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James McClean 'threw petrol bombs aged 11' and wife feared he'd be shot over Poppy snub
James McClean has opened up on his childhood and how he learned to make petrol bombs aged just 11 - while his wife feared he would be shot over his Poppy snub around Remembrance Sunday
Wrexham midfielder James McClean has opened up on his childhood growing up in Londonderry’s Creggan estate.
Former Premier League star McClean, 36, revealed how he learned to make and throw petrol bombs as a child while partaking in riots during the Northern Ireland Troubles.
In an interview on Living with Lucy aired on Sunday night in Ireland, McClean opened up about his experiences growing up and how they have determined his decision not to wear a Poppy, a stance he has received vicious abuse for.
The Londonderry/Derry native said: “There would just be riots here nonstop and you'd be involved in the riots yourself. From the age of 11, 12, 13 - I knew how to make petrol bombs and knew how to throw them and you would.”
McClean, who turned out for Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion in the top flight along with spells at Championship Wigan Athletic and Stoke City, also described the ongoing stance on him not wearing a Poppy as a “pain in my a***”, with the first major incident of backlash against the player coming when he was at Sunderland.
Sunderland announced McClean’s controversial decision not to wear the Poppy as his own choice. The Poppy is a symbol of both remembrance and hope for a peaceful future in the aftermath of the First World War, and is worn as a show of support for the Armed Forces community.
McClean’s decision was met with public outcry and threats on his life were even made.
He said: “At that age, I was 23, so I thought ‘the club is looking after me’. You just assume the club is looking after one of their players. They're telling me not to say nothing, like it will blow over. I'm thinking ‘I believe you, it will’.
“It didn't. It went insane. I was getting death threats, people were saying I should be shot. I was getting bullets in the post, bullets sent to the club.
“That night I met up with Ireland, the club had received threats that basically I was going to be shot. The game was on TV, I was going to be shot, this and that.
“She's (Erin, wife) back up in Newcastle, she's panicking, she's s****** herself. They had to put security outside my hotel room door the whole night.
“Then obviously we're playing the game, Erin's watching the game, she's panicking, she's thinking 'he's going to be shot on TV'. Thankfully nothing happened or nothing ever has happened.'
McClean also reiterated why he refuses to partake in the Remembrance Day gesture, adding: “I was getting death threats, people were saying he should be shot and dragged across the Cenotaph.
“I could have easily just said, ’I'll wear a Poppy,’ and sold myself out and be known for my football or I'll not wear a Poppy and be known as that but I've stayed true to myself.
“Six of seven people from the Creggan estate (where he grew up in Northern Ireland) died on Bloody Sunday that day so for me to wear a Poppy in support of the people who carried out those atrocities...
“It frustrates me how people can't see that. How is it even a debate of why I should wear the Poppy.”
In 2015, McClean said in the matchday programme about the Poppy while playing for West Brom that he would "wear it every day of the year" if it only represented those who died in World War One and World War Two.
However, the 103-time Ireland international said the Poppy represented all the conflicts the UK had been involved in, and because "of the history where I come from in Derry, I cannot wear something that represents that".
McClean has made the point to stand away from his team-mates during the minutes' silence on Remembrance Day games.
The Irishman isn't the only player in Premier League history to snub wearing the Poppy. Former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic opted not to wear the gesture, pointing to his experience as a child when his village in Serbia was bombed during the 1999 NATO intervention in Kosovo.
The winger has also sparked anger and enflamed tensions with his actions on and off the pitch. He previously flashed his Free Derry tattoo on his leg to Birmingham City fans who aimed abuse in his direction.
McClean has also admitted regret about posting a controversial picture of himself in lockdown ‘jokingly’ home schooling his children in a balaclava about ‘history’, which was interpreted as a reference to the IRA.
He called the post a “mistake”, adding: “I regret it in one sense because it's given people now an opportunity to say ‘well he brings it on himself.’ Every time my name gets brought up, they just attach that picture to it.
“That was just bad judgement on my part. It was supposed to be a joke and it wasn't a joke. And it turned out just to be an absolute disaster judgement call. It's given people an opportunity to justify the abuse.”
