Vanguard Bears official complaint

[strar8 55]

Vanguard Bears official complaint

Written by Admin

Tuesday, 09 March 2010

Vanguard Bears official complaint made.

Press Complaints Commission advised about News of the Word "Exclusive"

Following the ridiculous story in the News of the World on Sunday regarding supposed abuse of a wee boy by an unidentified Rangers supporter, we at Vanguard have been busy behind the scenes formalising a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission. That complaint was sent this morning. We will advise when any reply is forthcoming.

We have chosen to keep the complaint non aggressive and with no emotive language. We have also not referred to posts on threads regarding the type of person Mr McJannet may or may not be. There have been comments about his family being not liked by neighbours, his child being shuffled from school to school, whether he is a Bheast fan or an Ayr United fan, but we have not spoken of these matters as they are unsubstantiated. Here is the complaint in its entirity:

Vanguard Bears want Lorna Smith sacked.

This article is taking the form of a complaint on behalf of the Rangers forum Vanguard Bears and is being sent to the Press Complaints Commission as we are of the opinion Ms Smith has breached sections i) and iii) of the "Accuracy" section of its Code of Practice, which state:

Accuracy

i)The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information,including pictures.

ii) A significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distortion once recognised must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and - where appropriate - an apology published.

iii) The Press, whilst free to be partisan, must distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.

Further, we are very concerned that after investigation, we have established that Ms Smith is far from impartial. In fact she openly displays a bias, one may say more than that, a hatred, for Rangers FC.

We draw your attention to the following article, appearing in the News of the World on Sunday 7th March.

By Lorna Smith, 07/03/2010

A TWISTED Rangers fan terrorised a ten-year-old lad with a torrent of vile PAEDOPHILE taunts.

The depraved yob targeted the boy with a string of warped insults and disgusting gestures for a full 90 minutes.

Now cops are scouring CCTV footage from last weekend's Old Firm clash in a bid to bring the sicko to justice.

Celtic-mad youngster Zak McJannet, from Prestwick, Ayrshire, was left traumatised by the ordeal.

And last night, his furious dad Brian blasted: "This is the worst thing that's ever happened at any game I've ever been to.

"He had my son in tears by half-time."

Zak had been looking forward to Sunday's big game at Ibrox, which he attended with Brian, and family pal James Kearns, 30.

When they arrived at the ground in Govan they found their seats in a section of the stadium where visiting fans sit near home-team supporters.

But within minutes, the deviant thug began yelling at innocent Zak, egged on by pals.

The shocked schoolboy tried to hide by facing towards a nearby barrier, but the bearded brute roared: "You're just doing that so it's easier for your dad to **** you mate! You've been BEASTED by your dad."

The moron then shockingly started apeing the sex act and made gestures so depraved and disgusting that they cannot be described in a family newspaper.

Businessman Brian, who once ran a Gers pub, fumed: "I told him to leave Zak alone and that the lad was only ten but that just seemed to encourage him.

"He kept STARING at Zak throughout the whole game.

"We're season ticket holders at Parkhead so we know about the kind of things that go on at football matches.

"But there was something more sinister going on here."

Horrified Hoops fans who were near Brian and Zak in the ground's Broomloan section tried to shield the boy but the volley of abuse continued.

Brian, complained to an on-duty cop at half-time but was simply told to tell Zak "to keep his eyes on the game".

But as the second half got under way, the fiend redoubled his efforts to taunt the youngster.

Dad-of-four Brian raged: "In all my years of going to football I've never seen anyone pick on a kid to that extent.

"And what really riled me is that he found it FUNNY that he was making a wee boy cry."

After the game, which Rangers won 1-0, Brian made an official complaint to Strathclyde Police.

He said: "They told me if a guy was to do that to a child on the street, they'd be locked up."

They're now appealing for any fans who saw the abusive nut.

He was wearing a dark grey beanie hat and a black and blue jacket with red patches. He was in the stadium's north-east corner.

Brian added: "My son has been left in a terrible state by this horrible man. He cried himself to sleep on Sunday night and had to stay off school the next day."

Traumatised Zak told us: "It's something I'll never forget and it has ruined going to matches for me. I tried to tell the man I was only ten but he kept on going.

"I'm not sure I ever want to go back now."

A Rangers spokesman said: "Our security staff will liaise with police on their inquiry."

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/s...Firm-clash.html

Let us firstly deal with what we consider be be the inaccurate reporting and our reasons for doubting the "facts" reported.

Ms Smith refers to dad Brian as a "businessman", maybe to give him an air of respectabilty. Whilst not decrying his chosen profession, Brian is a window cleaner and not exactly a captain of industry.

AKWACLEAN

Name

Brian Mcjannet

E-Mail: ********@live.co.uk

Website: N/a.

