I've lost faith in Ireland.

[marinobohs]

Why should it be either/or? It isn't for most.

ManU and Liverpool replica shirts are a common sight at any LoI ground. It's not realistic to expect people raised on EPL and MOTD before it to abandon British football. It may be possible to persuade them that their own national league is also worth supporting.

Totally agree, as long as LOI seeks to "compete" with EPL we will lose. better to remind them they are football fans and so having an Irish AND English team is twice as good LOI and EPL should be made complimentary and not competing. Telling "fans" they should give up Man U/Liverpool etc and support a local team is not going to generate much interest in the LOI unfortunately and may chase off potential customers. Get them to go to a few games and the addiction kicks in........

[Macy]

No it's not, but it is another nice handy excuse for them to use.

I just thought it might as well be me that post the feeble excuse than some randomer trying to justify themselves. People will try and justity why they ignore irish football - best to ignore them (it's them that's missing out) and enjoy what we've got.

[peadar1987]

One point Murfinator made earlier is that the LoI is boring because it has a low goals-per-game ratio compared to the rest of Europe. I don't have time to check that stat out, but in any case, it's irrelevant. If goals-per-game makes entertainment, the UCD Superleague would be selling out to thousands every game.

Here are the statistics from the most recently completed seasons of major European leagues:

Bundesliga: 2.92 goals/game
La Liga: 2.897 goals/game
Evedivisie: 2.84 goals/game
Norwegian Premier: 2.77 goals/game
Danish Superliga: 2.75 goals/game
Swedish Allsvenskan: 2.65 goals/game
Serie A: 2.6 goals/game
Turkish Super League: 2.57 goals/game
Premier League: 2.48 goals/game
Football League Championship: 2.44 goals/game
SPL: 2.4 goals/game
Russian Premier League: 2.4 goals/game
League of Ireland 2009: 2.32 goals/game
Ligue 1: 2.26 goals/game
League of Ireland 2008: 2.22 goals/game
Super League Greece: 2.15 goals/game
Portuguese Liga: 1.15 goals/game

Okay, so the LOI is towards the bottom of the list, but come on! Look at the two major leagues people choose to follow instead, the SPL and the EPL. If you watched 10 EPL games instead of 10 LOI games, you would probably have seen one extra goal in 15 hours of football! Even less if you chose to watch the Scottish league.

[peadar1987]

I just thought it might as well be me that post the feeble excuse than some randomer trying to justify themselves. People will try and justity why they ignore irish football - best to ignore them (it's them that's missing out) and enjoy what we've got.

A fair point, but I'd prefer to enjoy what we've got, and be fairly certain it will all still be around in 12 months time!

[Riddickcule]

I get a fair bit of stick for supporting Bray,

For a while though there was a big "fad" about going to Bray games, when they were doing well of course, mid-table those times , good times, lol
Anyway when our form dipped and never picked back up ppl stopped going to games, they ask me "You still going to Bray games" i say yeah why don't you anymore?
"Well, coz they're **** now arn't they?" "Why would you go now i'd rather be shot"

Bandwagoners of the highest order, i tell you, if we made the Cup Final, then say we won it and got into europe, the amount of bandwagoners we'd have is unthinkable, all of a sudden this "buzz" will be back in the town!

Every item would be bought the scarves, shirts etc.

Once we're done in europe, 70% of those ppl would never set foot in the Carlise again.

[Macy]

A fair point, but I'd prefer to enjoy what we've got, and be fairly certain it will all still be around in 12 months time!

It will, and it won't have anything to do with the knobs that write the league off if it isn't.

[John83]

...Norwegian Premier: 2.77 goals/game
...Premier League: 2.48 goals/game
...League of Ireland 2009: 2.32 goals/game

That's it, I'm becoming a Sandefjord fan. They even sound like where I'm from (Sandyford).

[endabob1]

I get a fair bit of stick for supporting Bray,

For a while though there was a big "fad" about going to Bray games, when they were doing well of course, mid-table those times , good times, lol
Anyway when our form dipped and never picked back up ppl stopped going to games, they ask me "You still going to Bray games" i say yeah why don't you anymore?
"Well, coz they're **** now arn't they?" "Why would you go now i'd rather be shot"

Bandwagoners of the highest order, i tell you, if we made the Cup Final, then say we won it and got into europe, the amount of bandwagoners we'd have is unthinkable, all of a sudden this "buzz" will be back in the town!

