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Rovers' Alan Mannus Stood Out During The National Anthem At FAI Cup Final

Rovers' Alan Mannus Stood Out During The National Anthem At FAI Cup Final
Gary Connaughton
By Gary Connaughton
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The blue ribbon event in the Irish footballing calendar is taking place at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon, but one major talking point emerged before the game.

In typical cup final fashion, there were plenty of pre-match formalities to get out of the way before Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers got the action underway on the pitch. One of those was the national anthem, where Rovers goalkeeper Alan Mannus stood out from the rest of the players.

As is customary, 21 of the 22 players turned to face the Irish flag during the playing of Amhrán na bhFiann. Mannus was the only exception.

Mannus is a Northern Ireland international, having started his career at Linfield. He has nine caps for Northern Ireland, and returned to Shamrock Rovers in 2018 after a seven year spell at St Johnstone in Scotland.

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Many people were quick to condemn the goalkeeper for his reaction to the national anthem.

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While this is a long standing tradition, Mannus' wishes not to adhere to it must be respected. It is a similar situation to the one James McClean finds himself in during poppy season in England, where Irish fans usually stand up for his right not to wear one.

SEE ALSO: Harry Arter Deletes Twitter Account After Mixing Up Jeremy Corbyn & Boris Johnson

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