James McClean refuses to wear a poppy

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  • iamsofirediamsofired Posts: 13,054
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    degsyhufc wrote: »
    I think the term "refuses" make more of the story than it should.
    People aren't forced to wear them. He simply chose not to wear one.

    Well its expected of people in the public eye - brave decision and one in the eye for the poppy nazis.
  • UriahUriah Posts: 1,411
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    iamsofired wrote: »
    Well its expected of people in the public eye - brave decision and one in the eye for the poppy nazis.

    Thought MOTD 2 was embarrassing when Colin Murray decided to praise the 'majority' of people for wearing the poppy.

    Mini-Englishmen like Murray completely piss me off. Total arse-licking moron.
  • BosoxBosox Posts: 14,172
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    Why should he feel compelled to wear a poppy

    I take it your comment is aimed at me seeing as you quoted my post. Did you miss the start of my post where I said it was obviously entirely his decision whether he wanted to wear the poppy and that I did not criticise that decision in any way?
  • Dub2Dub2 Posts: 2,866
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    Uriah wrote: »
    Thought MOTD 2 was embarrassing when Colin Murray decided to praise the 'majority' of people for wearing the poppy.

    Mini-Englishmen like Murray completely piss me off. Total arse-licking moron.

    Murray is a bigot. He`s had it in for Mclean ever since he declared for Ireland .
  • misawa97misawa97 Posts: 11,579
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    Why should he feel compelled to wear a poppy, he identifies as an Irish Nationalist and plays for the Republic of Ireland? People always say it shows disrespect for those who died in WW2, but it also commemorates those killed in Britain's colonial wars. Personally, I would quite happily donate to veterans of WW2, and have done so in the past, as these people deserve all the praise available but I never have and won't wear a poppy that commemorates Britain's colonial past.

    Saw a general on tv yesterday saying it was a celebration of the efforts made from the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Says it all really. Would never wear one.
  • Alpo.Alpo. Posts: 745
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    got no problem with him not wearing one, he has his reasons.
    although i have no problem with it, i don't even think the poppy is needed on football tops.. the minutes silence is fine.

    rather that than the farce i saw that Rangers did. was like a tacky festival rather than a dignified remembrance from a club that tries too hard to prove they are the quintessential British football team (the term the two Rangers fans i've worked with trot out many a time) but i'll leave anything about the Old Firm to a minimum because we know what their fans are like.

    keep the point scoring, jingoistic stuff away from football.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 82,262
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    Alpo. wrote: »
    got no problem with him not wearing one, he has his reasons.
    although i have no problem with it, i don't even think the poppy is needed on football tops.. the minutes silence is fine.
    .


    agreed, if MacClean observed the minutes silence than that should be good enough.
  • bluesdiamondbluesdiamond Posts: 11,360
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    That Football *and Rugby) have got behind the Poppy Charities (Scotland has a different Poppy and charity from rest of UK) is a welcome thing.
    Whilst it is interesting to defend a person's choice to not wear a Poppy. McClean also chose to play in England. So on one hand he refuses to wear the Poppy worn to remember soldiers off all conflicts since World War 1. Many Irishmen in World War Two volunteered at cost to fight alongside The British against Germany, despite their country being 'neutral'.
    Even today in Ireland if you want a military career, joining HM Forces is seen as a better option than joining the Irish Defence Forces.
    By refusing to wear the Poppy he snubs both British and Irish men (and women) who paid for our freedom. I just hope McClean is happy accepting English/British money...or maybe he should accept he makes a better living here than he would playing for Derry City...and not try to make a political point.
  • Phil SPhil S Posts: 1,777
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    That Football *and Rugby) have got behind the Poppy Charities (Scotland has a different Poppy and charity from rest of UK) is a welcome thing.
    Whilst it is interesting to defend a person's choice to not wear a Poppy. McClean also chose to play in England. So on one hand he refuses to wear the Poppy worn to remember soldiers off all conflicts since World War 1. Many Irishmen in World War Two volunteered at cost to fight alongside The British against Germany, despite their country being 'neutral'.
    Even today in Ireland if you want a military career, joining HM Forces is seen as a better option than joining the Irish Defence Forces.
    By refusing to wear the Poppy he snubs both British and Irish men (and women) who paid for our freedom. I just hope McClean is happy accepting English/British money...or maybe he should accept he makes a better living here than he would playing for Derry City...and not try to make a political point.


    Very good!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,575
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    That Football *and Rugby) have got behind the Poppy Charities (Scotland has a different Poppy and charity from rest of UK) is a welcome thing.
    Whilst it is interesting to defend a person's choice to not wear a Poppy. McClean also chose to play in England. So on one hand he refuses to wear the Poppy worn to remember soldiers off all conflicts since World War 1. Many Irishmen in World War Two volunteered at cost to fight alongside The British against Germany, despite their country being 'neutral'.
    Even today in Ireland if you want a military career, joining HM Forces is seen as a better option than joining the Irish Defence Forces.
    By refusing to wear the Poppy he snubs both British and Irish men (and women) who paid for our freedom. I just hope McClean is happy accepting English/British money...or maybe he should accept he makes a better living here than he would playing for Derry City...and not try to make a political point.

