Take it down from the mast Paddy Power....

IT MAKES NO SENSE FOR IRELAND TO PLAY IN SCOTT BROWN’S TESTIMONIAL
There are some clear reasons why Martin O’Neill’s men do not need to be represented at the celebration of the Celtic great’s career…



Scott Brown is having his testimonial at Celtic Park in the near future, and Ireland have been announced as the opposition. Everything seems in place – except the logic as to why.

Nobody quite epitomises Celtic like ‘Broony’ and the club’s former manager Martin O’Neill would be bringing his Irish side to Glasgow as some sort of gesture. As everyone knows, the Derry native is one of Celtic’s most decorated managers, so there is some sort of link, even if it doesn’t quite stand up as credible.

The rationale for bringing an international side to Glasgow will be dressed up as a warm-up for the Republic’s games against France and the USA, but in reality, the idea to bring an international side to Parkhead is only to boost attendance figures.

It’ll be a combination of Celtic fans singing republican songs and Irish fans pretending they’ve got direct ties to Celtic. A cringe-fest, if you will.

Everyone is entitled to their political views, but that level of immersion in Irish republicanism will only do a few things. One of those things is undermining a footballer who has served a football club with relative grace for over a decade.

BROWN DESERVES TO PLAY AGAINST OLD TEAM MATES, OR A SIDE THAT REPRESENTS HIS PROGRESSION IN HIS CAREER, NOT THE NATIONAL SIDE OF A COUNTRY TO WHICH HE HAS NO LINK – REGARDLESS OF THE SUPPOSED IDENTITY THAT CELTIC REPRESENT.

Money has never mattered too much to Brown and his sentiment and affection for the club he’s played for has always been the primary reason for his loyalty. His testimonial should reflect that, but instead Celtic want a PR exercise that will backfire brilliantly.

This isn’t an attack on anyone – it’s merely an observation that the most likely explanation is usually the right one. O’Neill shouldn’t be altering a schedule of a national side, regardless of whether or not they’re in the World Cup.

That squad, by the way, will include Aiden McGeady. This is the same McGeady who was booed out of the Celtic Park while representing Ireland against Scotland not so long ago. While you can certainly differentiate between Celtic fans and Scotland fans, the point remains that this game has far too many red flags to have been green-lighted.


While we’re on this topic – why not play Scotland? If you’re a Scotland international that played alongside Scott Brown, surely, you’d want to play with and against him for a celebration of his career?

However, we return to politics. Would Scotland, and its political divisions, unify to honour one of its internationals? You’d like to think so.

IT’S MAYBE A CONDEMNATION THAT IRELAND WOULD BE A MORE SUITABLE (AT LEAST IN SOMEONE’S EYES) OPPOSITION FOR A TESTIMONIAL OF A SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL.

What should be a great day for Scott Brown, his family, Celtic and his friends will instead be a playground for PR, an example of nonsensical political ties and an international team who should be in the middle of their own training camp instead of jogging around, half-paced.

Sure, we’ll have the second leg in Dublin altogether, will we?



Unreal

 

Paddy Power just look for controversy, clickbait *.

 

whilst I agree theyre trolling *... this level of utter * cant go without response

Whitewashing the modus operandi of raising money for millers family and replacing it with accusations of republican triumphalism is nothing short of dispicable

 

Christ, apparently the guy who wrote it is a self-confessed virgin.

 

What's wrong with Irish Republican songs?

This apologist would clearly rather be a dominion state of the British Empire.

Closed my account with Paddy years ago when they made fun of Billy McNeil on twitter when he was doing the Champions League draw.

Bookies are notoriously unscrupulous but that was lower than a snakes belly.

It's laughable that a fixture which will benefit a multitude of charities and celebrate an outstanding servant to our club is met with such bitterness and ignorance.

 

Wallopers. Happy enough to glory at the Irishness of our successes all over social media at the end of every season, while bumming up the huns at every turn as well. Baiting *, nothing more.

