DO U THINK WINDSOR PARK IS INTIMIDATING FOR CATHOLICS?

[Donagh]

Do the hundreds of nationalists who live in the streets around WP

Now don't be getting carried away there Sammy...

Sorry for being thick but what am I getting carried away with?

Well considering I've highlighted the relevant point, you seem to be attempting a pretty good impression of it.

The streets around Windsor Park consist of Olympia Drive, Olympia Parada, Ebor St, Ebor Parade, Runnymere Dr and Donegal Avenue, Tavannagh St, Benburb St and the lower end of Tates Ave. As you well know and despite your deliberate attempt to give the opposite impression, theses are all predominately loyalist area. A quick glace at either the murals, graffiti, or flags currently adorning these streets will confirm that.

[nifan]

Donegal avenue?

the streets off lisburn road - melrose street, edinburgh street etc are closer than that. Eglantine av etc is closer as well.
Youve no need to go throught he area you are talking about to get there donagh

[Donagh]

Donegal avenue?

the streets off lisburn road - melrose street, edinburgh street etc are closer than that. Eglantine av etc is closer as well.
Youve no need to go throught he area you are talking about to get there donagh

Really. I take it that maps have been altered:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&client=firefox-a&q=Melrose+St,+Belfast+BT9,+United+Kingdom&hl=en&cd=1&sll=54.162434,-3.647461&sspn=9.478247,23.203125&mpnum=0&z=16&iwloc=addr&om=1

For those that don't know, Windsor Park is the big grey bit.

[mooncatiii]

Donegal avenue?

the streets off lisburn road - melrose street, edinburgh street etc are closer than that. Eglantine av etc is closer as well.
Youve no need to go throught he area you are talking about to get there donagh

Really. I take it that maps have been altered:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&client=firefox-a&q=Melrose+St,+Belfast+BT9,+United+Kingdom&hl=en&cd=1&sll=54.162434,-3.647461&sspn=9.478247,23.203125&mpnum=0&z=16&iwloc=addr&om=1

For those that don't know, Windsor Park is the big grey bit.

i take it that map puts your argument to the sword! 

[full back]

It's Tates Avenue & the streets that run parallel to it that I think catholics would find intimidating when going to WP from the Lisburn Rd - IMHO

[Gabriel_Hurl]

[nifan]

Donagh, I apologise, I somehow thought of donegal road.

my point stands that access through edinburgh st etc is through areas with a pretty mixed make up

As for people claiming its in the middle of a loyalist ghetto - one side is industrial esatat, one backs on to a sports centre used by all persuasions and one onto mixed lisburn road - hardly the ghetto

[nifan]

i take it that map puts your argument to the sword! 

No actually, though i admit the mistake in my response to donagh.

[Donagh]

Okay, let's put it like this. The area on the Windsor side of the railway tracks is predominantly loyalist. The area between Tates, Northwood St and Lisburn Rd is mixed. Access can be gain via the footbridge over the tracks at the end of Great Northern St, however the main route in would be via the loyalist end of Tates.

[nifan]

Id agree donagh - most people would enter via tates.your explanation doesnt sound like the middle of the ghetto claimed by some

[GweylTah]

Given that plenty of Catholics support the NI soccer team and the ground has also hosted Cliftonville and Dunganon Swifts home European games, and their fans, recently, as well as fans of all the Irish League teams and those teams taking part in the Setanta Cup, the evidence would suggest it isn't intimidating in the least, in a concern for safety kind of way.  Oh, and the camogie team training there, happily by all accounts. That's just a few examples.

If Windsor Park is intimidating to away teams and fans in a getting behind the home side sort of way, so what?  That would be a good thing, as in sport generally.

Prods in Casement Park, on the other hand ...  that would be like the Bernard Manning Fan Club appearing at Notting Hill Carnival.

[Donagh]

Given that plenty of Catholics support the NI soccer team and the ground has also hosted Cliftonville and Dunganon Swifts home European games, and their fans, recently, as well as fans of all the Irish League teams and those teams taking part in the Setanta Cup, the evidence would suggest it isn't intimidating in the least, in a concern for safety kind of way.  Oh, and the camogie team training there, happily by all accounts. That's just a few examples.

If Windsor Park is intimidating to away teams and fans in a getting behind the home side sort of way, so what?  That would be a good thing, as in sport generally.

Prods in Casement Park, on the other hand ...  that would be like the Bernard Manning Fan Club appearing at Notting Hill Carnival.

Catholics and Prods – that's just about sums up the limits of your thinking.

[nifan]

Gwyltah - i havent been to casement, but many of my friends have offered to take me to a game - to say i wouldnt be welcome is simply untrue, there may be some dicks, but nearly every one i know who goes is fine with "prods"

[stew]

I have been in WP a few times and the last time was enough for me and that was the Billy Bingham inciting a riot game against the Republic. I have never experienced a worse atmosphere in my life and vowed never to return.

12 or so years on I think that things have improved although that would not be hard but I think I would give it a go if I was home and somebody gave me a free ticket and I had nothing better to do, mind you I wouldnt walk in until the game was underway.

[SammyG]

I have been in WP a few times and the last time was enough for me and that was the Billy Bingham inciting a riot game against the Republic. I have never experienced a worse atmosphere in my life and vowed never to return.

stew

You're getting as bad as Tony, there's no point repeating lies that have long since been shown to be complete and utter bollix. As you are well aware Billy Bingham never incited anybody, that night or any other time. A quieter, nicer, gentleman (in the old fashioned sense of the word) you could never hope to meet and the fact that fcukwits like yourself try to drag his name through the gutter is sickening.

12 or so years on I think that things have improved although that would not be hard but I think I would give it a go if I was home and somebody gave me a free ticket and I had nothing better to do, mind you I wouldnt walk in until the game was underway.

Knob.