applaud rangers players.

**�anna** · 05/09/2003, 11:19 PM

Originally posted by nlgbbbblth

are we the only country that people wear FOREIGN club jersies to matches involving the national team.

Good point. You can't tell people what to wear, but its pathetic.

**�anna** · 05/09/2003, 11:22 PM

Originally posted by Slash/ED
How is that different to booing opponents Rangers players? It's trying to upset them and put them off their game, and if memory serves not one has played well against us in recent times anyway.

The problem is not the booing, its the reason behined the booing, which although it may not be overtly and deliberatley sectarian, DOES have its roots based in sectarianism. My opinion on booing is that every single person in the landsdowne crowd should boo and whistle every time ANY opposition player touches the ball, and REALLY intimidate them- its this selective abuse based on some ridiculous allegiance to a foreign club that bugs me.

**�anna** · 05/09/2003, 11:28 PM

Originally posted by clarkeyboy
please explain to me how you "think" you support a team? does that mean i might have convinced myself i support celtic but that in actual fact some higher authority has deemed it otherwise. if that is the case, i wonder who do i support? maybe eanna you are the higher entity who dictates where my true allegiance lies?? i hope after all these years i haven't secretly been a rangers supporter (or worse, a city fan! aaaaahhh)

Supporting a club is about having pride in where you come from, or where our family comes from or where you live. Its about a sense of affinity to a community and belonging to something. Deciding on a whim to support a club because 150 years ago some fella happened to be Irish (as with Celtic) or because they wonsomething last year (as with most Premiership fans) is pathetic and stupid, as are the people who do that. Eamon McCann said it perfectly in the Tribune a few years ago: "These people aren't football fans, they're fashion victims. Someday there will be support groups for them."

*Note: I have no problem with fans who support their local team and then have an interest in other teams. As i have said countless times, I like both Celtic and Real Madrid. For me it comes down to what someone answers when they're sked who they support. Do they say Celtic/Manchester/Arsenal/Liverpool, or do they say City/Bohs/monaghan/Tralee Dynamoes or whoever.

**Slash/ED** · 05/09/2003, 11:56 PM

Originally posted by �anna
The problem is not the booing, its the reason behined the booing, which although it may not be overtly and deliberatley sectarian, DOES have its roots based in sectarianism. My opinion on booing is that every single person in the landsdowne crowd should boo and whistle every time ANY opposition player touches the ball, and REALLY intimidate them- its this selective abuse based on some ridiculous allegiance to a foreign club that bugs me.

I wouldn't agree with the first point, I think there's sectarianism in the history of the rivalry of Celtic and Rangers, but that bears no relevance to the booing of an opponent because he plays for your rivals, but we'd be here all night saying the same things back and forth if we were to argue about it really. I agree with your second point though, Lansedown should be as intimidating as possible regardless of who the opponents play for at club level.

**�anna** · 06/09/2003, 12:01 AM

Originally posted by Slash/ED
I wouldn't agree with the first point, I think there's sectarianism in the history of the rivalry of Celtic and Rangers,

Thats why I said

although it may not be overtly and deliberatley sectarian, DOES have its roots based in sectarianism

**Slash/ED** · 06/09/2003, 12:29 AM

Originally posted by �anna
Thats why I said

Yes but the point I was making is that, imo, that fact, while being unquestionable true, has no relevance to the booing. They would still be booing the same players in the same way if that fact wasn't true, imo anyway, and that's why it doesn't matter for this debate.

**Duncan Gardner** · 06/09/2003, 10:10 AM

Originally posted by Slash/ED
I agree with your [Eanna's] second point though, Lansedown should be as intimidating as possible regardless of who the opponents play for at club level.

I'd have no problem with that

Talking of bad behaviour, reports from the Thursday night train across Ukraine to Donetsk, suggest that the NI fans' party was attended by at least one Ukrainian U-21 squad member.

He didn't inhale though. We lost 0-1. Some local travellers complained about the noise, but the police sergeant on the train bribed them not to make a fuss. Hic.

Scouse · 08/09/2003, 10:10 AM

I think the booing is sectarian. We will never admit it because we have this gut reaction that we arent as bad as "the other side".

We find it very easy in Ireland to demonise Rangers. After all there are no Rangers fans around so we can shout u Orange B**tards or Hun or Brit or Stickie (heard that one at the last Old Firm game), we look round at our mates, who are all saying the same thing, and think "ah, at last i belong - i too am a sheep".

