James McClean M Wrexham b.1989

[Paddy Garcia]

I was particularly disgusted when Colin Murray had a dig at McLean last year on Match of the Day.

He could just not help himself and a jibe borne out of bigotry escaped.

[IsMiseSean]

Didn't Colin Murray get sacked from MOTD since?

[Charlie Darwin]

Murray now presents the Bad Darts Organisation show on BBC, so some measure of justice there.

[DannyInvincible]

Came across this on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ballsdotie/posts/10152121288281042?comment_id=31907586&offset=0&total_comments=20


Easy to criticise and hard to praise seems to be the case for James!
No mention funny of the recent death of a young Derryman who unfortunately died in New York!
His family could not afford to get his remains flown home, it's a costly affair approx £2500
But James mcClean dipped into his own pocket and paid the fare!
As I say Hard to praise!
Well done James in this case!

Nice gesture, assuming it's true.

[tricky_colour]

Nothing new there. Only a matter of time before MO'N bars him from Twitter?

Though if people constantly have a dig, you can understand why he has a go back.



It's a breach of his human rights to ban tweets.

Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression;
this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and
to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media
and regardless of frontiers.


The right to tweet is enshrined in human rights law.

I doubt Martin would want to end in the International Criminal Court in The Hague on crimes against humanity charges like Slobodan Milošević.

[DeLorean]

I was particularly disgusted when Colin Murray had a dig at McLean last year on Match of the Day.

He could just not help himself and a jibe borne out of bigotry escaped.

I didn't know this but I must say I liked Murray as a presenter, very witty. The new guy is pretty dry.

What did he actually say re: McClean?

[DannyInvincible]

If I recall correctly, he referred to him as "the Northern Irishman", or something along those lines, with an added cheeky grin. McClean responded on Twitter to correct him.


It's a breach of his human rights to ban tweets.

Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression;
this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and
to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media
and regardless of frontiers.


The right to tweet is enshrined in human rights law.

I doubt Martin would want to end in the International Criminal Court in The Hague on crimes against humanity charges like Slobodan Milošević.

I'm not wholly certain how to interpret this. Do you do irony, tricky?

[DeLorean]

If I recall correctly, he referred to him as "the Northern Irishman", or something along those lines, with an added cheeky grin. McClean responded on Twitter to correct him.


Oh right, I presume this is the incident. (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/colin-murray-get-it-right-james-mcclean-reveals-why-he-snubbed-northern-ireland-28713401.html) I was actually at that Stoke v Sunderland game, probably why I missed motd2!

When I saw Paddy Garcia's post I presumed it was a non-poppy wearing related dig. I'd be surprised if he meant it in a sinister way really.

[SwanVsDalton]

When I saw Paddy Garcia's post I presumed it was a non-poppy wearing related dig. I'd be surprised if he meant it in a sinister way really.

He didn't. It was a pitiful barb, but a joke nonetheless. Murray doesn't seem a bad sort but he is an avowed NI fan - and not every NI fan is out to get us.

[DannyInvincible]

Aye, it was nothing more than harmless banter, to be fair. It would be wrong to insinuate there was malicious intent behind the quip. Murray's always struck me as fairly good-natured and harmless enough.

Anyway, O'Neill has spoken: http://thescore.thejournal.ie/james-mcclean-twitter-martin-oneill-1181410-Nov2013/


Martin O’Neill: I’ve spoken to James McClean about latest Twitter gaffe

MARTIN O’NEILL HAS been here before with James McClean.

The newly-installed Ireland boss had to deal with James McClean and issues with Twitter while manager of Sunderland.

And in O’Neill first week in the FAI job, the Derry-born Wigan winger labelled the Belfast Telegraph as a “bitter sectarian paper,” whose journalists are “bigots” in a tweet to a friend yesterday.

“[I] wasn’t overly pleased,” said O’Neill in Poznan on Monday night ahead of the friendly clash against Poland.

“James seems to enjoy the Twittering, his performance merited one or two tweets from other people saying how well he’d done rather than James getting embroiled in it again.

So, it all leads to the whole thing again about the tweeting. I think even before I arrived here there was a match-day ban on tweeting. I think even a match-day minus one or plus one whatever the case may be. But I’ll have a look at it, I’m just experiencing these things again.

“I don’t want to be a guru over this social media. Players… I think there needs to be a bit of responsibility really and sometimes I think the players don’t realise after all this time — maybe they do — that this is a public media. Anything you say is picked up.

“I’ve reminded James you know. The last time with James, it was a fairly lengthy time since the last time I mentioned it to him so there’s been a lot of tweeting under the bridge since then.”

