Official Irish Football Association Thread (Northern Ireland)

[Avondhu star]

If you play soccer under the IFA and don't like their decisions or attitudes then you either leave like Derry City or you accept the situation or you work from within to change things. It is much easier to stand outside and play the victim or shout and wave flags to no effect.

GAA plays the Irish national anthem on virtually every occasion for county games and at all finals and flies the tricolour at all grounds, does this also make it guilty of creating a cold house for non-nationalists?

Nobody wins a cultural war, it is a never ending conflict that passes down the generations and all it creates is victimhood on all sides.

Boo hoo hoo but someone willbe offended

[Rawhide]

A massive own goal by the IFA, they have just insured that nationalist who may or were being persuaded that things had improved, or that they were welcome will now be persuaded to look towards the FAI. Yesterday's PR disaster wil take a decade to reverse

[imtommygunn]

Did the IFA always play GSTQ before the cup final? Or what's the story?

Apparently not. Friends of mine were at the last cliftonville cup final - i think they said it was 2010- and said it wasn't played then. They said the ifa voted to bring it back in.

[David McKeown]

A massive own goal by the IFA, they have just insured that nationalist who may or were being persuaded that things had improved, or that they were welcome will now be persuaded to look towards the FAI. Yesterday's PR disaster wil take a decade to reverse

I completely disagree. The organisations stance on things like Irish players will keep many more nationalists away than a decision to enforce a rule voted upon by its board membership. Anyone who claims that this decision has persuaded them to look towards the FAI was simply looking for an excuse in the first place.

[David McKeown]

Did the IFA always play GSTQ before the cup final? Or what's the story?

Apparently not. Friends of mine were at the last cliftonville cup final - i think they said it was 2010- and said it wasn't played then. They said the ifa voted to bring it back in.

I understand that prior to 2012 it was decided on a game by game basis but that the board ratified the playing of it at every final since. Cliftonville have had ample opportunity to try and change that policy but as far as I know never did.

[imtommygunn]

Poor decision to be honest. Won't attract nationalists to windsor.

[David McKeown]

Poor decision to be honest. Won't attract nationalists to windsor.

If the anthem hadn't have been played would it have attracted more to windsor?

[imtommygunn]

I don't know. Neither do you

Turnstiles were very congested round kickoff time. I think what it probably did was make a lot of people come in later to avoid it. That was probably the main impact.

I am not ridiculously outraged or anything here but if it previously wasn't played then I don't think it is a particularly progressive step to bring it back. That is all.

[David McKeown]

You are quite right I don't but my issue is it was voted on by the management committee several years ago. Member clubs can bring motions at AGM's etc if they wanted it changed. That didn't happen. The majority of those involved want it played. It's being played at the associations showpiece event, it's not being forced to be played at every game. As a nationalist my far bigger issue with the IFA was taking players to court for wanting to play for their country and doing everything in their power to stop them. The playing of GSTQ pales into insignificance in comparasion with that

[Applesisapples]

I have no difficulty with playing the anthem the association identifies as its national anthem. The same is played before the FA Cup final. It's not an anthem being played for either team in the match.

makes a mockery off football for all, IFA are a sectarian organisation.

[Applesisapples]

I think I agree with that. I don't think it should be changed simply because Cliftonville are involved. As I say though it's not an anthem for them though. It's the anthem of the association whose competition they have entered. I see little difference between this and the playing of the National Anthem at GAA games. Should it not be played if one team requests it not played?

I agree with you David. However I think what Cliftonville should do is to respect the anthem for its entirety. Then when its finished, belt out Amhran na bhFiann or The Celtic Symphony. The IFA have just made a serious misjudgement but they'd nothing else to do, either offend the catholic minority in attendance or offend the larger minority of Prods in attendance? It was a no-brainer for them

Oh God forbid that anyone would-be offended!
Fûcking welcome to each other

You're busting your hole to be offended on this very topic, to be honest.

Not at all. We just laugh at your kindergarten antics

So on one hand we are incapable of showing each other respect like some of your previous posts? Then when we try, it's not worthwhile?

I'll stand here on this tile and say what I am Avondhu, I'm a proud Tyrone Republican who can't understand why Catholics play or go to Windsor Park in the first place (personal opinion). I vote SF, because they were inextricably linked to a group that gained the Catholic population in the north a significant increase in equality, and I continue voting SF because they represent what I believe is our best chance of a United Ireland......now Avondhu let me read some of what you stand for? Instead of constant barbs, anti-North hysteria and general gombeeness that you spout.

Have you some sliced pans you could be putting onyour head?

You really are a dick, and I try not to insult on the board, are you Fearon?

[Applesisapples]

The IFA don't care about taigs coming to Windsor, except as uncle Tom players, they are British and no Irish need apply.

[David McKeown]

I think their stance on Irish players playing for Ireland proved that. I don't think the anthem has any impact on that one way or other.

That said I have been involved in youth coaching for the last 12 years and have had opportunity to interact with the IFA on a lot of issues and I haven't experienced any secterian treatment outside of what I mentioned above.

[Owen Brannigan]

I have no difficulty with playing the anthem the association identifies as its national anthem. The same is played before the FA Cup final. It's not an anthem being played for either team in the match.

makes a mockery off football for all, IFA are a sectarian organisation.

It is sectarian in the same way that the GAA is a sectarian organisation.

IFA is allowed to be a sectarian organisation by those who are involved with the IfA as players, coaches, administrators and supporters.  If non-unionist, non-British citizens of N.Ireland who are connected with the IFA as outlined above engaged in the organisation, got onto committees, voted at meetings and AGMs to ensure that they were proportionally represented within the IFA then the organisation would be radically changed.  Instead, it is easier to stay outside, allow those of an opposite political and national position to run the organisation and just become victims.

[supersub]

This thread/discussion is very sad, and sums up the wee North in a nutshell.

The NI politicians get lambasted for not being able to get on and make progress, take a look at the reaction of both sides to this one incident and tell me how anyone expects progress to be made at any level.

Blind patriotism is holding the country back.