Radio programme on rangers

[BallochBear 1,613]

DO YOU THINK HE MAY SCAN THIS SITE LOOKING OUT FOR WHAT MAY COME AND BE READY FOR ANY AKWARD QUESTIONS ?

It's always possible but I really do believe he doesn't look at any of the messageboards, certainly from my discussions he didn't even appear to know where to start to find us and others, but he may have learned by now, after all he is quite a smart guy.

You would say that, Graham.

Indeed

[BallochBear 1,613]

Thanks for your replies, BB...

If you must attend then I would urge great caution. I would also stick to soft drinks rather than beer when representing your fellow supporters.

Finally, if you're unsure about any given subject a 'no comment' will do just fine.

I'm intending driving to the location so I'll have my car and as I need my car for my job I won't be touching alcohol, unless of course I make an ass of myself and in that case I'll blame it on the juice.

[bluesnaw 0]

Despite some advice to the contrary I am meeting Graham Spiers to take part in his spot on Rangers for the World At Night Radio programme which is being recorded tomorrow,

I hope to get the opportunity to raise a number of issues from our standpoint, so if anyone has any points they wnt raised that are broadcastable then let me know, and remember this is a spot on Rangers, not him.

My advice would be to steer well clear. No offence, but this guy is an eloquent wordsmith and will tear your average Joe up for toilet paper and wipe his arse with him.

I would also suggest that if FF is involved, it’s nothing more than a set up, where they will make so much “told you so” mileage out of this that it could set our reputation back years.

FF might think they speak for your average Rangers supporter, but the truth is that it’s a cesspit and they are manna from heaven as far as the hyenas in our press are concerned.

Take my advice and leave well alone… this squeb is better ignored by us anyway.

[Guest Andypendek]

What a bunch of faint hearts! Get in there and do your best BB, I fail to see how anything you do can 'make it worse.' Spiers hates us, as does BBC Scotland. We don't care, so what's the big deal?

For what it's worth, I think everyone has got hold of the wrong end of the stick by going into the nitty-gritty details, and looking to cast up quotes from the past. I would stick to general points, the easiest of which to disprove is that one side of the OF is worse than the other; and that pandering to one side has led to a position wherein actual, genuine offensiveness such as the minute's silence debacle occur.

A question I've always wanted to ask him is 'Will you spend a day with me trolling (!) around Glasgow, to see if one side are animals and the other virtuous, charitable philanthropists?' I think 25 minutes ought to open his eyes.

Anyway, enjoy yourself, I'd love to have a go at people like him.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

What a bunch of faint hearts! Get in there and do your best BB, I fail to see how anything you do can 'make it worse.' Spiers hates us, as does BBC Scotland. We don't care, so what's the big deal?

For what it's worth, I think everyone has got hold of the wrong end of the stick by going into the nitty-gritty details, and looking to cast up quotes from the past. I would stick to general points, the easiest of which to disprove is that one side of the OF is worse than the other; and that pandering to one side has led to a position wherein actual, genuine offensiveness such as the minute's silence debacle occur.

A question I've always wanted to ask him is 'Will you spend a day with me trolling (!) around Glasgow, to see if one side are animals and the other virtuous, charitable philanthropists?' I think 25 minutes ought to open his eyes.

Anyway, enjoy yourself, I'd love to have a go at people like him.

I agree - all this talk of avoiding him or challenging him on this phrase or that is weak - we have a lot to be positive about and should not be running scared of him. If we are decent we will be treated decently!

[Jimenez 1]

Dear oh dear....

We really need someone with some mhedia savvy attending this.

[slimjim1690 4,534]

Sorry BB but IMO nobody but nobody Rangers related from chairman,management, players, or fans should utter a single word to this low life SOB. he should be totally ignored.

Who cares if nobody from our side were to turn up, in fact I think it would be perfect, if no one from our side showed up his show would be fucked for a start and it would show him up for the insignificant no mark that he is.

I & I'm sure everyone on this board realise your good intentions and wish you good luck, but this is Speirs & the BBC we're talking about here & no matter how much you try, I believe that they will already have decided that this show is to be a hatchet job on the Rangers support.

