Declan Rice

[navypie]

Maybe, just maybe, young Declan wasn’t as well read as your lad.

What is it about reactionary types that make you so f00king judgmental?

If I want to mention my son, I will. I would rather you fcuking didn't.Me judgemental, maybe but take a look at yerself first comrade Dick.

[Elite_Pie]

If I want to bring my lad into an argument, I will.

But you yourself brought your lad into the argument in post #8!!! If you don't want him involved, don't start posts talking about him.

Sorry sailor boy, you were too late with your sneaky edit. At least you realised your error.

[GranthamPie]

Christ... the lad was 15.. give him a break

[SmiffyPie]

Christ... the lad was 15.. give him a break

Then why didn't he apologise when he was 16,17,18 or 19 instead of when he decided he wanted to play for England? Like all the other apologists, he is really really sorry when he was found out. He wouldn't have been sorry if he had continued with his Irish connection.

[Elite_Pie]

Then why didn't he apologise when he was 16,17,18 or 19 instead of when he decided he wanted to play for England?

Pretty obvious really. Because he wasn't under the media spotlight then, and barely anyone was aware of what he said.

[jacobncfc]

Then why didn't he apologise when he was 16,17,18 or 19 instead of when he decided he wanted to play for England? Like all the other apologists, he is really really sorry when he was found out. He wouldn't have been sorry if he had continued with his Irish connection.

Presumably because it was a (obviously stupid) joke that he probably forgot that he said about twelve minutes afterwards.

[Bushwacka]

Presumably because it was a (obviously stupid) joke that he probably forgot that he said about twelve minutes afterwards.

'Up the RA' is an in-joke amongst a lot of Irish. Most who use it, surprisingly, don't support terrorism, it's usually just a joke and I'd say Rice definitely didn't/doesn't support terrorism or the atrocities carried out by the IRA. If it was a Jim Davidson/Bernard Manning/Chubby Brown style joke put on social media when he was 15, people would be banging on about free speech and how everyone's desperate to be offended nowadays.

[LaxtonLad]

Christ... the lad was 15.. give him a break

Begum Shamina was only 15...

[Trickytreesreds]

Begum Shamina was only 15...

Well she was just shy of voting age then

Its ok though, though because you can join the British Army at 16. (even though you can't be sent on active front lines until you're 18, just to clear that up)

[jackal2]

Just as I believe in absolute freedom of speech at any time, I think people should have the right to express a different view later. I don't think Declan Rice should even feel obliged to apologise, especially for comments maybe made in the naivety of youth. None of us knows better than the man himself what he really thinks now, so I'll take his clarification at face value.

The qualification rules for international football are a joke anyway. I recall Xherdan Shaqiri scoring a goal for Switzerland in the World Cup last year and both he and Granit Xhaka then giving an Albanian eagle hand gesture to antagonise the Serbian fans. They weren't thinking of the glory of Switzerland (or football) at that moment, that's for sure.