Today I'm ashamed to be Irish

[Karlos]

to throw my 2 cents in, I was disgusted by some of the antics of Irish fans inside the stadium. I sat in the West Lower right beside a small pocket of Isreali supporters who were pleasant and a good laugh - at one stage even mustering up a chant of 'shall we sing a song for you' and they didn't deserve the shameful abuse dished out. It was no worse than recent events I've seen at Madrid and Stadium of Light Sunderland involving Real Madrid and England 'supporters'. Unfortunetly it wasn't a 'minority' case in my section of seating.

I heard racist and biggoted comments made around me and this was even when we were 2-0 up.

If you can pinpoint a person making constant racist abuse, make a note of their seat number and report it to the FAI in writing along with any other witness who are willing to do it also. The beauty of the all seater stadia and block booking schemes means the person or their ticket allocation can be located and WILL be revoked by the FAI if they see fit. I've been involved with 2 such situations in the past (reporting them, that is! ;) ) and the FAI will follow it up and keep you informed. At the very least a warning to future behaviour of the ticket holder will be issued.

You don't have to stand up to these people in person but don't let it slide. Do something about it. For instances that happened in the ground, it's the FAI you should be telling aswell as the foot.ie community

I'm a strong supporter of the anti-racism movement in football and urge you to not let this happen.

make a stand, it's never too late. :)

[Closed Account 2]

I saw one or two the Nazi salutes on TV (watched it in a Swedish bar), but heard there was more than a few people doing it.

Absolutely disgusting, I had a suspicion that the protest would generate anti Jewish stuff, but never thought so many of our "fans" would give a Nazi salute of all things. I am not supportive of some Israeli-Army actions (and some Palestinian actions), but how a sizable number of them could show such overt support for a regime that effectively killed so many millions of people (eg 20m Russians, 6m Jews, 6m Roma, 2m in the Balkans etc) in 12 or so years just beggars belief. I was against the protest because I knew something like this would happen, if the protest had gone ahead then it should have been at the Embassy, people should have sat down for their anthem, or should have declined to go to the game.

To any Jewish or Israelis reading this, I am sorry that some brainless people at the match made such disgusting actions, especially given your fans were very nice to Irish fans who were at the previous game in April. I can only say that these people brought shame on Ireland, and shame on Irish soccer.

[M@ttitude]

Well said, keep racism, politics and anything else that hasn't got to do with football OUT!! I told some idiot to get his palestine flag out of my face or ill stick it up his arse..

[Green Tribe]

[QUOTE=KarlosIRL]If you can pinpoint a person making constant racist abuse, make a note of their seat number and report it to the FAI in writing along with any other witness who are willing to do it also. The beauty of the all seater stadia and block booking schemes means the person or their ticket allocation can be located and WILL be revoked by the FAI if they see fit. I've been involved with 2 such situations in the past (reporting them, that is! ;) ) and the FAI will follow it up and keep you informed. At the very least a warning to future behaviour of the ticket holder will be issued.
QUOTE]

good on you, Ireland does not need fans like this, I would do the same as yourself, there is just no need for racist and personal abuse at games.

[onenilgameover]

[QUOTE=KarlosIRL]If you can pinpoint a person making constant racist abuse, make a note of their seat number and report it to the FAI in writing along with any other witness who are willing to do it also. The beauty of the all seater stadia and block booking schemes means the person or their ticket allocation can be located and WILL be revoked by the FAI if they see fit. I've been involved with 2 such situations in the past (reporting them, that is! ;) ) and the FAI will follow it up and keep you informed. At the very least a warning to future behaviour of the ticket holder will be issued.
QUOTE]

good on you, Ireland does not need fans like this, I would do the same as yourself, there is just no need for racist and personal abuse at games.


I'ill second that did not think of that and its a great way to wash em out....supercool!

[soylent green]

Sport and Politics. See Tom Humphries take on it from yesterday's Times

Harkin back to when we had a conscience
Tom Humphries
06/06/2005


LockerRoom: On match days if you dawdle long enough at the crossroads outside Lansdowne Road you'll meet everyone. Including parts of your former self.


