James McClean will receive no disciplinary action following a series of social media posts where the Derry native defended his right to not wear a poppy on Remembrance day.
McClean has been warned however, about the use of an offensive word in one of his posts, presumably referring to the midfielder calling some sections of Stoke fans 'uneducated cavemen' over their vitriol for the Ireland international:
They have nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the spirit of one Irishman who doesn’t want to be broken.
Your abuse, your throwing things, your booing, do your worst.. to the home fans that are actually educated and support me, thank yous.. to the section of uneducated cavemen in left hand corner of the boothen end stand that want to song their anti irish song each game and call me a fenian this and that.. i am a PROUD FENIAN no c@#t will ever change that, so sing away.
The 29-year-old also called out the English FA after he learned he was being investigated for his actions in another Instagram post this morning, citing their failure to censure sectarian abuse against him:
The FA are investigating me after Saturday's game, for what exactly?
Yet week in week out for the past seven years I get constant sectarian abuse, death threats, objects being thrown, chanting which is heard loud and clear every week which my family, wife and kids have to listen to.
They turn a blind eye and not a single word or condemnation of any sort.
Huddersfield away last year while playing for West Brom where there was an incident with their fans which was on the game highlights, where the cameras clearly caught it, yet the FA when [a] complaint was made to them said there 'was not enough evidence'.
If it was a person's skin colour or if it was anti-Muslim, someone's gender, there would be an uproar and it would be taken in a completely different way and dealt with in a different manner.
But like in Neil Lennon's case in Scotland, because we are Irish catholics, they turn a blind eye and nothing is ever said and done.
McClean received a torrent of abuse from a section of Stoke support when leaving the field during his side's 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough on the weekend.
Just look at the intolerance and hatred on display all because James McClean refuses to wear a poppy. pic.twitter.com/SP8THxKWh8
— Crimes of Britain (@crimesofbrits) November 3, 2018
The former Sunderland player has had a ropey start to life at Stoke, making 12 appearances and scoring just the one goal since his £5 million pound move from West Brom.
