Excellent Article by Jim Traynor in the Record Today

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

In Jim Traynors column today he has a real go at Celtic, Celtic fans, and defends snging of the famine song - unfortunately while the first line seems to be on line the article does not yet seem to be posted. It seems that the media are turning and I am sure this article will have the 'great and good' from Celtic slavering about how biased the media is over this topic. He REALLY rips into their sensibilities!

Read it later when it gets posted or buy the paper - well worth it for this column.

PS I am NOT Jim Traynor in disguise!!)

EDIT: Now posted below by flipping-eck: Thanks

[Guest Andypendek]

DO NOT BUY THIS PAPER - they have shown how they feel about Rangers and Rangers fans many times already.

Wait till it is posted here, or read someone else's, but DO NOT FUND THOSE WHO HATE YOU!!!!

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

DO NOT BUY THIS PAPER - they have shown how they feel about Rangers and Rangers fans many times already.

Wait till it is posted here, or read someone else's, but DO NOT FUND THOSE WHO HATE YOU!!!!

I think Jim Traynor proves today he does not hate us - trust me this is worth 35p of your money - also I like reading the paper for its football coverage and commentary. But for those who dont I will post the article as soon as I find it - or someone else can.

[Guest Andypendek]

I don't think he hates us particularly, I think he's a hypocritical parasite who stirs up hate then whines about the results. I do believe the editorial staff hate us with a passion, but I'm sanguine about that as I don't have to buy it.

[Bakbear 3,586]

DO NOT BUY THIS PAPER - they have shown how they feel about Rangers and Rangers fans many times already.

Wait till it is posted here, or read someone else's, but DO NOT FUND THOSE WHO HATE YOU!!!!

I think Jim Traynor proves today he does not hate us - trust me this is worth 35p of your money - also I like reading the paper for its football coverage and commentary. But for those who dont I will post the article as soon as I find it - or someone else can.

I don't think people should buy this crap, the standard of journalism in Scotland and in UK generally is abysmal, the tabloid newspapers are flagging in the face of the internet and 15 minute cycles on the news. They run gutter journalism to appeal to the lowest levels of society. The story about McCurry has destroyed any remaining faith I may have had

No interest in what Traynor has to say, all he is doing is trying to generate controversy to generate sales, I wouldn't even want to visit their website as this further encourages them....

[radlord 24]

There's even better reasons than supposed anti-Rangers bias not to read that horrible little paper, with it's shameless pandering to witless proles. Fucking horrible paper. It's properly embarrassing for our country that it's the most widely read paper. Not that the Sun is any better.

[radlord 24]

Hah. Basically what Bakbear said then.

[Guest Andypendek]

There's even better reasons than supposed anti-Rangers bias not to read that horrible little paper, with it's shameless pandering to witless proles. Fucking horrible paper. It's properly embarrassing for our country that it's the most widely read paper. Not that the Sun is any better.

Scotland's Shame, perhaps?

[FlippinEck 3,705]

is it this?

Ditty Vacant

Sep 22 2008 Traynor

Isn't There Enough In The World To Worry About Without Beating Ourselves Up Over Line In A Song?

WHAT? You are not offended by the Famine Song? Sorry,but you are a racist.

If your anger doesn't simmer at the very sound of this ditty then you, my friend, are as bad as the people singing it.

You, too, are tainted by a hatred of Irish Catholics.

That's the logic applied to this little number being belted out by some Rangers fans.

And you will detest it.

You will abhor it. You will write to your MSPs, MPs, UEFA, FIFA, the EU and the Vatican.

This is the most divisive, anti-social and downright malicious trend to be visited upon us yet.

God Almighty, what next?

Falkirk can't be called the Bairns because it might encourage paedophiles to buy season tickets.

Dundee United shall no longer be known as the Arabs in case it inflames problems in the Middle East.

Hibernian's ground will have to be renamed so that other religions are not offended.

Queen of the South can't be called Queens because Republicans and gays will be upset.

Dumbarton must have a complete name change as it could be deemed derogatory to people of limited intelligence.

And that brings us back to the offenders and the offended.

There are old folk among us who might freeze to death this winter because we are all being held to ransom by the power companies.

There are young families who will lose their homes because greedy bankers and lenders were allowed to vandalise the global financial system.

And depending on where you live or how much you have saved you might die because some authorities will not pay for life-saving medication.

These are outrageous. They are national disgraces and should shame every one of us.

So please, don't tell me a line in a song about the decade-long potato famine that made people flee Ireland in their tens of thousands in the middle of the 19th century is what we should be beating ourselves up about. The Great Famine was aterrible time and it was a disgrace that so many people were allowedto starve to death or die from related diseases but surely we have more going on around us today which demands such levels of disgust.

You know what, a great many of us are sick and tired of the ridiculous behaviour of groups of Old Firm fans, who aren't even interested in the game any more.

The only points they seek are the ones they believe they collect every time they run clyping to a politician.

The line that seems to have offended a number of Celtic fans is something like: "The famine is over, why don't you go home?"

It's supposed to have enraged one fan so much he put in a complaint that had Irish diplomats raise concerns with the Scottish government.

Unbelievable, but if any politician even attempts to tell Rangers' fans to drop it we'll be entering into dangerous times that will threaten our right to free speech. This line is not inciting violence against anyoneand it isn't celebrating the fact one million people died because of potato blight in the 1840s.

If anything the line is mocking the often cloyingly sentimental longing of Celtic fans for the old country and if you accept that's all it is then it might even border on humorous.

Actually,if some top comedian,a Billy Connolly or a Frankie Boyle had said something similar everybody would have been slapping their thighs.

So when did the gallows humour of the terracing, which for decades has made us all smile by cutting right through pomposity and politically-correct boundaries become such a terrible thing?

