Galway United FC and free speech.

[Lim till i die]

According to bookface a lad has been banned from Terryland Park for having a "Repeal the 8th" banner at matches.

Do we think this is fair or does it fly in the face of every neck bearded hipsters right to be heard?

Could Bohemians organise a vegan ska night in solidarity?

Personally I think abortion is a bit of a sticky one to be bringing into football grounds.

I don't know if we are allowed link to bookface but the post I'm referring to is on the Airtricity League Banter Page and I'd get over there fast if you want to see it because it's so self absorbed its bound to collapse in on itself at some stage this evening.

I suppose at its heart the debates about what's ok to have at matches.

Discuss the issues.

[D24Saint]

The beauty of following a football team is meeting people from different walks of life who you otherwise would never have met or got on with.I have always felt that it's best for the game to keep political issues out of the grounds.I think it's a massive overreaction to ban anybody where a warning would suffice.

[SalvadorSanchez]

Let's keep Politics out of Football eh? Cause there's never been Politics in Football ever eh? ..........
Sorry but Football has always been inextricably linked to issues around Politics / Social class / Religion etc. since the earliest days of the game.... For Reference see Glasgow Derby/El Classico/ Milanese Derby/ River-Boca Derby and many many more...
A repeal the 8th banner wouldn't really be a UEFA / LOI matter in this case afaik as it is internal socio-political matter within Ireland and doesn't impinge on Territorial claims of Uefa members like Israel/Palestinian Flags etc. etc.
Can't see the stewards kicking someone out for expressing a pro religion / pro life banner can yous?
It's also quite common to see Players and even Refs/Officials etc. blessing themselves and praying on the field, before or during or after games so kicking out some lefty/progressive for a political statement on repealing the 8th is a little harsh when conservative / religious expression is often/nearly always tolerated... hope this didn't happen tbh but wouldn't surprise me if it did.. Michael D mightn't be happy about that as Club President...

[Jofspring]

While political and religious issues have always come up in football over the years I have to say I think they should be left outside. A warning would have been enough surely. I go to a football match to watch football, not see expressions of religion or political views.

[Olander]

The actual irony of a Limerick / United / 37 / City / FC / 42 / Athletic / Foras Co-op fan calling us Galway FC :D :D Go on, ya nutta!

[Lim till i die]

Further research leads me to believe that the neck beard in question is your typical professional student, swp, rent a mouth.

Also seems to have a bit of a problem with the joos.

For the record I fully support galway athletics stance on this.

[Olander]

Further research leads me to believe that the neck beard in question is your typical professional student, swp, rent a mouth.

Also seems to have a bit of a problem with the joos.

For the record I fully support galway athletics stance on this.
You're spot on :cool:

The looper in question brings Palestine flags into every game and was on Joe Duffy a few months ago, using the club as a means to advertise his "anti racism launch" because an ex director made a stupid comment about Muslims on his facebook page.

[Sean South]

It's all good if your banners are on side with SJWs but if someone was to display a banner with a conservative message the internet would go into meltdown. The LOI is a small place with enough problems without people trying to create issues. So it's best to keep politics off the terraces which is why I'd support Galway FC here. If you really care about a issue get active in your community as displaying a banner at football won't make any real difference other than getting likes or retweets on social networks from other like minded SJWs...

[Charlie Darwin]

Oh come off it, Sean. If you want to display your banner condemning premarital sex or the declining influence of the church nobody will bat an eyelid.

[IsMiseSean]

an ex director made a stupid comment about Muslims on his facebook page.

In fairness the ex director's comment was more racist than stupid.

[Olander]

In fairness the ex director's comment was more racist than stupid.
I am not condoning the comment or defending it in any way, the ex director is an of the highest order. I can't stand him and I'm glad he's gone and not associated with the club in any way anymore. He was a Galway FA representative on the board and never a registered director of the club and he made the comment on his personal facebook page long after he had left his position, not while being part of the club, which was incorrectly reported at the time. This idiot went on the radio and said he was a director, slinging the clubs name through the dirt and he'll probably do it again now that he's banned. This should've happened months ago.

[snowball]

Did the guy in question definitely get banned for holding the banner?

I have heard conflicting reasons for his removal.

