Ta konec tedna se Britanci tudi na igriščih spominjajo svojih umrlih vojakov, irski drugoligaški nogometaš pa je pri tem dvignil toliko prahu, da je celo zasenčil dogajanje na vrhu prvoligaške lestvice.
Ta konec tedna ni šlo le za Chelsea in njegovo prednost oziroma za zasledovalce in njihov zaostanek. Tako kot vsakokrat na začetku novembra so Britanci počastili spomin na svoje umrle vojake, ta počastitev pa je bila ob stoti obletnici prve svetovne vojne še toliko bolj čustvena.
In tako kot v zadnjih dveh letih se ji je uprl irski nogometaš James McClean, ki igra pri drugoligaškem Wiganu in čigar potezo je javnost tokrat sprejela še slabše kot lani in predlani. Pošteno so se ga lotili navijači na stadionu, še huje pa je bilo (in je še vedno) na svetovnem spletu.
"Če bi šlo zgolj za prvo svetovno vojno, ne bi videl nobene težave. Ker gre za spomin na vse operacije britanske vojske, pa nošenje simbola ne pride v poštev," je podobno kot v prejšnjih letih pojasnil nogometaš, ki je ponovno kot edini v profesionalnih ligah zaigral brez rdečega cveta na prsih.
Mak, ki ga na Otoku ob tej priložnosti v javnosti nosijo praktično vsi, je na začetku resnično simboliziral francoska polja, na katerih so britanski vojaki umirali v prvi svetovni vojni. Z leti pa se je pomen zares razširil in cvet simbolizira vse operacije, v kateri so Britanci dajali svoja življenja.
Ircem se to že od nekdaj zdi sporno zaradi
spornih pobojev na Severnem Irskem v sedemdesetih letih, McClean pa spada med tiste, ki niso pripravljeni popustiti niti za drobec. Ni bil v preteklih letih, ni letos in zagotavlja, da ne bo niti v prihodnje, pa naj stane karkoli.
"Obtožujejo me, da ne spoštujem žrtev obeh svetovnih vojn. Toda če bi nosim mak, ne bi spoštoval nedolžnih civilnih žrtev na Severnem Irskem," je nogometaš, čigar družina prihaja prav z območja najbolj krvavo zadušenih vstaj, med drugim zapisal v zelo čustvenem odprtem pismu predsedniku kluba Davu Whelanu.
Preden je še
tretje leto zapored stopil na igrišče brez obeležja. In preden si je nakopal še več težav kot v preteklih letih. Čeprav so njegovo pismo nekateri sprejeli pozitivno in se postavili na njegovo stran, se je večina obrnila izrazito proti njemu.
Na srečanju z Boltonom se ni niti enkrat dotaknil žoge, ne da bi mu
glasno žvižgali, nekateri napadi na družabnih omrežjih pa so šli tako daleč, da so govorili o pohabljenju, po katerem ne bi mogel več igrati nogometa, in mu celo zaželeli, naj ob prvi priložnosti crkne na igrišču.
Če vemo, da so bile britanske operacije na Severnem Irskem resnično sporne, je nogometaša mogoče razumeti. Po drugi strani pa mu tudi tisti, ki ga razumejo, očitajo nepotrebno konfliktno obnašanje in namerno odstopanje od norm. Najbolje je, da si mnenje ustvarite sami.
ODPRTO PISMO PREDSEDNIKU KLUBA DAVU WHELANU (v angleščini)
Dear Mr Whelan
I wanted to write to you before talking about this face to face and explain my reasons for not wearing a poppy on my shirt for the game at Bolton.
I have complete respect for those who fought and died in both World Wars - many I know were Irish-born. I have been told that your own Grandfather Paddy Whelan, from Tipperary, was one of those.
I mourn their deaths like every other decent person and if the Poppy was a symbol only for the lost souls of World War I and II I would wear one.
I want to make that 100% clear .You must understand this.
But the Poppy is used to remember victims of other conflicts since 1945 and this is where the problem starts for me.
For people from the North of Ireland such as myself, and specifically those in Derry, scene of the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre, the poppy has come to mean something very different. Please understand, Mr Whelan, that when you come from Creggan like myself or the Bogside, Brandywell or the majority of places in Derry, every person still lives in the shadow of one of the darkest days in Ireland’s history – even if like me you were born nearly 20 years after the event. It is just a part of who we are, ingrained into us from birth.
Mr Whelan, for me to wear a poppy would be as much a gesture of disrespect for the innocent people who lost their lives in the Troubles – and Bloody Sunday especially - as I have in the past been accused of disrespecting the victims of WWI and WWII.
It would be seen as an act of disrespect to those people; to my people.
I am not a war monger, or anti-British, or a terrorist or any of the accusations levelled at me in the past. I am a peaceful guy, I believe everyone should live side by side, whatever their religious or political beliefs which I respect and ask for people to respect mine in return. Since last year, I am a father and I want my daughter to grow up in a peaceful world, like any parent.
I am very proud of where I come from and I just cannot do something that I believe is wrong. In life, if you’re a man you should stand up for what you believe in.
I know you may not agree with my feelings but I hope very much that you understand my reasons.
As the owner of the club I am proud to play for, I believe I owe both you and the club’s supporters this explanation.
Yours sincerely,
James McClean
