested interests: Church of Scotland, Wee Frees,Orange Order, Masonic Lodge, Covenanters and the Ibrox Legions, would use Scotland’s new found isolation to ‘hammer’ home their belief that this is a Protestant country.

      Our minority is protected by a larger Catholic/Irish community in the UK, by a sympathetic Anglican Church and, more importantly, by the Westminster government, whatever its make-up.

      Forget the SNP – they are poison to us!

    • Have you got Ally’s tunnel vision mate?

      The light coming towards you is the Covenanter Train.

      Open your eyes and free your mind.

  • Might be a bit off topic but…

    Any idea if you/when Downfall will be released as an e-book? I’d like to read it on my Kindle so the wife doesn’t see me.

  • cassidy

    Hi Phil.
    What an eye opener tonight on ch4 absolute disgrace, but no surprise.
    My old pal and i have met you a few times at a certain Q.A venue,and hope there is another soon.
    Found you to be a very intellectual and likable guy.
    keep up the good work and see you soon.
    P&G

  • Stevie Reid

    I keep hearing about the decent fans of the south side club. Where are they ? I’ll tell you where they are..in the minority. Our neighbours in whatever shape or form will never change. This misplaced sense of superiority, the “we arra peepul” mantra says it all. Cooper…can you even try to explain what this “we arra peepul” is all about ??

  • Patrick

    You use a lot of inflammatory language, much of it sectarian and racist in nature.

    I doubt you’re even aware of the irony of your vendetta making the prime champion of sectarianism and racism in the Scottish football media sphere.

  • God help us if the SNP get what they want,we will be back to the days when you went for work and they asked what School you went to you knew you had no chance of getting the job ,if you were Catholic.

  • Neil

  • Tam waterson

    Help our heroes, pay your taxes !

  • Blogiston

    Not surprised north of Ireland paramilitaries got a mention a couple of times in the full Channel 4 News item. Someone needs to investigate the true extent of their involvement, and the role they play in stopping the new club ridding themselves of the old sectarian culture – a very dangerous assignment, I know.

  • Dal

    Cooper
    Why do the BNP/EDL/SDL only campaign at Ibrox? The only one that’s selected in Scotland.
    There is no need to answer that one.

  • Dal

    Cooper
    There’s been so many threats of violence eminating from the Sevco fraternity. Journalists, young editors, chairmen, football managers, solicitors, have all been subjected to it. No surprises about your persistent threats to biff anyone who makes an accusation.

  • tamtic

    Phil, it never ceases to amaze me how MSM in Glasgow especially, can ignore what is so obvious, it must be by choice surely. We also have the DR’s nonsense about some failed coach criticising Celtic. In that same rag an ex oldco player was wittering on about Chico having “Rangersitis” God almighty! If nuclear war broke out they would probably announce it after they told us the attendance at ibrokes

  • Dal

    Cooper
    Impossible to believe that anyone who subscribes to the most racist club in the world, can empathise with Mark Walters. It’s a massive contradiction in terms.
    By all means continue with your association with Dark Ibrox, but stop being a hypocrite.

  • Sevco/ rankars are without doubt the biggest disgrace on ” planet fitba”,the stench of the bigot dome permeates the scottish football 3rd division like a rotting carcass,LIQUIDATION and DISGRACE is the only answer for the IBROX mob, then and only then can we cleanse the game in SCOTLAND, well said Steven Thompson of Dun Utd, SEVCO/RANGERS MUST play their way back to the top flight porridge football nuff said ,and well said GARY ALLAN Q.C. WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR

  • pooper/scooper 49 you really must think before you act,it’s the sensible approach, c’mon you know it is,are you really cooper54 or are you jason/stalker

  • Broxy Bore

    Just read AT’s blog and – more scarily – the comments afterwards. Somebody writes a story about intimidation from invisible yobs and the response is…. for invisible yobs to spout intimidating junk.

    Dear God.

    There was one that seemed to demand to know how people knew about what was on Follow Follow etc as it was a closed forum, with a tone that was like he had found he ludge goat freshly shagged and a tricolour round its neck. How stupid are they? Same way you do mate. Sign up and read stuff but don’t post.

