The Hitman Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Upsetting people again, this time with his refusal to face an English flag during a pre-season game. Would be interested to hear people's views on this, particularly the NI ones.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/west-bromwich-albion/11750741/James-McCleans-snub-to-Englands-flag-was-disgraceful-if-he-hates-it-so-much-he-should-leave-the-Premier-League.html
muleskinner Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Pulis has supposedly told him to tone it down in future.
Ethan Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Why should anyone be forced to look at any flag at a football match?
Tones Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 I think the poppy incident is fair enough. Can't really expect outside Fein Derry to honor the British army. Think he was wrong to turn his back. He didn't have to respect it either, but might have been a bit much disrespecting it. Think pulls is right. Tone it down
Guy_Incognito Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Semantics, maybe, but he didn't turn his back, is my understanding, just stayed facing forward while everyone else turned 90° to face it. The bigger question is why was all this going on in a pre-season friendly, ffs?
Crazy Horse Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Who cares really? I presume he asks to be paid in Euros too?
Ethan Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Who cares really? I presume he asks to be paid in Euros too? No - Derry uses sterling
Tones Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Semantics, maybe, but he didn't turn his back, is my understanding, just stayed facing forward while everyone else turned 90° to face it. The bigger question is why was all this going on in a pre-season friendly, ffs?Good points. I thought he turned his back. Fair enough if so
johngibo YPC Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 It doesn't sit right with me. We're all trying to be mates now and thatDon't think it helps
Des Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 (edited) What a load of fuss over absolutely nothing."Snub to England's flag" I just read that Torygraph piece. Hysterical nonsense with a quaint anti-Irish tinge. Edited July 21, 2015 by Des
The Hitman Posted July 21, 2015 Author Posted July 21, 2015 It doesn't sit right with me. We're all trying to be mates now and thatDon't think it helpsAgree with this,but I guess it's easy for us to say.
surf Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 What a load of fuss over absolutely nothing."Snub to England's flag" I just read that Torygraph piece. Hysterical nonsense with a quaint anti-Irish tinge. bang on
Des Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 (edited) The Telegraph has anti-Irish form. Luke Edwards can go f*ck himself with a red hot poker with a St George's cross hanging off it. Edited July 21, 2015 by Des
muleskinner Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 What a load of fuss over absolutely nothing."Snub to England's flag" I just read that Torygraph piece. Hysterical nonsense with a quaint anti-Irish tinge.That is what he's doing isn't he? Perfectly entitled to do so but he is making a visible protest knowing there will be a reaction in the media. I don't know anything about his background but could there be an element of playing to a gallery at home? As others said above why was there even this stuff going on at a pre season friendly?
magic melia Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 (edited) The lad has the courage of his convictions. Edited July 21, 2015 by magic melia
Guatered Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 I'm from Northern Ireland. I don't know McClean's exact political sympathies, but I wouldn't describe myself as Republican and personally wouldn't have done what he did. Nevertheless - I think the fuss is unfair. I think that exactly the same as any other employee in any line of work, he has the right to not participate in symbolic political actions, even such as observing ceremonies. To reverse things - if an English person living in Ireland wanted to refuse to take part in a specific ceremony, I would be interested to know why, but certainly wouldn't get outraged and demand that he should leave the country. Indeed I think I'd admire the independence of spirit and thought, something that should surely be encouraged.
Sir Tokyo Sexwale Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 wasn't Gascoigne caught on camera whistling the British anthem once & a fuss was made? Certainly he once stuck his tongue out at the camera as it panned past & people weren't happy.
DazzlaJ Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 I'm from Northern Ireland. I don't know McClean's exact political sympathies, but I wouldn't describe myself as Republican and personally wouldn't have done what he did. Nevertheless - I think the fuss is unfair. I think that exactly the same as any other employee in any line of work, he has the right to not participate in symbolic political actions, even such as observing ceremonies. To reverse things - if an English person living in Ireland wanted to refuse to take part in a specific ceremony, I would be interested to know why, but certainly wouldn't get outraged and demand that he should leave the country. Indeed I think I'd admire the independence of spirit and thought, something that should surely be encouraged.Would the uproar have been the same, from the Irish media/people ? I am far removed from it so am just wonderingwasn't Gascoigne caught on camera whistling the British anthem once & a fuss was made? Certainly he once stuck his tongue out at the camera as it panned past & people weren't happy. He burped into the camera in Italy and I think there was an Italian national meltdown
Boca Posted July 22, 2015 Posted July 22, 2015 Another Telegraph article with a different slant - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/11753541/James-McCleans-flag-snub-starts-an-undignified-race-to-be-offended.html
Chili Palmer Posted July 22, 2015 Posted July 22, 2015 wasn't Gascoigne caught on camera whistling the British anthem once & a fuss was made? Certainly he once stuck his tongue out at the camera as it panned past & people weren't happy. Was that not Daley Thompson? Anyway, He's a young lad from Derry brought up on stories of Bloody Sunday. Standing with his head bowed was hardly a massive insult was it?
muleskinner Posted July 22, 2015 Posted July 22, 2015 Thompson was guilty of a bit of lighthearted homophobia on the podium
Sir Tokyo Sexwale Posted July 22, 2015 Posted July 22, 2015 Another Telegraph article with a different slant - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/11753541/James-McCleans-flag-snub-starts-an-undignified-race-to-be-offended.html In 1938 the England team famously performed the Nazi salute whilst playing in Berlin. And the irony is that had one of the England players dissented and turned his back on the swastika, he would now be hailed as a principled hero.
Bootser Posted July 22, 2015 Posted July 22, 2015 Rightly or wrongly all he did was illustrate his own personal point of view. I don't think he was being purposely disrespectful, he was hardly standing there with his lad out. Some might argue that a tattered Union flag flying from a Belfast lamp post could be construed as much more disrespectful. I recall Ossie Ardiles speaking up for his home country during the Falklands debacle and I don't think he came in for any abuse. This jingoistic f***a Edwards can piss right off. Not that I particularly give a fiddlers.
jimbolala Posted July 22, 2015 Posted July 22, 2015 I think what's unfortunate Is that we're talking about his stance, rather than his skills. Anyhow, he's from Derry and they've all a big chip on their shoulder , so it's normal banter for Derry folk haha
Boca Posted July 23, 2015 Posted July 23, 2015 Good article by Reade - http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/brian-reade-column-james-mcclean-6117991
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