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
WoundedKnee | Jun 16, 2010, 09:29 PM EDT
Sparklet--"We can go back in history and find atrocities by just about all nations"--- You don't have to go back in history, just check out the news about what Israel is doing each day.
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WoundedKnee | Jun 16, 2010, 09:27 PM EDT
southernpride: "Most Irish support England because we support English football clubs like: MAN UTD, Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and even Liverpool" ---- How come you don't support Irish teams? Southern "Pride"--you got to be joking--you have no pride.
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WoundedKnee | Jun 16, 2010, 09:24 PM EDT
Malcolm: "In the late 1880s, my great grandparents died/were killed on behalf of the IRA"
Quite forward looking of them, since the IRA did not come into existence till several decades later!
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jacersisityourself | Jun 16, 2010, 03:40 PM EDT
The thing is, Realist is right and perhaps it reflects on Patricia too: I was taught in school all about the bad things the English did in Ireland and my father could tell me of the Black & Tans’ atrocities, so as a schoolboy back then I was anti-English. On the cup final day, I was pro-Germany because of their historical support for the 1916 Rising. Now that I’m better life-educated and a dedicated soccer football fan, I wish well for England in these World Cup games - but only because they’ve got my fave English club’s team’s players on board, ha-ha. Go Man Utd guys! But well done to the USA for the draw they achieved!
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jacersisityourself | Jun 16, 2010, 03:36 PM EDT
Realist (14 June) has a certain point re our upbringing and particularly my CBS schooling in Ireland. I remember England played Germany in the 1966 final. My mother’s Irish cousin was visiting from London to our house on the day and along with my father and brother, we watched the game on the balck and white TV. When Germany equalised with that famous “was-it-over-the-line-or-was-it-not?” goal, I leapt out of my chair screaming with delight. You shoulda seen the faces of everyone else in the room turn towards me! You shoulda seen me slink away from them too *L* (more...)
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tsullivan1218 | Jun 16, 2010, 11:31 AM EDT
I also can never cheer for England. Too many years of occupation and so many vicious atrocities visited on Ireland at the hands of the British and the "Loyalists". Never forget!
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MalcomAC | Jun 15, 2010, 03:41 PM EDT
In the late 1880s, my great grandparents died/were killed on behalf of the IRA. The four children were broken up and my grandfather and great aunt - ages 8 and 9 - were sent to work on separate farms outside Montreal. Queen Elizabeth had nothing to do with this. Neither did Misters Rooney or Gerrard. The discussion of the Bloody Sunday massacre and its investigations are a true sign of progress. It's time to look forward rather than back. And, Liverpool is VERY popular in the Irish community! I'd root for just about anyone versus the Dallas Cowboys.
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sailmaker | Jun 15, 2010, 03:00 PM EDT
England for the English; Ireland for the Irish. We can all be friends, but . . . .
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Sparklet | Jun 15, 2010, 02:28 PM EDT
Wash your mouth out, Irishwxman. ;)
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irishwxman | Jun 15, 2010, 12:14 PM EDT
Oh hell yeah Souternpride!! UP THE GUNNERS!!
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Sparklet | Jun 15, 2010, 11:22 AM EDT
Most Irish I know - which obviously doesn't speak for them all - have far more affinity with the English, Scottish and Welsh, than they do with America. Which doesn't mean that they don't have a liking and a respect for the US, but as a culture, the people from these little islands are just more similar. (Though the Irish are best. :) )
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YoungPike | Jun 15, 2010, 10:07 AM EDT
Having adopted your logic Patricia, I now find myself unable to root for the USA because of what they did to the Native Americans, the Slave Trade, Vietnam, and Iraqi & Afghan civilians. If I can find a team whose country hasn't committed any war crimes or other atrocities, I'll root for them!
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PeterNolan | Jun 15, 2010, 09:56 AM EDT
Really? Ireland is part of a tiny blue planet and humanity's mutual survival depends on us getting on with each other. Most Irish people have matured to understand & appreciate our relationship with England. As have the Scots and the Welsh. Time to forgive and move on for the sake of our children. I cheered for England against the US (and I love the US too:)) And most Irish people I know will continue to do so. History exists to guide us away from future error not as an excuse to express negativity.
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jimquad | Jun 15, 2010, 07:55 AM EDT
Very sad prejudice, rooted in a lack of historical perspective. The populations of UK/Ireland have mixed for centuries. My family left Ireland in 1850 and settled in the UK (like millions of Irish people). My town is fall of people descended from Ireland. Just because you live in a country does not mean you agree with the establishment or have any control over circumstances that were orignally started by the monarchy. Perhaps I should discriminate against all Americans because of their apartheid system which only ended in the 1960s.
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