Wrexham fans respect James McClean's poppy stance - so why can't others?

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and the annual witch hunt of James McClean.

The Wrexham captain found himself at the centre of controversy this weekend for refusing to wear a poppy armband before Saturday’s game against Mansfield Town.

The former Republic of Ireland international also stood apart from his team-mates as they observed a minute’s silence ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

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For the Wrexham fans inside the Racecourse Ground, there was no great shock or horror at these actions. In fact, many sang his name in support later on.

McClean’s views on the poppy and what it symbolises to him have been known for more than a decade.

It stems from the fact that the 35-year-old was brought up on the Creggan estate in Derry, Northern Ireland, where six of the people shot dead by British soldiers on Bloody Sunday in 1972 were from.

Yet the insults hurled at the player throughout the match by a vocal section of the travelling Mansfield supporters provided a flavour of what was to come.

By the time the final whistle was blown, it was already headline news, and the social media vitriol had started in earnest.

The worst posts don’t deserve to be given the oxygen of publicity, but it became so toxic that some were even wishing death on McClean.

Sadly, all of this is nothing new. It’s an ongoing cycle that began in November 2012 when he first decided not to wear a poppy on his shirt while playing for Sunderland.

He still has to explain himself year after year though. Posting on Instagram after the game, McClean highlighted that the poppy has a different meaning to him than others due to his upbringing.

While he said he had no issue with people wearing a poppy, he did not wish to have one forced upon him.

He added that he believes the symbol has come to represent British soldiers who fought in all conflicts, rather than just the two World Wars.

It should be pointed out that McClean hasn’t always helped himself. In 2020, he was fined two weeks’ wages by former club Stoke City after he posted a picture of himself on Instagram wearing a balaclava alongside two children, whom he claimed to be giving a "history lesson."

He swiftly apologised, later describing it as “an absolute disaster judgement call,” but it does not justify the ongoing sectarian abuse he is subjected to.

The fact he still has to issue statements like this after 12 years is indicative of the way the poppy has been weaponised by some.

Politicians dare not go on TV without one in fear of being vilified, and even the Cookie Monster famously had one pinned on him during an appearance on The One Show to avoid offending anyone.

Remembrance at its heart is meant to be a sombre and reflective act as we think of those who lost their lives in conflict.

For many people who lived through the two World Wars, wearing a poppy was a sign of hope that such bloodshed would never happen again.

However, in some quarters it has changed from being a symbol of unity to one used to create division.

Football is a tribal game and can also become an extension of the current culture wars, where it’s easier to direct hate at someone than try to understand their point of view.

It was interesting therefore to experience the general consensus among most Wrexham fans on Saturday.

The majority I spoke to at the very least acknowledged McClean’s right to hold his views, even if they didn’t necessarily agree with them.

They did not view his actions as aggressive or unreasonable. Indeed, he remained quiet along with everyone else in the stadium during the minute’s silence.

As one fellow supporter put it to me afterwards: “My traditions are different to his, but I would die in a ditch defending him and his. That's the freedom men and women fought for and died to preserve.”