Ireland’s James McClean, Wigan player, sparked controversy, after cameras caught him standing away from his team during a minute of silence to mourn the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth during his team’s match against Huddersfield in the English Premier League.
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died at the age of 96 on Thursday.
MacLean wore a black armband, but decided to step aside and stay away from the rest of his colleagues during the minute of silence before the start of the meeting while looking at the ground, which many considered an inappropriate shot, and not only that, but he shared a “story” via the Instagram application of an Irish boxer who described him as a “legend” because of his position.
This was not the first act of the player that opens the door to controversy, as he previously refused to wear the poppy flower symbol that England players wear in honor of the victims of the wars in which Britain participated.
Pictures of the players and their celebrations with their fans after Wigan won the match on Tuesday evening revealed that McClain removed the black armband from his arm.
James explained earlier that he did not wear the symbol of the poppy flower, saying, “I know that many will not agree with my decision or understand my reasons, but I ask them to respect my opinions just as I respect the opinions of those who wear it, if only that flower was a tribute to those who died in the first and second world wars I would wear it, But it is also a reminder and a tribute to those involved in other conflicts.
He continued: Those wars, including the massacre of Bloody Sunday in 1972 in the Irish city of Derry, it is one of the darkest days in the history of Ireland, I was born 20 years after him, but it is rooted in us from birth.
He continued: “Wearing that flower means disrespect for those who died in that incident, disrespect for my people, I’m not a belligerent or anti-British, but I am very proud of where I come from and I can do nothing I think is wrong.” In life, if you are a man you must stand up for what you believe in.
On Bloody Sunday, 14 people, including young boys, were killed by British army infantry fire, who were among a crowd of demonstrators against the precautionary detention law that the British authorities decided to apply to activists from Ireland.
