01 Nov 2018 17:42:30
McClean once again refusing to wear a poppy on his shirt, no respect that lad, whether he's Irish or not, however, a lad at work tells me Stoke fans are taking a big poppy be to their next game to let him know what they think of him. Good lads :)

1.) 01 Nov 2018
01 Nov 2018 21:53:29
Can’t agree with you there AL - I respect the decision not to wear it as much as I respect the decision to wear it. He doesn’t wear one due to Bloody Sunday where 6 unarmed people from his estate (think it was 12 dead in total) were killed by British soldiers during a peaceful protest.

2.) 01 Nov 2018
01 Nov 2018 21:55:01
That should read "big poppy banner"

3.) 01 Nov 2018
01 Nov 2018 22:08:49
He’s a tit alright Al. Don’t think he realizes how many Irish died fighting in World Wars 1 and 2.

4.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 04:36:17
Well said cork. It’s not a religious or political emblem. It’s too remember the war dead. But he’s using it as both political and religious. Irish and British soldiers both died fighting side by side to make us what we are today and how we live. Wear the poppy with pride and be thankful
Off those heroes. 🌺🙂👍.

5.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 06:57:03
Does it really matter.

6.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 09:22:07
Or how many soldiers were killed in ireland.

7.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 09:58:13
It is a political symbol its not remembering all soldiers just the British army ones.

8.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 10:01:06
If that's his reason Alf lad needs a history lesson. Poppies about all the lads we lost in the war. Sure they have a remembrance day for Bloody Sunday. Sad lad if he wants to turn it into a political statement.

9.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 10:51:00
It says military personnel which would be all uk. Not just english.

10.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 11:28:35
Poppies are the same in Canada as UK so it's not just a British think.
It's to remember all who died for us.

11.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 11:45:45
Anzacs, gurkas, indians, Pakistanis, English, Irish, Scottish, americans. and the rest. All of them. Not political in any way.

12.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 14:04:56
Iraqis Syrians afganis don't count.

13.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 14:12:28
Wex mate. Get your drift. But good in all religions and countries. A few scum. But good too.
Just like mufc fans but in reverse.

14.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 14:48:15
Forgot to mention Remembrance day is a bank holiday here which I think is great.

15.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 15:04:27
That’s the spirit Canada.

16.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 15:22:33
The poppy is actually a remembrance of the war dead, that's ALL war dead. Originally it was to boost the Haig Fund, now the monies raised are distributed to wounded, disabled veterans throughout the UK. Being a former member of HM Armed Forces, the poppy symbolises so much to me.

17.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 16:03:20
Alftupper
Having served 4 years in NI in the 90s your comments on Bloody Sunday are true but arse, remember the 2 signallers dragged from there car and butchered in the street, the children in Warrington, the Queens Uncle, I could go on and on, but won't, everyone should wear there poppy with pride and remember the dead who have given there lives for there county.

18.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 17:07:39
Richie. 👍🏻.

19.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 18:04:49
Not killed by the army but by terrorists a valid army shooting innocent civilians is a different story altogether.

20.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 18:46:06
Anyway back to football.

21.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 18:56:34
Yes. And has nothing too do with wearing the poppy wex. Everyone can interpret the wearing off the poppy or not wearing it in their own way. My way is. Wear it with pride. Maclean’s isn’t. I just don't agree with it. And he was brought up British in Ulster. But hey ho. !

22.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 18:59:02
Ritchie 1971. 👍🌺🙂.

23.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 19:12:08
The poppy has never been seen in the same way in Ireland as it has in England, Wales and Scotland. It was seen by many as a symbol of support for the British Army and as such it’s wearing has has been controversial. Irish soldiers returning from the First Wirkd war returned to Ireland and discovered that the army they had been fighting for was seen as the enemy.

That said over the last few years and the progress in Northern Ireland there have been signs of this changing. Over 250k poppies were sold in Ireland last year and last year was I believe, the first time an Irish Taoiseach wore one.

Like much of Irish and Northern Irish politics, it’s a difficult and emotional issue. The Poppy appeal does make clear though that the wearing of a poppy is a matter of personal choice and some people choose to remember the dead in their own ways. It’s a personal choice and one that should be respected either way.

24.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 19:33:25
Exactly Spanish a personal decision and you should respect someone's decision whether you agree with it or not. Is that not what ye guys joined the army for. So that people can make a decision for themselves and expect that to be respected.

25.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 20:39:20
McClean should feel lucky that he is living in a country where he is free to express his opinions and have rights. Personally I like many others dislike the guy, and take great pleasure at him having a tantrum when we beat Stoke this season.

26.) 02 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 21:50:44
I fully respect his decision and would fight for his right to make that decision freely.
As I have the right to decide things freely myself I have decided that i believe anyone who doesn't show respect for those who died to give me that right is a knob.

27.) 03 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 23:17:18
The poppy idea was not even British it came from a poem by a Canadian and Moira Michael an American thought of the idea to wear poppies to commemorate the death of all soldiers in the great war. It spread to Europe and the rest of the world. All commonwealth countries celebrate it and a lot more. The catholics of NI are against it as they see it as honouring British troops. Although i do remember the IRA celebrating it in 1987 at Enniskillen where another 11 innocent people died.

28.) 03 Nov 2018
02 Nov 2018 23:38:00
Not everyone born in ulster was brought up British.

29.) 03 Nov 2018
03 Nov 2018 00:02:33
Can we start a poll?
Knob or not knob?
I say knob.

30.) 03 Nov 2018
03 Nov 2018 09:36:03
To knob or not to knob, that is the question. We’ve moved onto a different subject now haven’t we? 😳🤔😉.

31.) 03 Nov 2018
03 Nov 2018 11:28:07
We should bright.

32.) 03 Nov 2018
03 Nov 2018 15:51:52
One thing not mentioned is that bloody Sunday was in 1972, McClean is 29, born 17 or so years later when "the troubles" were largely over. I was there a couple of times early 80s and there were very few incidents then, compared to the previous decade.

33.) 03 Nov 2018
03 Nov 2018 18:11:56
It's easy to forget an invading army shooting your citizens on the street ain't it.

34.) 03 Nov 2018
03 Nov 2018 21:22:27
How do you work out that it was an invading army? Norn Iron is a part of the UK, Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

35.) 04 Nov 2018
04 Nov 2018 00:51:24
Lol. Invading army. ? On British soil protecting civilians from terrorists. opinions are a marvellous thing. Maclean’s own support booing him today. Says it all. Wee rat bag.

36.) 04 Nov 2018
04 Nov 2018 00:55:13
Also. Maclean has brought politics into football. Wer it has no place tbh. So I’m that note. ALAW. MOT.
3 points today. 3-0 with roofe 2 and Hernandez. ⚽️⚽️⚽️.

37.) 04 Nov 2018
04 Nov 2018 02:28:12
Yea wex. Like the Irish Republican Army shooting many innocent victims and blowing innocent victims up on our streets. Invading? Possibly. Who even brought that wee scumbag Maclean up. ? Lol. Watching MOTD and seen an Irish catholic in seamus Coleman who captains both Everton and Ireland wear his poppy on his chest. He’s obviously not a bitter young man. 👍👍⚽️ MOT.

{Ed001's Note - surely the whole point of what people fight for is to give us all the right to choose for ourselves? If he doesn't want to wear one, he has a right not to or we are not better than a dictatorship. What happened to live and let live?}

38.) 04 Nov 2018
04 Nov 2018 07:08:47
I think the clue is in the name northern Ireland you see its really just Ireland no such thing existed called northern or Southern it was the English government that decided to split a country in 2.