On Saturday I met a fella handing out leaflets about the Palestinian state. Hugh Harkin was his name. Still is probably. We shared a similar background. Well, same school, same straggly beards.

Hugh lamented that he was kind of a single-issue guy. I nodded sympathetically. Hugh is just an issue away from being a zero-issue guy. Like me.

Those of us who used to hand out leaflets and stand behind placards and banners and get dragged out of occupations trod a little uneasily through the crossroads on Saturday night. Somewhere along the line we got fat enough and comfortable enough to give things like playing soccer with Israel a free pass.

You can look at the series of games with Israel in a couple of ways. Four points dropped. Or just glad it's over. Mainly, being one of those who contributed so handsomely to the lack of debate over whether we should be playing Israel at all, I'm just glad it's over.

I left Hugh Harkin's company and drifted onward toward the little lane the press use for access to Lansdowne and was met straight away by a band of beery (my presumption) football fans who were blithely singing the words Football Not Politics, Football Not Politics as they chugged through the throng, disdaining the proffered leaflets lest they might learn something. A shiver took a long, leisurely walk down my back.

Football not politics! A level of intellectual engagement comparable with a three-year-old sticking his hands over his ears and screaming La! La! La! La! I'm Not Listening! La! La! La! Is that what we've become?

Well just about. We didn't even have a debate this time around about the necessary mingling of football and politics, about the implications of one state's representative team playing against another state's representative team regardless of what the other state represents.

Most of us had a few uneasy thoughts about the Israeli state when the draw was made and the fixtures were announced but we shelved them conveniently. Inside the ground on Saturday night, we old guilt-toting lefties were pleased to see a good scattering of Palestinian flags about the place. Some people had been more engaged than us. Thumbs up to them! We had a chuckle at the recordings of the two captains for Saturday night reading out a scripted statement for the Football against Racism campaign. Plenty of ironies there if you were a Palestinian listening in, heh, heh.

The problem, though, lies with us, with how complacent and distracted we've become. I can remember a couple of months ago leaving the Tel Aviv Hilton (reality central!) and wandering off in a state of semi-serious endeavour. I had the intention of re-educating myself about Israel. I found a bookshop and then lost concentration altogether. In the end I bought a book called How Israel Lost, by Richard Ben Cramer. Why that one?

Well I liked his biography of the baseball player Joe DiMaggio and his entertaining account of the 1988 US election. There might be good one-liners. The bookshop had a little section serving drinks and nice cakes and sticky buns so I sat down, got stuck into Richard Ben Cramer for about three minutes and then remembered I had some printouts of soccer articles from the Israeli media in my bag. Football not Politics. Sticky Buns too. Priorities puhl-ease.

I finished Richard Ben Cramer when I got home. Easier that way.

When I got home on Saturday night there was an email waiting for me from Hugh Harkin. I'll use a few paragraphs of it rather than paraphrase and pretend I thought of them myself.

"It may also be useful to add - knowing how difficult it is to keep track of alternative news - that despite the incessant mainstream chatter over 'disengagement' and the 'peace process', little, as always, has changed on the ground in Palestine. West Bank settlements continue to expand, Jerusalem is being irrevocably annexed, the Wall gets longer every day, and raids, arrests and killings are still the unreported lot of the ordinary Palestinian. As for this bloody 'disengagement', Amnesty's Israeli human rights partner B'Tselem released a report in March entitled One Big Prison, which stated pretty much bluntly that disengagement was occupation by remote control.

"And I regularly receive reports from Palestine myself, such as this heartbreaking one last week from friends in Jayyous, a West Bank village cut off from its (now annexed) farmland by the Wall, with access through one gate only: 'We call you to do something to help the farmers in Jayyous who couldn't reach their land since five days continuously. Every day the farmers go to gate number 25 and wait at the gate to open but no way.

