JABBA THE AGNIVORE

BILL BITES THE BILLIES

Bill Leckie's article in The Sun yesterday no doubt got a lot of backs up. Mark Hateley will be tearing what's left of his hair out, Loony Leggat will be spitting his Presbyterian porridge everywhere and Traynor will have the daggers drawn! Incidentally, Leckie's description of Traynor was spot on: the 'newly-appointed Director of Provocation.' Brilliance.

It takes a brave man to speak out against all the blame and hatred coming out of Ibrox, especially given the track record of the Blue Meanies in dealing with those they class as 'enemies.' No doubt Bill Leckie will have to collect his own mail from the local Post Office from now on! I still think this fear was a major contributing factor in the decision of the First Tier tax tribunal. 

Meanwhile Keith Jackson decides to tread the same path in the Daily Record. Compared to Leckie, however, his article is somewhat anodyne. He comes across as pleading and wheedling rather than condemning. And he sees the need to trot out the old myth that Rangers were hard-done-by.

"...as they lay sobbing and bloodied with an outstretched hand, others took it in turn to boot them into the gutter. In their darkest hour, they found no friendship or sympathy. Only more hostility and hatred."

Pathetic, isn't it!

It's about time somebody grew a backbone and stood up to this bullying. Our sports media seem terrified to criticise anything relating to Rangers and go along with everything that Green says. This was apparent in the wailing and gnashing of teeth over Green being told that he is due nothing for the exodus of players like Lafferty. Nobody questions the morality or legality of Green's claims; they just bemoan the fact that he is not getting the cash. Loony Leggat sees it as another example of the anti-Rangers bias, led by Peter Lawwell, endemic in our society.

The fact is that TUPE legislation is there to protect employees when somebody buys the company that employs them. It stands for TRANSFER of UNDERTAKINGS (PROTECTION of EMPLOYMENT). It is there to stop unscrupulous buyers from getting rid of staff to cut costs. The whole crux of the legislation is that employees are entitled, if they wish, to transfer their employment to their new boss with all the benefits of their previous contract. The legislation is not there to force employees to work for a new boss, as Green seems to think.

The Big Doublethink comes into play here for Green and his apologists. Green did not buy the company; he bought the assets and started a new company. Now, on the one hand he claims that it's a different company that has no obligations to creditors, while, on the other hand, he claims that it's the same company, which he bought, and in which players like Lafferty were still employed. All these players, remember, signed up for a deferment in wages to help Rangers. Was Green intending to repay these wages? Or would that have been one of the times where it was a different company? It makes your head spin just trying to get to grips with all this duplicity!

So kudos to Bill Leckie. Is this the turning point in how our Fourth Estate conducts itself over matters Rangers? I won't hold my breath!