Asked if the episode will see McClean — man-of-the-match against Lativa — drop to the bench, O’Neill said: ”If I’m going to leave players out cos they’ve tweeted then I’m going to be in serious trouble down the line. That’s a sort of semi-joke, you know that?

“If James doesn’t start tomorrow night it won’t be anything to do with the tweeting. But I’ll still have to have a word with him.”

Was it a gaffe though? That would suggest James had erred in his evaluation. :p


Oh right, I presume this is the incident. (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/colin-murray-get-it-right-james-mcclean-reveals-why-he-snubbed-northern-ireland-28713401.html) I was actually at that Stoke v Sunderland game, probably why I missed motd2!

When I saw Paddy Garcia's post I presumed it was a non-poppy wearing related dig. I'd be surprised if he meant it in a sinister way really.


Martin O’Neill and James McClean have two things in common. Number one: they are both doing quite well at Sunderland. Number two: both men were born in Northern Ireland.

There can be no dispute over either of those facts. They were even born in the same county.

You would think, therefore, that both O’Neill and McClean would be considered as Northern Irish.

Londonderry-born McClean, however, says that’s not the case.

Either McKinley is disingenuously playing dumb or he's been asleep his whole life...

Out of interest, does the Belfast Telegraph's style-guide require their writers adhere to referring to Derry as "Londonderry" or do those who write pieces on McClean for the paper make it their personal business to outline the "official" title of his birthplace in case it slipped any fools' minds? It just comes across as inappropriate point-scoring when used in a non-unionist context, but then I'm not really used to its usage so it jumps out at me as rather alien. Nobody I know personally refers to the city as such and the only people from whom I've ever received what you might term hassle over the "naming dispute" have been outside of Ireland - indeed, in Manchester - and not even from Derry themselves.

One was from Ballymena, young and drunk in a club a few years ago; the other was from east Belfast, haggard and sobered-up sitting on the street begging under a cash machine that I was using a month and a half ago. Both sought to "correct" me - sternly and without any hint of humour or this being banter - after I replied to their enquiries as to where I was from. In fact, my "faux-pas" in the latter instance, combined with it transpiring that I had no loose change (I didn't, I swear!) to give to this downtrodden begging man, for whom I'd initially felt a sense of growing familiarity or empathy as a result of the shared northern accent, suddenly saw him burst into action. Any sympathy I'd had soon evaporated as he promptly jumped to his feet, frothed vitriol at the mouth - "you fenian Irish c*nt" and so forth - and, most bizarrely of all, broke into a loud and very public rendition of 'The Billyboys'. As I crossed the street, shocked by this unexpected explosion of suppressed loathing, to take refuge in a black cab my girlfriend was already occupying, he waved his fingers after me and blared further expletives. The last thing I heard before pulling the door shut behind me was the depressing and delusional roar of, "I didn't want any of your f*ckin' taig money anyway; sure I make two hundred quid a day!" A severe case of sour grapes...

Of course, on the other "extreme", in the sense that it is perhaps untypical for a mainstream British publication, in spite of its leftist ethos, the Guardian outlines the following in its style-guide: http://www.theguardian.com/styleguide/l


Londonderry
use Derry and County Derry (first mention, thereafter Co Derry)

The Times' style-guide (or what at least once was) is interesting too:


Londonderry, but Derry City Council; and Derry when in direct quotes or in a specifically republican context (this latter rarely)

[Gather round]

Out of interest, does the Belfast Telegraph's style-guide require their writers adhere to referring to Derry as "Londonderry" or do those who write pieces on McClean for the paper make it their personal business to outline the "official" title of his birthplace...It just comes across as inappropriate point-scoring when used in a non-unionist context, but then I'm not really used to its usage so it jumps out at me as rather alien. Nobody I know personally refers to the city as such

A quick search reveals some interesting titbits on page one. It's now Uluru rather than Ayers Rock, and Auld (not Oul') Lammas Fair. But Antichrist can be hypenated, or not to taste.

Generally, given both collapsing revenue and ever more intelligent technology, formal style guides will probably go the way of the quill pen quite soon.

Only a few Unionists that I know- and who tend to (have) live(d) there- spell or even say out Londonderry nowadays. Plenty of others don't want the official name changed though.

Your new friend from Ballymena sounds an enterprising fellow. If a tad uncouth ;)


Of course, on the other "extreme", in the sense that it is perhaps untypical for a mainstream British publication, in spite of its leftist ethos, the Guardian outlines the following in its style-guide:

The Guardian's line isn't extreme, but it is often silly. For example, when comparing statistics from each region of the country, the map leaves out NI.

