Best Fans in the World debunked

[MariborKev]

Never thought we were ever near the title, but hopefully tonight will debunk the myth.

The Polish fans showed how to support a team.

[kingdomkerry]

They wore their colours anyway. All irish fans around me wore black jackets. Away fans always make the most of it though.

[MariborKev]

They wore their colours anyway. All irish fans around me wore black jackets. Away fans always make the most of it though.

I've been to see Poland play at home several times, and if you thought they were loud and colourful tonight.........

[stiffler]

Great atmosphere at the game tonight...best i have ever came across for a friendly. Pity there wasnt more irish fans out to get behind the team.

I'd love to know what them chants meant!!!

[irishultra]

terrific. i have some polish, pretty crap tho but i couldnt get what they were saying either. sorry.

[Jinxy]

Seemed like a very good atmosphere on TV alright. Constant chanting etc. It sounded like the crowd was much bigger than it was. It would have been great to have the Polish fans on the Hill if possible.

[jebus]

Irish sports fans are a joke and are the laughing stock of the British Isles (let's not get into that debate either).

We don't support teams, we support success, Irish people are whores for events and would sell their own grandmother to make their life a little bit nicer.

Not trying to wind up here, but Irish people, when it comes to supporting teams, are generally crap

[Sheridan]

Wouldn't you have to actually go to football matches occasionally and have some kind of knowledge of the game to be considered for this accolade in the first place?

[jbyrne]

Great atmosphere at the game tonight...best i have ever came across for a friendly. Pity there wasnt more irish fans out to get behind the team.

I'd love to know what them chants meant!!!

61,000 apparently. probably in the top 2 or 3 european attendances last night. id imagine 40,000 + Irish fans which is pretty impressive for a nothing november friendly. thought we did ok at getting behind the team. away fans will always be more enthusiastic

[bennocelt]

Irish sports fans are a joke and are the laughing stock of the British Isles (let's not get into that debate either).

We don't support teams, we support success, Irish people are whores for events and would sell their own grandmother to make their life a little bit nicer.

Not trying to wind up here, but Irish people, when it comes to supporting teams, are generally crap


oh dear - are you sure you are not on THAT list:rolleyes:

but your point is dead right -i think the only thing irish people do well at all is act the fool and get drunk - are we good at anything else really?

[OneRedArmy]

61,000 apparently. probably in the top 2 or 3 european attendances last night. id imagine 40,000 + Irish fans which is pretty impressive for a nothing november friendly. thought we did ok at getting behind the team. away fans will always be more enthusiasticThere was no way 2/3 of the attendence last night was Irish. Half and half at best.

[Newryrep]

There was no way 2/3 of the attendence last night was Irish. Half and half at best.

I would estimate at 60/40 Irish/Poles which given it s a friendly isnt to bad numbers wise although quality is somewhat lacking rather than quantity.

Irish fans in home game **** atsmosphere SHOCKER - its hardly man bites dog

[eirebhoy]

Are we forgetting the Irish in Paris (to name just one)? Brian Kerr's greatest moment of his Irish reign was the fans at that game. The French commentators couldn't believe the Irish fans.

Now fair enough, the Polish fans are also very loud at their home games but if were judging on away games then we're up there with the very best.

Judging by the Polish in my job they're patriotic people but if we played abroad in a city with 100,000 Irish then almost every last one of them would be getting a ticket.

and btw, they do sing non-stop but there's plenty of them that with their backs to the match for most of the game just to direct the singing. It's a much different culture.

[jbyrne]

There was no way 2/3 of the attendence last night was Irish. Half and half at best.

15 - 20,000 polish quoted by the poles themselves after the game

[pineapple stu]

61,000 apparently. probably in the top 2 or 3 european attendances last night.
50566 was put up on the screen. I'd say half and half alright.

I think it's too broad to compare the Polish fans last night and Irish sports fans in general. There's plenty who travel abroad and will create a sea of colour a bit like Poland last night and will keep singing for 90 minutes (games in Stuttgart and Paris come to mind). There's far more who think their club's home ground is their local. The one group shouldn't affect the other's standing.

But thought the Polish were superb alright. Wonder how much the FAI will fine themselves for the flares?

[gspain]

Best away support I can remember ever in Dublin.

The home support was dreadful though. I know it's a friendly we are normally the noisy colourful ones.

[pineapple stu]

Not at home on a workday we're not.

Probably also worth noting that the Irish "Best Fans in the World" tag is in part for general good humour before, during and after games, not necessarily colourful displays, etc. The Polish are too prone to racism (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/mihirbose/2008/04/polish_footballs_racism_proble.html), for example, to qualify on those grounds.

