City Hall football reception is a cynical, political stunt
The focus should be on the achievements on Michael O'Neill and his team. This evening Belfast City Council will vote on a motion proposing to invite both the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland football teams to a civic reception at the City Hall. The joint event is a mischievous idea, conceived by SDLP councillor, Declan Boyle, which masquerades as an attempt to encourage reconciliation, but actually undermines efforts to ensure our national football team remains an inclusive, cross-community organisation, representing everyone here. Northern Ireland’s footballers and their committed supporters, the Green and White Army, can look forward to 2016 with enormous optimism. Under the leadership of Michael O’Neill, our team last year qualified for a major championship for the first time since 1986, topping its group in the process. In June the squad travels to France to play Poland, the Ukraine and world champions Germany, in the European Championships - a...