From belfast telegraph

[Pirate]

Talk about paranoia [img]smileys/sad.gif[/img]

<h2>Trying questions on rugby matters take political slant </h2>






Wednesday, November 07, 2007








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The saga of the unfortunate international rugby match between Ireland and
Italy at Ravenhill has started me wondering why the Ulster branch should
allow themselves to be bullied by the Dublin management on an issue such as
that of the normal customs of a home game - the flag and the anthem?



</div>









I get the feeling that there is much more to this story than we know. For
example, who owns Ravenhill? If not the Ulster branch, then when was it
sold, to whom, and for how much?

Where does the revenue go for the
advertising at the venue?

What happened at a home (Ravenhill)
match in the early 1950s? Did the Munster men refuse to stand for the Queen?


Was an agreement made with the players that never again would an international
be played at Ravenhill?

As a result, there would be no British
anthem or flag. What has the attitude of the men from Munster been to the
British/Ulster men from here? Has any player been accused of sectarian
behaviour against Ulster men? Why does the IRFU insist on the Soldier's Song
at Lansdowne Road?

Has any arrangement been made with the
Republic's government about that anthem?

What money has been paid
by the British Government for Ravenhill or other aspects of rugby activity?


If any, how much has gone to the IRFU? Was there any requirement that the
British national anthem be played at Ravenhill as a result of such funding?
Why are there so few Ulster players on the 'Irish' team?

Something
stinks in Irish rugby - but we will get to the bottom of it in time.


Vexed, Belfastx

[carney]

sick of this 'why arent more ulster players on the irish team, bulls**t. the team is picked according to who eddie likes and dislikes, end of story. [img]smileys/wink.gif[/img]

[Lebowski]

Why are there so few Ulster players on the 'Irish' team?


Cause they are not good enough?

[Pirate]

Why are there so few Ulster players on the 'Irish' team?


Cause they are not good enough?

think magners league results prove that at the moment

[blackadder]

I take it this was copied from the letters page to the Belfast Telegraph, i wouldn't get so uptight about one letter from one person in the whole of Ulster to one newspaper.

[Quinners-the-Titan]

I hope people don't react to this, it just seems like one man who has a gripe and is trying to provoke a reaction!

[Pirate]

I hope people don't react to this, it just seems like one man who has a gripe and is trying to provoke a reaction!

Yes it was taken from the letters section and yes i agree with you that nothing should be read into it. I cant understand why the telegraph would print that drivel though.

[Blindsider.]

They seem to print the odd letter like that - one every few months IIRC. People trying to bring politics into sport and all that drivel.

Yawwwn!

You have to wonder though, if the Telegraph has nothing else to print on its Letters Page?

[JoeyFantastic]

They seem to print the odd letter like that - one every few months IIRC. People trying to bring politics into sport and all that drivel.

Yawwwn!

You have to wonder though, if the Telegraph has nothing else to print on its Letters Page?

You should write a letter asking about that, they might even publish it.

[syriana]

Imissed this match completely due to work commitments in Germany withno internet etc and Germany don't seem to know what rugby is!


What is this guy on about? Can somebody fill me in please?

[Blindsider.]

[img]smileys/lol.gif[/img][img]smileys/lol.gif[/img][img]smileys/lol.gif[/img]

They just might! But, I would then be accused of being sectarian, bigoted and God-knows what else. My tender, delicate constitution just wouldn't be able to cope!

[James Lynch]

Reading the content its hard to know is his gripe with the IRFU or
Munster. He mentions Munster individually, refers to the Dublin
management in IRFU and says nothing of Leinster or Connacht. Sounds
confused to me.

[Pirate]

Talk about paranoia [img]smileys/sad.gif[/img]

<h2>Trying questions on rugby matters take political slant </h2>








Wednesday, November 07, 2007








<div>



The saga of the unfortunate international rugby match between Ireland and
Italy at Ravenhill has started me wondering why the Ulster branch should
allow themselves to be bullied by the Dublin management on an issue such as
that of the normal customs of a home game - the flag and the anthem?