BTW I'm no faint heart, just not interested in anything that dickhead has to do or say.

[Bluedell 14]

If we are decent we will be treated decently!

What world do you live in? Spiers will have a go at Rangers and the support no matter what we do or say.

If you think that going along and being nice to Spiers for a couple of hours will change anything shows that you have no idea what he's like.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

If we are decent we will be treated decently!

What world do you live in? Spiers will have a go at Rangers and the support no matter what we do or say.

If you think that going along and being nice to Spiers for a couple of hours will change anything shows that you have no idea what he's like.

It is perfectly easy to hold firm view points and communicate them without compromising on decency (or it is for most of us) - We dont have to kowtow to any view point but nor do we have to show any disrespect - most people can hold a serious debate with opposing POV without having to compromise on good manners. The Rangers support are a decent bunch and we must ensure we, even in a debate with spiers, make sure we remain so.

[BallochBear 1,613]

What a bunch of faint hearts! Get in there and do your best BB, I fail to see how anything you do can 'make it worse.' Spiers hates us, as does BBC Scotland. We don't care, so what's the big deal?

For what it's worth, I think everyone has got hold of the wrong end of the stick by going into the nitty-gritty details, and looking to cast up quotes from the past. I would stick to general points, the easiest of which to disprove is that one side of the OF is worse than the other; and that pandering to one side has led to a position wherein actual, genuine offensiveness such as the minute's silence debacle occur.

A question I've always wanted to ask him is 'Will you spend a day with me trolling (!) around Glasgow, to see if one side are animals and the other virtuous, charitable philanthropists?' I think 25 minutes ought to open his eyes.

Anyway, enjoy yourself, I'd love to have a go at people like him.

#

Maybe the meeting should be arranged for Bairds Bar to show them up for what they are.

[BallochBear 1,613]

Dear oh dear....

We really need someone with some mhedia savvy attending this.

Well I did make an open invitation which very very few took up so anyone with media savvy on here obviousle has no bottle.

[BallochBear 1,613]

Sorry BB but IMO nobody but nobody Rangers related from chairman,management, players, or fans should utter a single word to this low life SOB. he should be totally ignored.

Who cares if nobody from our side were to turn up, in fact I think it would be perfect, if no one from our side showed up his show would be fucked for a start and it would show him up for the insignificant no mark that he is.

I & I'm sure everyone on this board realise your good intentions and wish you good luck, but this is Speirs & the BBC we're talking about here & no matter how much you try, I believe that they will already have decided that this show is to be a hatchet job on the Rangers support.

BTW I'm no faint heart, just not interested in anything that dickhead has to do or say.

So by not attending we gain some moral high ground, I think not. You don't really think by no-one going his piece will be knackered, all he'll do is go into a "Rangers" pub get some real abusive comments and the programme will put that out as being typical of the Rangers support, and we get more criticism, is that really what you want?

[BallochBear 1,613]

OK guys, you with the opinions but no b@lls, if you have genuine points to make to Spiers/BBC why not join us tonight, I can still fit in a couple more, PM me if interested for details.

[Bluedell 14]

If we are decent we will be treated decently!

What world do you live in? Spiers will have a go at Rangers and the support no matter what we do or say.

If you think that going along and being nice to Spiers for a couple of hours will change anything shows that you have no idea what he's like.

It is perfectly easy to hold firm view points and communicate them without compromising on decency (or it is for most of us) - We dont have to kowtow to any view point but nor do we have to show any disrespect - most people can hold a serious debate with opposing POV without having to compromise on good manners. The Rangers support are a decent bunch and we must ensure we, even in a debate with spiers, make sure we remain so.

I'd agree with that but I wouldn't expect him to return the decency when he reports on it.

[Bluedell 14]

OK guys, you with the opinions but no b@lls, if you have genuine points to make to Spiers/BBC why not join us tonight, I can still fit in a couple more, PM me if interested for details.

The fact that I disagree with this meeting and have no wish to attend doesn't mean I've got no balls.

I have got no time for the man and do not wish to help in furthering his career, which, when you boil the whole thing down, is what this meeting is doing.

