An American ice hockey team has apologised after a social media post advised its fans against wearing green during an upcoming fixture in Belfast.
The Notre Dame ice hockey team is due to take part in the Friendship Four series at the SSE Arena alongside three other college hockey teams from the US.
As part of a “Know Before You Go” post advising its fans ahead of the series, the team advised on a number of items not to wear.
The list included anything “green”, “Irish”, “Ireland flag” or with “shamrocks”.
The post was later deleted by the team after an apparent backlash on social media.
The team had previously advertised a special jersey for the tour including the word “Irish” on the front.
Later the college team apologised as it said it posted out of an “abundance of caution”.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we posted guidelines on social media for fans wishing to express support for the team during its upcoming trip to Northern Ireland,” it said.
“The guidelines were not properly reviewed and should not have been posted.
“Our game in Belfast is meant to bring people together and build bridges through sport, we apologize to fans and to the people of Northern Ireland for any confusion or offense.”
Held annually in Belfast since 2015, the Friendship Four is the only National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One ice hockey tournament to take place outside North America.
According to a description for the event, it is designed “to promote education, social welfare, and community interaction, building on the sister cities agreement between Belfast and Boston, which was signed a decade ago. ”
