Supporting two teams.

[SunderlandBohs]

Was wondering why people in this country don't follow a LOI team as well as an EPL or SPL team. For a 'soccer mad country' surely this wouldn't be a problem. Would it not be the best of both worlds. Other countries across Europe do this. The bar stoolers won't follow the league because they say its crap but if you love your football that shouldn't matter. So if ManYoo have a fall from grace, does that mean its ok not to 'support' them anymore? It's a two way street. Some LOI fans will look down on other LOI fans who follow EPL or SPL clubs. Is a LOI fan who supports Liverpool or Celtic not as loyal to his local club as someone who follows solely a LOI team?

[Dodge]

Is a LOI fan who supports Liverpool or Celtic not as loyal to his local club as someone who follows solely a LOI team?
Nobody can support two teams. Its ridiculous to think otherwise. A friend of mine wore a Pats jersey witha liverpool tracksuit to a friendly game we played before. I didn't talk to him for a month (and still bring it up)

Pretty much every fan of a LOI team has an interest in football outside the country though, and there's nothing wrong with that

BTW if I had my way I'd lock this thread. I'd guess at least half the forum posts here are on this very topic...

[charliesboots]

Know loads of Pats lads who support English/Scottish teams. Don't get it personally but good luck to them.

[pineapple stu]

I didn't talk to him for a month (and still bring it up)
Are you a bird or something?

Agree though; support one club (plus the national team if you want); can take interest in many.

[crc]

I don't support any foreign teams. I only really have a problem with people who only support British teams and/or would hardly ever darken the door of an eL ground. What annoys me most is when they talk about "we" or "us", as if they were born and raised Mancs, Scousers or Mackam.

Given the precarious nature of LoI football, I have generally no problem with friends who support an English team but who actually do go to a good number of live games here. I know one guy who supports Liverpool, but has been to about 10 eL games so far this season.

I suppose what really annoys me is people who fall into the first category and think that I am somehow less of a football fan because I don't watch Match of the Day.

[pineapple stu]

I suppose what really annoys me is people who fall into the first category and think that I am somehow less of a football fan because I don't watch Match of the Day.
True. Was in the Bowl before one of our games this season, and one of our officials and his son were in the tea room with me. The son (who's about ten) asks me who I support; I said UCD. Got the usual answer "No, I mean what real team?" Got a bit of a bollocking off his dad for that. :)

[boovidge]

It depends what you mean by support. You can't really put the same amount of effort into supporting two teams if you regularly attend games. But you can certainly follow more than one team.

[Sheridan]

It's only ever acceptable to support two teams if you live a long way from the primary object of your affection. Then you can adopt a local team (and I'd expect a true football fan to do so.)

[L37Ultra]

Define support? I would say I support Limerick but I would follow Manchester United. It all depends really, the majority of kids growing up are brought up with the culture of supporting English clubs and if you support an Irish club you are looked down on.

[redobit]

I don't support any foreign teams. I only really have a problem with people who only support British teams and/or would hardly ever darken the door of an eL ground. What annoys me most is when they talk about "we" or "us", as if they were born and raised Mancs, Scousers or Mackam.


I have to say that drives me spare as well. I asked someone once had they got an english passport or somtin, didnt go down well!

[superfrank]

I think people should support as many teams as they want to, as long as they give the league here a chance.

[L37Ultra]

This argument of blaming the poor attendances and other problems this League has on people in this country supporting clubs in other countries is just getting boring. As I said I follow/support a English club but I have been to every single Limerick home game this season and the majority of away games when I can. There is deeper problems to why this League is not suceeding. The promotion of the League is very poor and clubs complain that the media does not cover the games yet some clubs don't even send out team news etc...

[Dodge]

This argument of blaming the poor attendances and other problems this League has on people in this country supporting clubs in other countries is just getting boring
Boring or not its a simple fact. The majority of the people we're looking to get into the ground have no interest in our league, and they nearly all have an interest in the British leagues. If you don't think its a problem, you're deluding yourself

[Hibs4Ever]

I actively support 2 teams. St Pats and Slavia Prague

[L37Ultra]

Boring or not its a simple fact. The majority of the people we're looking to get into the ground have no interest in our league, and they nearly all have an interest in the British leagues. If you don't think its a problem, you're deluding yourself

Yes I agree but what this thread has highlighted is the fact that there are people out there who do support both and people who support the British League only still wouldn't support the League Of Ireland if the English, Scottish or even Spanish Leagues fall apart in the morning.

