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James McClean (file pic). Anthony Devlin

'James is entitled to do what he wants... It's entirely his choice and I think we should respect it'

Martin O’Neill has backed the winger, who has been the subject of more controversy recently.

IRELAND BOSS MARTIN O’Neill says he is unaware of the details surrounding the latest James McClean-poppy controversy, but speaking more generally about the issue, feels the player deserves to be respected.

Over the years while playing at a number of English teams, McClean has repeatedly had to explain and defend his decision not to wear a poppy to mark Remembrance Day — an event in Britain and other members of the Commonwealth honouring the memory of armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

The winger’s current club, Stoke, previously released a statement saying they would not pressure McClean into wearing a poppy, however a section of the club’s support have targeted the player for abuse as a result of his stance.

McClean subsequently hit back, labelling the fans in question “uneducated cavemen,” while the Football Association have warned the player for his use of an offensive word on social media.

Speaking at a press conference today in Dublin, O’Neill backed his player’s decision not to wear a poppy.

“James is entitled to do what he wants,” the Irish manager said. “This was the entire point. It’s entirely his choice and I think we should respect it.

James obviously becomes the focus of attention around this particular time… Nothing unusual about that.”

Injured pair Jon Walters and Stephen Ward were the most notable absentees from O’Neill’s 36-man Ireland squad announced today.

The 66-year-old coach said he was pleased with the return of Seamus Coleman and Robbie Brady, who missed previous games due to injury.

However, the upcoming fixtures against Northern Ireland and Denmark, which take place on 15 and 19 November, have come too soon for James McCarthy, as the midfielder continues to recover from the broken leg he suffered earlier this year. Despite the player recently lining out for Everton U23s, he is not yet ready for an international call-up.

“He was hoping, about a month ago, to have made this particular squad. I think Everton just want to be a little bit more careful than perhaps before,” O’Neill added.

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    Mute Damocles
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:28 PM

    If he, or anyone else, doesn’t want to wear a poppy it’s up to him, or them.

    If anyone, here, there or anywhere does want to wear one this is, again, a personal choice which is accorded to the individual.

    Anyone taking offence to someone, anyone, wearing or not wearing a poppy is not worth the time it takes to look at them.

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    Mute Terrence Edwards
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    Nov 6th 2018, 4:08 PM

    @Damocles: The kind of person who screams abuse at McClean for not wearing a poppy are the same type who scream about ‘snowflake liberals’ being easily offended

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    Mute Seán Marlow
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    Nov 6th 2018, 4:37 PM

    @Terrence Edwards: Many of the PoppyFascists screaming at James weren’t even wearing poppies themselves. but a few were sporting swastikas and giving the oul Nazi salute!

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Nov 6th 2018, 5:07 PM

    @Seán Marlow: I saw the videos, none of them gave Nazi salutes. There was a lot of 2 finger gestures. There are no swastikas visible, and its impossible to tell whether they were wearing poppies or not. So unless you can tell me you were right beside the fans in the ground, then you just made that up.

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    Mute John Mullin
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    Nov 6th 2018, 5:43 PM

    @CrabaRev: making things up is what in the words of a previous contributor “snowflake liberals” do all the time.

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    Mute Diarmuid Hunt
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:31 PM

    @John Mullin: Whereas the right wing policy is to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. (If you say truth enough it makes it true, just like calling something fake news makes it false.) There’s liars on all sides of the political spectrum unfortunately.

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    Mute DaisyMay
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:23 PM

    Poppy Fascist Month here again I see.

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    Mute Darren moore
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:56 PM

    So the fascist yobs from the EDL sporting their union jacks and nazi salutes are angry that someone won’t wear a poppy that was supposed to remember the people who died fighting against facism and tyranny ……makes sense .

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Nov 6th 2018, 5:10 PM

    @Darren moore: How do you know they were EDL? There were no facist salutes or Union Jacks displayed at the incident.

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    Mute European Bob
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    Nov 6th 2018, 7:24 PM

    @CrabaRev: Sill defending the indefensible Rev?

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:46 PM

    @European Bob: just telling the truth.

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    Mute European Bob
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    Nov 6th 2018, 9:20 PM

    @CrabaRev: sure you are.

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    Mute ihcalaM
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:26 PM

    Poppy fascism is a special kind of stupidity. Imagine not being satisfied with your own decision to wear the poppy, instead tirelessly trying to abuse and shame everyone else into doing the same. Brain-rotting stuff.

    Fed up of this sh!te every year.

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    Mute Figo murphy
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:46 PM

    @ihcalaM: I’d love to see Declan Rice playing for Ireland wearing a poppy. I’d say peoples minds would actually explode.

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    Mute seanofiachra
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:37 PM

    If he hates the Brits so much why is he so happy to take the british pounds, he can play anywhere in the world, if takes the shilling they play the tune. Respect the place you live, goes Irish in UK and migrants here.

