War of Words Breaks out Among Scottish Soccer Hacks
04/03/2008
The target of Traynor’s anger was Darryl Broadfoot, chief football writer of The Herald, who accused the Daily Record of “inaccurate” reporting of the now long-running tale involving Scottish Football Association chief executive, Gordon Smith, and his ‘claim’ he had received letters from every SPL club complaining about referees.
Smith, a former BBC Scotland media pundit, has subsequently tried to make it clear that he meant that he had received letters from fans at every SPL club.
However, Traynor, self-styled ‘Scotland’s Voice of Authority’, and a former Herald sports writer, revived the issue in his column yesterday, to berate and belittle Broadfoot.
Traynor, who is also a media pundit and presenter on BBC Radio Scotland, said the Daily Record ran a back page in support of Smith “because it was a good news story and at last someone at the SFA was making a stand against the arrogance of the SPL”.
He went on: “Trouble was, Smith hadn't received letters from all the clubs and was forced to backtrack. Unfortunately by then, several managers and one in particular, Craig Levein, were furious. Just about every paper ran the Dundee United manager's rant but the paper that didn't even notice this was a legitimate story had a go at us. Apparently someone, can't remember his name, thought we had written the Smith story because we wanted to make him look stupid.
"This journo, who just might be the weakest chief football reporter that paper has ever had, said the Record was guilty of "inaccurate" reporting. The account was entirely accurate. Smith is on tape saying he had the letters and to state otherwise was cheap, nasty and unprofessional, not to mention bordering on defamatory. Also, by suggesting Levein had an axe to grind against Smith merely proved that the reporter - God, I wish I could remember his name, if only he'd clattered out even one memorable piece - doesn't know much about the top managers he spouts on about.
“But to go on and ask if anything might be read into a ‘thinly-disguised personality clash that exists between Smith and a former BBC punditry colleague’ was absurd. That could have been a reference to me, but I can't be certain because so dull and pointless was the piece it was difficult to stay with it. A bit like reading one of those turgid instruction manuals you get with a new Hoover.”
He continued: “The editor of that paper (The Herald), once of this very parish, knows the value of real stories and might have a word with his employee explaining he shouldn't use the paper as a platform to tackle other journalists because he might covet their profiles and contacts.
“If only I could remember his name I'd call him myself because we should always try to help the misguided. Hold on, though. It's coming to me. Yes, it's Darryl. No wait, there are two with the name Darryl in that particular press building and I know one of them is King. The other just might be in the process of becoming a drama queen.”
Allmediascotland was unable to contact Broadfoot for comment. The Herald's chief football writer is in Spain for Celtic’s Champions League match, this evening, against Barcelona.
Coincidentally, in the Times Scotland yesterday, Graham Spiers, also formerly of The Herald, had homed in on the issue, pointing out: “I continue to find the souped-up, artificial outrage over various deeds by Gordon Smith at the SFA to be utterly pathetic. Has Smith, by any chance, offended some newspaper sports editors’ granny by the continuing slagging of his affairs?”
He concluded: “Smith’s main problem, it seems, is having to deal with one or two characters in the Scottish media who are bitter and resentful towards him. I just hope he can rise above it.”
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comments
- "Can't beat a bit of spleen-venting from sports hacks. The irony is that they take any of this seriously.
Broadfoot doesn't need any more support as clearly the entire Herald sports desk has already entered this debate.
The trouble is that Traynor is partly right. We know that Traynor could write if he wanted to - those of us of a certain vintage have seen it.
It is also true that when broadsheet journos take senior positions in tabloids, they're credibility goes - when tabloid journos take the senior positions in broadsheets, it is very often the title's credibility that takes a battering. In that sense it could hardly be said that "the editor of that paper, once of this very parish" has done much to raise the bar at The Herald.
The problem for Darryl - however well-liked he may be by his colleagues - is that the boy cannae write, however many big words he learns. The "Weakest chief football reporter that paper has ever had"? without a shadow of a doubt.
In that, he is not alone - the same is true of just about every football writer the paper has (Hugh MacDonald excepted).
Traynor has certainly blown a fuse and made himself look silly in the process though Darryl DID get his facts wrong and make a mess of the whole caper. He might have guessed that accusing a fellow hack of misquoting AND pursuing a personal agenda would earn him a swipe.
But, wait now, didn't Traynor once offer Broadfoot a job at Record PM?"
TenCats 04/03/2008
report content as inappropriate - "Maybe if fatso spent more time worrying about his sport section than scouring the media for perceived insults against him, the Record wouldn't be bleeding thousands of sales a month to the Sun. The Herald sports section mops the floor with the Record's, despite having a quarter of the staff and a tenth of the budget."
Jose 04/03/2008
report content as inappropriate - "What's the fuss about??
The whipper-snapper Broadfoot had a go at Old Man Traynor, and Old Man Traynor had a go back.
If this sort of tosh is all folk have to worry about, then they have nothing to worry about.
Traynor has his faults, of course he does, but there is a place for him in Scottish sports journalism, Broadfoot too."
Ronnie Boyd 04/03/2008
report content as inappropriate - "Mike S - please keep your sensible discussion out of this paranoid rambling.""
2evaD 04/03/2008
report content as inappropriate - "Mike S - please keep your paranoid ramblings out of sensible discussion."
Dave2 04/03/2008
report content as inappropriate - "The backdrop to this is of course that the Rangers coterie defends itself when trouble is brewing. The wholly uncritical environment of Scottish football journalism persists - no-one can criticise the SFA - especially the hapless Smith who is of course hopelessly undermined by his links with RFC. Tat is why you can expect no action against them while he is in charge."
Mike S 04/03/2008
report content as inappropriate - "jim traynor uses his entire column to criticise a fellow hack for being a drama queen??? .... errr hello, mr traynor - is anyone in??!!! .... i'm surprised such an idiotic move - that only serves to reflect badly on traynor - made it past the daily record editor .... traynor obviously feels very threatened by the hack he is slagging off."
ayeright 04/03/2008
report content as inappropriate - "Only Jim Traynor could write with such painful lack of awareness. I would suggest it is he who is the least respected writer in Scottish football. A man who exists simply to provoke reaction with glib and narrow-minded comments, while never offering any insight or knowledge of the game. For someone in his position to write such an immature and embarrassing piece and then accuse Darryl Broadfoot of being a drama queen is beyond laughable. No doubt the irony is lost on the Voice of Authroity. You couldn’t make this up, Scottish football journalism at its best? God help us all."
Dave2 04/03/2008
report content as inappropriate - "Jim Traynor is a coward big time. On his BBC Radiol Scotland show on Monday night - which focues on newspaper coverage of Scottish football - he pompously discussed the whole saga re Gordon Smith but amazingly didn't mention his own in print attack on Darryl Broadfoot. One wonders why not? If he had the courage as "Scotland's Voice of Authority" to rant at broadfoot in his own paper - why not follow it up on national radio. The show looks at the major newspaper football stories of the week. Surely this mustcount as one of them. Or is Mr Traynor simply a coward who was not up for discussing his pathetic views of Broadfoot on air with his fellow hacks who would no doubt have torn him to pieces."
mrhappy 04/03/2008
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