its ok to boo

smemon

an irish website has been set up- ok2boo.com to fight the fusspots in the media who call us irish supporters racist an sectarians.

im a keen celtic and ireland fan, i agree with it, its not racist or bigotry to booh, its simply rivalry. all part of football.

i know for a fact, people will disagree with this but i see nothing wrong with it.

its a delicate matter and i'll get slaughtered by people for posting this but just thought i'd let you see the site.

s8n

good stuff, someone talking sense at last. I'm a celtic and Ireland fan. I've paid good money to go to see Ireland play. If I want to boo a opposition player I'll boo him. I'm sure if a celtic player was playing in windsor park he'd get the same treatment. It's NOT racist or bigoted it's part of football and football culture. At the end of the day the players are having the last laugh cos they are the ones on the pitch making €xxx000 a week, I'm sure they are not too worried about a few people in the terraces and what they think.

jongore

I'm a Celtic fan as well but as far as UEFA are concerned if we boo a Rangers player we are being sectarian.

They have threatened the FAI that if any Rangers players are booed without reason that the FAI will be in trouble (A fine or maybe playing behind closed doors).

I think that booing the Rangers or ex-rangers players is getting a bit old. I'd rather boo the Liverpool players myself:p

gandalf

So just because they do it in Windsor Park doesn't make it right in Lansdowne Road.

Personally I find people who boo in the fashion certain elements of the irish crowd do against Rangers players are small minded & quite frankly ignorant. They should chuck them out of the ground and allow people in who want to see a game of football without being idiots.

Gandalf.

super_furry

I personally couldn't care less for Rangers or Celtic, but what strikes me is the mentality of (some) of the people booing. The prime example for me is when these people were booing the wrong player when we played Denmark. They obviously had no idea who Lovenkrands was or what he looked like, only that he played for Rangers and therefore they should make an infantile and frankly embarrassing statement by jeering him – even if they don't know who he is.

Think of all the criticism that Northern Ireland supporters got for booing Neil Lennon on the basis that he played for Celtic, can you honestly say that if a Republic player signed for Rangers that he wouldn't get a similar reception (paramilitary threats aside)? I feel almost certain that if an Irish player signed for Rangers he would get the exact same boos and jeers from his own set of supporters. And all of that is ignoring the fact that the team could get punished for the behaviour of its fans, with UEFA already making noises about stamping out this kind of behaviour.

Booing a player, if it's deserved, is fine but to do so on what basically boils down to sectarian grounds is wrong.

the fnj

So if it's not sectarian why is it only done to Rangers players?

I’m a Fulham fan so should I boo Chelsea players?

Why don’t Man City supporters boo United players and visa versa?

Why don’t we just boo everyone?

It’s an absolute disgrace that certain sections of the crowd feel the need to boo someone because of the club they play for. As UEFA rightly pointed out, our reputation as being great supporters is going to be tarnished if this carries on.

jonno

I agree with those who disagree with this travesty. Football is a sport not a booing contest. So far on this thread the only posters that agree with it are those who support Celtic. That to me says alot. As FANJ pointed he doesn't boo his clubs rivals nor do I boo Utd players (although I do enjoy jeering at the fans ). There is no need for it nor no place for it in this game.

s8n

I agree with those who disagree with this travesty. Football is a sport not a booing contest.

I agree with you. However, I think this whole thing has been blown completly out of proportion. This has went on for years and believe me players can be just as good as giving back (remember Gazza and the flute incident, or andy goram).
Yes, the majority of Irish fans, (i.e the Fairweather celtic jersey wearing "Howya's") don't even know what they're booing for, but as long as it gets the kind of media attention it's getting, it's not gonna stop anytime soon.

ciano

In my opinion this whole thing has been blown totally out of all proportion! And I hear that UEFA are threatening to sanction the FAI over it ... what a joke! At the Liverpool v Chelsea match on Sunday, Veron was booed cause he used to play at Man Utd. At the Leeds V Newcastle match on Saturday, Bowyer was booed cause he used to play for Leeds. And in a small section of Ireland supports, current (and ex) Rangers players are booed. So what??

