Did irish team wear black armbands when Di died?

[Mayo_Bhoy]

Just reading a thread on a Celtic forum about the booing at Celtic Park for the minutes silence when the Queenm Mother died and a couple of posters have mentioned that thr Irish team which played Iceland in a WC qualifier a week after Diana died wore black armbands on Andy Townsends insistence. Surely this isnt true?? im sure i would remember the controversey???

[Dodge]

Yes they did, at the request of team captain Andy Townsend

[stiofain]

Very interesting, good bit of trivia.

Heres (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf2cdYRzdYs) some footage of the game i found on youtube. Not the greatest quality, but you can clearly see the players are wearing black armbands.

[jebus]

Just reading a thread on a Celtic forum about the booing at Celtic Park for the minutes silence when the Queenm Mother died and a couple of posters have mentioned that thr Irish team which played Iceland in a WC qualifier a week after Diana died wore black armbands on Andy Townsends insistence. Surely this isnt true?? im sure i would remember the controversey???

Controversy? this isn't 1980 ffs. Now don't get me wrong, I thought the whole Diana thing was possible the low-point of all humanitat controversy, y, but who gives a **** if they do or don't. Anyone in Celtic Park booing the death of a pensioner is a sad case too

[Wangball]

Controversy? this isn't 1980 ffs. Now don't get me wrong, I thought the whole Diana thing was possible the low-point of all humanitat controversy, y, but who gives a **** if they do or don't. Anyone in Celtic Park booing the death of a pensioner is a sad case too

You know my form on booing pensioners.....:D

[Mayo_Bhoy]

I must say im astonished that that is the case. Cant believe some of the players didnt object. I remember the day as Mayo were playing Offaly in All Ireland semi final and a few lads in the pubs suggested a minutes silence in Croker that day. Thought they were going to lynched. Well i better get back to the other forum and try and claw my way out of this TY for the replies. Still shocked. What a strange country.

[Mayo_Bhoy]

Controversy? this isn't 1980 ffs. Now don't get me wrong, I thought the whole Diana thing was possible the low-point of all humanitat controversy, y, but who gives a **** if they do or don't. Anyone in Celtic Park booing the death of a pensioner is a sad case too

Relax, i just asked a simple question, because i argued that there was no way it would have happened. Obv i wrong. And actually i do give a fuk. And it wasnt 1980, it was 97 but wat thats got to do with it i dunno..

[micls]

Ad it wasnt 1980,
Why?.

[jebus]

Relax, i just asked a question. And actually i do give a fuk. Ad it wasnt 1980, it was 87 but wat thats got to dowith i dunno..

It was 1997 and no-one sensible gave a **** about the British Royals anymore

[Wangball]

That sort of thing should be kept separate from football anyhow, there seems to be a minutes silence for every Tom Di and Harry nowadays...I wouldn't be the most sentimental of folks in case you hadn't guessed

[micls]

That sort of thing should be kept separate from football anyhow, there seems to be a minutes silence for every Tom Di and Harry nowadays...I wouldn't be the most sentimental of folks in case you hadn't guessed

I agree with ya, but its not something Id be getting bothered about one way or another.

[Dodge]

I must say im astonished that that is the case. Cant believe some of the players didnt object. I remember the day as Mayo were playing Offaly in All Ireland semi final and a few lads in the pubs suggested a minutes silence in Croker that day. Thought they were going to lynched. Well i better get back to the other forum and try and claw my way out of this TY for the replies. Still shocked. What a strange country.

Most of them playing were British. I agree it was a disgrace. Not going to get worked up about it a decade later

[RiffRaff]

Is this true though? Remember Mother Theresa died the same week

[Dodge]

Is this true though? Remember Mother Theresa died the same week

100% true. And why would they have one for Muther ****ing Theresa either?

[gspain]

It may have been for both of them. Mother Teresa died the day before I think.

I don't recall any big controversy at the time.

I don't think it was appropriate either but don't see it as a big issue.

[Wangball]

Its a non issue altogether....this thread should probably be deleted or thrashed or something

[SkStu]

she was in Ireland a lot more than Di ever was, she was educated in Trinity I believe, visited the country a number of times and in my opinion was far more deserving of such an honour by the irish team than Di, the English rose. Makes me puke.

and Andy Townsend is a f'ckin tosser for even suggesting it. Are the english team going to wear an armband for Mary Harney (lets be honest, she's our Di) when she passes? ;)

[Feech]

Of course the "Irish team" wore black armbands for a foreign royal whose husband is Commander in Chief of the Paratroopers.

No chance of them wearing same for the fans of the Irish team murdered in Louglinisland though of course.....

Where do you think this is.......independent Ireland or somewhere???

