Majority in North favour all-Ireland soccer team

A majority of people in Northern Ireland favour the creation of one all-Ireland soccer team, a detailed report into social exclusion and sport in the North has found.

The 368-page Ulster University study, which examines how sport can contribute to peace-building and social inclusion, reported that 54 per cent of respondents supported an all-island soccer team.

Some 70 per cent of the Catholic community were in favour, with 39 per cent of Protestants supportive of such change.

As well as soccer the report - Social Exclusion and Sport in Northern Ireland - also addresses issues such as public perceptions of the GAA and rugby, national anthems, women's attitude to sport, racism in sport and the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of sport in Northern Ireland.

The Ulster University’s research, which was commissioned by the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister, included 104 in-depth interviews, and a survey of 1,210 people carried out as part of the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey.

The research project team was led by Ulster University's Professor Owen Hargie and Dr Ian Somerville, alongside research associate Dr David Mitchell.

“For the first time ever Northern Ireland now has a benchmark for both government and local sporting organisations to chart the evolution of local attitudes to the future of sport,” said Prof Hargie.

“Our findings will assist them in better understanding public perceptions and attitudes to cohesion, sharing and integration in Northern Irish society,” he added.

The report comes at a time when both the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland teams have qualified for next summer’s European championships.

The study found perceptions of sectarianism surrounding Northern Ireland soccer persist among some people with a number of respondents having such negative experiences in Windsor Park in Belfast, the home of Linfield and Northern Ireland soccer.

It also found however that Catholics were quite positively disposed towards the Northern Ireland team. More Catholics (71 per cent) than Protestants (65 per cent) felt that the Irish Football Association was taking active steps to welcome all traditions. Two-thirds of Catholic respondents said they would like to see more Catholics supporting the team, while only a slightly higher proportion of Protestants (60 per cent) than Catholics (56 per cent) said they would be willing to attend Windsor Park if offered tickets. Many interviewees commented upon the good work done by the Football for All campaign.

The study reported that participation and interest in soccer, rugby and Gaelic games all continued to be affected by the community divide.

From the interviewee responses, and the results of the survey questions on TV viewing and willingness to attend sports fixtures, it was “clear that Gaelic games remain the preserve of Catholics.

Rugby and soccer are more mixed overall, although there are divisions within the latter in relation to local and national team support”.

“The GAA remains largely outside of the experience of most Protestants. Only 1 per cent of Protestants had watched ‘a lot’ of Gaelic football in the last year compared to 31 per cent of Catholics. Similarly, 39 per cent of Protestants said they would attend a match in Casement Park if offered tickets compared to 78 per cent of Catholics,” it reported.

“In regard to the GAA’s efforts to be socially inclusive, Protestants believe that it could and should be doing more to make Gaelic sports amenable to their tradition. Thus, 40 per cent of Protestants agreed that the GAA was taking active steps to welcome all traditions, compared to 72 per cent of Catholics.

“Qualitative data from the interviews revealed Protestant disapproval of the GAA for its political associations with Irish nationalism, yet at the same time, positive recognition of its community spirit and organisational acumen, and respect for Gaelic sports per se,” it added.

It further found 28 per cent did not believe the GAA was taking active steps to welcome all traditions, while 78 per cent said they would like to see more Protestants playing Gaelic sports. A number of Catholic interviewees were uncomfortable with the political associations of the GAA.

Rugby in Northern Ireland was “overwhelmingly” regarded as inclusive and unifying. “TV coverage of Ireland rugby matches attracted equal levels of Protestant and Catholic interest (although Ulster rugby matches attracted a slightly higher proportion of Protestant viewers). A total of 83 per cent of survey respondents believed that Ulster Rugby was taking active steps to welcome all traditions, including almost equal proportions of Protestants and Catholics.”

Of the three respective GAA, soccer and rugby stadiums at Casement Park, Windsor Park and Kingspan Ravenhill it found the Ulster rugby HQ the "most inclusive".

The topic of national anthems in sport was contentious with 36 per cent agreeing that anthems should not be part of sport in NI while 42 per cent disagreed. “Protestants were more attached to anthems than Catholics, with the youngest age category in the study (18-24 years) showing strongest support for anthems.”

The report added: “Sporting colours, emblems and venues continue to be perceived as politico-religious markers. Interviewees provided rich detail and telling anecdotes to illustrate the ‘otherness’ of certain sports venues, the manner in which sports emblems or even equipment could identify someone as a member of the out-group, and the related threat/anxiety that this may cause in particular areas.”

It also reported a link between religious division within the schools sector and sports segregation with 51 per cent agreeing or strongly agreeing “that segregated schools are a major cause of segregation in sport” and 21 per cent disagreeing.

The report found sport “plays a comparatively minor role in the lives of women” with women watching less sport on TV, experiencing a lower level of enjoyment of sport at school, and participating in sport less than men.

People in the lowest socio-economic groups participated in sport least and were less likely to take part in a sports-based peacebuilding initiative than those in higher socio-economic groups. “This was demonstrated by the survey analysis which showed that people in higher-level occupational classifications were 1.8 times more likely to have taken part than those in the lower-level occupations, and people with A-level qualifications and above were 1.7 times more likely to have taken part than those with GCSEs and below.”

Many people believed that sports provision for people with disabilities was inadequate. “Nearly half of respondents (49 per cent) agreed that sports for people with disabilities were not taken seriously in NI.”

“However, many interviewees were simply unaware of what sports provision existed for people with disabilities,” it added.

The report also found that many LGBT people faced “significant obstacles” to engaging in sport and leisure. “Testimony from LGB interviewees confirmed existing research regarding the gendered nature of certain team sports and how this can create a culture which is conducive to homophobia,” it said.

The report found that ethnic minorities were not widely perceived as facing serious sports exclusion, though some respondents felt that the impression that there is racism in certain parts of Northern Ireland may dissuade ethnic minority participation. “Just 15 per cent of survey respondents thought that a person from an ethnic minority group would not be welcome to join and play for most sports clubs in NI, and 7 per cent did not wish their children’s or grandchildren’s sport team to be coached by someone from an ethnic minority group.”