Whose Side Are You On?: Sport, the Troubles and Me

by Teddy Jamieson

A personal journey through sport in Northern Ireland, asking how stars like George Best emerged from the rubble of sectarian violence From the late 1960s, Northern Ireland has been mired in violence. Yet it has had seen more than its fair share of sporting heroes, from footballer George Best through snooker champion Alex Higgins, to boxer Barry McGuigan. Life was tough for these working-class lads, but they could shine on the football field or find refuge at the town boxing club. For other kids, like the young Teddy Jamieson, a knockabout in the back-lanes was as good as it got, but at least they had their heroes. Watching McGuigan on television, Teddy could feel proud to be Northern Irish. But sports—like everything else in Northern Ireland—could quickly turn nasty when politics were involved. This extraordinary journey through sport and the Troubles has it from Olympic gold-medals to Gaelic football; from death threats to reconciliations. Then there is Teddy;s own story, as we learn how the age-old playground question "Whose side are you on?" doesn’t always have an easy answer.

Genres: Ireland, Football

326 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2011