Northern Ireland V Wales

**holidaysong** · 08/10/2005, 1:51 PM

2-0 to Wales at half-time (Simon Davies & Carl Robinson). Wales also had a penalty saved and Northern Ireland had a goal disallowed for offside. There was some disgusting booing during the anthems at the beginning..

Good game, live on BBC 1 NI.

**Poor Student** · 08/10/2005, 2:03 PM

Hartson also getting booed heavily. What's the flag "Say no" all about?

They are a truly awful side. All graft, little skill.

**holidaysong** · 08/10/2005, 2:05 PM

Keith Gillespie gets one back.

**ifk101** · 08/10/2005, 2:05 PM

2-1 now.

**holidaysong** · 08/10/2005, 2:07 PM

2-2 now! Don't know what Lawrie was feeding them at half-time!

**Plastic Paddy** · 08/10/2005, 2:07 PM

Ahh, good old inclusive Norn Iron fans, with their gutsy renditions of Rule Britannia... sure that's Football for All in action.

PP

**thejollyrodger** · 08/10/2005, 2:08 PM

wow what a come back

**holidaysong** · 08/10/2005, 2:10 PM

Are you watching Brian Kerr?

**holidaysong** · 08/10/2005, 2:20 PM

3-2 to Wales now, Giggs with a penalty.

**Fortuna1886** · 08/10/2005, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Plastic Paddy

Ahh, good old inclusive Norn Iron fans, with their gutsy renditions of Rule Britannia... sure that's Football for All in action.

PP

I was at the game and honestly didn't hear rule Britannia, if you heard it fair enough, but surely its wrong to label all Norn Iron supporters bigots for singing a song.

**Fortuna1886** · 08/10/2005, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

Hartson also getting booed heavily. What's the flag "Say no" all about?

They are a truly awful side. All graft, little skill.

Point 1 - the flag is a refernce to the proposed new stadium at the Maze. Wrong place and at 42000 seats far to big, a white elephant in the making.

Point 2- Yeah, faily poor in the first half but 2nd half was a vast improvement, should have gotten a draw at least.

woulda, shoulda, coulda didnta

**Plastic Paddy** · 09/10/2005, 7:57 AM

Originally Posted by Fortuna1886

I was at the game and honestly didn't hear rule Britannia, if you heard it fair enough, but surely its wrong to label all Norn Iron supporters bigots for singing a song.

It was loud and clear to those viewing on TV.

Fortuna, let's get this straight. I didn't and wouldn't call your supporters bigots, but I do think the choice of song was, at best, unfortunate if you/the IFA seriously want to attract support from "all sections of the community".

PP

**-lamb-** · 09/10/2005, 11:19 AM

a couple of points -

rule brittania: i don't like it, never have, but as far as i could tell it was sung by a section in the kop for the same reason the welsh anthem was booed (not that i was happy with that either) - because they booed ours in cardiff and berated anything british.

all inclusiveness: tell me this (not agreeing or disagreeing with this comment but just an observation), whats the point in us trying to be all inclusive when the people we want to try and include don't want included and, indeed, most will do everything in their power NOT to be included?
last match and this match i have seen RoI shirtwearers throwing bricks at cars and buses travelling along the westlink in belfast. where is the inclusivity there? its all too easy to give out at the IFA for not being inclusive but is it REALLY their fault, or NI fans fault that due to political circumstances a largish section of people don't want to be included?

the game: we deserved a draw. let in 2 goals through sloppy play, came back well, were denied 2 good penalty calls and were beaten by a good freekick and dodgy ref.

**glentoranfan** · 11/10/2005, 4:00 PM

Originally Posted by -lamb-

a couple of points -

rule brittania: i don't like it, never have, but as far as i could tell it was sung by a section in the kop for the same reason the welsh anthem was booed (not that i was happy with that either) - because they booed ours in cardiff and berated anything british.

all inclusiveness: tell me this (not agreeing or disagreeing with this comment but just an observation), whats the point in us trying to be all inclusive when the people we want to try and include don't want included and, indeed, most will do everything in their power NOT to be included?
last match and this match i have seen RoI shirtwearers throwing bricks at cars and buses travelling along the westlink in belfast. where is the inclusivity there? its all too easy to give out at the IFA for not being inclusive but is it REALLY their fault, or NI fans fault that due to political circumstances a largish section of people don't want to be included?

