Troubled Tom

[Don54 25,576]

12 hours ago, To Be A Ranger said:

 Their continuous attacks on referees has been going on so long we just shrug our shoulders these days. They really need to be brought to account with the SFA showing they are willing to back up and protect their refs. Every game they don't win they blame some decision on the ref. The cup semi win, where Mackay scored his blistering 25 harder, they blamed on a throw in that was given to us instead of them FFS 

'The The club with the worst track record on any kind of integrity is instead trying to create a narrative around alleged bias two weeks before an Old Firm game with the intention of putting the SFA and the Referee under pressure. It’s a game they have played successfully over many years with the help of the media. It’s powerful propaganda, and  by its very nature untrue, but credible to those receptive to it. By repeating it over and over again people become more receptive, and they walk on to the pitch with a Referee under intense scrutiny not to give any decisions against them'

The bastards think they can spout any shite they like without being held to account for it.

[Blumhoilann 6,712]

14 hours ago, TMB said:

Would you have the club come out and condemn the referees as being incompetent and/or biased?  You do realise that would be quickly followed by more sanctions and fines just like last season.

Maybe we should get Tam Miller to do it?

 

[Don54 25,576]

Is it just me or does Boyd look like a hamster? 

[72barca 1,788]

Was on the thread earlier and left it feeling a bit disturbed. It showed once again how disparate the views are and why so many threads peter out.
I read this piece on Facebook and thought that this guy is clued in. I wonder if it would spur a discussion.
...

The guy who wrote this is spot on 💯

Loyalist. 
After the events in Londonderry where a flute band paraded with the parachute regiment insignia on the sleeve of there shirts I had to ask myself what has happened to loyalism? What is a loyalist? For it seems everyone calls themselves loyalist but when faced with an issue that calls loyalism into question some seem to throw the loyalist tag away for fear of being drawn into a question. A question most struggle to answer. Fear because media outlets use the loyalist tag in any adverse way and have done so for years in order to tag us with a negative and toxic label. LOYALIST.
No better way to start a headline than with Loyalist. People then immediately see us negatively.
Strange label loyalist, because if asked for a meaning most people will give you a different answer. A Protestant a bandsman, Rangers supporters, unionist, Orangemen. Wrap them all up or take them one at a time you get the general meaning. 
I have considered myself a loyalist all my life. From a strong Protestant background. Strong working ethics, Unionist voter, honest and loyal to friends,comrades and the Queen. always ready to answer the call. To be jailed or to die for what I was taught was worth dying for. Honour.
I neither see that as negative or divisive. But yet loyalist is now a toxic brand.
Years ago it was easy to label yourself loyalist because we didn't shirk a fight. Mine and my parents generation born from those who knew war. We grew up joined the band's and then it was easy, the thinkers and talkers went to the loyal orders and institutions and those not so willing to talk, those who would rather just act went to the paramilitaries. The rest well there still the same, you can find them in any club pub hall still fighting the voices in their heads and talking about the ifs and buts of the battle.
I've never been much of a talker, I leave that to those who can and don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking them but the only criticism I have of them is, yous talk too much and you are too quick to criticise what your afraid to do yourself. Personal opinion of course. But as I said I'm not knocking them because We Need Them. And when I criticise them for talking too much I mean. Once they start they need to know when to stop.
The same can be said of people like me. Too quick to act and too slow to listen. Sometimes too slow to see the bigger picture. That's why we need them and they need us.
It's an unfortunate occurrence in loyalism that we can't seem to work this problem out. The speakers are afraid to talk to us incase we ask them to act, and we don't want to listen incase our actions are wrong and they criticise.
If anyone had the answer to this believe me loyalism wouldn't be losing the battle.
One thing I do know is this. If common ground is not reached soon then this part of the battle will be over and the war lost.
20 years ago if you asked me would I live to see the breakup of the union. NO. Now...YES
20yeara it's took us to mess this up.
Where did we go wrong with this so called peace time.
Hard to say but my take on this is, over recent years we have all been betrayed by a government not fit for purpose.
A weak political structure with poor leadership.
Blinded by our own greed, need for self advancement, our standing in the eyes of others, self wealth, power, luxuries.
a fear of jail.... and for most a fear of death.
During the war in ulster, we were betrayed by Britain, it's government and security services. 
Led like sheep by liars and touts. Used as cannon fodder for political gain. Countless numbers of innocent lives sacrificed to prolong a conflict that was never going to be won. WHY?
Britain's secret war was running the show. 
Time to wake up and find a solution. 
Now we need to get back to basics and find that one thing worth talking about. That one thing worth fighting about. That one thing worth dying for.
Scotland, Ulster and England has seen orchestrated protest by nationalists who have teamed up with socialist republicans and far left groups. All who seek one goal the destruction of the union. In Scotland it is now frowned upon to show allegiance to the union, the poppy is now considered a symbol of sectarianism. They hound and troll every FB page and like a.pack of wolves slaughter anyone with any negative opinion towards anything nationalist. Why do you think this is? Why are they so organized and why do they have so much fight and aggression? 
That's an easy one to answer.
Divide, confront and conquer. They for the past 20years have structured and educated themselves on how to protest and counter protest. How to play the media and paint the unionist as the aggressive uneducated animal. How to troll in groups.
Very few of the talkers and thinkers confront these people. Our organizations are fragmented so one people with one voice is not there. The same old power struggle. When others confront them we are the aggressor we are still seen as part of the problem. And because of this all too often we are thrown under the bus because no one voice or organisation is strong enough to stand in support of the ones prepared to confront them. 
We must learn and learn fast, even when you don't agree with the action taken or the voice being raised we must in the face of negative action support it and stand as one.
Over the years I have come to realise that we have lost a generation to a lack of understanding towards our British identity,our culture and ultimately our loyalism. We are the last generation of loyalists and we don't know what loyalist means in today's Britain. So how do we expect an educated answer from the youth of today when asked what is a loyalist. 
We are responsible for this. We became complacent and took our eye off the prize. We were told the war was over and we believed them, when it was only just beginning. Being fought on a different battlefield other than our streets. The nationalist, republican classroom. There prize has always been the same. Separation, a prize for some worth dying for. They educated each other and United in one common goal. 
Now they have us on the run and make no mistake they are winning.
The last pro loyalist group to stand with one educated voice was the Regimental Blues. 
I never stood with the Regimental Blues to my shame. why? because I did not understand there way. Educated dialogue. They weren't like me, they weren't like most of the people who stood with me so for that ignorant reason I chose to let them stand alone. When other loyalist ego's were bruised they moved there stance and the Regimental Blues were bound to fall.
This must change. The ignorance must stop. The power struggle must end and our ears must be open to debate from within. This group needed us and we needed them. 
WE FAILED THEM.
Don't allow the loyalist voice to be silenced, even if you disagree with the action or the opinion show solidarity, if you can't remain silent. 
The talkers and thinkers must unit and act quickly. The footsoldier are growing old and there's very little behind us with fight in them.

Makes no difference to me if you disagree with this, we all have opinions. Open the debate now.
I done this to show I understand where I went wrong and if I can get others to agree or even disagree then maybe we can get another something like Regimental Blues. One we can all stand with in solidarity. If nothing else your thinking.

A concerned Loyalist. Share this and Start the discussion.

[Hadron Collider 31,429]

4 hours ago, Don54 said:

Is it just me or does Boyd look like a hamster? 

You might be right there mate.