    Why do ‘decent’ Rangers fans not voice their opinions? probably because they are as scared of the maniacs as the MSM are – more so because they actually get to see them up close at the Deathstar. I know an interloper who keeps up with stuff on there and any time anything that is remotely contrary to the popular view (shall we call it) appears, a ‘Fenian Alert’ goes up.

    They are beyond parody.

  • Paulmac

    My cousin who is a Rangers fan…left Scotland to start a new life in Australia 6 years ago..he hasn’t looked back since..

    The reason for his departure…he married a girl I went to school with…she happened to be a Catholic…why I hear you ask would that cause him to emigrate?

    You see…the lads he went to school with and who were also Rangers fans…3 of them had become members of the Orange Order..all within about 6 months prior to him getting married.

    Suddenly he found that they would not enter his house if his wife was at home…they would not socialise with him if his wife was present…they would not speak to her or aknowledge her…even if she was to say hello..

    He challenged them why this was happening…they explained she is a Catholic…these were guys he had gone to school with grown up with.

    Him and his wife decided if they were to have a family it would be better to do so away from Scotland…the chance to go to Australia came up and he hasn’t looked back…

    Through our many discussions on football…he always maintained…there are fair number of Rangers fans if you scratch just below the surface are not far away from the attitude the 3 lads had been coached into by the Klan!

  • KevBob

    Phil, have a look at the comments made on AT’s blog. Complete denial in fact calling him and the QC liars. How long will this approach of “its no us” or “it no our fault” continue. No wonder their original club went down the toilet and their new one will follow quicker than some might think.

  • Dal

    Cooper
    If you are so distraught about racism, why not oppose Dark Ibrox for allowing BNP/EDL/SDL to promote their hate around its gates?

  • Steven brennan

    Phil
    Might it not be better to print in full some of the vitriol?
    Thus showing what the PEOPLE are capable of. And then glasgows fine constabulary could also ignore it.LoL
    Just keep the faith you are doing what many msm simply refuse to accept.

    • Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

      No.
      I don’t take that-let alone give it space here.
      That individual is gone from here.
      Non negotiable.

  • jimCB

    It’s fascinating isn’t it all the jolly banter? In a week where Celtic played the best team in the world and put together a performance lauded by ( almost ) everyone the DR finds a way to take the shine off the story. Just staying with the football for a moment how did Chelsea counter Barça’s genius in the last Champions league final? By an incredible defensive display that was courageous, magnificent etc. How many times in Europe was the iron curtain of the gers praised to the heavens ? Honestly THEY HAVE NO SHAME. Their targeting of the only audience willing to read their trash is despicable. I believe that these tabloids are dangerous as are the songs, the words and thoughts that promote hatred. I sincerely hope their days are numbered . They have no place in a just, fair, equal society

  • Hoopybhoy

    Great work phil from you Alex and the rest. In my opinion nothing will change where I am from in Ayrshire the Klan still has a big influence on everything that goes on and if anyone stands against them they get attacked there houses get attacked and nothing happens.plus u still need to know the secret handshake to get a job down here lol

  • Union

    My only issue is I don’t see it getting better, as a parent of a brilliant 4 year old daughter it saddens me so much that kids are brought up in this divide because that’s what it is, a divide.

    Maybe one day we’ll move on, in 20 years? When Rangers or Celtic die (because I believe that would have helped.

    We just brush it under the carpet, I just wish the government would really take a hardline and stop it, for good. Serious sectarian measures.

    What a sad state of affairs.

    Thanks for another good article Phil.

    • Ben mcginlay

      I disagree for the most part. I do see it getting better, then I am an optimist. Highlighting the issues is part of the process. I know where you are coming from as regards to the football clubs, but I think there will always be an element that attach themselves to anything with a high profile. Anywhere in the world. I do agree with you that there should be more done at government level. I know you have concerns about your kids, but you sound like a level headed chap, and that will come through your skills as a parent. Because that is where the change can come.its all about the parents.

