Overview

On 27 December 1948, rioting broke out during a match between Belfast Celtic and Linfield. Jimmy Jones, a prolific goalscorer for Belfast Celtic, was dragged from the pitch by the opposing fans, and beaten so badly that his career was ended. And with that ended the existence of Belfast Celtic after fifty-eight years in the game. In Political Football Barry Flynn traces the development of the team from its beginnings, in an attempt to discover the reasons behind the tragic events. Like that of every football club, the story of Belfast Celtic is one of victories and defeats. Theirs, however, is a story riddled with violence and hatred culminating in near-murder. Political Football reveals how the political and social unrest that took hold of the city of Belfast was refelcted in the history of the club, how tensions between two communities spilled onto both the pitch and the terraces, with devastating consequences.

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9781845889463

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Born in Belfast in 1970, BARRY FLYNN has written eleven books of Irish interest, his most recent being The Little Book of Irish Boxing and The Little Book of Armagh. He has worked as a freelance broadcaster for BBC Northern Ireland, RTE, Newstalk and BBC Radio Ulster. He is a tour guide and conducts tours of Belfast’s footballing heritage – and is a host at the George Best house – which is a historic B&B. He gives talks to clubs and societies on the history of Irish football and has established close working links with every club on the island.

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