Landline Number: 01292*****

Mobile Number: 079*******

Address: **,********, Prestwick KA9***

Area's Covered: Ayrshire and Glasgow

Brian "used to run a Rangers pub". Ms Smith chooses not to name it. We wonder why. We have had hundreds of our members and members of other Rangers fans forums racking their brains all day. None can think of a Rangers pub in the area in question that was once run by anyone called Brian McJannet.

"He (the 'abuser') was wearing a dark grey beanie hat and a black and blue jacket with red patches. He was in the stadium's north-east corner". We refer you to:

http://www.rangers.co.uk/page/stadiumplan/0,,5,00.html

where we should point out that all Celtic fans are housed in the Broomloan Stand. The "stadium's north-east corner" is at the opposite end of the ground. How does Ms Smith imagine the wee boy heard the abuse from that distance?

In case anyone reading this hasn't attended a Rangers v Celtic game, let me say this. The noise is like a wall of sound. It never lets up. There are just short of 50,000 inside Ibrox yelling all sorts at each other. You have trouble hearing yourself think, far less be able to make out what other fans many seats away are yelling, chanting or singing. Celtic fans are allowed the whole of the Broomloan Stand. There are then several rows of empty seatsbefore there are any Rangers fans located. At the edge of the Celtic and Rangers fans there are rows of Police and Stewards. How then does Ms Smith imagine the boy or his father could make out what this Rangers fan was supposedly shouting? And why didn't the Police or Stewards see or react to him, Ms Smith?

Ms Smith might also answer me this, as I assume she has never attended a Rangers v Celtic game. How does she imagine a supporter, of either side, would spend the whole game - and a vital one at that - shouting "warped insults and disgusting gestures for a full 90 minutes" ? Would he not instead look at the game for at least part of the time?

Ms Smith quotes dad, Brian: "I told him to leave Zak alone and that the lad was only ten but that just seemed to encourage him. He kept STARING at Zak throughout the whole game." Told? If they were the distance apart we know they must have been, how did he tell him? And for dad, Brian to know that the 'offender' was staring throughout the whole game means that Brian must have been watching him for the whole 90 minutes.

Has Ms Smith done any research on the man making the complaint, or did she simply choose to accept his story? And why is the "Rangers spokesman" not named?

Is perhaps the reason the story was penned at all because Ms Smith has an agenda? We have a photograph of her in her bedroom with a large Irish tricolour on the wall.

Why should a Scots born person with Scottish parents and Scottish grandparents have this on her wall? We are aware that Rangers biggest rivals are Celtic FC, where the Irish tricolour is prominently displayed by the club and their support. Is she perhaps a Celtic supporter? We do know that she is a member of the "We hate Nacho Novo"

Facebook page. For your information, Novo is a Rangers player who chose Rangers over Celtic when both teams were vying for his signature. He has since been subject to taunts, hate pages such as this one, death threats on a Celtic fans' forum and sick graffiti daubed outside his home, his address having been published on a Celtic fan's forum.

A glance at her Twitter page shows that she has written "Rangers fans actually disgust me." Should an impartial journalist write this sort of thing? If you cannot access the Twitter page, it may be because within an hour of our concerns appearing on a thread on our forum, the previously open to all Twitter page of Ms Smith became a "friends only" page. We are aware that our forum does have lurkers and perhaps word got back to Ms Smith to amend her access. Or, perhaps it was just a coincidence.

We could also wonder at her naivety in writing on her Twitter page the day before the paper was due to be published, these words "Just saw a preview page of my Rangers story. Loooooking (sic) good. I especially enjoy the huge "EXCLUSIVE" above my name."

Brian also has a Facebook page (aren't these things revealing?), where we learn that he has membership of a group called "Actually Wanting To Stab That Fat Mess From The Go Compare Adverts" AND "I Bet I Can Find 1,000,000 People Who Hate Rangers FC. A good role model for his fragile ten year old?

Brian also boasts on his Facebook page "Brian Mcjannet its as it looks i`m afraid...i`m happily chanting a song regarding how much i hate scotlands shame fc, whilst zak feels the need to get up on his seat and taunt the hibs fans...all caught live on sky tut tut,his mum wasnt impressed :-) 14 February at 09:10" We should point out that his reference to Shame FC is what some Celtic fans call Rangers. We'd like to ask why a Celtic fan at a game against Hibernian FC should feel the need to singing about hating Rangers? How did traumatised ten year old Zac feel that day? Not too bad, it seems, as he in turn was standing on a seat "taunting" Hibs fans.

We wonder why Brian would allow his child to suffer this abuse for the "full 90 minutes". Why wait till half time to make a first complaint? Why accept a "sit down and shut up" response? Why wait till full time to make an official complaint? Would a responsible parent not demand Police action right away, or if none was forthcoming, simply leave the ground to protect his child?

In our opinion, this story smells like a month old fish.

We await your comments.

