Stokes in hot water at Celtic

buyer95

News only hitting Scotland today about Stokes Real IRA connections and his attendance at the Alan Ryan fundraiser last month. Tom English an Irish born journalist wrote this today http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/tom-english-anthony-stokes-has-disgraced-celtic-1-2671302


For a club looking to shed its sectarian image, this is unlikely to go down to well. English says " Stokes has disgraced Celtic " and " There is a feeling that Lennon would like to say a whole lot more about this but feels, for various reasons, that he cannot. At least not yet."

It's well known Stokes father John, owns the Players Lounge Bar in Fairview of which Ryan used to frequent, and that him and Stokes were friends. Stokes father is an open member of the 32CSM, the political wing of the RIRA also. Stokes is a player who has shown so much promise and has unquestionable ability, but because of this may find himself out the door in January, messy, messy

michael999999

buyer95 wrote: »

News only hitting Scotland today about Stokes Real IRA connections and his attendance at the Alan Ryan fundraiser last month. Tom English an Irish born journalist wrote this today http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/tom-english-anthony-stokes-has-disgraced-celtic-1-2671302


For a club looking to shed its sectarian image, this is unlikely to go down to well. English says " Stokes has disgraced Celtic " and " There is a feeling that Lennon would like to say a whole lot more about this but feels, for various reasons, that he cannot. At least not yet."

It's well known Stokes father John, owns the Players Lounge Bar in Fairview of which Ryan used to frequent, and that him and Stokes were friends. Stokes father is an open member of the 32CSM, the political wing of the RIRA also. Stokes is a player who has shown so much promise and has unquestionable ability, but because of this may find himself out the door in January, messy, messy

Who is Tom English and why should we care what he says? Everything in that piece was known years ago! Seems like another two bit reporter trying to make a story for himself!

buyer95

michael999999 wrote: »

Who is Tom English and why should we care what he says? Everything in that piece was known years ago! Seems like another two bit reporter trying to make a story for himself!

He is an Irish man who writes for the Scotland on Sunday. Quite well respected also, has won the Scottish Sport's Feature Writer of the Year on numerous occasions, article about the man here http://www.journal-online.co.uk/article/6537-tom-english-an-irishman-in-scotland

BhoscaCapall

buyer95 wrote: »

News only hitting Scotland today about Stokes

No it isn't.

Tom English wrote:

You can contextualise it all you like, you can look into Stokes’ family upbringing and say: 'Look, he never stood a chance.'

>Stokes went to one of the top private schools in Dublin

Clown of a journalist.

Coillte_Bhoy

What does this quote from the article mean?

You can contextualise it all you like, you can look into Stokes’ family upbringing and say: ‘Look, he never stood a chance.’

Stokes went to private school in Terenure College

jack presley

buyer95 wrote: »

He is an Irish man who writes for the Scotland on Sunday. Quite well respected also, has won the Scottish Sport's Feature Writer of the Year on numerous occasions,

Well he won't be getting any awards for that piece of investigative journalism. He could have typed few key words into Google and come up with the scoop he came up with there.

BhoscaCapall

buyer95 wrote: »

He is an Irish man who writes for the Scotland on Sunday. Quite well respected also, has won the Scottish Sport's Feature Writer of the Year on numerous occasions,

Keith Jackson won "sports news writer of the year" after reporting Craig Whyte as a "billionaire" ready to save Rangers.

Scottish sports journalism is a mire of corruption and comedy.

Píss poor journalism

BhoscaCapall

Anyone notice that whenever a dissident Republican group is involved in a political attack they are dismissed as no more than drug dealers, street thugs etc but when it suits (e.g. one of them drinks in a bar owned by the father of a Celtic player) he's back to being a political Irish Republican terrorist?

buyer95

jack presley wrote: »

Well he won't be getting any awards for that piece of investigative journalism. He could have typed few key words into Google and come up with the scoop he came up with there.