Daily Star Sunday
James McClean has opened up on his childhood and how he learned to make petrol bombs aged just 11 - while his wife feared he would be shot over his Poppy snub around Remembrance Sunday
Wrexham midfielder James McClean has opened up on his childhood growing up in Londonderry’s Creggan estate.
Former Premier League star McClean, 36, revealed how he learned to make and throw petrol bombs as a child while partaking in riots during the Northern Ireland Troubles.
In an interview on Living with Lucy aired on Sunday night in Ireland, McClean opened up about his experiences growing up and how they have determined his decision not to wear a Poppy, a stance he has received vicious abuse for.
The Londonderry/Derry native said: “There would just be riots here nonstop and you'd be involved in the riots yourself. From the age of 11, 12, 13 - I knew how to make petrol bombs and knew how to throw them and you would.”
McClean, who turned out for Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion in the top flight along with spells at Championship Wigan Athletic and Stoke City, also described the ongoing stance on him not wearing a Poppy as a “pain in my a***”, with the first major incident of backlash against the player coming when he was at Sunderland.
Sunderland announced McClean’s controversial decision not to wear the Poppy as his own choice. The Poppy is a symbol of both remembrance and hope for a peaceful future in the aftermath of the First World War, and is worn as a show of support for the Armed Forces community.
McClean’s decision was met with public outcry and threats on his life were even made.
He said: “At that age, I was 23, so I thought ‘the club is looking after me’. You just assume the club is looking after one of their players. They're telling me not to say nothing, like it will blow over. I'm thinking ‘I believe you, it will’.
“It didn't. It went insane. I was getting death threats, people were saying I should be shot. I was getting bullets in the post, bullets sent to the club.
“That night I met up with Ireland, the club had received threats that basically I was going to be shot. The game was on TV, I was going to be shot, this and that.
“She's (Erin, wife) back up in Newcastle, she's panicking, she's s****** herself. They had to put security outside my hotel room door the whole night.
“Then obviously we're playing the game, Erin's watching the game, she's panicking, she's thinking 'he's going to be shot on TV'. Thankfully nothing happened or nothing ever has happened.'
McClean also reiterated why he refuses to partake in the Remembrance Day gesture, adding: “I was getting death threats, people were saying he should be shot and dragged across the Cenotaph.
“I could have easily just said, ’I'll wear a Poppy,’ and sold myself out and be known for my football or I'll not wear a Poppy and be known as that but I've stayed true to myself.
“Six of seven people from the Creggan estate (where he grew up in Northern Ireland) died on Bloody Sunday that day so for me to wear a Poppy in support of the people who carried out those atrocities...
“It frustrates me how people can't see that. How is it even a debate of why I should wear the Poppy.”
In 2015, McClean said in the matchday programme about the Poppy while playing for West Brom that he would "wear it every day of the year" if it only represented those who died in World War One and World War Two.
However, the 103-time Ireland international said the Poppy represented all the conflicts the UK had been involved in, and because "of the history where I come from in Derry, I cannot wear something that represents that".
McClean has made the point to stand away from his team-mates during the minutes' silence on Remembrance Day games.
The Irishman isn't the only player in Premier League history to snub wearing the Poppy. Former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic opted not to wear the gesture, pointing to his experience as a child when his village in Serbia was bombed during the 1999 NATO intervention in Kosovo.
The winger has also sparked anger and enflamed tensions with his actions on and off the pitch. He previously flashed his Free Derry tattoo on his leg to Birmingham City fans who aimed abuse in his direction.
McClean has also admitted regret about posting a controversial picture of himself in lockdown ‘jokingly’ home schooling his children in a balaclava about ‘history’, which was interpreted as a reference to the IRA.
He called the post a “mistake”, adding: “I regret it in one sense because it's given people now an opportunity to say ‘well he brings it on himself.’ Every time my name gets brought up, they just attach that picture to it.
“That was just bad judgement on my part. It was supposed to be a joke and it wasn't a joke. And it turned out just to be an absolute disaster judgement call. It's given people an opportunity to justify the abuse.”
Daily Star Sunday