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4th November 2018
10:12am GMT
Although Stoke City released a statement earlier in the week that stood by James McClean's decision to not wear a poppy, he still got serious abuse from fans at yesterday's game.
And a minority of the abuse came from his own fans.
Stoke City said that: "we recognise that the poppy means different things to different individuals and communities and (like the Royal British Legion) do not believe that anybody should be forced or even pressured to wear the Poppy against their free will.
James has informed us that he will not be wearing a Remembrance Day Poppy in our next two games. We respect his decision and his right to follow his own convictions.”
So, McClean went poppy-less for his game yesterday but was met by some angry Stoke supporters at the end of the game.
McClean released a statement on Instagram last night after the game which said that:
"They have nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the spirit of one Irishman who doesn’t want to be broken. Your abuse, your throwing things, your booing, do your worst.
"To the home fans that are actually educated and support me, thank you. To the section of uneducated cavemen in the left hand corner of the Boothen End Stand that want to song their Anti-Irish songs each game and call me a Fenian this and that,
"I am a PROUD FENIAN. No c**t will ever change that, so sing away."
View this post on InstagramA post shared by James McClean ⚽️???????? (@jimmymac_11) on
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