Comments on The Pensive Quill: Ibrox 66

Alfie, There was no atmosphere on the Kop when I ...

2011-01-18T22:24:39.697Z

Alfie,

There was no atmosphere on the Kop when I was there which was disappointing but it was definitely on display at Celtic’s ground. That is the most electric atmosphere I have ever experienced at a game.

Marty, ‘if there is anyone from the Belfast area ...

2011-01-09T19:00:00.046Z

Marty,

‘if there is anyone from the Belfast area and of our generation
who didn’t harbour or express sectarian opinions they surely would be in
a minority.’

I think there is much to be said for that.

Terrible for your wife to have to make that discovery. Her friend must be devastated.

Rory,

‘I love football and to me, it is the greatest, most universal, working
class pastime.’

I think it is the same for many people. I love it when the World Cup and European Championships come round.

In Belfast there was enormous sectarianism with Celtic supporters. I guess it was the same with Rangers fans but at least we didn’t have to live beside them or listen to them in pubs!

Michaelhenry,

Don’t think he referred to me as a Belfast nationalist but said it was a piece on what Belfast nationalism thought – something like that.

‘but do you mind people saying you are nationalist or a catholic?’

Never much thought about it Michael.

Ryan ,

‘There's simply nothing like attending an Old Firm game.’

I thought the atmosphere was second to none. There is a passion there which gives vent to something you describe so well as being indescribable!

Hopefully it'll not be a valentines day massac...

2011-01-08T17:09:00.169Z

Hopefully it'll not be a valentines day massacre other the scoreline against the blues. Those two clubs have had friendly links for years now, came about after the dust up back in the 70s.

Dundalk v Linfield Feb 14th...i do say, how romant...

2011-01-08T14:19:10.232Z

Dundalk v Linfield Feb 14th...i do say, how romantic. be sure and bring a rose.

martydown under, Just published on the FAI website

The Setanta Sports Cup for 2011 will kick-off on Monday February 14 with one match in Belfast and a second in Dublin.

Windsor Park will host a contest between Linfield and Dundalk while Sporting Fingal will play Lisburn Distillery at Dalymount Park.

Bohemians are the reigning Setanta Sports Cup champions and they will open their defence of the title with a match against Portadown at Dalymount Park a week later when St. Patrick's Athletic will travel to Cliftonville.

Mr. Milo Corcoran, Setanta Sports Cup Chairman commented: "I'm looking forward to the competition starting again.

"With the changes to the format and the extension of the tournament to six clubs from each jurisdiction, it promises to produce some very exciting games.

"There'll be a lot of interest in the visit of Dundalk to Linfield on opening night. It's a tie that should whet the appetite of all football fans from north and south of the island."

The opening fixtures in the competition are:

Monday, February 14 - First Leg
Linfield v Dundalk; Sporting Fingal v Lisburn Distillery

Monday, February 21 - First Leg
Bohemians v Portadown; Cliftonville v St. Patrick's Athletic

Monday, February 28 - Second Leg
Dundalk v Linfield; Lisburn Distillery v Sporting Fingal

Tuesday, March 1 - Second Leg
Portadown v Bohemians; St. Patrick's Athletic v Cliftonville

All matches kick-off at 7.45 pm. Kick-off time may change in the event of a fixture being televised live.

Rory

Antoin, To the best of my knowledge yes. But as w...

2011-01-06T12:31:53.367Z

Antoin,

To the best of my knowledge yes. But as was mentioned in previous comments the split did not occur as a result of partition.

It had more to do with the fact that the IFA was Belfast based and southern based football clubs felt they were not getting a fair deal.

Rory

2011-01-06T09:20:02.908Z

This comment has been removed by the author.

No Mickeyboy I dont support a DUP man,I just happ...