A couple of older nuggets: for many years, particularly in the 'Punt' era, the Irish Times actually cost less in NI and the rest of Britain than in the South. The euphemism they used on page one was 'Sterling Area'.

Your own Sunday Business Post once published my letter gently chiding their reluctance to refer to Northern Ireland by name. The otherwise unedited version ran "Dear Sir...Please don't call the North the North".

Well, I laughed.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Except that story's as old as the hills...

[tricky_colour]

If I recall correctly, he referred to him as "the Northern Irishman", or something along those lines, with an added cheeky grin. McClean responded on Twitter to correct him.



I'm not wholly certain how to interpret this. Do you do irony, tricky?

I can do, however the point is tweeting dos not affect McClean's or any other players' ability to play football so
it should not be a concern for Martin.
The reference to Milošević was a bit inappropriate as I don't think he used twitter much.

So basically I am just championing free-speech, or rather free-tweets.

Legally speaking I don't think O'Neil has the power to ban tweets, I think O'Neil studied law but
it seems he din't get as far as the human rights stuff.

[BonnieShels]

I can do, however the point is tweeting dos not affect McClean's or any other players' ability to play football so
it should not be a concern for Martin.
The reference to Milošević was a bit inappropriate as I don't think he used twitter much.

So basically I am just championing free-speech, or rather free-tweets.

Legally speaking I don't think O'Neil has the power to ban tweets, I think O'Neil studied law but
it seems he din't get as far as the human rights stuff.


Dear Lord man. Step away from the absinthe.

[DannyInvincible]

Legally speaking I don't think O'Neil has the power to ban tweets, I think O'Neil studied law but
it seems he din't get as far as the human rights stuff.

Employers (clubs) can place Twitter bans or other forms of gags in a player's contract if they wish. The player isn't compelled to sign the agreement, but once he has signed up, he's obviously under a legal duty to adhere to the policies of his employer. The right to freedom of expression isn't absolute.

As far as international football is concerned, no, O'Neill can't ban tweets as there's no formal contract in place, but if he did have an issue with a player tweeting, he could always advise the player to refrain, in line with what might be his personal policy. If the player wasn't to follow his advice, O'Neill would be under no obligation to continue selecting the player in question. Nobody's human rights would be interfered with. The player would still be free to tweet 'til his heart's content. :rolleyes:

Anyhow, it seems that whilst O'Neill would probably rather James stayed off Twitter, it's not something over which he'll drop him so long as he's playing well and focused on his game.

[Fixer82]

To be fair though, he hasn't tweeted anything too controversial in a long time has he?

(Open to correction here)

[DannyInvincible]

To be fair though, he hasn't tweeted anything too controversial in a long time has he?

(Open to correction here)

Well, he did refer to the Belfast Telegraph as a "bitter sectarian paper" and to its writers as "bigots" only four days ago. That stirred a fair bit of controversy which led him to delete the tweet in question.

[DeLorean]

No sign of his Twitter wars (https://twitter.com/JMcC_23/status/410139277998440449) calming down any bit

[wonder88]

According to an English journalist he got very bad abuse at the Millwall match, which the journalist considered bordered on racist. This was a week ago and there has been no mention of this on say the BBC website football section or in the national media in England or Ireland (possibly I missed but unlikely). The PFA have not issued any comment either or the clubs involved. I suppose an Irish guy is fair game for this carry-on but imagine if it was a black or jewish player for example?

[Charlie Darwin]

People can always hide behind the poppy thing. Read any English football forum and the slurs will be thrown around. It's unfortunate but as far as most people are concerned it doesn't count as racism.

[Bungle]

http://www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-athletic/millwall-2-latics-1-1-6302514

Wigan's best player according to this. Maybe we should give him dog's abuse as it seems to bring out the best in him:)

[Crosby87]

Why does it say that charlie is banned?

[SkStu]

For the sins of his unborn descendants.

[SkStu]

CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE
Wigan are ahead against Sheffield Wednesday thanks to some sterling work from James McClean. The Republic of Ireland international gets his first goal for his new club after drilling into the corner from inside the box after a strong run.

[DeLorean]

Match abandoned at 0-1. Sickener for McClean and Wigan.

[geysir]

What happens now,
play the remaining minutes another day or replay the whole game?

[Charlie Darwin]

What happens now,
play the remaining minutes another day or replay the whole game?
It'll be replayed at the next available opportunity. I don't know why it's not the same as the Champions League - I guess because they can't play the rest out in the morning.

[ArdeeBhoy]

The whole game is usually replayed as a FL fixture...