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    Mute John Lynch
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:43 PM

    @seanofiachra: just because he doesn’t want to wear a poppy doesn’t mean he “hates the Brits”…he laid his reasons out articulately and clearly a year or two ago, that should have been the end of it.

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    Mute European Bob
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:45 PM

    @seanofiachra: He’s from Derry, you do know what the currency is in Derry?

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    Mute Gareth
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:45 PM

    @seanofiachra: lol tell me when he said he hates the brits you clown

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    Mute Liam Mernagh
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:58 PM

    @seanofiachra: Respect is a two way street. It shows no disrespect whatever not to display the poppy and in recent years it has become mandatory in some organizations, which makes a mockery of what it is meant to be.

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    Mute bobfoy
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    Nov 6th 2018, 4:00 PM

    @seanofiachra: more like respect yourself and the place your from clown

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    Mute Frainc Ó Broin
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    Nov 6th 2018, 4:01 PM

    @seanofiachra: the take the queens money argument is pure nonsense. If a person genuinely had a gripe with the queen, surely they get as much of her coins as they can

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    Mute Frainc Ó Broin
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    Nov 6th 2018, 4:01 PM

    @Frainc Ó Broin: should is missing

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    Mute Warren Mcdermott
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    Nov 6th 2018, 4:09 PM

    @seanofiachra: so if English here don’t wear the Easter Lilly should they all go back to England or how about the English in France or Germany if they don’t wear their symbols should they all leave those countires?and funny how when u walk around the streets of England plenty not wearing the poppy but mcclean gets all this cause he chooses not to wear it

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    Mute Baz Harkin
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    Nov 6th 2018, 4:33 PM

    @seanofiachra: so if you lived in nazi Germany in the 1930′s and 1940′s you would join in with the anti-Semitism and Wear a swastika because you would respect the place where you live.

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    Mute Stephen Boland
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    Nov 6th 2018, 4:38 PM

    @seanofiachra: muppet

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Nov 6th 2018, 5:11 PM

    @seanofiachra: He plays foolball for s living . He may sell his skill as a football player… that does not mean he has to sell his soul also. For James McClean to wear an emblem that is reprehensible is many would be a betrayal of his principles. Well done James.

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    Mute Aging Lothario
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    Nov 6th 2018, 5:36 PM

    @John Lynch: He is perfectly entitled not to wear a poppy, but let’s be honest here, McClean is a very average footballer, who openly courts controversy. Irish players from both North and South have been playing in England for decades, and McClean is the only one that I can remember who gets caught up in this rubbish every year.

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    Mute European Bob
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    Nov 6th 2018, 7:22 PM

    @Aging Lothario: Victim blaming.

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    Mute Pixie McMullen
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:58 PM

    @Aging Lothario: So all the abuse Neil Lennon suffered was in his imagination so was it??

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    Mute Red Hen
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    Nov 7th 2018, 4:31 AM

    @seanofiachra: “take the British pound” what exactly are you accusing him of?
    He earns his wage by playing football for a living.
    Should Irish people not work for Google or other foreign companies where money comes from all currencies?
    He could be paid in bitcoin for all you know and it has no bearing whatsoever on this topic.
    Matic refuses to wear the poppy, and actually ripped it from his shirt, because of bombing in his country by British forces while he was growing up.
    Go to Serbia and tell them that they should wear poppies.
    Idiot!

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    Mute David Clements
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:41 PM
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    Mute Ronan McKeon
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:49 PM

    He should’ve just said he is exercising his right to freedom of expression and left it at that. But if you want to provoke a response from people I suppose you’d act as he has done.

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    Mute Stephen Lyons
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:58 PM

    @Ronan McKeon: The first year this happened he did so but has received abuse every year since. What would you say about the Stoke fans and others attempting to provoke a response from him? Would you be so dignified if you were at the receiving end of all this bitterness? Easy to comment from where you’re seated but I think he’s 100% entitled to say whatever he wants regarding this debacle. People act as if football players are royalty or the Pope or something and should play it safe when speaking on social media. Once he’s not being discriminatory towards a minority group etc. he should say whatever he wants, free world and all that.

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    Mute Ronan McKeon
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    Nov 6th 2018, 4:32 PM

    @Stephen Lyons: Now he is the one being investigated by the FA and aren’t the louts getting what they wanted and having a right chuckle about it?

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    Mute Stephen Lyons
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    Nov 6th 2018, 5:08 PM

    @Ronan McKeon: Yeah that’s the way it is but do you think that’s the way it should be? He shouldn’t be investigated, they should. The more he brings light to the matter -> the more people hear and talk about it -> the more pressure on the FA to do something positive about it.

