standards breach tests Rangers & BBC Scotland’s fractured relationship

The BBC have upheld a complaint surrounding controversial comments made by Stuart Cosgrove about Rangers legend Richard Gough.

The outspoken Off the Ball co-host had jokingly suggested during a live BBC Radio Scotland broadcast that Richard Gough was in favour of apartheid in South Africa.

Legendary 9IAR captain Gough – who was born in Sweden to a Swedish mother – was raised in Johannesburg and the comments came amid claims the former Rangers centre-back was unhappy at BBC journalist Kenny McIntyre’s line of questioning in a historic interview.

The incident drew substantial criticism in Ibrox circles and now the BBC have validated these concerns by agreeing Stuart Cosgrove breached the organisation’s editorial code.

What did Stuart Cosgrove say about Richard Gough?

The comments were made in a live broadcast of the Off the Ball BBC Scotland radio show on 20/01/2024.

Specifically, the complaint relates to Stuart Cosgrove suggesting Richard Gough was in favour of apartheid in South Africa.

After guest Kenny McIntyre explained that Richard Gough had once handed him a note urging him to change his line of questioning during an interview, Tam Cowan joked that Gough “blamed him for apartheid”.

Stuart Cosgrove then responded: “I’m not entirely sure Richard was against apartheid.”

You can listen to the clip and comments in question below:

The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit have released an official response to the incident, explaining that the matter is now resolved.

A statement reads:

“In the ECU’s view the comments in question gave the impression of being a personal attack on someone who did not have the opportunity of responding, and went beyond what would be considered generally acceptable in a programme of this kind.  The ECU noted that BBC Scotland had already acknowledged the breach of standards and discussed it with Mr Cosgrove, and considered this sufficed to resolve the issue of complaint.”

Rangers fractured relationship with BBC slowly mending

The comments of Stuart Cosgrove regarding Richard Gough have once again brought under the microscope the relationship between Rangers and BBC Scotland.

For the best part of a decade the two parties have had a difficult and fractured relationship with Rangers unhappy at the accuracy and balance of reporting surrounding the club.

After Rangers revoked the press rights of BBC reporter Chris McLaughlin in the aftermath of a clash with Hibs in 2015, the BBC did not send a journalist to Ibrox again until 2022.

Claiming that they were standing in solidarity with their journalist, Rangers believed that McLaughlin unfairly focused on non-footballing incidents around the match.

There have also been a number of incidents over the years – including where Michael Stewart was suspended for comments made about ex-Rangers PR chief Jim Traynor – which led Club 1872 to claim that there is an “anti-Rangers culture” within BBC Scotland.

This Stuart Cosgrove incident – which is not the first Rangers-related controversy involving the journalist – is a blow to the progress made in this regard but it is unlikely to derail it.

So long as the national broadcaster is at odds with the nation’s premier club, the only people who’re being shortchanged are fans and it’s good to see standards at least being recognised if not upheld.