On behalf of Vanguard Bears

[strar8 55]

Good on them http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=267&Itemid=26

[Tumshie 205]

Good effort but the journalist won't be sacked

[simon 1,743]

A brilliant read, I really hope they take notice of this. Vanguard Bears keep up the good work it is very appreciated :praise:

[bluepeter 5,627]

I'm almost bored of typing this, but:

Excellent work again from the Vanguard Bears

Superb the amount of time and patience you guys are willing to spend on exposes such as these, really good work. By the way, I like the style of this piece more than some of your previous, the lack of "bheasts" and the use of non-emotive, non-aggressive stance does it good, imo.

Superb stuff

[Jonnyboyrfc 296]

Well done VB

However in order to get that story published, the editor producer and fatcats of the newspaper are probably all tims too so we are fighting a losing battle

[outlaw69uk 123]

It was amazing how quick the info came to light as well. Post after post with something new, in a matter of minutes.

This is the kind of thing that needs to be done, and, ironically, something the club should be doing, which is something I alluded to on the old Murray thread.

[Jonnyboyrfc 296]

It was amazing how quick the info came to light as well. Post after post with something new, in a matter of minutes.

This is the kind of thing that needs to be done, and, ironically, something the club should be doing, which is something I alluded to on the old Murray thread.

That's a very good point actually, the club should be slamming these ridiculous excuses for journalism

[Davy 68]

Vanguard Bears

Brilliant work again!

[sonOwilliam 0]

Well done Vanguard Bears always defending our traditions as a poster has said why dosn't the club not speak out on these matters mebe a wee letter to them (the board) wouldn't go down as a miss.

[outlaw69uk 123]

Well done Vanguard Bears always defending our traditions as a poster has said why dosn't the club not speak out on these matters mebe a wee letter to them (the board) wouldn't go down as a miss.

Absolutely, I think the problem at the moment is the state of limbo we are in. Which is an excuse, but, we have Smith doing what many others should have been doing for years lately, but, the man has enough on his hands with bringing home the treble.

Hopefully, when ownership is sorted out, we will have a team in place who are not content to just sit and take all this shit from all corners.

[nemisis 358]

Vanguardbears, Defending Our Traditions. Simples.

[sonOwilliam 0]

Well done Vanguard Bears always defending our traditions as a poster has said why dosn't the club not speak out on these matters mebe a wee letter to them (the board) wouldn't go down as a miss.

Absolutely, I think the problem at the moment is the state of limbo we are in. Which is an excuse, but, we have Smith doing what many others should have been doing for years lately, but, the man has enough on his hands with bringing home the treble.

Hopefully, when ownership is sorted out, we will have a team in place who are not content to just sit and take all this shit from all corners.

Well said lad agree 100%.

[Hoff 7]

Gotta love the VB. Great stuff again gents! WATP

[MasterD 7,435]

probably the longest thing iv read on a forum

very good read though, well done for putting this together

[Shearer 124]

Brilliant article!

[TheNuts 552]

that was some read that!

great job

[tommy2212 151]

Vanguard bears defending the rangers name, papers think they can write what ever they want, well they do because the face no comeback from the club. Except if they write something naughty about moonbeams. He sets his layers about them if its about him. In recent years our fans have been dragged threw the gutter because no-one defends us.

On yourself VB

[royalbluebell 38]

Well Done Vanguard Bears, so much more professional without the insults.

[NeilRFC 10]

Great work again VB.

[BJtheBear 0]

VB we need someone to answer these horrors,

imartial journalism my ar8e.

[GovanFrontGers 1]

Good work by them, but tbh a waste of time.

Why?

Tims dont give a fuck what we think, end off. They will continue to print shit like this no matter how many times we protest against it.

Only way forward for me is to advise all papers, tv or radio that everytime they print or repeat lies like this without proof then there banned end off. From ibrox i mean.

[Gaffbear 4,096]

Well done VB again.

Also if someone was shouting abuse of that kind at the boy then what kind of man or dad is his father...

I for one would have flew across the seats to lynch any person yelling stuff like that at my kids and if i couldn't i would be grabbing the first copper there and then and not 90 minutes later when the supposed assailant has left the building.

I SMELL SHITE

[bluepeter 5,627]

Good work by them, but tbh a waste of time.

Why?

Tims dont give a fuck what we think, end off. They will continue to print shit like this no matter how many times we protest against it.

Only way forward for me is to advise all papers, tv or radio that everytime they print or repeat lies like this without proof then there banned end off. From ibrox i mean.

Disagree mate. They have complained to the Press Complaints Commission, who can force the paper to apologise in their pages. Believe me, no paper ever wants to do that. If they are forced to apologise because of what this poisonous cow has written, her wings will be severely clipped and she will be told to be very careful what she writes about Rangers in future. A few poisonous journalists to go, but the more get warned about spreading shite about our club the better

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,647]

Hope you get somewhere with this lads but I wouldn't hold my breath, I replied to this gutterpress shite in the notw but my words were not printed nor have I had any replies. This will be one of their created stories methinks. A kick in the baws for the editor is the only answer !