[marky88]

A lot of the players in the Northern Ireland set up at the minute are catholic eg Sammy Clingan, Pat mccourt, Niall Mcginn. These players don't get booed as someone posted earlier. NI football team and support have worked hard and quite successfully to eradicate any kind of sectarian singing at games and I challenge anyone to find me footage of the Northern Ireland support singing sectarian songs in the last 5 years. Some people on this thread who are so quick to call the Northern Ireland support bigots seem to be the real bigots themselves. It is quite sad really.

[Left Hand Drive]

(Original post by barnetbuzzzz)
Yes, Protestants support Rangers, and Catholics support Celtic. What's new?
The point I'm trying to make is that Catholics still make up 40% of the NI population. It's not like they're some tiny minority. If they wanted to turn up to NI games in numbers and challenge the Protestant dominance, they could.

Celtic welcome everyone I hate the stereotype of us hating protestants. We don't/never had any mindset of Catholic supremacy. We don't ever sing about hating Protestants. Just because those bastards across the city have an extreme anti catholic view does not mean we are the opposite.

A lot of catholics in Northen Ireland also support the nationalist cause. They would probably rather support The republic and who can blame them.

I went to the Scotland vs Northen Ireland friendly a few years back. After the game in central station some Northen Ireland fans approached me and my friend and asked us if we knew if there was any "fenians" to put in wheelchairs. I told them them I was a celtic fan(which was probably pretty stupid of me) but they said your alright though and left.

[Left Hand Drive]

(Original post by Sgany)
I think we should have a "United Kingdom" football team.

No

[marky88]

(Original post by Left Hand Drive)
Celtic welcome everyone I hate the stereotype of us hating protestants. We don't/never had any mindset of Catholic supremacy. We don't ever sing about hating Protestants. Just because those bastards across the city have an extreme anti catholic view does not mean we are the opposite.

A lot of catholics in Northen Ireland also support the nationalist cause. They would probably rather support The republic and who can blame them.

I went to the Scotland vs Northen Ireland friendly a few years back. After the game in central station some Northen Ireland fans approached me and my friend and asked us if we knew if there was any "fenians" to put in wheelchairs. I told them them I was a celtic fan(which was probably pretty stupid of me) but they said your alright though and left.

Youse just sing in support of the IRA who who have bombed the UK and Ireland for over 30 years. Yes Celtic fans are little angels.

[Jim-ie]

(Original post by hayles101)
Some the comments in this thread are shocking and actually offensive to me having grown up in Northern Ireland my whole life.

I'm curious to know, those making comments on the subject, like 'the Island being joined'..do you live in Northern Ireland/ROI then and happen to have a strong link to have these views? What are you reasons for these opinions?

I am British and as much a part of the United Kingdom as Scotland, England or Wales. My Dad was a young police officer at the time of the troubles and after the horror stories I have grown up knowing, I hope my country never has to go through that again.

I'm from the Falls.

[Jim-ie]

(Original post by marky88)
A lot of the players in the Northern Ireland set up at the minute are catholic eg Sammy Clingan, Pat mccourt, Niall Mcginn. These players don't get booed as someone posted earlier. NI football team and support have worked hard and quite successfully to eradicate any kind of sectarian singing at games and I challenge anyone to find me footage of the Northern Ireland support singing sectarian songs in the last 5 years. Some people on this thread who are so quick to call the Northern Ireland support bigots seem to be the real bigots themselves. It is quite sad really.

No they don't get booed, they just get bullets in the mail when they sign for Celtic.

Find you footage? Right here when they played in Dublin.

And in case there is something wrong with your hearing. "Oh my father said to me I must join the Y.C.V, With a rifle or a pistol in my hand"

[Jim-ie]

(Original post by marky88)
Youse just sing in support of the IRA who who have bombed the UK and Ireland for over 30 years. Yes Celtic fans are little angels.

We're certainly better behaved than Rangers fans when we go abroad.

[Alpharius]

**** it, lets merge England, Scotland and Wales too

I'm part Irish (Northern), but would rather them merge like the rugby team. Wouldn't change their success rate, how many current NI players would get into a unified team?

[trogg]

Republic of Ireland fans engage in sectarian singing

[marky88]

(Original post by Jim-ie)
We're certainly better behaved than Rangers fans when we go abroad.

The funny thing is you don't seem to realise the massive problem BOTH supports have. As to your comment that Celtic fans are better behaved abroad, are they? Massive problems with both supports and both sides of the community. Why pretend this is one sided?