[DeLorean]

Yeah it's crazy really. Same thing happened in a Charlton match earlier in the season... one of the sides were up 3-1, think it was whoever they were playing. Crazy having to start from scratch after that. The most controversial thing was that some fella had got a red card. His suspension was upheld, yet everything else to do with the game was written off, like it never happened.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Except it's been like that for years.
Not sure what the rules & regs.say but down to the individual competition.

[DeLorean]

Yeah obviously the rules are the rules and everybody knows this is the way it is. That doesn't mean the rules aren't daft though or warrant discussion. For me, the Galatasaray Juve approach makes more sense and could certainly be adopted by English football. It's not like the the distance one side may have to travel is so substantial that it justifies restarting the match.

[OwlsFan]

Gutted :)

[Crosby87]

Charlie does not eat chicken, even if it is from Crackbird.

[SkStu]

Charlie does not eat chicken, even if it is from Crackbird.

If I had to do the same, again, I would, my friend, eat Nando's.

[Charlie Darwin]

There's no stream so I can't check, but it looks like McClean is playing up front today?

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25789221

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

There's no stream so I can't check, but it looks like McClean is playing up front today?

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25789221

No. Maynard up front.

[tetsujin1979]

just scored to put Wigan 2-1 up

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

..... As above!

[Stuttgart88]

Sometimes it's ok just not to post.

Edit: Oops, just seen the other thread with Yopper's and Tets' posts. I get it now :)

[wonder88]

A great goal according to bbc reporter on final score, glad for him.

[Charlie Darwin]

Just saw his goal on ITV - very tidy finish with the outside of his boot, although it was a little fortuitous in that it trickled in. I'm disappointed that he no longer seems prepared to cut in and hit the ball with his right foot. When he was playing for Derry, this is something he'd do constantly, to the point where he could strike it as well with his right as his left.

[SkStu]

Goal!
Goal! Ipswich Town 1, Wigan Athletic 1. James McClean (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Marc-Antoine Fortuné.

Currently 2-1 away to Ipswich.

[DannyInvincible]

Is McClean injured at the minute or is there any reason in particular as to why he didn't make the bench for yesterday's FA Cup semi-final?

[Charlie Darwin]

Is McClean injured at the minute or is there any reason in particular as to why he didn't make the bench for yesterday's FA Cup semi-final?
Tactical omission, presumably because they needed more defensive options: https://twitter.com/PKendrickWIG/status/455014061135384577

[DeLorean]

They could have done with him after Arsenal equalised. Rosler had taken Wigan's best outlet, McManaman, off at that stage as well and any slight threat they had going forward was gone for the remainder of the game and extra time.

[bennocelt]

They could have done with him after Arsenal equalised. Rosler had taken Wigan's best outlet, McManaman, off at that stage as well and any slight threat they had going forward was gone for the remainder of the game and extra time.

Yeah they also looked like they settled for the penos, with still 30 minutes to play

[Roberto]

Yeah they also looked like they settled for the penos, with still 30 minutes to play

They are a limited Championship side, you hardly expected them to go toe to toe with Arsenal? I thought Rosler set them up very well and they defended excellently. I think most Wigan fans were worried when Caldwell come on and mystified when he stood up to take first penalty. Seemingly McMannaman took a knock which is why he came off. McClean still has a role to play in their last 5 games. I would have brought Maloney on instead of Powell who is a lazy selfish git with an inflated ego.

[DeLorean]

They are a limited Championship side, you hardly expected them to go toe to toe with Arsenal? I thought Rosler set them up very well and they defended excellently. I think most Wigan fans were worried when Caldwell come on and mystified when he stood up to take first penalty. Seemingly McMannaman took a knock which is why he came off. McClean still has a role to play in their last 5 games. I would have brought Maloney on instead of Powell who is a lazy selfish git with an inflated ego.

They were going toe to toe with them though, and causing them the occasional problem. I thought the substitution of McManaman was made with the view of seeing the game out, but kind of backfired when there was forty minutes left to play after Arsenal's equaliser. Fair enough if he was injured though.

When I saw Caldwell stepping up I couldn't help thinking "what a gobsh!te". Probably Wigan's least technical player just wanting to show off his cojones! Maybe I'm wronging the man and he's actually an excellent penalty taker in practice or they were stuck for volunteers.

Interesting words about Nick Powell, I didn't realise that might be the perception.

[Charlie Darwin]

I don't get why Gomez didn't take a penalty. I guess it's true that sometimes it's the players you least expect who bottle penalty shootouts.

[DannyInvincible]

It seems they were saving him to take the crucial fifth that never came.