JAMES MCCLEAN IS sitting in a suite overlooking the Aviva Stadium, surrounded by journalists and batting away standard, unsurprising questions with his gracious tolerance.
How was the training camp in Portugal?
“It was grand. Lovely weather, but we worked hard. We got a good week under our belts.”
How do you reflect on the qualifier wins against Gibraltar and Georgia in March?
“Two wins. That’s all that matters. They are done now, we have to look forward to the next two coming up.”
What do you have to do to improve our record against Denmark?
“Score more than them. Bar the game out here, which was a disaster, it’s been all tight games. We have to take our chances when they come, and it would be nice to get a win.”
And then…
James, a few weeks ago you put up on Instagram after your birthday the card you received and the abuse you received on it. Are the football authorities doing enough about that? Because a lot of people were shocked about the abuse that was in that card when you put it up.
“Do you want to know the God’s honest truth?” comes a bracingly quick reply.
Yea-
“They’re a bunch of cowards.
“The football authorities, they are a bunch of hypocrites.
“[Raheem] Sterling is a hero and is getting awards. Compare what I get week-in, week-out to what he got in one game, one week.
“For the last seven or eight years, there hasn’t been a word. Yeah, they are a bunch of hypocrites. Bunch of cowards.”
The social media post in question was of a birthday card that had a death threat on its cover and a screed of sectarian and anti-Irish slurs within it. McClean was labelled a “two-faced hypocritical bastard”, Bloody Sunday was derided as a “bloody good laugh”, and the Irish were referred to as “a race of inbred, subhuman parasites.”
Anti-racism group Kick it Out described the abuse as “a disgrace and brings shame upon the sport” although when contacted by The42, the FA and EFL declined to comment, saying it is a police matter.
No words needed pic.twitter.com/InDTeHiW1t
— James McClean (@JamesMcC_14) May 1, 2019
McClean says he was sent that Kick it Out message after they were contacted on his behalf, and describes it as “a measly statement” that “meant nothing, to be honest.”
He maintains that he shared the abuse to highlight the fact his is taken less seriously than the abuse of others in English football, and says it doesn’t personally affect him.
“To be honest, it’s water off a duck’s back at this stage. It’s been going on the last seven or eight years. The reason I put it up was just to highlight the fact that if I wasn’t a white Irish guy there would be a bigger uproar about it.
“And I was right in doing that as there was still nothing [done].”
Why do the authorities not take the issue seriously?
“To put it bluntly, it’s because I’m a white Irishman. Whether that doesn’t matter to them…this happens to Neil Lennon, he gets abused and nobody does anything.
“The proof is in the pudding. If you’re a white Irishman, nobody cares.
“It’s pretty clear what they have to do to change it. It’s what they are doing with the Sterling thing. Don’t be a hypocrite.
“Racism, sectarianism: it’s all the same. It’s discrimination.
“I don’t want praise. The reason I highlighted it was to prove a point. I don’t want their praise, they can ram their praise for all I care.
“It was just a matter of highlighting the difference and showing them for the hypocrites they are.”
McClean didn’t contact the police – “I’m not a grass” – although they did receive a third-party complaint about the abuse. Jon Walters and Keiren Westwood defended him publicly, and he received a few messages of support. As for his Stoke City teammates – he prefers not to make it a talking point in the dressing room.
“I don’t like talking about it, I don’t want the sympathy, it is what it is.
“To be fair, I don’t know what was more insulting – the card or the spelling. Idiots will be idiots.”
McClean has been a target for abuse in English football for years, stemming from his refusal to wear a poppy on his shirt for Remembrance Sunday. Last year, he was barracked by a section of his own support, some of whom threw missiles at him.
A frequent response to this is why, if he endures such consistent abuse, does McClean continue to earn his living in England?
The42 puts that question to him.
“If I were working in Dubai, would they make me wear a burka? No.
“Where you work doesn’t mean you have to bow to their culture, their way of living, their principles.”
Some players have the dignity of full interviews with only standard, unsurprising questions.
James McClean was speaking at the Aviva Soccer Sisters Dream Camp at the Aviva Stadium.
See aviva.ie/soccersisters or check out #SafeToDream on social media for further details.
Principles are hard found in a enviroment of so much wealth. James never lost his, more need to grow a back bone and stand with him. Self image is not what you will be remember for.
They used to throw potatoes at Irish players and it was only a bit of banter, but throw a banana at it black player and you end up being locked up.
@tom forde: and rightly so too! I presume you are not saying they shouldn’t arrest people throwing bananas at black players?
@Dino Baggio: are you saying you shouldn’t be locked up for throwing a potato at an Irish player. Given the history of ireland and the potato,in my opinion its as bad if not worse than throwing a banana at a black player. Or is it only racist if its a black player
@Dino Baggio: Where did he say that? He didn’t. Stop being irrelevant and understand the point he has made.
@tom forde: I think it’s quite obvious to anyone with some level of intelligence what he’s saying. That all firms of discrimination should be treated equally and they’re clearly not
A while ago Ian Wright decided it “humorous” to take off Roy Keane’s Irish accent on the BBC and Lineker et al thought it hilarious. The hypocrisy and double standards McClean speaks of are evidence when they appear. Not as offer admittedly as they once did but they are there.
@Rory: And if he had attempted a Liverpool accent would you have found it offensive?
@Rory: you’re an embarrassment if that offended you
@Niall Glennon: Why is Rory an embarrassment?…. I remember Roy Keane not being too happy with the Mickey take by Wright on the night. Was he an embarrassment too?
