Euro 2016 Qualifying

[Charlie Darwin]

Maybe some people go to away matches but don't tell everyone that they post on a message board.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Maybe some people go to away matches but don't tell everyone that they post on a message board.

Ha ha. Paul is right of course. Most don't bother their ass with home games, the social aspect aside, it's hard to blame them...

[back of the net]

Ha ha. Paul is right of course. Most don't bother their ass with home games, the social aspect aside, it's hard to blame them...

Note to Self : Fans Must become known to fellow Foot posters at away games otherwise it doesnt count as an away trip

[SkStu]

Note to Self : Fans Must become known to fellow Foot posters at away games otherwise it doesnt count as an away trip

just Paul. He will channel his acceptance or non-acceptance of you as a true fan on this forum at a subsequent date...

[paul_oshea]

Maybe some people go to away matches but don't tell everyone that they post on a message board.

Maybe, but i would still have seen them

Kazakhstan for example - oh did i post again CD- there was about 70 and i dont know everyone intimately i know the faces and lots of them post on ybig, but none mentioned foot.ie. That's just my experience, and I would chat to anyone Maybe saying they dont post on message boards is a fair point - i know lots who dont post on any MBs and go to games, and i know thats not what you were getting the dig in at CD - so ill slightly rephrase that most on here dont go to away games

Indirectly you would hear of lads who know lads, for example I heard a funny story about SvD once and leaving something up in Derry....the point is you would know or know of everyone.

Of course this is not the case for the big games.

Maybe we should do a little counter thing on here, of the posters(who comment on this thread) on here, how many went to away games in the last campaign? Everyones jumping in being all coy but I'd be willing to bet that the majority havent gone to more than 2, if even and id say few have gone to 1. Whether everyone tries to defend themselves as uber fans regardless of going to games or not by posting silly digs, is not my point here.

[SwanVsDalton]

Note to Self : Fans Must become known to fellow Foot posters at away games otherwise it doesnt count as an away trip

In fairness to Paul, I know what he means. I'm only an occasional traveller (only made it Germany in the last campaign) but would often go with MariborKev (who goes to pretty much all away matches). He often spends a lot of the trip pointing out foot.ie/ybig.ie posters. Everyone who travels regularly appears to get to know each other fairly well on trips, including who they are on here. Not to say, of course, that it's exclusively posters that travel, just that there is a friendly community who know each other exclusively from away games.

Indirectly you would hear of lads who know lads, for example I heard a funny story about SvD once and leaving something up in Derry....the point is you would know or know of everyone.

EDIT - Yeah, see! I don't think I've even met Paul, but he knows all about me! Benefits of going every time, you get the inside line...

[back of the net]

Indirectly once at an away game I heard a funny story of lads who judge whether fans go to away games on the basis of whether they are able to assign fans faces to their profiles on a football forum


However that story was so funny i refused to believe it

[paul_oshea]

So do you go to all the away games then BotNet?

[back of the net]

So do you go to all the away games then BotNet?

I most certainly dont paul

But ive been to a very considerable number of away games - competitive and friendly over the years-

But i didnt make it it to Georgia during the Kerr era - so u may not view me as a real fan

Equally i dont view myself any more a fan to those who may not have not been able to attend as many away games as I have for whatever reason.

In all my away travels i have never met any of the fine folk on Foot.ie purely because i tend to go with friends who are fans but arent member of Foot.ie or any other fans forum/group

I wouldnt expect anyone to recognise my face and equally i aint going to recognise the face of every fan that regulary goes on away trips.

[DannyInvincible]

Would say 60% Scotland, 40% Ireland.
The former figure has been on the rise in recent years.
But ironically a fair no.of the 'Scotland fans' would also support a united Ireland.

Or even want to keep the union with London FFS.

Should that really be of any massive surprise? Isn't it alleged that even some self-proclaimed Irish nationalists support the maintenance of the union these days? That would seem a greater contradiction to me.

Interestingly, I came across this article in the Irish Post a while back and thought it intriguing as I'd, perhaps ignorantly, assumed that the Celtic fanbase would be a hotbed for Scottish separatism: http://www.irishpost.co.uk/sport/ind...sh-nationalism

Independent thinking: Why Celtic fans are wary of Scottish nationalism

...

Many Celtic fans’ beliefs and behaviour is being neutered by the Offensive Behaviour Act (2012). This has been a contentious political happening that has alienated many football supporters.

In March, supporters organised a peaceful protest around the Gallowgate. Despite the nature of the event images of Celtic supporters being brought down violently and kettling tactics being employed by the police were posted on various Celtic websites.

In this context, how will Celtic supporters vote on the Scottish independence referendum next year? Are they likely to endorse the elevation of the country’s establishment?

Perhaps the Scottish first minister should have made some comment on recent events in Amsterdam — after all, he’s got ground to make up.

The Green Brigade have made their feelings about the SNP clear and they have an influence on many potential voters who currently feel alienated by the government.

Neil Lennon commended the Green Brigade for their support after wrapping up the league title in April. During that same game the fan organisation unfurled, not for the first time, an anti-SNP banner.

