Irish Cup Final Pics..

**blueman1886** · 07/05/2006, 12:26 PM

Few pics

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/471...e1504fi0bl.jpg
http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/5595/cards10ua.jpg
http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/2450/xc83k10pi.jpg
http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/1341/xc832v8ef.jpg
http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/7400/flags22lj.jpg
http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/9347/dsc013167jw.jpg
http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/1885/p10002252my.jpg
http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/9358/nol1xc.jpg

Pics thanks to irish league forums.

**blueman1886** · 07/05/2006, 12:34 PM

Vid - http://media.putfile.com/Linfield-Card-Display

**dcfcsteve** · 07/05/2006, 1:26 PM

Card display looks great - good job on pulling it off.

**Speranza** · 07/05/2006, 2:55 PM

Good displays but since David takes such pleasure in being a pedantic old grump can I ask, In the third photo from the bottom, would that orange flag in the crowd be a paramilitary flag by any chance? Tut tut.

**blueman1886** · 07/05/2006, 4:23 PM

Its the orange order flag.

**Dassa** · 07/05/2006, 4:34 PM

Think its the orange standard? Inappropriate at football? probably. paramilitary? no.

**Speranza** · 07/05/2006, 4:39 PM

My mistake. Not paramilitary, fair enough, but most definitly got no place at a football match.

**blueman1886** · 07/05/2006, 5:31 PM

True its got nothing to do with a football match so its beyond me to y he brings it along.

**Buller** · 07/05/2006, 11:07 PM

looks like a very good crowd there... what was the attendence?

**R�iteoir** · 08/05/2006, 1:06 AM

iirc they said on the TV coverage that it was around the 12,000 mark

**dcfcsteve** · 08/05/2006, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by R�iteoir

iirc they said on the TV coverage that it was around the 12,000 mark

Feels a bit low for how it looked on telly.

If 12,000 is correct then it's less than half the FAI Cup attendance from last year, even though that involved an unfashionable team (Drogheda).

**Dassa** · 08/05/2006, 11:35 AM

12000 wsa the official max capacity, they could have sold alot more tickets but health and Safety said 12.000 max and that terracing couldnt be used.

**glentoranfan** · 08/05/2006, 3:49 PM

Originally Posted by Speranza

My mistake. Not paramilitary, fair enough, but most definitly got no place at a football match.

Nor the sectarian songs being sung by them. When Glentoran are playing, doing well and winning the first thing I think about is the team and the joy of the moment, not about politics, loyalism and whatever. No doubt the IFA will do nothing about it, but if it was us or anyother team we'd recieve some sanctions. Linfield FC need to move on and also, it is totally hypocritical. A lot of their team are now Roman Catholics/Nationalists and have been so since the signing of Ray Campbell about 13 years ago.

Originally Posted by Dassa

12000 wsa the official max capacity, they could have sold alot more tickets but health and Safety said 12.000 max and that terracing couldnt be used.

Linfield could have sold a fair amount more tickets, Glentoran could have shifted only another couple of hundred tops; slightly disappointing that we didn't snap up the tickets as fast as previous years, but nonetheless, those who were there were great.

**dcfcsteve** · 08/05/2006, 4:14 PM

Originally Posted by glentoranfan

Nor the sectarian songs being sung by them. When Glentoran are playing, doing well and winning the first thing I think about is the team and the joy of the moment, not about politics, loyalism and whatever. No doubt the IFA will do nothing about it, but if it was us or anyother team we'd recieve some sanctions. Linfield FC need to move on and also, it is totally hypocritical. A lot of their team are now Roman Catholics/Nationalists and have been so since the signing of Ray Campbell about 13 years ago.

There was some labour-party NI fella with a posh accent on The Politics Show last night, banging on about how there wasn't a hint of sectarianism at the game, and congratulating the IFA for cleaning-up NI football !

I felt like ringing-in to ask did he not watch the Linfield Setanta Cup game against Shels.

