Football club wants 'unconditional' apology from party over badge use

A football club has called for "full and unconditional apologies" from the Alliance Party after the club's badge was used in an image on a social media post where the party was promoting a bill that will "tackle abusive flags".

The image posted had a flag which bears Linfield FC's badge and the text on the image said "striking the right balance".

South Belfast MLA Paula Bradshaw, who is proposing the bill, apologised to the club "for any offence caused" which Linfield have called a "conditional apology".

The Alliance Party said the flag had been used "in conjunction with highlighted text about legitimate cultural expression, but was misconstrued by some".

The graphic was removed to "avoid any misrepresentation, deliberate or otherwise".

Linfield said it was "shocked and extremely disappointed" on Friday to see that the "club's badge had been used in a political message linked to 'abusive flags'".

"The club engaged at an early stage with representatives of the party responsible and secured the deletion of the offending post.

"A rather conditional apology from their South Belfast MLA has since followed.

"With all due respect, and in particular context of previous issues between this club and other elected representatives of this party, it is difficult to see any other reasonable interpretation of the use of a Linfield FC flag as the sole imagery accompanying an article referring specifically to "abusive flags"," a Linfield statement said.

"We did feel that the matter had been brought under some control yesterday evening, however, until an inappropriate and undignified late night intervention from that party's leader."

The club said it "now awaits full and unconditional apologies from the Alliance Party and the individuals in question".

The series of pictures that The Alliance Party used in the post included a number of graphics of various flags flying on lampposts.

Writing on social media, Bradshaw said she had "seen a lot of commentary on a graphic used" in her social media posts "re my flags bill entitled 'Striking the Balance'".

"This has rather missed the point. Flags celebrating sports clubs would generally be permitted under my bill".

She apologised for "any offence caused".

In a statement the party said: "This bill is intended to resolve the issue of the flying of flags across Northern Ireland, and it remains vital to have that conversation."

The posts have attracted comments from other political parties.

The Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson posted on social media: "First the shirt. Now the flag. What is it about Linfield that provokes such intolerance from Alliance Party. Embarrassing."

In response the Alliance leader Naomi Long said: "Why on earth would you assume that a Linfield flag was meant to be representative of the negatives suggested in this post rather than the positives about celebration?

"Maybe you're just exposing your own bias."

The Traditional Unionist Voice MLA Timothy Gaston said: "When one has to apologise for a social media campaign promoting a proposed law it's probably an indication that what you are proposing will make bad law."