</div>









I get the feeling that there is much more to this story than we know. For
example, who owns Ravenhill? If not the Ulster branch, then when was it
sold, to whom, and for how much?

Where does the revenue go for the
advertising at the venue?

What happened at a home (Ravenhill)
match in the early 1950s? Did the Munster men refuse to stand for the Queen?


Was an agreement made with the players that never again would an international
be played at Ravenhill?

As a result, there would be no British
anthem or flag. What has the attitude of the men from Munster been to the
British/Ulster men from here? Has any player been accused of sectarian
behaviour against Ulster men? Why does the IRFU insist on the Soldier's Song
at Lansdowne Road?

Has any arrangement been made with the
Republic's government about that anthem?

What money has been paid
by the British Government for Ravenhill or other aspects of rugby activity?


If any, how much has gone to the IRFU? Was there any requirement that the
British national anthem be played at Ravenhill as a result of such funding?
Why are there so few Ulster players on the 'Irish' team?

Something
stinks in Irish rugby - but we will get to the bottom of it in time.


Vexed, Belfastx

Response to letter

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne.../article330161 8.ece


Fair play for rugby anthems


Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Mike Brennan (Write Back, December 2[img]smileys/cool.gif[/img] wrote about the issue of anthems at rugby internationals and the ban on Northern Ireland's national anthem and flag at Belfast internationals.

Sadly, Mike seems to have missed the point. The anthems are only symbols and represent the two countries on this island. Most rugby fans from Ulster regard the Soldier's Song as very offensive. However, they did honour it in Dublin at Lansdowne Road matches.

From 1912 to 1954, internationals in Belfast honoured the local symbols with only a few problems. But now the republican element in local rugby has introduced politics into the game. As a result, inclusiveness and equality are being denied.

All that we are asking is that all people on this island are treated with equality, as required in the Belfast Agreement of 1998.

If we are not allowed to have our anthem etc, then clearly the Soldier's Song should not be sung in Dublin.

This may be only a short-term solution. However, it would remove some of the anger in Northern Ireland at the current unfair position.

Perhaps Mike would like to join me in an appeal to the rugby authorities to introduce inclusiveness and equity in response to this problem. In other words, fair play for all.

The Lord Laird of Artigarvan, House of Lords, London

With the distinct possibility of failure to qualify for next seasons HEC overshadowing them. Currently bottom of both the Magners League and their European Cup Pool. A large number of players either out of contract or retiring at the end of the season. Success as elusive as ever in the AIL for club sides.


Given the impact that all of the above and more has on potential sponsorship and gate/TV revenues, not to mention the appeal of the game in NIto impressionable youngsters (who tend to shun failure no matter where they are!)it's heart-warming that The Right Honorable Lord Laird of Dooledandy has decided to concentrate his mind on what really matters as far as Ulsters Rugby future is concerned....Songs.


I'm sure himself and Vexed of Belfastx !!!!have booked their tickets for tomorrows battle against the "Munster men". Look out for two Mr. Angry's glaring at your screen.

[Skyhawk]

A very disgruntled character.......listen to the wind.

[blackadder]

Well he has a point that the current situation smacks of inequality, i don't see how anyone can even try to deny that. However it's nonsense to suggest GSTQ should be played in Dublin.


Nevertheless Ulster fans have more to worry about at the moment and please please please don't think that Ulster rugby followers from a Unionist background walk around all day with angry faces because of which anthem is sung or flag is flown at Ireland games, we mightn't be entirely happy with it but i suppose we can see the bigger picture (at least the majority of us can).


There sometimes seems to be a rush to tarnish Ulster fans with the same brush by some here, some of it is probably a wind up which is fair enough but sometimes i think some of you think we're all fat biggotted National Front members who walk around with England football shirts on, drinking beer, and kicking the arse out of any catholic we see walking down the street because their eyes are too close together....

