James McClean M Wrexham b.1989

James was back in Derry on Thursday to endorse and vote for Sinn Féin's Elisha McCallion in her successful Westminster election campaign: http://www.derryjournal.com/news/pol...vote-1-8000301

McClean was on "The Irishman Abroad" podcast released today and mentioned that he was all set to sign for the NY Red Bulls when Tony Pulis came in for him. Was this widely known back when it happened?

It was widely known he was talking to NYRB and expected he'd sign for them. It was only a few months ago that McClean confirmed he was all but signed until Pulis came in.

Really enjoyed that podcast. Such an interesting character. Speaks really well about Coleman's injury and Ryan McBride's death. Moves onto speak about family and enjoyed the part where he states he's a huge Celtic fan and could score a hat-trick at Ibrox and it wouldn't come close to the feeling of having a child. Also states the he's delighted his son has taken to football... at one and a half!

Good flowing interview and well worth a listen. It's so paradoxical how well he speaks and how thoughtful he is in interviews like this compared to some of his silly outbursts on social media. I noted that he answers every question without a split second's hesitance.

Came on early in the second half as West Brom lost to Leicester on penalties in the 'Premier League Asia Cup'. McClean's successful penalty is at 1:35.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4JG_7B53u0

Apparently there is some new format in the penalty shoot outs - didn't see it but I did hear Jonny Evans saying that we was trying to explain the format to James but he just didn't get it :)

In fairness its complicated and its just as well players are in team colours because otherwise no one would know the score.........

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Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Apparently there is some new format in the penalty shoot outs - didn't see it but I did hear Jonny Evans saying that we was trying to explain the format to James but he just didn't get it :)

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It's pretty straightforward, just like a tie break in tennis except you don't have to win by two. It was trialled in the UEFA U-17 tournament a few months back.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

It's pretty straightforward, just like a tie break in tennis except you don't have to win by two. It was trialled in the UEFA U-17 tournament a few months back.

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What's a tie break in tennis?

You wouldn't get far in the teaching profession in Derry :)

Knee seems ok after limping off.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soc...bone-1.3172623

I wonder how Steven Hunt's knee is after Petr Cech bruised it?

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Originally Posted by tricky_colour

I wonder how Steven Hunt's knee is after Petr Cech bruised it?

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Oooooo, controversial.

James McClean makes £3,000 donation to young child battling eye cancer http://the42.ie/3577967

Honestly like. The man is an utter legend.

I love McClean - his heart, tenacity and passion - but I think Kevin Kilbane articulated very well the problem with him last night; he was trying too hard to do everything he could for the team instead of just focusing on what he is individually good at.

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Originally Posted by Kevin Kilbane

I don't think he has that selfishness within him. Everything he does is wanting to improve himself and the side...

He was just that desperate to have an impact on the game. It was more for his team... The decisions at times, particularly shooting on his right foot.

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James McClean wanted to have an influence too deep...

Somebody on that pitch, particularly [Cyrus] Christie or Shane Duffy should have said, "Get away from me! Get off my toes."

Because James is desperate to impress and wants to have an influence on the game - not for selfish reasons - he should have been told by one of the other players in that team last night to take the responsibility in getting up the pitch.

Do not do that job. You don't need to. You're too good in other places to be doing that job.

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James will miss the Moldova game on account of picking up a yellow last night, but I'd rather he missed Moldova than Wales. The other players who are also on yellows going into the Moldova game just better make sure they don't pick up any silly bookings this time.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

I love McClean - his heart, tenacity and passion - but I think Kevin Kilbane articulated very well the problem with him last night; he was trying too hard to do everything he could for the team instead of just focusing on what he is individually good at.



James will miss the Moldova game on account of picking up a yellow last night, but I'd rather he missed Moldova than Wales. The other players who are also on yellows going into the Moldova game just better make sure they don't pick up any silly bookings this time.

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Spot on from Zinedine K.

James is one of our most senior players and has been to two major tournaments. I figure he felt it was up to him to offer the leadership that was lacking, but that's not his game and never will be.