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...n-mid-air.html

[toddman10]

Yes as 20 years down the line it will basically be just a Northern Ireland unionist team with half of the populations players playing for the Republic of Ireland, many unionists complained about Ireland wearing black armbands to commemorate the shootings 18 years ago of people watching an Ireland world cup game as 'you shouldn't bring politics into sport' yet if you go into Windsor Park it is full of British union flags, it is Northern Ireland these people are going to watch, not a team called 'Britain' so they seem to bring politics into sport. The Irish in the north obviously are raised within Irish culture and Northern Ireland seems like a foreign team to me, I support the Republic of Ireland because I am Irish and the team represents Irish culture, lets put it this way, a lot of our ancestors in the north fought in the war of independence, why would we support a sports team which represents British rule.

[Left Hand Drive]

(Original post by marky88)
The funny thing is you don't seem to realise the massive problem BOTH supports have. As to your comment that Celtic fans are better behaved abroad, are they? Massive problems with both supports and both sides of the community. Why pretend this is one sided?


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...n-mid-air.html

Yes a lot better behaved.

Compare Rangers fans in Manchester to that or in Pamplona or in Romania

[marky88]

Sorry this seems to have got off topic but can we please stop pretending that Celtic have the greatest fans in the world and realise that both supports have their fair share of idiots?
http://ifyouknowtheirhistory.blogspot.com/ Has plenty of cases of Celtic fans showing themselves up at home and abroad. I'm sure you could find as many examples of Rangers fans being idiots.

[marky88]

[QUOTE=Left Hand Drive;38313362]Yes a lot better behaved.

Compare Rangers fans in Manchester to that or in Pamplona or in Romania[/QUOTE

http://ifyouknowtheirhistory.blogspot.com/


Sorry this has got off topic but can we please stop pretending Celtic supporters are any better than Rangers supporters?

[Left Hand Drive]

(Original post by marky88)
Yes a lot better behaved.

Compare Rangers fans in Manchester to that or in Pamplona or in Romania[/QUOTE

http://ifyouknowtheirhistory.blogspot.com/


Sorry this has got off topic but can we please stop pretending Celtic supporters are any better than Rangers supporters?

Im not saying there is not a problem with people in our support. I do however maintain we are not as bad as them with their full scale riots and you know sending bombs.

[marky88]

(Original post by Left Hand Drive)
Im not saying there is not a problem with people in our support. I do however maintain we are not as bad as them with their full scale riots and you know sending bombs.

Well you have the right to have that opinion. I personally disagree and would say both as bad as each other.

[Negaduck]

As someone from Northern Ireland, I feel like I should have an opinion on this.

As it happens, I don't, either way there is going to be some conflict of interest. Right now you have the majority of people supporting the Northern Ireland team being Protestant as some Cathloics feeling that they shouldn't support it and therefore support ROI. If a new team is formed then Unionists will be alienated and decide to support England/ Scotland because they consider themselves British and not Irish.

Either way, one party loses, even though it's a ****ing stupid probem to have in the first place. Either way i'll support Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

[Kruz]

(Original post by Negaduck)
As someone from Northern Ireland, I feel like I should have an opinion on this.

As it happens, I don't, either way there is going to be some conflict of interest. Right now you have the majority of people supporting the Northern Ireland team being Protestant as some Cathloics feeling that they shouldn't support it and therefore support ROI. If a new team is formed then Unionists will be alienated and decide to support England/ Scotland because they consider themselves British and not Irish.

Either way, one party loses, even though it's a ****ing stupid probem to have in the first place. Either way i'll support Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Tbh if they combined together they would actually have a decent team.

[Jim-ie]

(Original post by marky88)
The funny thing is you don't seem to realise the massive problem BOTH supports have. As to your comment that Celtic fans are better behaved abroad, are they? Massive problems with both supports and both sides of the community. Why pretend this is one sided?


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...n-mid-air.html

ofcourse Celtic have fans that are *****, that goes for basically every club. Rangers have/had many many more though. They're pretty well known for it no matter who you support, Celtic aren't when they're in Europe or England. They are in Belfast.

[Jim-ie]

(Original post by Alpharius)
**** it, lets merge England, Scotland and Wales too

I'm part Irish (Northern), but would rather them merge like the rugby team. Wouldn't change their success rate, how many current NI players would get into a unified team?

Roy Carroll (backup keeper?), Jonny Evans (first team), Lee Hodson(backup), Sammy Clingan(backup), Steven Davis(first team), Paddy McCourt(first team)

No strikers.

Thats not counting the Northern born players playing for the Republic.

Ofcourse, Trapp couldn't be manager he'll be playing Keane 'til hes in a wheelchair.