Irish footballer turns back on UK national anthem
RepublicOfYorks
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-3167564/Republic-Ireland-international-James-McClean-sparks-anger-turning-British-national-anthem-West-Bromwich-Albion-s-pre-season-tour.html
Not putting this in football as it's about his attitude to England and the UK rather than his football.
I don't feel terribly offended myself, but the guy is getting boring now. It's like he's deliberately doing stuff to draw attention to himself. If he'd just stood in line looking straight ahead, it wouldn't even have been noticed, and it wouldn't be seen as disrespectful to Bloody Sunday dead he like construes wearing the poppy to be. Standing in a line while an anthem is playing isn't a particular statement.
I don't like people threatening him with death or whatever, but seriously, if he has that much of a problem with the UK, it would probably be best if he find a club elsewhere in Europe. He'd be good enough to play in Ligue 1 or the Bundesliga, it would probably improve his football education and concentrate him on the game rather than political crap.
It's ridiculous, how many Argentinian players play here, yet they don't have any problem with ceremonials surrounding poppies, Armed Forces Day or the national anthem, despite the Falklands war being 10 years more recent than Bloody Sunday.
And have any England players disrespected German or Argie national anthems in the World Cup, ever? No.
Not putting this in football as it's about his attitude to England and the UK rather than his football.
I don't feel terribly offended myself, but the guy is getting boring now. It's like he's deliberately doing stuff to draw attention to himself. If he'd just stood in line looking straight ahead, it wouldn't even have been noticed, and it wouldn't be seen as disrespectful to Bloody Sunday dead he like construes wearing the poppy to be. Standing in a line while an anthem is playing isn't a particular statement.
I don't like people threatening him with death or whatever, but seriously, if he has that much of a problem with the UK, it would probably be best if he find a club elsewhere in Europe. He'd be good enough to play in Ligue 1 or the Bundesliga, it would probably improve his football education and concentrate him on the game rather than political crap.
It's ridiculous, how many Argentinian players play here, yet they don't have any problem with ceremonials surrounding poppies, Armed Forces Day or the national anthem, despite the Falklands war being 10 years more recent than Bloody Sunday.
And have any England players disrespected German or Argie national anthems in the World Cup, ever? No.
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Comments
On the anthem thing however, it seems like a standard ceremonial part of the game. He wasn't asked to salute, just stand during its playing.
I hate that I find myself probably aligned with the people who I generally try not to be aligned with but if this was an international match and a player or the entire team decided to turn their backs on the anthem of another country, I could see that as being something against which action is taken, as it is if a crowd boos the other country's anthem.
Also a small part of me wonders why if even standing during the anthem is so ghastly to him, how he can marry that with the fact he chooses to live and work here. If I despised a country that much that I couldn't stomach even paying cordial respect during the playing of their anthem, I'm not sure I'd choose to live there.
Yes he does, no one asked him to sing it , to turn his back is very rude I am sure he would think so if someone did that to his national anthem. One might ask why if he is so anti showing recognition to the UK or feels the need to snub it by being rude why he plays for a British club being paid wages from the pockets of mainly British taxpayers . You can as I said stand and not sing it there is no need to turn your back.
that does not negate his legal right to protest in a legal manner in whatever way he chooses, as he did.
The Irish are not to happy with his immature lack of respect either
He made his point with the poppy. I didn't have a problem with that. But he has to remember he is part of a team. He has distracted the team from the point of their trip with this childish gesture. I don't see how standing in a line as part of his team while a piece of music plays compromises his beliefs.
I can actually see McClean's point that the poppy is a show of support for the Armed Forces and he didn't wish to participate. But the national anthem is the anthem of the country he lives in, if he hates the anthem that much, it's best he doesn't live in the country.
If we excused everyone from respecting an anthem due to personal objections most international matches would begin with a diplomatic incident as X number of players from team Y turn their back on the anthem of A because of reason(s) B.
You can't have that. Especially in an age where a crowd booing an anthem is treated as a form of racism.
I think one thing is giving your opinión and the other be deliberately rude.
It's on a par with someone not agreeing to stand still for a minutes silence in a shopping precinct for example and wanting everyone to know just how much it offends them, they'll continue shopping making as much noise as possible just to get their point across!
I don't know the footballer, but he sounds ignorant to me
By the way the MP who protested is that imbecilic "Democratic" Unionist Party cretin Gregory Campbell who was banned from the Northern Ireland Assembly for using the phrase ""Curry my yoghurt can coca coalyer" to mockingly paraphrase the Gaelic "go raibh maith agat, Ceann Comhairle" which translates "Thank you speaker".
Politics should be kept out of sport. He needs a kick up the backside to be honest >:(
And as I sad yes he can, however if you felt that strongly why would you want to work here and be paid here ? to me he is just plain rude.
i don`t like it, sing it or understand patriotism and flag waving and think it`s a backward ritual, it`s not something i`m ever going to find remotely offensive.
I agree. I remember Martin Johnson showing great disrespect to our president in 2003 when Ireland played England in Dublin. There was outrage and his lack of courtesy has never been forgotten. The same applies here.
So teaching ignorance to young fans is a good lad scenario ? The man is happy to work here and take the money , there is no reason to make such a show of how much you dislike the country by turning your back you could simply not sing the anthem.
Well Gregory Campbell and James McClean have a lot in common then, as they are both rude, ignorant brats.
You can't praise someone for disrespecting one tradition and criticise when someone does it to yours. This is exactly how wars start, lack of mutual respect and tolerance.
Yes, it does. He was "at work" during the football game and should toe the line. You cannot protest in "whatever way" you choose whilst at work. Try it with your employers and see.
i`ve never had a problem expressing my opinion in any job i`ve ever had.
ThE problem is is his anti English/anti English national anthem stance isn't an opinion it's a result of brainwashing throughout the years in northern Ireland.
I have no issue with the poppy stance as I dislike everyone being made to wear a poppy but this situation is disgraceful.
I add my Irish voice to that