Unionists Meet IFA Over National Anthem Decision

The two main unionist parties are to meet with Irish Football Association (IFA) officials today over the decision not to play the British national anthem before this Saturday's Irish Cup Final between Glentoran and Cliftonville.

DUP Sports Committee chair Michelle McIlveen will lead the DUP delegation for the meeting, while UUP East Belfast MLA Michael Copeland and Alderman Jim Rodgers are to meet officials over what they described as “community unease" over the decision.

The decision has been taken by the IFA to promote a shared, politically neutral environment.

Cliftonville FC, based in north Belfast, has a predominantly Catholic and nationalist following.

Mr Copeland said: "The Irish Football Association have made a mistake in unilaterally deciding to omit the National Anthem from Saturday’s pre-match arrangements and in the process have caused a great deal of offence, to not only football fans but many in the wider community."

Comments from the public have already been posted on the IFA's Facebook page, with one user remarking: "Politics have no place in football. You are a disgrace bowing down to please cliftonville Fc (sic). If they want they can go play in the FIA league."

Another wrote: "I recommend that you deal with the sectarian bigotry regularly exhibited by Cliftonville fans rather than appeasing them. Your actions show you to be spineless, clueless, and gutless."

Alderman Rodgers said: "I have been inundated with complaints from Glentoran supporters and the wider community in east Belfast and beyond.

"I can assure them that I share these concerns and will be relaying them to the IFA on Wednesday. I do not wish to bring politics into football, but this decision does just that. The simple political fact is that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and everyone signed up to that fact with the Belfast Agreement in 1998."

(IT/CD)