Ulster Day

[bmck 117]

People can fly them at football matches for what they believe are unionist reasons. You may disagree that they are "proper" reasons, but that doesn't take away from their intentions.

 

ach, that old 'intentions' chestnut. the mystical, infinitely untouchable, reason to ascribe to things when nothing else makes sense. i'm sure they have unionist intentions - whatever that means.

 

If someone has a flag outside of football for whatever reason, it doesn't lose its meaning just because it's taken inside a football ground.

 

of course it does, because its immediately put in a completely new context with different connotations. you draw a palestine flag in the comfort of your own home do you think it changes just because you've drawn it on a jewish building? context changes meanings.

 

If someone donates to the needy, you think of that act as promoting Protestantism? Since when have acts of kindness been religion-specific?

 

no, the point was and is that if you want to claim noble intentions without noble acts, you're probably a hypcorite. if someone wants to convince me they're a protestant then they'll act like a protestant - ie: like a christian with specific theological beliefs, constantly guilty etc

 

I think we are talking at cross-purposes. I'm not referring to individual acts. I'm talking about it in more of a "corporate" sense for lack of a better phrase.

 

the only corporate identity (i think its exactly the right word) that can be display when supporting a football team is a football-team-supporter. unionists do unionist things (like, i dunno, make pamphlets about how multiculturalism is divisive); protestants do protestant things (feeding the poor, reading bibles, going to churches). football-supporters can also do these things, and they needn't cast it off this portion of their personality at the football, but it only makes sense as an aim, or an end, in another context.

 

However I don't have time to further explain what I am talking about at the moment. Frigging currency movements are screwing up my day.

 

while you're fixing that man, can you make it so i have enough to pay my mortgage with?

 

I couldn't say what the majority's reasons are but I doubt that if they were asked and they answered truthfully that many would mention Celtic.

 

when i said celtic earlier, i meant in the general opponent sense - ie: for the purposes of football banter and rivalry.

 

if you're to ask me, honestly, why i think people wave flags and sing rule britannia, its because its fun to shout; it winds sensitive people up; it annoys opposing fans; it gives a sense of group solidarity. ie: because you enjoy it. to me that's reason enough - i'll sing whatever i like, and if people dont like it, i dont care.

 

but i'm not going to pretend that i'm doing it for unionism, or protestantism, or whatever other label i'm insulting by associating its noble intentions with my excuse to get drunk and watch football in a crowd. if you think this is scoffers skepticism that's cool. cheers for the chat, man - it's been a genuine pleasure. our website's so good.

[elderslieblue 0]

If folk want to fly RHOU flags at Ibrox, that's up to them. It's a free country after all.

 

I'm a Scots Rangers fan and don't feel the need to get involved in this one.

 

[CammyF 6,885]

I have no issues with this proposed 'ulster day' - however, I would prefer to see Rangers fans have an 'armed forces day' where we celebrate the men and woman who protect and serve. This would also remember the forces who have given the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that our liberties were protected.

 

This would be a timely gesture as in certain cities in the UK, people serving in the forces get abused whilst walking down the street in their uniforms.

 

Cammy F

[Frankie 8,182]

Good point Cammy....

 

There are plenty 'deserving' subjects so perhaps this could be retained as a regular quarterly event? Removes any accusations of complicity and mischievousness.

[pete 2,499]

Yes excellent point Cammy.

 

While i personally have no connections with Ulster, i do believe the club does have a link, mainly due to Ulster Shipbuilders who came to work in Glasgow during our rich shipbuilding years. Unfortunately this link has been in later years misused by our supporters of which most of, or maybe all of us have to some degree played a part. I think most of us will have sung Ulster songs not for our love of Ulster but as a football chant and chant of defiance against the Celtic\Republican stance.

Do we need an Ulster day?

On it's own i think it will be seen as and to be honest probably is another stance from people who mostly will never have set foot on Northern Irish Soil and have no real knowledge of the protestantism they so much chant about.

Most of our supporters come from Glasgow. Will there be a Glasgow day?

If we are going to make more of these theme days then i would say that Ulster does deserve to be a part. If it as to be a one of Ulster day then i am afraid it will do more harm than good.

[Bluedell 5,354]

I do believe the club does have a link, mainly due to Ulster Shipbuilders who came to work in Glasgow during our rich shipbuilding years.

The McNeil brothers were from an Ulster-Scots family as well.

[bmck 117]

i've rethought from yesterday. im not so sure about that line of argument. i think most unionists would be happy to see people still proud enough to fly our country's flag, so it's at least a bit unionist.

 

think cammy's idea is the better though - one for the future.

[Guest modman]

i liked the art on the poster i couldnt help myself to do this lol

[johnny123 0]

I have no issues with this proposed 'ulster day' - however, I would prefer to see Rangers fans have an 'armed forces day' where we celebrate the men and woman who protect and serve. This would also remember the forces who have given the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that our liberties were protected.

 

This would be a timely gesture as in certain cities in the UK, people serving in the forces get abused whilst walking down the street in their uniforms.

 

Cammy F

 

Great shout about the Armed Forces Day Cammy.

 

I think this was proposed before but so far nothing has come of it.

 

A day to celebrate the brave men and women defending our country is something I'd be up for.

[Zappa 0]

This would be a timely gesture as in certain cities in the UK, people serving in the forces get abused whilst walking down the street in their uniforms.

 

I don't know for sure, but that's probably because people perceive them as doing the dirty work for a dirty government that's in the pocket of the businesses & financial institutions that run the world, (whether individuals in the forces realise that's what they're doing or not). They're trained to ignore their political views, but I think many of those actually serving in the armed forces are getting very tired of doing the work of the British government for a salary that doesn't pay them any danger money. The media won't publish it, or if they do it won't be available for much more than hours, but reports were coming out of Afghanistan from interviews with British forces where they were saying they didn't know what the hell the British forces were supposed to be doing there. Saying they'd either been sitting around getting heat rash or being sent out to patrol & protect poppy fields. Draw your own conclusions, but be sure that all is not what it seems. How many innocent people do you think have either died in Irac & Afghanistan or been contaminated by radioactive waste from depleted uranium bombs (aka bunker busters)??. Ok, I'll shut up before I get a chap at the door.

 

Two last words - Nazis & Fascists