2011-01-05T21:40:55.784Z

No Mickeyboy I dont support a DUP man,I just happen to agree with his praticular view in relation to this issue over who is culpable in the ni water fiasco,as for the pope going against psf,it wasnt that long ago that republicans were being condemed from the pulpits and we were even refused entry into the churches to bury our dead while the remains of volunteers had the national flag draped over their coffins, my wife in the height of the loyalist muder campain was named from the pulpit,and now we witness the same wasters sitting on all the boards with their new found friends in psf. no Mickeyboy if the psf and the priests were beating the f##k out of each other I,d sit back and laugh I dont think I,d. be alone.

This is my second rant this evening against Marty-...

2011-01-05T20:48:21.201Z

This is my second rant this evening
against Marty-

Marty you oppose Sinn fein in
goverment at stormont, as is your right but now you support a dup
man who gets paid for doing the
double

If the pope went against Sinn Fein
would you turn into a pontiff man-

Cheers Rory was unsure given Setantas financial tr...

2011-01-05T19:37:04.477Z

Cheers Rory was unsure given Setantas financial troubles that it was going ahead. And yes the reds will be in it. If you look what's happened Derry and Glentoran (and how many more are on the brink?), I think clubs all over the country should be looking at ways to save the game and if anyone had the balls they should be pressing to at least expand this cross border competition

Watching the news tonight I find myself agreeing w...

2011-01-05T18:19:14.023Z

Watching the news tonight I find myself agreeing with Gregory Campbell something I never thought I would do,anyway Campbell calls for the resignation of the chief executive of NI Water and the minister responsible for that dept i.e Connor Murphy, the fall guy will be the chief executive but Murphy wont do the honorable thing.

martydown under, From Wiki, The 2011 Setanta ...

2011-01-05T18:01:28.986Z
martydown under,

From Wiki,

The 2011 Setanta Sports Cup will kick off on February 14 and conclude on May 14 and will be played over four rounds, each round over two legs, except the final. Six Airtricity League of Ireland and six Carling Premiership teams will take part. Clubs who finish in the top four positions in the Airtricity League and Carling Premiership will be invited to participate, along with the winners of both the FAI and Irish Cup competitions. The first round will commence in early February, with eight clubs taking part in that stage of the tournament. The two league champions, FAI Ford Cup winners and JJB Sports Cup winners will receive byes into the quarter-final stage. The final will be played in Northern Ireland should a team from there qualify. Milo Corcoran, Chairman of the Setanta Sports Cup Organising Committee said he believed the knockout format "will add even greater excitement to the tournament".[6]

So Yes it is still going, you can work out yourself whether the reds will be in it. I don't follow the Irish League myself,

Rory

martydownunder id be a gleanavon man if pushed. re...

2011-01-05T17:59:34.555Z
martydownunder
id be a gleanavon man if pushed. re cliftonville+celtic...FRANK MCAVENNY...
Cliftonville supporters, some bhoys. i remember,'premark got a whole lot in store for christmas, a whole lot in store for you..
Bradford got a hole .....
megga crazy lads, some craic, i was at parkhead when the team bus pulled up and all the irish lads shouted cliftonville cliftonville cliftonville and mc Avenny saluted them from the team bus.

Garycrow/Mise Eire, I'm Cliftonville myself, ...

2011-01-05T16:35:38.261Z
Garycrow/Mise Eire,
I'm Cliftonville myself, to be honest support them more now than I do Celtic, think they're more deserving of it than the big business team the hoops have become. Celtic just aren't the same as when I was growing up. Obviously given my current location don't get to see many games except if the reds are in the Setanta, is that competition still going?
Always interested in the IFA/FAI split and you're right it had more to do with the IFA being Belfast based and the free state teams having little say, rather than on purely religious or political grounds. Alot of heads from the south i've spoken to seem to think the IFA was the one that split! I honestly think a 32 county league would be a winner and a slight possibility, would also help the cause for a national side. Can't see that happening though, too many in the IFA who wouldn't want to loose the cushy numbers they've been in for years.

Anthony, Amazingly, I had never heard of this dis...