@Paul Linehan: awww you poor white man in a first world country; hope you can sleep at night knowing there’s people out there mimicking your accent. #prayforpaul
@Niall Glennon: So your response to a question is to come back with immature dribble… I lived and worked in the UK in the 80s and it was common practice for employers to call Irish employees ‘Paddy’ regardless of their name. The same treatment applied to black people with the N word. Thankfully most British people have progressed from that culture and see the value in all races and what can be achieved by living and working together and having a respect for one another. People like Ian Wright who speak out against racism in football, yet mock another person because of their accent, should be taken to task on the issue, not applauded. Let’s be honest about it. If Roy Keane mocked Ian in any shape or form he would’ve been pilloried by the British media.
@Rory: lighten up, you are in danger of demanding a safe space and being a serial member of the forever offended.
We slag the brits, they slag us. Enjoy.
@Paul Linehan: you really need to lighten up and where is your proof that Keane was outraged? I reckon he couldn’t care less.
@Niall Glennon: I always see the funny side of things…. except when they’re not funny. You might consider that before you post childish comments on this forum. #prayforniallthathecopson
@Paul Linehan: By the way I didn’t imply that Roy was outraged, as you put it…. I simply said he didn’t like having the Mickey taken by Ian Wright. If you need proof, Google or YouTube will assist you there.
Well they did ask… and he didn’t hold back. Fair dues to him. The privileged white guys can’t get discriminated against in the discriminating hand-book!! It’s in the small print…
The abuse didn’t start Gavin, as you stated, because he refused to wear a political propaganda death symbol that is used to glorify invasion, war and oppression… it started because he is an Irishman from Derry, and proud of that very fact.
Uh oh, someone needs to learn his progressive stack
@winston smith: what does that mean I wish we had a team of James McCleans
@Peter Byrne: At number one, there’s James Mclean …………
@Dow Dubrov: Number two, is James McClean…
@Toomasu Sumitsu: number 3 is Gary Breen
@Peter Byrne: we are bad enough, James Mcclean is one hell of a worker with a lot of passion and heart, but he can’t even get in the stoke team at the moment. He should not even be in the Irish starting team, never mind 11 of him. Plus I do think we would be fined if we get more than 5 yellow cards per game , never mind 11.
On the other issue let’s not make McClean anything more than he is , an average championship footballer that is targeted by stone aged people. He gets abuse and that is wrong and regrettable but to make him out to be any more is no better than the British making sterling out to be more than a good footballer. I have heard things like ambassador, most influential footballer of his age, blah blah blah.
The English ( a lot)have racism in their genes. Look at Brexit.
@John fitzpatrick: except when he plays for Ireland where he’s been our best player for the last number of years, hence why we wish we have a team of McCleans. Almost single-handedly got us to a World Cup.
@Cormac Ó Braonáin: he got a couple of goals. He runs up and down the line like a headless chicken and guaranteed a yellow per game and about 10 misdirected passes. The guy should be about 3rd choice at the moment . Bang average. Us Irish love our passionate players but you have to have skill to go with it to make you an international footballer. And before I’m told he has skill, yes he has more skill than me and you but look at where he has played and where he is now. And 2016 euros was a long time ago. So while I think the crap he is getting in the UK is very wrong and hypocritical, let’s not mix up passion with ability as a footballer.
@John fitzpatrick: McClean is a stalwart. Irish ( ethnic ) are 82.9% based upon the CSO census 2016 and could be a minority in their own homeland by 2050. So, I wouldn’t go around pointing a finger about Brexit; yes, there is/was a lot of racism over there which is terrible. 5 -10 more years and Ireland may be gone the same way as London.
@Patrick Clifford: I live in the now which is all I can control. Now some of the British( and Irish) are racist and James mcclean is an average footballer.
@John fitzpatrick: you’re making the all too common misconception that club form translates to international form. International form should always take priority in picking the team. McClean got 3 motms in the last wc campaign. If I asked you who would be 1st and 2nd choice players who would be ahead of him I’d say there’s a good chance you wouldn’t be able to think of any. It’s not just ignorance but a complete lack of knowledge of the game.
Football and major authorities care as little about raheem sterling as they do about James maclean.The only reason they publicly back sterling is because racism is a hot topic at the moment and their sponsors dont want to be associated with it. doing nothing costs them money. I dont think their is a racism problem among fans either, I think there are a few idiots definitely.You shouldn’t have to put up with any but we cant keep legislating for the idiot all the time. I admire maclean massively for taking his stance but let’s not be hypocrites either. If for example an English player in the LOI snubbed a 1916 minutes silence or whatever and then got abuse, what would we do? Also dont say the authorities do nothing and then say I didn’t report a crime because I’m not a grass. Go easy lads
Chip on his shoulder size of Gibraltar
@Rhodri Phillips: How would you feel if you received such a birthday card? Think about how that would make you feel. Just because people are in the public eye it doesn’t mean they are fair game for abuse, they are still people.
James should wear a Black Armband all next season in support of Raheem Sterling .
It would be hard to ignore .
A
McClean 9verdoing the victim thing. He stares at the ground in disgust when they play God save the Queen, yet is happy yo be paid astronomical money from them? Maybe if he didn’t look so disgusted during their anthem, maybe just kept his chin up without singing or putting his hand on his heart, meeting them in the middle, then perhaps he would not attract so much hate from hateful hooligans, who are only begging for any excuse to dump their rage on anyone for any reason.
He should try ignore all the racist attacks .Then they won’t feel so powerful when he doesn’t comment ,they won’t even know if he got card or not