In fairness the original story was based on what the official FAI Match Delegate said at the game last night.
The FAI have obviously since overruled him.
I've seen these match delegates in action before - some of them are little despots threatening all sorts of sanctions for percieved things they don't like. You hear after games thast your club is going to get fined for 'this or that' infraction - but that's usually the end of it. The FAI don't take them any further.
The Match Delegates need to have their wings clipped.
A transient, horrible, fantastic dream,
Wherein is nothing yet all things do seem:
From which we're wakened by a friendly nudge
Of our bedfellow Death, and cry: "O fudge!"
Ambrose Bierce
I'll have to dig out my Palestinian, Bosnian Serb, Transdnestrian, Abkazian, South Ossetian, Ngorno-Karabakh, Basque, Catalan, Galician flags and of course not forgetting the Banner of the Peoples Republic of Cork.
This is a stupid call by the FAI!!! the Irish government recognises the aspirations of the Palestinian people and we have formal diplomatic relations with them in the form of a permanent representative based in Dublin .... the address is even on the Dept of Foreign affairs website!!!!! Dundalk can't be sanctioned here and shouldn't be...
Whatever we think about expressions of support for political causes at Football matches, there is no way that the display of an internationally recognized flag that represents a people and their national aspirations should be deemed be racist by some FAI moron who probably works as a milkman for his day job...... (not that I'm being racist against milkmen... or milkwomen)
innit though??
I heard some rioting Palestinians beat up a group of Dundalk fans who had to hide behind a flag outside Oriel Park to get away from them before a group of Rovers fans ran up the street shouting Israeli slogans and eating babies.
Just what I heard, that's all.
Palestinian flag is often waved at TX. But it is the same colours as the City colours so it shouldn't be a problem. Sure at Cork GAA matches the confederate (rebel) flag is flown. That could be perceived as racist as well, but in the context of a football match it shouldn't be.
Why Dundalk fans feel the need to wave it is another matter.
Who cares?
Forzadrogs.....A blog by a Drog with an opinion!
Dundalk fans don't wave Palestinian flags at games. There is one large black and white flag with the Palestinian, Basque and Scottish (I think) flags on it. I don't know who owns it or what their point is so I can't speak for them.
However, I agree that it really doesn't have much to do with supporting Dundalk FC. If I bring a big black and white banner with an Israel, Spain and UK flag on it am I less of a Dundalk fan?
Black, white, red and green are Cork colours? It could be argued (but I'm not going to) that they're Dundalk's colours too.
The flag in question (which is stitched alongside a Basque flag and a green St. Andrew's cross) defaces the white portion of an Irish tricolour with the words Lilywhite Bhoys on Tour (or words to that effect) emblazoned top and bottom -- I would have thought the 'needs' of a certain number of Dundalk fans were fairly obvious. For me, it's an embarrassment, I cringe everytime I see it, it has no place at an Irish football match. Almost as embarrassing as Bohs fans' UVF flag on the first game of the season, or Rovers fans' Linfield chants last night.
Not so. The media have quoted the printed word of Dundalk's secretary, Kevin Holland. One of three things has happened here:
1) Holland lied.
2) The FAI official in question chose to report nothing.
3) The FAI have buried the report.
We can debate the likelyhood of any of these if you like, but there's nothing to confirm any of them.
You can't spell failure without FAI
Hold on a sec.
The piece is essentially quotes taken from a match programme by Dundalk FC's club secretary. This is not someone making up rumours. This was an issue that Kevin Holland of Dundalk FC obviously felt needed to be addressed in the public domain.
Why he made these claims is anyone's guess, but why not report them. The FAI responded and the issue is cleared up.
I will agree that the initial headline on piece was mis-leading.
Bookmarks