More sectarianism in Irish League Football

[T Fearon]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/6943993.stm

Never thought I'd see the day when Linfield players would bet abused for being Catholics.

Wonder will the Belfast Telegraph print an opinion column on this? Naw sure its only a bit of craic

[MW]

Ballymena fans are absolutely apoplectic about Jeffrey's allegation. Linfield fans don't appear to have heard what Jeffery claims to either.

http://www.ballymenatimes.com/sport?articleid=3108129

http://www.ballymenaunitedfc.com/news/news_2007_08_13_1.htm

[his holiness nb]

MW, why would he make it up if he didnt hear it?

Otherwise what are you getting at?

[MW]

MW, why would he make it up if he didnt hear it?

Otherwise what are you getting at?

I'm not "getting at" anything. I wasn't there. Did you read those links?

However what I will say about Jeffrey is that he's a maniacal publicity whore whose common sense such as it is appears to go out the window on matchday. And am told he gets a fair amount of personal abuse from some in the Ballymena support. If it came down to believing him or the various Ballymena fans of my acquaintance, I know who I'd believe about what actually happened..

[MW]

A few comments from Ballymena fans on ILF:

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News Letter (and Alex Mills) - hang your heads in shame. That story is pure lies, I was in the Upper tier for the entire game and did not hear a single sectarian remark never mind a chant. I cannot understand Jeffrey's allegation at all, it simply never happened. Yes, he has been on the receiving end of personal abuse from BUFC fans before but to brand our fans as sectarian bigots is totally unacceptable and action MUST be taken against him for defamation and the News Letter for publishing this garbage (which I understand has already been mentioned on radio this morning).

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I was absolutely gobsmacked this morning when I read on the back page of the Newletter that Jeffrey has labelled the BUFC fans as sectarian. What an absolute crock of shite. He said that we called his team a 'bunch of fenians' and that this was confirmed by some of the Linfield fans. Bollix of the highest order. I am seething as I type this, as this type of lies by Jeffrey is defammation of our club and I hope our board persue an apology, at the least, from this clown. Our fans sung 'your just a bunch of bigots' to the Linfield crowd in the Kop Stand. Obviously Jeffrey saw this as a perfect excuse to try and get BUFC fans back for some of the personal abuse that has been dished out to him over the years.


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I really don't know what to say that hasnt already been said about this but it's ridiculous, i hope our club makes an official response and i buy the newsletter daily and will not lift the paper again until this pish it retracted.
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I also was in the upper tier and the only abuse i heard was directed at paul brown (might i add by the same people who were praising him one minute and slagging him the next - make up your minds)
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And some from Linfield fans:

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From my seat in the South Stand I heard nothing but a couple of songs associated with English teams "Blue Moon" and "I'm for ever blowing bubbles". Seems a very strange thing to take to the press, if it's not verifiable.
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For the record I didn't hear anything out of the ordinary, and I was in the kop stand.
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As I say I wasn't there, I'm looking at the accounts from those who were

[Tony hawks]

I was at the match on saturday and i can assure everybody ballymena fans didnt make any secterian comments indeed they sang your only a bunch of bigots at the linfield fans.David Jeffery has had a pick against ballymena fans since they sang songs about his private life.

[inisceithleann]

Will Jeffrey lose a lot of credibility if it's proved that he's lying? i've always seen him as a great manager and thought he'd try his luck in england at some point. Despite whats been said i can't see the motivation for him to make it up. In fairness to teams like Linfield. its great to see catholics playing for them. It'd be sad for this story to be true.

[MW]

Will Jeffrey lose a lot of credibility if it's proved that he's lying?

It's always hard to prove a negative, unfortunately for Ballymena United. As for losing credibility, his abaility as a manager woulnd't be questioned because of this and many IL fans outside Linfield would see him as a bit of a headcase at times anyway.

i've always seen him as a great manager and thought he'd try his luck in england at some point.

I wouldn't go that far!

Despite whats been said i can't see the motivation for him to make it up.

He could be smarting over the personal abuse he's got. He has a track record here. A few years ago, and having been on the receiving end of plenty personal abuse from Glentoran fans, and after a Big Two match in which his team lost in injury time, an altercation broke out in the 'tunnel' on the way into the changing rooms. Jeffrey got his spoke in first and went to the Telegraph with how he'd been assaulted by Glentoran supporters, he was always getting threats and abuse, etc. It was only the Newsletter that printed a more balanced story, giving the 'other side' freely aired over the internet that one of Jeffrey's players had actually broken one of the perspex panels in the tunnel and Jeffrey had come storming back down the tunnel to get involved in the altercation. Jeffrey's 'first strike' in the Tele meant that whatever the truth, the version which 'stuck' was his.