Alex Salmond’s comments during the Rangers tax case were another massive own goal. He misjudged the feelings of Celtic supporters when he said: “Celtic can’t prosper unless Rangers are there.”

Those words encouraged an immediate response from the club who underlined Celtic’s priority was Celtic, not the “fortunes” of any other club.

Salmond also described Rangers as “part of the fabric of the Scottish nation”. This encouraged one Daily Record columnist to ask: “And Celtic are what exactly?”

Many Celtic supporters have traditionally felt uncomfortable with aspects of Scottish Nationalism. As well as having a Scottish identity, being part of an Irish Diaspora is equally as valid or sometimes more important.

That means feeling connected to other Irish communities be it Liverpool, Belfast or New York.

The idea of separation means a significant detachment from Irish communities in Britain as well as a weakened position in Scottish society which has traditionally had a problem with Irish culture and it’s associations with Celtic supporters.

While players and those working at the club come and go, the unique identity of an Irish Catholic politically aware support endures.

The most recent example of the community feeling a sense of inequality was how the media reported events in Amsterdam.

Like it or not being Irish and Catholic in Scotland is still a problem for many not from that tradition, particularly in times of aggressive secularism.

Des Dillon, writer of Singing I’m No A Billy He’s A Tim, has suggested wearing a Celtic top in Scotland is a statement: it’s “declaring a lot of things: a Catholic morality, whether you’ve got it or not because that’s the root, you’re declaring tribalism, anti-racism and you are declaring that you are not completely locked into this country, your own town and your local team.”

Dillon’s point is one that remains particularly valid during the build-up to the referendum, in that for many Celtic fans, their state of mind transcends Scottish life and affairs.

Many supporters carry a sense of idealism and responsibility in supporting Celtic that might not fit into a Scottish Nationalist agenda. The Offensive Behaviour Act has proved that.

The politics of many Celtic supporters is about issues around the world as much as in Scotland.

Glaswegian Thomas Rannachan recently ran as a single issue candidate in the Govan by-election. He stood against the Offensive Behaviour Act, showing articulate opposition while providing an essential voice for many Celtic supporters.

He explained why he got involved: “In my current role, helping those aged 16-24 into work, I’ve encountered a lot of people who have been charged under this law. It makes it much harder for them to move forward.

“Football fans and those wishing to express their culture and heritage should not be persecuted by people who should be protecting them.”

Alex Salmond would do well to consider that culture and heritage sometime soon. At the very least; let’s open the door to a debate?

Ah di come on dont take everything so literally! Sense the sarcasm

It's nigh impossible to detect when you're engaging in self-parody!

Hypocrisy or double standards perhaps? Or maybe simply an unwillingness to challenge an established and respected poster in that way?

Meh, I dunno. As SvD pointed out, geysir and GR know what one another are all about. I didn't interpret geysir's words as being meant with any great degree of seriousness - I'm not sure how you could, to be honest - whereas TOWK not only appeared to misunderstand GR's generally-courteous intentions on here, he also completely misrepresented his views. The fact that GR saw fit to respond to TOWK but not to geysir should surely indicate where the pressing provocation lay. I value and enjoy GR's contributions as they offer a worthwhile rival perspective, if you will, and I'm pretty sure I've defended him and his presence on here in the past when his "agenda" came into question, but not because it was a board newbie or whoever baiting him with the situation offering up an easy target to gang up on and bully. The "experience" or reputations of the posters concerned didn't come into it.

I mean, Paul's an established poster, but it certainly wouldn't stop me pulling him up on his bull now and again. Whether or not he's a respected member is another question, mind, I'll grant you that!

[Charlie Darwin]

I think that article is interesting and makes sense, Danny. I can see why people with an Irish background would be threatened by Scottish nationalism, especially when their Irish identity has belatedly been recognised as an important part of British society. They might not have the same acceptance in an independent Scotland.

[Stuttgart88]

Where does the Scottish "establishment" sit on the issue of nationalism and independence? My understanding is that many of a Rangers persuasion loathe the SNP because being British is their prime differentiating factor against Irish descended Scots. I also know several non Catholic non Irish Celtic fans who hate the Scottish establishment (Rangers, the judiciary...) and are not even part of the Scottish Left, rather they are traditional enlightened liberals. So who exactly does the SNP attract?

[DannyInvincible]

"‘McCarthy and McGeady will be booed by Scotland fans,’ says Pat Nevin": http://thescore.thejournal.ie/aiden-...31761-Feb2014/

IRELAND INTERNATIONAL TEAM-mates James McCarthy and Aiden McGeady are set for a difficult return to their country of birth, according to former Scotland international Pat Nevin.

...

And speaking on Newstalk’s Off The Ball tonight, Nevin said he believes McCarthy and McGeady could come in for some criticism: ”There’s a lot of people that are angry with (McCarthy). There’s a very dark and subtle political side to it.

“But there are a lot of people who admire him for what he’s done.”

