Lesson Nine: Sectarianism and Sport Cultural Diversity In & Through Sport

Lesson Nine:Lesson Nine:Sectarianism and SportSectarianism and Sport

Cultural DiversityCultural Diversity

In & Through Sport In & Through Sport

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Learning OutcomesLearning Outcomes

By the end of the session you should be able to:

• Describe the term sectarianism

• Identify how sectarianism is manifest using sporting examples

• Examine own attitudes towards sectarianism

• Explain the consequences of prejudice and discrimination

• Identify ways in which attitudes can be challenged

Group ActivityGroup Activity

In groups, discuss what sectarianism is and how it is displayed within

society. Use real life examples to illustrate what you mean.

Sectarianism Definition Sectarianism Definition

• A system of attitudes, actions, beliefs, and structures at personal,

communal and institution levels

• Always involves religion and typically involves a negative mixing of

religion, cultural traditions and politics.

• Arises as a distorted expression of positive, human needs especially

for belonging, identity, and free expression of difference.

Origins of SectarianismOrigins of Sectarianism

The origins of sectarianism can be traced back to the time of the

Christian Reformation and interpretations in Islam leading to:

• Protestant faith being formed after Martin Luther broke away from

the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century

• Division in Shia and Sunni over role of Ali as first Caliph

Sectarianism in Northern IrelandSectarianism in Northern Ireland

• In Northern Ireland, sectarianism is not just confined to relationships

between Protestants and Catholics.

• It also refers to any form of discrimination or disadvantage suffered

by someone because of their religious or non-religious beliefs

How Does Sectarianism Manifest?How Does Sectarianism Manifest?

There are several ways in which sectarianism manifests within a society:

• Hardening boundaries between groups and individuals

• Overlooking others

• Belittling, dehumanising, or demonising others

• Justifying or collaborating in the domination of others

• Physically or verbally intimidating or attacking others

Non-sectarian Definition Non-sectarian Definition

• A position often adopted by organisations and individuals throughout

Northern Ireland

i.e. avoiding talking about anything to do with politics or religion

in mixed company, usually in the workplace, sports club or in

schools/colleges

Anti-sectarianism DefinitionAnti-sectarianism Definition

• Addresses attitudes and practices that are beyond those covered by

anti-discrimination and equal opportunities legislation

• Designed to decrease sectarianism at individual, group and

institutional levels

• Seeks to challenge those personal and group attitudes, culturally and

socially formed, which result in sectarianism

Task: How are attitudes formed?Task: How are attitudes formed?

In groups, discuss how you think sectarian attitudes are formed. Think

about the sources that have influenced you in a good or bad way

How are attitudes formed?How are attitudes formed?

According to research by the Community Relations Resource Centre

entitled, ‘Too Young to Notice? – The Cultural and Political Awareness of

3 – 6 year olds in NI’, three particular factors appeared to be influential in

increasing children’s awareness and attitudes. Can you guess what they

are?

• Family,

• Local community

• SchoolClick here for the report.

http://eprints.ulster.ac.uk/19237/1/Connolly,_Smith_and_Kelly_(2002)_Too_Young_to_Notice.pdf


1. Preference for particular cultural events and symbols

• By the age of three Roman Catholic and Protestant children were

found to show small but significant differences in attitudes for

particular people’s names, flags, towards Orange Order marches

and the police.

• Ages 5-6 showed differences in terms of preferences for

particular combinations of colours and football shirts

Source: Connolly, P. (2002) Et al. Too Young to Notice? – The Cultural and Political Awareness of 3 – 6 year olds in NI. Community Relations Council: Belfast.


2. Awareness of particular cultural events and symbols

• 51% of all 3 year olds were able to demonstrate some awareness

of the cultural/political significance of at least one event or

symbol.

• 90% of 6 year olds demonstrated the greatest awareness of the

cultural/political significance of parades, flags and Irish dancing



3. Tendency to identify with a particular community

• 3 and 4 year olds demonstrated some identification with either

community (5% and 7% respectively)

• 13% of 5 year olds

• 34% of 6 year olds



4. Tendency to make sectarian statements

Sectarian and/or prejudiced comments developed with age

among young children:

Rare among 3 and 4 year olds (1% and 3%)

7% of 5 year olds

15% of 6 year olds

Group activityGroup activity

• In groups discuss how the family, local community and school could

be influential in increasing children’s awareness and attitudes.

• Use your own experiences to highlight and illustrate what you mean.

• Also, identify examples of when and where sectarianism has occurred

in sport

Sectarianism in the Community Sectarianism in the Community

Click here.