"'The farmers and their families wait under the hot sun looking for this gate to open, but the hope disappears. The source of living for 300 families in Jayyous is through this gate. Who is responsible to feed the kids of these families? Who is responsible for the trees and vegetables which will die if this situation will continue? If this wall is build for security then who should be responsible for the life of 300 families in Jayyous?'"

So there you go. One small story, from one small almost forgotten place. There's lot of stories like that (and a lot worse) in Richard Ben Cramer's book, which is also shot through with the depressing thought that decades of military conscription have made the Israeli population more hawkish than they would naturally have become.

The absence of debate here merely reflects the absence of debate in Israel. The line of greatest paranoia is followed in Israel and accepted like a credit card everywhere else.

This time I'll quote Cramer.

". . . the shootings and suicide bombings started after Israel turned over policy on Palestine, and the Arabs who dwelt in it, to Jews who justified their seizure of the land, their occupation and the violence required to maintain it, simply and solely by their Jewishness, a promise to them by their God."

So here we are in this little country bedevilled by a history of occupation and religious extremism and acidic sectarianism and dividing walls and collectively we are chanting Football Not Politics!

Let Us Eat Cake And Sticky Buns! We're Not Listening. Blah, Blah, Blah! The old notion of a nation being loyal to the lessons of its own history has become as redundant as the thought that the measure of the success of the nascent Israeli state would be found in its treatment of Palestinians.

All these decades on and we have the new apartheid. Most of us haven't the energy or the cojones to stand up to it but the least we can do is not go chugging past singing Football Not Politics.

Like Shankly's nostrum about football being more important than life, it makes fools of us.

This column has no solutions but it knows this. We had a responsibility to have a debate. There are worse things in the world than what Dudu Aouate got up to on Saturday night.

[pegan]

One word, one feeling...

[Malby]

after what went on last nite

The filth and abuse showered on fellow football supporters that travelled half the globe to be here was a disgrace
Outside murrays last nite and gangs of "Irish" fans hurling abuse at the passing isrealis.

Palestine flag waving was bad enough,but chanting Murderers at them ( glass houses concept was lost on them ) but to have gangs of irish fans giving nazi salutes at them made me cringe

And as for our supposed "official supporters club", 2 of them ,dressed in their official black t-shirts ,hurling pints of stout at people walking past.I never came as close in my life to hitting someone as I did at that moment

For years ,away fans have strived to show that we are the best fans to travel, we enjoy ourselves,have a party etc etc .Last night detroyed that concept of Ireland fans being special, we are now as bad as The English

we went to Isreal and were treated with respect ,had a great beach party and a enjoyable few days ,How would people have felt if isreal supporters had lined the streets ,hurling beer at us ,calling us murderers while waving union jacks on our faces ?????????

Because that is exactly what "Irish people " did last night
I was outside the Lansdowne and I saw no such things going on!!

A chant of 'Where's your foreskin gone' went up but was taken in good humour by both sides as far as I could see.

Though after the match I would have quite happily turned into a suicide bomber to take that bloody keeper out!!!

[Plastic Paddy]

Though after the match I would have quite happily turned into a suicide bomber to take that bloody keeper out!!!

Not even in jest, Malby, not even in jest...

:ball: PP

[Malby]

Thank you Soylent green and thank you Tom Humphries for highlighting the plight of the Palestinian people who have to live under the evil Zionist regime in their own occupied lands.

Some here are so ignorant its untrue.

None are so blind as those who shall not see.

The Irish fans lost the 'best in the world' status when they blindly ignored the conditions the Palestinian People have to endure in order not to 'offend' the peole who flew the Zionist flag. the same flag that represents violent opression and a flag that is bankrolled and armed to the teeth by the Born Again regime in the Oval office.

Shame on any one calling themselves Irish who ignore tyranny...
:rolleyes:

Israel was formed by a UN mandate. We support the UN. Not all Israelis are zionists.

[Karlos]

Shame on any one calling themselves Irish who ignore tyranny...

