James McClean

Malaguena

Malaguena

Well-known member
Behind The Times paywall so I can't link it, but a photo of him wearing a full face black balaclava sat in front of his two kids.

"James McClean has risked the wrath of fans after the Ireland midfielder posted an image of himself wearing a balaclava while leading a “history lesson”.
McClean, 30, shared the photo of his two young children looking up at him as he wore the headwear synonymous with the IRA to his 22,500 Instagram followers. It is titled: “Todays [sic] School lesson — History” and accompanied by laughing emojis. McClean will not face action from the FA for the post.
The Stoke City winger has been singled out for abuse by fans regularly for his refusal to wear a poppy on Remembrance Sunday. McClean has cited the actions of the British Army in the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings in his home town of Londonderry as his reason behind the decision.

The controversy began in 2012, a year after signing for Sunderland from Derry City, when McClean refused to wear the poppy on his club jersey.
Three years later, he caused a stir at West Bromwich Albion by turning away from the English flag and hanging his head during the national anthem before a friendly match in the United States.

This is not the first time that McClean’s actions on social media have proved controversial. After being abused by Middlesbrough supporters after a game at Stoke, McClean described a section of fans as “uneducated cavemen”.
He later quoted Bobby Sands, a member of the provisional IRA and MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, who died in 1981 while on hunger strike in prison in Northern Ireland.
McClean has previously accused the FA of “turning a blind eye” to the abuse that he has received over the years since moving to England in 2011.
In January, however, the FA charged Sky Bet Championship rivals Barnsley for alleged sectarian chanting at McClean in the lead-up to Remembrance Sunday the previous November.
Stoke’s game away to Huddersfield Town on New Year’s Day was halted for an announcement ordering home fans to stop chanting “F*** the IRA” at McClean. Stoke have been contacted for comment."

He really does deserve all the dogs abuse he gets
 
“I never wanted to cause any offence but I now realise I did so and for that I apologise unreservedly,” he said.
“I have spoken to the club and will be deleting my Instagram account.”

If ever an "apology" was written by a club's PR department and not the individual ..........
 
The fact he even owns that balaclava says all you need to know.

He is scum end of.

Doesn’t the Thick idiot realise his taxes through his wages pay for hm forces.
 
Exactly lee all his anti poppy rhetoric and the oh he has every right to express his freedom etc was and is just a smokescreen as he hates us he hates this country and I’m
Just glad the idiot finally showed his provo loving persona in person. As never again can he say he was misunderstood or misquoted etc as that balaclava and his ownership of it say all you need in this subject.

Scum
 
I remember somebody started a thread saying that the abuse he received the last time we played Stoke was pathetic.

I made a point that he doesn't receive this abuse because of his beliefs - he's entitled to them. He receives abuse because he loves to get under people's skin. This just further proves my point.

He will secretly love the fact that he is jeered during games - he knows then that he is getting to people.
 
I live in Belfast and this type of humour is common between both sides of the divide. Lots of banter on site about things that wouldn’t go across well in England.
Ok it’s bad taste when you are looking from the outside in but I found it funny and harmless.
Baddiel and skinner did a similar joke in the 90s with ray houghton on Phoenix of the flames wearing a balaclava and it was hilarious but you could get away with more then.
As for the poppy, well James is from Derry which was a very troubled place on the border, it’s predominantly Irish, why would he wear a poppy?
Not many of the Irish lads do.

people from different parts need to understand different cultures
 
I don’t have a problem with him not wearing a poppy, that is his choice just like a number of Englishmen don’t wear poppies. It’s all the other baggage that comes with him. The media & social media doesn’t help either.
 
slavens_holgate_fence said:
o understand different cultures
Click to expand...
What’s “culture” about openly advocating a banned terrorist organisation on social media and to do it to children as well.
One that has killed countless innocent people on these islands.

Could you imagine an nfl player posing with a daish flag.

Culture? I think that’s insult to the Irish people on all sides btw.
 
It is a bad taste joke but the Irish/NI lads would not be phased by this. People who were brought up in the troubles do have a sen e of humour about it. Being from England, we just don’t see that.
Culture was the wrong word to use probably
 
I've just watched this recent interview he did and at 15:40 he speaks about his experience at the Riverside last season.

Says Boro fans were calling him an Irish c**t and he pointed to Randolph as if to say 'your keeper's Irish'.

 
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