Rangers fans on Twitter yesterday were left outraged over the club’s decision to refuse photographer Willie Vass access to Ibrox for yesterday’s pre-season friendly with Arsenal – and the reaction from the Gers support is just further proof of how badly wrong the Light Blues have got it.
The decision to charge media outlets up to £25000 for access to press conferences and matches was originally backed by the support-at-large before news of Vass’ absence caused a social media row.
Vass has been a constant presence at Rangers games for several decades, putting together arguably the most comprehensive visual record of the club’s history found outside the club’s own archives.
That however wasn’t seemingly good enough though and, in the absence of a big cheque, Vass was nowhere to be seen as Stevne Gerrard’s side played in front of fans at Ibrox for the first since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020.
Media outlets appear to have, by-and-large, baulked at the suggestion of paying for access to report on Rangers and the idea that certain critics of the Gers will suddenly change tact now that their employers have to pay for access doesn’t stack up.
Fans have every right to be unhappy at some of the coverage of Rangers over the years and there is an argument to made that the Gers should look to exclude those who seem to make a career out of putting the boot in for any reason they can find – real or otherwise.
Some of the stuff published, broadcast and blogged about Rangers has been outrageous, inflammatory, disrespectful and most other perjorative adjectives you can think of.
But, as the reaction to Vass’ absence from Ibrox has shown, pricing out the many, many outlets, blogs, podcasts and other media who haven’t attacked the club is ridiculous.
A section of fans will no doubt read this and think ‘but you’re part of the media’ and they’d have a case – it’s not easy to separate this as a Rangers fan of 30+ years but also a full-time journalist who makes a living writing about the Gers.
A good relationship with the media is something that has benefits to both sides and, while fans don’t necessarily always see them, the media do have a purpose to serve for football clubs.
Charging for access isn’t going to make the questions asked at press conferences any better and it isn’t going to stop radio phone-in panelists taking petty shots at Rangers, the club’s fans or players – but it is going exacerbate an already rocky relationship.
There also becomes a worry on a wider level beyond just Scottish football (or even football in general) if what has been considered ‘news’ for a century-and-a-half becomes a paid-for Q&A session.
So much can be done to improve the relationship between Rangers and the media to improve the coverage we provide for you – charging and locking people out who are on the same side isn’t it.
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