If I believed that the meeting would help Rangers and/or its support then I would be volunteering like a shot, but I believe that this will only do harm.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

OK guys, you with the opinions but no b@lls, if you have genuine points to make to Spiers/BBC why not join us tonight, I can still fit in a couple more, PM me if interested for details.

Translation: Nobody's that interested in Spiers and the event is dying on its feet.

In fairness, if it turns out to be Spiers and a few tims castigating Rangers, it'll conform to all expectations and will be typical of his work, thus confirming his sub-tabloid comedy status.

I don't think anyone lacks the b@lls or the wit to tear Spiers a new one. He's just not so important these days.

Quite frankly, I don't think he merits debating. He lacks the intelligence.

Should you wish, I'll consider any written pleas from him.

Don't say I'm not open minded.

[samNewton 0]

How about asking him what his role was in the UEFA charge against Rangers?

He certainly mouths off in private that he was involved and careful reading of his Herald articles at the time will confirm this.

The campaign to have UEFA charge Alex Rae retrospectively would also be an interesting area to probe.

Rangers FC is in the unique position of being the only club in Europe whose national media actively works against its interests in European competition. When UEFA officials arrived in Glasgow two days after the Osasuna-Rangers tie to make the draw for the next stage of their competition, they were besieged by members of the Scottish media intent on making the organisation well aware that Rangers fans were yet again guilty of 'discriminatory chanting' and challenging it on what action the body would take. (The journalists involved weren't remotely concerned about the cases of GBH inflicted on Gers fans by the Spanish police.) Although Spiers wasn't directly involved in this affair, he has been at the forefront of the national anti-Rangers campaign and has done far more than any other in attempting to damage the club.

And what has been his goal? Has it been to rid Scotland of 'sectarianism'? Or was it really only a means of boosting his profile in acting as McConnell's voice on the back pages?

It is a very strange kind of 'secret shame' that appears to be caused by and involve almost exclusively verbals at a football match - and is dealt with by ignoring state-sanctioned educational apartheid at the age of 5.

Spiers has trashed Rangers FC over and over again. He has besmirched the names of deceased officials and players. He will not be remotely interested in any attempt to question his bona fides.

I suspect that this so-called 'meeting' will only have one goal in mind - to further damage the reputation of Rangers fans.

No doubt a special target will be 'websites' full of 'zealots'. He might even throw in the word 'bile' when he's at it.

[Frankie 505]

OK guys, you with the opinions but no b@lls, if you have genuine points to make to Spiers/BBC why not join us tonight, I can still fit in a couple more, PM me if interested for details.

Let's wait one minute here BB.

I have plenty of valid opinions on Rangers and on Graham Spiers. However, I also have work commitments, family commitments and geography/finance issues to take into account when it comes to consider a meeting with a man who has been proven many times to be a liar and a Rangers hater.

As such, for those reasons, myself and others have decided not to take the matter further via this 'meeting' as we don't see the need for increasing the exposure of this journalist.

It's nothing to do with a lack of courage or balls. It's called self-respect.

Your attitude towards your fellow bears is extremely disappointing. Your last post was condescending, arrogant and completely uncalled for. With respect, I suggest you think carefully before posting something similar or your own reputation may soon match that of your new friend.

Good luck for the meeting. I look forward to Spiers having the self-respect to answer the very fair questions I posted earlier. I won't hold my breath though.

[BallochBear 1,613]

Hook line and sinker springs to mind.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

OK guys, you with the opinions but no b@lls, if you have genuine points to make to Spiers/BBC why not join us tonight, I can still fit in a couple more, PM me if interested for details.

Let's wait one minute here BB.

I have plenty of valid opinions on Rangers and on Graham Spiers. However, I also have work commitments, family commitments and geography/finance issues to take into account when it comes to consider a meeting with a man who has been proven many times to be a liar and a Rangers hater.

As such, for those reasons, myself and others have decided not to take the matter further via this 'meeting' as we don't see the need for increasing the exposure of this journalist.

It's nothing to do with a lack of courage or balls. It's called self-respect.

