James McLean

[supercity88]

He is fine not to wear a poppy and his reasons are valid. But he is an idiot when it comes to trying to communicate his thoughts. A strong explanation followed with a ridiculous rant where he lowered himself to the standards of those that abuse him. He should know better by now. Having said that he does get an absolute mauling from critics and has probably had enough of it. Trouble with social media is you cannot get away with it when you are in the profession he is.

 

[AlexWilliamsGloves]

Or for balance you could cite the hundreds of innocent women n kids the IRA blew to smithereens..

Just to keep a bit of whataboutery going...

3137 killed during "The Troubles" (tm)
1886 by Republicans/Nationalists (60%)
1251 by Loyalists/British (40%)

321 Female
530 aged 19 and younger

Unfortunately i dont know the "mix" of age and gender, and by whom, but it would be acceptable to assume the same ratios/percentages...
193 women killed by Republicans/Nationalists
128 women killed by Loyalists/British
318 Kids killed by Republicans/Nationalists
212 kids killed by Loyalists/British

Regardless of who did what, that's a lot of feckin death ON BOTH SIDES....a 30 year long 9/11...but yet we as an entire country, 81% electoral turnout, decided that we were prepared to put that behind us and move on...the Good Friday Agreement was approved by 71%....which puts the Brexit turnout and result to shame. And also, many people dont know this but there was a 56% turnout in Ireland with a 94% approval to changing the Irish Constitution to lay claim to Northern Ireland and that they would comply the GFA. In short, THE WHOLE OF IRELAND, NORTH AND SOUTH were/are prepared to move on.

We dont care anymore....well, thats not quite true, but we are prepared to work past all that because it hurts. Everyone i know in NI has been negatively affected by the troubles....whether thats directly or a close family member or friend. Many people also dont realise that for years, and still so to some extent, the troubles influenced where you could live, where you could visit, who you could be friends with, where you could socialise, what job you could get.
I come from a "perceived" unionist/british background...yet my wifes family members had guns pointed at them by laughing British army soldiers as they walked to PRIMARY school...

No disrespect to anyone over there who has been affected by the Irish trouble, or more recently the ISIS bomb in Manchester...i am not trying to point score...but that horrific even was an incident....the actuality, and threat of that was EVERY DAY for 30 years. Yet we still want to craic on and live peaceful lives.

I think im off track a bit now, and im not a fan of James McLean but thats his background...surely people can understand why he has his opinion on wearing a poppy.

Probably shouldve put most of this in the Brexit thread

 

[mancityvstoke]

My family all fought in either the Boer War (Irish Fusiliers) , World War 1 (my dads cousin killed in Flanders fields aged 25) and World War 2

All Irish and Irish descendants and Catholic.

Wearing a poppy is a matter of choice. I wear one remembering them.

 

[mad4city]

He wouldn’t have even been a stirring in his dads sack in 1972

I sincerely wish you were right.






You presumptuous arse.

 

[AlexWilliamsGloves]

Now thats tasteless

 

[Sid C]

Just to keep a bit of whataboutery going...

3137 killed during "The Troubles" (tm)
1886 by Republicans/Nationalists (60%)
1251 by Loyalists/British (40%)

321 Female
530 aged 19 and younger

Unfortunately i dont know the "mix" of age and gender, and by whom, but it would be acceptable to assume the same ratios/percentages...
193 women killed by Republicans/Nationalists
128 women killed by Loyalists/British
318 Kids killed by Republicans/Nationalists
212 kids killed by Loyalists/British

Regardless of who did what, that's a lot of feckin death ON BOTH SIDES....a 30 year long 9/11...but yet we as an entire country, 81% electoral turnout, decided that we were prepared to put that behind us and move on...the Good Friday Agreement was approved by 71%....which puts the Brexit turnout and result to shame. And also, many people dont know this but there was a 56% turnout in Ireland with a 94% approval to changing the Irish Constitution to lay claim to Northern Ireland and that they would comply the GFA. In short, THE WHOLE OF IRELAND, NORTH AND SOUTH were/are prepared to move on.

We dont care anymore....well, thats not quite true, but we are prepared to work past all that because it hurts. Everyone i know in NI has been negatively affected by the troubles....whether thats directly or a close family member or friend. Many people also dont realise that for years, and still so to some extent, the troubles influenced where you could live, where you could visit, who you could be friends with, where you could socialise, what job you could get.
I come from a "perceived" unionist/british background...yet my wifes family members had guns pointed at them by laughing British army soldiers as they walked to PRIMARY school...

No disrespect to anyone over there who has been affected by the Irish trouble, or more recently the ISIS bomb in Manchester...i am not trying to point score...but that horrific even was an incident....the actuality, and threat of that was EVERY DAY for 30 years. Yet we still want to craic on and live peaceful lives.

I think im off track a bit now, and im not a fan of James McLean but thats his background...surely people can understand why he has his opinion on wearing a poppy.

Probably shouldve put most of this in the Brexit thread

I think that’s a well balanced post. I have a fairly good understanding of the ‘troubles’ but learnt early on that despite how many times somebody went there during those times for whatever reason the situation was so complicated that nobody really understood all the nuances unless they had been born, brought up and lived through it all.

Tbh I’m still amazed that there is now a relative peace over there so well done to nearly everybody.

 

[Vienna_70]

As a x service man I don't have a problem with people not wearing a poppy I served so people had freedom of choice .but this twat wants his cake and eat it your over here taking the money and hateing the people who watch and pay you so the sooner you fuck off the better

He was born in Northern Ireland, and therefore is a British citizen, so he has as much right to be in England as you or I.

 

[Roachy]

The main thing is our brilliant club, players and fans will be respecting the fallen on Sunday, whilst this rat festers in his own bile.

 

[SWP's back]

He is entitled to wear a poppy or not, he's still a dirty **** of a footballer either way.

 

[CityStu]

I wonder how many PL players would wear the poppy if it were presented as an option rather than an opt out scheme.

I suspect it would be very low (perhaps just some Commonwealth players) if it were an opt in scheme where players had to specifically request a poppy.