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THE MAYOR OF Philadelphia has become the latest prominent politician to savage Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump for his recent call to ban Muslims entering the United States.
Democrat Mayor Michael Nutter, however, went further than most, saying, “He’s an asshole,” and accusing the businessman of “taking a page from the playbook of Hitler”.
Nutter was speaking alongside a gathering of Philadelphia’s religious leaders, to show solidarity with the Muslim community, after a pig’s head was left outside a mosque in the city earlier this week.
The outgoing mayor, who will be succeeded by Irish-American Democrat Jim Kenney in January, apologised to the religious leaders on stage for his language, which was greeted with shock, gratification and laughter.
In response, Trump called Nutter a “crude dope,” and criticised him for name-calling, before then labelling the Philadelphia mayor a “low-life”.
Back home, Taoiseach Enda Kenny joined other leaders in condemning Trump’s Muslim immigration policy, calling it “not acceptable.”
The Taoiseach was responding to remarks by the US Republican presidential candidate in recent days in which he called for “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the US “until our respresentatives can figure out what’s going on”.
The flamboyant businessman’s comments, which came in the wake of the shooting dead of 14 people by a US-born man and his Pakistani wife in California last week, have drawn widespread condemnation across the world.
In the Dáil today, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin noted that the government had laid out the red carpet for Trump when he visited Clare last year:
But Martin said he did not expect it to “lay out the red carpet for the disgraceful and inflammatory remarks”.
In a brief response, Kenny told Martin:
I referred yesterday to comments made in the United States that are not acceptable to me or to the people in this country. Free speech is one thing. The comments made are not acceptable.
Martin had also told Kenny that the government should formally make clear to the US Republican Party that Trump’s comments are viewed with “abhorrence” in Ireland and are “something we wouldn’t tolerate in our democracy”.
He said the comments were a new low and an incitement to hatred.
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One of the things the FAI could do is go back cap-in-hand to the original IFA and apologise for leaving it in 1926 to establish a 26-county FAI.
We need to re-establish a soccer 32-county organisation, same as Golf, Olympics, GAA and many others are. We Irish are strongest when united.
@Canny Jem: Did we leave them or did they leave us? https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/irish-football-s-division-more-than-ever-looks-an-anachronism-1.3740916?mode=amp
@Canny Jem: *1921, not 1926 – and include Rugby among the 32-county groups.
@Bluepoolroad: We left the IFA over internecine disputes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_Association_of_Ireland#Split_from_the_IFA
@Bluepoolroad: I was at that Shamrock Rover XI v Brazil match in Lansdowne Rd in 1973. Great game – almost ended 5-3 to Brazil but Pat Jennings magnificently saved a Brazilian peno in the last minutes of the match. Derek Dougan scored twice for Rovers XI, brilliant headers, one a glorious diving one.
@Canny Jem: it’s how we also got left with “republic of Ireland” (the only entity officially called that) as they retained the right to be called “Ireland” in the event of rejoining the union.
@Canny Jem: the Fai was formed because the Irish fa was dominated by northern bigots who overlooked southern players in favor of inferior northern players,however although Harry Cavan and co.have departed it remains to be seen if the appetite for unity is there,would you really want rabid anti catholics as part of your “fans”
@Thomas Devlin: Yes, that’s true but times, attitudes, football business minds and footballer’s talents have changed over almost 100 yrs since the split.
The 1973 Rovers XI team, made up of Rep and Nth Ireland international players, showed just what could be possible on the international soccer stage if we reunited into a single 32-county organisation.
Borrowing Quinn’s suggestion for a new name, it could even be best to change both FAI and IFA names to reflect a new unified Irish soccer maturity.
@Renton Burke: In 1936, (Nazi) Germany played against Ireland in Dalymount Park (we won 5-2). Though it was billed as Ireland Vs Germany, the name of the Irish team’s association was Football Association of the Irish Free State, not Republic of Ireland.
We didn’t become a Republic until 1949.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCH-fzdjrKU
@Canny Jem: Did it ever occur to you the risks of real violence at the games if Lingfield and Glenavon etc were playing Shamrock Rovers. This is a very different crowd to a rugby crowd where real hooligans exist both North and south of the border. I think we’re a very long way away from it ever happening. But it’s one of those nice fantasy ideas like suggesting we should just simply go out and appoint Guardiola as the Ireland manager.