[Allstar]

Jesus lads chill out!! Cant we move on????

[Greenforever]

For those with short memories, Di's funeral was watched by a massive tv audience here, she was an extremely popular lady and the decision to wear black armbands was probably one of the most mature decisions made by an Irish sports team in years.

And in response to previous poster maybe the thread should be binned as a mark of repect to the lady for who SHE was.

[bennocelt]

For those with short memories, Di's funeral was watched by a massive tv audience here, she was an extremely popular lady and the decision to wear black armbands was probably one of the most mature decisions made by an Irish sports team in years.

And in response to previous poster maybe the thread should be binned as a mark of repect to the lady for who SHE was.


Please tell me you are having a laugh:)

[Dodge]

For those with short memories, Di's funeral was watched by a massive tv audience here, she was an extremely popular lady and the decision to wear black armbands was probably one of the most mature decisions made by an Irish sports team in years.

And in response to previous poster maybe the thread should be binned as a mark of repect to the lady for who SHE was.
My guess is that this post is the greatste wormcan opener of all time, and I'm moving this to current affairs

[Lionel Ritchie]

she was in Ireland a lot more than Di ever was, she was educated in Trinity I believe, visited the country a number of times and in my opinion was far more deserving of such an honour by the irish team than Di, the English rose. Makes me puke.

and Andy Townsend is a f'ckin tosser for even suggesting it. Are the english team going to wear an armband for Mary Harney (lets be honest, she's our Di) when she passes? ;)

I wasn't arsed at the time about the whole media circus that was Dianas passing and I can imagine Townsend and others in our team saw grief, real and media-stoked, in their own families and friends and thought it might be a nice gesture on behalf of us Irish to show a little empathy and solidarity with the British people.

But If this is decending into a "who deserves a black armband tribute" debate ...well I'd have the means nothing to me celebrity dressed up as culture self obsessed little rich girl over the dangerous little, tax dodging, zealot, psycho-witch who should've been locked up long before she died in the best hospital money could buy any day.

But that's the great thing about being Irish. There's so little we agree upon.:)

[Greenforever]

Please tell me you are having a laugh:)


Anyone that could sleep with big ears has to be some woman:D anyway the reality is that her wedding and funeral were huge interest stories in this country, the contrasting views on this thread are the reason that now you will regualry have a minutes applause instead of silence to remember people.

While it didnt bother me oneway of the other, I would only get hot and bothered if we were to be respecting a murderer, all she did was marry into royalty, have the life of reilly, did a bit of charity work and died tragically at a young age leaving behind two kids. Nothing that would cause offence in that to most people.

[superfrank]

Nothing that would cause offence in that to most people.
You'd think so. But she was a Brit. That makes all the difference to the "Republicans" out there. :mad:

[geysir]

You'd think so. But she was a Brit. That makes all the difference to the "Republicans" out there. :mad:
The Lady Di thing was Soap not politics, the stuff of dreams.

The Di royal wedding happened at the time during the peak of the H block hunger strikes.
I remember Nell McCafferty taking about how in the republican heartland of the Bogside, women would gather round to watch the live coverage of the wedding.
All quite normal apparantly.
It was big time soap, bigger than the Dallas, more popular than the episode of who shot JR.


BTW, the Irish team in 1997 had about 7 or 8 Irish born in it.
Why didn't Roy Keane tell Andy to fark off?
It was said that they all lived and worked in England.
The 4 Icelanders who lived and worked in England didn't feel a need to wear the black armband.

The episode is best consigned to near the top of the list of those embarrassing FAI cóck ups.

[SkStu]

its not so much that she was English royalty, good and all as they have been to us Irish throughout the years. :o

Its more that she really was a nobody who married a somebody, she was of limited intelligence and couldnt keep her legs closed. She did a bit of charity work and apparently wore nice dresses but apart from that i cant see what the fuss was about...

ridiculous that someone like that gets the black armband treatment from the FAI.

[stojkovic]

I remember the day.

I heard she died on the radio....and the dashboard and the steering wheel.

[jebus]

People mouthing about the Brits over-reaction to Di's death would want to make sure they're not on quote in the Katy French thread with embarrassing comments of their own by the way

[SkStu]

why dont you go check, Mr. Keeper of the Morals.

;) added just in case...

[Macy]

And in response to previous poster maybe the thread should be binned as a mark of repect to the lady for who SHE was.
A money sucking royalist who couldn't keep her knickers on?