Infarness, although Stokes family links to the RIRA may be known in Ireland, the same cannot be said for Scotland... I agree though the statement about contextualising Stokes upbringing is a load of bollix

Richard Hillman

He was at Arsenal when he was 15. His limited education at "the best private school in Dublin" must not have done him much good. The chap didnt have a chance with the aul lad around poisoning his mind as a kid.

Anyhow it is of some solace that he will probably never play for Ireland again. We dont need his ilk around.

Coillte_Bhoy

BhoscaCapall wrote: »

Anyone notice that whenever a dissident Republican group is involved in a political attack they are dismissed as no more than drug dealers, street thugs etc but when it suits (e.g. one of them drinks in a bar owned by the father of a Celtic player) he's back to being a political Irish Republican terrorist?

In fairness that article painted ryan as both a thug and a republican so i dont see your point

Washington Irving

An Irish born journalist called Tom English writing for a newspaper called Scotland On Sunday. Heh.

BhoscaCapall

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

In fairness that article painted ryan as both a thug and a republican so i dont see your point

Well that doesn't disprove my point does it... when they're actually carrying out actions with a political motive the media is quick to paint them as solely career criminals.

michael999999

God forbid if he was connected to these scumbags!

michael999999

michael999999 wrote: »

God forbid if he was connected to these scumbags!

Movember

michael999999

buyer95 wrote: »

He is an Irish man who writes for the Scotland on Sunday. Quite well respected also, has won the Scottish Sport's Feature Writer of the Year on numerous occasions, article about the man here http://www.journal-online.co.uk/article/6537-tom-english-an-irishman-in-scotland

What a prestigious award, i bet hacks worldwide are striving to win it!

BhoscaCapall

michael999999 wrote: »

What a prestigious award, i bet hacks worldwide are striving to win it!

Only the ones who like the taste of David Murray

Matt_Trakker

michael999999 wrote: »

God forbid if he was connected to these scumbags!

???

Coillte_Bhoy

BhoscaCapall wrote: »

Well that doesn't disprove my point does it... when they're actually carrying out actions with a political motive the media is quick to paint them as solely career criminals.

yes actually it does disprove your point if you actually read the article and not just see what you want to see. As for the 'political' motive i aint going there on this thread.

BhoscaCapall

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

yes actually it does disprove your point if you actually read the article and not just see what you want to see. As for the 'political' motive i aint going there on this thread.

If the article hadn't included the part I mentioned then it would disprove my point. However it does include it, as you even pointed out in your own post. Simple stuff.

Coillte_Bhoy

BhoscaCapall wrote: »

If the article hadn't included the part I mentioned then it would disprove my point. However it does include it, as you even pointed out in your own post. Simple stuff.

yes it included both thug and republican references so stop going round in circles

A Dub in Glasgo

buyer95, it is well 'reported' in Scotland about Stokes, his Da and Ryan

BhoscaCapall

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

yes it included both thug and republican references so stop going round in circles

Yes it did, that's what I was basing my point on. When the story relates to a "political" action they are painted as mere criminals, but in this story they are criminals and Irish Republican terrorists.

I don't know why you're arguing, as I said you already proved my point. We're not disagreeing here. Either way it was only a minor observation so not worth taking the thread off course for.

Jelle1880

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

What does this quote from the article mean?



Stokes went to private school in Terenure College

His daddy seems to be quite involved with that mob, which is imo what English was alluding to.

It's not a surprise though that some here talk more about English or the words he chose, than the actual fact that one of their own players attended a part/memorial for a terrorist.

They didn't seem so ok with things when it was David Healy posing next to Jackie McDonald.

A Dub in Glasgo

Jelle1880 wrote: »

His daddy seems to be quite involved with that mob, which is imo what English was alluding to.

English does not even mention Terenure College

BhoscaCapall

Jelle1880 wrote: »

His daddy seems to be quite involved with that mob, which is imo what English was alluding to.