The fact is they are not real football fans. I have only been to a handful of Manchester United games, the majority of them being on school/football team trips when I was younger. I follow them on but I support Limerick if you get my point.

[jinxy lilywhite]

Define support? I would say I support Limerick but I would follow Manchester United. It all depends really, the majority of kids growing up are brought up with the culture of supporting English clubs and if you support an Irish club you are looked down on.

Yeah I'd be similar. Support Dundalk and follow Spurs with mutual dislike for Drogheda and Arsenal.

What really grinds my gears was once I was in a barbers in Dundalk Town Centre on Friday afternoon. On the box was a replay of the Utd Q/f game with Roma in Old Trafford and the barber was there at the game. He was saying how great the atmospere was and how the tickets & flights where worth every penny for the experience. Then he comes out with this statement " Then I paid €10 in Oriel to watch that sh1te". To say i wanted to smack him was an understatment.

Another one that bugs me is Celtic fans who believe that to be Irish you have to support Celtic

[Dodge]

I follow them on but I support Limerick if you get my point.

And good luck to you. I'm not one of those who cares much either way. Its their loss IMO

However if you have ever picked a Utd game over a Limerick game (forwhatever reason) shame on you :p

[L37Ultra]

However if you have ever picked a Utd game over a Limerick game (forwhatever reason) shame on you :p


Not a hope. I even gave out to someone last week for staying home to match the Super Cup game instead of going to Limerick-Dundalk. Thats when the English teams affect the LOI. Things are changing for the best though I think.

[chipsahoy]

no reason at all you cant support and english and loi team. i do it no problem along with the majority of loi fans. i certainly feel a stronger affinity to one club over the other but to say im not a supporter of both sides would be silly. there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing this in my opniion unless you adopt are one of these of a petty and narrowminded mindset akin to those hilarious rapscallions in the identity crisis thread.

[Dodge]

no reason at all you cant support and english and loi team. i do it no problem along with the majority of loi fans. i certainly feel a stronger affinity to one club over the other but to say im not a supporter of both sides would be silly

So say team A are playing team B, and you want team A to win, that means you want one of the teams you support to lose? Which means you're not a fan at all. And of course it can happen.

[SunderlandBohs]

Its more of a problem with bar stool fans than LOI fans. I'd say nearly 80% of LOI fans would follow/support a foreign team. But not many from the from the otherside would follow a LOI team. In an ideal world, people would follow both. We're not the only country with this problem but it doesn't seem as bad as it is here.

[OneRedArmy]

Personally, I don't have enough time to support more than one team. If I had any more spare time, I'd go to more Derry games. I'll happily watch football anywhere in the world but I'm never too bothered about the results, its more about the experience.

In terms of why the Irish aren't more like the Cypriots or the Norwegians, who tend to support a British team but also go along to their local games as well, I would say its a combination of reasons. In no particular order,
1) poor facilities. Its a good reason not to go, particularly for those with families
2) Lack of FAI support. The FAI didn't give a monkies about domestic football until recently, and arguably they still don't. This don't care attitude goes back generations and then has propagated in the media and onwards to the wider sporting public.
3) Bandwagonism. As a nation, we love jumping on a bandwagon. There are numerous examples. Basketball in the 80's, rugby in the last decade (interprovincial attendences were similar to EL 15 years ago). We don't have a culture of supporting a team through thick and thin. The GAA is based upon a small hardcore keeping the sport ticking over for 9 months and then a crowd of yahoos rocking up to Croker in the summer. Supporting multiple teams allows you to hedge your bets and increase the chance you can catch a passing bandwagon.
4) We're really still British. Unsaid, unaccepted, but true. We watch their TV, used their currency until recently, shop in their shops, use their language, still our biggest trading partner. We're even siding with them on Europe. Why wouldn't we support a British team?

[SunderlandBohs]

Another one that bugs me is Celtic fans who believe that to be Irish you have to support Celtic
Don't get me started on that! I got in an arguement with a friend who tried to tell me Celtic were more Irish than Bohs.:rolleyes:

[Red&White Rover]

TBH I don't see much of a problem if a supporter of a LOI Club wishes to support an EPL club as well, as long as they're going to the matches of the LOI club etc...