The whole status of Celtic in the Republic is a joke. They are not Irish, they pay tax to H.M. Govt, they just take the p*ss out of their "Irish Roots".

I would much rather see Shels/Bohs/Cork City jerseys being worn in the streets than the usual Celtic/Man Yoo/Arsenal, and i say this as a Liverpool fan who has only been in Dublin a year but has still gone to more LofI games than anyone i work with!!

**Duncan Gardner** · 08/09/2003, 10:15 AM

Originally posted by Scouse
we can shout u Orange B**tards or Hun or Brit or Stickie (heard that one at the last Old Firm game

Nice to see there are some Rangers fans in Workers' Party/ Democratic Left/ New Labour/ whatever it's called this week

**liam88** · 11/01/2004, 10:06 PM

To be honest I don't really stand on either side of the booing debate because;
1.Worse things have been done at Windsor Park e.g "Let Him Die!!" and it was one of their own players!
2.We were voted best fans of the World Cup in Japan and South Korea 2003
3.I don't think booing a Rangers player even compares to "hissing" at teams with Jewish roots, singing "always look out on the runway for ice" at Man. Utd. game or singing "Take my breath away" at Liverpool games.
These are club examples, granted, but it shows that (unfortunatley) a LOT worse goes on in football than booing.

**Beavis** · 11/01/2004, 11:20 PM

We should just whistle and boo all the players when they have the ball and make it really hard for them to come to Landsdowne and play.Nothing sectarian or even rivalry but just that they're playing us and we want to win.
Any ground I've seen where the crowd make noise at every of the oppositions touch,you'll see it clearly unease the team and encourages the home team to want to get the ball back as quickly as possible

**S�C** · 12/01/2004, 11:26 AM

The UEFA fair play system takes into account fans when doing out a country's fair play rating. This is the system that allows national leagues of certain clubs a place in the UEFA cup.

These 'fans' are right tossers who could cost the eL a Uefa Cup spot. Good enough reason to throw them out of the Stadium.

**tiktok** · 12/01/2004, 12:14 PM

Originally posted by S�Ccfc
These 'fans' are right tossers who could cost the eL a Uefa Cup spot.

I doubt anyone booing would care seeing as it'd be an irish team losing out, not a scottish one.

**John83** · 12/01/2004, 1:09 PM

Originally posted by davros
The PC brigade should get a grip & appreciate that songs & death threats are undesirable,but at least it's Not a case of using any form of weaponry to kill,maim or injure.

You try saying that after you've just received a death threat against you, your wife and your kids.

**scouser** · 12/01/2004, 1:50 PM

Applaud rangers' players? The *******s turned me down after a trial cos they found out I was a Catholic. I've never fully recovered after that set back and im still troubled by that time of my life, even to this very day.

Scouser.

**liam88** · 12/01/2004, 6:41 PM

God bless you Scouser-hope you recover. Do you still play?
I am with ya all the way-mabye it was fate, ya don't wanna be playing for those racist gits

**liam88** · 12/01/2004, 6:42 PM

Originally posted by davros
DON'T CONDONE IN ANY WAY!
Just the words of a drunken/cowardly F*ckwit,are actually this!

Most of these bar-room warriors wouldn't go as far-Words,even if twisted/despicable are one thing,Throwing pipe/petrol-bombs or shooting at somebody are somewhat different!Just saying the former should be put in the perspective of the latter-That's all.No more,no less.

One thing lead to another though....

**scouser** · 13/01/2004, 9:06 AM

Originally posted by liam88
God bless you Scouser-hope you recover. Do you still play?
I am with ya all the way-mabye it was fate, ya don't wanna be playing for those racist gits

Nah, i don't play it any more except for a few games of footie with me mates.

Scouser.

**�anna** · 13/01/2004, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by Beavis
We should just whistle and boo all the players when they have the ball and make it really hard for them to come to Landsdowne and play.Nothing sectarian or even rivalry but just that they're playing us and we want to win.
Any ground I've seen where the crowd make noise at every of the oppositions touch,you'll see it clearly unease the team and encourages the home team to want to get the ball back as quickly as possible

Exactly. I don't object to booing at all, I object to people being singled out for booing because of racial/religious reasons.