Every item would be bought the scarves, shirts etc.

Once we're done in europe, 70% of those ppl would never set foot in the Carlise again.

Hardly unique to Bray or indeed Ireland, despite what many fans think.

Northampton average about 6k for their home games but took something like 30k to Wembley a few years ago or the auto-windscreen thingy final.
I know people who went who wouldn't have seen the inside of sixfields but they were there with their scarves and jerseys..

[davidatrb]

I think that I have given the League of Ireland a fair crack. But now my team is gone so I'm back to supporting Man Utd. Now I really enjoyed following Kildare around for years but I wouldn't blame anyone for not supporting LOI.

A. Not everyone has a "local" team. 22 teams in the league, 6 from dublin, 3 from galway and 2 from louth - means that only 14 of the 27 counties (including County Derry!) have an LOI team. So I understand how for a large proportion of the population, supporting an LOI team was never an option.

B. The clubs are being run poorly. Since I began supporting the League Kildare County, Kilkenny City, Dublin City and Cobh Ramblers have dropped out. Shels, Derry have almost gone bust and have been demoted. Cork, Drogheda have gone into administration. Limerick FC were refused a license and so kicked out too, coming back as Limerick 37. Shamrock Rovers were decucted 10 points and hence relegated for financial irregularities. I can understand that people who did follow a club don't any more because of the actions of their board or because of the fact their team just does not exist any more.

C. Lack of anything in the media about the LOI. Every kid knows about the English League by the time they are 5. Probably takes another 5 years before they hear about the LOI. Shows like MNS are good and Sacar Beo and LOI live, but will take at least a decade of media exposure for shows like this to make any impact on attendances I would imagine.

D. Facilities.

Like people have said there is no reason why people can't support both an LOI team AND a premiership team. There are many valid reason why ppl prefer not to attend LOI games and ppl should be respected for whatever choices they make. I've always found it very disrespectful on here how ppl go off at "barstoolers".

[pineapple stu]

That's it, I'm becoming a Sandefjord fan. They even sound like where I'm from (Sandyford).

And their manager's Irish. What more do you want?

[PartySaint]

In Derry I remember seeing a fight break out between to rival gangs of Liverpool and Manchester United 'fans.' In. Derry.

You win this round

I witnessed a conversation between an Irish woman and a Russian barman in a pub in Salthill, just 3 weeks ago.
.

When he started talking to a woman about football you should have known the conversation was going anywhere interesting

[Magicme]

If I move to Beligum I will support La Magie Mons RAEC Mons

[Magicme]

When he started talking to a woman about football you should have known the conversation was going anywhere interesting

Oi, why is there not a "kick up the butt" smilie when you need one?

[peadar1987]

I think that I have given the League of Ireland a fair crack. But now my team is gone so I'm back to supporting Man Utd. Now I really enjoyed following Kildare around for years but I wouldn't blame anyone for not supporting LOI.

A. Not everyone has a "local" team. 22 teams in the league, 6 from dublin, 3 from galway and 2 from louth - means that only 14 of the 27 counties (including County Derry!) have an LOI team. So I understand how for a large proportion of the population, supporting an LOI team was never an option.

That's why I think the FAI should really be encouraging teams in places like Mullingar, Laois and Tipperary, who don't have a local team to support. And I don't have any problem with someone from Bantry not adopting Cork City as their team. My main problem is with people who live within a few miles of an LOI ground, and still choose to ignore the team that play there. Most of Dublin, Galway, Limerick etc. (I worked in Galway for a while at a watersports centre. I used to ask the kids if they supported United, then ask which one. Always Manchester. Except for one who was West Ham)

B. The clubs are being run poorly. Since I began supporting the League Kildare County, Kilkenny City, Dublin City and Cobh Ramblers have dropped out. Shels, Derry have almost gone bust and have been demoted. Cork, Drogheda have gone into administration. Limerick FC were refused a license and so kicked out too, coming back as Limerick 37. Shamrock Rovers were decucted 10 points and hence relegated for financial irregularities. I can understand that people who did follow a club don't any more because of the actions of their board or because of the fact their team just does not exist any more.

