Keep up the good work, BBC Scotland.

Last updated : 23 October 2010 By FF.com

Last night's Reporting Scotland focused on this Sunday's big derby.

Smith versus Lennnon. Both teams with a 100% league record. Exciting stuff.

The only goals shown were from last season's end-of-term fixture, which was largely meaningless, but is the only time both managers have faced each other.

When I say the only goals I should be clear: only the two Celtic goals.  The Rangers goal wasn't given an airing.  No doubt a mistake. We did score, I'm sure of it.

 

Turn to BBC Scotland's Scottish Football podcast, and Thursday's edition - Kenny McIntyre, joined by messrs Young and Traynor, with contributions from Ronald de Boer and this weekend's referee, Willie Collum.

As part of the programme we had a clip of 'controversial decisions' in derby matches.

All three were those that went against Celtic. Which seems to me to be more than a little uneven. The argument over whether they were correct decisions should be dismissed with the same enthusiasm as Celtic manager Lennon did when presented with this dilemma at Tannadice.

No room for O'Dea's handball; Caldwell's handball; McDonald's offside 'goal'; Jim fae Castlemilk's mid-section boot on Faye; penalty denied for Edu this February: McCulloch sent off after a player dived.

None of this - to pick merely a sample of the types of decisions Rangers fans would like to highlight.  No room for that balance, though.

What one has to take - what one is intended to take - from this is simple: 'controversial' simply means 'not to the liking of Celtic'.

The message for Collum could hardly have been clearer: If in doubt, don't dare give a decision against the home team.

As has said before, over and over, certain decisions are deemed worthy of repeated viewing by the corporation.  Lafferty's foul on Hinkel was given a separate clip, to be viewed at your leisure; Black's foul on Jelavic was not even in the highlight package.

One put a man out for months: one didn't.

BBC Scotland has no intention of being impartial; no concept of balance; no willingness to accommodate the views and opinions of those who fund their organisation.

It has to stop. The BBC as a whole is a wonderful organisation, producing content that is truly world-class and well worth the tax.

But we move toward a day where, if the BBC Trust and the corporation at London level are not willing to act to curb the partiality of their northern outpost, the most obvious solution for Rangers fans is to hit them directly in the pocket.