@Canny Jem: If everything is on the table its a great time to have that debate ,certainly add a bit of spice to the League ,but it will never happen
@Canny Jem: Formally the Irish Football Association that crowd are doing OK
@Thomas Devlin: blanket statements like them all being rabid anti catholics won’t help the cause if that what your cause is. A section would never want an all island team but there is a significant number that would be interested I’d say.
@Canny Jem: There already is an inclusive 32 County Football team. There also just happens to be a smaller 6 county football team for Protestant players in a Protestant organisation.
@Stanley Baggins: Yes I have considered the risks. I’ve replied under a separate post ‘cos it’s long and almost a different thread on its own, nothing to do with Quinn’s ideas.
@rugbyanbeer: … and might also be due to come under scrutiny for their financial management, sectarianism and racism preferences
Kerr needs to be on the board in some shape or another
@David Weston: nah. Stick him on the training grounds or dugouts where he’s most at home and where he can contribute the most
The continuity FAI?
@Bungee Aky: Provisional IFA
Yeah .. like that always works.
Tusla springs to mind.
Donald Trump had the same idea yesterday for the Boeing 737 Max. Just rebrand it!
Pure genius.
Skoda didn’t need to do that as one example. Stop now Niall. Last thing we need is another celebrity FAI CEO. We need an administrator. A CEO. Not Niall bloody Quinn (with his georgeous supermodel wife)
@Eric: Did you read the article or just the first couple of sentences? And what does his wife have to do with anything?
@Róisín: yes, to be fair, I did only read the first few lines but heard over last few days on radio that he wants the CEO job. As for his wife, yes, nothing to do with it. Sorry.
@Eric: Quinn has explicitly stated he is not the man for the job. However, he is willing to offer his vast experience as ex-Chairman of Sunderland and as a former club and international player.
@Eric: fantastic trolling Eric. Quinn doesn’t want the CEO job.
If people think think that changing the lid on the septic tank is going to turn it into a swimming pool they are in for a serious shock. The board is certainly part of the problem but by no means all of it. LOI clubs cant manage themselves never mind the league, underage clubs selling kids like meat with vast profits going where? Serious structural change is needed across the board to do justice the the volunteers that give without taking. Boy’s, it goes a lot deeper than Delaney, and u know it.
And for what particular reason is Aodhan O Riordan hosting this? He’s a failed politician who wasn’t re-elected by his constituents. All the while being given jobs and nonsense roles to try and keep him in the public eye. For what? They very sort of thing you need to avoid.
Call it the Quinn Group. That worked the last time.
Viewing a cash cow I’d say
@Martin Brennan: I’d give Niall Quinn a chance,He has good ideas for reform,and this can only help the FAI and football in Ireland.
@Billy McNamara: Id give a John Treacy appointment greater stock if it was feasibly possible .
@Quentin Moriarty: What about Dunphy , Baby !
@Martin Brennan: He has said he’s not the man for the job burt would be available as aspokeperson if needed by them. Even I know that and I’m not a fan of sport.
Yeah, and renaming the CEO Quinn or Kerr would do no harm either.
@Ernie Gallagher: to be fair, it would. it needs a sports administrator on a 7/10 year contract @ Max €150k. Preferably from Europe.
@Renton Burke: still could do with a figure head but I think Quinn and Kerr would have more to offer. Liam Brady and Johnny Giles should have some part to play too. If the key is indeed the league of Ireland the biggest footballing profiles in the country need to be visible promoting it. Leave the faces do the public talking the the executive’s get on in the background.
@Hardly Normal: Quinn has the practical ‘business’ mind, Kerr has the practical ‘football’ mind and maybe both could be on the new Board in some capacity.
I don’t think Brady or Giles (now a commenting wise oul’ owl) would take on responsibilities at their ages. A new board needs new, young entrepreneurial blood, plenty of which we have in Ireland, nth & sth.
@Renton Burke: still too long. 3 yrs as vice chair leading to 3 years as chair then out the gap
@Hardly Normal: imagine Eamonn Dumphey running the show im getting flashbacks to Peter Capaldi in The Thick of It
@Awkward Jake: I didn’t mention Dunphy for a reason :D, apologies for the late reply ..
The Sopranos
We can call it FAIR…Football Association of the Irish Republic…fair play!!
@Liam Preston: Future Audit investigations
Maybe if we change our name people will forgive us ….
