East Belfast welcome soccer teams from nationalist areas?

[Doogie Browser]

Disgusting attack by scum on innocent children.  Nelson has limited knowledge of sports though so maybe he does not know of these teams existence and cannot comment,

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Disgusting attack by scum on innocent children.  Nelson has limited knowledge of sports though so maybe he does not know of these teams existence and cannot comment,

Yet and all is able to quote from the GAA rule book a mere couple of hours after an event in Galbally, no sorry he may be more interested in his "makey uppy" language then sport, but he has advisors and his silence on this matter is disgusting and very enlightening! Also these events took place on council owned property another reason there should be a statement.
As for the lack of media coverage, are we really that surprised at this stage?

[Main Street]

McCausland, like most Unionist political vocal critics of the GAA, have a beneficial interest in fanning reasons for hate and intolerance of the Nationalist community.
However, it never ceases to amaze me how so called educated people, jump on that particular bandwagon of ignorance.

[Evil Genius]

Actually, it is a regular occurrence after NI internationals for cars carrying supporters to be stoned when passing through Nationalist areas, most notably the Markets or the Westway etc

From the man who loves to back everything up- Your missing a link or evidence EG. Quit the equalising- if the shoe was on the other foot Im sure you'd be on the 10th page.

There is no evidence, since like so many other "low-level" anti-social events in NI, neither the PSNI nor the Media appear to give a stuff about it.

But it has happened to me and enough of my friends for me to know that it occurs.

P.S. I suppose I could reproduce here some of the multiple posts complaining about it which appear on OWC, but I don't suppose you'd accept such accounts as being reliable... 

[Orior]

Actually, it is a regular occurrence after NI internationals for cars carrying supporters to be stoned when passing through Nationalist areas, most notably the Markets or the Westway etc

From the man who loves to back everything up- Your missing a link or evidence EG. Quit the equalising- if the shoe was on the other foot Im sure you'd be on the 10th page.

There is no evidence, since like so many other "low-level" anti-social events in NI, neither the PSNI nor the Media appear to give a stuff about it.

But it has happened to me and enough of my friends for me to know that it occurs.

P.S. I suppose I could reproduce here some of the multiple posts complaining about it which appear on OWC, but I don't suppose you'd accept such accounts as being reliable...

You should, as the likes of myself is banned.

[boojangles]

Actually, it is a regular occurrence after NI internationals for cars carrying supporters to be stoned when passing through Nationalist areas, most notably the Markets or the Westway etc

From the man who loves to back everything up- Your missing a link or evidence EG. Quit the equalising- if the shoe was on the other foot Im sure you'd be on the 10th page.

There is no evidence, since like so many other "low-level" anti-social events in NI, neither the PSNI nor the Media appear to give a stuff about it.

But it has happened to me and enough of my friends for me to know that it occurs.

P.S. I suppose I could reproduce here some of the multiple posts complaining about it which appear on OWC, but I don't suppose you'd accept such accounts as being reliable...

Your just paranoid EG. I have never been on OWC,I have nothing against NI soccer,Im sure most of the supporters are decent but I don't see the point of going on to a Board to discuss topics which have no real relevance or interest to me.

[dec]

Report on the UTV site.

http://u.tv/News/Youths-attacked-by-sectarian-mob/47909c47-9dee-4591-b20a-5ea767619e60

Youths attacked by sectarian mob

The manager of a Catholic football team has spoken out after his teenage players came under attack from a sectarian mob in east Belfast.

The windows of their bus were stoned and they were verablly abused as they tried to leave the football grounds at Victoria Park.
The under-15 football team had been playing a friendly match against another team from Ardoyne on Wednesday night.
The east Belfast pitch was the only venue available, but the Short Strand team felt safe playing there because thay had used it before without incident.

As the match was being played a group of older teenagers began to gather at the sidelines.
When the two teams finished the game and tried to reach their buses, which were parked outside the grounds, the vehicles were attacked.
No one was hurt in the incident, but the bus was badly damaged.

