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iwasthere2012 wrote:As regarding choosing Rep of Ireland over Northern Ireland, I think you’ve got that one wrong as well Mase. Given his background I think it was always going to be his preferred option.

BlueinBosnia wrote:

iwasthere2012 wrote:As regarding choosing Rep of Ireland over Northern Ireland, I think you’ve got that one wrong as well Mase. Given his background I think it was always going to be his preferred option.

Another aspect of that is the fact that Northern Ireland's FA still call themselves the 'Irish Football Association', which is a massive imperial hangover. I'm not sure why it's not been changed in the past near-century, but it might have something to do with IFAB statutes, or it might be partisanship.

In athletics and many other sports, people from Northern Ireland have the option of competing for 'Ireland' (i.e. the island) or 'Great Britain'. I wonder which would be the 'correct' choice for him to represent in that case, as he wasn't born in Great Britain...

johnny crossan wrote:They Shall Not Grow Old starting now BBC2

kinsey wrote:In some ways, I have sympathy for James McClean.

His personal view is no more or less important than mine or yours. Or Nemanja Matic's. Nor is it at odds with the Royal British Legion. It is not mandatory to wear the poppy. Indeed, many argue that the poppy commerates those who laid down their lives to protect personal freedom... which includes you know, the freedom whether or not to wear a poppy!

Perhaps I have this wrong - but it sometimes feels to me that those who abuse him at this time of year besmirch the poppy and what it stands for, more than McClean does by not wearing it.

I wear a poppy.

When I was at school (80s), i was taught that the poppy was a memorial, not just to the men who gave their lives, but to the many more who had their lives taken from them by the actions of madmen, big business and blundering politicians. That it was a reminder not just of the terrible sacrifice that so many people paid for the world we live in today, but of the terrible horror that was visited on a whole generation. Not just soldiers, but wives, mothers, daughters. That our best way of thanking them was to say never again to war and to live peacefully and respectfully with each other.

With that in mind, I have no problem with someone because they choose not to wear the poppy. They are free to make that choice and I am grateful for that.

However, those politicians who commerate Poppy Sunday at one turn and then send out young lads to die in dubious wars at the other (at the behest of big business and under the guise of toppling mad men)... well that's another story!

bluemoon wrote:

kinsey wrote:In some ways, I have sympathy for James McClean.

His personal view is no more or less important than mine or yours. Or Nemanja Matic's. Nor is it at odds with the Royal British Legion. It is not mandatory to wear the poppy. Indeed, many argue that the poppy commerates those who laid down their lives to protect personal freedom... which includes you know, the freedom whether or not to wear a poppy!

Perhaps I have this wrong - but it sometimes feels to me that those who abuse him at this time of year besmirch the poppy and what it stands for, more than McClean does by not wearing it.

I wear a poppy.

When I was at school (80s), i was taught that the poppy was a memorial, not just to the men who gave their lives, but to the many more who had their lives taken from them by the actions of madmen, big business and blundering politicians. That it was a reminder not just of the terrible sacrifice that so many people paid for the world we live in today, but of the terrible horror that was visited on a whole generation. Not just soldiers, but wives, mothers, daughters. That our best way of thanking them was to say never again to war and to live peacefully and respectfully with each other.

With that in mind, I have no problem with someone because they choose not to wear the poppy. They are free to make that choice and I am grateful for that.

However, those politicians who commerate Poppy Sunday at one turn and then send out young lads to die in dubious wars at the other (at the behest of big business and under the guise of toppling mad men)... well that's another story!

Excellent post, OP take note.

Harry Dowd scored wrote:Kinsey, I love you, what a lovely post, I agree with you and appreciate your moving post.

zuricity wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:They Shall Not Grow Old starting now BBC2

Who actually watches BBC ?
The only good service they have is the World Service radio and Radio 6. The rest is just rubbish

Slim wrote:As far as I can tell, he is choosing not to wear it for personal reasons.

How dare he use that freedom to choose not to honour those who lay down their lives to give him the freedom of choice?

How dare he doesn't do something in a rampant act of inaction. Not the sort of inaction that actually hurts anyone, but inaction based on personal experience and moral compass.

How dare he have his own story, his own influences and his own mind, FORCE THIS MAN TO WEAR A POPPY AS A LIE, it's the only choice really.

Peter Doherty (AGAIG) wrote:This is a really interesting thread. Those you think are bigots turn out not to be, and those you think are bright turn out to be thick cunts. Always enjoyed being a blue on here but I'm done with the complete fucking arseholes that most posters have turned out to be. Up Manchester and fuck each and everyone of you who isn't a Mancunian.

Peter Doherty (AGAIG) wrote:This is a really interesting thread. Those you think are bigots turn out not to be, and those you think are bright turn out to be thick cunts. Always enjoyed being a blue on here but I'm done with the complete fucking arseholes that most posters have turned out to be. Up Manchester and fuck each and everyone of you who isn't a Mancunian.

Nigels Tackle wrote:who is james mclain btw?
weird that there is a guy called james mcclean who is also from derry and refuses to wear a poppy!

Mase wrote:

Nigels Tackle wrote:who is james mclain btw?
weird that there is a guy called james mcclean who is also from derry and refuses to wear a poppy!

Isn't he the guy from Die Hard?

iwasthere2012 wrote:Was Matic booed yesterday?

iwasthere2012 wrote:Was Matic booed yesterday?