[cite]Posted By: Curb_It[/cite]Mortimerician, didnt he stop playing for NI after sectarian abuse and damage to his property? He used to play for them im sure.
Think that was the case anyway without googling.
True, but he'd made comments about wanting to play for ireland first. I agree it's ridiculous, but the thing is (speaking as a catholic from Glasgow) you know that there are people on both sides of the divide that are itching to find an excuse to express their inadequacy through the means of cowardly acts of violence, and you'd know that making such a statement would get them all riled up. It's all a matter of perspective: one side see him as a traitor to his country, the captain openly stating he'd like to play for another team, others would reasonably suggest that he'd like he was saying he'd like to see his country properly united. Of course, there's a whole mess of politics and history there and for a large chunk of the population of NI (particularly 8 years ago) that was seen as a first step towards abandonment for them.
I realise that people who are not from the background and who don't really understand the politics that will rightly see it as ridiculous, but there are deep seated political reasons why it was a daft comment. At the end of the day a few idiots sang songs about him and he retired from international football. We all know that a minority of football fans can get together and upset player. Doesn't excuse the way this has escalated, but equally Lennon could look at how Martin O'Neil conducted himself and reflect that he managed to be grumpy, successful and outspoken without being at the centre of all of this.
A final thought: about forty years ago the country's greatest ever player, George Best received threats (I'm guessing from the other lot) despite being completely non-political - his transgression was more letting his country down. This kind of nonsense has been going on for years and can be set off by fairly minor things.
A final thought: about forty years ago the country's greatest ever player, George Best received threats (I'm guessing from the other lot) despite being completely non-political - his transgression was more letting his country down. This kind of nonsense has been going on for years and can be set off by fairly minor things.
I don't think the other lot would be worry about George letting his country down.
Comments
I realise that people who are not from the background and who don't really understand the politics that will rightly see it as ridiculous, but there are deep seated political reasons why it was a daft comment. At the end of the day a few idiots sang songs about him and he retired from international football. We all know that a minority of football fans can get together and upset player. Doesn't excuse the way this has escalated, but equally Lennon could look at how Martin O'Neil conducted himself and reflect that he managed to be grumpy, successful and outspoken without being at the centre of all of this.
A final thought: about forty years ago the country's greatest ever player, George Best received threats (I'm guessing from the other lot) despite being completely non-political - his transgression was more letting his country down. This kind of nonsense has been going on for years and can be set off by fairly minor things.