@Jason Byrne: I know right!
A fing rebrand…..
How much will that waste…..
Quinn has a woeful track record, both in business and football management. Thre has to be a better candidate out there
Solksjaer out.
A good time to merge the republic and Northern Irish teams?
Niall Quinn said he knows Irish professionals men who’ve worked in building the brand of the MLS in the USA. That’s exactly the type expertise you need to bring in. Organize summer friendlies between our league winners and teams from the MLS. Set up pay per view service for Irish Americans and Irish Australians abroad wanting to watch the biggest LOI games. Convince billionaire associates that it’s worth investing in.
“Football Ireland”
Please post my substantial fee by cheque to…..
One island, one football governance. Then, the sport can truly move forward.
@SéamusMouse: just give the keys of abbotstown to the nordies so and no need to hire anyone.
What is needed,is to set up a commission to investigate all aspects of appointing a task force to look into the prospect of a forming special body of experts to oversee appointments of new board to sit around a table and work out how much present board
Of management can siphon off to walk into the sunset.That sums up the FAI
The Feckin Amadan Institution rolls off the tongue.
IRFA
@David Weston: you’re implying Irish Rugby Football Association. It’s so stupid its not even funny
I love that guy. Things finely looking exciting for Irish football.
FIFA – The Feckin Irish Football Association.
IFA? No, just kidding….
Very superficial to say hat changing the name will do the trick.
It’s much more fundamental than that. Changing your clothes doesn’t make you a better person! Tony Harris points are good.
Yea call it the FAI Max that will help lol
Irish football Union..
all 32 county Ireland Team..
We could get Finbar Furry to write us an anthem, it’ll be great.. :p
@ Stanley Baggins: Your point is a valid concern alright and an issue that can easily be addressed as has been done and achieved on mainland Britain and throughout Europe to weed out sectarian (and racist) hooligan supporters.
In the past in the UK, many of now-famous teams were born out of factory teams. Depending whether your Employer was Protestant or Catholic, you played for the Protestant (P) or Catholic (C) factory teams or your religion-based parochial team.
That Protestant/Catholic divide legacy lasted up until recent decades between professional clubs – exemplified in divides between city teams like P Everton/C Liverpool, P Man City/C Man Utd, in Scotland P Hearts/C Hibernians in Edinburgh and P Rangers/C Celtic in Glasgow and in Nth Irl, between P Linfield/C Cliftonville and other NI teams etc.
This sectarian divide, and associated hooliganism, was first addressed in Scotland – where the clubs of Celtic, Rangers, Hibs and Hearts agreed between them to take on players of each others’ differing religions, whether Scottish or foreign players to eliminate it, break the mould.
At first it led to acrimony but, when supporters began to see what players of another religion could achieve for their clubs with their class of football, all was forgiven and is now mostly gladly forgotten about.
The other brilliant trick that mainland UK club teams employed was to limit the number of supporters of away teams attending away matches and cordon off a section of their stadia exclusively for away supporters. They also employ tactics for marshalling all supporters to their allotted sections of a stadium. This has worked very successfully for all, though some rabble-rousers manage to squirm in occasionally and (as now known) have been banned by their very own clubs from ever attending club games again.
Rivalry between supporters is now mostly of entertaining chants between each other (I repeat “mostly”, other disrespectful chants are inexcusable in our modern world).
The same limiting of numbers of away supporters/sectioned areas/marshalling in-out tactics can similarly be used for 32-county soccer league games.
One thing is for sure – any united international team representing the island of Ireland on the FIFA international stage will have the best supporters anywhere in the world. Both sets of supporters have deservedly gained world praise for their conduct, especially when abroad.
We Irish are One Island. Let’s get back to being One Soccer League, One International Team for sports sake.
Hes Spot on…..How about, “Soccer Of Real Republic Ireland” or SORRI pronounced Sorry….after all John Is deeply sorry for all the carnage he has caused!!
If it walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it’s still a duck. It needs to be reinvented not renamed
Just push it under the carpet with all the rest
Kerr and Quinn…World beaters.
A Sean Delaney has thrown his hat in the ring to head up the newly-named association. Reckons he has vast experience of running a football association. Sounds good.
He’s keen. Quinn launching his US presidential campaign next week
Just push it under the carpet with all the rest
‘a Rose by any other name …’
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