Dying breed Patrique?? I think not. Anti Catholic, Irish and Celtic hatred and bigotry is thriving in the North and Scotland and it is not just concentrated to the Loyalist chavs. I recall playing a match a few years ago in the Civil Service summer cup. I played quite well, I was a very good player, Irish League level. Anyway coming off the pitch I was walking off behind 2 fellas, both managers in the Civil Service. They didn't know I was there and one says to the other " That big lad played well, who is he". The other says" He's so and so, it's a shame he's the other sort". I walked past the two of them, looked both in the eye and they literally crapped themselves. No sir it still exists big time, the North is a bubbling cauldron that could erupt at any time. I have always believed that.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9819 - 13/01/2011 14:33:48    845551

Can any of the WUM's who state that Celtic fans are "as bad" as Rangers fans explain what Celtic have done to compare with;
Manchester Riots, Valencia Riots, death threats to players / manager, assaulting Neil Lennon, abusing Aidan McGeady and the murder of an innocent 16 year at Bridgeton.
I would also like to state that the Celtic fans behaved impecably during the minutes silence for the Ibox disaster. Many other opposition supporters wouldn't!!

halfbackwards (Galway) - Posts: 104 - 13/01/2011 14:45:26    845568

I can't help feeling guys that the northern Irish media are hogging this disgraceful affair for all it's worth, i wonder would they give the same coverage if a catholic Linfield player was attacked simply because he played for the blues?

jackieblue (Antrim) - Posts: 521 - 13/01/2011 16:04:28    845634

I can't help feeling guys that the northern Irish media are hogging this disgraceful affair for all it's worth, i wonder would they give the same coverage if a catholic Linfield player was attacked simply because he played for the blues?

Jackieblue I think this would get coverage to be honest however you are right that the media over here are hyping the Celtic-bullets story up. It was obviously an action of one or two mentally challenged individuals who are probably delighted with the interest in the story.

Goodfella, Tir (None) - Posts: 1652 - 13/01/2011 16:08:40    845636

How can you be a very good player and Irish League level Ulsterman, that makes no sense. And your story is complete bull, 'they literally crapped themselves' lol. You're some craic. Jackie a good point but you have to take into accounts the two different mindsets. A large number of Nationalists go out of their way to get offended, they'll milk this situation for all its worth and turn it into the poor downtrodden Catholic story again. It all boils down to this victim complex that is buried deep inside them

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 13/01/2011 16:43:34    845661

Goodfella, again i totally condemn the idiots that sent bullets to the three celtic lads, but the point i am making is that a west Belfast catholic player playing for the blues was seriouslyassaulted in october this year and I have it on very good authority his only crime was playing for Linfield, other than a statement from David Jeffries and two lines in the news letter that was the token interest from the Nortern irish media.

jackieblue (Antrim) - Posts: 521 - 13/01/2011 16:56:45    845683

PomeroyPlunkett
County: Tyrone
Posts: 2261

845661
How can you be a very good player and Irish League level Ulsterman, that makes no sense. And your story is complete bull, 'they literally crapped themselves' lol. You're some craic. Jackie a good point but you have to take into accounts the two different mindsets. A large number of Nationalists go out of their way to get offended, they'll milk this situation for all its worth and turn it into the poor downtrodden Catholic story again. It all boils down to this victim complex that is buried deep inside the



You obviously never played football. I often hear people criticising LOI players for being useless.
They are not useless, if they were then they wouldn't be there.

Anyone who has played in the top division of a junior soccer league on this island, would have played against players who went on to play in the LOI or Irish league, and probably played against players who are former LOI or Irish league players.

When you play against these players then you can see that they are a step above even the best junior players.

They may be poor by the standards of the premiership, but they are certainly not useless.

Again, have you ever played soccer?

Dr.Shephard (Leitrim) - Posts: 2187 - 13/01/2011 16:59:05    845688

At school I played underage for the Swifts but between that, Gaelic and Rugby I gave it up. My basis for my view is watching matches, which are absolutely terrible, and knowing players who do play at that standard who really aren't great. I think it's a fair assessment, the standard of football on this island is distinctly average at best

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 13/01/2011 17:04:35    845696

Pomeroy,off topic but have to disagree with you ,there are some cracking players in both leagues.

jackieblue (Antrim) - Posts: 521 - 13/01/2011 17:20:31    845715

Let's take one example from the Irish League. Peter Thompson banged them in for fun at Linfield and was probably the best player in the League (I'm open to correction here as obviously I don't watch as much local football as you Jackie) but given his goals and from speaking to those who do watch local football they considered him the best. He went to a League 2 English side and couldn't cut it. If the best player in the Irish League can't cut it at a League 2 team where does that leave the standard of the League in general, at Conference level at best? I know a few players in the Swifts squad who really aren't up to much, truth is the best local players would be snapped up by English sides at a young age leaving the rest to play local football. They're not bad footballers by any means but by the same token they're not particularly good either

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 13/01/2011 17:35:02    845734

Pomeroy,Thompson is the best striker by far in the Irish League,i would not call him the best player.You are bound to know that his season in England was blighted by injury which included a collapsed lung,i also followed his time with Stockport which when he was fit he spent his time on the right wing,certainly not a winger,there have been many success stories over the years and even this season and last of players from both leagues moving across the water and making the grade,you also have to say that some cracking players over the years have turned down moves across the water to stay at home.

jackieblue (Antrim) - Posts: 521 - 13/01/2011 17:48:19    845749

He may have had injury problems but 5 goals in 42 games is a paltry return. That's one in every 8 games when at Linfield he was scoring once every 1.5 games or so. I'm not having a go for the sake of it but any time I've watched a match or been to one (a few mates are Cliftonville fans) I haven't been impressed. It can be exciting and if you have a local team I'm sure you'd be into it a big way but as a neutral without a favourite team so to speak the standard just leaves me underwhelmed

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 13/01/2011 17:59:28    845755

We'll leave it there Pomeroy,the scary thing about your last post is Cliftonville are one of the few sides in the league that i enjoy watching.lol

jackieblue (Antrim) - Posts: 521 - 13/01/2011 18:28:17    845787

Aye it's liquid football on their new synthetic pitch! No offence meant mate, good luck to Linfield for the rest of the season

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 13/01/2011 18:42:20    845802

PomeroyPlunkett
County: Tyrone
Posts: 2271

844848
'No funny handshakes, no paranoia and most of all no sectarianism.'