[nigel-harps1954]

I suspect there's an awful lot more to this than being banned simply for a repeal the 8th banner.

I also suspect alcohol may have played it's part in their banning.

[Sean South]

Oh come off it, Sean. If you want to display your banner condemning premarital sex or the declining influence of the church nobody will bat an eyelid.

True but if someone was to display a banner saying refugees not welcome for example you could imagine the outrage. It has happened in many grounds across Europe and clubs received big fines from their own FAs. Having looked into this incident a bit more Galway handled it poorly enough. I don't see the need to ban the guy and give him a platform to cry about injustice just tell him leave the political stuff for the streets.

[gufcfan]

In fairness the ex director's comment was more racist than stupid.

Muslim isn't a race. He's clearly an idiot and possibly a racist, but what he said wasn't racist.

The RepealYourBrain idiot got what he was looking for I'm sure.

[Charlie Darwin]

True but if someone was to display a banner saying refugees not welcome for example you could imagine the outrage. It has happened in many grounds across Europe and clubs received big fines from their own FAs. Having looked into this incident a bit more Galway handled it poorly enough. I don't see the need to ban the guy and give him a platform to cry about injustice just tell him leave the political stuff for the streets.
I don't think fans across Europe usually have much trouble bringing anti-immigration banners to matches. Still, the guy seems like an ass.

[outspoken]

fecking hipsters

[Dodge]

fecking hipsters
Abortion isn't a hipster thing for ****s sake

There's no such thing as free speech in the LOI, nor should there be. You can be absolutely guaranteed that the same Galway fan here would be apoplectic if another Galway fan had a 'Refugees not welcome here' or whatever. He'd be right too

But you can't have it two ways. You can't call for free speech and then look to have views you disagree with censored

[Guitd]

I suspect there's an awful lot more to this than being banned simply for a repeal the 8th banner.

I also suspect alcohol may have played it's part in their banning.

Exactly for those not knowing full story this guy is a space cadet well known for his political views and trying to encourage others and younger fans to fallow he was ejected for regularly drinking and been drunk in the ground

[gufcfan]

The space cadet in question.

Not safe for work language.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqKmI6vKUUU

Whines about free speech but only wants it for himself.

He is not a Galway United fan. He is using the name of the club to gain attention for himself. Calling it a political agenda would be giving him far too much credit.

[SalvadorSanchez]

But you can't have it two ways. You can't call for free speech and then look to have views you disagree with censored

Here it is.... Freedom for everybody or Freedom for nobody. The nuance of that is often lost on so many people... we have a poor record on censorship in Ireland (Section 32/McQuaid etc.) so if you want to say your piece expect to have to listen to everyone else's opinions as well... all that said, me thinks there may have been a stray can of ale or two involved but it's easier and more interesting to cry about "being kept down by The Man"

[SalvadorSanchez]

Exactly for those not knowing full story this guy is a space cadet well known for his political views and trying to encourage others and younger fans to fallow he was ejected for regularly drinking and been drunk in the ground

Oh well.... we all knows the rules.... no booze at EDP... if you get caught drinking you get the boot out the door. simples.... nothing to do with censorship...

[fionnsci]

Free speech is something that the government can't infringe upon (with some exceptions), not something you're guaranteed on private property at an organised sporting event. A protester isn't entitled to free speech in my house, his refusal to cease protesting would make him a trespasser.

You can't just get annoyed when speech you agree with is silenced, which is something exceptionally common these days. If you're a champion of someone's right to have a "Repeal the Eight" banner on the basis of free speech then you must also champion the rights of a hypothetical man that would want to have brought a "Vote No" banner ahead of the marriage referendum last year. It's fine to have your views but lets not kid ourselves that this is about free speech as the title suggests.

The argument against political banners in football grounds is an obvious one; which ones do you allow? All of them? The ones the board thinks are fine? The fans? Nothing in life is as diverse as political opinion. So let's keep it out of football and watch the match together.

[IsMiseSean]

Muslim isn't a race. He's clearly an idiot and possibly a racist, but what he said wasn't racist.


If you say so Buddy.