I assume you mean 'all' tryanny - and in that case Irish fans should be getting a hostile welcome everywhere we travel thanks to the muderous IRA who are deemed representatives of the people of this country at times (although nothing could be further from the truth) by foreign people. I assume you would be happy to see Irish fans abused at regular international games?

Thankfully many Irish fans and other countries do not see football events as the only way of making political statements. We all have opinions on what's going on in Isreal and other places but my only concern was supporting the Irish Team on Saturday.

I do not see abusing fellow football fans becuase of their nationality as an effective method of solving the problems that exits in their country and with their goverment.

[Malby]

THe UN never set up the West Bank and Gaza as prison camps, the UN never sanctioned the Israelis to go into these camps in helicopter gunships and blow men, women and children to smithereens, the UN never sanctioned the confiscation of Palestinian lands so that the Zionist occupiers could profit from their harvests, the UN never sanctioned the building of settler camps in Palestinian areas for people from Russia, America etc to take over as their own.

The list goes on. Educate yourself...
Educate myself? And where did you get your education from? SF pamplets??

I served in the Leb. I'd say I know more about that region that you do.

[Frank Blue]

THe UN never set up the West Bank and Gaza as prison camps, the UN never sanctioned the Israelis to go into these camps in helicopter gunships and blow men, women and children to smithereens, the UN never sanctioned the confiscation of Palestinian lands so that the Zionist occupiers could profit from their harvests, the UN never sanctioned the building of settler camps in Palestinian areas for people from Russia, America etc to take over as their own.

The list goes on. Educate yourself...

These are very firmly established facts. However, once you start mixing politics with sport, no one ends up being a winner. It's embarrassing that people choose to do so. The Israeli team was there for themselves and their country, not for political reasons.
Next you'll be chanting "You killed Jesus!!"
:rolleyes:

[Macy]

Nazi salutes are obviously unacceptable, and much of the stuff that is outlined in this thread is also out of order. I didn't see anything or hear anything I've got to say...

However, wasn't there an outcry before when Ireland were criticised for the booing of people based on their (perceived) religion? People can't have it both ways.

[Bondvillain]

While personally trying to draw a veil over this whole sickening episode, I think the political savvy of the majority of those who saw fit to wave colours other than our own at a home game is summed up by the following statement from the upper east:
Stadium Announcer : "Ladies & gentlemen, the National anthem of Israel"
Peanut-headed white shirt & tracksuit wearing skanger wrapped in palestinian flag: "F*ck off back to killing kids yez F*ckin B*stard Nazis."

[Malby]

I don't need the boys in Parnell square to tell me whats going on in Zionist Occupied Palestine.
I have eyes of my own. ever wonder why UNIFIL were sent to South Lebanon in the first pace?

Ever hear of the SLA? The army funded by the Zionist regime to massacre Shia Muslims?

Pity you didn't study the history of the area while there... Thats assuming you were in the first place...
Took you're time researching that. Of course I knew why I was there.

Let me guess, you support the Basque cause as well?

[Frank Blue]

A sporting event is sometimes the only oppertunity to express your horror of a regime.
We used it to the full and have no regrets.

Your last line is chidish at best...

As opposed to your rants on here, ie. reducing this thread to a political rant , attacking an elected government and country.
(BTW knew it would get your attention :p )

[Donal81]

A sporting event is sometimes the only oppertunity to express your horror of a regime.

We used it to the full and have no regrets.

Your last line is chidish at best...

You really are an idiot. I try my best to go along with the Foot.ie 'attack the post, not the poster' but this is too much. There was a few guys behind me holding up the Palestinian flags throughout the anthem. When the keeper was diving all over the place, one of them made reference to the keeper getting bombed in a pizza parlour. These were the idiots that were at the game and you went along with all that. F*ck this rubbish. This wasn't a proper protest, this was people there to hurl abuse at a bunch of guys who were playing a game of football. All the evidence that's come before you of ignorant abuse of Israeli fans before and after the game and you sit there like a robot churning out Palestinian press releases, "Zionist Occupied Palestine, Zionist Occupied Palestine..." You bleat on about moral courage as if you're some guardian of or warrior for justice whereas the rest of us know that's a load of balls. The Israeli team brought about the bad atmosphere in the ground but f*cking idiotic clowns like you with your Palestinian flags introduced politics into what was a sporting occasion. F*ck off with that sh!te.