Police have confirmed that they are investigating the incident and they say a sectarian motive is one line of inquiry.
The youth club organisers say it will cost £1000 to fix the damage

There is also a video of the story

http://u.tv/utvplayer/UTV-Live-Football-team-attacked/124805/101992/47909c47-9dee-4591-b20a-5ea767619e60

[MW]

This doesn't appear to be gaining widespread media coverage up here (unlike say a Hunger Strike commemoration at a GAA ground) but just to make you all aware. The other night two young soccer teams (average age 12) from Ardoyne and Short Strand (both nationalist areas of Belfast) met in a friendly game at the only available venue, Victoria Park in East Belfast. When the natives got wind of this a crowd gathered and wrecked one of the mininbuses and heaped torrents of sectarian abuse on young kids.

Let me see. Some people in other parts of East Belfast don't like the people in the Short Strand. Wow! Next you'll be telling me that there are people in the Short Strand who don't like people in the rest of East Belfast.

Where have you been living for the last 40 years, eh?

As for the lack of "widespread media coverage" which you claim, notwithstanding the despicable nature of such an incident, what is really new or newsworthy about (relatively) low-level sectarian disturbances in NI? I mean to say, were there eg masked men with replica weapons in attendance? Or possibly, say, several of NI's best known political figures?

Have you heard the condemnation from Mr Mc Causland? Me neither.

Have you heard McCausland refuse  to condemn it? Do you know whether he is even aware of this incident? Given the lack of "widespread media coverage", has it occurred to you that no journalist has yet bothered to ask him for his views?

Incidentally Victoria Park is near the peoposed location of the new North of Ireland soccer stadium. And they claim to attract catholic support?

Re the proposed new NI football stadium, the site to which you refer (Blanchflower Park) is not anyones preferred location (bar one developer with a financial interest in BP). Oh, and Victoria Park is actually closer to the Odyssey than it is to BP. Presumably that is because the Belfast Giants don't want Catholic support, either...

P.S. Back in the real world, I recently came across one small item of soccer news which also received little media coverage. When Paddy Kelly, a stalwart of Donegal Celtic FC from the heart of Nationalist West Belfast was awarded a testimonial, guess which club provided the opposition? A Glentoran "Legends" team, no less. Yep, that's Glentoran FC from the heart of Loyalist East Belfast, just up the road from Victoria Park in fact.
Amazing, really. I suppose next someone will be claiming that the Glens frequently field as many Catholic players as Protestant, including even well-known GAA players - as if that could ever happen! 

http://www.dc-fc.com/news_story.php?ID=272
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/dual-dilemma-cannot-hide-mccabes-impact-1432202.html
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/mccarthy-was-first-soccer-and-gaa-star-13913011.html

o jeezuz
a usually large link punctuated piece to try and sidetrack away and equalise here

it was soccer thugs wrecking things for 12 year olds match.
contrastingly different perspective and rant than what you were trying to imply on the GAA (and the weird yet peaceful commemoration at galbally)

yer empty content again fools no one. showing your true colours again. sickening.

As far as I can see it was sectarian scumbags attacking some young lads playing football.

"Soccer thugs"? Do you call people who would attack gaelic footballers "Gaelic games thugs"?

[lynchbhoy]

This doesn't appear to be gaining widespread media coverage up here (unlike say a Hunger Strike commemoration at a GAA ground) but just to make you all aware. The other night two young soccer teams (average age 12) from Ardoyne and Short Strand (both nationalist areas of Belfast) met in a friendly game at the only available venue, Victoria Park in East Belfast. When the natives got wind of this a crowd gathered and wrecked one of the mininbuses and heaped torrents of sectarian abuse on young kids.

Let me see. Some people in other parts of East Belfast don't like the people in the Short Strand. Wow! Next you'll be telling me that there are people in the Short Strand who don't like people in the rest of East Belfast.

Where have you been living for the last 40 years, eh?

