RANGERS NEW OWNERS? FACTS DON'T MATTER FOR THE DAILY RECORD
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- Mar 28
- 4 min read
Sometimes people ask me “what have you got against the Daily Record?”
The answer is nothing specific. I simply detest bad journalism, and they seem to practice it more frequently than most. Today, I saw not just one but two examples of this.
Rangers New Owners? Did I Miss Something
Yesterday, the Record ran a story with the headline: “What Rangers New Owners are Thinking about 5.5m Vaclav Cerny.”
For the sake of truth, let’s just remind everyone that there hasn’t even been a formal declaration of interest in taking over Rangers from anyone. So, there certainly aren’t any new owners that I’m aware of.
A Lie Built Upon Another Lie
As I said, The Daily Record disgraced themselves not just once, but twice with this story.
That 5.5 million buyout clause that Rangers supposedly have?
Well, it doesn’t exist. That’s according to The Rangers Review, a fan media outlet who, in the past have often served as a vehicle for the club to get their message out to fans without having to make a formal statement.
To quote the Rangers fan site, they said: Rangers remain interested in landing Vaclav Cerny on a permanent deal but don't possess an exclusive purchase option for the winger, the Rangers Review has learned. “
Doubling Down, When the Smart Move is to Walk Away
When you’ve been so publicly exposed for lying, usually most media outlets do one of two things.
Either they print a retraction and a correction on the original story, or they just delete the original story altogether and hope no-one will notice.
Not the Daily Record though, they doubled down. The article continued:
Stating that “Rangers will only be able to afford Vaclav Cerny if their new owners are in place before the deadline to purchase runs out.”
The deadline in question is the end of the current season.
There are no new owners of Rangers, and no matter how many times The Record repeats this lie, it doesn’t make it true.
Hoping You Don’t Read Beyond the Headline
Finally, about half way down this latest flow of journalist effluence, Keith Jackson backtracks slightly, when he refers to Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers investment group as “Rangers new “owners to be”.
Presumptuous and irresponsible though that statement is, I can’t definitively say it’s a lie, because, we simply don’t know at this stage.
Again, Jackson hopes readers are too lazy or too stupid to read beyond the clickbait headline.
Still Nothing Actually Connects the 49ers To This
Another interesting snippet of Jackson’s story, which again I’m sure he’s banking on most people skipping over is this line: “I think it’s a case of No Takeover, No Cerny”.
First off Keith, you’re a reporter, nobody cares what you “think might happen.” It’s your job, or at least its supposed to be your job, to report the facts.
Also, the only name repeatedly linked with this alleged takeover is Andrew Cavenagh. He’s the CEO of a health insurance consultancy firm.
He has no connection to the San Francisco 49ers, other than being pictured a few times in conversation with one of the dozens of executives their group has in place around the world looking after their various commercial interests.
If we’re going to apply that same logic elsewhere, then I’ve got a world exclusive for you right here and now:
I’m going to be Japan’s next Emperor!
I mean, I have no connection to the Imperial family whatsoever. None of them know who I am. But I did once have a glass of wine with The Emperor’s cousin, during my university days. So, by Keith Jackson’s logic, my enthronement is surely only a matter of time!
Opinion Pieces are Not Exclusives
Here’s the thing, if Jackson wants to write that he “thinks” Rangers new owners may soon be in place, or that he hopes they will, then that’s fine. He’s entitled to have an opinion and to express it on any outlet that’s daft enough to give him a platform.
Where I, and indeed anyone else who actually values the ethics of proper journalism, take issue is when he slaps the “Exclusive” tagline on what are merely his opinions. Opinions are not facts; it doesn’t matter how many times you repeat them.
Meanwhile, in the World of Actual Journalism
There’s been enough actual journalism around this Rangers takeover story now to make me accept that there might be something in it.
Maybe Mr Cavenagh is considering investing in Scotland’s Shame at some level.
If that’s the case he's either extremely gullible or extremely charitable. I suspect he’s neither. People who make their millions in the US healthcare sector aren’t noted for their generosity.
It certainly won’t be the transformative investment that Jackson keeps trying to convince us all it will be.
The Two Biggest Losers in All of This are Journalism and the Rangers Support
It’s almost enough to make you feel sorry for Rangers fans. Almost but not quite.
I’m more concerned with the distrust so many people have in journalists these days. A distrust that the Keith Jacksons of this world actively play into for their own selfish ends.
With every lie they tell and every unchecked piece of gossip they state as “fact”, the job of real reporters becomes that much harder.
People like Keith Jackson clearly don’t care about personal reputation or journalistic integrity. It’s just all about getting attention, no matter the collateral damage.
This story probably won’t get anything like the audience of whatever guff the Record spits out today.
However, I can live with that. I’d sooner quit writing altogether than stoop to their level.