Johnny Ward tells Ger Gilroy about his recent visit to Linfield's game against Qarabg Our football coverage is brought to you in association with Paddy Power
I was in Belfast last year so decided to go along to watch Linfield play a European qualifier against some team from Latvia. I have to say that I thought the Linfield fans were brilliant to me. I think The IFA have done brilliant work in terms of rooting out poor behaviour in the stands. Any football organisation in the world could learn from them.
I was a season ticket holder at Windsor growing up and I’m now a member at Dalymount. I had my eldest son (8) at that game. He wore his Bohs badge on his hat and cheered for the Blues. He chatted with people around us about Bohs and the league down here. Very welcoming. I understand how southerners can feel uncomfortable at Windsor. I’m still a blue man as well as a Bohs man. Would be good to see Windsor less “British” so to speak. However, no respectable blue man would ever not make someone from the south feel welcome. I still remember the reception Bohs gave Linfield before the Setanta final against Shels. Dark days need to be put in the past.
As a Brit from East Belfast, an All Ireland league is a must if club football (Or soccer) here is going to make a name for itself in Europe. Being from East Belfast, I would prefer to see Glentoran do the business, but its always good to see any Irish team do well on a big stage. This result for Linfield was not bad, I can't see them holding on to it in the second leg. Anyway nice to see a team from my home town doing a wee bit in Europe and good luck in the second leg.
Real football fans would love a bigger, better more modern league across the island. The troublemakers, north and south, would try and spoil it with sectarian baiting. It will happen, but cops need to come down hard on troublemakers and chanting designed to cause trouble.
It's time for an all-ireland league and it's also time for Belfast Celtic to return. There will always be sectarian tension and rivalry - although hopefully less with time - but these matches can be adequately policed by the police, clubs and fans themselves. A close control of away tickets should do the trick.
Ger you don't need a guide to Belfast - we have very helpfully created a colour coded system of identification stones and pennants to help out of towners like yourself feel more 'aware' of your surroundings and to put you at 'ease'
Funny Glentoran’s ground The Oval is much deeper into Loyalist territory than Windsor. The route from Lisburn Rd to Windsor and back is a mixed studenty type area.
Johnny thinks there arent as many Unionist flags around East Belfast or the Oval , I live there and he must be blind , well at least we do around the marching season !
Ger is the type of guy who thinks prods in the North aren't really Irish, but if you questioned a taxi lad from Ghana or Ibrahim 'Muslim Brotherhood' Alawi about his 'Irishness' he'd call you wacist 🤦♀️
