huns under par

**manker** · 01-07-2007, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by JPaul

Originally Posted by manker

How does the manager know if someone is a Catholic or not.

Surely it would be contrary to employment law to ask prior to offering the player a deal and hiring a PI to look into the player's past would be overkill, like.

Can Scotch people tell just by looking?

Nope, they used to ask.

Derek Whyte had trial at both Celtic and Rangers. However someone from Ibrox phoned his Dad to ask what school he went to (obviously the name wasn't clear enough). His Dad told them to fuck off and took the lad to sign a Paradise. This is a story as related by DW himself.

When Souness took over one of the questions he asked Murray was if he could sign Catholics. Murray told him he could sign whoever he fucking wanted, so long as they were the right player for the team.

It all seems mad to me - the phrase that springs to mind is cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Tho', I suppose the worst was over by the time I started watching football.

**Ava Estelle** · 01-07-2007, 05:27 PM

When I was a kid the Catholic Protestant divide was alive and well; Manchester United was Catholic, Manchester City was Protestant; Liverpool was Catholic, Everton was Protestant.

You only have to look at the make-up of the teams, how many Scots and Irish played for Man Utd and Liverpool in the old days, compared to the number who played for City and Everton. Look at the managers too.

**JPaul** · 01-07-2007, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Ava Estelle

Liverpool was Catholic, Everton was Protestant.

You've said this before. Two chaps I was speaking to, from Liverpool, were absolutely adamant it's the other way round. In fact one was quite offended at the notion that it might be otherwise.

**manker** · 01-07-2007, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by JPaul

Originally Posted by Ava Estelle

Liverpool was Catholic, Everton was Protestant.

You've said this before. Two chaps I was speaking to, from Liverpool, were absolutely adamant it's the other way round. In fact one was quite offended at the notion that it might be otherwise.

I'd never even heard of this religion divide in major clubs of the same English city.

I'm not saying it didn't exist, just that I'd never heard of it.

**Ava Estelle** · 01-07-2007, 05:43 PM

Actually, Liverpool - Everton was a bad example, as they were both started by wealthy protestants.

Everton Football Club started life as St Domingo's Boys Club, attached to a Methodist church. Liverpool came from the same team after a falling out between the owners.

There was a time in the '50s when Everton fielded a few Irish Catholic players, and the Catholic tag stuck, but they also went on to field several Orangemen in later years.

Just to prove things have changed, there is one player who played for Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool and Everton ... can you name him?