[nigel-harps1954]

all that said, me thinks there may have been a stray can of ale or two involved but it's easier and more interesting to cry about "being kept down by The Man"

You could probably add a few bottles of buckfast to that list from what I hear.

[Sean South]

If you say so Buddy.

There are people from every race on this planet who follow Islam buddy.

[snowball]

Well this made Irish Times today:

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/national-league/galway-united-fans-threaten-boycott-over-abortion-banner-ban-1.2676009?__vfz=c_pages%3D11000002670848

"the club’s chairman said the ban was handed out after the Galway Football Association, which owns the stadium, contacted him to say the banner contravened the terms of a tenancy agreement which proscribes the display of political messages.

The Galway FA was originally contacted on the matter by a group of female Galway United fans who regularly attend home games but took issue with the banner, said Mr Corbett.

“Galway FA asked us to act on it, so we acted on it in the previous week and asked Joe to take the sign down which he wouldn’t do."

So this is the club admitting that the ban was for the banner rather rather then boozing.

It is a stupid reason by the way as the same group, including the guy who got banned, regularly bring Palestinian, Basque, Starry Plough, Catalan, International Brigade Flags etc They also brought Refugee Welcome and Pro Gay Marriage flags and probably more in the past.

[Lim till i die]

What a wet liberal rag the paper of record has become.

They probably won't even get the score right in the next galway game.



The Galway FA was originally contacted on the matter by a group of female Galway United fans who regularly attend home games but took issue with the banner, said Mr Corbett.


Wait, do these women hate, themselves :eek:



It is a stupid reason by the way as the same group, including the guy who got banned, regularly bring Palestinian, Basque, Starry Plough, Catalan, International Brigade Flags etc They also brought Refugee Welcome and Pro Gay Marriage flags and probably more in the past.

Sounds like these lads are wasted in the stands of Terryland.

Should go to Syria to fight ISIS.

No Pasaran!!

[snowball]

Sounds like these lads are wasted in the stands of Terryland.

Terryland is the heart of the revolution.

[IsMiseSean]

There are people from every race on this planet who follow Islam buddy.

That there is. But do honestly believe the ex director was basing his post on white followers of Islam and not on Arabs?

[outspoken]

They asked him to take it down he didn't do it, the club was right to ban him if that's the case. It's far too sensitive an issue to be bringing into a LOI ground. People go to football to get away from that kind of stuff.

[sadloserkid]

Banner looked crap too. Maybe that was the issue.

[SalvadorSanchez]

Free speech is something that the government can't infringe upon (with some exceptions), not something you're guaranteed on private property at an organised sporting event. A protester isn't entitled to free speech in my house, his refusal to cease protesting would make him a trespasser.

You can't just get annoyed when speech you agree with is silenced, which is something exceptionally common these days. If you're a champion of someone's right to have a "Repeal the Eight" banner on the basis of free speech then you must also champion the rights of a hypothetical man that would want to have brought a "Vote No" banner ahead of the marriage referendum last year. It's fine to have your views but lets not kid ourselves that this is about free speech as the title suggests.

The argument against political banners in football grounds is an obvious one; which ones do you allow? All of them? The ones the board thinks are fine? The fans? Nothing in life is as diverse as political opinion. So let's keep it out of football and watch the match together.

BAM! - Nailed it!

[SalvadorSanchez]

What a wet liberal rag the paper of record has become.

They probably won't even get the score right in the next galway game.



Wait, do these women hate, themselves :eek:



Sounds like these lads are wasted in the stands of Terryland.

Should go to Syria to fight ISIS.

No Pasaran!!

I'm starting a fundraising table quiz to buy the plane tickets...

[brendy_éire]

There has been a creeping politicisation of LoI games in recent years, and I'm glad that a club has acted upon it. We've our fair share of morons in the Brandywell too, bringing national flags and anti-fascist/pro-LGBT, etc. banners along. They see this type of behaviour on the continent and think to get involved. Usually they'll grow out of it, but it's annoying to have to deal with.
In saying that, to act on one particular banner and ignore the others in the past is fairly hypocritical. Either don't all any political banners or allow them all. You shouldn't pick and choose which ones you like.