Watch the video and then discuss the what you have seen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2ZsUEg1y5I

Football in Northern Ireland Football in Northern Ireland

• Despite football’s English origins, it is a popular game amongst both

Roman Catholics and Protestants Working Class people on the Island

of Ireland

• However, Roman Catholic support for Irish League teams has declined

in recent years for a number of reasons.

• One of the main reasons for the decline in support has been, in part,

a result of the withdrawal from the Irish League of teams with a large

Roman Catholic following such as Belfast Celtic in 1949 and Derry City

in 1971

Irish League Irish League

There has been a lot of conflict in Northern Irish football.

• Northern Ireland football grounds have been described as “useful

sites of public displays of political affiliation”

• Internal divisions between groups involved in political violence in the

mid 1990s was reflected in the supporters of various clubs

Tackling the IssuesTackling the Issues

• The Irish Football Association (IFA) has attempted to address the

problem of sectarianism

• The IFA appointed a Community Relations Officer whose role was to

implement a football community relations strategy

• For a statement from the IFA regarding its campaign to “Stamp Out

Sectarianism in the Irish League”, click here

http://www.irishfa.com/news/item/2576/ifa-determined-to-stamp-out-sectarianism-in-the-irish-league

Case Study: Belfast CelticCase Study: Belfast Celtic

• Established in 1891, Belfast Celtic withdrew from the Irish League and

was dissolved in 1949 after years of sectarian crowd problems

• Their withdrawal culminated in a Boxing Day match against Linfield at

Windsor Park which ended in a pitch invasion and riot

• During the violence, Belfast Celtic's Protestant centre forward, Jimmy

Jones, suffered a broken leg

• For more information in Belfast Celtic, click here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfast_Celtic_F.C.

Case Study: International Level Case Study: International Level

• Neil Lennon, a Roman Catholic from Lurgan, County Armagh had to

abandon his international career with Northern Ireland when he

joined Glasgow Celtic

• He received death threats and was advised by police to take them

seriously. Lennon's family were forced to move to a safe house.

• Much of the sectarianism was fuelled by internet hate sites, including

several on Facebook encouraging people to hang or shoot him.

• To hear Neil’s views on sectarianism in football, click here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/13098805

Research into SectarianismResearch into Sectarianism

• A survey commissioned by the Northern Assembly in 2001, entitled

“Sectarianism And Sport In Northern Ireland”, highlighted that the

types of sports people participate in and the teams they support

usually reflect their community background and perceived political

and cultural allegiances. For example:

• Roman Catholics are more likely to participate in sports which

celebrate the Irish tradition (Gaelic Football, Hurling)

• Protestants are more likely to engage in sports which celebrate the

British tradition (Hockey, Cricket, Rugby etc)Source: Northern Ireland Assembly (2001) “ Sectarianism And Sport In Northern Ireland ”. Click here for full research paper.

http://archive.niassembly.gov.uk/research_papers/research/2601.pdf

When asked to identify the ways in which sport has been effected by the

troubles, respondents to the “Sectarianism And Sport In Northern

Ireland” research responded as follows:

46% of respondents stated spectator violence

36% stated that the troubles had effected travel to venues

25% of respondents believed soccer built bridges across the divide

Sport perceived as reinforcing divisions included Gaelic Football

(27% of respondents), Hurling (15%) and Soccer (14%)


Source: Northern Ireland Assembly (2001) “ Sectarianism And Sport In Northern Ireland ”. Click here for full research paper.



The role of the schools sports curriculum in perpetuating community

conflict have been examined:

It has been argued that the games curriculum in schools in

Northern Ireland is highly dependent upon whether the school is

Roman Catholic or Protestant.

For example, Gaelic Games predominate in Roman Catholic schools

whilst Rugby, Cricket and Hockey are predominantly played in

Protestant schools.




Sports in Schools:

• This results in very little cross community contact between schools in

regards to sport.

• When schools do participate in a common games such as Football,

Protestant and Roman Catholic children rarely play in the same team,

it is more common for them to play against each other which can lead

to conflict both on and off the pitch.



Sports in SchoolsSports in Schools

• One researcher has argued that whilst there have been a number of

cross-community sports programmes in schools, many of these are

simply ‘one-off’ events and that there still exists considerable

resistance to any long term alteration of the school games curriculum

in order to meet the objectives of community relations



Sports in SchoolsSports in Schools

It has also been suggested that sport in Northern Ireland falls into three

general categories:

Sports which arrived in Ireland as a result of British influence e.g.

