Northern Ireland

Council edits webcast of meeting following controversial comments about football club

Independent Belfast councillor Ruth Patterson
Independent Belfast councillor Ruth Patterson Independent Belfast councillor Ruth Patterson

FOOTAGE of a Belfast City Council meeting in which a councillor linked an amateur football club to a senior republican has been edited before being released online.

Independent unionist Ruth Patterson sparked outrage when she made the comments about Crumlin Star FC on Monday.

The Ardoyne-based team, which does not have a home ground, has been seeking to use playing fields at Strangford Avenue in south Belfast.

Ms Patterson said she was against the move but a claim that the club had a member who is a senior republican caused other councillors to rise to their feet in protest.

The former DUP councillor was cut short by lord mayor Nuala McAllister.

Crumlin Star FC has since sought legal advice, with a spokesman saying the comments had “placed at risk our players, supporters and the many volunteers who give up their free time to work with the club”.

Belfast City Council broadcasts live coverage of meetings online via a webcam, before making footage available to view after several days as a ‘webcast’.

However, a council spokesman has said: “On legal advice a section of the webcam coverage of Monday’s council meeting was redacted before we uploaded it onto our website."

While comments made in the council chamber are covered by legal privilege, Mrs Patterson also issued a statement outside the meeting.

She claimed she had not make allegations against Crumlin Star, which she described as a “successful and popular” club, but repeated what she claimed was a "factual link" with a republican and accused nationalist parties of demonising loyalists.

The comments were described as "vile and dangerous" by former SDLP lord mayor Nichola Mallon, who said she was proud to have worked with the club for a number of years.

Sinn Féin councillor Gerry McCabe also said a formal complaint has been lodged to the Local Government Commissioner for Standards arm of the NI Ombudsman.

“Crumlin Star Football Club are a highly respected part of the Ardoyne community and face significant barriers to accessing facilities. These remarks are at best unhelpful during a time when the club is searching for a home ground where they can play their fixtures," he said.