Northern Irish Football

[Stuka]

I realise not many people will be interested in the league over there and that's fair enough but having visited Northern Ireland a fair bit recently and also having many friends who follow Linfield, something really annoys me about the setup there.

So the Northern Ireland national team plays their home games at Windsor Park, home of Linfield FC in absence of a designated national stadium. As a result Linfield take 15% of the gate receipts from international games. Doesn't this constitute a brazen comparative advantage in the League? I reckon there should be an annual points deduction or something!

Better still, they should pull their fingers out and actually build a national stadium for Northern Ireland. A proposed venue on the site of the old Maze Prison was recently shelved.

So does anyone follow Northern Irish football much? Purely as a football fan in general, and as a regular visitor I'd like to get to some games but unlike my mates will probably choose another team other than Linfield.

[PlasticRoyale]

Another example of protestant gerrymandering

[BR2]

Another example of protestant gerrymandering

In a Protestant country?

[Stuka]

Another example of protestant gerrymandering

The GAA pitch off the Falls Road was never an option due to sectarian sporting policy about what can be played there.

[Thomas L'Heureux]

I've bet on Glentoran and Crusaders a few times recently if that consitutes following results. Also a won a few quid when that Distillery side won away from home a month or so ago.

[Royal With Cheese]

Living between Belfast and Liburn I look out for Distiillery's results and went to the New Grosvenor to watch the whites take on Cliftonville on Saturday. To be honest, the fare is probably around Blue Square North/South standard with crowds to match.

You are right Stuka, Linfield have an unfair advantage but then so do Man United with the ability to fill 75,000 seats each week, with Rugby grand finals and other revenue streams. There was serious talk of a Gaelic/Rugby/Football ground, 35,000 or so capacity at the old Maze prison complex but that's died a political death.

So, the IFA have very little choice but to go along with basically the arrangement they have with the owners of the ground. I would agree that in such a poor league the monies they get does give them an unfair advantage - they actually have full time professionals on their books but Glentoran won the league last year and teams such as Crusarders, Coleraine, Ballymena, Cliftonville and Distillery do vie for honours on a regular basis. It's certainly more unpredictable than the English Premiership!

[Royal With Cheese]

Another example of protestant gerrymandering

The GAA pitch off the Falls Road was never an option due to sectarian sporting policy about what can be played there.

It's not strictly a sectarian policy. Protestant GAA players are allowed to play at Casement Park.

[Stuka]

Another example of protestant gerrymandering

The GAA pitch off the Falls Road was never an option due to sectarian sporting policy about what can be played there.

It's not strictly a sectarian policy. Protestant GAA players are allowed to play at Casement Park.

My understanding with the Gaelic Athletic Association was that since Football is considered a "foreign" sport then they are unable to use the facilities on political grounds. Granted, I'm sure if Protestant players were good enough they'd be more than welcome to play Gaelic sports. I maintain the GAA is, on balance sectarian though in terms of the Irish Nationalist symbolism and ethos, but also their policies on what sports can be played which knowingly alienate the majority Protestants.

[Royal With Cheese]

My understanding with the Gaelic Athletic Association was that since Football is considered a "foreign" sport then they are unable to use the facilities on political grounds. Granted, I'm sure if Protestant players were good enough they'd be more than welcome to play Gaelic sports. I maintain the GAA is, on balance sectarian though in terms of the Irish Nationalist symbolism and ethos, but also their policies on what sports can be played which knowingly alienate the majority Protestants.

That was the ruling up until a few years ago when they opened up Croke Park to fooball and rugger. That rule has been abolished. Strictly speaking of course it's up to the owners of the individual grounds what games get played. While I'm not going to become an apologist for either side as a Protestant you simply wouldn't have access to Gaelic games because it's not played in Protestant schools (the vast majoirty of schools in NI are either Prod or Catholic - it's the one aspect of living over here that disturbs me and the few intergated schools are simply not at a high enough academic standard for me to want my children to go there).

There is, interestingly enough, a PSNI GAA team that was not allowed to play until 2007. One of their team, a Catholic, was blown up by the RIRA and will never walk again.

Sensitivites still run very deep as you are aware of here and I suspect GAA will always be a Catholic only sport with neither the will on the Catholic side to change or the will on the Protestant side to want to participate.

[PlasticRoyale]

Is Finerain ok?

[Stuka]

That's interesting that the PSNI had a GAA team, and why not. Unfortunate that idiots on both sides would probably find this a problem.

Point taken that it's up to whoever owns the grounds to decide what sports are played but can't help but think it would be in everybody's interest if GAA grounds were more receptive to allowing football. As much as anything else it's an extra revenue stream.

A good friend of mine, a Catholic, went to a school where there was no opportunity to play football which was his favourite sport. To this day he feels a great recentment of GAA!

My understanding with the Gaelic Athletic Association was that since Football is considered a "foreign" sport then they are unable to use the facilities on political grounds. Granted, I'm sure if Protestant players were good enough they'd be more than welcome to play Gaelic sports. I maintain the GAA is, on balance sectarian though in terms of the Irish Nationalist symbolism and ethos, but also their policies on what sports can be played which knowingly alienate the majority Protestants.

That was the ruling up until a few years ago when they opened up Croke Park to fooball and rugger. That rule has been abolished. Strictly speaking of course it's up to the owners of the individual grounds what games get played. While I'm not going to become an apologist for either side as a Protestant you simply wouldn't have access to Gaelic games because it's not played in Protestant schools (the vast majoirty of schools in NI are either Prod or Catholic - it's the one aspect of living over here that disturbs me and the few intergated schools are simply not at a high enough academic standard for me to want my children to go there).

There is, interestingly enough, a PSNI GAA team that was not allowed to play until 2007. One of their team, a Catholic, was blown up by the RIRA and will never walk again.

Sensitivites still run very deep as you are aware of here and I suspect GAA will always be a Catholic only sport with neither the will on the Catholic side to change or the will on the Protestant side to want to participate.

[Stuka]

UPDATE: Plans for "a redeveloped Windsor Park with an increased capacity of 18,000"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/norther ... 045916.stm

Great, doesn't really help the League's integrity though does it.

[Royal With Cheese]

It's odd that the garrison games only get a slightly increased capacity but Casement gets rebuilt with the ability to host 40,000 spectators. Politics at its best.

[prostak]

I honestly know nothing about this topic, other than this goal.

[Royal With Cheese]

I honestly know nothing about this topic, other than this goal.

I saw that on the news last night. What an amazing goal.

Oh, a big LOL to Glentoran HD TV. I get higher definition from my Canon Ixus.

[TBM]

I honestly know nothing about this topic, other than this goal.

I saw that on the news last night. What an amazing goal.

Oh, a big LOL to Glentoran HD TV. I get higher definition from my Canon Ixus.

You did chose 1080p & not the default 360 - in the settings at the bottom, didnt you?!

[Stuka]

I honestly know nothing about this topic, other than this goal.

haha great goal.

[Royal With Cheese]

You did chose 1080p & not the default 360 - in the settings at the bottom, didnt you?!

[TBM]

You did chose 1080p & not the default 360 - in the settings at the bottom, didnt you?!

[Stuka]

Still the idea of the Glens having an HD TV Channel is funny though. They should do like Arsenal and have a Glens toiletry range. It's not just a football team, it's a lifestyle choice.