John Charles McQuaid - Yugoslavian Football Match Boycotts, 1952-55

Yugoslavian Football Match Boycotts, 1952-55

In the 1950s Yugoslavia was run by Tito's Communist regime. Tito's courts had sent Cardinal Stepinac to prison for collaborating with the fascist Ustaše during the Second World War and he was released in 1951. The Catholic Church felt that it was still being discriminated against by the regime. Archbishop McQuaid persuaded the Football Association of Ireland to cancel a match between Yugoslavia and Ireland in 1952. He then unsuccessfully called for a boycott when a similar match was arranged for October 1955. McQuaid did however persuade the famous radio broadcaster Phil Greene not to commentate the match, which led to the memorable newspaper headline: "Reds turn Greene Yellow".