I myself class myself as first as Rovers fan but after that a Leeds fan.

But without doubt I know, I'm a lot more of Rovers fan (and always will be) than that of a Leeds fan.

It's the fact that your a part of it here, whereas with supporting Leeds, it's very much an outsider looking in really...

[boovidge]

also culture. In England the local football club is a big part of the town and it's community. "Gloryhunting" is looked down upon.

[rebelarmyexile]

I support Cork City, but I follow English teams as well. I do not support them, just take an interest. Likewise other home nation teams. I generally wouldnt be bothered who won English Premier League games or SPL or IL, but in Europe I would hope for any English or Scotch team do well over a European team. I support 1 club, you can only support 1 club.

People who buy Sky and watch Man Utd, Chelsea, Sellthick etc and buy the jerseys are not supporters, they are CUSTOMERS.

[Jofspring]

when i was younger i purely supported man utd growing up, this was down to the fact i didn't know anything about limerick soccer and never had been to a game barr 1 or 2 that i was brought to. all i ever saw on telly or in the papers was english or scottish football. as i got a little older and found out more about irish football and about limerick football i started supporting them and i definately get more joy out of going to jackman park to watch limerick play than watch Man united on the box. live football and getting behind your home club is what its all about and there is no better kick than going supporting your local team home or away and seeing them win whether it be Limerick in soccer or Shannon in rugby or any other local team you like to follow for that matter.

The people that annoy me are the ones who consider themselves die hard football fans who supposedly support the irish national team through thick and thin and want to see the english national team fail so badly yet support english clubs like man utd, liverpool, aresenal etc... and would laugh at the suggestion of supporting an LOI team.

[jinxy lilywhite]

What bugs me is the love Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard in their club shirt and then there a c*nts when they wear an England shirt.


Then sometimes the fair weather eloi supporters are just as worse. How many of us hold a grudge or even know fellow supporters who jump on the bandwagon when their team is doing well and then when they lose or go through a bad patch they wipe their hands with the club until they put a string of decent results behind them.

[Jofspring]

ya limerick will win two or three matches, get a decent crowd up to jackman park, draw or lose that match and the crowd is gone the following week. very frustrating :mad:

[Claret Murph]

Well let me see I would say I watch 3 teams

I get to see all the home internationals .
I am a season ticket holder at Galway .
I also make a couple of visits each season to watch Burnley .

Adding to this I just hope the Irish do well this over the two away games because I have been watching very poor football so far this season from the club sides .

[bennocelt]

" Then I paid €10 in Oriel to watch that sh1te". To say i wanted to smack him was an understatment.



That is one thing that bugs me, as if the quality of football means anything

Also i hate when people moan about facilities
Sure they are bad, but its football
I mean i go to the pub for the beer, not cause the toilets are lovely, etc

[bennocelt]

I support Cork City, but I follow English teams as well. I do not support them, just take an interest. Likewise other home nation teams. I generally wouldnt be bothered who won English Premier League games or SPL or IL, but in Europe I would hope for any English or Scotch team do well over a European team. I support 1 club, you can only support 1 club.
.

mmmmm:(

[L37Ultra]

ya limerick will win two or three matches, get a decent crowd up to jackman park, draw or lose that match and the crowd is gone the following week. very frustrating :mad:

Its all got to do with the buzz around the town when they are doing well and if people can take Limerick seriously after what has happened in the past. Things are changing though and I have brought many friends to games this year who I would have never expected to go to a Limerick game. I always get smart comments from people when I am in town with any sort of Limerick gear. Ironic thing is it comes from fellows wearing Liverpool jerseys etc.. I just tell them I feel sorry for them :) Do you get that attitude in Limerick, Jofspring?

[jinxy lilywhite]

Its all got to do with the buzz around the town when they are doing well and if people can take Limerick seriously after what has happened in the past. Things are changing though and I have brought many friends to games this year who I would have never expected to go to a Limerick game. I always get smart comments from people when I am in town with any sort of Limerick gear. Ironic thing is it comes from fellows wearing Liverpool jerseys etc.. I just tell them I feel sorry for them :) Do you get that attitude in Limerick, Jofspring?

