South Belfast North of Ireland Supporters Club

[updown9194]

Yes, the tricolour an offensive flag, what with its conciliatory attitude towards Republicanism and Orangism. What a horrible message to send to the children. If ever we get round to discussing arrangements for the 'real republic' I somehow doubt you'll be prominent at the negotiating table.  

I never described the tricolour as offensive - those are your words, not mine. I described it as the flag of the 26 county state, which it is. I stated that I consider it an inappropriate choice as the flag of the real Irish republic if and when that state emerges. If you fancy responding to the opinions I express, rather than ones you make up and then attribute to me, work away.

If it isn't offensive then it isn't inappropriate. It's as simple as that. If you would like to explain how it could be inappropriate then I am all ears.

[Myles Na G.]

If it isn't offensive then it isn't inappropriate. It's as simple as that. If you would like to explain how it could be inappropriate then I am all ears.

Something can be inappropriate without being offensive. The Irish tricolour would be an inappropriate emblem for a new 32 county Ireland, because it is the flag of nationalist Ireland, or at least 26 counties of it. Given that any new state will also include 900,000 protestant / British citizens, I feel it would be only but polite to ask them how they would like to be represented too. It would be my belief that few of them would feel that the tricolour could ever be 'their' flag, in the same way that I doubt that many of them will opt for A soldier's Song as their national anthem. Hence, both are inappropriate.

[Rossfan]

Have to (regretfully  ) agree with MnaG on the future flag/anthem issue when the All Ireland political entity comes about.
We'll have a bland flag ...white with a green Ireland in the middle of it... while we'll have a bland ditty..ár oileán álainn/our lovely isle/ something silly ulster scotch( grond wee plece surroonded be watter?) as an anthem.

[MW]

Union Jacks are to be seen everywhere in Windsor Park at most games from what I've seen on the television. The Ulster Banner is used as well, which is at least equally offensive. Correct me if I'm wrong on that one because I must flick over to see the score at the most inconvenient times.

That's a gross exaggeration. There are Union Flags there, but if the numbers reached double figures it would be just about. Vastly outnumbered both by Ulster Banners and various green and white or green, white and navy flags.

You're flip-flopping badly here by the way - you were talking about the flag the IFA uses, previously.

Also can I ask what your attitude to the Tricolour at Ireland rugby matches (or indeed international rules matches) is?

I would 'posit' that most of the voters in Sinn Fein wouldn't have much trouble using the term Northern Ireland--I'll admit to preferring 'North of Ireland' but nomenclature is a petty subject.

Hardly a "petty subject", given that SF elected representatives refuse to use the term Northern Ireland precisely because (ridiculously, given their 'support' of the GFA and participation in government) they seek to deny that they would give any legitimacy to Northern Ireland. This cuts right to the heart of their attitude to the NI football team. I would, however, agree that most of their voters wouldn't have the same trouble with the term.

Get rid of the anti-Catholic atmosphere, or the perceptions of an anti-Catholic atmosphere, and there would be goodwill from all sides. Loyalist sticks and stones may break my bones but 'Northern Ireland' will never hurt me.

The very fact that you're saying this gives the lie to it, really. There is no "anti-Catholic atmosphere". Sectarian chanting has been successfully stamped on, and this "perception" would be more to do with the mind of the perceiver. For some people (a minority of nationalists) it's the very existance of the Northern Ireland team that's the problem.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Had a great laugh on Thursday morning, they got a lad, head of one of the ni supporters clubs (best fans in the world, don't you know) on the phone from Albania, the guy starts of by tearing lumps out of Nigel Worthington (knock off Nigel he called him), blames the fact that they got beat on the manager and generally blamed him for everything! Amazing how the worm can turn. 

[MW]

Had a great laugh on Thursday morning, they got a lad, head of one of the ni supporters clubs (best fans in the world, don't you know) on the phone from Albania, the guy starts of by tearing lumps out of Nigel Worthington (knock off Nigel he called him), blames the fact that they got beat on the manager and generally blamed him for everything! Amazing how the worm can turn. 

Erm, what do you mean...were you under the impression he was massively popular?

