It's all a bunch of nonsense and Pulis is a moron for commenting on it. If you don't want political reactions on the field then how about not putting the players in a situation where they're forced to take sides? Why is the British national anthem even playing during a West Bromwich game?

Maybe McClean shouldn't play for an English club, accept payment in sterling (Queen's head on the currency) or live in England if he feels this strongly?
Even Adams and McGuiness acknowledge the Queen these days,they would not sit in parliament though nor would they keep their MP salaries (allegedly).

Clusterfuck all around. I totally got on board with him not buying a poppy but this a pretty empty gesture. Will he do the same when it's the FA cup final?

At the same time, I don't know why anyone cares or feels the need to reprimand him.

For me it's his business, he's not paid to acknowledge anything but to play football. What if he himself doesn't even mind the queen or the anthem but his family strongly does and he doesn't want to fall out with them?

As Klaus said why play the anthem when WBA are on the pitch, they don't even field a single English NT player

They're still an English club therefore they play under the English flag when they are abroad?
They have a perfect right to do so.
If he doesn't want to acknowledge that he will continue run into trouble over this issue.
Being from Northern Ireland he clearly knows the minefield that surrounds the flying of flags, he'll just have to deal with whatever reaction it provokes.

Are views still that strong in Northern Ireland then?

y va marquer wrote:

They're still an English club therefore they play under the English flag when they are abroad?
They have a perfect right to do so.

I agree Y va, but McClean has a perfect right to not show solidarity with the flag or the anthem along the same lines. West Bromwich is not a nation, it's a football club. I'm sure he wouldn't turn out for England even if you paid him to do it.

I don't agree with what McClean did, but it's within his rights to not embrace the flag. We live in a world where symbols don't mean the same thing to everyone. He's expected to show allegiance to the club he's playing for, not to the country it's located in. Plus like qs said, his stance has been well known in the past and Pulis signed him anyway. I assume he did it because he thought McClean was a good footballer and not because he was sympathetic to the queen.

They might have a "perfect right" to do so but so does he in telling them to shove it. Nobody should be forced to do anything because someone plays some shitty melody, regardless of country or occasion.

otfgoon wrote:

Are views still that strong in Northern Ireland then?

Amongst certain people they are even stronger.
Flags, parades and anthems are hugely contentious and cause unbelievable tension and conflict between republicans and loyalists.

jones wrote:

They might have a "perfect right" to do so but so does he in telling them to shove it. Nobody should be forced to do anything because someone plays some shitty melody, regardless of country or occasion.

Where did I say that he does not have a right to protest?
As for the point regarding him being forced to do so: if this falls somehow within the terms of his contract as a WBA player then he should neither have signed nor been offered the contract.

Where did I claim you said that he doesn't?

otfgoon wrote:

Are views still that strong in Northern Ireland then?

Yeah especially in Derry where McClean is from. I think its very hard for a lot of people in both England and the Republic of Ireland to really understand how deep these things run in parts of the North. I was in Derry earlier in the year and you'd meet plenty of people who aren't all that old who's parents were killed by the British during the troubles. For someone like McClean, from those communities it would be very hard not to feel extremely resentful of the British.

Its just ridiculous that he's being slated though. He just dropped his head and didn't face towards the flag. Why is that such a big deal? Its not even disrespectful IMO. Its not like he was doing wanker gestures or screaming "tiocfaidh ár lá". He didn't kick up any fuss though, he respectfully opted out and then did what he's paid to do, play football.

And there are many people who have lost family members in the troubles who are willing to move on, put it behind them for the greater good.

Qwiss! wrote:

Its just ridiculous that he's being slated though. He just dropped his head and didn't face towards the flag. Why is that such a big deal? Its not even disrespectful IMO. Its not like he was doing wanker gestures or screaming "tiocfaidh ár lá". He didn't kick up any fuss though, he respectfully opted out and then did what he's paid to do, play football.

Exactly. If anything he looked uncomfortable rather than belligerent when he turned to the side.

y va marquer wrote:

And there are many people who have lost family members in the troubles who are willing to move on, put it behind them for the greater good.

You think they're all wearing poppies on remembrance day?

It was disrespectful to those who feel their national flag should be respected by those playing for and representing an English club.
The fact that none of us are bothered by it is neither here nor there given that it's not our flag.

Qwiss! wrote:

y va marquer wrote:

And there are many people who have lost family members in the troubles who are willing to move on, put it behind them for the greater good.

You think they're all wearing poppies on remembrance day?

How would I possibly know that?
There may be some who do, some people do have an enormous capacity to forgive.

y va marquer wrote:

It was disrespectful to those who feel their national flag should be respected by those playing for and representing an English club.
The fact that none of us are bothered by it is neither here nor there given that it's not our flag.

That is seriously warped logic.

How's that?