Was a little surprised to see that James McLean opted out of wearing the poppy on the shirt for Sunderland.

To my mind it's easier to wear it than not to wear it, and evidently he has made a conscious decision not to - whatever the reason.

To my mind we should never make anyone wear a poppy, to force someone to do so is exactly what those brave men fought against.

Just very strange to make such an active outward decision and to be frank it's a tad disappointing.

Some who don't wear poppies in the modern day claim it is because they don't agree with war - to that I would say that this is not about wars being fought, but brave heroes that have put their lives on the line in defence of our country past and present.

Such a disappointment after what was such a stirring tribute as always at the cenotaph.

Many footballers only respect one thing

Themselves.

Many of those who died in the 2 great wars had little choice to fight for their country.

They did such a fantastic job that the James Mcleans of this world can have the freedom to be able to do what they do.

Shame Mr Mclean does not have to do a "Real Job"

He may then have some understanding.

Edited by number8buser 11/11/2012 20:03

Sadly McClean is one of those who probably came out of a crappy sink estate in Derry (or Londonderry for those who prefer that title), where poisonous idiots spout the lies that the IRA have always used to lure impressionable young lads into thinking that they may become heroes, before ending up dead or rotting in a prison.

He clearly knows bugger all about Irish history. Yes there are pros and cons with the poppy, depending on which twisted bit of history that you choose to follow.

That said, something in the region of half a million Irish people died in WW1 and WW2 defending the Western view of the World.

For a badly educated scumbag, who only knows the discriminatory sh1te that his, obviously ill-educated family taught him, to come out and make a public fool of himself in public with, says more about him and his ignorance, than anything else.

If he knew the reality of war, he would hang his head in shame.

Generally, history is only written by the winners, the truth is always a much murkier story.

McClean got a shed load. that he alone desrved. Sadly, some fools used his comments to have a go at Irish people in general and, in doing so, did nothing but also show their own ignorance!

I am happy to show people the graveyard where my father is buried. I will also show them the graves of the Irish who died defending what has now become the modern World. At least, those who made it back instead of dying in some God fosaken ditch somewhere in continental Europe!

At the end of the day, the poppy is about all of the fallen. whoever they are or whatever nation they represent, not any cheap political point.

Lest we forget!

Edited by QPR4Me 11/11/2012 20:32

Post removed

Edited by Clonmany_Hoop 12/11/2012 09:45

I think there is a section for non Rangers chat, perhaps it should be there.

OK. I may have been a bit strong, but his refusal to wear the poppy, which is a sign of recognistion of ALL of the fallen, is a massive slap in the face of those Irish who fell in WW1 and WW2, whatever side of the sky fairy story they believe, if indeed they believed in any.

I, as you well know, dislike religion, and the bigotry that it brings. However, I do care about the fact that millions of young men, whatever their religion, died in war.

The fact that McClean doesn't seem to be aware of the fact that so many of our fellow countrymen died in these wars is probably a question that only he and his family can answer but he does need to know what the poppy actually means.

I have removed my two posts from this thread as I do not believe this is the correct forum for this type of discussion,

Edited by Clonmany_Hoop 12/11/2012 09:47