  • James

    Phil

    Everybody has an opinion,certes but that of the huns is a bit like the crumbs upon the table at a feast of Kings,insignificant detritus always bound for the floor and pig trough.

    Keep up the good work,pertinent blog today Sir.

  • Mark MacLeod

    Blogiston,

    This is the sort of journalism that has embarrassed Phil so often.

    • Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

      Mark.
      I edited out your comments about me and my family.
      Shame on you.
      Please don’t try and post here again.
      You will not be successful.
      Phil

    • Ben mcginlay

      The plot thickens, desperation is setting in. Insults then threats.

    • PaulMc

      Ah, so you clearly have no interest in this then Mr. MacLeod. Not a supporter of The Rangers at all. And I’m not being sarcastic.

  • no1important

    good man, Phil. thank you for your noble work on this matter.
    (& just finished the book: great read!)

  • Joe

    Phil,

    Another interesting and well presented article yet again.

    Unfortunately,in my opinion, no matter how much filthy truth is presented to the outside world about Sevco/Rangers and their fans, nothing will ever change.

    No matter how repugnant the findings are, Scotland knows little else, and as far as our Landlords south of the border care, it keeps a certain “order” amongst their northern servants, so why fix something which aint broken.

    Sevco (or whoever they call themselves) will ignore all the discoveries from the brave media professionals who dared to tell the truth. They will use this as a reason to brainwash the hordes to be even more deluded, angry and self righteous than the previous ones. Once that scenario presents itself, I cannot imagine how intolerable the Scottish media and it’s cohorts will make life for those not of a “similair mindedness” to FC Shame.

    • Ben mcginlay

      My sentiments exactly mate. You only have to read comments from(let’s call them) Sevconians on this site. And that is just the very tip of the iceberg. Phil has said they ‘play the man not the ball’,and that has been the case so far. They come on here and continually pick fault at Celtics UNBROKEN 125 year old history to try and drag Celtic into the mire that is populated by them and their whole organisation. They are cherry picking experts who try to cloud the real issues to deflect away from their own crimes and inadequacies. You try to put them right(sometimes with a bit of banter thrown in, copyright…Cooperman et al). They then start with the insults. IMO we are wasting our time with them. You would get more sense out of a two year old child. Oh how they are suffering. And you know what. I love it. There is no sense of humility or regret , so in my eyes redemption is not an option. They absolutely deserve everything that’s coming their way.

  • Blogiston

    Just watched the clip. What a brave individual Mr Allan is, both then and now going public with his recollection of the events.
    And how damning for Ally were the last few minutes of the interview? Only a Q.C. could construct a closing statement so beautifully that condemns beyond doubt without actually saying it…a dish best served cold.

  • MWD

    Rubish Phil! It’s all because Alex is a bigot who is being guided by the unseen fenian hand that has infiltrated Scotland through it’s homes, nurseries, schools, hospitals, police service, fire service, ambulance service, judiciary, parliment, work places, old folks homes and cemetries.

    No doubts about it. :-)

    • Blogiston

      If that is a joke then, good one…had me laughing out loud on the train. If it is for real…then FM sideyways. I’d better cut’n'paste it for posterity.
      Historians sometimes wonder at how, on the face of it, perfectly sound individuals followed Hitler, practiced denial to a high degree, had seemingly no concience about their fellow man, etc…those historians should read the pages of this blog. LOL

  • charlie o hare

    I have just read Alex blog on this matter, how come it is only the “minority” from the Rangers support that post comments, every comment is either deluded or hate filled, where do the majority of the “decent” fans post, they want to deny, yet Green came out this week ,told the world he had received death threats, he then had to quickly issue an apology on the clubs official website for talking about it,Green wants to put his arms around the shoulders of the people that threatened to kill him and tell the world, look it’s ok were all friends now, but what about the others that are not making money off those that are prepared to issue and maybe one day carry out their threats, what about us Charlie ?

  • John

    The only thing to be disputed is this minority line, I have to say its very much the majority who hold those opins and its the minority who are being squeezed out. When the songs are being sung its not a small minority if it was then the respectable football fans would have smacked them down.. in my 40 or so summers I have never seen such a thing and in fact I would say over the MIH years it got worse…Any support that can come up with the famine song which is sung on three sides of the ground by an audible majority has serious problems… just my opin like..

