This is the design the police banned for the final (another design was also banned).

 

 

Why?

 

Because of its IRA connotations.........

 

 

The sunburst flag is a flag associated with early Irish nationalism, and more recently, youth wings of Irish republican groups such as Na Fianna Éireann. The flag is first thought to have been used in 1858 by the Irish Republican Brotherhood.

 

 

Religious bigot the Dalai Lama

 

Imperial Japanese (ok a bit bad)

 

Argentina

 

Kiribati

 

Antigua and Barbuda

 

Philippines

 

FYOR Macedonia

Glad they banned it cos it's shite compared to the one that was actually used.

 

I agree

 

I dont know how long it took to set up sunday's effort but I think that original design would have added a few more hours.

I agree

 

I dont know how long it took to set up sunday's effort but I think that original design would have added a few more hours.

 

But more importantly it looked rubbish. The display used was epic.

The sunburst flag is a flag associated with early Irish nationalism, and more recently, youth wings of Irish republican groups such as Na Fianna Éireann. The flag is first thought to have been used in 1858 by the Irish Republican Brotherhood.

 

Who in their right mind would know that or dig that out?

 

Pathetic.

Another half decent article from everyone's favourite sensible fucking dirty weegie Michael Gannon:

 

NOTHING is going to wreck the party in Aberdeen this week. Not even a story that would usually have Dons fans howling in protest.

 

Mind you there are some tales that are so far-fetched, so far beyond the realms of common sense, the only response can be to roll about the floor laughing.

 

It turns out the Red Army is sectarian again this week.

 

Except this time they’ve done a full 180.

 

A few weeks on from allegedly hurling anti-Irish abuse at Neil Lennon, at Parkhead on Sunday they were hoping to produce a pro-IRA display before kick-off.

 

Yep. You read that right. At least that’s what the bobbies said and that’s why they told Dons fans their planned show of cards had to be changed.

 

Sit down for this one.

 

Apparently the offending display included a sunburst coming out from behind the letters COYR (it means Come on You Reds, do keep up).

 

Ooh, that has sectarian connotations, said match commander superintendent Mark Hargreaves.

 

Erm, what? Sorry?

 

We skate pretty close to insanity in Scottish football on a weekly basis but now we’ve gone crashing right through the looking glass.

 

Sunburst? Sectarian? Really?

 

If you didn’t need to Google it to find out it was a symbol of a Republican group in Ireland in the 1850s it says more about you than the rest of us.

 

There are even bampots in deepest, darkest Coatbridge and Larkhall who’ll have been scratching their heads at this one. In fact, quite what it prompted in the minds of Police Scotland is another worry.

 

It’s like when you show a suspect a paint-spattered card. Sane folk say they see a butterfly while the serial killers describe a dead dug.

 

Forget about the Offensive Behaviour in Football Act, anyone offended by a wee sunburst at an Aberdeen game should be made to stand on a big box and laughed at in public parks around the country.

 

Dons fans with a pro-IRA banner in their first cup final in 14 years? Behave yourself.

 

Not that any Dons fan could give a jot about what some busy bobby thinks this week.

 

They’re too busy trying to cure the mother of all hangovers. You can’t say they don’t deserve it after nearly 20 years of being a laughing stock.

 

Something pretty special happened for Aberdeen in Glasgow at the weekend. This was the Red Army’s Seville and Manchester moment. To take 43,000 fans was incredible and even the Granite City has not seemed so grey this week.

 

People are actually walking around smiling. It’s weird. It feels like an episode of Dr Who when the normally downbeat residents have been replaced with happy-clappy robotdons.

 

Seriously, there’s mass euphoria. The Red Army has even managed to get the Peter Pawlett song – the Human League’s Don’t You Want Me? – surging into the top five of the charts.

 

No joke, folk are walking about whistling it. It’s torture for the rest of us who can’t get the tune out of our heads.

 

All of a sudden there’s a weight off their shoulders. They’ve came out from the nuclear bunker and are smelling the fresh air.

 

Of course there are still the same problems as last week. There is that huge lump of debt that needs shifted. The new stadium is stuck in development hell while the league is still a one-horse race.

 

But there is now also hope. There’s a squad and a manager tied to long-term contracts.

 

There’s a millionaire chairman who has gone from Deputy Dawg to British Bulldog after getting his mojo back.

 

The fans can see more cups and finals heading their way.

 

Instead of fearing Rangers returning to restore the old duopoly they can’t wait to take on their old foes because they know it will be the Ibrox side playing catch-up on them for the first time in 30 years.

 

The sun’s rising on a new dawn in the Granite City. Just make sure you don’t put a picture of it on a banner when heading to Glasgow.