I could have sworn Partick Thistle had a song that ended in '**** your Pope and **** your Queen'. That's got to be classed as sectarian surely? And Thistle we all know you're a Celtic fan so please stop this pretence. I understand you are slightly ashamed of it and thus pretend to support another club but your posts speak volumes

Yeh a few idiots do sing that song and anytime the play either of Glasgow's lesser clubs they have a few other ditties which is pure football banter. Thsitle fans are also known as huns who can't afford the bus fare from Maryhill as I am constantly reminded by the faithful through and through brigade. I am a Jags fan born in Dobbies Loan in the shadow of the famous firhill ground. I have to laugh at you pomery or is it horse accusing me of something I'm not. I have been to three Celtic games in the past 20 years. Two were due to work as I had to go along with schoolkids from Ireland and the other was to see what all the fuss was about some guy they signed called Robbie Keane. I will admit to growing up and having an intense hatred of anything to do with Rangers due to how their existence impacted on my life, but hey times change. So chill out PP or Horse or whatever yer name is.

thistle_harps (UK) - Posts: 879 - 13/01/2011 20:09:07    845868

I think that you have to consider your interpretation of good. It's a very subjective area in relation to football. The premiership is regarded by most as a good league, but technically La Liga, Serie A and probably the Bundesliga are better. This does not mean that the premiership is a rubbish league and that the players in it are rubbish. Fortunately I played some Irish League as well, and played against and with some very good players. What I mean by good is that they were the best players in NI. I played with Liam Coyle, without doubt the best footballer I ever watched in the IL or LOI and without injury would have easily made it in the top league across the water. Gary Haylock, Stevie McBride, Glen Ferguson, Vinny Arkins, Dessie Gorman, Noel Bailie all excellent footballers and there are many more. Ivan Sproule is doing alright for himself, although not half the player of any of the above. Rodney McAree, another excellent footballer. Whilst it is not the highest standard in the world, it is a decent standard of football, especially at the top 4-5 clubs in each league. I find it sad that you have to attack Ulsterman's footballing ability when it appears that you were not able for the standard yourself. Going by your talk in relation to Pomeroy Plunketts, you are also not of the ability to play intermediate club football in Tyrone and I presume that you did not make AIL grade in rugby. This being the case I find it strange that you can rubbish any other posters abilities

omaghredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 3656 - 13/01/2011 20:23:52    845881

I'm Horse now? I was Bad.Monkey yesterday in your eyes, truth is I'm every single poster on here apart from yourself. Oh glad you cleared that up then, Partick fans sing **** the Pope for a bit of banter. Sure Rangers fans sing the Famine song for laughs and Celtic fans sing Ra songs to be ironic

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 13/01/2011 20:25:10    845884

pomeroy monkey


You got me there. I meant to say Bad Monkey but the poor oul Horse slipped out by mistake. Apologies to the horse. Thistle get around 3,000 on a good day. Out of that about twenty teenagers sing the song about the pope and the queen. Hardly in the same league as the famine song or the celtic dittie roaming in the gloaming which I'm surprised you haven't latched onto in your campaign to label all celtic fans the same as the rangers. I have no doubt the majority of the Rangers fans who sing the famine song do it as wind up. But there is a sizable minority who really mean it, which probably was a significant factor in me upping roots and going back to Ireland where no one around here gives a monkey's hoot about referees (well soccer ones anyway!), sectarianism, Rangers or what school your kids are going to.

thistle_harps (UK) - Posts: 879 - 13/01/2011 20:38:32    845897

Lol everyone on here played Irish League then, course you all did. I'm attacking Ulsterman's post because he blatantly made it up as an attempt to play the downtrodden Catholic card. I have played senior football for Pomeroy so in my chosen sport I would say I've been fairly successful, for me representing my club is the peak of my sporting career. I have watched numerous local matches and I found the quality to be pretty poor. That's what I'm basing my opinion on, what I've seen with my own two eyes. The players you listed you describe as excellent yet none made any impact in England (if indeed any British club even bothered giving them a chance) or at international level where N.I. or ROI aren't exactly World beaters and haven't been for a number of years. They may be excellent compared to other's in the League but every single League has stand out players. The Albanian or Luxembourg leagues would have their better players but I wouldn't say they're excellent

pplocal (Tyrone) - Posts: 5878 - 13/01/2011 20:42:57    845902

Again, you can't base all your assumptions on England and whether people go to play there or not. As I said, it is subjective and all those players are better than Ivan Sproule who is across the water. I also think that Haylock and Arkins played across the water at a time when it was not so prevalent for players to do so. McBride was an NI international as far as I remember. All these players in the Irish league are obviously a lot better than you and are good players relative to your ability. Therefore I find it strange that you compare them against premier league footballers. If you check out the Irish League handbook for 2001/02 I am in it as well as being named in one of those football games Fifa, PES etc or something when my club was included in it!!! How is it that you are not playing for Pomeroy at the moment given that you are early 20's and approaching the peak of your sporting career? The peak of your chosen sport is playing for your county not your club team is it not?

omaghredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 3656 - 13/01/2011 21:13:24    845943