Rangers and BBC in fresh row over reporting

Rangers announced today that they have withdrawn all cooperation with the BBC today “due to repeated difficulties”.

It is the second time this season that the Ibrox club has cut ties with the broadcaster – the first coming after what Rangers claimed was a “serious misrepresentation” of Ally McCoist’s views on sectarianism.

The latest fallout comes in the run-up to a documentary on the club to be shown by the BBC this Thursday.

In a statement released on their website, Rangers added: “Over the last few weeks the BBC has been involved in making a documentary about the club which appears to be little mor than a prejudiced muckraking exercise. Efforts to ensure that reporting of the Club’s affairs should be balanced and fair and appear to have been in vain.

“The Club believes that the BBC has on a number of occasions now demonstrated a predetermined negative attitude towards Rangers and its fans and its journalism has fallen well short of acceptable standards.

The decision to end all cooperation with the BBC has been taken very recluctantly but the Club feels it has been left with no other option.”

But BBC Scotland hit out at the claims saying any claim of bias would be refuted “in the strongest terms”.

“All of our reporting of matters pertinent to the running of Rangers FC reflects the high standard expected of the BBC, an organisation that places an absolute value on the accuracy and impartiality of its journalism.

“The club has also made specific criticisms of a documentary scheduled for transmission at 7pm on BBC One Scotland on Thursday.

“We have assured them that rigorous editorial standards will be applied and nothing will be broadcast that is not both accurate and in the public interest.”

The BBC website claims that the programme, Rangers - The Inside Story, “investigates the current plight of Rangers FC, and asks what the future might hold under new owner, Craig Whyte”.

The programme comes in the same week that Ibrox great John Greig and former chairman John McClelland resigned from the board after feeling marginalised by Whyte, who completed his takeover in May.

The BBC apologised to Rangers for an “inappropriate edit” in July after Ibrox manager Ally McCoist was shown smirking while audio was played of a news reporter questioning him about the behaviour of supporters at Old Firm matches.

McCoist, a former team captain on Question of Sport, was “appalled” that his response to another question had been inserted in the feature, which was shown on the News at Six on BBC One on July 22.