How the rest of the world see us....

[DannyInvincible]

However, when some of our fans chant IRA at the end of its verse it is.

Is it? Were your ancestors sectarian?

My ancestors were in the IRA but I absolutely despise the modern IRA.

Which one would that be and how do you distinguish between the activities of the "modern" and the "old" of which your ancestors were members?

I hang my head in shame when that part is sung. The vast vast majority of Irish fans do not join in with this chorus, but there are pockets that do.

Whilst this is true, and it might be unsavoury for many, is it strictly indicative of sectarianism?

[BonnieShels]

I find it insulting that intelligent members of this forum have continued to defend Irish fans in Poland from the tripe in the Newsletter and from Kennedy et al. That I responded at all initially rankles.

We have nothing to defend. We were exemplary. We always are. That's it.

Leave the little begrudging tossers to it. Sure what else will they talk about?

[ArdeeBhoy]

BS,
Except they may see your comments as 'laughable'...

[BonnieShels]

But the difference is I don't care and do not feel the need to "take people with me".

Basing an article on YouTube footage alone is worthy of a flogging.

This stuff should just be binned.

[boovidge]

there are pockets that do.

I wouldn't even say it was pockets it's such a small minority. More like a few isolated muppets. Everyone around me was singing FOA and I didn't hear one "IRA" add-on. I've also never heard any sectarian or pro-IRA chants at any game I've been to at Lansdowne/Croker in the past five or so years I've been a regular. The fact that a few years ago some Rangers players were booed (embarassing as it is) is not evidence of widespread sectarianism within the Irish support. Sorry to disappoint the bitter NI polticians and fans.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Agreed.

Anyway for proper feedback, see what the Poles (& Spanish, Croats and Italians) said rather than the usual twisted (& hypocritical) begrudgers.

The fact that the former want a friendly game v.us, probably based on our monetary/drinking input, should be credit enough?

[sullanefc]

Huge mountain being made out of a molehill here by some idiot politician. Six drunken guys singing about IRA and f*ck the queen? Offensive to Royalists? Yes. Sectarian? No. It has become part of Irish psyche to display contempt for our british overlords of 800 years, a lot of it is said in jokingly and a bit like a peacock showing its feathers, but to claim that these guys were sectarian would be a bit of a stretch. Bigotry is always tricky territory and the line is very blurry, but I would be 95% confident that if these six fans were in a bar with england or NI fans, then they would more than likely have a pint with them and enjoy some banter.

I'm reminded of CCFC games versus Derry City, when there will be chants of "What's it like to have a queen" and "You're brits and you know you are" etc, but everytime the Derry fans will drink with City fans before and after the game, and will still have the craic with each other.

[DannyInvincible]

I'm reminded of CCFC games versus Derry City, when there will be chants of "What's it like to have a queen"

But don't yous have Donal Óg Cusack?

[sullanefc]

But don't yous have Donal Óg Cusack?

That's an "n" at the end of queen, not an "r".

Edit: Looking forward to giving you boys a hammering tonight when "what's it like to have a queer queen" will get an airing I'm sure.

[Not Brazil]

Six drunken guys singing about IRA and f*ck the queen? Offensive to Royalists? Yes. Sectarian? No.

Deary me.

Sad.

[Wolfie]

Yeah, I wouldn't trust a Nordie if my life depended upon it. How on earth have the Nordies escaped our wrath after this Euro debacle? They should be the first to go.

What's a sectarian song these days, 'Come on you boys in green'? 'The boys of the green brigade'? 'A Trap lullaby'? 'I love 442' ?

I knew it!! I knew it was the Nordies!!!

Even when they said it wasn't the Nordies, I knew it was them!!

Nordies out!!!

[sullanefc]

Deary me.

Sad.

Care to address the rest of the post?

Sad.

[Not Brazil]

Care to address the rest of the post?

Not much point in addressing anything when you believe that chanting about having sexual intercourse with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and in support of a terrorist organisation that killed and maimed thousands of Irish men, women and children would only be offensive to "Royalists" and is not sectarian.

Are you saying, for example, that there would be no problem with chanting "F**k the Pope" and songs in support of the UVF - as it is only likely to offend Republicans?

[sullanefc]

Not much point in addressing anything when you believe that chanting about having sexual intercourse with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and in support of a terrorist organisation that killed and maimed thousands of Irish men, women and children would only be offensive to "Royalists" and is not sectarian.

Are you saying, for example, that there would be no problem with chanting "F**k the Pope" and songs in support of the UVF - as it is only likely to offend Republicans?

Not Brazil, you clearly don't understand "southerners" or you are a WUM. I won't give you a history lesson, but there are a lot of Irish people who would not be the queens biggest fans over the behaviour of the british state over the last 800 years. Singing about it on a street in Poland is not clever or mature perhaps but my point was that these guys singing these songs were not sectarian. It is, as I said, 5 or 6 drunk lads, doing the whole look at us we are Irish aren't we great routine. Immature, Celtic fans, peacocking if you ask me. They would probably sh*t themselves if they had to walk down a loyalist street in Belfast.

For me sectarianism is wronging people who are different to you. Whether that is bombing them, beating them up on the street, refusing them jobs, not allowing them to vote, not allowing them to stand for election etc.

As I said, if these same guys met an england fan or a NI fan, then they would more than likely, drink with them and have the craic with some banter perhaps.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Not much point in addressing anything when you believe that chanting about having sexual intercourse with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and in support of a terrorist organisation that killed and maimed thousands of Irish men, women and children would only be offensive to "Royalists" and is not sectarian.

Are you saying, for example, that there would be no problem with chanting "F**k the Pope" and songs in support of the UVF - as it is only likely to offend Republicans?

You don't read what other people post on here, do you?

Instead relying on the view from a one-dimensional bubble.

Sad, indeed.

[Not Brazil]

Not Brazil, you clearly don't understand "southerners" or you are a WUM. I won't give you a history lesson, but there are a lot of Irish people who would not be the queens biggest fans over the behaviour of the british state over the last 800 years. Singing about it on a street in Poland is not clever or mature perhaps but my point was that these guys singing these songs were not sectarian.

I do understand "northerners" - I believe the gentlemen in the clip (who also appear in other clips venting their bile) are from Northern Ireland.

I don't need a history lesson, thanks.

They are certainly not the type of "fans" I would want to be "having the craic" with.

Will you be answering my question in post #153?

[sullanefc]

Are you saying, for example, that there would be no problem with chanting "F**k the Pope" and songs in support of the UVF - as it is only likely to offend Republicans?

I would consider them to be immature unionists. If they were singing it in Dublin, I would think that they were deliberately trying to provoke Irish fans. If they were singing it on the streets of Poland then I would consider them to be peacocks who were trying to show off and display their britishness in an immature way.

Will you be answering my question in post #153?

Ok pet?

[sullanefc]

They are certainly not the type of "fans" I would want to be "having the craic" with.

You are obviously very easily offended. How do you survive at Glentoran V Linfield matches.

[Not Brazil]

I would consider them to be immature unionists. If they were singing it on the streets of Poland then I would consider them to be peacocks who were trying to show off and display their britishness in an immature way.

Not sure what such bile would have to do with "showing off and displaying Britishness" - I would call them sectarian neanderthals.

How do you survive at Glentoran V Linfield matches.

What do you mean?

By the way, I do find base sectarianism to be somewhat offensive - I'll not be making any apology for that.

[boovidge]

In what way is saying "f**k the Queen" a sectarian act?