It's not a surprise though that some here talk more about English or the words he chose, than the actual fact that one of their own players attended a part/memorial for a terrorist.

They didn't seem so ok with things when it was David Healy posing next to Jackie McDonald.

You're comparing somebody going to a memorial for a dead friend with someone posing next to a terrorist. Which is a bit silly really.

Jelle1880

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

English does not even mention Terenure College

The way I got it was that Coillte_Bhoy meant the school Stokes went to when English mentioned his upbringing.

And erm Bhosca, you may not realize it but members of the RIRA are... ?
I'll give you a few minutes to fill in the dots

BhoscaCapall

Jelle1880 wrote: »

And erm Bhosca, you may not realize it but members of the RIRA are... ?
I'll give you a few minutes to fill in the dots

It was my understanding that this was an event specifically for the death of this Ryan bloke, who was a friend of Stokes, rather than a Real IRA support night.

I have friends involved in things I have strong feelings against, but I wouldn't snub their funeral.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I certainly can't rely on a Tom English article for the facts.

Jelle1880

I doubt Gardai would keep a strict eye on just a memorial event.

And yes, it was intended for Alan Ryan as far as I know, but that hardly changes the fact that it was attended by RIRA members from north and south of the border, something which Stokes could not have been unaware of.

I understand that he wanted to remember his friend, it's normal, but there's other ways for that than going to a place packed with terrorists, right ?

BhoscaCapall

Jelle1880 wrote: »

I understand that he wanted to remember his friend, it's normal, but there's other ways for that than going to a place packed with terrorists, right

He shouldn't have to miss a memorial for his friend just because some dafties are going to feign outrage at him being in the same premises as some dodgy associates of his dead friend.

I've been in the company of serving members of the British armed forces before. Doesn't mean I condone their crimes.

Jelle1880

Is the British Army an outlawed terrorist organisation ?

BhoscaCapall

Jelle1880 wrote: »

Is the British Army an outlawed terrorist organisation ?

Of course not, and even if they carried out the same attacks as the Reals (of which they have done or at least been a part of several times) they would not be outlawed.

That wasn't my point though, my point was... well read my post again, it was pretty clear.

A Dub in Glasgo

Jelle1880 wrote: »

Is the British Army a outlawed terrorist organisation ?

Only one word in that question is irrelevant

Jelle1880

BhoscaCapall wrote: »

Of course not, and even if they carried out the same attacks as the Reals (of which they have done or at least been a part of several times) they would not be outlawed.

That wasn't my point though, my point was... well read my post again, it was pretty clear.

Yeah, your post was very clear indeed, you attempted to make it look like Stokes just so happened to be there, and it was pure coincidence that it just so happened to be in the same surroundings as some terrorists.

The coincidence of it all, it's staggering.

buyer95

John Stokes in an unashamed publicity stunt" barred "the queen from his bar in a publicity move last year for her visit.
http://www.broadsheet.ie/2011/03/13/the-queen-of-england-is-officially-barred-from-the-players-lounge-fairview-dublin/

And also the suggestion that Stokes could not have know that RIRA members would have attended the night is ridiculous. Ryan was the leader of the Dublin RIRA brigade. The Players Lounge owned by the Stokes family has been raided in the past, with guns and cocaine seized, which Ryans RIRA were keeping there. He and brother Anthony Ryan previously spent time in prison for taking part in a Real IRA training camp in Meath about 10 years ago.

BhoscaCapall

Jelle1880 wrote: »

Yeah, your post was very clear indeed, you attempted to make it look like Stokes just so happened to be there, and it was pure coincidence that it just so happened to be in the same surroundings as some terrorists.

The coincidence of it all, it's staggering.

Stop making things up, you're looking silly again.

I didn't say it's a coincidence, I said his motives for being there were not to show support for the RIRA but to show support for a friend who had died. I'm sure you will claim the opposite but you can't prove it either way.

buyer95 wrote: »

John Stokes in an unashamed publicity stunt" barred "the queen from his bar in a publicity move last year for her visit.
http://www.broadsheet.ie/2011/03/13/the-queen-of-england-is-officially-barred-from-the-players-lounge-fairview-dublin/

His dad is an eejit but the biggest embarrassment (aside from the visit itself) was Dublin council bullying him into taking it down. It's okay to have a sign up barring people for their clothes or age sine "it's your private premises" but not okay to jokingly bar the figure head of an Empire which sought to destroy your country.

Anyway is there any reason you are dragging up all these news stories already discussed at length on here? Were you barred from the Players Lounge :pac:

Jelle1880

And as I said, there's other ways to respect a friend's memory than to go to a memorial event that is clearly RIRA themed.

Why did he have to slip in and out, if he wasn't there to get friendly with terrorists ?

TheBuilder

Alot of footballers are idiots, Stokes is clearly one of the dumbest.

The funniest thing in all this thread is the pretence that Stokes was there just to remember his friend, his friend who was a scumbag terrorist but that's somehow different from David Healy posing for a picture with a scumbag terrorist.

Stokes should know better in his position, considering Celtic as a club are trying to distance themselves from this sort of thing, as much as a section of their fans dislike it.

From what I understand Lennon is seeing right through him these days and is even less popular now with him than before.

BhoscaCapall

Jelle1880 wrote: »

Why did he have to slip in and out, if he wasn't there to get friendly with terrorists ?

I dunno where you've read he "slipped in and out" but presumably because he wanted to attend without provoking a backlash from perma raging zombies?

Jelle1880

Seems like Stokes and English are having a bit of a Twitter-fight

Stokes claimed he would sue Tom English, English replied:

@stoksey10 Good for you. You might be surprised to see who some of my witnesses are going to be.

Would love to see what exactly he would sue Tom English for though.

edit: And I read that in the original article from the Irish Independent.
The fact you had to throw that last comment in shows you up, must be only those big bad Rangers fans who think it's a disgrace.
I guess it must be easier for you that way.

buyer95

Jelle1880 wrote: »

Seems like Stokes and English are having a bit of a Twitter-fight

Stokes claimed he would sue Tom English, English replied:

@stoksey10 Good for you. You might be surprised to see who some of my witnesses are going to be.

Would love to see what exactly he would sue Tom English for though.

edit: And I read that in the original article from the Irish Independent.
The fact you had to throw that last comment in shows you up, must be only those big bad Rangers fans who think it's a disgrace.
I guess it must be easier for you that way.

Not a bit, I'm neither a Celtic or Rangers fan. Though if Celtic were playing Rangers I would ofcourse shout for Celtic. In fact I think Stokes is a smashing player, I just posted this to get a bit of a debate going on what people thought about him attending the fundraiser for the recently deceased RIRA/gangland terrorist Alan Ryan and how it will probably negatively affect his career at Celtic.

michael999999

Can someone put up the statement from Celtic saying Anthony was in big trouble?

Or is this story from a "source"?

Cienciano

So, 10 hours ago on twitter stokes said:

Anthony Stokes ‏@stoksey10
@TomEnglishSport nice article this morning, so many lies, I will go through it with you on here so ppl can see... Embarrassing!!

Number of lies in the article "exposed" by stokes so far: 1
The article says that Stokes knew Ryan since he was a kid. Stokes said he didnt. How embarrassing :rolleyes:

BhoscaCapall

michael999999 wrote: »

Can someone put up the statement from Celtic saying Anthony was in big trouble?

Or is this story from a "source"?

Tom English would probably cite the fact he wasn't in the squad yesterday and won't be on Weds :rolleyes:

Coillte_Bhoy

Jelle1880 wrote: »

I doubt Gardai would keep a strict eye on just a memorial event.

