Graham Spiers blasts BBC Scotland over Rangers and Celtic treatment
Times journalist Graham Spiers has blasted BBC Scotland for their “spineless” treatment of Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic over the years.
The two Old Firm clubs have both had difficult relationships with BBC Scotland dating back to 2015 when they refused to send staff to Rangers after the club banned one of their reporters after being accused of filing misleading and unbalanced reports by the Ibrox club.
As a result, the UK broadcasting company have held back in their reporting of the Old Firm rivals until journalists were allowed back into Ibrox to report about the club.
Speaking on his Patreon page [2 February], Spiers said: “I’m gonna lead you into two areas of slightly dangerous territory and you can tell me where to go if you want.
“My experience of working for the BBC was enjoyable, it was full of good people, full of talented people but also dear God, honestly, it could be spineless when there was no need to be, the BBC lived, I thought lived in fear of what Rangers or Celtic might think.
“You know, BBC, Scotland, at times in the football debate could suddenly become a simpering wreck with its knees knocking. Now, that was my experience.”
Baffling
The BBC is well renowned for its football reporting, especially for many of England’s biggest football clubs, and you’d never hear about any problems surrounding the two entities.
But for Rangers and Celtic, arguably two of the biggest and most historic clubs in the UK, the needlessly limited reporting of both football clubs is not only damaging for themselves in garnering listeners but also for neutral fans who want to gain some sort of insight into two of the biggest clubs around and biggest in Scotland.
It’s very pleasing that things have improved in regards to their relationship and the plenty of coverage of both football clubs, and there is a serious hope things remain the same way.
Even fans in England are intrigued by both the Gers and Celtic’s progress not just domestically but when they perform on the European stage too. Both clubs are too prestigious and so full of history and high acclaim within the world of football not to report on. It’s incredibly baffling how things used to be within BBC Scotland.
In other Rangers news, one player who is better than the Hearts squad was dubbed “different class” on BBC Sportsound as he wowed against Ross County.