Sports and sectarianism

March 2, 2026 The Gown Queen's University Belfast 68 Views 0 Comments QUB 9 min read

What a jersey can still mean for the people of Northern Ireland

By Heidi Kidd, Dáire McConville and Grace Allen

The Good Friday Agreement and sports today

The Good Friday Agreement was signed 10^th April 1998; a historic piece of legislation marking significant change to come. Northern Ireland’s tumultuous past stemmed from a deep-rooted issue of culture and identity, years of being ‘the middleman’ between Ireland and Britain fuelled years of division. Divided towns divided political systems, divided people. The Agreement, entailing two interlinked deals aimed at ending stagnation and violence the ‘Troubles’ had brought about, and with it a sense of identity and belonging. Citizens were entitled to Irish and British nationality or both, and serious efforts were made to merge Catholic and Protestant communities under the newly established devolved government [1].

Almost 28 years on from the agreement, the ripple effect of the conflict undoubtedly still exists in our society today. Sectarianism in Northern Ireland has by no means been eradicated, rather evolved in many ways, remaining deep-rooted. Although it is evident that physical attacks have significantly decreased since the 1998 Agreement, profound societal divisions exist across many aspects of life in NI. From the education system where more than 90% of NI’s pupils are taught in schools largely segregated along religious lines, to housing where 94% of Belfast’s public housing is segregated, our ‘ever progressing society’ still appears ‘deeply divided’ in so many aspects, and these divisions have filtered into our sporting associations. [2]

The question central to our investigation is the following: does sectarianism in sports still exist, where, and in what capacity?

To support our findings, we curated a survey named to gain first-hand insights into people’s real-life experiences. The survey remained anonymous and explored, in depth, how sports jerseys can reflect cultural, political, and social identity. We received a total of 122 responses across 13 questions from a landslide of people aged 19-24 years old (73.1%).

Figure 1. Age range of survey respondents

The questions ranged from lighter topics such as ‘Which types of sports jerseys do you most commonly wear?’, to more serious ones regarding violence.

Figure 2. Which types of sports jerseys do you most commonly wear

Survey indicators and students’ perspectives

In response to a central question to this investigation, a sweeping majority of 93.4% of survey respondents answer ‘yes’ to the question ‘do you think that wearing a jersey from a specific sport can associate an individual with a particular cultural or political group?’ (figure 3).

Figure 3: Do you think that wearing a jersey from a specific sport can associate an individual with a particular cultural or political group?

Walking around campus in Belfast, almost everyone you meet will have a story about either themselves or someone they know encountering violence because of wearing a jersey. While 65% of our respondents claimed they wear GAA jerseys, normally associated with nationalism, this investigation examines a neutral standpoint of looking at both sides [3]. Although encouragingly 54.9% of people that answered our survey said they would feel safe around campus wearing a jersey (figure 5), 77% of respondents said they would feel unsafe wearing a jersey in ‘certain areas or neighbourhoods’ (figure 3).

Figure 4. Where would you feel least comfortable wearing a jersey

Figure 5. Would you feel safe if you wore a jersey on a university campus?

An example of political contention on campus over jerseys was back in December of 2025, when QUBLove (anonymous submission page for Queen’s students), posted a submission questioning a person wearing a 1916 jersey on the Queen’s Student Union official Instagram account [4]. When the Gown asked for a statement at the time, they responded with ‘the clothing item referenced does not deviate from Union Bar or University policies regarding attire’ and ‘expectations around clothing in all One Elmwood spaces are guided by the University’s wider policies on dignity, respect, and maintaining a positive environment on campus’ [4]. The fact that there was discourse shows that there is still dissension among students regarding sports jerseys.

We held an interview with an anonymous student, who told us of their experience searching for student housing in Belfast. At a house viewing in a largely loyalist area, they asked the estate agent if there was anything they should be concerned about. The student reported the estate agent said, ‘you’ll be fine as long as you don’t wear a GAA jersey outside the house.’ The student reported they immediately declined to take that house, due to the feeling of endangerment. People from different backgrounds than the majority are not going to move into that area and integrate if they feel at risk, regardless of what side of politics you are on.