I can understand that. That's why the FAI need to show a bit of balls, and maybe make a joke of a season or two of the league, but ultimately stop it from being a joke in future. This topic has been discussed to death though

D. Facilities.

This is a poor excuse. The Carlisle is widely acknowledged as one of the worst grounds in the league, but the only things I would change as a supporter would be to build better toilet facilities, sort out the obstructions to the view (The floodlights, the dugout, and the roof supports in the Rehab Bingo Stand), and cover the away supporters for when it rains. If you're watching football, all you need is a seat to sit on and preferably something to keep the rain off you. Gourmet food and a big screen are pretty secondary to the whole matchday experience.

Like people have said there is no reason why people can't support both an LOI team AND a premiership team. There are many valid reason why ppl prefer not to attend LOI games and ppl should be respected for whatever choices they make. I've always found it very disrespectful on here how ppl go off at "barstoolers".

I don't have any problem with someone following an English team. I support Stoke, because my Dad's from there. I've actually been following them longer than I've been following Bray. My problem is when they follow an English team, rationalising it with all sorts of daft excuses, or just acting like a complete onanist, like that fella from my course, instead of picking a team they actually have a real connection with.

Don't tell me it never annoyed you when people asked you "Kildare? Why would you want to support them", and you had to give the stock answer "Because I'm from Kildare", only to be greeted with a blank look of incredulity.

When people who are from Bray slag me because Bray lose, but "their" team Liverpool or Arsenal have won, I feel very tempted to cheer for France on Wednesday night, and when challenged say "Ireland? Why would I want to support them? They're ****"

[bennocelt]

A. Not everyone has a "local" team. 22 teams in the league, 6 from dublin, 3 from galway and 2 from louth - means that only 14 of the 27 counties (including County Derry!) have an LOI team. So I understand how for a large proportion of the population, supporting an LOI team was never an option.

D. Facilities.

.

No team in my local area - but thats no excuse for me not to make the effort to support my league - the LOI. How is supporting a team in Manchester or Glasgow better than getting off your arse and on a bus/train and heading to a LOI game.

Facilities? Its the football I'm mostly interested in, not the standard of the toilets or if the stand has a cover, or the quality of the meat pies at half time?

But fair enuff -I guess you are still hurting over Kildare town!

[John83]

And their manager's Irish. What more do you want?

I'm sold. Where can I get a Sandefjord crest put on the site?

[WoodquayBoy]

Irish people dont support the Eircom League.

I'll join this debate late, and my contribution will be brief as the likes of PineappleStu, thischarmingman, Marinobohs and Peadar 1987 have said it all as far as I'm concenred.
Anyway, my point is this: none of us support the Eircom League anymore.
Get it right.
Thank you.

[SkStu]

I said it on here before, we not a football loving nation, we're a glory hunting nation.

Look at the amount of people in Ireland who follow the big four. Not many would follow lesser English clubs. How many Chelsea shirts do you see now. How many did you see in the mid-eighties? Remember post 1992 when nearly eveyone had a Newcastle jersey. Where have they all gone? Same with Sunderland. Although its more of a exception than rule with Sunderland!

My mates in Sunderland don't understand why people in Ireland don't follow LOI. It seems natural to follow your local club. Most of them would follow Blyth Spartans or Durham City as well as Sunderland. Plus the season runs opposite to the EPL we've the best of both worlds.

it really is as simple as this. Ireland is not "sports mad", never has been and nver will. Unless there is glory by proxy we just dont want to know generally. I always thought i loved footie until i went to my first Bohs game against UCD and then i realised that what id had before was merely liking to watch the game on telly. Bohs was true love. Live football is where is at - and if you truly love football, you will want to watch it live no matter who is playing, no matter what the goal per game ratio is, no matter what the teams are.

Any other excuses is just bullsh!t masquerading as laziness being defended as consumerism.

[ArdeeBhoy]

No matter what team you support, you should at least back your country.

Otherwise yer in danger of sounding like a couple of Irish players who play/played for PL clubs in Manchester who obviously would have preferred internationals never existed?

And the irony is, even though the most well-known one is capable of being a self-indulgent tw*t, he looks like Mother Teresa compared to the most recent example.

And the comments about Dublin & West Brits are laughable;Did some of you actually go to school? Or ever spent any time in O'Connell Street? Or know why it's the capital?

If you don't, get your parents or family to sue your local education board.....

[peadar1987]

And the comments about Dublin & West Brits are laughable;Did some of you actually go to school? Or ever spent any time in O'Connell Street? Or know why it's the capital?

If you don't, get your parents or family to sue your local education board.....

Refresh my memory. Isn't it some sort of giant conspiracy against Cork?