  • Neil

    These times they are a changing!

    Phil I tip my hat to people like you and Alex Thomson, it takes great bravery and resolve to take these people to task.

    I am sure you have had your fair share of threats and I am sure that with this documentary tonight, the days of the Klan will soon becoming to an end.

    They will be exposed for what and who they are and I place Ally McCoist amongst them.

    Thank you for your tenacity and going the extra mile and that goes especially to Alex and his team also.

    Shame on the Scottish press and police services

  • Sid

    Scotland’s MSM has been in terminal decline for over a decade but is now being pushed harder by new media and numerous threatened boycott tactics- they don’t have much life left.
    I’m chuckling today with the Berndt Schuster headline in the Sun about Celtic FC being too negative for CL football- and therefore that qualification should be made harder to ‘separate the wheat from the chaff’. Let’s say we go down this route and leave only mega-spending elite teams to fight it out. Why not stretch it to national cups too- omit sides like Forres, Spartans and, what the heck, all 3rd division clubs who will only try to defend in a vast majority of cases. I wonder if The Scottish Sun will also espouse this?

  • Dougie

    I’ve watched the interview and it is indeed scary stuff.

    Reminiscent of gangsters plying their trade on the fear of others :(

    As everyone with an ounce of decency knows – McCoist is guilty of the worst type of showmanship and endangering peoples lives.

    I hope Karma takes care of him as he deserves the worst possible fate.

    So we have the BBC and Channel 4 having the tenacity and courage in exposing the cesspool that is Ibrox – but where is our ‘local’ channel – STV – in all this?

    Embarrassingly quiet ☹

    • Neil

      Dougie,
      I have to say, lets not lower ourselves to their level
      KTF mate

    • Ben mcginlay

      I agree, let them drown in a pool of their own excrement, and lets be honest, there’s plenty of it.

    • bfb

      Mr Allan’s testimony is chilling stuff. The semi literate whitabootery and leave us alone on Alex Thomson’s blog is depressing. The first step to recovery is to admit a problem.

      I am near speechless about this.

    • PaulMc

      No need for that “deserves the worst possible fate” comment at all. Ally was wrong with his statement and he went down in my estimations, but to wish harm on him, or anyone? Come on pal.

  • patrick

    “How quintessentially British!” Phil it is time to break this myth they (Sevco) don’t represent a modern Britain and just like any fundamentalists i.e. The BNP they have high-jacked the Union flag. To many in Britain channel four news will show people they simply will not recognise as British.

    • Spuds

      Patrick

      To be fair I don’t think that’s what Phil means. Rangers/Sevco fans have traditionally thought of themselves as the quintessential British club, displaying the Union Jacks, aligning themselves with British military leanings, and imagining that because they stand for everything that goes against those “IRA-loving tattie pickers” across the city, that the normal British person would fall in behind them and share their beliefs. Which you know, I know, and Phil himself knows is not representative of the British people as a whole.

  • Brian Delaney

    Good stuff so far Phil, keep up the good work

  • Mark MacLeod

    Phil,

    Please…

    Why do you feel the need to use a wooden spoon everytime something comes out about Rangers?

    Haven’t you stirred up enough trouble?

    Haven’t you been found out for what you are by the Scottish Press?

    Stop already with the vitriotic tripe!

    You probably won’t believe this, but I don’t support either side of the Old Firm.

    My advice, go get a life and enjoy your life instead of this stupid obsession you have – Rangers, Celtic and any other football club are just businesses these days.

    Go look at Vodafone, Starbucks etc if you want REAL news!

    Happy to discuss further if you want – you have my email.

    Mark

    • Neil

      beam me up Scotty

    • Blogiston

      Mark, you certainly do not sound disinterested in the subject, even if you claim you are uninterested. But, of course, giving advice to someone to quit with his/her interest in a subject, is a sure way of broadcasting your actual interest in the subject.