I would have to agree with all that. If they don't want to be included, the IFA can't force them, and throwing bricks and bottles is hardly evidence that they firstly want to be included and secondly, should be included. Besides, many nationalists from N. Ireland make a conscious decision to support the Republic.

As for the match, N. Ireland deserved a draw at least. The ref should never have given that free kick across the box. The Welsh git acted and got away with it. Meanwhile, N. Ireland who generally played better througout the game should have had two penalties.

The ref allowed them to get away with murder and cost us the game. We deserved something.

**crc** · 12/10/2005, 9:57 AM

It is well established that a large number of people in NI don't want to be included. But the talk about creating an inclusive cross-community atmosphere is about making those Catholics who are so inclined feel welcome at IFA/NI games.

Not all Catholics/Nationalists wear RoI shirts and throw bricks at cars. Some of them do attend NI games and many more used to (admittedly when the team was doing better) and would again in the right circumstances.

Unfortunately I didn't see either game on Saturday (maybe just as well), because I was coming back from the US, but I was diappointed that NI lost, and hope you get a good result tonight (a win would get you 3rd, right?)

**Castle Barracks** · 12/10/2005, 10:40 AM

To put the boot on the other foot!If Ireland ever achieved unity,how would fans of the Unionist section of the community feel about supporting the Irish Republic team?

**crc** · 12/10/2005, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by Castle Barracks

To put the boot on the other foot!If Ireland ever achieved unity,how would fans of the Unionist section of the community feel about supporting the Irish Republic team?

Its a good point, and from the previous booing of Rangers players there would appear to be cause for concern. I don't think either side has a spotless record, and Irish people need to respect each other before we can all fully enjoy this island we share.

But the Ranger-players booing situation is nowhere near as bad or hostile as Windsor park has been (in the past). I doubt whether any Irishman supporting the boys in Green (in either code) in Lansdowne Road would get a hard time simply because of their politics.

I'd love to see a single team (God knows we could both desperately do with pooling international resources at the moment), but a lot needs to change in the southern mentality (i.e. towards parity of esteem) as much as it does in the northern Unionist position before that can happen.

**Gerrit** · 12/10/2005, 11:55 PM

NI should have gotten a penalty in the last minute. Apart from that the Welsh had the better chances and deserved the win.

About the sectarianism: Lamb has a very good point which I also already made by the way in another topic. The vast majority of Nationalists here would still support ROI over NI even if the Rule Britannia chants were banned from Windsor Park. So sectarianism does work in two directions.

And calling the "good old NI fans" all bigots and calling NI an "awful side" is pathetic. That's blowing up the bridges built by the Setanta Cup.

First of all let me make clear that I try to stay neutral as I abviously have reasons enough to sympathise with both teams on the island. I also disapprove with booing the Welsh anthem (though they did the same thing in Cardiff + physically attacked NI fans, which did not happen here with any travelling Welsh fan !) and the IFA should kick that minority out of Windsor as they give the whole group a bad name.
The vast majority of NI fans are great lads, I have attended ROI games when I lived in Dublin and have attended a few NI games already since having moved here. The atmosphere in Windsor is better in general than in Lansdowne, and that's an honest judgement without trying to chose sides. The sectarianists form a minority,in general NI games at Windsor equal a great atmosphere.

And on-pitch NI did better in these qualifers than ROI. With few star players they managed to beat England, while the ROI did not manage to beat any direct concurrent and only won vs Faroe Islands and Cyprus.

**crc** · 12/10/2005, 11:59 PM

Originally Posted by Gerrit

And on-pitch NI did better in these qualifers than ROI. With few star players they managed to beat England, while the ROI did not manage to beat any direct concurrent and only won vs Faroe Islands and Cyprus.

And both finished fourth!

**Gerrit** · 13/10/2005, 12:19 AM

We here have our triumph vs England to hold on to. Sounds better than beating the Faroes and Cyprus, doesn't it ?

I think because of that one win alone people here are very pleased with this campaign. I almost live next to Windsor, so I was in the middle of it that evening... People celebrated as if NI had won the world cup. I don't think anyone here will look back in anger or disappointment to this qualifying campaign.

It's a pity the island won't be there with at least 1 team. I won't dramatise however. I saw Crusaders-Bangor last weekend and had as much fun as at any World Cup game in a full arena. It's a game FFS, and having had that victory vs England and the party night afterwards you won't hear me complain of football in my adopted home country.