A proposed protest of Ireland v Yugoslavia was the talking point at a committee meeting of the Waterford & District Football League in 1955.
It’s worth noting that the original purpose of the meeting was the decline in gate ticket sales and what could be done to rectify this, however the meeting was dominated by discussion about the FAI.
Ireland v Yugoslavia
Political discourse featured heavily as Ireland was set to fulfill a fixture against Yugoslavia at Dalymount Park the following October.
The game itself was almost deemed a contest between the values of 1950s Ireland and a country, at that time deemed, to be ‘against the principles of Christianity and democracy’ according to one committee member.
While the official advice distributed was that nobody attend the game by way of boycott, it was attended by people in their thousands.
In 2026, this raises an interesting question on the role local soccer has on political issues, and sending a wider message.
Cian Manning as always, entertains and informs during his weekly chat on The Big Breakfast Blaa each Wednesday.
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