    • Ben mcginlay

      Ooh, another neutral with a strong opinion. Mmm

  • David Mc

    Looking forward to seeing the piece fro Alex. On the note of the “social underclass” it was also interesting to see Charles Green having to apologise to The Rangers fans for the death threats that he received from THEM! Mad, Mad world!

  • yer maw

    Phil – bollocks to you and your stories.
    Once again you have completely missed out referring to your own kind, your ghreen bhrigades vocal desecration of every November 11th minutes silence, your pro IRA banners, songs and flags, your anti british stance with everything your club stands for and of course now you are siding with the one journalist who has brought you stories you want to hear…
    Rangers have been banned from europe for 3 years, kicked down to the 4th tier of Scottish football, had a year long transfer embargo, lost all of their top players, been stamped and kicked by every club in Scotland, embarrassed, fined, liquidated, reformed you name it…but this is still not enough for scum like you…you will never be happy will you? What is the point of your article exactly? Is there an endgame or did you just want to rant about us like the rest of your inbred obsessed from Glasgow’s east end?
    You live in Ireland, you support an irish team currently renting ground in the United Kingdom and quite clearly are bitter & bigoted to your core – Klan? Really? Making associations with Rangers fans and the KKK? A new low. Why don’t you stick to blogging about your own problems. I’m sure your surname really gives you credit when writing about Rangers issues and puts an unbiased slant on your articles…

    • Neil

      Just out of interest, are you in this documentary tonight?
      Only asking like

    • Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

      No I’m not.
      However,given that 35 journalists have been threatened by the klan since December 2011 then it clearly isn’t about me.
      This fascist underclass need the full force of the state brought down upon them.

    • rabthecab

      @yer maw Pardon my French but your 2nd para is complete Jackson Pollocks: Your club was NOT banned from Europe, as a new club they simply don’t qualify; they were NOT “kicked down to the 4th tier” in fact they were lucky to be allowed to jump the queue; as for the rest, the only “punishment meted out so far is the transfer embargo, everything else is a consequence of financial mismanagement leading to their collapse.

      As far as referring to “your own kind,” think on this:

      At the 2008 UEFA Cup Final in Manchester thousands of *Rangers fans rioted & caused millions of pounds worth of damage because a TV broke down;

      On Tuesday night FC Barcelona announced that any Celtic fans who didn’t have a ticket could buy spares for the home end. After the match Spanish police issued the following statistics: Celtic fans in Barcelona – 10 000; arrests made – 0. That’s how it’s done.

  • John Anthony

    Brave men indeed Phil, and you can count yourself to be one of them. Scotland’s Shame indeed.

  • JOHN BURNS

    Agree with everything you say here Phil – the only MSM who are covering this long-running scandal, are from south of the border, or in other words the UK.

    So things are bad at the moment and we rely on the likes of Channel 4 – can you imagine what like it would be in an independent Scotland?

    The wrongdoings against our minority would be carried out under a ‘cloak of darkness’, and Traynoresque officials and opinion-formers, would have a free-run to hammer home their mantra that Scotland is a Protestant country.

  • iant929

    Another great article Phil, role on their
    Demise.

  • franco

    Well put as usual phil…big thommo will not be intimidated or scared off….also well done to mark daly of the BBC..Epic stuff indeed from my hero of the hour…CW lol…

  • tam

    i look forward to tonights channel four news . let the truth be told . cheers phil .

  • jakeyrollin

    Scotlands shame indeed. Trouble is the think they can do no wrong up here…..that horse has now bolted.

  • greenallover

    What a wonderful little country! It is astonishing that so few wield so much power.The power of a “handshake” eh.Thank God proper journalists like yourself pushed the limits Phil.With any luck BDO will close this rancid breeding pit of bigotry and hatred down forever.

  • Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

    The term “underclass” is an acceptable part of the sociological lexicon.
    It describes perfectly the mores and values of those who wrecked Manchester in 2008-and that is why Graham Spiers was correct to use it in that context.
    My use of the term “klan” is apposite given the Ibrox chaps penchant for extolling the virtues of Billy Fullerton-a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
    My defence is veritas.

