Derry footballer James McClean, who has repeatedly been vilified by sections of the British media for refusing to wear a poppy, hit out at the BBC yesterday for failing to mention attacks on him.
The West Brom winger was criticised during Match of the Day on Saturday night for a tackle he made on Huddersfield's Tom Ince during his side's 1-0 defeat at the Arena Stadium. The tackle prompted a booking and torrents of abuse from fans in the home end.
But McClean has now slammed the Match of the Day coverage and said the yellow card incident was only half the story.
Writing on Twitter yesterday morning, he commented: “Convenient how Match of the Day cameras pick up my tackle, but fail to pick up bottles, coins and lighters being thrown in same incident."
McClean is the linchpin of Martin O'Neill's Ireland squad, heading to Denmark later this week for the first World Cup play-off on Saturday. The winners over the two legs will book their place in next year's finals in Russia.
The 28-year-old Creggan man was also unhappy with the fans who targeted him on Saturday.
"Frustrating is the best word to describe today," he wrote. "P.s. launching bottles and other objects from up in the stands make you cowards not hard men."
'Not disrespectful'
McClean's refusal to wear a poppy was widely aired by the British media over the weekend as there are no Premiership games this weekend coming (Remembrance weekend) because of the international fixtures.
One Birmingham website described Saturday as the annual 'Why Doesn't James McClean Wear A Poppy Day?'
The Derryman has always made clear his reasons for choosing not to wear the poppy.
In 2015 he wrote in a West Brom match day programme: "People say I am being disrespectful but don’t ask why I choose not to wear it.
"If the poppy was simply about World War One and Two victims alone, I’d wear it without a problem. I would wear it every day of the year if that was the thing but it doesn’t.
"It stands for all the conflicts that Britain has been involved in. Because of the history where I come from in Derry, I cannot wear something that represents that."
Intimidation
Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney said last night that James McClean's decision not to wear a poppy must be respected.
"The right of people not to feel intimidated into wearing a poppy must be recognised," he said.
"That includes professional footballers. James McClean's personal choice in this regard should be respected."
Meanwhile SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said that McClean should be allowed to play football in peace.
The Foyle MLA said targeting McClean was now 'nearly an annual event'.
"Every year the fact that James doesn't wear a poppy is hyped up in the English media which always leads to a frenzied atmosphere among English football supporters," he said.
"James' experience of having bottles and coins thrown at him needs to be faced up to and dealt with in the most serious terms. Given that this is now nearly an annual event, it's clear that the Premier League and his club need to do a better job at protecting James McClean.
"Remembrance should be an individual act. People are entitled to remember in whatever way they see fit - if that means wearing a poppy that is all well and good, but if it means not wearing a poppy that is equally valid.
"None of the bigger debate on remembrance should be the burdened and focused on a young Derry man playing in the English Premier League. It's well past time that James McClean was just allowed to get on with what he's good at - playing his football."
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