Scurrilous attack on all Gaels and Nationalists by O'Reilly's rag

[haveaharp]

Well you certainly didn't use your brian, that's for sure.

Who's Brian?

[SammyG]

Well you certainly didn't use your brian, that's for sure.

Who's Brian?

Tony's mate. 

[Chrisowc]

Well you certainly didn't use your brian, that's for sure.

Who's Brian?

Tony's mate. 

He has a mate?

[Evil Genius]

As for the IFA's FFA campaign and its alleged sucess, how many additional catholics now go to Windsor Park as a result?

FFA is not about attracting "additional Catholics" to WP; rather, it is about changing the atmosphere and environment surrounding football in NI, so that anyone who is genuinely interested in following the game may do so, irrespective of race, religion, colour, gender, disability etc.

As such, it has been widely recognised by a wide number of neutral, authoritative bodies - in this case Sport Against Racism Ireland, for example - as having achieved considerable success (even if the job is by no means complete).

In fact, you are just about the only person I've ever seen who refuses even to make grudging acknowledgement of the situation. I can only assume that this is because for you to do so would chip away at the very foundations of the wild and malicious bigotry which appears to sustain you and your sad, little fantasy world.

Anyhow, to answer your question directly, I have no idea how many RC's have been attracted to WP by FFA. However, I assume that those schoolchildren at Catholic schools which receive match tickets from FFA (as well as coaching, equipment etc) are RC.
As are the individuals I have met who have revealed themselves to be so, as is at least a section of the increase in crowds which we have attracted since the bad old days before FFA.
As are the people increasingly seen in NI tops in mixed, or even predominantly RC areas.

But in any case, even if it only attracted one more RC, it would still be the right thing to do; if nothing else, that would be one more extra supporter from "across the divide" than GAA seems to be attracting these days...
   

[T Fearon]

Shows the charade up for what it is...a charade.

Now Sammy even ridiculously attempts to deny Anton Rogan or Neil Lennon (to name but two) were ever victims of sectarian abuse.

FFA has no credibility among the people who matter, ie catholic/nationalists, and the North of Ireland support remains mono cultural. You only have to read the thread here on Windsor Park and observe how many people woild feel threatened by going to the ground.

Kenneth Mc Callister knows the score!

[MW]

FFA has no credibility among the people who matter, ie catholic/nationalists, and the North of Ireland support remains mono cultural. You only have to read the thread here on Windsor Park and observe how many people woild feel threatened by going to the ground.

Odd leap of 'logic', that.

[Yer Ma]

FFA has no credibility among the people who matter, ie catholic/nationalists

Yay! That's the open minded, forward thinking way ahead for the integration of different cultures in the North and South.

[SammyG]

Now Sammy even ridiculously attempts to deny Anton Rogan or Neil Lennon (to name but two) were ever victims of sectarian abuse.

When did this happen?

[T Fearon]

Er, late 80s/ early 90s, every time Rogan played (funnily enough this didn't trigger a football for all campaign, but maybe corporate sponsorship wasn't as important as it is today), as for Lennon there was loads of sectarian abuse (which even shocked Ole Gunnar Solksjaer during a game with Norway) culminating in the death threat which prematurely ended his career, after which the North of Ireland manager said Rangers players get worse in Dublin

[SammyG]

Er, late 80s/ early 90s, every time Rogan played (funnily enough this didn't trigger a football for all campaign, but maybe corporate sponsorship wasn't as important as it is today),

Complete bullshit

as for Lennon there was loads of sectarian abuse (which even shocked Ole Gunnar Solksjaer during a game with Norway) culminating in the death threat which prematurely ended his career,

Can you give us some details of this abuse, as you're obviously an expert?

after which the North of Ireland manager said Rangers players get worse in Dublin

Apart from that you've totally ignored the question, namely when did I deny anything?

[his holiness nb]

You only have to read the thread here on Windsor Park and observe how many people woild feel threatened by going to the ground.