But 100% agree that they were excellent last night. And agree that the tag is used by barstoolers to legitimise themselves too.

[aidz1]

For all those who made the excuse of Croke Park being blamed for the lack of atmosphere in recent games, well the polish showed exactly what the problem really is : the irish suport.

Last night showed that our home suport is really sh1t (which from the very odd exception in the last 15 years has been the case).

Hundreds of irish "fans" left after the 2nd goal, thousands left from 80mins on. Too many of the irish attendants want to be entertained rather than support their team. Most probably dont know how to!!!

The polish were colourful, noisy, knew how to enjoy it and get behind their team.

And while technically it was an away for them, most of them would have went from work yesterday to the game and back in this morning (similar to home fans and unlike a proper away where the away fans are on the gargle for 1-2 days beforehand).

A dedicated section for like minded irish fans who want to get behind the team is badly needed. Create the noise from there. And get rid of that bloody carlsberg band.

[Billy Lord]

It's a much different culture.


Exactly. The Poles are proper football fans, while the paddies are a bunch of deluded drunks.

[OneRedArmy]

15 - 20,000 polish quoted by the poles themselves after the game
You quoted 61,000 attendence. That may have been tickets sold as the ground was nowhere near full on the top tier and the hill was closed. My own estimate was closer to 50k in the ground.

Also, do the Poles have an inherent ability to count better than the Irish?

[mandrake]

irish stewards facination with flares (not 70's trousers)
wasnt it funny wathcing the stewards trying to get the flares and in the end not bothering....!
maybe its better just to let them burn and then fizzle out , there is more trouble trying to stop them....it looked like the polish fans were better and handling them than the stewards

[jbyrne]

You quoted 61,000 attendence. That may have been tickets sold as the ground was nowhere near full on the top tier and the hill was closed. My own estimate was closer to 50k in the ground.

Also, do the Poles have an inherent ability to count better than the Irish?

61,000 mentioned on sky sports highlights last night. id say the poles had a fair idea how many tickets they sold to their fans, dont you think?

[gspain]

For all those who made the excuse of Croke Park being blamed for the lack of atmosphere in recent games, well the polish showed exactly what the problem really is : the irish suport.

Last night showed that our home suport is really sh1t (which from the very odd exception in the last 15 years has been the case).

.

The atmosphere was still poor enough last night. It was poor for the rugby on saturday too. I'm told it is fantastic for GAA but this is still possible as it's a GAA stadium. They have an affinity for the place and they are much closer to the pitch.

You can have a great atmosphere in half empty stadiums. Tolka was rocking on saturday night with just over 2,000 there.

I was in Thomond Park on tuesday night and the atmospher was incredible.

[citizenerased]

best away fans maybe, but home fans are shocking...we need a singing section, YBIG are currently starting a campaign for one!

[pineapple stu]

61,000 mentioned on sky sports highlights
Again, 50566 on the big screen as the official crowd. Sounded about right to me; Hill closed and large gaps around the whole ground.

[wexfordned]

61,000 apparently. probably in the top 2 or 3 european attendances last night. id imagine 40,000 + Irish fans which is pretty impressive for a nothing november friendly. thought we did ok at getting behind the team. away fans will always be more enthusiastic

If you think last nights support was ok then you have shockingly low expectations. Irish home support is s**t. Was more like a home game for Poland.

At away games Irish fans are drinking for 1/2 days beforehand so all fairly ****ed by game time so they sing away. All the Polish fans would have been in work yesterday & back in work today just like the Irish fans

[jbyrne]

Again, 50566 on the big screen as the official crowd. Sounded about right to me; Hill closed and large gaps around the whole ground.

and again 61,000 on sky last night but so what?

[Claret Murph]

I have never seen the EL section so empty which was a shock :mad:

[pineapple stu]

If it was on the screen, it's official from the FAI, which is "so what". Unless I mis-read it and it said 60566, which is possible, but I didn't think it was that full at all.

[eirebhoy]

At away games Irish fans are drinking for 1/2 days beforehand so all fairly ****ed by game time so they sing away. All the Polish fans would have been in work yesterday & back in work today just like the Irish fans
If there were 100,000 Irish fans living in Poland, working in Poland, and the match was in Poland on a Wednesday night after work the Irish would still fill the stadium and sing their heads off.

[aidz1]

The atmosphere was still poor enough last night. It was poor for the rugby on saturday too. I'm told it is fantastic for GAA but this is still possible as it's a GAA stadium. They have an affinity for the place and they are much closer to the pitch.

You can have a great atmosphere in half empty stadiums. Tolka was rocking on saturday night with just over 2,000 there.

