Gerrard: Post Match Reaction

[The Dude 20,026]

2 minutes ago, Cedrick said:

Fair enough , need to agree to disagree, the way I see it 48 thousand fans are sitting in the house during a global pandemic well aware the buff is having some game , x amount of fans (not sure the total) are in ibrox to tweet the buffs having some game, it’s nonsense in my eyes , I respect you see the reason for it 👍🏻

Theres only really two or three of them (depends on who David Graham has banned that week). Dingwall being in is ripping the piss given the complete lack of any content surrounding the matches or interview access he has. 

If folk are in and are using the opportunity to create content with the access they have, then have at it imo. Its what we've done with a host of other clubs and has worked really well for us over the last 18-24 months. If folk are in and doing 'work' I've absolutely no problem. When they are in and can't be fucked committing a single word to page, then they are ripping the piss completely. Somehow, Rangers have managed to tick both boxes at the same time. 

 

Also worth pointing out that at other clubs when you have access and produce no content, your access is removed. There are limited seats (25) and we're there to do a job, not be there for a jolly. 

[AGM_72 3,633]

4 minutes ago, psb07158 said:

I said it before when it was stated the club would try and get closer to bloggers etc, there's something that just doesn't sit right with me there. 

We're a professional football club and a business. We turn over tens of millions of £s. It's unprofessional as fuck having random guys off the internet getting access while other *actual* time-served journalists are being banned because they say something the club doesn't like. 

I'm all for pro-Rangers media being out there, but not to the extent that these lapdogs will say whatever the club tells them to say without any independent scrutiny or thought. Our fans who want that need to be careful what they wish for. Just like in any business or any part of life, you need that independent challenge. 

Edgar's first question was an absolute nonsense, after a European tie where we just scored 9 goals over 2 legs. Where's the professionalism? Where's the congratulations on a fantastic victory for Rangers and Scottish Football, that any journalist worth their salt would comment? These guys just don't have a clue frankly and if I'm honest I'm totally put off by their content now, despite enjoying it in the past when I knew they had independence of thought.

Part of the problem is nowadays fans don't like listening to criticism. Any dissent from the press usually means the journo is quickly going to be accused of supporting them etc etc.

I always go back to the Whyte days, I don't think the media covered themselves in glory when he took over and during his first few months of running the club but there were signs of concern and fans (include myself in this) were taken in by the idea it was all media noise against the club/Whyte.

As you say, we require independent challenge. I don't mind having some fan media in if it's earned (fine with H&H being there), but the way the club have cut The Athletic's access off is laughable and speaks to the above concern. 

[KaiserJon 12,393]

 

[The Dude 20,026]

35 minutes ago, psb07158 said:

I said it before when it was stated the club would try and get closer to bloggers etc, there's something that just doesn't sit right with me there. 

We're a professional football club and a business. We turn over tens of millions of £s. It's unprofessional as fuck having random guys off the internet getting access while other *actual* time-served journalists are being banned because they say something the club doesn't like. 

I'm all for pro-Rangers media being out there, but not to the extent that these lapdogs will say whatever the club tells them to say without any independent scrutiny or thought. Our fans who want that need to be careful what they wish for. Just like in any business or any part of life, you need that independent challenge. 

Edgar's first question was an absolute nonsense, after a European tie where we just scored 9 goals over 2 legs. Where's the professionalism? Where's the congratulations on a fantastic victory for Rangers and Scottish Football, that any journalist worth their salt would comment? These guys just don't have a clue frankly and if I'm honest I'm totally put off by their content now, despite enjoying it in the past when I knew they had independence of thought.

Im going to go through this in a few bits and try pad out how some of this works (based on my own experience) but going to dig my laptop out first so I'm not on my mobile

[The Dude 20,026]

43 minutes ago, psb07158 said:

I said it before when it was stated the club would try and get closer to bloggers etc, there's something that just doesn't sit right with me there. 

(1) We're a professional football club and a business. We turn over tens of millions of £s. It's unprofessional as fuck having random guys off the internet getting access while other *actual* time-served journalists are being banned because they say something the club doesn't like. 

(2)I'm all for pro-Rangers media being out there, but not to the extent that these lapdogs will say whatever the club tells them to say without any independent scrutiny or thought. Our fans who want that ne ed to be careful what they wish for. Just like in any business or any part of life, you need that independent challenge. 

(3) Edgar's first question was an absolute nonsense, after a European tie where we just scored 9 goals over 2 legs. Where's the professionalism? Where's the congratulations on a fantastic victory for Rangers and Scottish Football, that any journalist worth their salt would comment? These guys just don't have a clue frankly and if I'm honest I'm totally put off by their content now, despite enjoying it in the past when I knew they had independence of thought.

1 - This is a very fine line. The random guys off the internet tend to have massive platforms and in some cases compete with the MSM number wise - while appealing to what is largely a Rangers-supporting audience. There's a balance to be struck there and tbh, given the size of the likes of H&H, it makes sense for larger 'fan media' sites to have access. However that shouldn't come at the expense of bigger outlets/outlets that David Graham/the club want to use to make a point. The way fan media access has been used this season has largely been to fill the 25 media seats so the club can tell others that the press box is "oversubscribed". It might just be a coincidence but the only people to have been told the pressbox was oversubscribed so far are people the club have had an issue with (Record/Sun/Clyde/Athletic). DG wants people "pulling in the same direction" as the club and isn't willing to engage with people who are vocal in their criticism of the club.

2 - Independent challenge is vital. The calls from some to only engage with thre likes of H&H or keep it all in-house is crazy. Only allowing fans to hear the 'approved' club message is a very, very dangerous position. Look at the Whyte stuff for example. If the 'trusted' fan media are telling us that everything is rosy, at the club's behest, then we're heading down a slippery path. Being vocal in my criticisms of the club has cost me a seat at Ibrox this season but I'm not willing to sing from the club's hymnsheet just because it's what the club wants.

3 - It was an embarrassing first question, even moreso that DG handpicks who asks questions and when. While I'm sure some will think there's some ulterior motives here, I think it speaks to Edgar's lack of experience in doing pressers. I'm hardly sitting here as some huge veteran of thousands and thousands of pressers myself but I've worked up from doing games at under-9s, and every level in between, all the way up to where I'm in a position now where I'm doing Premiership games and pressers every week (I'll be at St. Mirren v Ross County tomorrow). Pressers are pretty much paint-by-numbers stuff tbh and Edgar's done enough now to know the pattern and tbh, his excuse of not wanting to "bottle it" doesn't really ring true. It's not a contest to show who has the biggest balls. You're there to get the necessary quotes relating to the match. Fans might piss and moan that these pressers aren't exactly going to be Pullitzer Prize winning stuff but they are mere formalities to get some easy quotes out to fans after a game. Once you get a few questions in, you might be able to chuck some tougher Qs at a manager but the first couple are always softballs so he can give his general opinion on the 90 minutes.