Cricket, Hockey and Rugby. Predominantly played by Protestants

Sports which originated from the Irish Gaelic tradition, e.g. Hurling,

Gaelic Football, Handball. Predominantly played by Roman Catholics

Sports which originated in Britain but are played universally and are

no longer described as British sports e.g. Soccer, Athletics and Boxing



Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)

The formation of the GAA was viewed as an important opportunity to

nurture the sense of an Irish national identity

•Additionally was an important vehicle to halt the popularity of British

sports in Ireland

•The GAA is still perceived by the Unionist community as a sectarian

organisation despite lifting its ban on security force personnel from

membership and because of its past association with political issues such

as the hunger strikes




• The Protestant community in Northern Ireland feel alienated from the

GAA because of its nationalist aspirations and because of factors such

as the flying of the Irish Tricolour at matches

• Also, the naming of GAA grounds and clubs after Nationalist heroes

(e.g. Casement Park)

• Furthermore, it is in part due to the discovery of arms caches on GAA

property




• The GAA has itself also suffered as a result of sectarianism.

• Many members have been killed and injured by loyalist paramilitaries

• In the past number of years the GAA has moved to become an Ant-

Sectarian and Anti-Racist Organisation




• In 2001, the GAA scrapped Rule 21 which prevented members of the

British security forces from joining clubs.

• In April 2005 it temporarily suspended Rule 42, which up until 1971

forbade GAA members from playing Association Football and Rugby

and which prevented these games from being played at Croke Park

• Some of its members were bitterly opposed to this, with all the GAA

boards of the six counties in NI against the move and of Ulster’s nine

counties, only two (Cavan and Donegal) were in favour


RugbyRugby

• Rugby continues to function in an all-Ireland context despite being a

Protestant/Unionist dominated sport.

• It has been suggested that this is due to Rugby being mainly a sport

played in middle-class schools and that, in general, the middle-classes

feel less threatened by maintaining some cross-border contacts

• However, rugby does still continue to suffer a degree of sectarianism.

• Although they claim to be non-sectarian, the majority of rugby clubs

have their foundations in an education system divided along religious

linesSource: Northern Ireland Assembly (2001) “ Sectarianism And Sport In Northern Ireland ”. Click here for full research paper.

RugbyRugby

• Even though Ireland fields a rugby team consisting of players from

both North and South, tension still remains in relation to the flag

flown, anthem played and location of international matches

• There is also the additional question over allegations of bias in

regards to the selection of players and coaches in the Irish team

• The Irish National Anthem was played before matches but some

players felt excluded

• Currently the IRFU uses Phil Coulter’s ‘Ireland’s Call’ at international

matchesSource: Northern Ireland Assembly (2001) “ Sectarianism And Sport In Northern Ireland ”. Click here for full research paper.

Old Firm Derby Old Firm Derby

Scotland's two largest and most successful football clubs have a cultural

identity closely bound to politics on the island of Ireland

•Glasgow Celtic, the younger of the two, has a mainly Roman Catholic

following.

•Glasgow Rangers is older, and has attracted a large Scottish and later

Ulster Protestant following.

•To date, the two teams have played each other 399 times: Rangers have

won 159 matches, Celtic have won 144 matches and 96 matches have

ended in a draw

Old Firm Old Firm

Watch then discuss the following video for a background to the Celtic ‘v’ Rangers Old Firm dearby.

Click here.

Challenging Personal AttitudesChallenging Personal Attitudes

Requires a willingness on your part to:

•Admit your prejudices and stereotyped views

•Identify where they came from and how they developed

•Become aware of these attitudes

•Have the courage to challenge these within yourself and others

•Work towards accommodating difference/diversity

Challenging Sectarianism Challenging Sectarianism

• In 1998 the Northern Ireland Sports Council launched a “Sport

without Prejudice” Campaign

• Raised awareness of the need to address sectarianism within sport.

• The campaign asked those who participate or support sport to refrain

from using foul or abusive language, using sectarian language, waving

flags or emblems which could be offensive and singing sectarian

rhymes or songs.


There have been a number of campaigns to combat Sectarianism in

sport. They include:

Football for All

Kick it Out

UEFA 10 Point Plan

Appointing Community Relations Officers to ensure good practice


Source: Click here.


As part of its education programme the Football For All Project, which is

managed by the Irish FA Community Relations Department, aims to:

•Developing Good Relations training for all Irish FA staff and board

members.

•Football For All domestic seminars to encourage good practice using

football to tackle sectarianism and racism.

•Ongoing Good Relations awareness training for coaches and volunteers.

•Delivery of Football For All anti-sectarian and anti-racism workshops.

Thought for the DayThought for the Day

• A controversial advertisement from the 1993:

Click here.

Documents

Lesson Nine: Sectarianism and Sport Cultural Diversity In & Through Sport