Look, if Celtic and their fans wish to hang on to and protect their Irish heritage to the point where it actually seems mawkish that is absolutely fine. No one has any right to insist they celebrate their Scottishness instead and, of course, that should mean they have no right to impose their will on others.

And why is it a shock to them that Rangers fans will react in some way? Is it really surprising the other lot see this Irishness as anti-British?

If only we could all just be Scottish and proud, too. Like many Scots I have fairly strong Irish roots but Ireland isn't my country and never will be.

I'm sorry if that insults anyone but I am not offended by someone who doesn't share my view or does not believe that one day we will be a thoroughly decent, modern and thriving nation.

Somehow I cannot see why this line should offend. And don't start sloshing in that bilge about how big a race crime it would be if people were singing our immigrant communities should go home because the troubles have subsided in their own countries. There are some who believe they shouldn't be here in the first place and that we should never allow in asylum seekers but these people are probably racist.

However, if any of these groups took to gathering regularly in sporting arenas to sing and long for their homelands and the old ways they, too, might be mocked.

But it wouldn't necessarily be racist. It's called freedom of speech. It is a fundamental right that must be protected.

We don't all have to support what is said but we should back the right to say it, provided it is not overtly racist, sectarian or likely to incite violence.

There is a piousness about some Celtic fans and it's as if this support can do no wrong.

They seem to have adopted a holierthan-thou attitude yet I have not heard one person who claims to be upset by that Famine Song line speaking out against those who sing in support of the IRA or of Nacho Novo catching a bullet.

Neither have they spoken out about the twisted people who indulge in the most disgusting and horrible chat on fans'message boards.

Those are what I call offensive but even so I would rather have that than live in a place where we are not allowed to open our mouths.

In retaliation to the Novo threats Rangers fans contacted Spanish authorities and that was just as bizarre as the Celtic fan's complaint to an Irish politician about a stupid song.

Strathclyde Police should have dealt with the threats to Novo because they were of a violent nature and those Celtic fans on their imaginary moral high ground should have been more alarmed at that behaviour than anything else.

So, to all those, of any religion or race, who think Scotland is such a bad, twisted place full of bigots and racists there is only one thing to say.

Go.

Go on, just gather up your prejudices, take your suspicions and pack your loathing of Scotland.

Go find a better place to live and leave us to get on with the job of making something good of this country.

cracking article imo

[lancedeangers1 287]

However you may feel about this paper, getting back to the original post it is in fact a very decent article which basically and accurately sums up most gers fans feelings in relation to this song. Its just a song, its just banter which IS and Should be justified. No one is making fun of the victims of this terrible period.

[wearethepeople 0]

So, to all those, of any religion or race, who think Scotland is such a bad, twisted place full of bigots and racists there is only one thing to say.

Go.

Go on, just gather up your prejudices, take your suspicions and pack your loathing of Scotland.

Go find a better place to live and leave us to get on with the job of making something good of this country.

Like this bit at the end. Basically stop your moaning ya bunch of fannies!

[*Manticore* 1,893]

A monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type a given text, such as the complete works of William Shakespeare, or a decent article about football.

[dummiesoot 16,005]

A good article, that empasises how much rocky ground is now being stepped on with all this pish. Peopleneed a reality check and most of all - a sense of fucking humour.

[royalbluebell 38]

I can only imagine what his article would have been like had we not decided to fight back.

[ice 108]

I can only imagine what his article would have been like had we not decided to fight back.

My thoughts too.. If this had been printed last week it might have had a bit more credibility..

[Gaffbear 4,096]

I can't stand the Daily Record but if i was wearing a hat i would take it off for Jim Traynor.

Never have we as a support said we have the greatest fans in the world,that we don't have bigots,racists or hooligans.We are realists and realise we're like society ,we have the same problems.

Yet Celtic have this attitude that they have no thugs,bigots,racists or hooligans....now it's good to see that some journo's are telling it how it is and i feel it's because Rangers have finally stood up for themselves .

[bluepeter 5,627]

This is an excellent article in my opinion. I'm not concerned that it's taken till now for him to write it, or that he may not have written it if we didn't fight back.

If you believe the media is biased against us, then you must accept that Traynor is sticking his neck out here. The article is full of common sense, and I applaud him for writing it

[terrybear 0]

WOW, i hope its just you lot hes suckered in with this filth.

[GrandSuckMaster 1,775]

You know what, a great many of us are sick and tired of the ridiculous behaviour of groups of Old Firm fans, who aren't even interested in the game any more

100 % agree. Applies to both sides.

[edranger 0]

Can't stand the man,but that's one of the hell of a good Article.

[Bazza 21]

It is a good article, yes and imo is absolutely spot on.

So when did the gallows humour of the terracing, which for decades has made us all smile by cutting right through pomposity and politically-correct boundaries become such a terrible thing?

BUT, where was this attitude of football chants being humerous et al when the billy boys was being banned?

[GrandSuckMaster 1,775]

WOW, i hope its just you lot hes suckered in with this filth.

??????????

[bluepeter 5,627]

WOW, i hope its just you lot hes suckered in with this filth.

??????????

Probably best just ignored mate

[davie1689 1]

wow

honestly i have to say this is a really decent piece from yourself mr traynor

i hope you read this as i may never compliment you again lol

but good on ya, for sticking your neck out there

i wonder what the septic fans will dream up for you

i think our small protest may have made a bit of difference

hopefully the tide is turning now

and people will now start to realise that this song always has been and always will be a bit of banter

which we as rangers fans will not stop singing, that was evident from sunday

we arra people :unionflag:

[terrybear 0]

Ha ha so fickle, hell write a anti-rangers article tomorrow and you'll change your tune.