I remember reading this before about Limerick Football. I used to live there but it was a long time ago. How different is the L37 to the other Limericks in the past? sorry for going off topic here

[Stevo Da Gull]

I haven't read most of the posts in this thread but I'd like to say that it is definately possible to support more than one team. Bray Wanderers are my no.1 but I also get very emotional when watching Arsenal and Hibs play (and when I can only see the score on a text or whatever), I care about these clubs and I'm not about to force myself to stop caring just because some people think that it's wrong to follow more than one team.

I actually know a guy who supports two LOI teams (Dundalk and Kildare)!

[L37Ultra]

I remember reading this before about Limerick Football. I used to live there but it was a long time ago. How different is the L37 to the other Limericks in the past? sorry for going off topic here

It is a lot different I think. General poor attitude around the city though towards the club I find but it is improving constantly. There is way better coverage in the local media for Limerick these days.

[mypost]

Imo, it is possible to support A club team in different countries, but not more than one in those countries. Here, I support Rovers, in England it's Liverpool, but I support a team in 7 other countries as well. Apart from the odd game in Europe, none of them are directly competing with each other.

International football is completely different. You can only support one team, and in 90% of cases, it's where you were born that ties you to the hip internationally.

[WoodquayBoy]

I obviously have too much time on may hands as I keep more than a passing interest in teams in a number of leagues.
My first love is, obviously Galway United, but always keep an eye out for the scores of :
England - Man Utd, second team I supported as a kid, after United, and we're talking about the dark season when they were relegated
Scotland - Hibs (purely because Edinburgh is a nice city, Glasgow is a kip and I hate Celtic fans because of reasons mentioned earlier)
Spain - Celta Vigo (port city, lovely part of country, and real underdogs - aren't even in La Liga
Holland - Groningen (since we played then in Europe 20 years ago)
Germany - Bayern, was in old Olympic stadium, class place.
Italy - Inter, all my mates picked Milan, so had to be different/odd!
Greece - Iraklio (thanks to 2 week hol on Crete)
Doesn't make me less of a Galway United fan though.
And there is a friend of mine who lives in Kildare but is from Galway, and he supports both United and County - he'll be in trouble next year deciding who to support when we're both in First Division :-(

[bennocelt]

Imo, it is possible to support A club team in different countries, but not more than one in those countries. Here, I support Rovers, in England it's Liverpool, but I support a team in 7 other countries as well. Apart from the odd game in Europe, none of them are directly competing with each other.

International football is completely different. You can only support one team, and in 90% of cases, it's where you were born that ties you to the hip internationally.


I am not quite sure how thats different, I always "support" Argentina in INT football

[OneRedArmy]

I think this thread is missing the point.

Supporting a couple of teams is a global phenomena. Even the yanks do it. Ditto devoting all your attention to one team. How much understanding does it require?:confused:

Ignoring your local game is pretty much unique to us.

[thischarmingman]

Got the usual answer "No, I mean what real team?"


I suppose what really annoys me is people who fall into the first category and think that I am somehow less of a football fan because I don't watch Match of the Day.

I had an interview a while ago for a job in a bar/nightclub. Things were going well until the manager, looking down at my CV where I'd mentioned I supported DCFC, said something jokingly, "Ah, and I see you're a football fan...I'm afraid you have to answer this question right to get a job here: Do you like Man United?" I said, no, I only supported DCFC after which both managers proceeded to grill me along the lines of, "Aye but which Premiership club do you support?"

Eventually, I had to pretend I still supported Leeds (I used to support them when I was a kid but hadn't seen them or anything for years) to get them to leave me alone.

[TonyD]

I think most Irish people grew up "Suppporting" an English side. Mine was Man City, until the penny dropped that they didn't really mean anything to me. It was a while before this translated into supporting my local team, but I haven't looked back in 14 years of regular attendance at Richmond Park. Frankly I feel sorry for those who will never know the feeling that we Pats SUPPORTERS had last Thursday evening. As Dodge said, it's their loss. The other thing I always want to point out to people who run down the league is that the single thing which would improve stadia and the standard of football in this country out of all recognition is if more people actually went to matches. There really is no other cure if you think our league is a sick man. Improvement will not happen out of thin air. The probelm is people want everything served up readymade to them. "I want to watch a team in the Champions League, but I've no interest in helping them reach that standard." It's just too damn easy to watch Man U on the TV and that's why people do it.