Another factor of instilled disintegration in this regard is nightlife. 34% of our survey participants reported they would feel uncomfortable wearing certain sports jerseys in ‘pubs or nightlife’ (Figure 3). While this figure is considerably low in comparison to feeling unsafe in certain areas or neighbourhoods, it is still high enough of a figure to highlight the danger people feel when wearing a jersey in social environments. In 2023, The Irish Times reported three 18-year-old men were subject to a sectarian assault on a night out in Belfast. The detective of the case reported that after the victim was noticed he was wearing a GAA jersey, he was asked his religion; ‘on stating that he was a Catholic, he was punched in the face’ [5].

The survey data reported that 68.9% of respondents had ‘personally experienced or know someone who has experienced violence or aggression as a result of wearing a sports jersey’. This majority reflects the jersey narrative that is currently dangerous and has been dangerous since before the GFA.

Answering the survey question ‘please explain why you think wearing a jersey from a specific sport may or may not associate an individual with a particular cultural or political group’, one respondent answered ‘it’s a clear statement of where you came from and how you may feel on certain topics’. Another respondent answered, ‘it defines other people’s opinion of you and stereotypes you, before the other person has spoken to you.’

If this is the case, and you can walk past a total stranger and the type of clothing you wear immediately tells them where you stand politically, then with Northern Ireland’s context it’s a pipeline to endless sectarianism.

Initiatives for change

It’s evident there is still a problem. So, what is being done to resolve this?

The Football For All campaign, launched by the Irish Football Association in 2000, introduced strategies aimed at eliminating sectarian behaviour at football matches and promoting a more inclusive atmosphere for supporters. These efforts included anti-sectarian messaging at matches, educational programmes, and collaboration with supporters’ groups. Initiatives such as Sport Uniting Communities also bring together organisations including the IFA, Ulster Rugby and the Gaelic Athletic Association. This is mainly to encourage interaction between historically divided communities through shared sporting activities [6].

More than two decades later, the Football For All campaign and similar programmes continue to operate, promoting inclusive fan behaviour and community engagement within football [6].

Peace Players NI, who have taken the bull by the horns using basketball, a seemingly more neutral sport as a tool for reconciliation and peacebuilding following years of conflict. By recognizing the division in practically every facet of life, the initiative has reached thousands of young people from Protestant and Catholic backgrounds. [3] Our survey also reported that 85.2% of participants reported they considered ‘global sports jerseys, e.g. Premier League to be more “neutral’’ than local or national jerseys’. This result shows the importance of other sports in bringing together communities to diffuse political conflict, particularly for young people.

In a study conducted by The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), based on obstacles to sports inclusivity in NI found that 86% of individuals agree that sport is a good way to break down barriers between Protestants and Catholics [8]. With all the effort and work put in by these initiatives and campaigns our survey shows that there still remains a problem. So why is more not being done by our politicians to lead the way in stemming societal change and why are sporting organizations themselves having to take the lead in creating change?

Evolving attitudes, lingering divides

Today, sectarian rhetoric is no longer widely accepted in mainstream sports and culture, but this article has shown that divisions can still be heavily present in sports, particularly when it comes to jerseys.

While progress has been made at an institutional level and through organised programmes, divisions can still appear among supporters, particularly in rivalries with historic political and religious associations. Sport can both challenge and reflect wider societal divisions, meaning that while initiatives can encourage dialogue and interaction, they cannot fully resolve deeper social and historical tensions on their own accord.

In a PSNI report, there were 954 incidents and crimes of a sectarian nature in 2025, an increase from the 922 in 2024 [9]. How many more people need to be hospitalized or return bruised from a night out for people’s attitude to change? Ultimately, overcoming sectarianism requires a willingness from people in Northern Ireland to move beyond historic divisions and towards societal change.

If you or someone you know is experiencing sectarian violence or aggression, you can phone for emergencies on 999 or use a non-emergency helpline by dialling 101. If you wish to report a hate crime, you can also call independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Sources

Cherwell, Oxford student newspaper: https://cherwell.org/2023/04/15/gfa-25-years-on/

The Foreign Policy Centre: https://fpc.org.uk/northern-ireland-still-a-deeply-divided-society/#:~:text=Elections%20also%20tend%20to%20be,animated%20sectarianism%20in%20Northern%20Ireland.

Hassan, David, and Kyle Ferguson. 2019. “Still as Divided as Ever? Northern Ireland, Football and Identity 20 Years after the Good Friday Agreement.” Soccer & Society 20 (7-8): 1071–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2019.1680504.