Im not condoning this sort of behaviour, but I really dont think its any way near as bad as all this publicity would suggest.

Morgans

Sorry to cause any offence, but i think those who boo and those who say its OK to boo are not bigoted, not sectarian, just simply idiots. Obviously, the line of justification trotted out by the cretins who do such things is that it is all part of football rivalry. Therefore, the treatment that Neil lennon and Anton Rogan received at Windsor park was equally justified. I know they were playing for the Norn iron team. But the principle used to defend the action is scewed.

If those who do such things booed every danish player, every autralian player tonight, fine, but it is only those player who choose to make a living playing for a certain club that are booed. This makes those who do it, the irish equalivent of those Northern Irish "fans" who booed the celtic players.

Brian Kerr supported Rangers as a kid. Boo him.

therecklessone

You want to boo Rangers players? Fine, do it at Parkhead. People who boo Rangers players do so because they can't tell the difference between Ireland and Celtic, and so act like morons when watching both.

Booing at internationals should be confined to that necessary to express displeasure at a tackle/foul/dive...that sort of thing.

eirebhoy

Originally posted by Morgans
Brian Kerr supported Rangers as a kid. Boo him.

He didn't support Rangers as a kid, he sayed he supported Celtic but the Rangers result was always the one he would look for first.

So if it's not sectarian why is it only done to Rangers players?

I’m a Fulham fan so should I boo Chelsea players?

Why don’t Man City supporters boo United players and visa versa?

Why don’t we just boo everyone?

I think you would feel like a fool if you booed a Chelsea player in the middle of Lansdowne Road because there is such a small amount of Fulham fans in Ireland. There are so many Celtic fans in Ireland that you would not be the only one to boo a Rangers player.

If you saw the Chelsea-v-Liverpool match, Duff actually got booed when he got taken off because Liverpool were linked with Duff but he went to Chelsea. Now who has the more reason to get booed, Duff or a player from one of the most rivaled sets of clubs in the world. Muscat shouldn't be offended, he is also a nice bloke but that doesn't come into it with the fans. Duff and Veron are nice blokes!!!

eirebhoy

This is a passage taken from ok2boo.com which makes an awful lot of sense and should make UEFA, the Irish media and the "majority" of the Irish fans cop on:

On Saturday 26th July 2003, Rangers FC entertained English Premiership side, Everton, in a pre-season friendly at Ibrox Park, Glasgow. One of the Everton players on the pitch that day was Alan Stubbs, a former Celtic player. On many occasions when he touched the ball during the game, Alan Stubbs, ex-Celtic player, was booed and jeered at by the Rangers fans.

Seven days later, on Saturday 2nd August 2003, Celtic FC entertained English Premiership side, Arsenal, in a pre-season friendly at Celtic Park, Glasgow. One of the Arsenal players on the pitch that day was Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, a former Rangers player. On many occasions when he touched the ball during the game, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, ex-Rangers player, was booed and jeered at by the Celtic fans.

What did the British media have to say about all this? Based on the Irish media’s interpretation of similar actions by supporters here, both sets of Glasgow fans should have had good cause to fear the inevitable backlash in the following day’s newspapers. Likewise, both Rangers and Celtic fans should have tuned into the post-match radio chat-shows with real trepidation. How many articles condemning these mindless acts of ‘racism’, ‘bigotry’ and ‘sectarianism’ would we find? Would outraged Scottish and English journalists demand the immediate closure of Ibrox and Celtic Parks? Would anybody complain to UEFA? Would the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association immediately issue a statement against such acts of ‘racism’, ‘bigotry’ and ‘sectarianism’?

The answer, of course, is NO. Nobody made any such ludicrous and ill-considered comments in the media. Instead, everyone connected with the game accepted it as part and parcel of football. There was no racism, there was no bigotry and there was no sectarianism – just good, old-fashioned footballing rivalry.

