Originally Posted by
co. down green
Ealing
Thanks for your in-depth analysis into what makes us ‘northern’?? based Ireland fans tick.
To be honest with you, your generalisations have a whiff of prejudice about them.
Personally, I don’t differentiate between Ireland fans from different parts of the country, it’s the camaraderie, passion and togetherness that has always impressed me when travelling home and away.
I’ve been following Ireland for 23 years and do you honestly believe that I have invested all that time and money to make a political statement or to annoy n.i’s small fan base – grow up, man.
CDG,
I was particularly careful in my use of language when making my original point, namely:
"For one thing, the majority of ROI fans that we tend to meet on a day-to-day basis are inevitably from "the North". Now, at the risk of repeating a huge generalisation, or stereotype, Northern ROI fans are often different from Southern ones"
and
"However, certain Northern ROI fans are sometimes very different"
In fact, one doesn't have to look too far on this Board, to find posters making just such the same sort of distinction between Northern and Southern fans.
However, I do not consider that every Northern ROI fan is the same, hence my use of qualification to exclude people such as yourself.
I doubt if many hate your team, most Nationalists in the North just don't have any connection with the team and their symbols. The English Flag and Anthem, the Sash and the Dambusters have little meaning to your average sports fan. The team is pretty much irrelevant to kids from nationalist areas who are more interested in Robbie Keane and Shay Given.
You first sentence is fair enough. However, I cannot ever recall an "English Flag" at WP (except, obviously when England play); nor do I recall any (English) Anthem. If it's GSTQ you mean, then that is the NA of the UK of GB & NI. Personally, I'd rather we used a more distinctive NI song, as do many fellow fans, but I fail to see how a 90 second song played even before the kick-off should be any more of a real deterrent than e.g. the Soldiers' Song (played twice!) is at Lansdowne, for those thousands of NI football fans who also follow rugby. In my experience, such things are only important to those determined to make them so.
As for the "Sash", that hasn't been heard at an NI international in years, so frankly, that point is ******. And the Dambusters? Jeez, get a life.
Regarding your last sentence, I've no doubt there are kids in Nationalist areas in NI who are more interested in (Dubliner) RK or (Donegal's) SG.
However, there are also kids in other Nationalist, or mixed, areas such as my own County, Fermanagh, who may differ. They will have witnessed the likes of Roy Carroll, Kyle Lafferty, Kieran McKenna (Spurs & NI U-19 Captain) and Michael McGovern (Celtic & NI U-21 captain) and noted that they came up through the Fermanagh & Western and inter-county Milk Cup systems etc, as well as attending local schools etc. And if the players themselves can associate with NI, why not their teammates, friends, families and neighbours?
Regarding eligibility, its clear that ‘tapping up’ up is a figment of your supporters ‘paranoid & suspicious’ (your words) imagination.
Both Chris Baird and Kieran McKenna have mentioned in interviews that they were approached by the FAI whilst part of the NI set-up, without their ever having expressed any dissatisfaction or discontent with the IFA etc. These are only two examples of approaches which I know about. Neither is a figment of my imagination.
There is nothing more natural than a young Irish pro wanting to represent Ireland at the international stage in Lansdowne Road or Croke Park, and growing numbers of young players from the North of the Island are choosing this route, especially since the FAI were forced to drop the ‘unwritten’ 1950’s understanding about eligibility.
Who "forced" the FAI to drop which 'unwritten' understanding?
As I have mentioned on a previous thread, it is unfair for the IFA to use its resources on players who clearly don’t have any affinity to the team, so the solution would be for the FAI’s National Development Plan to be extended to the main catchments in the North, to cater for the growing number of players choosing the international path via Dublin. If the FAI has structures in place from schoolboy level the burden will be reduced on the IFA.
Perhaps Mr. Ahern could channel some of the 1.2 Billion promised to the North, into implementing the extension of the FAI’s youth development schemes in Belfast & Derry.
Whilst I have nowhere expressed opposition to any NI-born youngster who was not already happily in the IFA set-up opting for the ROI, what you are suggesting goes much further. As such, I have ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT that UEFA/FIFA would prohibit the FAI making an unwelcome intrusion directly into the jurisdiction of another National Association. The whole international set-up is based on respecting the integrity of each Association equally.
As for Mr. Ahern channelling money into football in the North (again unwelcome), FIFA would clamp down on this like a ton of bricks. Even as we debate this, they are presently telling the Polish Government to stay out of the running of football in Poland. This follows on from recent disputes with the Governments of Greece and Kenya (and many more) - just Google "FIFA, Governments, political interference" and I daresay you'll find plenty of proof.
(And in any case, Ahern is only electioneering. As soon as the votes are counted, he will forget his new-found interest in football)
As regards the atmosphere at Windsor Park November 93, from were I was sitting in the Railway Stand that night, the atmosphere was vicious, Racist & sectarian. I have never encountered anything like it before, or since.
I, too, was at that game. I have always accepted that there was a sizeable element in the NI support that behaved deplorably. However, my quibble is with the extent of it. Now I don't expect you to accept my account, but I am quite happy to point to Gary Spain's account elsewhere on this thread, for a fair and balanced perspective. Or is he biased?
But I suppose every event has its lighter moments and to quote from the Paul McGrath’s ‘The Black Pearl Of Inchicore’
“The funniest thing on the way out (of Windsor Park) was the bloke giving Niall Quinn stick on the steps of the coach as we got ready to go away. He was telling Niall to “F**k off back to Dublin, you Fenian basta*d”. Niall, cool as a cucumber, just turned to him and said, “I’ll send you a postcard from America pal.” I nearly wet myself with laughter”.
Now you can imagine how the Northern Ireland fans feel
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