    A quite liudicrous playing off of one thing against the other.

    He is entirely entitled to deveop his football career and ambitions in England, while still feeling that he has genuine reasons for not wearing the poppy.
  • MythicaMythica Posts: 3,808
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    LostFool wrote: »
    I see Carlos Tevez was wearing a poppy today so he mustn't have any grudges against the British military...

    Not wearing a poppy doesn't mean you have a grudge against the British military. For all we know, he might have donated more in one go than you or I do in our lifes.
  • degsyhufcdegsyhufc Posts: 59,251
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    Uriah wrote: »
    Thought MOTD 2 was embarrassing when Colin Murray decided to praise the 'majority' of people for wearing the poppy.

    Mini-Englishmen like Murray completely piss me off. Total arse-licking moron.
    Did he say majority? I thought hje said every player and I raised an eyebrow straight away when he said it.
    I could be mistaken though.
  • degsyhufcdegsyhufc Posts: 59,251
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    Alpo. wrote: »
    got no problem with him not wearing one, he has his reasons.
    although i have no problem with it, i don't even think the poppy is needed on football tops.. the minutes silence is fine.

    rather that than the farce i saw that Rangers did. was like a tacky festival rather than a dignified remembrance from a club that tries too hard to prove they are the quintessential British football team (the term the two Rangers fans i've worked with trot out many a time) but i'll leave anything about the Old Firm to a minimum because we know what their fans are like.

    keep the point scoring, jingoistic stuff away from football.
    It is slightly odd at what events are allowed to be celebrated/remembered in the PL.
    Wasn't there a argument a years or so back where a team wanted to wear a special shirt to commemorate something but UEFA/FIFA wouldn't allow it.

    I think in the end the team was allowed to wear black armbands.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,575
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    Mythica wrote: »
    Not wearing a poppy doesn't mean you have a grudge against the British military. For all we know, he might have donated more in one go than you or I do in our lifes.

    It actually does tend to indcate exactly that, when you take the step of being unwiilling to wear a shirt with the embroidered in poppy ( it's not a case of just not happening to wear a poppy ! ).

    As i have said I think he has every right to deliberately not wear a poppy ( and too much fuss has been made of it ), but let's not pretend that that wasn't what it was, and I rather doubt he has donated anything to the appeal :eek:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 639
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    Alpo. wrote: »
    got no problem with him not wearing one, he has his reasons.
    although i have no problem with it, i don't even think the poppy is needed on football tops.. the minutes silence is fine.

    rather that than the farce i saw that Rangers did. was like a tacky festival rather than a dignified remembrance from a club that tries too hard to prove they are the quintessential British football team (the term the two Rangers fans i've worked with trot out many a time) but i'll leave anything about the Old Firm to a minimum because we know what their fans are like.

    keep the point scoring, jingoistic stuff away from football.

    I agree with this, I think it's extremely tacky and hate seeing it every year. To be honest I hate seeing football shirts that have writing on for special matches like the FA Cup final, or international matches, but that's a different topic.
    Why do we need poppys on shirts, remember last year with the England game and all the fuss over not being allowed the poppy on the shirt?
    Minutes silence - fine. But let's not make every year into a spectacle that to be honest just looks embarrasing. I have nothing against poppys in general, and yes, remember the fallen, but it just feels so forced and fake!
    Slightly OT but Eastenders was on our TV(wife watching it...), and the amount of the cast wearing poppys, I just thought "OK BBC, we get the picture, you've been told to promote the poppy".
    Sorry, I just feel that a huge amount of it is all for show, but anyone dares not to conform, especially in the public eye, you will be told how disrespectful you are.

    Rant over :)
  • MythicaMythica Posts: 3,808
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    That Football *and Rugby) have got behind the Poppy Charities (Scotland has a different Poppy and charity from rest of UK) is a welcome thing.
    Whilst it is interesting to defend a person's choice to not wear a Poppy. McClean also chose to play in England. So on one hand he refuses to wear the Poppy worn to remember soldiers off all conflicts since World War 1. Many Irishmen in World War Two volunteered at cost to fight alongside The British against Germany, despite their country being 'neutral'.
    Even today in Ireland if you want a military career, joining HM Forces is seen as a better option than joining the Irish Defence Forces.
    By refusing to wear the Poppy he snubs both British and Irish men (and women) who paid for our freedom. I just hope McClean is happy accepting English/British money...or maybe he should accept he makes a better living here than he would playing for Derry City...and not try to make a political point.