[bennocelt]

its not so much that she was English royalty, good and all as they have been to us Irish throughout the years. :o

Its more that she really was a nobody who married a somebody, she was of limited intelligence and couldnt keep her legs closed. She did a bit of charity work and apparently wore nice dresses but apart from that i cant see what the fuss was about...

ridiculous that someone like that gets the black armband treatment from the FAI.

my sentiments exactly - saves me the bother of writing something:)

[Billsthoughts]

In fairness to Greenforever the prevailing wisdom at the time was that this was an event of huge importance. The fact that the Irish team wearing black armbands didnt provoke much comment in the Irish media gives you an idea of the mood of the time. Its easy in hindsight to look back and laugh at all the fuss but they were queing up at the British embassy to offer their condolonces at the time. I remember being shouted down at the time by my mates for pointing out that she hadnt acheived anything in life.

[OwlsFan]

I remember the game well and I don't even recall any talk about the arm band. In fact I didn't even notice them wearing it :o. So if it didn't cause even the remotest ripples then, not sure why it should now.

[pete]

Reminder: Different rules in CA forum so behave.

I don't like royalty but have no problem wearing black arm bands as mark of respect when Head of state in the UK dies. Diana on the other hand so far down the pecking order would mean for consistency we would have to do it for everyone.

[Macy]

Reminder: Different rules in CA forum so behave.
tbh, I'm not sure what it's doing here anyway. 1997 is hardly feckin current.

[superfrank]

The fact that the Irish team wearing black armbands didnt provoke much comment in the Irish media gives you an idea of the mood of the time.
I was only nine at the time so don't recall the media feeling. One point I would suggest for "no fuss" in the media is that broadsheets would hardly go mad about those things. Then you have the tabloids, effectively British papers, so they would not dare sitr up any nationalist sentiment on the incident.

[Billsthoughts]

no it wasnt in many of the commentry pieces in any of the sundays or the indo and times. or much about it in the herald. it wasnt some mass conspiracy of silence people just genuinely thought Dianas death was a really tragic occurence and that there was nothing unusual about the irish team marking the event. you didnt have people ringing into marion finucane(this was pre joe duffy) to complain about it cause they were all ringing in to say how sad her death was.

[Wangball]

I don't like royalty but have no problem wearing black arm bands as mark of respect when Head of state in the UK dies. Diana on the other hand so far down the pecking order would mean for consistency we would have to do it for everyone.

It feels like we do it for everyone now as it is....am surprised there wasn't one for the queen of Irish Hearts Katy French...I mean they even left the white lines on the pitch, they could of painted them yellow for just one match but no! How very insensitive!

[bennocelt]

I remember the game well and I don't even recall any talk about the arm band. In fact I didn't even notice them wearing it :o. So if it didn't cause even the remotest ripples then, not sure why it should now.

because it was a huge embaressment:rolleyes:

the fact that she wasnt much anyway and she was British doesnt make sense why the Irish team wore black armbands.

No fuss - well i think by that time a lot of people had giving up on the team, i know i had anyway,
and i didnt notice it at the time too

[OwlsFan]

No fuss - well i think by that time a lot of people had giving up on the team, i know i had anyway,

Given up on qualification or the team? Not the latter I hope.

[seanfhear]

I think that the fact that mother therese died at the same time made it a bit easier to swallow.No big deal then so is somebody desperately searching around for something to be offended about now.

[Dodge]

I think that the fact that mother therese died at the same time made it a bit easier to swallow.No big deal then so is somebody desperately searching around for something to be offended about now.

How does something that didn't affect the wearing the black arms make it easier for you?

[seanfhear]

How does something that didn't affect the wearing the black arms make it easier for you?
as i understand it,it was passed off at the time as being for both of them,mother theresa and diana.Its history now in any case.

[Dodge]

as i understand it,it was passed off at the time as being for both of them,mother theresa and diana.Its history now in any case.

You understand incorrectly. It was 100% because of Diana, at the request of Andy Towsend

[seanfhear]

You understand incorrectly. It was 100% because of Diana, at the request of Andy Towsend
Well even if your right what are you going to do get a time machine and go back and boo!

[cheifo]

I remember hearing, that she told a friend, she felt she could help with the "Irish Problem", because she was very "good at sorting peoples heads out".

Ah dear the poor girl:D I can picture her stepping off the plane in Belfast , with the horrible Paul Burrell at her side, ready to make us all better with the touchy, feely bo***x that was fashionable at the time.

Still, I would have.

[Wangball]

Still, I would have.

Goes without saying...she probably would of had a crack too

[Dodge]

Well even if your right what are you going to do get a time machine and go back and boo!

Nope, may I remind that you're posting on this thread too?

[Mayo_Bhoy]

All i wanted was a yes or no answer.:rolleyes: I was not looking to be offended either. Andy Townsend was great player for Ireland who always gave his all but he has gone right down in my estimation now. Hate his smarminess on TV anyway. Right Little Englander he is now. :mad: