Opinion

Councillors lose the plot over civic football invitation

 Martin and Michael O'Neill, respective managers of Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland who's teams have made it to France
 Martin and Michael O'Neill, respective managers of Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland who's teams have made it to France  Martin and Michael O'Neill, respective managers of Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland who's teams have made it to France

Sport is supposed to unite us. Certainly that was the sentiment of many of the Belfast city councillors who spoke during last week’s lengthy, and at times baffling, debate about a joint reception for the Republic and Northern Ireland football teams.

During the discussion, several councillors said how disappointed they were that important council time was being taken up by a pointless discussion, then proceeded to take up important council time by rambling on about their love of, or indeed lack of interest in football, which teams they supported and how much they had enjoyed November's reception for Northern Ireland players.

SDLP councillor Declan Boyle, who proposed the joint reception, pointed out that it might be a good idea to honour both managers, given that the Republic's manager, Martin O'Neill from Kilrea, Co Derry, and Northern Ireland manager, Michael O'Neill, from Portadown, Co Armagh, both played for Northern Ireland.

But that wasn’t enough for Ulster Unionist Jim Rodgers who proposed inviting fellow qualifiers England and Wales as well. The DUP proposed sending letters of congratulation to Northern Ireland, the Republic, England and Wales. The Good Friday Agreement was mentioned. The presence of an RTÉ camera was mentioned.

PUP leader Billy Hutchinson again suggested there could be protests if Derry-born Republic player James McClean made an appearance. Although perhaps mindful that a grand total of five people bothered to turn up to protest on the evening of the council meeting, he then blamed the whole thing on suspended Fifa president Sepp Blatter.

"The whole notion about why you can play for Northern Ireland or whether…players from Northern Ireland can play for the Republic goes back to the days of Sepp Blatter," he said.

He added: "The American FBI and others have arrested a number of people from Fifa who were around at that particular time". Although what this had to do with a civic reception in Belfast City Hall was unclear.

Then, finally, councillors decided that the Republic team would be invited, along with the Northern Ireland team (again).

When has sport ever really united us? Yes, people often point to the successes of our boxers, from Barry McGuigan and The Irish News’s own Hugh Russell to recent Olympic medallists Michael Conlan and Paddy Barnes.

But more often we are divided by the sports we choose to watch, by the teams we wish to support. People are more likely to support either the Republic, or Northern Ireland, but not both. The Old Firm rivalry in Scottish football, with die-hard Celtic or Rangers fans, uncomfortably holds up a mirror to our own sectarianism.

Not only that, our leisure centres, which in any normal society would be uncontentious, neutral public spaces, have frequently been blighted by politicking and sectarianism.

The row over Dungiven sports complex is a case in point. At a meeting last week, a majority of unionist councillors on Causeway Coast and Glens Council again blocked the building of a multi-million pound leisure centre in the Co Derry town. Building work on the centre was due to begin this month. Most of the public funding had already been secured and the final tranche of money was available. A leisure centre, particularly in a town not exactly overburdened with public investment in the past, would benefit everyone and harm no one. But yet again the project was blocked amid accusations of sectarianism and rows over the flying of the Union flag. Although the official reason given by unionists was a funding shortfall, sports minister Caral Ni Chuilin said the money could be made up from another pot of funding.

Now the project looks set to be embroiled in a legal dispute funded by taxpayers’ money.

Sinn Féin councillor Sean McGlinchey pointed out that the facility was much needed and people in the area had campaigned for it to be built. He claimed that had nationalist councillors agreed to allow the Union flag to be flown over council buildings all year round, then most unionist councillors would not have blocked the leisure complex - a claim unionists denied.

"The unionists who opposed this vital community facility, however, need to get real and realise that the days of discrimination are over and are not coming back," he said.

Ulster Unionist councillor Daryl Wilson insisted the council wanted a "holistic approach" and said the council wants "to be fair to everyone".

The only problem is that being "fair to everyone" in Northern Ireland usually means that either everyone gets everything, or more usually, no one gets anything