Idiots at the game

[HwoodMike2umate]

well of course there will be folk who get precious about Norn Iron flegs & emblems but only in exactly the same sense that some folk say they are put off Ireland rugby games by Tricolours. I'll be polite & not say what i think of those folk but i'd put them in exactly the same category as folk gurning about 6 County/Norn Iron flegs @ Ulster Rugby games. **** them.

[Big-al]

well of course there will be folk who get precious about Norn Iron flegs & emblems but only in exactly the same sense that some folk say they are put off Ireland rugby games by Tricolours. I'll be polite & not say what i think of those folk but i'd put them in exactly the same category as folk gurning about 6 County/Norn Iron flegs @ Ulster Rugby games. **** them.

I'm with you here.

[big mervyn]

Those red and white checked ones are a good option.

[bigchiefally]

well of course there will be folk who get precious about Norn Iron flegs & emblems but only in exactly the same sense that some folk say they are put off Ireland rugby games by Tricolours. I'll be polite & not say what i think of those folk but i'd put them in exactly the same category as folk gurning about 6 County/Norn Iron flegs @ Ulster Rugby games. **** them.

At the expense of us struggling to fill a 11k stadium when Munster, with a much lower population, regularly fill a stadium 150% larger? We all know that that a vast number of NI flags make some people feel uncomfortable, they may be completely wrong to think this way but they arent all nutters or small minded idiots, so why do it? The f**k it mantra gets us nowhere.

[Neil F]

well of course there will be folk who get precious about Norn Iron flegs & emblems but only in exactly the same sense that some folk say they are put off Ireland rugby games by Tricolours. I'll be polite & not say what i think of those folk but i'd put them in exactly the same category as folk gurning about 6 County/Norn Iron flegs @ Ulster Rugby games. **** them.

Think Mike makes a good point here

I think, quite sincerely, that progress here would be measured by people being able to bring whatever emblem, flag or whatever to a rugby game, so long as it's shown in support of Ulster. The Northern Ireland flag is a logical option to many because the colour scheme fits with the team colours of Ulster. Honestly, though, I wouldn't mind if someone brought a Union Flag to an Ulster game to cheer on Ulster in the same sense that I'd have no problem with someone showing up with a Tricolour to support Ulster. Christ, it makes more sense than half the flags on display at Ravenhill. Northern Ireland and the province of Ulster has many flags, colours and emblems that can be waved and adopted. Why not wave them all? It could all be a United Colours of Benetton moment...

By the way, I do understand that Ulster supports are, typically, an open and welcoming bunch who do not wish to be associated with one class or creed in Northern Ireland and that a solitary Union Flag may be seen to do damage to that image. I can see that but we call all dream of a utopia where everyone in Northern Ireland can wave whatever particular flag they wish without causing offence to anyone else, right?

[bigchiefally]

I think, quite sincerely, that progress here would be measured by people being able to bring whatever emblem, flag or whatever to a rugby game, so long as it's shown in support of Ulster. The Northern Ireland flag is a logical option to many because the colour scheme fits with the team colours of Ulster. Honestly, though, I wouldn't mind if someone brought a Union Flag to an Ulster game to cheer on Ulster in the same sense that I'd have no problem with someone showing up with a Tricolour to support Ulster. Christ, it makes more sense than half the flags on display at Ravenhill. Northern Ireland and the province of Ulster has many flags, colours and emblems that can be waved and adopted. Why not wave them all? It could all be a United Colours of Benetton moment...

Neil - I agree with a lot of what you say, and like you I personally take zero offence or bother to just about any flag. Tricolour, Union, NI, County - big deal. We dont though live in a utopia, far from it, we live here. We know that some people get intimidated by a large number of flags of one type or another. Indeed, it is not so much the people who are annoyed or insulted by them I am bothered about - many of them are lost causes so not much we can do there, it is the ones who see Ulster rugby and think "that looks a laugh" but then see a bunch of NI flags and think - "is this just a unionist team for unionist people?" and feel slightly uncomfortable with the idea of attending a game or wearing the shirt. Perception is a bigger deal than reality.

[fermain]

I love fleg debates.... now what should we sing to rouse the rabble?

[mikerob]

Another point is that some people actually *do* want to make a particular political statement by waving a particular flag - if this never happened, then there wouldn't be all the debate about it.

However we aren't mind readers so in most cases you don't know what the reason is - if there may be a political point, they just like the colours or just picked the flag up cheap outside.

[Snipe Watson]

Another point is that some people actually *do* want to make a particular political statement by waving a particular flag .

Dogs slash on lamposts and car wheels

[Samstew]

Personally I have no problem with the Northern Ireland flag being displayed at Ulster games.
At this time, I for one wouldn't dream of taking one to an Ireland game, namely because of this political correctness thing of not wanting to cause offence to others!
Yet all we see at Ireland games, home and away, is the tricolour which is perceived to be the flag of the Ireland rugby team. I suppose primarily because all counties of Ireland, the Rpublic, are covered by this flag with no consideration for the other "six".
There were of course some Northern Ireland flags in Cardiff in 2009 as we saw the Ulster players draped in them after the game. I have also noticed them at Edinburgh but not at Twickenham or Dublin, although no doubt there perhaps was the odd one??
As the tricolour is widely accepted as the flag of Ireland Rugby, surely the Northern Ireland flag can also be accepted as a flag of Ulster Rugby, along with what HWM suggests, any other flag that does not cause offence?
If you cannot fly the flag of your country at a game which represents your country, plus three other counties, where/when the heck can you fly it???

[Boutye]

If you cannot fly the flag of your country at a game which represents your country, plus three other counties, where/when the heck can you fly it???

I agree with all of the rest of your statement apart from the attached bit, there in lies the problem, ulster is not a country but a province in Ireland which incorporates the other 3 counties.

[HwoodMike2umate]

I blame Trevor Brennan.

[Boutye]

i concur!

[Big Nose]

i concur!

Like William?

[bigchiefally]

If you cannot fly the flag of your country at a game which represents your country, plus three other counties, where/when the heck can you fly it???

Sam - the flying of the tricolour at Ireland games seems to annoy you, so can you not see that the NI flag at an Ulster game is similarly going to annoy/offput others? Its the same thing.