Defiant Mcclean takes to social media over fans’ vile poppy taunts
JAMES Mcclean has claimed abuse directed at him is overlooked because he is an Irish Catholic.
He was responding after the English FA launched a probe into his social media post that declared he would not listen to “uneducated cavemen”.
The Derryman has responded by claiming the abuse he gets would not be tolerated were it racist or anti-muslim.
Mcclean, playing for Stoke City against Middlesbrough on Saturday, was the subject of taunts from both sets of fans.
Stewards had to escort him into the tunnel as objects were thrown at the 29-year-old, who once again decided not to wear a poppy on his jersey ahead of Remembrance Day.
Mcclean took to Instagram on Sunday night to hit out at his detractors.
He said: “Your abuse, your throwing things, your booing, do your worst.
“To the home fans that are actually educated and support me, thank you. To the section of uneducated cavemen in the left hand corner of the Boothen End Stand that want to sing their antiirish song each game and call me a fenian this and that..i am a PROUD FENIAN no c**t will ever change that, so sing away.”
The comments led his club and the FA to launch an investigation.
Last night soccer chiefs said they warned Mcclean about using an offensive word on social media but would not
take any further action. However, Mcclean claimed the organisation has continuously ignored abuse directed at him because of his heritage.
The Ireland star said: “Week in week out for the past seven years I get constant sectarian abuse, death threats, objects being thrown, chanting heard loud and clear every week which my family, wife andkids have to listen to. They turn a blind eye and not a single word or condemnation of any sort.
“Huddersfield away last year while playing for West Brom there was an incident with their fans where the cameras clearly caught it, yet the FA when [a] complaint was made to them said there ‘was not enough evidence’. “If it was a person’s skin colour or if it was anti-muslim, someone’s gender, there would be an uproar and it would be dealt with in a different manner. “But like in Neil Lennon’s case in Scotland, because we are Irish Catholics, they turn a blind eye.” An FA statement said last night: “Any discriminatory language or behaviour aimed at any person or persons of nationality or faith, as we understand may have been experienced by the player in this case, is unacceptable.”
To the section of uneducated cavemen that call me a fenian, I’m a proud fenian, so sing away JAMES MCCLEAN