[ulstergael]

[QUOTE=blackadder


There sometimes seems to be a rush to tarnish Ulster fans with the same brush by some here, some of it is probably a wind up which is fair enough but sometimes i think some of you think we're all fat biggotted National Front members who walk around with England football shirts on, drinking beer, and kicking the arse out of any catholic we see walking down the street because their eyes are too close together....





[/QUOTE]


I agree, Blackadder, absolute nonsense of course. We're not all fat. [img]smileys/lol.gif[/img][img]smileys/lol.gif[/img][img]smileys/lol.gif[/img]

[blackadder]

[QUOTE=ulstergael]

I agree, Blackadder, absolute nonsense of course. We're not all fat. [img]smileys/lol.gif[/img][img]smileys/lol.gif[/img][img]smileys/lol.gif[/img]

Nice one, and to be fair on occasions (many in fact) i've been known to take a drink or twelve from a can of beer.

[sewa]

Is that how you know if someone is catholic?I knew you lot could tell the difference but thats ingenious.

[ulstergael]

Is that how you know if someone is catholic?I knew you lot could tell the difference but thats ingenious.

The big black splodge on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday is also a clue.

[sewa]

[img]smileys/lol.gif[/img]

Is that how you know if someone is catholic?I knew you lot could tell the difference but thats ingenious.

and of course the stooping gait, and the whiskers. [img]smileys/lol.gif[/img]

[manofmunster]

i for one would be more than happy to see the rugby team take the soccer approach and split into two separate national teams


then we'd all be happy and there'd be far less people sitiing at home just waiting to be offended once it's time to sing the anthems

[Dave Cahill]

Is that how you know if someone is catholic?*I knew
you lot could tell the difference but thats ingenious.

I'm going to let you in on a secret that both the catholic church and
the kirk have tried to keep hidden since the so called reformation.
The difference between catholics and protestants is that the former
take ketchup on their chips, the latter mayonaisse. The whole Martin
Luther thing was a cover up created to hide the real facts. After the
second ecumenical council of lyons decreed that ketchup must be
made with tomatoes and not mushrooms, central and northern
europe erupted in snacktarian flames. Martin Luther was actually a
sous chef in the wittenburg Little Chef and decided to bring this strife
to an end by declaring all ketchup "a load of italian mebollix" and
putting forth the propostion that the only way to salvation was
through the application of mayonaisse to ones chips.Rome, of
course, reacted to this by releasing one of the most holy secrets of
the vatican, the squeezy ketchup bottle, and the split was complete.

[sewa]

Does that also explainthe difference between an Ulster fry and a Full irish?

[epaddy]

i for one would be more than happy to see the rugby team take the soccer approach and split into two separate national teams


then we'd all be happy and there'd be far less people sitiing at home just waiting to be offended once it's time to sing the anthems

I would say it would be a pretty small minority that would be happy.

[Dave Cahill]

Does that also explain*the difference between an
Ulster fry and a Full irish?

that would be an ecumenical matter


(though I would consider the difference to be the presence or lack
thereof of tatty bread and sody farls)

[blackadder]

Mayonnaise on chips! Definitely not, cheese on the other hand....magical, i wouldn't eat chips without the stuff.


Sewa, eyes close together, one leg being longer than the other and not being able to speak properly are all traits of Catholics[img]smileys/wink.gif[/img]


At least that's what my Grandmother used to tell me (at least the ones about the eyes and legs) when i was growing up, bless her she wasn't the most tolerant of people but then nor where many people from that generation, thankfully things have changed....mostly

[Dave Cahill]

Mayonnaise on chips! Definitely not, cheese on
the other hand....magical, i wouldn't eat chips without the
stuff.

For did the Lord not say "Blessed are the cheesemakers"

[ulstergael]

i for one would be more than happy to see the rugby team take the soccer approach and split into two separate national teams


then we'd all be happy and there'd be far less people sitiing at home just waiting to be offended once it's time to sing the anthems

May frostbite afflict your partitionist hole and may you die roaring for a pair of woolly underpants. [img]smileys/razz.gif[/img]