  • jasbhoy

    The thing about the embarrassing behaviour in regards to the shocking treatment dished pout to Mark Walters, I think if you ask anyone that was there that day or indeed any of the perpetrators you will find shame, but your whitabootery doesn’t hold water, you will find nothing but shame from that incident from the Celtic club and fans, unfortunately for the rest of civilisation when there is any wrong doing from Ibrokes or the knuckledraggers the blame/buck is passed immediately, it is never their fault and you bring out the whitabootery card,so so predictable.

  • Spuds

    Cooper 54

    True to form. I’ve never once, ever, heard any humility from Rangers/Sevco supporters, all I’ve heard is whataboutery from your kind. As said above, ask ANY Celtic fan about this, and you will find only shame about what happened, and an acknowledgement, to a man, that what happened was and is completely unacceptable, and one of the darkest and most shameful acts witnessed anywhere in British football.

    However, I have still to hear or read an acceptance that what Rangers have done was unacceptable. No contriteness, no humility, no shame, in fact an element of glee that Sevco are “debt-free”, gloating about how the SPL will implode, and fail financially without the self-proclaimed “biggest club in Scotland”. Listen to the last couple of minutes of the segment above, about Ally McCoist. McCoist’s behaviour typifies the general behaviour, and in my honest opinion it’s the behaviour of the majority, of Rangers fans. It’s deliberately planned to incite the “underclass”, to goad them into a reaction, into thinking that they have somehow been wronged.

    Because of this I have absolutely no sympathy for their current “predicament”, the club have no redeeming qualities whatsoever, they genuinely believe that they are bigger than Scottish football. Their complete and total annihilation cannot come quickly enough for me.

  • jockybhoy

    Reply to Cooper54′s reference to Mark Walters @ 1.24 – academic research (univ of leicester) notes that some of the Rangers klan got banned for racially abusing a playher of their own team. Ask me another – am happy to help fill in the gaps the MSM don’t tell you.

  • Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

    There isn’t anything “alleged” about it.
    Fullerton set up a chapter of the Klan in Glasgow.

  • Ben mcginlay

    Coops upping the anti, veiled threats now. ‘Anyone calls me klan to my face they will get more than whataboutery’. Go Coops go.

  • rabthecab

    @Cooper 54 Were you at Parkhead that day? Only ask because I was, and there’s a wee point NOBODY ever picks up on: while those eejits in the gorilla suits were up to their shameful antics the ball went out of play at the Celtic end (corner or throw-in, can’t quite recall which) & when Mark Walters went to retrieve the ball & a banana landed at his feet.

    Without skipping a beat Walters, as cool as Samaras when he scores. picked up the banana, peeled it & took a bite. To a man (bar the afore-mentioned eejits) the Celtic end gave him the sort of cheer normally reserved for Tommy Burns or Paul McStay,and the eejits quickly melted into the crowd (which is why they weren’t arrested.)
    Walters himself said that the worst treatment he ever received was at Tynecastle. Your lot were hardly lily-white if you’ll forgive the pun. “I’d rather be a darkie than a tim” ain’t exactly racially-aware is it?

  • Spuds

    Cooper54, I’m not talking about who is to blame for the mire Rangers are in now, I’m talking about the aftermath, and the behaviour of the general Rangers fan since. You can’t deny that the general feeling among Rangers fans, be it on message boards, radio phone-ins, TV interviews, and their performances at games this season, is that they’ve been completely wronged, not by owners, past or present, but by the authorities, the media, and other clubs. Charles Green himself stoked this up by claiming that the only reason they were denied entry to the SPL was because of bigotry. Everywhere you look, Sevco fans are gloating about how the SPL will face financial ruin because they’re not there, about how SPL clubs will go bust, about how TV deals will be ripped up, and actually wishing it to happen. I can sympathise to a certain extent that Rangers fans at the time truly believed that they could sustain the level of spending that Smith, Advocaat and McLeish enjoyed, because the MSM peddled the notion that it was so.