No Tony Sammy has thrown that whole debate into doubt by casting the question as to how many people who voted against his view actually ever went to Windsor.
So if you want that thread to be taken seriously please let everyone who voted that way form a polite queue to show Sammy their ticket stubs 

It gets more surreal every day

[Jim_Murphy_74]

FFA is not about attracting "additional Catholics" to WP; rather, it is about changing the atmosphere and environment surrounding football in NI, so that anyone who is genuinely interested in following the game may do so, irrespective of race, religion, colour, gender, disability etc.

As such, it has been widely recognised by a wide number of neutral, authoritative bodies - in this case Sport Against Racism Ireland, for example - as having achieved considerable success (even if the job is by no means complete).

Firstly I would say that FFA is a commendable program and embarking on it alone is a success.  I would point out though that your example is an interesting one because if SARI reports are the barometer of success then the GAA is well up there.  Read the Anual Reports about the GAA participation in their programs.

Also on Today FM last week Trevor Ringland listed a number of initiatives that he was involved in with the GAA (some I ashamedly did not even know about).

So once again, while acknowledging the particular issue with the GAA in Northern Ireland, I put forward the motion that the picture is not as terrible as many would purport.

/Jim.

[SammyG]

You only have to read the thread here on Windsor Park and observe how many people woild feel threatened by going to the ground.

No Tony Sammy has thrown that whole debate into doubt by casting the question as to how many people who voted against his view actually ever went to Windsor.
So if you want that thread to be taken seriously please let everyone who voted that way form a polite queue to show Sammy their ticket stubs 

It gets more surreal every day

Aye you're right that's exactly what I said. 

[Maguire01]

Also you never ever see the GAA featuring as the lead subject on the sports back page, not even the AI Final between Armagh and Tyrone yet the most ibscure local sports are featured

Again are you taking the piss, GAA gets by far the lions share of sports coverage in the Tele

This is simply not true. The Telegraph appears to have one GAA writer and coverage is generally limited to a page or two maximum, and generally 4-5 pages in from the back of the paper.

As for Darren Graham maybe he should ask Anton Rogan and Neil Lennon and countless others how to develop a thick skin in the face of sectarian abuse...especially when it comes from one's own supporters,

Can you tell us what sectarian abuse you think either Rogan or Lennon received AT NI MATCHES and when this occurred?

Well here's two examples - both from the Telegraph archives, kinda ironically:

Thursday, March 01, 2001

SPORTS Minister Michael McGimpsey today promised tough new measures against louts in the football stands after the barracking of Neil Lennon.

The Stormont supremo voiced his disgust at the abuse heaped on the Celtic player, who was booed by a section of the crowd as he played for Northern Ireland against Norway last night.

Lennon was substituted at half-time and later appeared to suggest that he was rethinking his position with the team.

Today, Mr McGimpsey said: "Neil Lennon is a highly talented player with one of the most famous sides in Europe and we should all be able to take pride in him.

"For him to be singled out in that way was absolutely atrocious.

"Clearly there needs to be stronger steps taken to identify people doing this sort of barracking and make sure that they never get back in."

Mr McGimpsey pleaded with Lennon to stick with the side, saying the overwhelming majority of fans backed him. Other fans tried to drown out the minority who jeered Lennon's every touch of the ball. An RUC spokesperson said that there were no arrests at the match.

and

Why I didn't let Windsor boo boys upset me

Thursday, March 22, 2001

By Anton Rogan

I REMEMBER my first home game for Northern Ireland as a Celtic player as clear as day.
It was against Poland 13 years ago and unlike Neil's situation there hadn't really been that much pre-match publicity about how the Windsor Park fans would react to me.

To be honest it didn't cross my mind either. I was there to play a football match and do my best for the team. The manager Billy Bingham named me as a substitute.