Perhaps the Irish media should take note?

therecklessone

Or perhaps they shouldn't.

There is some justification for the booing during club matches, because at least it is the fans of one club booing a player for having played for the enemy/signed for the enemy/got one of their's sent off (Robbie Savage:mad: ), and such like.

Who's playing at Landsdown tonight? Ireland or Celtic?

As I said, you want to boo Rangers player, go to a Celtic game and boo to your hearts content.

gandalf

One major flaw in that post from you Eireboy is that the players were being booed by Celtic Supporters at a Celtic match not Irish Supporters at a Irish match. Celtic and Ireland are not the same thing.

I'm sick of the scum of the Celtic supporters giving this country a bad name. Up until this bullsh!t, irish supporters had a good name. Now thanks to some Celtics Supporters in Ireland we're going to be lumped in with the morons in Scotland.

Just grow up.

Gandalf.

super_furry

Exactly. I'm not a Celtic supporter, I've no interest in the club and I resent the fact that as an Irish supporter I'm being lumped in with the same people who see fit to boo players they don't even know on the basis of a Scottish rivalry which has its foundation rooted firmly in sectarianism.

mike65

Celtic fans can dress up thier bigotry any way they like but it should'nt distract the rest of us from seeing it for what it is...its no wonder some (Catholic Irish) on this board like to see Celtic loose.

Mike.

gandalf

FFS I'm getting so pissed off with the Celtic brigade at the moment I'm considering setting up a Boards Rangers Supporters Group

Sick and tired of the Celtic muppets hijacking Irish matches.

Gandalf.

eirebhoy

Why are you all calling it scum? The people who actually start the booing are the Eircom League fans who Brian Kerr is calling into Lansdowne Road. Most of the people who ctually booed in recent matches just followed the rest becaues they thought they were putting a player off, these people are not scum. Now that most of the people know the situation with UEFA, if there is booing tonight by adults then they are scum. I really don't expect booing tonight unless it's by a few kids that jumped over the wall and couldn't care about Irish football. We'll have to wait and see and I really hope Muscat plays to see how the fans react.

PiE

The funny thing is the schmucks who are boo'ing probably don't even know what "sectarian" and "bigotry" mean.

gandalf

Originally posted by eireboy
The people who actually start the booing are the Eircom League fans who Brian Kerr is calling into Lansdowne Road.

Maybe so but they haven't put up a site saying its ok to boo Celtic fans have.

Most of the people who ctually booed in recent matches just followed the rest becaues they thought they were putting a player off, these people are not scum.

Complete and utter bollix, everyone in crowd knew why they were booing and the ones that joined in were brainless sheep.

Now that most of the people know the situation with UEFA, if there is booing tonight by adults then they are scum. I really don't expect booing tonight unless it's by a few kids that jumped over the wall and couldn't care about Irish football. We'll have to wait and see and I really hope Muscat plays to see how the fans react.

Nope I expect the morons to keep booing. The FAI should actively expell and ban the idiots from ever going to a Ireland match again. That way fans who appreciate good football and not the baggage from other clubs will get a chance to see Ireland play.

Gandalf.

The Muppet

Booing opposing players because of their league clubs is not on IMO. When playing in intenational matches the are representing their country and Irish fans should not be letting themselvs down in front of the worlds media. We have always had a great reputation as fans and the powers that be should take steps to weed out these racist bigots as there should be no place for this behaviour at an International sporting event.

smemon

ther's no right or wrong way to handle this, i might be wrong but the real supporters, ie the south bucket, are the one's that boo the most, this is because they are the die-hard celtic and ireland fans.

someone said people come to see the match and the boo boys should be chucked out. if that happened it would destroy the atmosphere. the noisy fans MAKE the atmosphere, people who sit eating their prawn sandwiches as keane would say, their the ones that should be chucked out.

as ok2boo.com point out, uefa havnt issued a warning to the fai. they havnt even been aware of the booing. seems the fai are telling a few porkies. whats new.