[ziggysego]

Had a great laugh on Thursday morning, they got a lad, head of one of the ni supporters clubs (best fans in the world, don't you know) on the phone from Albania, the guy starts of by tearing lumps out of Nigel Worthington (knock off Nigel he called him), blames the fact that they got beat on the manager and generally blamed him for everything! Amazing how the worm can turn. 

Erm, what do you mean...were you under the impression he was massively popular?

Wasn't he?

[MW]

Nope.

Fairly big divide among NI fans on Worthington*. Some like him and rate him, others dislike him and want to see the back of him.

Many of the latter haven't forgiven him for being the Tinkerman who came in and blew our chances of qualifying for Euro 2008. And that's the camp I'm in (I was there in Riga and Reyjavik and it's still seared into my memory).

(Or "Worthlesston", as my camp sometimes calls him...)

[ziggysego]

Never knew that MW. I thought he was held in the same regards as Lawrie Sanchez.

[MW]

Never knew that MW. I thought he was held in the same regards as Lawrie Sanchez.

Far from it - but then you've hit on another divide there.

Some will point to Worthington blowing Sanchez's legacy with those disastrous results in Latvia and Iceland, as well as his tinkering of the team and adoption of less direct tactics. Others will point out his results have been in the region of Sanchez's - and Sanchez walked out on us.

I just can't warm to him.

[Orior]

Nope.

Fairly big divide among NI fans on Worthington*. Some like him and rate him, others dislike him and want to see the back of him.

Many of the latter haven't forgiven him for being the Tinkerman who came in and blew our chances of qualifying for Euro 2008. And that's the camp I'm in (I was there in Riga and Reyjavik and it's still seared into my memory).

(Or "Worthlesston", as my camp sometimes calls him...)

Does OWC also hate the IFA? After all, they're the ones that got the team into the mess they're in by giving Worthington the contract they couldnt afford.

Orior's Advice: Cut your losses now OWC, and vote with your feet for an all-Ireland team that would be run properly, and better chance of qualifying. BWPN (Boycott Windsor Park Now).

[MW]

Nope.

Fairly big divide among NI fans on Worthington*. Some like him and rate him, others dislike him and want to see the back of him.

Many of the latter haven't forgiven him for being the Tinkerman who came in and blew our chances of qualifying for Euro 2008. And that's the camp I'm in (I was there in Riga and Reyjavik and it's still seared into my memory).

(Or "Worthlesston", as my camp sometimes calls him...)

Does OWC also hate the IFA?

After all, they're the ones that got the team into the mess they're in by giving Worthington the contract they couldnt afford.

Orior's Advice: Cut your losses now OWC, and vote with your feet for an all-Ireland team that would be run properly, and better chance of qualifying. BWPN (Boycott Windsor Park Now).

Oh God yes. There used to be a series in the fanzine called "Inept Farcical Absurd".

PS - you're not holding the FAI up as an example are you!

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Nope.

Fairly big divide among NI fans on Worthington*. Some like him and rate him, others dislike him and want to see the back of him.

Many of the latter haven't forgiven him for being the Tinkerman who came in and blew our chances of qualifying for Euro 2008. And that's the camp I'm in (I was there in Riga and Reyjavik and it's still seared into my memory).

(Or "Worthlesston", as my camp sometimes calls him...)

Surely the results in Riga and Reyjavik were fairly predictable given the North's longstanding record away from home.

[Paul Mc Graths Da]

A mate found these quotes on a BBC message board, lifted from our friends at 'Our Wee Country'


Following on from the Albania game last week, I decided to peruse the main NI fans forum called ourweecountry. So I decided to have a scoot around it to see what the "ordinary decent NI" fans had to say. As you can imagine they are a mite annoyed at the defections of young players to ROI. Here is a snippet from the award winning fans and you make your own judgments:

