Football Banter

James McClean (WBA) makes headlines again for the wrong reason. After in the past refusing to wear a poppy on his shirt, this time he deliberately turned his back on the English flag while the National Anthem was being played during his team's tour to the States. Deliberately disrespecting any anthem or flag is totally wrong in a sporting arena.

If he feels so strongly about the UK (a country which has given him a very decent standard of living by paying him well) why doesn't he just piss off and play his football in some other country.

i thought we lived in a democracy? just because he works and gets paid in the uk doesn't mean he has to stand to attention every time the english national anthem is played. surprise surprise, it's the daily mail leading the patriotic charge! a bullshit non-story imo.

Politics should never play a part in sport and McClean turning his back during the national anthem was designed to do just that, if he really felt that strongly about doing so it might have been better to have simply not taken part in the singing.

And if its such a big deal how come nobody complains about Wayne Rooney when he mumbles his way through the anthem, he's supposed to be England captain?

he didn't really turn his back, he just didn't turn to face the flag. i honestly don't see the problem.



must be a slow news day at the daily fail.

I have no issue with people expressing their beliefs or principles, i just don't like politics and sport mixing.

Did the Daily Mail give reason why he did what he did. the fact he is from the creegan estate in Derry where 6 of the Bloody Sunday dead were from.

Can you imagine what stick he would have got when he went home

(20-07-2015 22:20 )terence Wrote:  i thought we lived in a democracy? just because he works and gets paid in the uk doesn't mean he has to stand to attention every time the english national anthem is played. surprise surprise, it's the daily mail leading the patriotic charge! a bullshit non-story imo.

Living in a democracy. Modern day democracy seems to be that foreigners can say and do what ever they like when it comes to the English but heaven forbid the English should be allowed to return the favour. Morrison is to stupid to understand that the poppys are a tribute to those that died so people like him are free to say what they like. If he dislikes England so much than he should refuse to do business with them if he is that principled.

I remember when England played Ireland at croke park in the 6 nations. First time a group of englishmen were seen in an official capacity at that ground since they murdered some participants and spectators at the all Ireland final. The supporters at the 6 nations game still respected the English anthem.

it's not that he's to stupid to understand what the poppy stands for, i'm sure he knows exactly what it means. i lost 2 great great uncles in the first world war but don't feel comfortable wearing a poppy. it's the politics in my country that are to blame as the poppy is seen first as a unionist symbol. i'm sure he didn't mean any disrespect to anyone. same with the anthem. but he has the right to refuse these things without some stupid newspaper hyping it as the crime of the century. that's as far as i'll go into politics on here, i don't want to offend anyone. i try not to care about it as much nowadays, i glad my kids are growing up in a relatively peaceful country and not in the one i did.

West Ham are through to next round of Europa League qualification after winning a penalty shoot out 5-3 after a 1-1 aggregate draw with Birkirkara, face Inverness CT conquerors Astara of Romania next

(22-07-2015 23:40 )setter1000 Wrote:  

(20-07-2015 22:20 )terence Wrote:  i thought we lived in a democracy? just because he works and gets paid in the uk doesn't mean he has to stand to attention every time the english national anthem is played. surprise surprise, it's the daily mail leading the patriotic charge! a bullshit non-story imo.

Living in a democracy. Modern day democracy seems to be that foreigners can say and do what ever they like when it comes to the English but heaven forbid the English should be allowed to return the favour. Morrison is to stupid to understand that the poppys are a tribute to those that died so people like him are free to say what they like. If he dislikes England so much than he should refuse to do business with them if he is that principled.

I remember when England played Ireland at croke park in the 6 nations. First time a group of englishmen were seen in an official capacity at that ground since they murdered some participants and spectators at the all Ireland final. The supporters at the 6 nations game still respected the English anthem.

That was Ireland not northern ireland its been 90+ years since independence from of the UK

you gotta look at it from the perspective of the troubles i mean
they cant even decide what the city is called Catholics call it derry Protestants call it Londonderry. thats like Christians calling it Birmingham and Muslim and jewish community calling it birming cos its not kosher or Halel ok thats a joke but you get the meaning

you go on about the poppy as a tribute to those that died so we could have freedoms surely that means the freedom to protest unarmed without being Shot. Where were those freedoms in 1972