    What I cannot condone, or sympathise with, and what has disgusted Scottish football fans as a whole, and is the REAL reason there was an outpouring of opposition to the notion that Sevco would be parachuted into the SPL, to pick up where they left off, debt free, is the sheer arrogance displayed by the fans over this, the steadfast belief that they should not be punished any further (in reality the only punishment they’ve received is the transfer embargo), the audacity at the notion that they can wipe away the debts that have been run up, have a share issue worth (apparently) 20 million quid, and rub their hands at the thought of other clubs, who have paid their taxes, and not cheated the system, going bust.

  • P J Fox

    So let me get this right C. Despite all the allegations of wrongdoing, ineligible player registration, the breaking of rules, tax evasion to the tune of 95 million, non payment of PAYE and NI contributions, and shafting creditors left, right and centre you prefer to think the SPL and the British judiciary including Queen’s counsel are conspiring against you?
    A witch hunt indeed. You’re a funny guy C.

  • Ben mcginlay

    Ooh listen to Coops get all aggressive with everyone. I would follow on into my boxers on that one. The true Coops is coming to light. I have many friends, some are not even football fans, a bit like yourself, so we agree not to talk about football. It’s been a pleasure watching you transform into the real bigot you are. I have cousins like you who claim to be fair and non sectarian and non racist. But the way they talk and react to certain incidents and news stories the real person always comes through. I like the way you said you would ‘uppercut’ me as the threats are real too now. You have lost the argument now zombie boy. Violence is easy. The hard part is listening to other people’s take on things and thinking about that before you reply. Not sticking to the same old pish that spouts from your mouth.

  • Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

    So everyone on that film was lying?
    An NUJ official, Turnbull Hutton,a QC and the book editor, all lying?

  • Mason.

    You began your post well and nearly had me fooled until you reverted to type.I know you believe what you write which is the sad fact about all of this.
    On annonimity why do you hide behide your mason walker monicer,if you are correct dont be afraid to show who the real you is.

  • Neil

    What a numpty, alex Thomson does not give two hit about the dead Rangers or Celtic 1888, he investigated, that word investigate by the way is a word missing from the dictionary of every Scots journalist in Glasgow.

    He is extremely balanced, reported in war zones, educated at oxford,FFS the guy is a pro. The other guy is a solicitor for Gods sake and if you listened to him he was one sharp cookie and said it the way it was word for word.

    Your clubs following has a real cultural problem, which is dying and being exposed for what it is.
    Just take your medicine and go and lay down in a dark room.

    Welcome to the 21st Century

  • Robert G

    Same way as roman catholics playing for the pre sevco version were tolerated but anyone playing for anyony else is a fenian and invited to go home. There are lots of good rangers fans out there. Unfortunately they are as intimidated by the types talked of by AT and others so a culture and atmosphere is allowed to permeate the dialogue and atmosphere..the whitabootery is like comparing somebody who has dropped a crisp packet on the street to the mob that dumped the containerload of toxic waste in africa somewhere. Yes, they are both wrong, but….

  • Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

    So the Ibrox way of showing your distinctive “coolness” is to target and terrify a young journalist like Angela Haggerty?
    As Alex Thomson says: “…the Rangers criminal underclass…”.
    “The People” are now a scandal that the viewers of Channel 4 news know of.
    Your day has passed.

  • Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

    However they ARE a sizeable minority and until the supporter organisations openly condemn this behaviour then all Sevco fans are implicated by their silence.

  • Patrick

    Phil

    don’t hold your breath waiting for condemnation from the silent majority. It will not be forthcoming.

    They share the same views as their vociferous poisonous friends

  • Neil

    Cooper 48

    Remember the school fight?
    2 guys in the middle knocking lumps out of each other?
    They are the vociferous minority

    The rest on the outside watching with the occasional shout, who don’t want the fight to end? they are the semi silent majority.

    You fall into that category.

    What you need is the semi silent majority to tell the fanatical minority TO SHUT IT!

  • Ben mcginlay

    It’s Coopertime again. I say black you say white. It’s all relative really. Crawl back to your wormhole (thats in reference to your Einstein comment)zombie boy

  • Ben mcginlay

    Good for you Cooperman, just resist the temptation to go out when it rains…lol

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