In fairness to teams like Linfield. its great to see catholics playing for them. It'd be sad for this story to be true.

Agreed.

[his holiness nb]

So all round denial that it happened so.

No, "If it did happen its terrible" or anything like that.
Just a rush to discredit the guy who made the allegations.
So a few people who were there say they didnt hear it and that means it didnt happen???

Or are the moral standards in that league so low that a manager of the top team would lie about sectarian abuse his players receive??

I find it funny how all the NI soccer contigent rush to say it didnt happen, or it probably didnt happen, or that the manager isnt to be believed when they are quick to jump on the GAA when something similar happens with Darren Graham and everyone on here A) takes Darrens word for it and B) supports him and hopes this sort of carry on is cut out.

Have the moral high horses bolted?  

[tintin25]

Will Jeffrey lose a lot of credibility if it's proved that he's lying? i've always seen him as a great manager and thought he'd try his luck in england at some point. Despite whats been said i can't see the motivation for him to make it up. In fairness to teams like Linfield. its great to see catholics playing for them. It'd be sad for this story to be true.

[inisceithleann]

 I think theres no reason why jeffrey couldn't make it in england. Why is this such a ridiculous suggestion? some of the managers in the lower leagues in england are awful, sure even roddy collins give it a go, as bad as he turned out to be. he's had incredible success at linfield and with a decent budget could do a decent job. with stephen kenny going to scotland a lot of clubs are copping on to the ability of managers this side of the irish sea.

[MW]

So all round denial that it happened so.

Certainly from those who were there I haven't come across anyone saying it did happen, apart from Mr Jeffrey.

No, "If it did happen its terrible" or anything like that.

See my post above.

Just a rush to discredit the guy who made the allegations.

I can't stand Jeffrey and have a number of bones to pick with him over previous publicity whoring. So shoot me.

So a few people who were there say they didnt hear it and that means it didnt happen???

Far more than "a few" - and not just saying they didn't hear it, many adamant it simply didn't happen. The fact that the Ballymena fans are so outraged at this allegation tells a tale too.

And I would have thought that given the dugouts are in front of the South Stand, and the Ballymena fans were in the North Stand, someone among the supporters would have picked up on a chant (worse than Rangers... ) apart from Mr Jeffrey.

Or are the moral standards in that league so low that a manager of the top team would lie about sectarian abuse his players receive??

Don't be so silly. Jeffrey's media prounouncements have bugger all to do with the "moral standards in that league", whatever that's supposed to mean.

I find it funny how all the NI soccer contigent rush to say it didnt happen, or it probably didnt happen,

"All the NI soccer contingent"?? What the bloody hell are you gibbering on about? (Myself and Tony hawks?)

or that the manager isnt to be believed when they are quick to jump on the GAA when something similar happens with Darren Graham and everyone on here A) takes Darrens word for it and B) supports him and hopes this sort of carry on is cut out.

First thing. Where in the fame of good feck did I "jump on the GAA" And where did I "take Darren's word for it" instead of listening what people had to say? (Did Tony hawks either I wonder?) And where were the vociferous denials that it took place?

Have the moral high horses bolted?  

I've always been consistent about my abhorrence of sectarianism. I don't know who's looking for a "moral high horse".

[his holiness nb]

Rather than post all the previous waffle why didnt you just say "100% right his holiness, well said".

Woudl have saved time 

[tintin25]

I think theres no reason why jeffrey couldn't make it in england. Why is this such a ridiculous suggestion? some of the managers in the lower leagues in england are awful, sure even roddy collins give it a go, as bad as he turned out to be. he's had incredible success at linfield and with a decent budget could do a decent job. with stephen kenny going to scotland a lot of clubs are copping on to the ability of managers this side of the irish sea.

Didn't say it was a ridiculous suggestion but couldn't see it happening. Yes, he's had incredible success at Linfield but the funds they have had in comparision to other league irish clubs is massive, in the context of the irish league of course. I'm sure even I could motivate the players and devise some sort of tactical plan to defeat teams such as Armagh City, Larne and Donegal Celtic!!!

[MW]

Rather than post all the previous waffle why didnt you just say "100% right his holiness, well said".

Woudl have saved time 

Yes, but it would also have been basically the polar opposite of what I meant...