Messages

Pretty lame tbh - skulking about at 4 or 5 in the morning when every f**ker is in their scratcher

So what about all the Jonny Evans knockers on this site?  Looking like a quality player.

It's sad when the flying of the tricolour at Celtic Park is regarded as a bigoted act, a deliberate attempt to play the sectarian card, rather than what it is, a club staying true to its founding ethos, Scottish and Irish.
Not too different from the attitudes in the North when a player declares for the South, he's all of a sudden regarded a bitter narrow minded bigot by NI fans, for expressing  (what is for the player) just a normal natural part of national identity.

Yes, boys like McClean feel so strongly about their national identity that it seems inextricably linked with the fortunes of the teams.

Yes indeed - Young McClean felt so strongly about his national identity that he was happy to represent Northern Ireland at U21 level

No I haven't.

Although my earlier statement's probably overstating it over a bit, as there's a NF element to the jam tarts support so it doesn't surprise.

Hibs, Aberdeen and Dundee thugs are most definitely equal opportunities c*nts tho'.

It wasn't just the Hearts fans who were the problem.  Also, not convinced that there is not a sectarian element to Hibbees support.

[It simply does not exist in Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, the Borders or the Highlands.]

Search me, but your sentence essentially reads "The whole pretendy irish/pretendy british thing and the irish organisation formed to combat the Society of United Irishmen nonsense".  Its a problem isolated to parts of West Central Scotland - those that suffered/benefitted from massive Irish immigration.  It simply does not exist in Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, the Borders or the Highlands.

You ever been to a Hearts vs Celtic match?  Naked sectarianism on a par with anything the Old Firm can serve up.

[mind you Evra got on like a spoilt brat when he didn't and seems like such a dick that he has failed to come out of the whole affair with his reputation intact]

Didn't see the game but Suarez should have shaken Evras hand and drew a line under it, mind you Evra got on like a spoilt brat when he didn't and seems like such a dick that he has failed to come out of the whole affair with his reputation intact. Not hard to see there were a few posters on here were delighted he didn't shake as they can go into full keyboard warrior mode and obviously the media will be delighted too as they will get a few more days out of it.

The usual three Tyrone posters have made a fool out of themselves as usual today.

How has he failed to come out of the whole affair with his reputation intact?  What has he done other than be racially abused?  Also, given Suarez's actions in the handshake that never was and his general air of petulance throughout the game, is it any wonder Evra enjoyed the victory at the end?

The 9 county Ulster flag is flown, which is quite correct. However, if the symbols of the 26 county state are used at these home matches (and the flag and the anthem are both in evidence) then to be consistent the IRFU should also use the symbols of the 6 county state too. .

The 6 Co devolved administration has no flag therefore the 6 Co "state"/Statelet/twothirds of a Province/area/etc hasnt got a symbol to compare with the Tricolour.
As the Ulster Branch of the IRFU runs rugby in the 6 Co area and the IRFU run the rugby internationals it's fair to say the IRFU got it right.

As for the FAI "accidently" flying the yellow flag before replacing it with the Northern Ireland flag prior to the most recent ROI vs NI international? - Petty in the extreme.  Given the steps taken by the IFA to make football more inclusive in the "6 Co "state"/Statelet/twothirds of a Province/area/etc", actions such as this are hardly helping matters.  Funnily enough, this was not really widely reported.  Can you imagine the stink if the IFA pulled a similar stunt?

Going a biteen out of your way to be offended there Michaelín 
There isn't a North(east)ern Ireland flag any more. ..  so  surely a green flag with the IFA crest in it is the appropriate flag when that area's soccer team is playing . Also might help with the oul inclusive soccer for all business  (and before you go whatabout -  yes I know the GAA could simply fly no flag in the 6 Cos.)

Not offended in the slightest - I was simply stating that their actions were petty and unlikely to achieve anything positive

The 9 county Ulster flag is flown, which is quite correct. However, if the symbols of the 26 county state are used at these home matches (and the flag and the anthem are both in evidence) then to be consistent the IRFU should also use the symbols of the 6 county state too. .

The 6 Co devolved administration has no flag therefore the 6 Co "state"/Statelet/twothirds of a Province/area/etc hasnt got a symbol to compare with the Tricolour.
As the Ulster Branch of the IRFU runs rugby in the 6 Co area and the IRFU run the rugby internationals it's fair to say the IRFU got it right.

As for the FAI "accidently" flying the yellow flag before replacing it with the Northern Ireland flag prior to the most recent ROI vs NI international? - Petty in the extreme.  Given the steps taken by the IFA to make football more inclusive in the "6 Co "state"/Statelet/twothirds of a Province/area/etc", actions such as this are hardly helping matters.  Funnily enough, this was not really widely reported.  Can you imagine the stink if the IFA pulled a similar stunt?

The point below was taken from a post on the OWC website:

"There were more Catholic players playing for Linfield last Saturday, and more Catholic players playing for Northern Ireland in their last International match than the total number of Protestants that have represented Derry GAA at senior level since partition".

Not sure if this has been verified, but if true it is an interesting point

Don't Connacht play in green?

imo the red and white ulster flags are off putting. but i accept not having been to a match i could be getting the wrong impression

Ravenhill has a great atmosphere and I'd have no hesitations in attending there. The fact that the red and white flag is flown in the crowd alongside the yellow and red says a lot.

Was up at the Ulster Munster Rabbo direct a few weeks ago and thought it was a great atmosphere, apart for the lad who insisted on whistling SUFTUM into my ear throughtout the match...
4 lads decked out in Munster gear beside me from Crossmaglen, got chatting and they said the can't abide Ulster rugby and travel to most games in Thomand park.
Think it just reinforces the "club" nature of rugby, don't necessarily have to be from the province to support a team...

Or that they are bitter as f**k
Who really gives a shite if there is the odd NI flag?  Surely the fact there there are yellow Ulster flags and red and white NI flags is a good thing / in the spirit of the GFA

Surely language used in NI and Scotland would still be much more silimilar than comparisons between language used in Scotland vs the ROI and in language used in Scotland vs England

None of them as close as the language used in Northern Ireland vs Republic of Ireland though?

Perhaps - Would there not, though, be significant differences between use of language / terms used etc in N.Ireland and Cork or Kerry?

Are there not close ties / links in relation to religion (Presbyterianism), use of language, pipe bands, country dancing etc - Hard to see how these elements of Ulster Unionist culture would be an alien thing?
[/quote]

Scotland's a broadly secular place, religion certainly doesn't have the influence it used to, except in places like Lewis, where the Ulstermen would feel uncomfortable by the fact that the locals spoke Gaidhlig!

Despite the name "Ulster-Scots", the language isn't that similar to the Scots spoken on the mainland, and the vocabulary is certainly different.  Country dancing isn't unique to Scotland and NI and neither are pipe bands.  Again, we'd tend to associate Ulster Protestant culture more with flute bands than pipe bands.
Doesn't every almost military in the world have a pipe band, including the PDF?
[/quote]
Surely language used in NI and Scotland would still be much more silimilar than comparisons between language used in Scotland vs the ROI and in language used in Scotland vs England
In addition, I never said that pipe band music and country dancing were unique to Scotland and NI - I was simly saying that their prevalence in NI would mean that Ulster Unuionist culture would not necessarily be an alien thing to most Scots

So is this not acceptable / somehow sectarian when sung at WP?

Do you think it is sung at Windsor Park?

Yes - It is sung at every home game

So is this not acceptable / somehow sectarian when sung at WP?

They're not singing for Monaghan, Donegal and Cavan. 

Perhaps not - Therefore, SUFTUM factually incorrrect yes, but not sectarian

[Most Scots would find Ulster Unionist culture a strange and alien thing]

I find it hard to believe that the natural home of Ulster Protestants on the mainland is St. Andrews University.  Its an English exclave full of private school sloaney types.

As a Scot, I wouldn't say that Ulster Protestants are particular kinsmen of mine.  Outwith a certain of type of rangers supporter, I can't think of any Scot that would see them as our closest relatives.  Through our own history of emigration, I feel a greater connection with the Canadians and Kiwis than I would with an Ulsterman.

Ulster-Scots may be a dialect of my language, but its very different to the the doric spoken at home.

All in all, I hope the Ulster Protestants don't look at us for unity or kinship, because it just isn't there.  We don't don't like them, we don't dislike them - we simply don't think about them.

I've got a feeling that this article's sh*te and that EG and nifan will back me up on this.

Would it not be the case that there are stronger links between the SW of Scotland and Ulster Protestants?

Probably, although it could be argued that there's been links between the SW of Scotland and the NE of Ireland long before the plantation.

Most Scots would find Ulster Unionist culture a strange and alien thing (and, of course, the taint of Glasgow bigotry further reduces it's appeal outside of parts of Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire)

i think the writer's making the classic mistake that because the old firm dominate the sports pages, they say something about the wider nation.

Are there not close ties / links in relation to religion (Presbyterianism), use of language, pipe bands, country dancing etc - Hard to see how these elements of Ulster Unionist culture would be an alien thing?