Galway United FC and free speech.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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!

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.

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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.

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...

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.

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Originally Posted by Olander

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

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

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Originally Posted by IsMiseSean

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

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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.

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

I have heard conflicting reasons for his removal.

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.

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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.

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Originally Posted by IsMiseSean

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

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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.

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Originally Posted by Sean South

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.

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I don't think fans across Europe usually have much trouble bringing anti-immigration banners to matches. Still, the guy seems like an ass.

fecking hipsters

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Originally Posted by outspoken

fecking hipsters

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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

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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

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.