And yes, it was intended for Alan Ryan as far as I know, but that hardly changes the fact that it was attended by RIRA members from north and south of the border, something which Stokes could not have been unaware of.

I understand that he wanted to remember his friend, it's normal, but there's other ways for that than going to a place packed with terrorists, right ?

lol, it was a memorial event whether you like it or not and of course the cops would be keeping an eye on it

Eirebear

rarnes1 wrote: »

Píss poor journalism

BhoscaCapall wrote: »

Clown of a journalist.

Ironic - Given the reaction and misunderstanding of what is an opinion piece, in this very thread.

Firstly, nowhere in that article does it state that Stokes is "in Hot Water" as your thread title suggests.
It gives English' opinion that he has indeed "disgraced" his club - but that's that.
It's not a story about Lennon being pissed off, it's an opinion piece by a features writer.

Nowhere in the article does it say anything about Stokes' education either - he talks about Stoke's "upbringing" in relation to the Republican movement and the splinters that have created themselves over the last 10-20 years.
It's fairly clear that Stoke's family has strong ties to these factions, and in that context there is a high percentage chance that Stokes would to.
Why would anyone assume that it's a dig at his education?

Maybe a read of the article from that point of view might calm the nerves a little, and maybe certain posters can step back from the "zombie" jibes.
This is far bigger than you're petty crusade against Rangers fans.

As for my opinion on Stokes - those who called for Healy's sacking after a photograph, might want to think about why they called for that.
Because it certainly wasn't on the grounds of decency and fairness if you're willing to pass this off as simply Stokes mourning what a few of you have called a "childhood friend".
We know now that's not true - and he only came to know Ryan in adult life.

Stoke's is guilty of similar mistakes to Healy - they both grew up in communities on either side of the divide, and as such have certain attachments that don't sit well with me.

The only reason some of you believe that Stokes is somehow morally more acceptable than healy, is because he resides on the side of the divide that you, politically, fall on also.

simongurnick

Jelle1880 wrote: »

Is the British Army an outlawed terrorist organisation ?

In some countries it should be.

Eirebear

Eirebear wrote: »

Ironic - Given the reaction and misunderstanding of what is an opinion piece, in this very thread.

Firstly, nowhere in that article does it state that Stokes is "in Hot Water" as your thread title suggests.
It gives English' opinion that he has indeed "disgraced" his club - but that's that.
It's not a story about Lennon being pissed off, it's an opinion piece by a features writer.

Nowhere in the article does it say anything about Stokes' education either - he talks about Stoke's "upbringing" in relation to the Republican movement and the splinters that have created themselves over the last 10-20 years.
It's fairly clear that Stoke's family has strong ties to these factions, and in that context there is a high percentage chance that Stokes would to.
Why would anyone assume that it's a dig at his education?

Maybe a read of the article from that point of view might calm the nerves a little, and maybe certain posters can step back from the "zombie" jibes.
This is far bigger than you're petty crusade against Rangers fans.

As for my opinion on Stokes - those who called for Healy's sacking after a photograph, might want to think about why they called for that.
Because it certainly wasn't on the grounds of decency and fairness if you're willing to pass this off as simply Stokes mourning what a few of you have called a "childhood friend".
We know now that's not true - and he only came to know Ryan in adult life.

Stoke's is guilty of similar mistakes to Healy - they both grew up in communities on either side of the divide, and as such have certain attachments that don't sit well with me.

The only reason some of you believe that Stokes is somehow morally more acceptable than healy, is because he resides on the side of the divide that you, politically, fall on also.

I wouldn't say there's too many on here falling on the same side as the Rira

Cienciano

21 hours since stokes said hes going to expose all the lies and take English to court. Still no more "lies" exposed.
Interesting that people think because stokes went to a fee paying schol that he cant be exposed to strong republican influences, therefore article is terrible.
2+2=5

The_Kew_Tour

Is Stokes dad from Dublin does anyone know? Just curious.