There has always been a decent form of ‘defence’ for James McClean and his refusal to wear a poppy.
No one should be forced to wear a poppy, simple as that.
Most reasonably minded people get that it should be an individual choice.
And the FA was right to fine Barnsley after some of their fans directed sectarian abuse at McClean back in November.
But any sort of sympathy for McClean should have disappeared a couple of days ago with a social media post that was hidden, like most things, by the coronavirus crisis.
McClean, born in Derry and who has described himself as a ‘proud Fenian’, published a picture of himself with two young children looking up attentively at him.
Above the picture, he had written the words ‘Todays School lesson – History’. His grammar, not mine.
(Image: EMPICS Sport)
All fine, you might believe. After all, a lot of people were talking about their home-schooling experiences last week. Only McClean’s head and face were covered by a dark balaclava – and you do not need an Irish history lesson to know what organisation was commonly identifiable by that image.
In the past, McClean has explained his choice not to wear a poppy by saying: “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 of where I come from in Derry, I cannot wear something that represents that.”
Fair enough. In his native Derry in 1972, 13 unarmed civilians were murdered by the British Army. But however strong his feelings on the history of his homeland and British involvement, there are so many things wrong and abhorrent about this post, it is hard to know where to start.
No one should particularly care or get overly agitated about where McClean’s sympathies and beliefs lie, but the IRA was a murderous organisation and there is no denying that.
And if it was not a reference to the IRA, then why did he take it down and delete his Instagram account?
A day earlier, Colin Parry had also posted a message on social media.
“27 years ago today, my son Tim lost his life due to injuries he sustained from an IRA bomb. He lives on through the work of @peacefoundation. His life was short but he is immortal.”
(Image: PA)
Tim Parry was 12 years of age when he died from injuries sustained in the Warrington bombings of 1993.
Not much older, it looked, than the children on McClean’s Instagram picture.
Again, McClean has every right to whatever beliefs he chooses. He has every right to bring his kids up in the way he wants.
But the gross insensitivity of this post was simply startling.
He is a professional footballer with a responsibility to his club and at a time when so many players are reaching out on social media to health workers and victims of the coronavirus, he posts this.
We will wait and see what action the FA takes. They should throw the book at him.
Stoke City have fined him a fortnight’s wages and McClean has now made this apology: “I never wanted to cause any offence, but I now realise I did so and for that I apologise unreservedly.”
Fine. But he should also be thanking Stoke City for still being in a job.