The Muppet

if that happened it would destroy the atmosphere. the noisy fans MAKE the atmosphere,

That may be true but fans can make plenty of noise without booing opposing players without reason. It Just portrays the irish soccer as rasists and i think it would be a shame to sully our fans good reputation on the intrnational scene because of club loyalties. I have not been present at lansdown at a match this has happen at but i have seen it on TV and listening to the commentators bringing attention to it it can only do us harm.

AthAnRi

ITs ok to Boo, only if your a scumbag and have never ever been thought any manners. Booing somebody because they play for Rangers or any thing is small and beneath any decent Human being.

What seperated the Irish from the english fans is that the Irish were always up for the crack and never gave a sh1t where any one was from who they supported or who they played for. For some reason in the last 4 or 5 years jeering has become part and parcel of the Lansdowne Cheer. Its a bloody disgrace and the Minorty of scumbags that do it should never be let back into a sporting event ever again

uRbaN

as the big man once said ..." i just want to play football"

eirebhoy

There was only one small boo for a former Rangers player during the whole match and that was when Vidmar came on. He got a clap when he came on (as not many people knew who he was) but when he got his first touch there was a small boo.

The rest of the boo's were aimed at Paul Okon because of his awful tackles on a few of the Irish players. A lot of the crowd booed Okon which I was surprised to see, even though he deserved it. I thought many of the crowd would have been scared to boo any player after the treat from UEFA.

All in All, I was delighted that there was little boo's against Vidmar. Seems that the Irish supporters have copped on as I said they would;) .

therecklessone

Originally posted by eireboy
A lot of the crowd booed Okon which I was surprised to see, even though he deserved it. I thought many of the crowd would have been scared to boo any player after the treat from UEFA.

And there was nowt wrong with that. He was bang out of order with his tackling, I wasn't surprised O'Shea got shirty with him in the first half.

Booing him was all justified.

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by eireboy
I think you would feel like a fool if you booed a Chelsea player in the middle of Lansdowne Road because there is such a small amount of Fulham fans in Ireland. There are so many Celtic fans in Ireland that you would not be the only one to boo a Rangers player.

it is only ok to boo when loads of people do so? that makes you a sheep. try thinking for yourself.

booing is idiotic. why don't those people go and enjoy the game instead of acting like idiots. it reflects really badly on tv where most people see the game

TwoShedsJackson

People who boo Australian, Georgian or any other nationality players because they do or did play for Rangers are cretins. People who wear Celtic shirts to Ireland matches thinking this makes them Irish supporters are cretins.

The Muppet

Two shed jackson

People who boo Australian, Georgian or any other nationality players because they do or did play for Rangers are cretins. People who wear Celtic shirts to Ireland matches thinking this makes them Irish supporters are cretins.

But people who call Manchester United supporters" spas " are fine upstanding citizens.:rolleyes:


Hypocrite

Thanx 4 The Fish

Quit Whining muppet, it was on a different thread and it has damn all to do with this. And for the record, all Man United fans were not spas, just a few.

eirebhoy

Wow f*cking eeeeee, a bloody player gets booed for playing in Lansdowne Road, so what!!!

p.pete

Had a brief look at the site and it seems to make some good (but fairly thin) arguments to justify Celtic and Rangers booing each other. They're rival clubs from the same city and if that is the way they want to treat each other, good look to them.

The site then takes these thin arguments and trys to use them to blur the line of club and country. They basically make an argument for one situation and then go on to say it's ok in that environment therefore it's "ok" in all environments.

Basically they are making the argument in a club v club situation and then transplanting it into a country v single player situation. It is easy to argue that Celtic / Rangers booing is not sectarian, religious or whatever. Celtic is not Ireland and when the booing is carried over to an international team of a completely different country you have to look a little deeper (although maybe not too deep, it seems fairly obvious to me).