Your attitude towards your fellow bears is extremely disappointing. Your last post was condescending, arrogant and completely uncalled for. With respect, I suggest you think carefully before posting something similar or your own reputation may soon match that of your new friend.

Good luck for the meeting. I look forward to Spiers having the self-respect to answer the very fair questions I posted earlier. I won't hold my breath though.

Spot on, Frankie.

The man has became a pastiche of himself. We don't want to throw his career a lifeline of credibility.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

Sorry BB but IMO nobody but nobody Rangers related from chairman,management, players, or fans should utter a single word to this low life SOB. he should be totally ignored.

Who cares if nobody from our side were to turn up, in fact I think it would be perfect, if no one from our side showed up his show would be fucked for a start and it would show him up for the insignificant no mark that he is.

I & I'm sure everyone on this board realise your good intentions and wish you good luck, but this is Speirs & the BBC we're talking about here & no matter how much you try, I believe that they will already have decided that this show is to be a hatchet job on the Rangers support.

BTW I'm no faint heart, just not interested in anything that dickhead has to do or say.

So by not attending we gain some moral high ground, I think not. You don't really think by no-one going his piece will be knackered, all he'll do is go into a "Rangers" pub get some real abusive comments and the programme will put that out as being typical of the Rangers support, and we get more criticism, is that really what you want?

You do sound desperate for participants, Graham.

[*Manticore* 1,893]

OK guys, you with the opinions but no b@lls

You know I had a bit of respect for what you're doing until this comment.

Do you enjoy insulting your fellow bears?

[Frankie 505]

Hook line and sinker springs to mind.

Care to elaborate?

Or do you honestly think this attitude is doing you favours here?

I've been nothing but respectful and helpful to you recently with your constant attempts to ingratiate yourself with Graham Spiers.

Was I wrong to try and take your efforts in good faith? It certainly appears so. More fool me.

[*Manticore* 1,893]

Hook line and sinker springs to mind.

The old 'that one went down badly, I'll pretend I was fishing' line.

Good try.

[covenanter 158]

The first quarter of 2005 saw a marked increase in the 'sectarian' debate, a couple of meetings organised by the usual sectarianism industry suspects ie Nil by Mouth, Sense Over Sectarianism, .....etc were heavily reported in the Herald and on BBC Scotland. The third meeting was to be held in late March at St Andrews Cathedral. A number of Bears decided to attend and participate in the debate. Spiers was to be the main Speaker at the event.

Rangers and Sellik were involved in a neck and neck run-in for the title, Rangers had just defeated the Yahoos 2-0 at ra Stydome. There was a real rise in the intensity in the aftermath of this game, claims and reports that the 8,000 Rangers support were singing, "I hope I kill a Fenian before I die" at the match. Absolute rubbish, but broadcasters and journos who knew better and should have resisted, ran with this particular ball. Spiers was as usual at the forefront in both the Herald, on Scotsport, and on BBC Radio Scotland. The Cathedral meeting was postponed.

A week later, the meeting was rescheduled for a 2 O'Clock start on a Sunday afternoon, same venue, same main Speaker. Of course, Rangers were away to Motherwell on that day, kicking off at that specific time. Spiers had demanded the change, he knew he had over-egged a particularly rancid pudding and he did not want Rangers supporters participating in the debate, his normal practice at the Herald the previous 3 years.

One Bear sacrificed his ticket for the match and the opprtunity to watch Rangers win 3-2, he sat at the back and took notes. Spiers stood up and began, "this problem we are here to talk about, it's overwhelmingly Rangers fault, ..............". There were lots of nodding heads from the selected audience. The meeting was reported as taking place, although the content was NOT reported.

Rangers supporters went after Spiers, got him sacked from the Herald, ensured his PLG book did not achieve beyond a vanity print run, and ensured he was perceived as 'damaged goods'. Spiers needs the Rangers support to participate in his debate, he needs us to regain credibility. He works for a paper with a circulation of just over 20,000 in Scotland, he broadcasts on a failing commercial radio station that has firmly placed itself on message to ra Sellik these last 35 years, and his writing career(books) is over.

My advice, leave him in that position, it's his bed, he made it.