soccer

The Man Who Saved Barcelona

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The Don Patricio/Patrick O’Connell mural at the bottom of the Whiterock Road was refreshed for Féıle 2024. The major change is in the middle of the mural, where Lionel Messi – who went to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and then to Inter Miami in 2023 – has been replaced by current stars Aitana Bonmatí and Lamine Yamal. (A modern soccer-ball replaces the leather ball of the original mural, patches have been added to O’Connell’s jacket, and the FAI trophy and the large Cup Winner’s medal has been removed to make room for Bonmatí.) The new mural was relaunched on August 2nd, 2024, with an address by the director of the FC Barcelona museum at Camp Nou (Belfast Media).

For more – on O’Connell’s career as a player and manager, the emblems in the stands, and the headlines on the newspaper – see From Celtic Park To Barcelona.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X15450 X15449

Show Israel The Red Card

Extramural Activity1 Comment

“Show Israel The Red Card” is a campaign to suspend Israel from UEFA and FIFA competitions (Haaretz).

Supporters of various teams around the world (Quds News | Combat Antisemitism) have been displaying the slogan at games, following the lead of Celtic ultras in a match against Bayern Munich (youtube).

On March 8th, various groups, including RSYM (Fb), held a protest at Free Derry Corner (Fb video).

In smaller letters below the main slogan is “#LajeeCeltic” – Lajee Celtic (web) is a football academy in a camp in Palestine.

For the small posters see Boycott The White House.

Free Derry Corner has its own Visual History page.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
[X15353] X15354 X15355

All Together Now

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

At the heart of this east Belfast homage to the healing power of soccer are German and British soldiers shaking hands over a ball in ‘no man’s land’ on the Western Front, on Christmas Day, 1914. The image is not from a contemporary photograph but a modern one of a 2014 sculpture depicting such an even by Andy Edwards (TruceStatue) (who also did the Pat Jennings sculpture in Newry – seen in Pat Jennings). For more images of the WWI soccer statue, see WWI Cemeteries.

It’s not clear that matches between opposing forces – rather than simple fraternisation – were actually played; see Wikipedia for a review of the evidence.

Dee Street, east Belfast.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X15350 X15349 [X15351]

With Voice, Pen Or Hand

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“With voice, pen or hand we will defend our land.” David (Davy) Patterson (12-10-1955 – 03-01-2019) was a member of the 1st East Belfast Rangers Supporters Club (Fb) and Albertbridge Glentoran Supporters Club (Funeral Times).

This memorial board is the side-wall to the Somme Society mural (see Their Name Liveth Forevermore) and the Red Hand Commando memorial garden in Hunt Street, east Belfast.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X15352

We Welcome The Chase

Extramural Activity3 Comments

“Let others come after us – we welcome the chase.” The exterior wall of the Carrickfergus Rangers Supporters Club presents a gallery of the club’s managers from 1899 to 2018. In order they are William Wilton, Bill Struth, Scot Symon, David White, William Waddell, Jock Wallace, John Greig, Graeme Souness, Walter Smith, Dick Advocaat, Alex McLeish, Paul Le Guen, Ally McCoist, Stuart McCall, Mark Warburton, Pedro Caixinha, Graeme Murty, Steve Gerrard (and since then, there have been Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, and (currently) Philippe Clement).

Also from the Club: commemorative murals to the 36th Division in A Name That Equals Any In History, the three Scottish soldiers in Highland Fusiliers, and to the UDR in Some Gave All | various others from the laneway and courtyard in We Don’t Do Walking Away, and from inside and from the side patio in The Rangers That I Love.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14284 X14285 X14286 X14287 [X14288] [X14289] X14290
the bluebells are blue youtube

We Don’t Do Walking Away

Extramural Activity3 Comments

“Rangers ’til I die.” Here are images from the courtyard of the Carrickfergus Rangers Supporters Club, (Fb) and the approach to the clubhouse.

First, a pair of UVF boards above the courtyard listing both local (Carrickfergus, Ballyduff, Ballyclare, Greenisland, Glengormley, Monkstown, Rathcoole, Larne, Whitehead) and affiliated British units (Drumchapel (Glasgow, Scotland), Springburn (Glasgow) Possilpark (Glasgow), Paisley (Scotland), Falkirk (Scotland), Liverpool (England), Blackpool (England), Corby (England), and Blairgowrie (Scotland)) of the 1st East Antrim Battalion, “The people’s army”.

Second, the tarp on the back of the Men’s Shed.

Third and fourth, the boards on the lawn and the painted columns of the railway bridge on St Bride’s Street/North Road.

Also from the Club: a gallery of Rangers’ Managers in We Welcome The Chase | commemorative murals to the 36th Division in A Name That Equals Any In History, the three Scottish soldiers in Highland Fusiliers, and to the UDR in Some Gave All | various others from inside and from the side patio in The Rangers That I Love.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14279 X14278 X14277 X14276

The Rangers That I Love

Extramural Activity3 Comments

Here are images of murals from the interior and the outside patio of the Rangers Supporters Club (Fb) in Carrickfergus. January 2nd, 1971 – included in the panel above – is the date of the Ibrox disaster, in which 66 people died (WP). “Fleshers’ Haugh” [Butchers’ Low-Lying Meadow] – included in the panel below – is the part of Glasgow Green where Rangers played their games in the first three years of the club’s existence (Scotland Guide). Edmiston Drive (above) and Copland Road (third image) are streets adjacent to the stadium.

Also from the Club: a gallery of Rangers’ Managers in We Welcome The Chase | commemorative murals to the 36th Division in A Name That Equals Any In History, the three Scottish soldiers in Highland Fusiliers, and to the UDR in Some Gave All | various others from the laneway and courtyard in We Don’t Do Walking Away.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14297 X14296 X14295 X14298 X14294 X14293 [X14291] [X14292]
we are the people follow follow our lads had a dream the blue blue sea of ibrox absent friends we will remember them all taigs are targets our club will never die

Angry Birds

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Dundela “ultras” have been told they are not welcome at the team’s future games after “unsavoury chanting” at the NI Championship match against local rivals H&W Welders – “the most cataclysmic derby match in world football” (BelTel).

Thirteen more soccer-related stickers are below, including [Glasgow] Rangers Action Force.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14511 X14509 Glentoran X14447 X12831 X12097 X14485 X14482
X14544 Joe Gormley Cliftonville He hates the Linfield
X12617 Bangor Maniacs Sankt Gallen
X14184 Helsinborg X14186 Rangers X14187 Bristol Rovers
X14188 Rangers Action Force

Castlemara Celebrates

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Castlemara residents’ various emotions are on display at the entrace to the estates: celebrating the jubilee of Elizabeth II, the coronation of Charles III, the creation of Northern Ireland in 1921, and Rangers’ 55th league title; saluting Tom Moore; commemorating Prince Philip, 1921-2021; and remembering with gratitude the “100th anniversary of the Battle Of The Somme”: “We must not forget what they gave so we may live. Let not their deaths be in vain. Lest we forget.”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14370 X14369 X14371 X14372
X14362 [X14374] god save the king

You’ll Find Us In The Walk

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

19 towns and cities will hold gatherings for the Twelfth, with the longest parade being the six miles from Carlisle Circus to the field at Barnett Demesne (near Shaw’s Bridge) in Belfast. Today’s images come from a Shankill parade at the end of June, with (above) the (Shankill) Sons Of Ulster (Fb) and (below) the Billy Boys (Rathcoole) (Fb).

For a complete list of gatherings, see Belfast Live

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X12682 X12684 X12683