Let's see if Jabba does anything [h=2]Rangers: succulent lamb on the rack?[/h] Channel 4 News understands very well that sportswriters need close relations with the football clubs they report on. But what follows stands out because of the culture peculiar to Rangers FC and the media during the reign of Sir David Murray and Craig Whyte. It also stands out because it concerns a former reporter in that culture, who now runs the Rangers media operation. In response to last weekâs media coverage of Rangersâ disputed bills for £400,000 Rangers FC did not answer any of Channel 4 Newsâ questions directly. Instead the club website â now controlled by Ibrox press boss James Traynor, attacked the media en masse, accusing them of being âat such a damning lowâ: ââ¦it has become clear Rangers cannot rely on basic honesty, decency or integrity from enough of the countryâs mediaâ¦â It struck many appropriate that Mr Traynor should issue such a rallying cry in defence of Rangers. For he stands as one example of the curious Glasgow concept of âsucculent lambâ journalism: SECRET FEAR THAT DRIVES ME TO WIN; 10 IN A ROW (Daily Record â November 19, 1998) Exclusive James Traynor Rangers chairman David Murray opens up on the highs and lows of his decade in charge of Rangers and promises that the best is still to comeâ¦â So ran Mr Traynorâs now infamously sycophantic article on how Sir David Murray would conquer the world with Rangers, building to those fateful lines: âHe was about to take in another mouthful of the most succulent lamb â anyone who knows Murray shouldnât be surprised to learn he is a full-blooded, unashamed red meat eater â when he put down his knife and fork. It was like a statement of intent and looking directly across the table to make sure I hadnât yet succumbed to the wine, he said: âBring on the next 10 years, thereâs more to come for Rangers.â There certainly was more to come from Rangers: sold for a quid, put into administration, liquidated and lucky to be playing fourth-tier football. And that âsucculent lambâ? Well itâs so engrained as a concept in Glasgowâs media culture that these days it even has its own Wikipedia entry. In the light of this, Channel 4 News can now reveal exactly what âsucculent lambâ journalism means, from the hand of the RFC press supremo James Traynor. Letâs go back just a short time to when the current Ibrox director of communications was football writer at The Daily Record and its sister paper the Sunday Mail. Back in July 2011, there were searching questions to be asked of Rangers. Like just who was Craig Whyte? What was his business record and just what was really happening inside Ibrox? But far from it. In fact, at times, so unquestioning of Mr Whyte was Mr Traynor that we know of at least one occasion when he actually sent an article to Craig Whyte for prior editorial approval before it went into the newspaper. July 14th is the day the French celebrate the overthrow of deference. But not in Glasgow where, on that day in 2011, James Traynor submitted an article due for the Sunday Mail, to Craig Whyte, with the following message: 14 July 2011 14:49 (Hi Craig, as agreed the following is what I think would cover the Sunday Mail piece. Youâll notice I start with the £15m but also that I havenât quoted you on that amount. There might be one or two minor alterations between now and the deadline but these would only be cosmetic and grammatical once Iâve had a final look.Thanks, JT.) He then submits his Sunday Mail article to Craig Whyte in full, for Mr Whyteâs approval, quoting the Rangers boss on grand plans in the transfer market and writing about the £15m to be spent buying the best. Much of the article in fact is simply a string of quotes from Mr Whyte on his vision for Rangers after just a few weeks in the job. The next day, Craig Whyte replies to Mr Traynor saying heâs satisfied the article can go in the paper, subject to a change: Date: 15 July 2011 10:47 Subject: Re: Sunday piece. To: jxxxxxx@xxxxxX Hi Jim, Only one thing â Iâd rather not be quoted being critical of a particular player, ie. Danns. Other than that itâs fine. Best, Craig Just four minutes later Jim Traynor is emailing Craig Whyte straight back to assure him the offending quote will not appear in the Sunday Mail: From: Date: 15 July 2011 10:51 Subject: Sunday piece. To: cxxxxxx@xxxxxxx No problem Craig. Itâs out. Thanks. JT. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is whatâs known as the âsucculent lambâ in the world of Glasgow journalism. In goes the article to the Sunday Mail, all about Mr Whyteâs £15m transfer treasure chest and all the rest of it. Crucially, the glowing piece came after several months of doubt about Mr Whyteâs financial clout and willingness to invest his own money into the club. The big spending promised in the article, approved by Mr Whyte, never did materialise. One small episode in a greater scheme of things where â across all sections of the mainstream media â too few searching questions were asked about Sir David Murray and then Craig Whyte â successive owners who ultimately brought the club to its knees. But thereâs more. Far from probing the probity of Craig Whyte, James Traynor was actually going on to probe him for a job at Rangers. And here, for the first time, is your proof. It comes in a series of text messages exchanged between James Traynor and Craig Whyte just a few months later in January 2012. By now of course, the mounting problems at Rangers would have been more apparent and fans needed to know the full scale. But Mr Traynor had other things on his mind â a job under Craig Whyte. Hereâs the text exchange: 6 JAN 2012 11.43 Hi Craig, havenât been sacked, havenât resigned despite all the rumours. However, Iâm almost certain I can get out within weeks if I insist. Do you want to talk? JT 6 JAN 2012 16.07 Hi Jim, Iâm back in Glasgow next Friday. Letâs meet up then and discuss. C. 6 JAN 2012 16.32 Okay, see you then. Of course, thereâs nothing wrong in looking for a new job â we all do it all the time. And of course we donât know the preamble to these texts, but the curio here is merely the context that an experienced journalist should apparently be seeking a job from Mr Whyte, should want to be part of his Rangers operation. Channel 4 News understands they did indeed meet and discuss a job at the club. One month after that text exchange â one year ago this week - Rangers filed legal papers at the Court of Sessions to appoint administrators. Did James Traynor simply not know things were amiss? Craig Whyte was banned by the Scottish football authorities from the game for bringing it into disrepute after Rangers ended up liquidated. They fined him £200,000. So there you have it. What so many fans long suspected is laid bare. James Traynor has since made it to Rangers under the new Charles Green regime on a reported six figure salary. Today Mr Traynor, through channels at Ibrox, issued this statement to Channel 4 News: âThese suggestions are malicious and misleading. Anyone who knows anything about events at Rangers knows that James Traynor, in his capacity as a journalist, was instrumental in exposing the activities of the Craig Whyte regime which are currently subject to criminal investigation.â
Because Traynor recently took up employment with Rangers it's A "Rangers" story? If you like. In fact everything I post has a connection - however tenuous - To Rangers. Why don't you go away you stupid wee boy.
If you don't want to read or discuss the implications the OP then i'm afraid I have no answer for you. You knew that anyway.
But this is a RANGERS story Pud Seriously though, considering Traynor's "warning" a few weeks ago, this is Timmy Thompson firing a shot over Traynor's repulsive head. Traynor has said on record that they will not tolerate malicious lies from the press, let's see what evidence Thompson has got, but i've a feeling if he does have those texts and e-mails, then Craigy boy must have given them to him.
He'll release a statement full of bluster... He's a fat dick and I bet he's burnt a few bridges in the Scottish Media
The last 6 months at the DR was like a public job application to Rangers... Looks like Chic was right... [video=youtube;rN3rEcwC41M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN3rEcwC41M[/video]
I was talking about this the other week, To Reb I think and he asked how long Traynor had been writing his job application, I think I said about 6 months, looks like I was waaaaay out. This is as embarrasing for Traynor as it was fully predictable that some old skeletons were bound to fall out of a closet and bite him in the arse.
I have no time for Michael Kelly but he ripped Jabba a new one and got him angry, hence him dropping his guard. That was nauseating.
Chico is a man out of his depth in the press, he'll end up doing a Leggat with some hilarious blog. He genuinely is the proverbial laughing stock of Scottish footballing journalism. Traynor was a decent writer..once. That is his only redeeming feature and that is vastly outweighed by his downright bum lickerry over the last 13 or 14 years.
Naw, of course not... Baith of them are utter utter fannies. Just funny chic calling him a liar and a Rangers puppet! Traynor's always been a fat slimey ****... a ****in bully boy "journalist". All Scottish Red Top media is a joke.
