Death threat to Celtic star Boruc before Windsor game
Friday, 27 March 2009
Death threats against the Poland and Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc have appeared in graffiti overnight in Belfast's loyalist Sandy Row area 26/3/2009.
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Polish groups in Northern Ireland have appealed for Northern Ireland football fans to show “sportsmanship and camaraderie” after sinister death threat graffiti appeared on a Belfast wall targeting Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc.
The Northern Ireland Supporters Club chairman has mirrored the call as Northern Ireland and Poland prepare to play a vital World Cup qualifier tomorrow evening at Windsor Park.
‘Boruc RIP’ was emblazoned on a wall at Sandy Row and there are fears that the Poland goalkeeper could be given a hostile reception during Saturday’s match.
Boruc has long been a controversial figure for Rangers fans. In August 2006, he made religious signs during the Old Firm game. And in April 2008, he donned a T-shirt thrown from the Parkhead crowd, bearing an image of Pope John-Paul II and the message ‘God Bless The Pope’.
Maciek Bator, a director of the Polish Association in Belfast asked fans “to look beyond club football” and for both sets of supporters to back their team “respect one another and enjoy the night”.
Mr Bator added: “There is nothing the Polish residents in Northern Ireland want more than to integrate with the indigenous community, and the match is an ideal opportunity to enjoy an important occasion together. We love our football, as do the Northern Ireland fans. We know that Boruc was silly in some of his antics in matches against Rangers, but we do not want that to spill over and spoil this great occasion. We want the fans to be positive and sporting in their approach. We know that the graffiti is the work of a few and that most Northern Ireland fans will also view it as such.”
Gary McAllister, chairman of the Amalgamation of NI Supporters Clubs, said: “The graffiti should not have happened, and let’s concentrate on football and cheer on our team and forget about side issues.
“Northern Ireland is faced with two vital matches — against Poland on Saturday night and Slovenia on Wednesday — and they are must-win games if they are to qualify for South Africa. That’s all that matters.”
Northern Ireland are second in the Group Three table on seven points, behind Slovakia who have nine. Poland are third and Slovenia are fifth, both also on seven points, but have played just four games each, one fewer than Northern Ireland.
A spokesman for the Sandy Row Rangers Supporters Club dismissed the graffiti as “probably the work of kids — the height of nonsense, to be disregarded”.
He added: “I see they at least spelt Boruc’s name correctly, so I suppose that’s progress!”
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62 Comments
To Bored,
I'm pretty sure the Saudi Arabian supporters don't drink!
Posted by D'oh | 01.04.09, 11:09 GMT
sorry john and your point? i thought the ROI fans have a reputation for travelling abroad and getting full? you seem to think that all other nations are tee total? you name me one team, club or country that have fans who dont drink.
Posted by bored | 30.03.09, 10:30 GMT
Thought Boruc was great yesterday. Without a doubt the best keeper in Europe. Only stopped laughing about an hour ago.
Posted by Elbluenose | 29.03.09, 18:02 GMT
within the 90 mins of the classic match yesterday one event is all that can be used to critise the supporters of Northern Ireland and that was one individual who choose for some reason to throw a coin. Mindless thug who represented no-one!! However this person was ejected once identified and im sure he recieved no support. Artur Boruc recieved the normal banter and crumbled under it like many great keepers have over the years and i would ask for anyone who believes his treatment to be secterian to state when this occured. This death threat is childish and like the events in the past few weeks represents a very small minority!!
Posted by Jonny | 29.03.09, 15:23 GMT
Now living in Sydney, do NI fans realise how this gets shown all around the world? How embarrassing having Australian friends asking me if this what usually happens when a Celtic player is in Belfast.. Being in Australia and hearing about another Celtic player getting a death threat at windsor park is disgusting.. How disgusting that a great player Neil Lennon had to give up playing after being booed by his OWN fans (it wasn't a majority, the noise was deafening every time he had the ball) and also a death threat.. This is the kind of thing you would expect to hear at an Iraq home match!
How backward is it playing god save the queen as the national anthem, in an area where only half the people in that country don’t recognise the UK - even Scottish or welsh fans would be disgusted if they changed their anthem to god save the queen!
Sooner they change the national anthem or have an all Ireland football team the better, to represent all the fans and not one bigoted side..
Posted by John McGivern | 29.03.09, 06:00 GMT
Northern Ireland, best football fans in Europe ?!! The noise they make at the game sadly only reflects the amount they drink before hand
Posted by John | 28.03.09, 22:15 GMT
comes from all sides.Rangers players were abused in International games too.Ignore it.
Posted by henry | 28.03.09, 21:26 GMT
I am a member of the Toronto Northen Ireland Supporters Club. We have invited a local Polish soccer team to join us tomorrow as we watch OWC dismantle their defence. This story is another attempt by the Tele to sensationalize the divide which no longer exists in football but rather only in the hearts and minds of British subjects who would rather live in Eire.
