Peter Anderson ✒ As I sat down to watch the Saturday night live game between Spurs and Man U, I couldn't help but notice that the silly season has returned. 

There was Roy Keane wearing a poppy lapel badge, then as the teams lined up Spurs' 2 Argentinians, Romero and Lo Celso, were wearing poppies on their shirts. I can't imagine that Keane or the 2 Argentinians are big fans of the British army, but for the sake of a quiet life they have decided to wear a poppy. Maybe they do respect the British army I am only surmising that they don't, given the British army's history in Ireland and the relatively recent war between the UK and Argentina.

In recent years poppy fascism tends to be on the rise with TV stations foisting poppies on all that appear on their shows. That's not how it should be. It should be a decision for each individual. The soldiers of the Second World War fought and died to preserve us from totalitarianism, which includes the right to dissent from the prevailing or government view. Yet now when people appear in public without a poppy they are slaughtered on social media, prompting many to wear one for a quiet life. 

To be clear, I am an ex-member of the British army and proud to be so. Sometimes I wear a poppy and sometimes I don't. It never used to matter, in the glorious days before Twitter! For me remembrance is a private matter not one to be foisted on footballers from other countries, cultures or beliefs.

FIFA tried to ban the poppy in 2017 as "a political symbol" but the UK government got the ban overturned after a furious appeal. FIFA should have dug in. Politics, or religion for that matter, and sport shouldn't mix. The essence of sport is to compete while respecting each other and the rules of the game. There is no need to honour one team or one competitor's political opinion or religious persuasion.

Take the GAA: there is a team in South Derry named after an ex-player who was in jail for taking part in a punishment shooting on behalf of a sectarian murder gang. He didn't get the club named after him for anything he did on the pitch or boardroom. Why is that even allowed? Is it designed to keep unionists away from the GAA? Well, it certainly worked on me. Could you imagine if Linfield renamed themselves "Top Gun McKeag FC"? Would you blame nationalists for wanting nothing to do with the Irish League? Yet the GAA allow their clubs to do just that, though it is clear that many members are uneasy or embarrassed by that decision.

If there is a political, cultural or religious undercurrent to a match then it certainly adds spice and the real fans know it, like when England faced Maradona's Argentina 4 years after the Falklands war, or when Rangers play Celtic, for example. It makes the games more enthralling, but they are still only games at the end of the day, and that is the all important thing. What we don't need is official sporting recognition of political, cultural or religious norms. 

If Spurs want to have a remembrance service, fine. Have it at another time when nobody is compelled to attend or shamed into taking part.

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

Silly Season Game On

Peter Anderson ✒ As I sat down to watch the Saturday night live game between Spurs and Man U, I couldn't help but notice that the silly season has returned. 

There was Roy Keane wearing a poppy lapel badge, then as the teams lined up Spurs' 2 Argentinians, Romero and Lo Celso, were wearing poppies on their shirts. I can't imagine that Keane or the 2 Argentinians are big fans of the British army, but for the sake of a quiet life they have decided to wear a poppy. Maybe they do respect the British army I am only surmising that they don't, given the British army's history in Ireland and the relatively recent war between the UK and Argentina.

In recent years poppy fascism tends to be on the rise with TV stations foisting poppies on all that appear on their shows. That's not how it should be. It should be a decision for each individual. The soldiers of the Second World War fought and died to preserve us from totalitarianism, which includes the right to dissent from the prevailing or government view. Yet now when people appear in public without a poppy they are slaughtered on social media, prompting many to wear one for a quiet life. 

To be clear, I am an ex-member of the British army and proud to be so. Sometimes I wear a poppy and sometimes I don't. It never used to matter, in the glorious days before Twitter! For me remembrance is a private matter not one to be foisted on footballers from other countries, cultures or beliefs.

FIFA tried to ban the poppy in 2017 as "a political symbol" but the UK government got the ban overturned after a furious appeal. FIFA should have dug in. Politics, or religion for that matter, and sport shouldn't mix. The essence of sport is to compete while respecting each other and the rules of the game. There is no need to honour one team or one competitor's political opinion or religious persuasion.

Take the GAA: there is a team in South Derry named after an ex-player who was in jail for taking part in a punishment shooting on behalf of a sectarian murder gang. He didn't get the club named after him for anything he did on the pitch or boardroom. Why is that even allowed? Is it designed to keep unionists away from the GAA? Well, it certainly worked on me. Could you imagine if Linfield renamed themselves "Top Gun McKeag FC"? Would you blame nationalists for wanting nothing to do with the Irish League? Yet the GAA allow their clubs to do just that, though it is clear that many members are uneasy or embarrassed by that decision.

If there is a political, cultural or religious undercurrent to a match then it certainly adds spice and the real fans know it, like when England faced Maradona's Argentina 4 years after the Falklands war, or when Rangers play Celtic, for example. It makes the games more enthralling, but they are still only games at the end of the day, and that is the all important thing. What we don't need is official sporting recognition of political, cultural or religious norms. 

If Spurs want to have a remembrance service, fine. Have it at another time when nobody is compelled to attend or shamed into taking part.

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

6 comments:

  1. Well said, Peter. The wearing of a poppy should be an entirely, individual decision and not one forced by media and popular coercion.

    Remembrance Day ceremonies should be confined to the actual day and to Cenotaphs or War Memorials - nowhere else.

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  2. Pete forgot to mention the City 🆚 Palace 🏰 game. 😁
    Not replacing the most reliable and versatile midfielder was another dumb decision by the Yanks 🗽 @ Anfield. Learned nothing from the Lovren fiasco the previous year . 😒 🏧
    The title is Chelsea's to lose.
    Spurs to grab fourth ❓ 🙌

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  3. If Conte fails to turn the ship around Spurs will grab fourth ... from the bottom

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  4. Conte is class. Five titles over the past seven seasons with 3 different clubs. Poch ➡ Man Utd next summer.

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  5. Spurs will be more solid with Conte but a top 4 is never happening this season.

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  6. Peter Why dont you just say Kevin Lynch by name .He Captained Derry U 16 s Hurling team to AN All Ireland title in 1972. Joe Brolly has done a great article on this topic.
    As along suffering Spurs fan the merry go round continues at White Hart Lane. Shocking mis management overseen by Levi since Poch was sacked .
    No doubt Conte has the pedigree to turn Spurs around, He left Chelsea because he wasnt given money for new players from Abramovich...He will have no chance of getting money from Levy. Conte just needs time to put his own mark on the team .

    ReplyDelete