[Donadoni]

My own experience sees me supporting a team from the city where I was 'born and bred'. This will always be my first team. I then moved abroad from several years and began supporting a local team. I built up a very good feeling for this team and am definitely a fan. So no problem supporting two teams.

[eelmonster]

One team, Dundalk. Couldn't really give a plop about the national team, certainly couldn't give two plops for an English or Scottish team.

[YellowbellyRed]

I think its possible to 'follow' as many teams as you like but you can only really feel for one deep down I think, and this takes years and usually lots of money. For me the first love was Manchester United and still is. However this hasn't stopped me enjoying following the exploits of a variety of other teams over the years. Its only now that Wexford have a league team that I have seriously got into LOI but I did attend ucd games in my time there and my grandad brought me to dalymount as a youngster several times too. I would like to think though that in a few years the situation will reverse itself. Supporting an english team in that league, the way its gone, is a nonsense really for an Irish football fan with any sense of self respect. Can't help ourselves though..I feel far better about what the guys at FCUnited and more particularly Ferrycarrig Park are doing.

[Hibernian]

i support three teams an EL, epl an spl team. I dont care really what people think and really who does care?

for me some the comments on this thread are plain stupid and is why some people never want go near a domestic football game with attitude like some of you guys.

move on, its there and there is no point in sulking about it

[hedderman]

when i was younger i purely supported man utd growing up, this was down to the fact i didn't know anything about limerick soccer and never had been to a game barr 1 or 2 that i was brought to. all i ever saw on telly or in the papers was english or scottish football. as i got a little older and found out more about irish football and about limerick football i started supporting them and i definately get more joy out of going to jackman park to watch limerick play than watch Man united on the box. live football and getting behind your home club is what its all about and there is no better kick than going supporting your local team home or away and seeing them win whether it be Limerick in soccer or Shannon in rugby or any other local team you like to follow for that matter.

The people that annoy me are the ones who consider themselves die hard football fans who supposedly support the irish national team through thick and thin and want to see the english national team fail so badly yet support english clubs like man utd, liverpool, aresenal etc... and would laugh at the suggestion of supporting an LOI team.

I'd have had a fairly similar experience. I was a big Man Utd fan up until about 15 or 16. I went to the Brandywell for the first time the season we nearly were relegated and the atmosphere of the Jungle got me hooked. For some reason, and I'm not sure how long this took, I've developed a dislike for Man Utd, so much so that I was going for Chelsea in the CL final. I think the problem with some of the bigger Premiership teams is that they're football corporations, not football clubs.

It never fails to annoy me when I hear barstoolers discussing supporters songs and chants. I always think to myself, it's a pity you'll rarely if ever to get to sing them at a match.

[stamullendrog]

Define support? I would say I support Limerick but I would follow Manchester United. It all depends really, the majority of kids growing up are brought up with the culture of supporting English clubs and if you support an Irish club you are looked down on.


i would see supporting as going to a game paying your money to a club shouting for the team obviously.most people in ireland only follow the english teams and support the publicans and bar staff in reality

[ORPCS]

Its okay to support two teams. Club and country. I get really ****ed off with all the wee knackers that run about west belfast going tiocfaidh ar la this and chucky that - but then in their next sentence call Liverpool and Man U 'we' and 'us' a bit hypocritical.

If you have lived in several cities like I have ... its hard not to have a 'wee feel' for one or two of the teams cities that I've lived in - but half the wee tramps that havent been outside their own housing scheme in the last 6 months claiming to be a supporter of a particular team just because they have a 'chipped' sky box ... does my head in.

[Paddyfield]

I actively support 2 teams. St Pats and Slavia Prague

What's the story with using the name Hibs4Ever? Do you follow Hibs too?

I support Galway United. Secondly, I support all Irish teams in Europe.

On a normal day, I'd have a strong disliking for Shels but I really wanted them to do well in Europe when they had their good run a few years ago. I have no logical explantion for this behaviour.

I have more interest in Monaghan United than Manchester United.

Maybe it's the hot dogs on sale at Mons' games.