[DubJohn]

I don't need the boys in Parnell square to tell me whats going on in Zionist Occupied Palestine.
I have eyes of my own. ever wonder why UNIFIL were sent to South Lebanon in the first pace?

Ever hear of the SLA? The army funded by the Zionist regime to massacre Shia Muslims?

Pity you didn't study the history of the area while there... Thats assuming you were in the first place...


Are you David Brent?

[Bondvillain]

I am genuinely waiting for a reference to 'The Judean Peoples Front' to crop up here somewhere.

Can we bin this now?

[stojkovic]

You talking about that 'leg crossing' scene in Fatal Attraction?
Basic Instinct wasnt it.

[Malby]

I have had a keen interest in the plight of the landless Palestinians for some years now.

You claim to know why UNIFIL were sent into South Leb. Care to inform us of the actions of the SLA and indeed Sharon's actions when a commander of Israeli forces in certain refugee camps...?

Or do you know the first thing about them...?

I'd say the latter judging by your posts...
I am quite aware of what happened in Sabra/shatila.

I am just not as blinkered as you. Israel has a right to nationhood. As do the Palestinians.

[Malby]

I am genuinely waiting for a reference to 'The Judean Peoples Front' to crop up here somewhere.

Can we bin this now?
No!!! It was the Peoples Front of Judea!

[Karlos]

Basic Instinct wasnt it.

Stojkovic knows his hollywood soft porn!! :D

:)

you actually beat me to it! :p

[Old Timer]

I am genuinely waiting for a reference to 'The Judean Peoples Front' to crop up here somewhere.

Can we bin this now?

Its 'The Peoples Front Of Judea'............... SPLITTER.

Could'nt resist

[rqumentative]

You really are an idiot. I try my best to go along with the Foot.ie 'attack the post, not the poster' but this is too much. There was a few guys behind me holding up the Palestinian flags throughout the anthem. When the keeper was diving all over the place, one of them made reference to the keeper getting bombed in a pizza parlour. These were the idiots that were at the game and you went along with all that. F*ck this rubbish. This wasn't a proper protest, this was people there to hurl abuse at a bunch of guys who were playing a game of football. All the evidence that's come before you of ignorant abuse of Israeli fans before and after the game and you sit there like a robot churning out Palestinian press releases, "Zionist Occupied Palestine, Zionist Occupied Palestine..." You bleat on about moral courage as if you're some guardian of or warrior for justice whereas the rest of us know that's a load of balls. The Israeli team brought about the bad atmosphere in the ground but f*cking idiotic clowns like you with your Palestinian flags introduced politics into what was a sporting occasion. F*ck off with that sh!te.

You, sir, are the idiot.
You and many others on here are examples of what has happened to this country. Too much wealth and too much selfishness.
You and your likes on here, cringe and whinge because some people believe it is right to peacefully protest at a sporting occassion. I held a Palestinian flag up high throughout the Israeli National Anthem. It was a small gesture to a downtrodden people - something we, as a nation, should be able to relate to. This mantra that "its sport not politics" is utter rubbish. Sport and politics are always mixed together - and you well know it. National anthems are played, nationalism encouraged, songs sung. Was that "Night in November" when we played Bingham's boys a friendly apolitical kick around? No - it stank to high heaven with politics and bigotry. But you and your likes no doubt had blinkers on. Moscow Olympics ring any sporting political bells with you or were the blinkers on again then?

You moaning, whingeing, self-centred, selfish cretins on here are representative of what is wrong these days.

Politics and sport are seperate? Bull. Get real.