You might say that Ireland is not a completly different country to Scotland - we in fact have a lot of historical and cultural and religious links. It is these links which tie us so closely to Celtic in the first place. To say that the booing is there solely as a rivalry between two clubs is ridiculous. Firstly there is no club teams on the pitch and secondly it is not an entire team who is getting booed, it is usually a single player. It is these factors that point to me that the booing is indeed racist or sectarian.

The Muppet

I not whining fish just pointing out the blatant Hypocracy of Twosheds 2 posts. The fact that his comment regarding Utd supporters was in a different thread is irrelevant.

As he is willing to post such an offensive comment that leaves him in no position to berate anyone IMHO.

BKtje

Quit Whining muppet, it was on a different thread and it has damn all to do with this.

I gotta agree with the muppett tbh. I don't mean this just at 2shedsjack as he isn't the only one who does it but in general.

Boo'ing players for a reason such as a load of bad tackles/dangerous play etc i think is okish. Lets the player know that the fans saw it and that he probably won't get away with it.

Booing cos of the club they play for is just stupid and idiotic.

Thanx 4 The Fish

Originally posted by The Muppet
I not whining fish just pointing out the blatant Hypocracy of Twosheds 2 posts. The fact that his comment regarding Utd supporters was in a different thread is irrelevant.

As he is willing to post such an offensive comment that leaves him in no position to berate anyone IMHO.

He wasn't speaking about Utd supporters in general he was speaking of a United supporter who has been saying that some players in the premier league are **** and that they have no brains. This same poster said that he does not need to form his own opinions and also that if people do not like his opinions (which he has admitted are not his) they should piss off. Also 2Sheds was not speaking about The Muppet although it could be The Muppet's son judging by his reaction.

As for booing at an international, it depends on the reason, for rash challenges or all round bad sportsmanship boo away, because he plays for a team in a different country ?? Come on how sad is that ?

smemon

alot of people here seem to put their reputation before anything else. seem to be worried about their image with the world media.
i thought irish fans dont worry about anything.


is this the reason why some people dont boo? also the older generation i think feel its stupid and idiotic, the young teenagers and 20 somethings dont feel so strongly about it. certainly teenagers.

and the muppets such as george hamilton keep complaining, he called us, i quote, 'pathetic' at the last match. he doesnt have a clue, always mixing up players names etc. the sky crew pass no remarks.

ok2boo.com make a perfectly good argument. as i've said before most of the booing comes from the south bucket. chuck those fans out and u lose the atmosphere. why do people care so much about rangers players feelings??? its the club were booing technically.

Morgans

personally, I hate the huns, their bigotry, and their sickening anti-catholic attitude, but i can see that booing a player that earns his living playing for them while playing for his country would make me equal to those knackers/idiots that booed Neil lennon, Anton Rogan. I would hate myself to be equate with those tinkers. If you think that the treatement Neil Lennon received was justified, then you may have some ideological principle behind your booing.

Otherwise, you are just as bigoted/or stupid ( cos i actually think that most that boo couldn't dream of an idealogical principle, and boo because the player played in a blue shirt on a saturday morning against our beloved celts, who stand up against 800 years of oppression, and who would cross the road to see a Eircom league game ( different arguement)) as those who boo in windsor park?

I dont care much for the media image, but its disappointing to think that parts of the Irish nation, including many who view Celtic as the footballing expression of irish independence, decide to import the yob culture from merry old blighty.

LizardKing

Forget about the BOO Boys ... After being at the match yesterday I think we should try to stamp out the "Paper Plane" Brigade

therecklessone

Originally posted by smemon
the sky crew pass no remarks...

...its the club were booing technically.

Firstly, you didn't watch the match last night on Sky then? Remarkably few boos (from what I could make out), but the commentator and Frank "the ball hit him on the head, and it went in" Stapleton had a whinge about it. Seemed like they were just waiting for it to happen.

And secondly, I've said it once, I'll say it a thousand times. You want to boo Rangers? Then go to a bloody Celtic match. Celtic does not equal Ireland. Full stop, end of.

p.pete

Originally posted by therecklessone
And secondly, I've said it once, I'll say it a thousand times. You want to boo Rangers? Then go to a bloody Celtic match. Celtic does not equal Ireland. Full stop, end of.