 

This can clearly only be tongue in cheek nonsense, well at least I hope so

Claiming there is no link between Celtic FC and Ireland is astonishing, to fail to understand why a section of Scotland fans were booing McGeady whether I or you agree with it or not is even more ignorant, but worse still...to make no mention of the charitable nature of the fixture suggests this has been written by someone ordered to be deliberately negative about the whole thing.

There are many things these days within football worthy of a hatchet job but I’m dumbfounded why some idiot from Paddy Power felt a testimonial like this was fair game

 

I remember them having a dig at Billy McNeill when he was doing the CL draw a while back.

I take everything I see on twitter from bookies with a pinch of salt. As mentioned already, it's clickbait * designed for people to talk about it and promote themselves.

The article is an embarrassment no doubt about it.

 

Just written to cater to the types of people that would slag me for wearing something Celtic related to an Ireland match ( I mostly wear my Ireland jersey with a celtic jacket over it) despite it being the right colours and having a 4 leafed shamrock on it.

Look at any old footage of Ireland fans at tournaments or whatever and theres Celtic jerseys all over the place, there was no-one giving them * for it back then

Fact of life is that theres alot of football fans in Ireland who hate us and see us as the green version of the huns, ignorant * in all walks.

 

So who did this guy want us to play instead, liverpool ? a club that would bring their second team up here and the only ex celt coming up here would be Robertson. Would rather play against lads who have dreamed of playing at a sell out parkhead, Mclean, Shane Long, Myler, McCarthey, Hourihane and more, don't forget O'Neill and we could see Stokes and McGeady back as well. Only reason I would want liverpool is we have only lost once against them in 5 games and would be good to watch the media frenzy when we pump them off the park

 

The right wing/unionist Irish media have been working on brainwashing the Irish public against us for years. Any non footballing story about us is always negative. In opinion pieces they will portray us as green huns and trot out the two cheeks of the same * drivel.

They want to turn us all into brit loving rugby fans or failing that epl fanboys. Gaelic games alos receive a disproportionately low coverage for our most popular sport.

 

Pathetic article, however I believe it's just Paddy Power attempting to cause outrage and aim for free publicity. It'll work too.

 

Won't be using them again unless an apology is issued.

 

* paddy power! And that virgin *!


Shove yer bookies up yer *!

 

I genuinely don’t know why so many care who we play in a testimonial. Surely the fact that it’s going to various charities and Liam Miller’s family is enough reason to applaud the event.

 

By his standards, the only suitable team, a team where Brown has played and had friends, would be Hibernian. And with all due respect it's * lame to have a testemonial match with a team we play four or more times at season.

From that to think what Hibernian and Celtic had in common and jumping to the idea of playing Ireland is nearly automatic.

If the author had the slightest bit of good faith he would even try to come with suggesting something

 

The article doesnt make sense to me.

Firstly, celtic dont need to play ireland to sell out Browns testimonial. Any big club would do the same. It is a non-point. Actually, given many of the irish travelling support may already support celtic and would come either way, you would likely get a bigger away crowd inviting the usual big EPL club.

Secondly, whether Brown is linked to Ireland is kind of neither here nor there. He isnt linked to Man Utd or Liverpool either but if we were playing these teams the point would be made. Lots of testimonials are based on getting a big crowd rather than iniviting a club with a player connection.

The decision will not 'backfire' as everyone going will have a good time and non-celtic or ireland fans im sure couldn't care less.

And the political stuff is neither here nor there. People will sing rebel songs whether we play ireland or anyone else. And as above, given the only people interested are celtic and ireland fans im sure noone outside of a few fixated rangers fans will give a toss if we sing Irish songs or not.

It is a stupid article.

 

Interestingly the assistant manager of Ireland had Celtic for his testimonial despite at the time having no links to the club. I don't remember any outcry at the time from any media sources. If it benefits Celtic it's bad. If we are used to benefit another it's ok

 

It's either blatant clickbait, which all the bookies engage in to be fair, or it's written by an absolutely SEETHING hun.

Not worth getting annoyed about, or giving a serious response to fuel the fire.