1. "We are losing more and more players to the Dark Side", the "Beggars"
2. "I work in Dublin but can't wait to get out of it. The only paper I can get down here is the Irish News" to which a poster responds "I would'nt clean my backside with that rag" before another recommends the Belfast Telegraph which can be bought in Easons in O'Connell Street.
3. One says "The IFA should begin by withdrawing from the Celtic Cup, and they should be lobbying the SFA and WFA to do so as well. Teams from the RoI should no longer be invited to partcipate in the Milk Cup. As far as it is possible they should be banning FAI coaches and scouts from watching all games in Northern Ireland, especially those involving schoolboys. And any other inter-association co-operation should stop immediately".
4. ..."Do Republic supporters ask our views about matters? I know I don't care much for what they think especially the one's that live in Northern Ireland".
5. "I can't put into words my hatred for the FAI"
6 "The IFA should ensure that Derry City are no longer allowed to operate within their jurisdiction as they seem to be the primary source of this cancer which is eating at our national team.As all these defectors have such an affinity with the RoI ,it is a bit strange that they prefer to earn their livings in BRITAIN instead of going to their beloved Dublin and playing for Shamrock Rovers or St Pats or whoever,but off course it is only payback for 10000 years of oppression"
7. "I do not believe that a manager (Nigel Worthington") should have to second guess a players' (Shane Duffy's) oportunistic republican sympathies"



Further quotes from NI fans, those honourable, non-partisan scribes on the website our wee country dot.com:

1. "For a long time, but not always, I have hated the FAI and that country with a passion. These days I would love to play them simply for the reason that they are sh*t* and I believe we'd win against them and therefore a against a lot more so-called 'glamourous opposition' than losing to meaningless games against bloody Albania".
2. "In the real world (not that of irredentist politics), to claim that Darron Gibson is as "Irish" as anyone from Dublin or Donegal is palpable nonsense and as transparent as the gesture of granting him of a Passport. I mean to say, if he feels so Irish, why couldn't he have moved a few miles up the road and actually lived there? Four years residence and a Passport suffices for eligibility for anyone else seeking to qualify for a given international team".
3. It's the FAI eyeing up our left footers that's the problem
4. "...A (FAI) base in Northern Ireland? Sure they don't need the overhead of a base, the ba*t**ds are already here tapping up our youth and playing on sectarian grounds to do so.......All these Politically motivated / mercenary players are doing is keeping NI players out of the team and leaving gaps at later stages of our representative teams. That's not on.
5. (on discussions to change the GSTQ anthem).."I agree with what you are saying except that I do believe in God and like the Queen. Also you will find that for a lot of people it is too much to ask. Anyway speaking of c * * t s that have no shame, I really hope this f * c * e r does his cruciate before the end of the season: Marc "poppy hater" Wilson- If it was always his dream to play for the Republic, then why did that leech play for our Under 15's and Under 17's...(another poster responds)" I was in Aghalee the other day and took a drive into Aghagallon. I tried to buy a Cream Egg in the local shop but they only accepted Euros and the road signs were in Irish. So I guess Wilson lived in an enclave of the Republic which takes in the Kilwilkie Estate in Lurgan How did they get away with that? Part of the GFA?

-On bringing ROI players into the NI squad (you have to pinch yourself to believe this considering the 1-0 to Albania)

"Given would be a cert, Dunne and Doyle would be in there too. Their team isn't very good at all and I'm more than happy with our own team without them (and that's before even considering stopping despising them). Their best player seems to refuse to play for them and yet some wee eejits from NI seem to think they are a great side and want to join them".





They're a real bitter bunch!

[stiffler]

5. (on discussions to change the GSTQ anthem).."I agree with what you are saying except that I do believe in God and like the Queen. Also you will find that for a lot of people it is too much to ask. Anyway speaking of c * * t s that have no shame, I really hope this f * c * e r does his cruciate before the end of the season: Marc "poppy hater" Wilson- If it was always his dream to play for the Republic, then why did that leech play for our Under 15's and Under 17's...(another poster responds)" I was in Aghalee the other day and took a drive into Aghagallon. I tried to buy a Cream Egg in the local shop but they only accepted Euros and the road signs were in Irish. So I guess Wilson lived in an enclave of the Republic which takes in the Kilwilkie Estate in Lurgan How did they get away with that? Part of the GFA?