[gufcfan]

There has been a creeping politicisation of LoI games in recent years, and I'm glad that a club has acted upon it.


to act on one particular banner and ignore the others in the past is fairly hypocritical. Either don't all any political banners or allow them all. You shouldn't pick and choose which ones you like.

Galway United were acting on a request made by the Galway FA.


"Galway FA asked us to act on it, so we acted on it in the previous week and asked Joe to take the sign down which he wouldn’t do.

- Jonathan Corbett, Galway United Chairman

This was a deliberate attack on the club by someone claiming to be a supporter who wanted to be seen as a victim, in order to draw attention to himself.

It is not the first time either.

[gufcfan]

I'm starting a fundraising table quiz to buy the plane tickets...

It's a spaceship he needs, not plane tickets.

[WoodquayBoy]

He was approached by a steward at the previous home game (Connacht derby) and was asked to take down the flag. He didn't, but rather than remove him then, he was given a final warning. There is a suggestion the Benedictine monks' finest brew was produced at the Derry game, and as alcohol is prohibited at the ground, he was removed. He has started a petition to have his ban overturned, and in a social media rant, said he feels that by attending games, he is best placed to influence young people. That admission is all you really need to know - his interest is self-serving, not GUFC

[White Horse]

So when someone shows an anti-immigration banner at a football match, people will proclaim it as an expression of "free speech"?

I don't think so.

[Lim till i die]

One of the lads actually had an Israel flag before that he brought to games specifically to wave around and annoy hipster types.

I remember about a dozen of the kids in the Lego stand in tolka tumbling down it screaming "fascist" at him from fifty yards away. :D

Must get him to dig it out for the trips to Terryland next season. #loiBANTER

[IsMiseSean]

Your mate sounds like great craic....

[Lim till i die]

Has some interesting political thoughts so he does.

He has this flag he made out of four smaller flags aswell, two Lazio and two Hellas Verona.

I'm telling you we could have a proper Battle Of Cable Street type bit of banter next year.

[disgruntled]

Perhaps someone should have asked out friend from Galway if he could recite the 8th :)

Many years ago in Cork one Saturday morning a guy was standing near Castle Street giving a big speech about Palestine & Israel & handing out leaflets.
When after about 10 minutes he realised that no one was taking any notice of him he picked up his placard & wandered off somewhere else.

[wonder88]

I would suggest that nearly everything about Derry City fc is political, to attempt to make them "non-political" would make the club meaningless? Maybe it is heading in that direction, as one of the big problems for LoI clubs in general is a lack of identity. In contrast the fact that Darron Gibson and Eunan O Kane did not make the squad for the euros was remarked on prominently in the Unionist media, so they have no problem in stating their views and sticking it to the two Irish lads.

[Charlie Darwin]

I would suggest that nearly everything about Derry City fc is political, to attempt to make them "non-political" would make the club meaningless? Maybe it is heading in that direction, as one of the big problems for LoI clubs in general is a lack of identity. In contrast the fact that Darron Gibson and Eunan O Kane did not make the squad for the euros was remarked on prominently in the Unionist media, so they have no problem in stating their views and sticking it to the two Irish lads.
what.

[brendy_éire]

what.

I second this.

[marinobohs]

the workers (and non workers) collective forum here in the Free Republic of Bohemia (previously known as Dalymount) have held a meeting (or gathering if you like) to consider the situation. the outcome was 87% voting to boycott EDP for the shocking deprivation of basic free speech, 96% voting to have a bucket collection for something/somebody and 79% voting to fully endorse the 'equality' message. any 'equality' message. 100% felt a new Bohs flag highlighting the issue/plight was urgently needed

.....the meeting was forced to conclude without agreement on a strategy going forward as the barman called last orders (or as they are known here last opportunity to trade cash and bar products). :cool:

[corkery]

https://www.google.ie/search?q=brandywell+swastika&client=tablet-android-google&biw=600&bih=960&prmd=inmv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi4m6iWvajNAhXkDMAKHZ3lBzYQ_AUIBigB#imgr c=9CshY7QzYd4BpM%3A. This is what politics at matches leads to. Soccer stadiums are not constituency offices.

[Paddyfield]

Ah crap. I though it was cool to support controversial topics. I will put away the banner "Roll Out Broadband In South Connemara" that I was going to bring to our next home game.