Motorcycle racing up north...

Max Headroom

Just watched an article on the BBC breakfast news programme about the religious divide in sport up north.They mentioned the obvious rugby=protestant gaa= catholic etc and the need to break with these traditions...but no mention of probably the best attended sporting events in the north ,the bike racing..no religious/class/colour divides there ....;)

Wonda-Boy

Absolutely NONE, I have never encountered anything even remotely aggressive in relation to the north/south divide in all the years attending the road races and I have met so many nice people through the sport.

Mesrine65

Sure I even partied with a couple of RUC officers down for the racing in Skerries back in the day.

Max Headroom

Exactly....there are no teams as such, no "them v us" mentality that breeds hatred...

blade1

There is religion connected to motorbikes
It's mentioned in the bible "the roar of Moses's Triumph":D

Wonda-Boy

blade1 wrote: »

There is religion connected to motorbikes
It's mentioned in the bible "the roar of Moses's Triumph":D

Sure it was a Hayabusa that parted the red sea or whatever sea it was ffs!

Max Headroom

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Sure it was a Hayabusa that parted the red sea or whatever sea it was ffs!

AHHH lads...now we're talking about spacecraft back in the biblical tiles...:D

BlackWizard

Thor the god of V8 engines

millingmachine

Joey Dunlop was once asked what religion he was, he answered Honda.

Muahahaha

millingmachine wrote: »

Joey Dunlop was once asked what religion he was, he answered Honda.

yeah the Dunlops always avoided any questions on religion. Barry McGuigan in boxing did the same and always said he competed for both communities. Best way to be up there imo, if you go one way or the other you alienate 50% of the population and within that bunch you've alienated you can be certain there is more than a few nutcases, something which Neil Lennon has found the hard way with the many death threats he's had.

Zoo4m8

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Absolutely NONE, I have never encountered anything even remotely aggressive in relation to the north/south divide in all the years attending the road races and I have met so many nice people through the sport.

Way back at the start of the 'troubles' (before most of ye were born!)at the UGP a large group of knuckle draggers decided that because of our accents we were of a particular religion and policital persuasion and left us in doubt as to what they thought of our presence on their hallowed turf and how they were going to deal with us..
Obviously we walked away but it got worse and just as we had resigned ourselves to a kicking a couple of soldiers stepped in and sorted it...
different and dangerous times and have never had the slightest problem since but it left a bad taste that I've never quite been able to get rid of..

Max Headroom

Didnt get to see the BBC SPOTY the other night ,was there even a mention of Jonny Rea ..???...or was it the usual horse/athletics/golf etc people..?

Zoo4m8

Max Headroom wrote: »

Didnt get to see the BBC SPOTY the other night ,was there even a mention of Jonny Rea ..???...or was it the usual horse/athletics/golf etc people..?

The BBC? The Bat and Ball Club...:)

mr chips

Max Headroom wrote: »

Just watched an article on the BBC breakfast news programme about the religious divide in sport up north.They mentioned the obvious rugby=protestant gaa= catholic etc and the need to break with these traditions...but no mention of probably the best attended sporting events in the north ,the bike racing..no religious/class/colour divides there ....;)

Rugby is for Protestants? Feck, I'd better go and join a congregation or something.

What a tired, ill-informed, rehashed cliché.

Hotblack Desiato

Zoo4m8 wrote: »

Way back at the start of the 'troubles' (before most of ye were born!)at the UGP a large group of knuckle draggers decided that because of our accents we were of a particular religion and policital persuasion and left us in doubt as to what they thought of our presence on their hallowed turf and how they were going to deal with us.

Pi**ed-up local lads or bikers?

Zoo4m8

Well tanked locals, with lots of beer backed mouth..determined to not let the day pass without a row.

Never any issues with bikers , the best community out there...

Max Headroom

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Pi**ed-up local lads or bikers?

I assumed chopper riders.....:eek::D

Wonda-Boy

TBH I have had more arguments doing flags with guys from the south then I ever had with lads up north....just wanting to stand in a clearly prohibitive zone and refusing to move usual childish ****e.