James is a missile but he needs others on the pitch to aim him in the right direction.

James was Playing Quarter Back .....I suppose he couldn't see anyone else stepping up....

Maybe he was right...........What you gonna do.............

An article by an American writer, Henry Bushnell, drawing comparisons and contrasts between James McClean and Colin Kaepernick along with some academic opinion as to why most other athletes in Britain tend to keep their heads down and "stick to sport", unlike many of their American counterparts who are more prepared to raise their heads above the parapet and make political statements that go against the grain: https://sports.yahoo.com/british-soc...002555519.html

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Originally Posted by Henry Bushnell

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But James McClean is not the Irish Colin Kaepernick, even if he staged an anthem protest of his own in 2015. Kaepernick incited a movement, one that continues across the NFL today. He inspired others to follow his lead. Five years after McClean’s initial statement, he remains an isolated insurgent in a desert of obedience, and the exception to an unwritten British sporting rule: “We’re not supposed to have an opinion on these things,” an anonymous Premier League player said of political expression last year. Indeed, in the U.K., “stick to sports” almost invariably carries the day.

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John Kelly, a sociology of sport professor at the University of Edinburgh, has noticed a parallel trend: More and more, Great Britain is starting to follow the United States’ lead in promoting patriotism and the military alongside sport. “God Save the Queen” isn’t played before Premier League or rugby league matches, but, Kelly says, “the British military have been much more prominent at sporting events;” veterans are now routinely honored at games; and the proliferation of the poppy has extended to sport. This is all part of what Kelly calls the incorporation by proxy of sport. “The official representation [of a symbol] is often presented as non-political, when it ultimately is political,” Kelly explains. “And even if you don’t agree with it, it’s very difficult, when you’re an athlete, to opt out of that without doing it publicly. If you don’t do it publicly, you’re assumed to support it. So you’re left in a double bind. You’ve got little choice. You either allow yourself to be presented and interpreted as supporting [the cause], or you speak out very publicly. And when you do that, you risk being symbolically annihilated, as Kaepernick and James McClean have.” Those athletes have both withstood that backlash. The difference is how their protests developed. Kaepernick’s, a call to attention of police brutality toward racial minorities in America, has spread; McClean’s hasn’t. Part of the deviation can be explained by obvious differences in the causes at the hearts of their respective protests. But part of it must be explained by the belief that sports and politics shouldn’t mesh, and the ferocity with which that concept is defended in the UK. After McClean sent out what some saw as an incendiary, politically charged tweet in 2013, a member of British parliament, Gregory Campbell, offered an ironic example. “Three simple words should suffice: stick to football,” the politician said of McClean. “If he doesn’t heed this then a final three words should be given: pack your bags.”

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That sports-and-politics-don’t-mix myth is problematic because it’s a paradox, one that ties back to Kaepernick. “It’s OK to delegitimize sportspeople from being political because you want to make them marketable,” Kelly says. “But it’s actually very revealing that it’s not seen as a danger to marketing them to get them to support the American military, and the American flag.” Or the British military. Or the British anthem. Or the poppy. “So let’s just not pretend sport and politics don’t mix,” Kelly says. “Of course they do. Let’s actually have some proper, mature discussion and be open about it. But that doesn’t seem to happen. That’s the nature of power.”

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Interesting stuff. Never heard that quote from Gregory Campbell. Pretty ignorant statements. The double bind brushed over by him in a quest to pander to some of the knuckle-dragging votership. "Pack your bags", in particular has echoes of some of the yes to Brexit contingent's notions.

And when he urges McClean to pack his bags, is Campbell referring to McClean leaving England? Or what Campbell would deem to be the United Kingdom? In which case, McClean shouldn't be allowed return to the Creggan and rather should rot with us in the Republic...

Sorry for multiple posts but when he tells James to stick to football, I assume he wants him to leave to the politics to idiots like him? Freedom of speech is a terrible thing to an oppressor so what does that make Campbell?