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AS GESTURES GO, this was a pretty nice one.
This is a banner displayed on the streets of Bordeaux yesterday by fans of ASM Clermont Auvergne, welcoming Leinster fans who had made the impossible-by-direct-air-link trek to the south of France for yesterday’s Heineken Cup semi-final.
Albeit with a slightly iffy translation, the banner reads, ‘Welcome to our Irish friends’ – a very nice touch for the Leinster fans in town, who convened near the stadium to walk to the Stade Chaban-Delmas to watch Leinster’s horrendously tense 19-15 win.
Pic reproduced with thanks from the Official Leinster Supporters’ Club’s Facebook page.
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Awesome! That’s what sport needs more of!!
Well done!! PROPER sporting ethics & behaviour.
Fair play to them ……
A Korean friend told me of a sign his American host family held up for him to welcome him to The USA when he was an exchange student. It read something like “Come here Korean schoolboy to the heat/hotness of our lactation”. Held high and proud in the arrivals hall of an airport that just welcomed a 747 from Seoul.
Lovely gesture. Yes, imperfect translation but good enough for me!
Gimme a break!! Not like that many of you can really speak irish.
I admire the effort and the literal translation is quite amusing.
Fáilte roimh ár gcáirde as Éirinn?
Just back from Bordeaux this evening. The Clermont fans are the soundest bunch ever. Really nice people and up for the craic… Great night out after the game :)
Thank you for your comment. Despite the defeat it is heartwarming. Good luck to the final at the two Irish club . Long live Ireland.
I think that is just SUPER !! Nice touch
in stark contrast to the lines of police dividing the soccer fans at the Manchester Derby tonight….says it all about the soccer following
Mark I couldn’t agree more, and I’m saying that as a football fan. Rugby is simply a more honourable sport, if you’ll excuse the generalisation. The diving, the racism, the scobies, the primadonna players and the sometimes dodgy refereeing decisions…I’m getting tired of it.
Don’t watch it then
Goodie, I have long tired of it – and I was once a soccer fanatic
I remember Clermont came to play Munster a few winters ago, having hosted – and beaten – them in France the previous weekend. Friends of mine were there and were raving about the welcome they had been given.
Anyway, one particular Clermont fan, who had obviously been practicing the previous week, got down on his knees in front of a rather pretty Thomond Park match steward, whipped out the crumpled lyrics of The Fields of Athenry, and preceded to serenade her with it in the thickest French accent imaginable. She seemed both embarrassed and a bit charmed at the same time!
A great bunch of lads, and fair play to them for that banner!
I like football and I will watch it. I was just making a true statement about an aspect of the sport I don’t like in contrast to the above actions by the Clermont fans…having fans segregated into and out of stadiums is a real pity and a poor reflection of the “support”. Not saying it’s all football fans either. Again class stuff by the Clermont fans.
It reminds me of a banner in Larne written in Ulster Scots welcoming the Iraqi special Olympics team – “Fair fa ye wee Iraqi dafties”
have your say