Palestine Flags

Palestine flags at football games becoming a dying trend

Trends amongst football fans are a regular occurrence, with clubs around the world adopting similar styles of celebration and support. Irish football fans are no different.

Trends such as ‘The Poznań’, where fans link shoulder to shoulder, turn their backs on the game and jump up and down in celebration. This started in Poland with the club Lech Poznań, but has since travelled to the UK to clubs such as Manchester City and Celtic.

Similarly, the trend of waving Palestine flags at football games was popular in 2014. Irish football club Dundalk FC were one of the clubs who caught on to the trend. Dundalk fan Kevin Lynch does not think his club intended to cause trouble with the flags.

“The flags started appearing at League Of Ireland games, in particular Dundalk games, as the trend caught on across Europe. Clubs look to show solidarity for what they thought was right [referring to football fans showing their support for the ongoing troubles in Palestine]. This was the same case with Dundalk.”

Dundalk were fined heavily for showing the flag. Lynch believes that the fine of €30,000 was harsh, but that it definitely has put a stop to Palestine flags at Dundalk games in the future.

“Common sense would have shown that a fine that big could bankrupt some League of Ireland clubs.”

“I think it’s been killed. I don’t think there was enough good coming from flying flags to justify such a big fine, so I don’t think the Dundalk fans would put themselves in that position again,” explains Lynch.

Meanwhile, sports journalist Frankie Lally, who is heavily involved with the Airtricity League, believes the fine was justified and has clearly had the desired effect.
“I think they knew what they were getting themselves in to. I think there is a lot more to the Dundalk case they were asked twice to remove the flags. The number has since been reviewed and common sense has prevailed.”