Cost of a United Ireland and the GFA

I didn't say a single word about how things SHOULD be. I said that how NI fans are received in Andytown is about as representative of how your culture would be received in a United Ireland as a bunch of Republicans dandering down the Shankhill or Newtownards Road is representative of how Irish culture is received in your Union.

It was quite obvious.....it is exactly what I said.

It’s always themens to blame francie isn’t it

I am fairly fed up with your attitude. I was talking positively of my experience watch GAA on Sunday. You have dragged it down again. You have made stuff up.

you have implied GAA people wouldn’t support ni, which is bigoted stereotypical nonsense.

you have accused me of saying that ni fans avoid areas. Again lies. Having said that, of course most fan groups around the world will not be drawn to areas that will likely not tolerate them.

I then mentioned that I think we should be considering casement for our biggest games - I named traditionally the biggest game as an example ie v England. You then took the discussion to far right and told us how England fans all behave badly - another bit of stereotyping nonsense.

i think this is relevant as posters here keep telling us that a new Ireland would respect northern Irish. It will be a test and a shame if our fans want to use casement and feel unable to because some republicans won’t tolerate green shirts because they have the wrong badge on them.

Nobody said 'all English fans' downcow. If you want to be coy about the reputation and history of the behaviour of English fans then a few here have put you straight on that. If you want to ignore the links between soccer support, Combat 18 and loyalism in the recent past, sorry not everyone else can.

It is also you who keeps saying things that require questions.

Why (and what are you doing) would soccer supporters parading with drums and singing need to avoid areas or why would they 'raise tensions'?

Nor have I done this:

Nobody else has done this either.

It is YOU who is anticipating acceptance problems. Again and again you have implied that the soccer team is 'ours'.

Who is 'ours' and why is it not 'everyone's'? My reasonable contention was that those parading and singing are from a section of the community that you call 'ours' and that is why it is avoiding areas and othering those who live in Nationalist areas around Casement.

That is all your doing. Maybe like bonfires and some of the OO's actvity you just don't see yourself saying these things and doing these things?

In NI and a UI, if your behaviour is causing tension and confrontation you will be forced to modify that behaviour or it will not be allowed at all. Your community's experience with the Parades Commission should tell you that.

I'd agree here.

I could show you similar behaviour at an Ulster final and it is as raucius and drunken as that which downcow posted. It doen't take place in residential areas though but on the main street and is engaged in by only a few.

The GAA know they host the final in a small town and work with the locals to mitigate the effects on those inconvenienced (not everyone understandably is a fan of the game)

They will have plenty of experience in handling large events. If supporters groups of NI soccer wish to work with them and observe decent behaviour guidelines while accessing the stadium I don't see any problems.

Francie you claim “Nobody said 'all English fans'downcow.”

actually Francie this is exactly what you said:

“Would you expect the English crowd to mis-behave en-masse as they have done around the world?”

If you are correct then GAA should do the reasonable thing and call it out. It seems they are riding on the back of a euro ££££s football bid, to get a flash new stadium. It would be a bit disingenuous if they said afterwards ‘we don’t want football fans here’

They can say that whenever there is trouble. Just as the aforementioned English fans have been banned including the many innocent fans.

That’s what troublemakers achieve - pain for everyone.

You should learn from the Parades Commission, nobody in NI or a UI is going to put up with that.

What sh*te are you talking now? I'm not talking on behalf of the GAA or anyone else. You asked me if I'd find it offensive, I gave my opinion. I wouldn't want that behaviour anywhere near my home. I lived close enough to Brewster Park growing up to know that it is not the behaviour I would typically expect from the crowd at a GAA match, and certainly not the sort of behaviour folk would be boasting about.

Casement rebuild was agreed long before the Euros bid, and would be happening regardless. The GAA being gracious enough to allow it to be used for a specific event doesn't give you free reign to consider it another soccer stadium any more than if we thought the turnout would be a bit sh*te for the Ulster final we could just decide to land over to Windsor since it was also funded.

