Just reading an e mail from my Northern Irish mate who was at Windsor Park last night and he is gutted at the booing of Lennon which came mainly from the Kop End and is thought to have come from Rangers and Linfield supporters who aren't that happy that he's a Catholic and hate him even more for playing for Celtic. As well as death threats etc, he got some fairly revolting personal abuse and was eventually substituted. Now, I hate Lennon (clogging great twocker), even more since he re-opened the Shearer thing a couple of months ago, but it seems dead sad that playing for your country should be so joyless and in fact so threatening an experience. My mate seems to think it's RIP Northern Irish football cos the crowd was only 7000 and of those, most were saying they weren't going back.

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2001

Answers

Incidentally, that's no comment on sectarianism: my mam is a Northern Irish Catholic and I think she's struggle to cheer Lennon.

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2001

It's much more than 'sad' Dougal - it's a disgusting exhibition of pseudo-religious bigotry, based principally on intolerance and a lack of intellect and moral perspective.

I certainly have no desire to re-open that dreadful 'Irish issue' discussion that was 'enacted' on this bbs not so long again, but for how much longer do we have to tolerate this sort of thing within the legal boundaries of this Country of ours?

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2001

Incidentally, I have just received an e mail from another NI mate claiming that he booed Lennon cos he never recreates the form he shows for club with country and that it isn't all about the religious issue.

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2001

there has been a long standing 'tradition' among teh Orange fraternity in Northern Ireland that they will boo any one who dyes their hair blonde. It has been their tradition for 400 years and no one is ever going to stop them

-- Anonymous, March 01, 2001