For me its 'Freedom for Palestine'. For you its 'look at their cheatin keeper".
I know which is more important to me.

[Donal81]

You, sir, are the idiot.
You and many others on here are examples of what has happened to this country. Too much wealth and too much selfishness.
You and your likes on here, cringe and whinge because some people believe it is right to peacefully protest at a sporting occassion. I held a Palestinian flag up high throughout the Israeli National Anthem. It was a small gesture to a downtrodden people - something we, as a nation, should be able to relate to. This mantra that "its sport not politics" is utter rubbish. Sport and politics are always mixed together - and you well know it. National anthems are played, nationalism encouraged, songs sung. Was that "Night in November" when we played Bingham's boys a friendly apolitical kick around? No - it stank to high heaven with politics and bigotry. But you and your likes no doubt had blinkers on. Moscow Olympics ring any sporting political bells with you or were the blinkers on again then?

You moaning, whingeing, self-centred, selfish cretins on here are representative of what is wrong these days.

Politics and sport are seperate? Bull. Get real.

For me its 'Freedom for Palestine'. For you its 'look at their cheatin keeper".
I know which is more important to me.

Congratulations Silvio, look who's in your corner! Good old rqumentative...Good luck to the pair of ye.

I trust I'll see you both on Sky News in Ramallah? I assume you're booking your flights to Jerusalem as we speak, if you're not already there?

[Frank Blue]

You, sir, are the idiot.
You and many others on here are examples of what has happened to this country. Too much wealth and too much selfishness.
You and your likes on here, cringe and whinge because some people believe it is right to peacefully protest at a sporting occassion. I held a Palestinian flag up high throughout the Israeli National Anthem. It was a small gesture to a downtrodden people - something we, as a nation, should be able to relate to. This mantra that "its sport not politics" is utter rubbish. Sport and politics are always mixed together - and you well know it. National anthems are played, nationalism encouraged, songs sung. Was that "Night in November" when we played Bingham's boys a friendly apolitical kick around? No - it stank to high heaven with politics and bigotry. But you and your likes no doubt had blinkers on. Moscow Olympics ring any sporting political bells with you or were the blinkers on again then?

You moaning, whingeing, self-centred, selfish cretins on here are representative of what is wrong these days.

Politics and sport are seperate? Bull. Get real.

For me its 'Freedom for Palestine'. For you its 'look at their cheatin keeper".
I know which is more important to me.

It was a frickin footy game. The national team blew it and that's all there is to it. It isn't to be then turned into a political football on here, IMO.
I am sure, like myself, outside of this game, most people following this will agree with your political viewpoint on Israel to an extent. But that doesn't make it right to vent your political vitriol here.

[The Bit O'Red]

How about we start a fund up to pay for flights for Silvio and rqumentative to put their words into action in Palestine. :D

[Malby]

If I pay you money will you stop this thread?
LOL!!

You should be allowed to give rep. on this site.

[anto1208]

You, sir, are the idiot.
You and many others on here are examples of what has happened to this country. Too much wealth and too much selfishness.
You and your likes on here, cringe and whinge because some people believe it is right to peacefully protest at a sporting occassion. I held a Palestinian flag up high throughout the Israeli National Anthem. It was a small gesture to a downtrodden people - something we, as a nation, should be able to relate to. This mantra that "its sport not politics" is utter rubbish. Sport and politics are always mixed together - and you well know it. National anthems are played, nationalism encouraged, songs sung. Was that "Night in November" when we played Bingham's boys a friendly apolitical kick around? No - it stank to high heaven with politics and bigotry. But you and your likes no doubt had blinkers on. Moscow Olympics ring any sporting political bells with you or were the blinkers on again then?

You moaning, whingeing, self-centred, son here are representative of what is wrong these days.

Politics and sport are seperate? Bull. Get real.

