This week's The Celtic View - Page 65!

[nifan]

Nifan, explain the difference between "all on OWC" or the actual words I used "far too many on OWC"

Im not talking about this comment in isolation. I am talking about your approach over years to the death threat lennon received specifically. You have always attempted to portray some sort of cellected blame for the p***k that did it.

How many people on owc were not outraged when lennon received his death threat?

[lynchbhoy]

have been looking for the Celtic view over the past couple of days Tony, it seems that these are only mickey mouse newsagents and only infrequently stock this mag- either that or theyve all had a run on them because you're in it this week!
Will look for one when out in a decent newsagent tomorrow

[Chrisowc]

typing goal famine into google gives amongst the first page of results

McIlroy sees Healy as the striker to end goal famine ...

So its hardly a new term in context of Healy never mind anything else.

Theres also talk of rooneys goal famine, coventry citys, battys.

Was his actual quote not  "I am pleased to score, the famine, the drought, whatever people would call it is over, and am so pleased to be on the scoreboard."

Seems that that was indeed what was said, according to to-day's IN. No-one could take any offence at that. Sorry, David.

It's just a pity he didn't say - I am pleased to score, the famine, the drought, whatever people would call it is over, and am so pleased to be on the scoreboard.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off home.

[Norf Tyrone]

I thought it was a joke that people took his comments as offensive.

Is it real?

[his holiness nb]

I thought it was a joke that people took his comments as offensive.

Is it real?

Me too.

[T Fearon]

Lynchboy, try Easons in O'Connell Street, if you're up that far.

Check out the Belfast Telegraph and the thread there on Healy, it has descended into an Anglo Irish war

[ziggysego]

I thought it was a joke that people took his comments as offensive.

Is it real?

I saw the interview as it went out on UTV after the game. Didn't pick up on the comments. With the benefit of hindsight though... still don't see what the problem is. A bunch of people just look for something to be offended up. Yes, the singing about the famine at Ibronx was terrible and disgusting. This can hardly be held in the same light, absolutely nothing wrong with it.

[Evil Genius]

Here is the interview in question:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlEoj6qJZ7w

Subsequently this attracted "outrage" from people either unaware of, or obtuse, to the fact that "goal famine" is a perfectly regular term in football. (For example, a simple Google of "goal famine" produces 1,680,000 replies.)

And then it went further, as this report on the UTV website indicates:

Thursday 23 October 2008 18:16

Healy threatened over comments

Northern Ireland record goal scorer David Healy says he is shocked and angry after death threats against him were posted on websites.

It follows comments he made after the World Cup win over San Marino when he said he was glad his `goal famine` was over.

Those remarks are now being seen as a reference to a Rangers fans' chant titled 'the famine is over, why don`t you go home?'

The interview has now been posted on YouTube, where Celtic fans have suggested that he is endorsing the Rangers chant, which is regarded as sectarian.

There have even been death threats.

Speaking to UTV on Thursday, Healey says he cannot believe the reaction to his comments.

"I made reference to famine and people have maliciously represented those comments. I am hugely disappointed in this. I am very angry."

This last report postdates an article by Celtic Football Club's Head of Media Communication, Tony Hamilton, in The Celtic View where, according to Tony Fearon:
"I see Tony Hamilton is his inside back page column of the View berates David Healy for saying "the famine's over" on tv in reference to his goal against San Marino last week and Hammy goes on to refer to Helay's flute playing display in the pre season friendly and says he should never have used the word " famine" given the current uproar!"  

Hamilton must know all about the poisonous sectarian atmosphere surrounding the Old Firm clubs, whereby e.g. Neil Lennon can get viciously assaulted on an evening out, or Nacho Novo was required to employ bodyguards following death threats.

Therefore, for Hamilton first to ascribe sinister meaning to an entirely innocent bit of banter by Healy (flute playing at Fulham), then seek to connect it with an equally innocent throwaway remark ("famine, drought or whatever") at Windsor , is the very height of irresponsibility, of the sort that could make Healy the next victim of the sectarian cancer that appears to infect Glasgow football.  

I would like to think that Celtic Football Club will see it this way, and take appropriate steps to admonish Hamilton. But I won't be holding my breath.

[saffron sam2]

(For example, a simple Google of "goal famine" produces 1,680,000 replies.)

Err, no it doesn't. It produces 4,820 hits.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=%22goal+famine%22&btnG=Search&meta=

Those quotations marks you put into your post above, but left out of your search make a hell of a difference.

One would get even more hits if one searched for famine goal than you did for goal famine.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=famine+goal&btnG=Search&meta=

Why the need for you to be disingenuous?

[Evil Genius]

(For example, a simple Google of "goal famine" produces 1,680,000 replies.)

Err, no it doesn't. It produces 4,820 hits.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=%22goal+famine%22&btnG=Search&meta=

Those quotations marks you put into your post above, but left out of your search make a hell of a difference.

I had hoped that my point was understood i.e. that those two words (without the quotation marks) produced 1,680,000 replies, thereby proving my point that this is a very common term in football, so that its use by Healy should be entirely unremarkable.

Now what point were you trying to make, other than how clever or pedantic you can be? Or were you trying to deflect attention away from my criticism of Tony Hamilton?

[his holiness nb]

Simple question, is there anyone here that thinks Healys comments were aimed at anything other than his recent lack of goals?

I for one say 100% no.

[ExiledGael]

Typical Old Firm bullshit. This is why I can't even bring myself to follow Celtic.
Don't believe for a second he was inferring anything other than his relief to be back on the scoresheet.

[baoithe]

Lads will ye stop contributing to sh*te threads like this. Hop over to Youngfellas thread on Girlfriend trouble where your valuable insights would be better spent - brilliant stuff.

[T Fearon]

I too don't believe that Healy was referring to that song, but you have to remember the goldfish bowl that is Glasgow soccer, and I can well understand where Hamilton is coming from here given the sectarian abuse meted out to the Celtic coach Neil Lennon both in Belfast and in Glasgow,which are constantly swept under the carpet or blamed on Lennon himself for provoking same. Also Healy's flute playing before a pre season friendly with Celtic needs also to be factored in as undoubtedly this proves that Healy is of a sectarian mindset and inevitably therefore put himself in a position where his future behaviour,actions and comments would be scrutinised.

A misinterpretation indeed I suspect,but Healy must accept a fair degree of blame given his past history with Celtic fans, I'm afraid.

Celtic are still treated unfairly in the Scottish media and by the Scottish FA (only yesterday Boruc was fined £500 for gesturing to Rangers fans singing vile odious songs and Rangers get off scot free as usual). It is only to be expected that heir head of media and communications will be on the look out for anything that could be construed as having a go at his club.

[ziggysego]