Northern Ireland

roverstillidie wrote: gspain wrote: I don't think it was a recognized codeword but even if it was it was a lunatic Loyalist terrorist group not NI fans.    The IRA threatened to shoot George Best if he played a game - he did and scored.  They also threatened to shoot Mary Peters.  Should we blame NI fans for that too?  I cannot believe even 0.1% of the NI fans would not want a "fenian" in the team.  As I said I was in the south stand at the Slovakia game and when Niall McGinn came on he received a huge reception.  It was if they were trying to make a point he was particularly welcome.   He then made a difference  and got huge support from the crowd and many afterwards were saying he should have started.  BTW there was also a poll a few years back among the fans to name NI's greatest ever player.  The winner was Pat Jennings.  George Best was only runner up.     Is that not in itself a sign that something is wrong?

Jesus,

Belfast Green wrote: Had some crazy experiences at Windsor Park back in the 80's/90's when we used to follow C'ville.   I recall being at a Reds game when the UFF fired hand genades into the ground trying to kill C'ville supporters.   Have never attended a North 'international' game, it was always unsafe, especially during the 80's when pretty much the whole Windsor crowd sang sectarian songs and other loyalist paramilitary ditties on internatioinal nights.    It was a mixed crowd though, UVF and UDA supporters mixed openly on the Kop.    Ah...the good old days!!

I was at our games in 88,93 & 94 and never felt unsafe although there was certainly sectarian chanting such as the Sash and Billy Boys.  I never felt under threat but it wasn't a pleasant atmosphere.

I did go up to a few others at the time and you would hear the Sash and the Billy Boys but no way was it anything close to the whole crowd.  I never heard any songs supporting Loyalist terrorist organisations although I wouldn't know many such songs I never heard any with UDA, UFF, UVF etc.   Thankfully it is all changed now and you never hear the Sash or Billy Boys.

Had some crazy experiences at Windsor Park back in the 80's/90's when we used to follow C'ville.

Fitz wrote: gspain wrote: Neil Lennon was booed by a small minority v Norway.  He was cheered loudly at his next game and banners were made in support of him.   He was subsequently made captain for the Cyprus game and received a death threat from someone with a 20p coin. As I said, I can only go on what was said in the media at the time: that the threat was credible and NL was advised to take it seriously. May well have only been a WUM/lone nutter, who knows?! gspain wrote: Given all the fuss the IFA and NI fans are making about players defecting you can hardly claim they don't want Catholics/nationalists playing for NI.   A lot of it is plain begrudgery, jealousy and bigotry, IMHO. I'd bet anything that's there's plenty of NI 'fans' who'd rather there were no 'fenians' in their team, but at the same stage they don't want us to have them either.

I don't think it was a recognized codeword but even if it was it was a lunatic Loyalist terrorist group not NI fans.    The IRA threatened to shoot George Best if he played a game - he did and scored.  They also threatened to shoot Mary Peters.  Should we blame NI fans for that too? 

I cannot believe even 0.1% of the NI fans would not want a "fenian" in the team.  As I said I was in the south stand at the Slovakia game and when Niall McGinn came on he received a huge reception.  It was if they were trying to make a point he was particularly welcome.   He then made a difference  and got huge support from the crowd and many afterwards were saying he should have started. 

BTW there was also a poll a few years back among the fans to name NI's greatest ever player.  The winner was Pat Jennings.  George Best was only runner up.
 

horsebox wrote: GS, Just as a matter of interest can I ask you why do you go to NI games?   (I saw you post on OWC too before I got banned ).

I go and watch football everywhere anywhere.  I'd always go up to a NI game if we have no game.  I thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere btw as they have a noisy passionate support totally different from the late 80's/early 90's. 

I can comfortably be in Belfast in under 2 hours and home before midnight for a midweek game.

At the Euros I will also be heading off to other games in whatever country we are based in. 

Trap junior wrote: It would be an absolute disgrace if GSTQ was dropped. It would dessimate our youth system.

 

Newryrep wrote: Fitz wrote: You seemed determined to argue with me and I'm not sure why, TBH. My understanding of the death threat situation is that NL was informed by the PSNI that it was a credible threat and that he should take it seriously - certainly that's the story that was doing the rounds at the time; whether it's true or not, I don't know. As for the use of the word 'nationalist', I really only used it because I didn't want to say 'catholic' - afterall, we really are only catholics by default and most of us have no time or use for any of the bollox that goes along with it - what I really meant was 'people from the six counties who don't consider themselves British'.  As I've said, I can't understand why any non-protestant/non-British/non-Loyalist etc., would play for them, and I'm of the view that no catholic/nationalist/non-Brit should play for them.........hope this has cleared it up.   Its called a debate and you still dont grasp it    You see you got it right in the first instance and then go write the follow up Maybe I havent made it clear enought   Catholic - What does being a catholic have to do with anything regarding nationality ? unless you think only catholics should play for Ireland ? or all catholics are nationalists ? religon should have nothing to do with nationality so a persons religion is in no way relevent to what nationality a persons defines themself. As I stated catholics have played and will contine to play for Northern Ireland and are quite happy to do so ..........otherwise they wouldnt     Nationalist - given that a nationalist will view his capital in Dublin, his president as Michael D, his nationality as irish his flag as the tricolour and his anthem as Amhrán na bhFiann and would in no way describe themselves as Northern Irish how can you claim that nationalists played for/are playing for NI   Non British - you cannot be non british and play for NI so its irrelevent - it is the nationality that entitles you to play for NI as the recent discousre on eligibity confirmed. Irish nationality does not allow you to play for NI

Edited by Fitz - 29 Nov 2011 at 3:33pm

AntrimMan wrote:       I work literally beside Windsor Park and would have to disagree with you here.

Looks much better to me.  Some new apartments there that seem to be rented to Lithuanians or Poles.  Was at a game there on July 13th this year and very little bunting for the 12th compared to all year round stuff of the late 80's.  I believe many of the houses there are rented out to students including many RCs.

I still park up on Windsor Ave and walk down but I noticed most people park just over the footbridge now. 

I normally approach from the Lisburn Road side but at a Setanta game came in from the Boucher Road side and that seems to be just industrial and shopping now. 

The ground is pretty rundown now and badly in need of renovation but the area seems much improved.  

horsebox wrote: Some great reading on OWC. Anyone who declares for ROI is a bigot end of. No surrender.

whats wrong with that?

No surrender!