As for the lack of "widespread media coverage" which you claim, notwithstanding the despicable nature of such an incident, what is really new or newsworthy about (relatively) low-level sectarian disturbances in NI? I mean to say, were there eg masked men with replica weapons in attendance? Or possibly, say, several of NI's best known political figures?

Have you heard the condemnation from Mr Mc Causland? Me neither.

Have you heard McCausland refuse  to condemn it? Do you know whether he is even aware of this incident? Given the lack of "widespread media coverage", has it occurred to you that no journalist has yet bothered to ask him for his views?

Incidentally Victoria Park is near the peoposed location of the new North of Ireland soccer stadium. And they claim to attract catholic support?

Re the proposed new NI football stadium, the site to which you refer (Blanchflower Park) is not anyones preferred location (bar one developer with a financial interest in BP). Oh, and Victoria Park is actually closer to the Odyssey than it is to BP. Presumably that is because the Belfast Giants don't want Catholic support, either...

P.S. Back in the real world, I recently came across one small item of soccer news which also received little media coverage. When Paddy Kelly, a stalwart of Donegal Celtic FC from the heart of Nationalist West Belfast was awarded a testimonial, guess which club provided the opposition? A Glentoran "Legends" team, no less. Yep, that's Glentoran FC from the heart of Loyalist East Belfast, just up the road from Victoria Park in fact.
Amazing, really. I suppose next someone will be claiming that the Glens frequently field as many Catholic players as Protestant, including even well-known GAA players - as if that could ever happen! 

http://www.dc-fc.com/news_story.php?ID=272
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/dual-dilemma-cannot-hide-mccabes-impact-1432202.html
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/mccarthy-was-first-soccer-and-gaa-star-13913011.html

o jeezuz
a usually large link punctuated piece to try and sidetrack away and equalise here

it was soccer thugs wrecking things for 12 year olds match.
contrastingly different perspective and rant than what you were trying to imply on the GAA (and the weird yet peaceful commemoration at galbally)

yer empty content again fools no one. showing your true colours again. sickening.

As far as I can see it was sectarian scumbags attacking some young lads playing football.

"Soccer thugs"? Do you call people who would attack gaelic footballers "Gaelic games thugs"?

no - we dont have the soccer disease !
thankfully the scenes as above and millwall v west ham are not an Irish/Gaelic football problem

[Orior]

As far as I can see it was sectarian scumbags attacking some young lads playing football.

"Soccer thugs"? Do you call people who would attack gaelic footballers "Gaelic games thugs"?
[/quote]

Yes of course.

How do you categorise those involved in the Glentoran/Linfield riots?

[stew]

As far as I can see it was sectarian scumbags attacking some young lads playing football.

"Soccer thugs"? Do you call people who would attack gaelic footballers "Gaelic games thugs"?

Yes of course.

How do you categorise those involved in the Glentoran/Linfield riots?
[/quote]

Any way possible as long as owc and the Ireland set up can be distanced from them.

The spindoctoring on this thread is hysterical from the usual suspects.

[saffron sam2]

[I myself was on a chartered fans bus which was pelted when swinging round into Boucher Road before a game, presumably by "concerned local residents".

Humour me here. Which end of the Boucher Road were you swinging into to?  The Glenmachan St. / Village end or the Stockman's Lane / commuter belt end?

[Maguire01]

Terrible incident this. But why the reference to "soccer thugs"? Those who carried out the attack were simply hoods.

One interesting point in that news report: The east Belfast pitch was the only venue available, but the Short Strand team felt safe playing there because thay had used it before without incident.
Makes it all the more regrettable that it happened.

[stew]

Disgusting attack by scum on innocent children.  Nelson has limited knowledge of sports though so maybe he does not know of these teams existence and cannot comment,

Nothing like harassing childer on their way to school or giving young football players abuse because of the Church they attend. What is wrong with these people?

[Roger]

I don't think Church attendance is really on the mind of the thugs involved, do you?

Was it church attendance that caused the trouble tonight in East Belfast or was it 'soccer thugs'?  Probably just better to blame 'the Prods' outright, they eat Catholic babies you know