As you can imagine being a young man I was itching to get on. When I was warming up a few people jeered me but I was too hyped up for the game to care.

Then came the moment for me to come on. It is fair to say I didn't get the warmest of welcomes from some of the Windsor Park crowd. My name was booed when it was announced over the PA system and for a while after that I suffered some abuse.

When I look back now it was sad that people who I was supposed to be playing for were booing me, but at the time it didn't bother me. To be frank, then or now, I wouldn't let it. I'm not trying to come across as a hard man here but I was there to play football. Nothing else mattered.

In any case, soon I had put one of their players up in the air and most of the abuse stopped. After the match there was a bit about it in the newspapers but it wasn't really mentioned by the players or the manager.

I think a few years on some of the boys asked me how I felt about it but it was never a big deal. My father and brother attended the game but like me they just got on with watching the game. After that first game as a Celtic player there was a little hassle for me in Northern Ireland games but nothing serious. In fact, I think I became quite well liked by the Windsor fans because they knew I always gave 100% for Northern Ireland.

I know Neil Lennon does exactly the same and I do feel sorry for what he has had to put up with. It has been far worse and far more high profile than what happened to me.

What I want to say first and foremost about Neil is that as a footballer he is top class and as a person he is gentleman. He is proud to play for Northern Ireland and all Northern Ireland fans should be proud that he plays for them.

I remember when I was nearing the end of my international career he was just starting and you could see then he had passion and wanted to do his best. I'm sure like me when the move to Celtic came up he couldn't turn it down. Think about it, if you have supported a team as a boy, that's who you want to play for be it Liverpool, Manchester United or Rangers.

But just because Neil moved clubs it didn't mean he was going to give less to Northern Ireland and from what I hear he was one of the better players against Norway last month. The abuse he received was terrible and as I've said worse than mine but I also think that before the match and after it the media certainly made the most of it. Obviously Neil is a high profile player and a really famous person back home and without doubt he should not have been subjected to booing from his own fans, but I think some people were waiting for it to happen as well.

Sadly there is hatred in our society and a few people are hellbent on staying in the dark ages. We must go forward and I was pleased to see the IFA bring out their new Code of Conduct for fans ahead of the game on Saturday against the Czechs. They should be congratulated for that.
And I also commend Sammy McIlroy on not letting Neil be interviewed before the game. I don't want this to turn into a circus. I'm sure Neil doesn't either. The boys are over to play a football match and collect a famous win.

From over here in England I'll be keeping a close eye on developments at Windsor and sincerely hope all goes well on and off the pitch.
Good luck to Sammy, good luck to Neil and the rest of the players and last but not least hopefully all the fans will enjoy the day. They can play their part. I remember when Windsor Park was an intimidating place to play - for the opposition. Let's hope it's that way against the Czechs.

Oh, by the way, i don't intent this post to be about point scoring. I think that what has happened to DArren Graham is ridiculous and should be condemned by all. I'm on record on this board saying as much. However your comments, Sammy G, were simply incorrect.

[Aerlik]

Sammy G, in the spring of 1986 (pretty sure it was in May), prior to their departure for the World Cup, the 6-Counties team played a challenge against Morocco at Windsor Park. Morocco won 1-0, too I believe.  I went to the game with two Protestant colleagues of my sister who, due to work commitments, couldn't make it.  Lucky her.

We were standing in the stand just in front of the press boxes. 

As soon as Anton Rogan's name was read out a torrent of vitriolic sectarian abuse started and continued throughout the game.  Every time he touched the ball, the language from those around me was, to say the least, very frightening.  To the point I will never, ever step into that shitehole again.  I think it was lucky for me that I was with two Protestants that night.  I also remember getting some stares as I didn't participate in the dirge to a foreign monarch either.

So there you have it, Sammy G. It did happen. I was there.  And that is, quite simply, the last time I ever lent anything resembling "support" to the 6-Counties team, even though the captain was a townie of mine.