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Scotland escape sanction after Northern Ireland's anthem is booed
Friday, 22 August 2008
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Scotland will not face any sanctions from Uefa after Northern Ireland's national anthem was booed and jeered by the Tartan Army before Wednesday night's goalless friendly at Hampden.
The home fans ignored earlier pleas from the Scottish Football Association to treat "God Save the Queen" with respect. The European governing body's spokesman William Gaillard said that while the game was outside their jurisdiction, there was nothing in their rules which could be used to punish disrespect of that nature. He said: "Friendly matches are in the domain of Fifa [the world governing body], it is not Uefa's responsibility. Unfortunately this is not a new thing but there are no sanctions we can impose."
After the game, attended by 7,000 Northern Ireland fans in a crowd of more than 28,000, the SFA issued a statement claiming it was "disappointed" in the actions of a section of the Scotland support.
The Scotland debutant Darren Barr, meanwhile, expects no hero-worshipping from his Falkirk team-mates when he returns to his club as a fully-fledged international. The 23-year-old defender became the first Bairns' player since John White in 1959 to play for Scotland when he came on as a second-half substitute for Stephen McManus.
Barr did not look out of place in the last friendly match before the World Cup qualifiers begin next month and indeed, came close to making a scoring debut with a near-post glancing header which brought a good save from goalkeeper Maik Taylor.
The Falkirk captain hopes to retain his place for the double header away to Macedonia and Iceland. He said: "Walking on to Hampden was a brilliant feeling. I loved it. It was very special making my debut and it was an honour to get on. There were definitely some nerves but sometimes they get you through a game. I will go back to training at Falkirk and I'm sure the boys will cane me as usual. It will be back to normal. But you want to be doing well for your club because you never know what's round the corner in football."
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I was at Hampden that evening and can't say I was remotely bothered by the booing. I simply view it as a bit of pre-match "tribal banter". Anyone getting hot under the collar about such booing needs to go and join the Ice Hockey crowd.
There is an argument for NI getting it's own anthem, so as to copperfasten it's identity within the Union in much the same way Scotland, England and Wales have. In fact, many's an English fan I know would prefer to have their own unique anthem too, Jerusalem the Golden or suchlike.
Posted by mickey | 12.12.08, 10:03 GMT
It would be a sad day if football supporters were not aloud to boo another countrys national anthem, or team as they came out. Who cares really? If the flower of scotland was being booed im sure no-one from scotland would lose any sleep over it.
Posted by Brian | 03.09.08, 16:54 GMT
Tony ill correct you again there is no such football team called the north of ireland but for some reason you continue to refer to Northern Ireland as that? Yet here again BT continue to publish ur comments on here. Most of all your comments usually just keep the readers amused with the rubbish. You keep insisting on bringing ur political views into all of these article relatiting to NOTHERN IRELAND FC.
Posted by Andrew | 26.08.08, 19:49 GMT
Wouldn't worry about it, thats the way football crowds are and always will be. Anything to wind up the opposition. There's been too much written about it by the press and nobody even mentioned it on the night. If the rep of ireland come to windsor they'd get the same and likewise if we went to dublin so it's not just scotland. If you are so easily offended maybe football is not the sport for you. Chill out the pc brigade.
Posted by DM | 24.08.08, 11:15 GMT
It would have been ridiculous to sanction the Scots for booing the English National anthem. After all the Welsh anthem was booed at Windsor Park in 2005, and far from being sanctioned North of Ireland fans got an award from UEFA? Go figure?
Posted by Tony Fearon | 23.08.08, 16:23 GMT
Scottish people generally have respect for all peoples in north or south Ireland, and the offence of boo-ing was not aimed at the Northern Irish, but towards a deeply unpopular so called act of union between England and Scotland.
It is fair to say that the Scots are closer to regaining their nation status than at anytime since 1745.
When I was going to rugby internationals in the 1970s, the same
anthem was boo-ed all the time, the English eventually gave in and let us use our own anthem... very kind of them, but it saved a them a lot of embarrassment too.
Posted by Angus | 22.08.08, 22:04 GMT
As a Scotland fan - and a nationalist - I am disgusted by the behaviour of a large number of so-called Scotland supporters at Hampden. Please accept my apologies.
Hope we see each other at the next World Cup !
Posted by WDH (Scotland fan, NI grandma) | 22.08.08, 21:30 GMT