I was in Thomond Park on tuesday night and the atmospher was incredible.


eh?? the polish knew how to create an atmosphere last night. they never stopped singing..how was that poor?

[neutrino]

Never thought we were ever near the title, but hopefully tonight will debunk the myth.

The Polish fans showed how to support a team.

Such rubbish threads these really are. We're all a bunch of self loathing football fans if half the threads on here are to be believed. As has been said if Ireland played in a country where there were at least 100,000 they'd be drawing support from there too.

Poland were always going to bring massive support.Wouldnt you go to see Ireland play if they say were in Sydney and you lived there. Just becuase Poland bring massive support to a game is no reason to start on about "debunk the myth". Irish fans should look at themselves and not just generalise. I had many many wonderful nights supporting Ireland and always get involved in cheering them on. Some people (at nearly all home games for any team) just arent like that and go for the ocassion and watching players they see on TV. That's just the way they are and will never change. If a supporter wants to don the green and shout and cheer that's great but dont focus on those who dont. Croke Park has attracted alot of fans who have never been to an international game before who simply dont or cant know how to get involved supporting the team.

We think becuase we are real Eircom League supporters (granted alot on here arent) then we have the divine opinion on everything. But if someone comes on here who isnt in that bracket starts chirping about the Ireland support being a myth or we're a UK C selection we'd all be bashing the keyboards saying to the contrary.

People would want to get real and not be adopting the sensationalist attitude that seems to have leaked from 90's english tabloids into main stream Irish football culture.

Of course everyone has their opinion (this is a forum after all) and this is just mine :rolleyes:

[Newryrep]

best away fans maybe, but home fans are shocking...we need a singing section, YBIG are currently starting a campaign for one!

Something definetly needs done for Lansdowne wrt singing section, in the BB form or whatever form they use it should have a separate section with tick box saying you accept the following terms and conditions along the lines of

1. It is not expected that this section will remained seated permanently over the course of 90 mins
2. This section will not be suitable for under 12's over 60's
3. This section is intended to originate the noise and atsmosphere and as such compliants about blocked views due to fans getting into the spirit of things will not be entertained eg flag waving, banners etc *they wont/cant officially let us stand
4 This section will not be suitable for anybody with registered disabilities
5. This section will not be suitable for anybody called Royston
6. This secton will not be suitable for anybody who intends to read the business section of the Irish times just before the game
7. This section is not suitable for anybody who goes for a hotdog half way through the first half
8 This section is not suitable people to sit and chat all the way throught the game and not bother about what is going on on the pitch
10. This section is not suitable for people to spend most of the game on the end of a mobile phone unless they are a heart surgeon or something such like.

etc

In short if you are not prepared to sit/stand sing your heart out for 90 mins then please do not tick the box

etc etc

[pineapple stu]

The FAI were asked to send something like this out the last time. They forgot.

[AidoM]

The "you're supposed to be at home" chant we sing at away matches seemed more true for last nights match :o :mad: :eek:

[Hibernian]

Couple things I would like to say

First fair play to the Poles they were loud and have say when they do that bounce it looks great to watch. However I was in canal end and what I saw from a few Polish fans had a lot to be desired and there gestures were uncalled for. Overall a credit to themselves though even with what I saw.

Now the fact remains and I have said it before that we are turning into a bunch of boo boys. Christ can Irish fans not just get behind there flaming team. Its all bloody moaning and groaning right throughout the game.

As for the best fans well I think the away support is unreal Stuggart, Paris, England 1991 people seem to forget that there about 1/4 million polish in Ireland (there's more then official 100,000 there has to be) and they wanted to see there team play when they might not get chance too for long time again. Only England and Holland bring better away support away from home right the way through campaigns.

Irish fans had 40,000 over in Paris dont forget and we are smaller country then Poland.

The problem seems to stem in the Home games where we get people leaving for food after 20minutes and people leaving the ground with ten minutes into a match. More people in my side were more interested in watching the bloody Mexican wave then watching the football.

I remember at one stage getting looks because I was trying to start a chant of "Ireland Ireland". I dont know whats happening but I would have got more entertainment from watching paint dry then having to look at the dull faces on most of the Irish crowd last night

[soccerc]

Something definetly needs done for Lansdowne wrt singing section, in the BB form or whatever form they use it should have a separate section with tick box saying you accept the following terms and conditions along the lines of


2. This section will not be suitable for under 12's over 60's

4 This section will not be suitable for anybody with registered disabilities



In short if you are not prepared to sit/stand sing your heart out for 90 mins then please do not tick the box

etc etc

Are you for real?

There are some people in your categories above who would give many a run for their money in terms of their vocal support.