Damn right.

Celtic = club
Ireland = country
Person being booed = some bloke who plays football.

How can a nations supporters booing one bloke who wants to play football be defended by the notion of club rivalry:rolleyes:

Sundy

Originally posted by smemon
someone said people come to see the match and the boo boys should be chucked out. if that happened it would destroy the atmosphere. the noisy fans MAKE the atmosphere, people who sit eating their prawn sandwiches as keane would say, their the ones that should be chucked out.

Lets get this clear negative chanting does not help the IRISH players! Its seems some of you "Celtic" fans are more worried about Rangers and ex-rangers players than our own irish players, its stupid!

This is the reason there is no atmosphere at Landsdowne Road for irish matchs. The cheering rarely goes beyond "Ireland clap,clap,clap" repeated 4 times before the place goes silent again! This is not atmosphere. Maybe irish fans should go get some lessons from our english counterparts. You will know what i mean if your a regular at premiership games.

eirebhoy

Originally posted by therecklessone
... You want to boo Rangers? Then go to a bloody Celtic match.

So, are you gonna pay?

Morgans

I'd like to think that people pay to enter landsdowne rd to watch ireland and not pay to boo rangers.

p.pete

Originally posted by eireboy
So, are you gonna pay?

Don't be daft, he was merely pointing out that the best place to vent your booing in this regard if you are that way inclined is Parkhead.

If someone is willing to shell out money for an Ireland match and then to proceed to act as if they are at a Celtic match then maybe they should save this money towards a trip to Glasgow.

Big Chief

im a celtic fanatic and have been all my life.

When a rangers player pulls on a scotland shirt i dont boo him, ive even been known to shout for them when they are playing (Ally McCoist being about the best example), same with barry ferguson etc..

if you boo rangers players(which ive seen people do at lansdowne road) when even the supporters from the country where these actual clubs are from dont do it then i see that as a tad worrying.

smemon

ive been to both celtic and ireland matches, missed the match yesterday, first one in 3/4 years.

i assure you parkhead has a great noisy, party, style atmosphere. coming to landsdowne is a big come down, although it is a smaller capacity. apart from the holland and portugal home games, its been pretty quiet.

duff was booed by liverpool fans on sunday. why hasnt anyone commented on that??? same sort of stuff, singling out one player. celtic isnt ireland, i know. but the 2 are very closely linked, especially with irish fans. not all at landsdowne are celtic fans but alot are.

ok2boo point out theres no bigotry, racism or sectarianism involved, just plain rivalry. players arent judged on religion, race or nationality. its part and parcel of football if u ask me.

The Muppet

ok2boo point out theres no bigotry, racism or sectarianism involved, just plain rivalry.

Weather its the intention or not because of the history involved between the 2 clubs it is being cited as being sectarian by the media and if were honest that is exactly what it is. No other club supporters behave in this manner so why the celtic supporters fell they should be allowed to do this at an Irish international is beyond me. The national team represents Ireland and i would hope the majority of irish citizens would not want to be represented in this way. The quilty should be banned from attending , I,m sure there would be plenty to take their places if not I for one would rather have silence than be associated with this.

---

BTW thanks 4 the fish my sons do not frequent this board . another couple of united supporters might just drive the ABUs completely mad. I just didnt like the Hypocracy and language used its a simple as that.

super_furry

i know. but the 2 are very closely linked, especially with irish fans. not all at landsdowne are celtic fans but alot are.

The exact same could be said of Liverpool, so would it be OK if Irish supporters were to boo every Everton or Man United player?

Bannor

You've raised an interesting point there super_furry. The divide between Liverpool and Everton is similar to that between Celtic and Rangers even though the Merseyside clubs were both started by the same man.

Liverpool fans don't hate Everton fans - they just pity them. Everton fans don't hate Liverpool fans - they're just envious of them.