There have been a few GAA players who play/have played for perceived Unionist soccer teams, ala Shane McCabe at Glentoran. I remember Mick Deegan played for Crusaders!!
Is there many more? What kinda rapport do they have with their soccer teams fans? I know Pat Fenlon was very popular with the Linfield fans in the 80's when the troubles were at their worst. They called him Billy :) And Vinny Arkins was a folk hero at Shamrock Park with the staunch Ports fans!
I realise they are not GAA lads of course but you get my drift!

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 12/01/2010 16:04:42    531008

The only teams with a dangerous sectarian element to their support in the occupied six counties are Linfield, Crusaders, Cliftonville, Donegal Celtic and Derry City.

CheFinny (UK) - Posts: 1358 - 12/01/2010 16:33:00    531063

So Cliftonville, DC and Derry City have a dangerous sectarian support?? Refresh my memory of any trouble caused by the fans of these 3 clubs in recent memory?? As opposed to Linfield and Glentoran who need 100's of police to keep them apart every time they play and who have suspended bans and fines hanging over them because of the constant violence between them. Remind me who it was who recently attacked 2 Catholic bars in Belfast's King Sreet and left several inocent people seriously injured........correct BNP/Combat 18/UDA elements who support Linfield and Crusaders; this was widely covered in the media. Furthermore there has also been quite a bit of trouble between Portadown and Glenavon and the different Loyalist factions who follow them. Get your facts right CheFinney you obviously know NOTHING about Irish League football or like some on HS are just one of those Unionist revisionists who just love trying to wind Northern Nationalists up.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9816 - 12/01/2010 17:14:15    531141

Derry city ,cliftonville, donegal celtic are not like that one bit but linfield are the worst id say.

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 12/01/2010 17:22:43    531158

OK Ulsterman sure Cliftonville supporters were involved in hand to hand fighting with the security forces on the Boucher Road in Belfast recently. Fair play to them i say.

They clearly have a sectarian element following them dont even try to kid yourself. Maybe not dangerous but sectarian

CheFinny (UK) - Posts: 1358 - 12/01/2010 17:48:03    531206

I regularly go the Reds games and wouldn't deny that there is a very small minority who stir it and those few binlids who attacked the car businesses on the Boucher Road were indeed a very tiny rabble of about 20 - 30. There were over 2000 Reds men who went home from Windsor Park disappointed in defeat but who didn't cause any trouble that night. Likewise we took 5000 fans to Windsor for the Irish League Cup Final against Crusaders last season and there was NO trouble whatsoever. To be fair to the Blues and Glens they have many decent fans too but their sectarian element would be far and above anything Cliftonville have. The PSNI would tell you that the biggest trouble they have is between Linfield/Glentoan and the various Loyalist factions who follow these clubs along with Crusaders/Portadown/Glenavon/Coleraine. Donegal Celtic and Derry have NO real bad element within their support and it would be unfair to lump them in with anyone else.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9816 - 12/01/2010 18:04:48    531246

Cliftonville used to have two supportyers.

They then became the "catholic" team and had loads of sectarian supportyers. You do not need to be causing trouble to be sectarian, just hold certain beliefs.

My favourite one was a "friend" of mine in antrim who is/was the chair of various Celtic and Cliftonville supporters clubs, even though he wouldn't know how many players are oon a soccer team.

But when it looked like Donegal Celtic were to be promoted, as they indeed were, I asked him how this affected Cliftonville. There was also talk that Donegal Celtic's home ground was not up to standard.

Despite being the Chair of several Cliftonville supporters clubs his answer was "!they should throw Cliftonville out of football, DC could play at Solitude, and that is the problem solved".

I suspected this was to save money on replica shirts!!!

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 12/01/2010 18:50:33    531333

Dellboypolecat
County: Tyrone
Posts: 9019

531158
Derry city ,cliftonville, donegal celtic are not like that one bit but linfield are the worst id say.



See a lot of Irish league football in Meath do you?

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 12/01/2010 18:51:30    531336

Peter Whitnil was Protestant that won all ireland medal. Any others?

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 12/01/2010 19:54:58    531435

Derry City fans are prob the best in the country and gave the league down here a much needed boost when they joined bringing large travelling support to most away games.
Their supporters are probably the friendliest and most colourful of all the clubs in the LoI and I have always enjoyed going to the Brandywell which always has a good atmophere despite the supporters being so far from the pitch.

Dr.Shephard (Leitrim) - Posts: 2187 - 12/01/2010 20:35:06    531486

I'd say coming from where Dell used to come from He'd be a Finn Harps man!

mugsys_barber (Tyrone) - Posts: 2160 - 12/01/2010 21:17:02    531523

Going back to Liams original question, I remember Kevin "Prince" McCabe playing Irish League soccer in the 80's for Portadown.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 12/01/2010 21:17:57    531526

Kevin McCabe played for Portadown

tir_eoghain_abu (Tyrone) - Posts: 773 - 12/01/2010 21:58:16    531572

Brendan Devenney played for Portadown

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 13/01/2010 09:12:50    531616

Way to go off topic lads......

Nice to see Ulsterman up to his usual "catholic good, protestant bad at all costs" tricks ! Jesus Wept! Arent Cliftonville originally a "Protestant team" anyways.....maybe not today, but originally....

Would I be right in saying Glentoran would be much less sectarian than the blues lads?
Have catholics/gaa players been generally accepted by the fans of their various clubs lads? Anyone know how Mick Deegan got on with Cru's in his time?

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 13/01/2010 09:20:06    531622

From what I know Shane McCabe has been well accepted by the Glentoran fans, here is proof [url=] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMl4FB1A4sQ

Ryan McCluskey is currently at Portadown, Rory Gallagher also played there as well.

irlande (Fermanagh) - Posts: 535 - 13/01/2010 10:29:14    531649

13/01/2010 09:20:06
Liamwalkinstown
County: Dublin
Posts: 2049

531622 Way to go off topic lads......

Nice to see Ulsterman up to his usual "catholic good, protestant bad at all costs" tricks ! Jesus Wept! Arent Cliftonville originally a "Protestant team" anyways.....maybe not today, but originally....

Would I be right in saying Glentoran would be much less sectarian than the blues lads?
Have catholics/gaa players been generally accepted by the fans of their various clubs lads? Anyone know how Mick Deegan got on with Cru's in his time?
____________
Shane McCabe and Brendan Devenny were both accepted by their respective clubs - Some sporadic comments from away fans or at away games but both lads
would be thick enough skinned not to worry about it

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 13/01/2010 11:08:47    531690

Like Rangers, Linfield are not the club they were in the past. I may be wrong but was there not a camogie team using their training faciities recently?

Some of you may also remember Alan McKnight, protestant GAA player who played in goal for Celtic.

thistle_harps (UK) - Posts: 879 - 13/01/2010 13:55:28    531858

I have been a glenman for a decade and more. Shane McCabe is loved at the oval and was captain for a while. True football fans are not sectarian and that includes bluemen. It is true however that a sectarian element does try and attach itself to some of the Irish league clubs. Those here who do not attend matches should not pass comment.

Liamwalkinstown- Mick Deegan won a league title with crues in '95 I believe.

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1558 - 13/01/2010 14:15:59    531889

Good year for Mick in 95 so Suas!!!!
Am i right in thinking the Glens wouldnt have half the sectarian BS that the Bluemen have?

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 13/01/2010 15:01:15    531932