Didn't hear any sectarian stuff at the Cup Final on Saturday myself, but I was watching it from me bed and half asleep for most of it. What was being sung ?

**Speranza** · 08/05/2006, 4:37 PM

Originally Posted by glentoranfan

When Glentoran are playing, doing well and winning the first thing I think about is the team and the joy of the moment, not about politics, loyalism and whatever

I think the difference in the two clubs is that Glentoran have an ability to attract fans from its hinterland of East Belfast while Linfield rely on the junior Rangers image to increase their support base?

I have a lot of time for Glentoran FC. Their fans have a pride in the area they originate and to a lesser extent their culture without being sectarian or offensive.

**David** · 08/05/2006, 5:06 PM

Originally Posted by Speranza

My mistake. Not paramilitary, fair enough, but most definitly got no place at a football match.

Says who? Democratic country and if people want to fly such a flag then they are perfectly entitled to. There was also a Canadian flag there, what place has that at a football match and why is nobody complaining about it?

**David** · 08/05/2006, 5:06 PM

Originally Posted by Speranza

I think the difference in the two clubs is that Glentoran have an ability to attract fans from its hinterland of East Belfast while Linfield rely on the junior Rangers image to increase their support base?

I have a lot of time for Glentoran FC. Their fans have a pride in the area they originate and to a lesser extent their culture without being sectarian or offensive.

The usual Derry City nonsense.

**Speranza** · 08/05/2006, 5:21 PM

Yeah David, those damn Canadians, they have been the subject of heated debate for decades in the six counties. Not going to watse my tiem debating with you again.

**glentoranfan** · 08/05/2006, 5:43 PM

Originally Posted by Speranza

I think the difference in the two clubs is that Glentoran have an ability to attract fans from its hinterland of East Belfast while Linfield rely on the junior Rangers image to increase their support base?

I have a lot of time for Glentoran FC. Their fans have a pride in the area they originate and to a lesser extent their culture without being sectarian or offensive.

Thanks for that comment. I appreciated it a lot.

David, I know of you from ILFs and you seem decent enough, but how is that Derry City "trash"? It is widely acknowledged Linfield have a junior Rangers image. Regardless of whether Linfield manufactured this image to get support or not, there can be no doubt it does.

I am reluctant to say more, as I don't want to make enemies, start a political debate and it will look like sour grapes after a cup final defeat for us, but I will stick my neck out.

With regards to the Orange Order flag, I am not fussed about people's political views; they are entitled to them as I am mine, however, at the same time I don't feel it is appropiate material for a football match for a number of reasons. Firstly, one could argue it has nothing to do with football, secondly, whether we like it or not, this island has got history. Because your human rights say you could walk down the Falls road with a Rangers top on doesn't mean you can get away with it. Thirdly, again, it just shows the Linfield support have not changed. The flag does not offend me, I don't care but it shows almost how tribal and insecure certain people are.

Again, I would just say to Linfield move on. Leave all that stuff behind. The country has moved on, the team has moved on, now the fans need to move on. I am not saying don't have political views, but there is no call to flaunt them. Everybody knows East Belfast is a strongly protestant/unionist/loyalist area but look at the respect the Glens have got for just being about the football.

**David** · 08/05/2006, 6:57 PM

Originally Posted by Speranza

Yeah David, those damn Canadians, they have been the subject of heated debate for decades in the six counties. Not going to watse my tiem debating with you again.

I am not in the Orange Order and I certainly do not agree with everything that they do but it is a Christian organisation which is legal and therefore there is nothing at all wrong with someone having this flag at a game. Personally I would not bring one but yet again you are trying to impose your beliefs on others, that is not something that I do. For example for many years Cliftonville supporters brought a Che Guevara flag to games, what has that got to do with football? Was I offended. No. I accept peoples rights to bring flags to a game even if I do not agree with what it symbolises as long as it is in no way representative of any illegal organisation.