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The World Cup: Why I can't root for England
Posted on Sunday, June 13, 2010 at 06:27 PM
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I have never rooted for England -- not once in my whole life. In fact, I always root the opposing team.
My best friend is English and if Ireland were playing in the World Cup instead of England, she would root for Ireland.
But I can't help myself and I can't pretend otherwise. This "prejudice," I suppose that's the word for it, though it sounds kind of harsh, has its roots in an incident that happened at a football match ninety years ago this coming November.
But let me try to explain.
I'm from Tipperary, where the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) was founded in Hayes Hotel in Thurles on November 1, 1884. (If you go to Thurles be sure to stop in to Hayes Bar, which is owned by my cousin Pat.)
Gaelic games, especially hurling, were and continue to be, a passion in Tipperary. We won 25 All-Ireland hurling finals.
The All-Ireland is played at Croke Park in Dublin where Hogan's Stand is named for a player from Tipperary, Michael Hogan (pictured above.)
Michael is the reason I can't cheer for England. He was killed on November 21, 1920, when British forces raided Croke Park during a game between Tipperary and Dublin.
A few minutes into the match, which started late, at 3.15 in the afternoon, British forces made up of RIC, Black & Tans and military entered the grounds. Hogan was shot and killed, as was Tom Ryan, who was kneeling beside him whispering an act of contrition into his ear. The forces then fired into the panicked and fleeing spectators killing twelve people and injuring sixty -- two more later died of their wounds.
That day became known as Bloody Sunday.
The official account of the incident claimed that the troops had been fired upon by Sinn Fein and were firing in self-defense.
It wasn't until 2000 that the truth came to light and showed that British forces had acted without provocation.
On January 30, 1972, in another incident that also became known as Bloody Sunday, twenty-seven civil rights protesters were shot by the British Army in Derry. Thirteen died that day and another died four and a half months later of wounds. The official report at the time drew parallels with the 1920 incident in that the Army claimed to have been fired on first.
Campaigns by the families of those killed led to second inquiry which was established in 1998. On June 15, the report on Bloody Sunday, 1972, will finally be released by the British Government.
Will the British Army take responsibility for the deaths of the Civil Rights marchers? If they do maybe then I'll have something to cheer about.
Note: For video report on the 1920 incident see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jMIv9UbI9I
53 Comments
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Liamkeyes | Jan 05, 2011, 05:08 PM EST
Every Year in Croke Park, they have a memorial at the approximate spot where Michael Hogan was shot as he Jumped up for the ball. The Artane boys band plays the Last Post. Obviously the Hogan Stand was named after Michael. The irony of the situation was that Tipperary were playing a Gaelic Football Match against Dublin. Before that and up to the present day, Tipperary remains a staunch hurling county. They won the All Ireland Championship last September spoiling Kilkenny's dream of five in a row. It was also a return to Glory for Tipp as they were absent from the hurling final for a number of years. Tipp will not relenquish the Liam McCarthy Cup next year withoutn a fight or two.
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shaun/brummie | Nov 09, 2010, 07:24 AM EST
i find it hilarious and hypocritical,my dad was irish and a great guy,luckily he came over to england and met my mom.and its been like that for centuries.maybe we should ban all irish,scots and welsh from settling in england,we can start by sending the travellers back.i dont want anybody in my country who doesnt like it/me.so all in all why dont they all piss off back to the old country.
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mickyban | Nov 07, 2010, 06:06 PM EST
It wasnt an English Army, it was the British Army which had thousands of Irishmen serving within its ranks, and today the largest amount of recruits come from the Republic of Ireland.
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mickyban | Nov 07, 2010, 06:04 PM EST
I do not agree with what you say so does that mean that all my comments will be removed?
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mickyban | Nov 07, 2010, 05:54 PM EST
Oh yes, the Army was not an English Army but the British Army, many of the serving soldiers where Irishmen, totaly against Devalara and his yanky scum that has caused so much misery, Ireland may have been a united Ireland many years ago if it wasnt for these scum ,Michael Colins had better Ideas but wasnt in it for the money as the modern republican movement is, Do you know what the "Black and Tans where???or do you again believe these where only "English" please read more history books to the end, you realy wind me up, what do you want? trouble in Ireland forever? do you get a thrill?
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mickyban | Nov 07, 2010, 05:46 PM EST
Well this just keeps the s**t going and as usual the US citizens get what they want from any story, The Irish are a fantastic bunch of people and as one I would NEVER support the Sinn Fein that you mention, and will they take responsibility for the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of Irishmen and women, they do not represent Ireland they are a communist organisation, football is a sport that crosses the divide that was, keep sending your Noraid money and we will keep dying for some hopeless cause, Ireland is a country in its own right I will support Ireland, if they are not there then I have no problems supporting England, many Irish live in the UK if it was so bad then why is this so, wise up and shut up.
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mickyban | Nov 07, 2010, 05:39 PM EST
Well this just keeps the "s**t going"
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cormacmac | Jul 01, 2010, 08:29 PM EDT
Southernpride says that most Irish people were supporting England in the World Cup. Incorrect.
Patricia Harty's view is shared by the majority
in Ireland.
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samsimpson | Jun 23, 2010, 05:12 PM EDT
I can't support England either - but it has more to do with the fact that their teams have that arrogant jingoistic and aggressive attitude, with no respect for 'foreigners'.
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kateomprint | Jun 23, 2010, 01:23 PM EDT
As a child knew one of the survivors of the Bloody Sunday incident in Croke Park. He was a friend of my fathers he died at a great age. Why can't people let the past be in the past and support who ever you want because they are a good team not because of some age old rift.
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Southernpride | Jun 19, 2010, 08:46 AM EDT
It was only a matter of time before the loons started bringing religion into a topic about football.
Those are the same lunatics who support Scottish teams like Celtic/Rangers who thrive on sectarianism
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McNamara31 | Jun 17, 2010, 08:01 PM EDT
jacersisityourself..Thanks for the history of the soccer clubs...makes perfect sense
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jacersisityourself | Jun 17, 2010, 02:33 PM EDT
How any Irish soccer fan could be a fan of Chelsea beats me. None of us Irish have ever forgiven the Chelsea fans for their destruction of Lansdowne Rd stadium years ago when the Irish team equalised against England yesars ago! BTW - Arsenal in London were also a great club for signing up Irish native players and they still have a loyal Irish following. My brother 'follows' the Gunners while I 'follow' the Red Devils. We have great craic slagging each other's team off.
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jacersisityourself | Jun 17, 2010, 02:27 PM EDT
WoundedKnee and others might not know this but the reason many Irish soccer fans are also fans of some English soccer clubs is because of the history of those English clubs signing up Irish native footballers from League of Ireland clubs. The unusual aspect that many miss is that 50-60 yrs ago, many English and Scottish cities’ clubs were split into Catholic and English Protestant clubs. So e.g. - Manchester Utd & Liverpool in England and Celtic & Hibernians in Scotland were the Caths, while Man City & Everton and Rangers & Hearts the ‘Prods’ in their respective cities. Most native Irish soccer players back then were Catholic, so they signed for Catholic clubs in England or Scotland and the Irish fans ‘followed’ the clubs they signed for. That trend continued up to about 15 yrs ago when clubs in the UK decided it was time to drop the religious association. I think Celtic were the first Scottish ‘catholic’ club to sign a protestant in breaking the mould.
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