Interesting letter from Sinaed O’Connor (sf member)

basicslly

sf is corrupt, contains child abusers, has those at the top who hide child abuse, hierarchy needs to leave, etc, etc (nothing new there)

Most interesting, she would not even consider a unified island being called Ireland.

I was going to say to shinners, who needs enemies when you have friends like this. But actually, from a unionist perspective, who needs friends when we have enemies like this 🙂

So 'inclusive' is it that they are self avoiding areas where it might 'cause tensions'.

@downcow, if you are already accepting that the behaviour might cause tensions in areas at this moment maybe you should make the decision not to engage in it in areas around a new Casement? It is by your own admission 'organised' by only a small part of the support, so why not organise it to happen well away from the areas you think it may cause tension?

Would that not be the most sensible and inclusive thing to do?

The English made such a mess of security for the 2020 Euro Finals the onus will be on the UK this time to get it right, this would help ensuring they restore their reputation.

You say ….you are already accepting that the behaviour might cause tensions….

I said no such thing. I even posted a wee video of what I regard as the most excessive and boisterous behaviour of the GAWA. Everyone who commented on here said there was nothing offensive going on. So if there is any tension it will obviously be belligerent republicans who can even look at this non-offensive behaviour. So stop misquoting me

Nonsense. Posters have clarified that the behaviour (which I posted)of ni fans is not an issue. But I am still convinced there will be issues near casement and Psni will have to keep belligerent republicans at a distance so their intolerance of anything northern Irish won’t ignite. It would seem sensible that fans would not go anywhere else that had belligerent republicans that would require further Psni resources. But once casement area has matured then I think fans could extend acceptable routes.

I've said nothing about football crowds around Casement, I don't live around Casement. I said I wouldn't welcome the behaviour in the video you shared if it was outside my home. I don't care what sport, or what team the crowd are supporting, I wouldn't want a bunch of loud drunks screeching outside my house. You've run with that and started rambling on with your, 'well the local residents should all just tell us we're not wanted' victim complex. For the millionth time, I speak only for myself.

I'd like to see your evidence of GAA being played and welcomed at Windsor Park. I suspect you tried to Google this and saw the headline of a parody article and didn't bother to read the substance of it. Your claim that the local residents are welcoming is at odds with the UVF flags plastered along the streets alongside it and I've certainly never seen it on a fixtures list, nor did I ever see anything GAA when living nearby. I can put a bet on I've spent a damn sight more time in the area around Windsor than you have, so drop the, 'believe all the sh*te'. I've experienced plenty of it directly.

You seem to think NI automatic qualification is assured because Casement is being used; there are stadia in five jurisdictions being used; England, Scotland, Wales, NI and Ireland. You didn't just say that Casement would be NI's home ground, you said that it is INEVITABLE that England, NI and RoI get automatic qualification, read your own bloody post.

I've asked why you think NI should have precedence over Scotland and Wales, who will also be hosting the tournament and I'm sure would feel just as entitled to automatic qualification that you seem to think is inevitable for England and NI.

I'm glad we're in agreement that you were talking b*llocks when you stated that Casement wouldn't be built without the Euros though.

Young people from nationlists backgrounds play and support NI now which makes sense. That cant be inferred that they want the failed jurisdiction of NI to still exist, it is just a team that represents where they live in 2023.

It hasnt been explained what "OWC" actually is but i presume it is for unionists who want the failed jurdicition of NI to continue to exist. You cant infer all NI footballers supporters are OWC then but they might think they "own" it. Everthing in a sectarian environment has to be owned by one sect it appears.

I dont think there will be much of an issue regarding NI playing at Casement. I wish tho London intervenied here and made them get rid of both Windsor and Casement and have one big stadium in a neutral area in belfast that could cater for Football GAA and rugby. Then it could not be "owned" by anyone.

But lets face it London does not give a **** about what is good for NI or trying to rid the sectarian problems. Out of sight out of mind.