“He (McCarthy) will get booed. So will Aiden McGeady. I’m not sure how vitriolic it will be. From certain individuals in the Tartan Army, it will be.

“I come from (an Irish) background and I had the option between the Republic or Scotland. My Dad strongly favoured that I played for Ireland.

“My parents would have been Ireland supporters more than Scotland supporters and I’m first generation Scotland. But that didn’t make me anti-Irish.

“There will be some negativity but it will blow over. I don’t think it’s very deep-rooted.”

[geysir]

McGeady has endured much worse than a bit of booing in Scotland.
Water off a duck's back.

O'Neill plus Keane v Strachan, it's no contest.

[ArdeeBhoy]

That IP article and the score piece are just re-hashes of pieces doing the rounds for months now...
The first makes the mistake of assuming just the SNP support independence, or that all SNP politicians and activists are all the same...so what Alex Salmond thinks about Celtic fans is largely irrelevant.
Personally think, the Irish identity would be slightly 'suppressed' under any independence but not as some sort of campaign of persecution, just the enthusiasm of perceived freedom.
Sadly the independence campaign looks like falling short this time, so it won't be an issue.


As for Pat Nevin, given the number of times he's taken a self-righteous tone about his former fellow Celtic fans and then pretended to be a Hibs fan, is more likely to encourage booing by Tims than anything the SNP do in the near future.

And certainly less than anything than McGeady & McCarthy would get either.
At least from the Celtic constituency.

[DannyInvincible]

Self publicising cleric and one supporter: Verily ye shalt follow the whole truth of the Book of Leviticus. Or at least the bits we've cherry-picked

Stuart Elliott on the case: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26320857

A former international footballer, who is now a pastor, has said the Irish Football Association should challenge a decision that NI play a home game on a Sunday for the first time.

Northern Ireland are due to play Finland at Windsor Park, Belfast, on 29 March 2015.

The fixture is part of the qualifiers for the 2016 European championship.

Stuart Elliott, who played 39 times for NI, said: "I think they [the IFA] should be fighting it."

But IFA president Jim Shaw said the association, along with 53 other nations, had signed an agreement with European football's governing body.

He told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster: "We did make the point at the beginning but it is a contract we have signed with Uefa. There is no way they are going to deviate.

"It's equal for all 54 countries across Europe, and that's the way the agreement they have negotiated was set up.

"We didn't have a choice unfortunately. We are either in the club or we're not in the club. It's as simple as that at this stage.

"And it's absolutely important from a football perspective that Northern Ireland still plays in those competitions."

The fixtures were drawn by computer after the draw for Euro 2016 was made in France on Sunday.

'Evangelical country'
Northern Ireland start and finish their qualifying campaign with away Sunday fixtures, against Hungary, on 7 September 2014, and Finland, on 11 October 2015.

Mr Elliott said: "We have always had a strong tradition in Northern Ireland as a great evangelical country, so I would not be a supporter of playing football on a Sunday here, or having the fixtures on a Sunday.

"I think they [the IFA] should say, listen, we are a strong Christian country here, and we certainly should be having a look at it.

"I wouldn't be an advocate of Sunday football but there were some times when I was playing in England that I had to play a couple of Sunday fixtures because it was compulsory. I had to fulfil my contract with my clubs.

"I wouldn't advocate supporters going to watch it if they had their own free will to do so on a Sunday, I would uphold the Sabbath."

For six decades, no Sunday football was allowed in Northern Ireland for religious reasons.

But, in November 2007, the Irish FA voted to scrap the ban, although only a couple of senior football clubs have opted to play games on the Sabbath since.

The owners of Windsor Park - Linfield - have also previously made clear their opposition to playing games on a Sunday.

[Gather round]

Morning all, feel the love. No more rascally wind-ups, honest.

Stuart Elliott on the case: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-26320857

See ye on the picket line, Stuart

To keep the campaign going, maybe he'll stand for election to Belfast City Council. Like that SDLP guy who's an 'economic Unionist'. Or the Green Brigade lad in Glasgow who got 52 votes (ahead of the Britannica Party but well behind UKIP).

[ArdeeBhoy]

Yeah, right.
What are you on about...

[ArdeeBhoy]

In all my away travels i have never met any of the fine folk on Foot.ie purely because i tend to go with friends who are fans but arent member of Foot.ie or any other fans forum/group

I wouldnt expect anyone to recognise my face and equally i aint going to recognise the face of every fan that regulary goes on away trips.

Aye, but know the hardcore who do go to virtually every game and they would recognise you/each other, though maybe not from any MB.
But given the people, eg. who went to Armenia/Kazakhstan, 80% say were on YBIG. No-one's doing an exact count but it is a common factor...with many of the younger generation.


A fair few even started on here and then left...

[paul_oshea]

I dont know what Bull you are talking :P Or what bull you are referring to, but it was always backed up with factual and truthful answers. Whether it sounded believable or not isn't the question....

I often wondered who supported the SNP as well, I imagine they don't get many of those that live within the union but outside of Scotland or at least the ones I have come across from all perusasions would still want Scotland in the UK.