Vera Pow and the Irish team have apologized for the ‘hurts’ caused by singing the controversial song following last night’s World Cup qualifying success.
When she admitted that players on the social media accounts where the song’s video was posted were in tears after the uproar, Pau vowed that the team and association would learn from the episode and not repeat it.
Footage of the team singing “Celtic Symphony” by Wolf Tones in their dressing room at Hampden Park has surfaced online following their 1-0 victory over Scotland, who have qualified for the 2023 World Cup final. Raise the ra.
FAI issued a statement of apology Wednesday morning, which Po extended further to state her own warnings for the song and the hurt it caused.
The DUP MLA has now lodged a complaint with Scottish Police, UEFA and FAI about players singing chants.
“Outside the locker room, I noticed the clip that went viral.
“I am responsible for the players and on behalf of the players, staff and the association, I sincerely apologize to all the people we have hurt.
“or [respect] is the first sentence of our dialogue, the first sentence. Everyone on my team is respectful. Therefore, above all, we are disappointed that we overstepped those rules, and we are very sorry that we hurt people.
“It was unnecessary. I’ve already spoken to some players about it, but the person who posted it is devastated. She was crying in her room. She was really sorry. I told her it was wrong, but not only wrong, she was wrong that the song was meant to be sung.
“I have no excuse. If I had been there, I honestly wouldn’t have recognized it.” [the song’s significance] I’m a foreigner, so I don’t know the song, and I don’t understand the meaning.
“I asked, I asked, did you know what you were singing?” “Of course we know it, but we didn’t feel it. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” But that’s no excuse. So if you know that, it means you respect people. What happened? , if you know the history and background, everyone knows it, so it shouldn’t have happened.
“My deepest condolences. Even if it was in the spirit of the celebration, it’s just as wrong as it was planned. It shouldn’t have happened.
“We have always been a team that respects everyone and the first line in the first meeting with the players is respect. , I feel at home with this team., , No excuses, you can’t hurt people.
“Knowing what you have done to others the moment you do something is a core value of life. or, in the extreme opposite case, there is a history here that we must respect, and we have hurt people without having to go through it ourselves. It is wrong because
“And we have to take responsibility for it and recognize it. Hopefully this teaches us that you always have a responsibility to respect others.” I will help you.”
Pau denied that he felt angry when the video leaked outside the dressing room and onto the internet, saying the problem was the song itself, not its exposure on social media.
“It’s a mistake people often make and think, ‘Well, it shouldn’t have gone.’ No, it shouldn’t have happened. It’s not that it’s gone, it shouldn’t have happened. Without cameras, it’s the same thing, because it doesn’t show respect to the victims,” Pow added.
“It was part of the moment, but that’s no excuse. So it’s also an educational moment. We need to be accountable all the time, all the time. People told me If it was private….No, you can’t do it even in a private setting, because respect is something that carries you through your whole life.
Pau was also asked if he would accept the player’s expulsion from international competition as a result of the incident.
“If that happens, it’s something we need to accept,” she said.
“It’s part of what happened. I hope you feel like I never meant to hurt anyone. It was in the middle of a celebration. hurt.
“It’s real. I say it from the bottom of my heart. It’s not something you put out for good, seriously. Those are our values.”
Ireland defender Chloe Moustaki has revealed that the players are “incredibly embarrassed” over the incident.
“It was a big misjudgment on our part,” Moustaki told Sky Sports.
“We are incredibly embarrassed at this moment and we are so sorry. We are all so sorry. There was a lot going on when the final whistle blew. Of course, I didn’t mean to hurt you, and I absolutely apologize.”
“There was a lot going on in the locker room at such key moments. There were a lot of different songs left, right and center. We learn in these moments, we get better, we do better.” There is a need…we have all been brought up.There is a lot to be learned about Irish history.We need to be better in moments like this and we are aware of it.”
Democratic Unionist MLA David Hilditch has now filed a complaint with the Scottish Police over the matter.
In a statement, the East Antrim MLA said it had written letters to Scottish Police, UEFA and FAI describing the players’ behavior as an “uncomfortable scene”.
“Unfortunately, this is becoming a very common occurrence. When a team wins a trophy or qualifies for a tournament, the first thing they think about is: It’s about chanting about terrorist organizations,” he said.
“We’ve seen it many times in the past and will definitely see it again in the future. An apology doesn’t cut it. Both Northern Ireland and the Republic have suffered countless victims of IRA terrorism.” And they’re justifiably disgusted with the behavior of this group of women who are supposed to represent their country.”
The DUP MLA said it hoped the sporting body UEFA would be “attentive and attentive” to the behavior of its players.
“If this were a team chanting about al-Qaeda or Hamas, there would be a lot of hype and the team would likely be kicked out of the tournament. increase.”
He added that he believed the FAI should “withhold the player’s match fees” and donate them to the victim’s charity.
Police Scotland has been asked to respond.
