Snakehips
Well-Known Member
Couple of points worth raising -
1) Firstly, I think Hibs owe Rangers an apology for not divulging Neely’s background. You would have thought they would at least given an informal heads up, that way he would not have been allowed to commit any further crimes. They are as much to blame as Neely for what happened.
2) There is something about the recent Neely managers office story that just seems a bit off. Whether it be the timing of the information being released, or the fact a coach would have had access, or whether a young player would have been in the building on that many occasions, I don’t know. The story was amended in The Sun several hours after initial publication, so what parts of the reported story were changed, and why? If the story was reported correctly initially, then why was it later changed? To be clear, I am not casting any doubt that Neely committed abuse while at Rangers, nor wish to downplay the crimes in any way. Perhaps Spotlight can shed any further opinion or facts on this? I just wish Neely had faced justice long before he died, and his victims would have seen him go to jail.
3) I know we have been criticised for not releasing any form of statement since the review, and that criticism is probably justified. I would sincerely hope there is something forthcoming shortly. There been an outcry in the press from certain journalists about it, some piping up on the issue for the first time after decades. However, have the other clubs who have not said anything since the review been attacked the same way we have? If not, why? Agendas?
4) Where crimes have been committed and went completely unknown, it is hard to pin the blame on the organisation itself, whether it be in sport, business, or any other walk of life, and I include Celtic in that. What matters though is if anything is covered up, goes unreported, victims testimonies dismissed, knowingly employing those with a history of abuse, or in some cases allowed to happen. That did not happen at Rangers. It happened on an industrial scale at Celtic, and it happened on a much smaller scale at Hibs. That said, I would be very disappointed in our board if the issue is ignored for much longer. If there is no doubt that what the victims have alleged is true, then I would at least hope Hibs and Rangers could issue joint compensation to the victims.
1) Firstly, I think Hibs owe Rangers an apology for not divulging Neely’s background. You would have thought they would at least given an informal heads up, that way he would not have been allowed to commit any further crimes. They are as much to blame as Neely for what happened.
2) There is something about the recent Neely managers office story that just seems a bit off. Whether it be the timing of the information being released, or the fact a coach would have had access, or whether a young player would have been in the building on that many occasions, I don’t know. The story was amended in The Sun several hours after initial publication, so what parts of the reported story were changed, and why? If the story was reported correctly initially, then why was it later changed? To be clear, I am not casting any doubt that Neely committed abuse while at Rangers, nor wish to downplay the crimes in any way. Perhaps Spotlight can shed any further opinion or facts on this? I just wish Neely had faced justice long before he died, and his victims would have seen him go to jail.
3) I know we have been criticised for not releasing any form of statement since the review, and that criticism is probably justified. I would sincerely hope there is something forthcoming shortly. There been an outcry in the press from certain journalists about it, some piping up on the issue for the first time after decades. However, have the other clubs who have not said anything since the review been attacked the same way we have? If not, why? Agendas?
4) Where crimes have been committed and went completely unknown, it is hard to pin the blame on the organisation itself, whether it be in sport, business, or any other walk of life, and I include Celtic in that. What matters though is if anything is covered up, goes unreported, victims testimonies dismissed, knowingly employing those with a history of abuse, or in some cases allowed to happen. That did not happen at Rangers. It happened on an industrial scale at Celtic, and it happened on a much smaller scale at Hibs. That said, I would be very disappointed in our board if the issue is ignored for much longer. If there is no doubt that what the victims have alleged is true, then I would at least hope Hibs and Rangers could issue joint compensation to the victims.