Do you want barstoolers in the LOI?

**peadar1987** · 08/05/2009, 1:18 PM

I was discussing this with someone on another forum, and he said essentially that the LOI was a ****e standard, had a crap atmosphere, and even if people did want to go, LOI supporters would treat them with contempt for being blow-ins.

In my experience, people are happy to have you at a game, and won't generally judge you because you don't know who the short lad on the right wing is.

The question is, if some miracle of marketing swept across the country, and it suddenly became cool to support the LOI, with 5-figure attendances not-uncommon, would you be happy at the success of the league, or resent all the people who used to be barstoolers?

**Sheridan** · 08/05/2009, 1:20 PM

Pointless question IMO, it's like asking the church if they want atheists at mass. They wouldn't be atheists anymore.

**Rovers1** · 08/05/2009, 1:21 PM

Id be happy, more money/interest for the clubs. Can't be bad!

**Dodge** · 08/05/2009, 1:21 PM

Ridiculous question. Once they go to games they instantly stop becoming barstoolers.

The more the merrier. Its not as if everyone going to games at the moment is a top class supporter.

**Drogman.** · 08/05/2009, 1:21 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

I was discussing this with someone on another forum, and he said essentially that the LOI was a ****e standard, had a crap atmosphere, and even if people did want to go, LOI supporters would treat them with contempt for being blow-ins.

In my experience, people are happy to have you at a game, and won't generally judge you because you don't know who the short lad on the right wing is.

The question is, if some miracle of marketing swept across the country, and it suddenly became cool to support the LOI, with 5-figure attendances not-uncommon, would you be happy at the success of the league, or resent all the people who used to be barstoolers?

Resent? Are you joking?

I'm sure Munster and Leinster are pis*ed off with all the "new" fans they've got over the years.

I only dream of that day happening in the LOI!

**thischarmingman** · 08/05/2009, 1:28 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

LOI supporters would treat them with contempt for being blow-ins.

How on earth can you tell someone's a blow-in?

It's an excuse, simple as. Yet another flimsy, unreasonable, unjustifiable excuse.

**Macy** · 08/05/2009, 1:29 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

even if people did want to go, LOI supporters would treat them with contempt for being blow-ins.

That's just the latest bs excuse people used, especially when standards were higher and decent euro results were coming. It doesn't stop them going to UK games where they are generally despised.

I would say the opposite is the case in anyway, with new fans welcomed. But they don't let the facts get in the way of an excuse.

We've a long way to go before the issues that'd cause resentment, like getting into the ground and massive price hikes on the back of it, would even raise their head.

**peadar1987** · 08/05/2009, 1:31 PM

Originally Posted by thischarmingman

How on earth can you tell someone's a blow-in?

When I started, it was fairly obvious I was new because I didn't know who any of the players were, and had to ask the people around me.

I'll be honest, one of my main motives for starting this thread was to give your man some evidence he was talking through his hole.

**John83** · 08/05/2009, 2:46 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

When I started, it was fairly obvious I was new because I didn't know who any of the players were, and had to ask the people around me.

I remember being the same. I'm sure most people were like that at first, except for people who first came as kids who probably experienced it differently. People are nice to newcommers in my experience.

As someone else pointed out above, the hardcore fans of the big teams in England have no time at all for the blow ins - understandable really, as they make tickets expensive and hard to get.

Actually, we probably have case studies here: Dundalk, Sligo, Longford, Drogheda and Cork have all seen substantial increases in attendences based on successes in recent memory. Any stories of resentment there? I've not heard any.

**pineapple stu** · 08/05/2009, 2:46 PM

Never really made it hard to get tickets at those grounds, I suppose.

**Dodge** · 08/05/2009, 2:48 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

When I started, it was fairly obvious I was new because I didn't know who any of the players were, and had to ask the people around me

Which means you've played into the hands of most football fans, and indeed most men.

There's nothing we like more than the feeling on knowing more than somebody else about something, however fleeting that feeling lasts

**SkStu** · 08/05/2009, 2:49 PM

the more the merrier in my opinion. We cant afford to be w*nkers about it. What i do despise is stuff like the oh-so-predictable 30,000 fans turning up in Lansdowne for Shels Deportivo and never being seen again. It made me sick and confirmed my hatred for our "soccer mad" event junkies....

see also: Irish fans of Celtic showing up en masse to cheers on Larsson (for Helsingborgs??) against Drogheda, whilst booing Drogheda. So they were cheering on a Swedish team who were playing against an Irish team simply because the Swedish team had a swedish player that used to play for a Scottish club.
A new low.

**John83** · 08/05/2009, 2:50 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Never really made it hard to get tickets at those grounds, I suppose.

Probably not. Certainly not consistently enough to be a major headache.

**gustavo** · 08/05/2009, 3:14 PM

I think people should be turned away from the grounds if they're played an audio clip of Andy Gray and recognize his voice , That way we can guarantee these filthy barstoolers are prevented from sullying our game with their "money" and "support" which quite frankly are not needed and are an intrusion

**dcfcsteve** · 08/05/2009, 4:03 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

I was discussing this with someone on another forum, and he said essentially that the LOI was a ****e standard, had a crap atmosphere, and even if people did want to go, LOI supporters would treat them with contempt for being blow-ins.

In my experience, people are happy to have you at a game, and won't generally judge you because you don't know who the short lad on the right wing is.

The question is, if some miracle of marketing swept across the country, and it suddenly became cool to support the LOI, with 5-figure attendances not-uncommon, would you be happy at the success of the league, or resent all the people who used to be barstoolers?

I can't believe you invested any part of your life discussing this with someone...!

Do barstoolers walk around with it stamped on their forehead or something ?

Maybe at a club with small crowds it's easier to tell who is a "blow-in" and who isn't, but the idea that they would be instantly visible in the first place, and then subject to scorn in the second, is just daftness to the power of two....!

I've yet to hear of a football club who's fans want to turn away support. Well - not deliberately anyway....

**eamo1** · 08/05/2009, 6:23 PM

Part of me resents having to leave 10/15 mins earlier then normal just so i can get my usual seat when theres a (relatively) big game on in Terryland due to larger crowd.A small part does,the rest of me is delighted and slightly amused to hear "go on number 10" from someone around me

.

**Red&White Rover** · 08/05/2009, 7:26 PM

No problem at all, as long as they don't start harping on like they know everything and claim they've been fans all their life...

**irishultra** · 08/05/2009, 7:41 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

the more the merrier in my opinion. We cant afford to be w*nkers about it. What i do despise is stuff like the oh-so-predictable 30,000 fans turning up in Lansdowne for Shels Deportivo and never being seen again. It made me sick and confirmed my hatred for our "soccer mad" event junkies....

see also: Irish fans of Celtic showing up en masse to cheers on Larsson (for Helsingborgs??) against Drogheda, whilst booing Drogheda. So they were cheering on a Swedish team who were playing against an Irish team simply because the Swedish team had a swedish player that used to play for a Scottish club.
A new low.

perhaps the most pathetic and at the same time disgusting thing I have ever heard. Did the Drogheda fans reply with anything? I wouldn't be aggressive but that kind of thing would have made my blood boil

**thischarmingman** · 08/05/2009, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by irishultra

perhaps the most pathetic and at the same time disgusting thing I have ever heard. Did the Drogheda fans reply with anything? I wouldn't be aggressive but that kind of thing would have made my blood boil

"Celtic" fans (from Derry) at the friendly last year to Derry fans: "You're supposed to be at home..."