THE ABUSE JAMES McClean has received from sections of supporters at English football matches over the past decade, especially during poppy season, was discussed on the latest episode of the Football Family podcast, available to The42 members.
The Ireland international has highlighted chants aimed at him during his club Wigan’s 2-1 Championship defeat at Sunderland on Saturday.
Derry-born McClean, who has repeatedly found himself the target for anti-Irish Catholic abuse as a result of his decision not to wear a Remembrance Day poppy on his shirt during his time in English football, has hit out in a post on his Instagram account.
The42’s Enda Coll said McClean suffers more abuse than most other players in England on a weekly basis and “nothing seems to be done”.
He added: “The onus always seems to be on James McClean and not on the FA to sort this out. If you think about the reaction to James McClean every single year when it comes to poppy season it’s always, ‘He should wear the poppy, he should change his ideas, he brings it upon himself, maybe he shouldn’t be in England if he doesn’t want to receive this abuse’.
“The focus is never on the actual issue at hand here – that this is xenophobic abuse he’s getting every single week and nothing is done, and it does make you question whether anti-Irish abuse and sectarianism in that sense is taken as seriously as all the other abuses that go on in the stands.”
David Sneyd of The42 made the point McClean could reasonably expect more support from his peers, in particular those who play with him for Ireland.
“I can’t remember too many of his teammates backing him, and being stronger on this,” he said. “Something more could be done as a collective to show a bit of support for the man. . . . There’s only so long one man can deal with this himself.
“It’s easy for me to say because I wouldn’t have to do it as a professional footballer, but if I saw someone who was another Irishman getting the level of abuse he is and has spoken about continuously . . . . Do you know what, that’s where my loyalty would lie here. . . a bit of respect to a fellow Irishman . . . You would come out and say, ‘Do you know what, this is a man this shouldn’t be happening to’.”
Sign up for membership of The42 and listen to the full conversation here.