2011-01-05T15:40:14.058Z
Anthony,

Amazingly, I had never heard of this disaster at Ibrox. It certainly seems to have been just as horrific as Hillsborough. I know some people complain about the lack of atmosphere in modern all-seater stadiums, but at least these terrible human crushes are a thing of the past.

mise eire, A fine dream, congrats on the league B...

2011-01-05T13:33:31.734Z
mise eire,

A fine dream, congrats on the league B.T.W. I went to the cup final, but was up for Sligo (even had money on them).

Best 0-0 draw I ever saw.

I hope the Hoops put up a better show than Bohs in the Champions League next season.

I follow Bray Wanderers myself.

Rory

2011-01-05T13:06:32.427Z
This comment has been removed by the author.

mise eire, I have been talking to moderate unioni...

2011-01-05T11:21:16.963Z
mise eire,

I have been talking to moderate unionist footie fans about an all-ireland league for years. The thing is most see benefits, but they are so in love with the Norn Iron international team they can't stand the idea of re-unifying the two assocaitions.

The original split had more to do with the IFA being completely northern based and centric than politics. Weirdly many players played for both international teams up until the 1950's.

Also the bloody blazers (as Eamonn Dunphy might say) in both associations would hate to lose any of their power and privileges.

Rory

2011-01-05T10:30:06.084Z
This comment has been removed by the author.

There's simply nothing like attending an Old F...

2011-01-05T03:16:16.222Z
There's simply nothing like attending an Old Firm game. I try to explain to people over here in the US what its like but its like describing a color that they've never seen, words can't do it justice. The political and historic hatred between the two sides is incomparable to anything over here. Rivalry is what makes sport so great, and Celtic Rangers is the world's best rivalry.

mise eire been to upton park, notts county, nots f...

2011-01-04T16:57:14.715Z
mise eire
been to upton park, notts county, nots forest along with windsow park, oriel park and tolka park in Ireland, the irish like their parks they can stroll around the place!!
is there a Linfield Dundalk fixture coming up?

mise eire, "...at least Rovers beat Fram ...

2011-01-04T14:35:44.979Z
mise eire,

"...at least Rovers beat Fram Rykavik 3-0 in the Champions League{albeit 28 years ago}...the northsiders of dublin{Bohs}had to suffer a 4-1 defeat against WELSH side TNS last year.."

Shocking defeat, TNS's averge home gate is about 1,000 compared to Bohs 2,500. A real low point for the League of Ireland.

Rory

2011-01-04T12:26:11.927Z
This comment has been removed by the author.

2011-01-04T12:18:38.711Z
This comment has been removed by the author.

Anthony, McGinn has long been a hero of mine a gr...

2011-01-04T01:55:22.534Z
Anthony,
McGinn has long been a hero of mine a great Glaswegian socialist. Rarely acknowledged, even in his native city. That song (to the tune of James Connolly) is all the more poignant as he was himself from an Irish Celtic supporting background

Comments on The Pensive Quill: Ibrox 66

Alfie, There was no atmosphere on the Kop when I ...

Marty, ‘if there is anyone from the Belfast area ...

Hopefully it'll not be a valentines day massac...

Dundalk v Linfield Feb 14th...i do say, how romant...

Antoin, To the best of my knowledge yes. But as w...

No Mickeyboy I dont support a DUP man,I just happ...

This is my second rant this evening against Marty-...

Cheers Rory was unsure given Setantas financial tr...

Watching the news tonight I find myself agreeing w...

martydown under, From Wiki, The 2011 Setanta ...

martydownunder id be a gleanavon man if pushed. re...

Garycrow/Mise Eire, I'm Cliftonville myself, ...

Anthony, Amazingly, I had never heard of this dis...

mise eire, A fine dream, congrats on the league B...

mise eire, I have been talking to moderate unioni...

There's simply nothing like attending an Old F...

mise eire been to upton park, notts county, nots f...

mise eire, "...at least Rovers beat Fram ...

Anthony, McGinn has long been a hero of mine a gr...