    I'm English, earn English money, but don't wear a poppy?
  • Dub2Dub2 Posts: 2,866
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    That Football *and Rugby) have got behind the Poppy Charities (Scotland has a different Poppy and charity from rest of UK) is a welcome thing.
    Whilst it is interesting to defend a person's choice to not wear a Poppy. McClean also chose to play in England. So on one hand he refuses to wear the Poppy worn to remember soldiers off all conflicts since World War 1. Many Irishmen in World War Two volunteered at cost to fight alongside The British against Germany, despite their country being 'neutral'.
    Even today in Ireland if you want a military career, joining HM Forces is seen as a better option than joining the Irish Defence Forces.
    By refusing to wear the Poppy he snubs both British and Irish men (and women) who paid for our freedom. I just hope McClean is happy accepting English/British money...or maybe he should accept he makes a better living here than he would playing for Derry City...and not try to make a political point.

    So you think a young Republican from Derry should be forced to wear the poppy?

    Are you even aware of the existence of the Good Friday Agreement?
  • MythicaMythica Posts: 3,808
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    indiana44 wrote: »
    It actually does tend to indcate exactly that, when you take the step of being unwiilling to wear a shirt with the embroidered in poppy ( it's not a case of just not happening to wear a poppy ! ).

    As i have said I think he has every right to deliberately not wear a poppy ( and too much fuss has been made of it ), but let's not pretend that that wasn't what it was, and I rather doubt he has donated anything to the appeal :eek:

    Nonsense. You don't know what he is thinking, so don't start assuming things.

    I don't wear a poppy, want to start assuming things about me?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,575
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    degsyhufc wrote: »
    Did he say majority? I thought hje said every player and I raised an eyebrow straight away when he said it.
    I could be mistaken though.

    Whatever, it's a piece of monsense for Murray to be praising footballers at all for wearing the shirts that had been prepared for the games with embroidered in poppies ( even if one thinks that generally wearing poppies is praiseworthy which isn't for Murray to say ) .

    They didn't exaactly opt in to anything, but McClean opted out.

    If he said the "majority", meaning to have a pop at McClean, he's even more of a ****.
  • zielerzieler Posts: 8,038
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    degsyhufc wrote: »
    It is slightly odd at what events are allowed to be celebrated/remembered in the PL.
    Wasn't there a argument a years or so back where a team wanted to wear a special shirt to commemorate something but UEFA/FIFA wouldn't allow it.

    I think in the end the team was allowed to wear black armbands.

    I think you are referring to the England poppy thing a year or two back. They wanted to wear a poppy on the shirt, FIFA's rules said they couldn't, the English FA kicked up a stink despite the fact that it had never been a problem before, and then FIFA told them they could put poppies on the black armband if they wanted.
  • degsyhufcdegsyhufc Posts: 59,251
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    zieler wrote: »
    I think you are referring to the England poppy thing a year or two back. They wanted to wear a poppy on the shirt, FIFA's rules said they couldn't, the English FA kicked up a stink despite the fact that it had never been a problem before, and then FIFA told them they could put poppies on the black armband if they wanted.
    Yes, that's the one. Thanks.
  • Dub2Dub2 Posts: 2,866
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    Political symbols should be kept out of sport.
  • bluesdiamondbluesdiamond Posts: 11,360
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    Dub2 wrote: »
    Political symbols should be kept out of sport.

    The Poppy is not a Political symbol.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 949
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    Personally I think it's up to the individual if they want to wear a poppy or not.

    I am against the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and not happy about the colonial past or the atrocities which happened in Ireland.

    But the poppy has got nothing to do with politics (and shouldn't be) it's about young men who lost their lives and many were from Ireland, many in the 1st world war was tricked and threatened to go to war. I am not remembering the politics but the young service people who lost their lives at a very young age. For all we know the unnamed soldier could be Irish. British personnel have even in the past laid wreaths for German young men. Most wars are stupid but the poppy is not a symbol of a conflict being right or wrong it's about some young lad loosing his life and poppy is a charitable institution not political one.

    Politicians are the the ones who make wars. It's not about remembering the British soldiers but all of them Irish, French, USA even German.
  • UriahUriah Posts: 1,411
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    The Poppy is not a Political symbol.

    If you live in NI or Scotland it has certainly been used as a quite literal political 'football' symbol.

    The vast majority of the nationalist/republican/Catholic community in NI has viewed it with disdain and never wore them. If you wore one you were Protestant, if not you weren't. It is still associated as a badge of Protestantism and alien to the Catholic people.

    Times are changing but there are still those who find it difficult. Our job is to continue to persuade them that our future lies together. If you want to wear one do, if not don't. Intolerance exists on both sides ... take a look back over the posts on this thread if you don't believe me.
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