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    Mute David Grey
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    Nov 6th 2018, 5:09 PM

    He’s every right not to wear a red poppy.
    If I was a player I’d wear a white poppy as I wouldn’t support a modern British military and I’m English born and bred, however by publicly slating a small minority of fans that gave him grief he’s opened a can of worms.
    In fact it’s Ironic he used the term Uneducated Cavemen as his response was not that clever.
    Any kid that gets teased knows that if a kid teases you & you let everyone know it annoys you the entire playground will join in.
    Coupled with the fact he’s been dire for Stoke most this season I think he’ll get dogs abuse from home & away fans now!
    Not a very bright response from him

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    Mute Warren Mcdermott
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    Nov 6th 2018, 5:44 PM

    @CrabaRev: funny u say that cause u seem ok with the anti irish racism directed at mcclean and that’s plainly what this is,everything that is shouted at him is u irish this u irish that and f off back to ireland u seem ok with that,every year we hav this and he has explained himself a million times and yet every year the same thing,he wrote in detail a letter explaining his reasons and yet still not good enough and when he reacts oh look at him now and his wife’s gots threats about tattooing a poppy on her face and that’s ok is it ?

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Nov 6th 2018, 6:02 PM

    @Warren Mcdermott:

    “u seem ok with the anti irish racism directed at mcclean” I most certainly am not. Stop throwing baseless nasty accusations around.

    The point of this particular episode, it that McClean reacted in a manner that exacerbated the situation. A better man would have risen above it. The abuse that was shouted at him at the Stoke game was “W@nker”. That’s neither anti-Irish or sectarian.

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    Mute Warren Mcdermott
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    Nov 6th 2018, 6:09 PM

    @CrabaRev: anything I hav seen is irish this irish that and fenian bast**d now I am not a huge fan of mcclean but how often can u rise above something?could u year in year out the same old thing rise above,it’s always news cause of the abuse he is getting purely cause he won’t wear a poppy and nothing to do with how good or bad of a player he is

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Nov 6th 2018, 7:08 PM

    @Warren Mcdermott: You have to ask the question, Why do other Irish footballers not get the abuse in England like McClean gets?
    Neil Lennon got horrendous sectarian abuse in Scotland. he even got a bullet in the post. but he handled it a professional and dignified manner.. he didn’t go baiting the lowlifes.
    McClean is his own worst enemy. If you were the chairman of a championship team, would you want McClean at your club? It may not be fair. but life never is.

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    Mute European Bob
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    Nov 6th 2018, 7:31 PM

    @CrabaRev: The Irish and British branches of Give racism the red card and the PFA have released a joint statement demanding that the FA investigate the sectarian abuse that James McClean has been subjected to. Better late than never. Isn’t it so ironic that some English people are behaving like fascists over somebody not wearing a symbol which in part commemorates the soldiers who fought against fascism! You couldn’t make this level of stupidity and hypocrisy up!!

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    Mute Malcolm Smith
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    Nov 6th 2018, 5:33 PM

    Well at least he gets a bit of publicity once a season, besides that just an average journeyman footballer, couple of seasons here, couple of seasons there.

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:15 PM

    @Malcolm Smith: Stupid comment… Whatever you think of his football skill is irreverent… point is he refuses to wear a symbol that is offensive to many people.

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    Mute Superguy
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:23 PM

    Honestly, Who. Gives. A. Fu*k?

    Can I also find out what they don’t like in their sandwiches?

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    Mute European Bob
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    Nov 6th 2018, 3:47 PM

    Poppy fascists really are a new level of stupid.

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    Mute Margaret Kane
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:27 PM

    James is entitled to do what he likes year after year the arseholes abuse him about time they minded there own business

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    Mute Seamus G
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    Nov 6th 2018, 5:49 PM

    Anybody else sick of this attention seeker. We get it you don’t want to wear a poppy. Just shut up now.

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    Mute European Bob
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    Nov 6th 2018, 7:34 PM

    @Seamus G: Yeah it’s his fault he’s getting sectarian abuse, objects thrown at him and death threats!

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    Mute Seamus G
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    Nov 6th 2018, 9:27 PM

    @European Bob: it’s his fault he continually makes statements to media and posts on lins advertising it BEFORE he plays. He should say or post nothing and just play… if he can get a game

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    Mute European Bob
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    Nov 6th 2018, 9:38 PM

    @Seamus G: So you think if he said nothing, he wouldn’t be abused for not wearing a poppy? He has been abused for years and then decides to make a statement when he was at Wigan to explain his reasons for not wearing a poppy with the hope that the abuse might stop. But yeah, it’s his fault he gets abuse and death threats for refusing to wear a symbol that represents amongst others the parachute regiment murderers who slaughtered 14 unarmed civilians in his hometown!!

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    Mute Michael Fehily
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    Nov 6th 2018, 6:20 PM

    It’s the ROI soccer team . Hardly headline news .

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