WNB WNI
Posted by tommy hall | 28.03.09, 00:31 GMT
Left NI 10 years ago - some of the comments here remind me of the narrow opinions that some people have.... look outside your small world Thank God I live in Australia!
Posted by Brad | 27.03.09, 23:56 GMT
this is all rubbish. Everyone knows that we will put 3 past Boruc and go on to S.A.
Does anything else matter?
That's a rhetorical question for all you NI haters out there.
Toronto Irish
Posted by tommy hall | 27.03.09, 20:55 GMT
Why dosen't N.Ireland have its own anthem instead of the English one and maybe unite the people. Scotland plays Flower of Scotland, Wales plays Land of my Fathers but N.Ireland plays God save the Queen. The N.I. supporters club says they want Catholics and Nationalists to play for the country, but they dont. They want Catholics and Nationalists to line up and sing God save the Queen and regard the large number of Union Jacks being waved. They show no respect for the views of almost half the population. Why not play Danny Boy or When Irish eyes are smiling in this "new" Northern Ireland.
Posted by Edward | 27.03.09, 20:13 GMT
obviously the work of kids... I can't believe the fuss this has generated!!!
Threats like this sprayed on walls up and down the length of the country on both sides of the community, its nothing new!
Posted by col | 27.03.09, 19:12 GMT
What does the graffiti mean anyway?
Is it Boruc Rubbish Inbetween Posts, or Boruc Reckless In Possession?
Posted by Pete | 27.03.09, 18:42 GMT
Leon and Owc Fan,
I agree that the pizza boxes are wrong, and waving them at the rangers fans was distasteful....no excuses, this was bringing something totally unrelated to football into it. It woulnd the rangers fans up because they are so staunchly british and it was the british army who were attacked... was there last year and didnt care much for the atmosphere it was the same shouting (except for the billy boys being sung) as was present when rep of ireland played "our wee country" to qualify for the world cup...it hasnt changed apart from a few choreographed "stand up for the ulster men" chants!
As for the anthem the OWC Fan put so well....The Irish Rugby team will always play the Irish national anthem....surprise!!!! My point was that northern ireland fans are so wrapped up in not being irish that they are happy to be great supporters of the cause because they are not the republic.
Make ur windsor a mini ibrox and continue to exclude half the community!!!
Posted by chris | 27.03.09, 18:01 GMT
The best way for the polish keeper to make amends about his previous antics when playing against Rangers is to let 5 goals in tomorrow. And so say all of us.
Posted by Gerald. | 27.03.09, 17:03 GMT
A lot of people will watching to see how the Windsor park crowd treat Atur Boruc. Normal, football-related heckling is fine...but if the crowds direct sectarian abuse at Boruc then this coul dhave serious implications for Boruc.
One thing's for certain, if I attended a Northern Ireland match at Windsor I'd make sure noone knew I was Catholic.
Posted by joanna | 27.03.09, 16:03 GMT
Cliff
mark says"I feel sorry for the IFA after all the work they've done to keep these kind of people away from N Ireland matches".Why do you feel sorry, mark? Do you know who painted the deplorable graffiti? Do you know if they even follow football? Do they even support Northern Ireland? How presumptuous of you!
I was referring to a regular poster known for his backwards thinking,intollerance and curmudgeonly ways.
Posted by mark | 27.03.09, 15:12 GMT
Cliff
mark says"I feel sorry for the IFA after all the work they've done to keep these kind of people away from N Ireland matches".Why do you feel sorry, mark? Do you know who painted the deplorable graffiti? Do you know if they even follow football? Do they even support Northern Ireland? How presumptuous of you!
I was referring to a regular poster known for his intollerance and curmudgeonly ways, Mickey.....Keep up man!
Posted by mark | 27.03.09, 15:03 GMT
mark,
my point was that Peter Lovenkrands took a lot of "football related stick" as you put it. The point I was trying to make is that some people are oh so sensitive when it comes these matters, but of course you can`t see that. Stick to football and stop rubbing your crystal ball as if you know what is going to happen in the future!
mark says"I feel sorry for the IFA after all the work they've done to keep these kind of people away from N Ireland matches".Why do you feel sorry, mark? Do you know who painted the deplorable graffiti? Do you know if they even follow football? Do they even support Northern Ireland? How presumptuous of you!
Posted by Cliff | 27.03.09, 14:30 GMT
It's a pity that people like Liam cannot understand English as he is critical of my comment and then he goes on to state that BT shouldn't have published the story and that's exactly my expressed feelings in the post. Perhaps Ms Ruane is correct in that education requires an upheaval!! (Did I really state that?)
Posted by robbo | 27.03.09, 14:28 GMT
62 Comments