Secondly, both are illegal under the terms of the Equal Status Act ;)

[wexfordned]

If there were 100,000 Irish fans living in Poland, working in Poland, and the match was in Poland on a Wednesday night after work the Irish would still fill the stadium and sing their heads off.

Would they all leave ten minutes early like our "wonderful" support. Fair enough about the polish fans but even for qualifying games in croker the atmosphere is more like a morgue.

[NeilMcD]

Are you for real?

There are some people in your categories above who would give many a run for their money in terms of their vocal support.

Secondly, both are illegal under the terms of the Equal Status Act ;)

Yeah there is certainly a much less offensive way of creating and atmosphere. Have a tick box for the singing section and also have a tick box for a family section. That should sort it out. The clue is in the title and if people want to sit and watch the game in peace and quiet then the family section is for them no matter what age they are.

[citizenerased]

http://www.facebook.com/groups/edit.php?gid=53641686192#/group.php?gid=53641686192&ref=mf

here is a facebook page for it

[OneRedArmy]

As an aside anyone notice the hundred or so Polish casuals in the middle of their "official" away section in the lower Cusack (they were surrounded by a ring of guards).

Hilarious watching everyone but them doing the bouncey.

Anybody think flares, smoke cans and strobos will now be a regular sight at the football or the hurling? :)

[Schumi]

61,000 mentioned on sky sports highlights last night. id say the poles had a fair idea how many tickets they sold to their fans, dont you think?All the Poles bought tickets off the Polish FA did they? :rolleyes: There were Poles all over the ground, they obviously picked them up off Irish people who didn't go. There's no way of having anything other than a guess at how many Poles were there.

[Newryrep]

Are you for real?

There are some people in your categories above who would give many a run for their money in terms of their vocal support.

Secondly, both are illegal under the terms of the Equal Status Act ;)

SoccerC it was a bit tongue in cheek, hence the Royston catagory, but it was trying to avoid the scenario where somebody takes their 12 year old along to the singing section thinking it s a good idea and a. the language is a bit raw and b. he/she couldnt see anything because everybody is standing up which annoys dad and arguement ensues.

Same with the registed disabled bit, it is no doubt worded clumsily, It wasnt meant to offend apologies if it did.

[soccerc]

As an aside anyone notice the hundred or so Polish casuals in the middle of their "official" away section in the lower Cusack (they were surrounded by a ring of guards).

They were fans of Widzew Lodz and one comment from a senior Garda was "They're very disciplined"

http://photos4.pix.ie/BB/8F/BB8F52A0C34041D6B0E348A78A4D8E15-240.jpg (http://pix.ie/soccerc/753993)


http://photos5.pix.ie/6E/D1/6ED19979703B4147A42EE8C7F263695A-240.jpg (http://pix.ie/soccerc/753982)

[jbyrne]

All the Poles bought tickets off the Polish FA did they? :rolleyes: There were Poles all over the ground, they obviously picked them up off Irish people who didn't go. There's no way of having anything other than a guess at how many Poles were there.

exactly. hence they said 15 - 20,000 of them there

[OneRedArmy]

exactly. hence they said 15 - 20,000 of them thereAnd why are you quoting that as more reliable than an Irish persons estimate?

Do Polish people have an inate ability to count large crowds better?

[Schumi]

exactly. hence they said 15 - 20,000 of them thereBut how do they know any better than anyone else?

[geysir]

The Polish are too prone to racism (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/mihirbose/2008/04/polish_footballs_racism_proble.html), for example, to qualify on those grounds.
The racism and hooliganism is shocking in the Polish league but not evident in the support for the national team.
Inside Polish Sport (http://www.dailymotion.com/country/gb/video/x500y1_bbc-inside-sport-poland-football-ra_sport)

[paul_oshea]

Yeah there is certainly a much less offensive way of creating and atmosphere. Have a tick box for the singing section and also have a tick box for a family section. That should sort it out. The clue is in the title and if people want to sit and watch the game in peace and quiet then the family section is for them no matter what age they are.

they do that for the emirates for carling cup games and it works a treat.except they actually designate the seats and you chose, i.e. so one section of the ground will be for it and you can choose your own seat in that area.

[paul_oshea]

As an aside anyone notice the hundred or so Polish casuals in the middle of their "official" away section in the lower Cusack (they were surrounded by a ring of guards).

Hilarious watching everyone but them doing the bouncey.

Anybody think flares, smoke cans and strobos will now be a regular sight at the football or the hurling? :)

Would be funny. have to say it would be class in the hill with the dubs, but they would probably start throwing them over at the trains causing havoc and pandemonium :D