For me its 'Freedom for Palestine'. For you its 'look at their cheatin keeper".
I know which is more important to me.

i think most here agree that its terrible what is being done in pallistine but , this thread is about the abuse dished out to ordinary people going to a football match , calling people murderers trowing pints over them subjecting them to nazi salutes ( this is what people are upset about ) , do you honestly think that these people have any controll over what there goverment does.

[Donal81]

How about we start a fund up to pay for flights for Silvio and rqumentative to put their words into action in Palestine. :D

Surely you mean 'Zionist Occupied Palestine' and not simply Palestine? Merely writing Palestine implies that you must be a friend of the Jews and their evil Zionist oppressing ways. I cast thee from this site. :)

[The Bit O'Red]

i think most here agree that its terrible what is being done in pallistine but , this thread is about the abuse dished out to ordinary people going to a football match , calling people murderers trowing pints over them subjecting them to nazi salutes ( this is what people are upset about ) , do you honestly think that these people have any controll over what there goverment does.


Agreed Anto, racism has no place in football and that's what occured throughout the stadium on saturday. Disgusting.

[Hibs4Ever]

After the match on Saturday, and reading what a couple of people here have to say, I can't help but think, what the fcuk does it have to do with irish people what happens in Palestine??????

[Munsterchick]

After the match on Saturday, and reading what a couple of people here have to say, I can't help but think, what the fcuk does it have to do with irish people what happens in Palestine??????
Have a chat with Silvio.....

[anto1208]

Great post. Sadly the Celtic tiger has raised a generation of naval gazing self important ole ole singers.

Glad to see there are still a few Irish fans with the moral courage to stand up for what they believe in. Though to do that you have to have a belief system to start with...

dont go getting all high and mighty here , thinking you are a great peace keeper of our times , holding up a flag at a soccer match hundreds of miles from any of the problems mentioned where absolutly nothing can happen to you means nothing to the people in palestien ,

if you really cared you would be on your way over to join the plo ( i think a few of us here this morning will chip in for the plane ticket ), or at least lobbying the polititians at the embassy the people who can make a difference not at a football match .

simple fact is you care as much as the rest of us

[omril]

Involving politcs with football is, of course, unnecessary. People who were waving palestinian flags during the game are jokes, and should be laughed at.

But anyway, I wanted to let you know that the israeli (zionist regime yada yada) attacks are directed only at members of terrorist organizations, while the palestinian attacks are ALWAYS DIRECTED AT CIVILIANS. They are the ones killing the babies (they didn't do that for quite a while, thanks to the wall).

[Nir_Arad]

Hi,

I'm Israeli. I been reading this forum since after the game, didn't think I'd actually write anything here, but this thread is really too hard to resist.

I always believed that when people meet face to face they get along. It's labels & ideologies & prejudgment that brings us the likes of Sylvio et al (and their parallels in Israel too, of course). The whole beauty and truth of Football is that it can let you see beyond that crap.

Every time Arab players like Abas Suan or Walid Badeer play for Israel, Jews & Arabs here get a glimpse of what we will achieve one day, when we work together.

When Sakhnin's home team became the first Arab hometown team to win the Israel Cup 2 years ago (Sakhnin players are a mix of Arab & Jews, like many other teams here), almost everyone here were taken in their joy. I can't remember ever seeing Jews & Arabs celebrating together like that in all my life here.

When my home team, Maccabi Haifa, was the first ever Israeli team in the Champions League, Jews and Arabs cheered & played for it together (we nearly got to 1/8 finals, if not for a certain dodgy goal keeper called Awat, btw...)

Playing together is the best answer to extremists of both sides. To bring politics into the game (especially, Sylvio, when you obviously have absolutely no clue what you're talking about) and turn Football into a scene of hatred is worse than stupid.


PS. since I'm already writing here anyway: nobody in Israel likes that red card. The time waste was stupid, too, you just end up with 7 minutes added time anyway. Other than that, I'm proud of the team. That's exactly how a team playing an away game against a stronger opponent would play. Talentwise, this generation of players is maybe one of the poorest Israel ever produced, but they more than make up with big hearts.

I wish you success tommorow night and in the rest of the matches. Hope both our teams will make it to the World Cup.

[redgav]

And would, say, a guy who threw a full pint at a woman be twice as courageous as a fellow who only threw a half?
:D good one conor

Bet those "righteous men" felt really big when their beer hit those women and kids, bet they felt they were real hero's

And what exactly is peacefull about Nazi salutes,beer throwing ,hitler songs ,and gas chamber songs.

Silvio - you sem to think this is some sort of thread to peddle your rubbish ideals.Its not .its about the disgusting and filthy inciting behavior of scumbags at the Ireland match .End Of

Instead of another bullsh!t post about zionism ,why not state yer case . Did YOU agree with scumbags showering passing women and Children on their way to a football match with beer ??

Do you agree with scumbags making NAZI salutes at a ffotball match ???

[stojkovic]

Involving politcs with football is, of course, unnecessary. People who were waving palestinian flags during the game are jokes, and should be laughed at.

But anyway, I wanted to let you know that the israeli (zionist regime yada yada) attacks are directed only at members of terrorist organizations, while the palestinian attacks are ALWAYS DIRECTED AT CIVILIANS. They are the ones killing the babies (they didn't do that for quite a while, thanks to the wall).
I know a little about the Mid East (not as much as you) and have watched historical doumentaries, read books etc. I do not want to get into a slagging match with you as I can see both sides of the story. But you CANNOT say that the Israeli attacks are ONLY aimed at terrorists (ie legitmate targets) - Shatilla ?. There are atrocities on BOTH sides so please admit it. As there was and still is in the Irish Troubles although some of my countrymen won't admit to it either.

[Karlos]

:D Did YOU agree with scumbags showering passing women and Children on their way to a football match with beer ??

Do you agree with scumbags making NAZI salutes at a ffotball match ???

Gav,

I've watched as this thread has disintegrated into a political slanging match and I'm glad your bringing it back on topic.

The behaviour of these people was dreadful and I hope every decent person realises that it is not the way to make a protest or stance against anything. I'm interested to see if the questions you have asked above will be answered or ignored.

regards

[stojkovic]

Hi,

I'm Israeli. I been reading this forum since after the game, didn't think I'd actually write anything here, but this thread is really too hard to resist.

I always believed that when people meet face to face they get along. It's labels & ideologies & prejudgment that brings us the likes of Sylvio et al (and their parallels in Israel too, of course). The whole beauty and truth of Football is that it can let you see beyond that crap.

Every time Arab players like Abas Suan or Walid Badeer play for Israel, Jews & Arabs here get a glimpse of what we will achieve one day, when we work together.

When Sakhnin's home team became the first Arab hometown team to win the Israel Cup 2 years ago (Sakhnin players are a mix of Arab & Jews, like many other teams here), almost everyone here were taken in their joy. I can't remember ever seeing Jews & Arabs celebrating together like that in all my life here.

When my home team, Maccabi Haifa, was the first ever Israeli team in the Champions League, Jews and Arabs cheered & played for it together (we nearly got to 1/8 finals, if not for a certain dodgy goal keeper called Awat, btw...)

Playing together is the best answer to extremists of both sides. To bring politics into the game (especially, Sylvio, when you obviously have absolutely no clue what you're talking about) and turn Football into a scene of hatred is worse than stupid.


PS. since I'm already writing here anyway: nobody in Israel likes that red card. The time waste was stupid, too, you just end up with 7 minutes added time anyway. Other than that, I'm proud of the team. That's exactly how a team playing an away game against a stronger opponent would play. Talentwise, this generation of players is maybe one of the poorest Israel ever produced, but they more than make up with big hearts.

I wish you success tommorow night and in the rest of the matches. Hope both our teams will make it to the World Cup.Great post and well said.

[Plastic Paddy]

Admin?

Hello?

Moderators?



Sorry, I've been in a meeting. Enough, Silvio. Thread closed until further notice.

:ball: PP