Why did you start following your club?

[ped_ped]

Inspired by a post in the Man United friendly thread, what made you start following your team?

Parents, brought along by a friend? Or a glamour friendly? :p

I started following Limerick in the papers and match reports about two years back, but couldn't get into a game. Finally got an excuse to get into one when Limerick hosted Pat's in the Ford Cup. Hardly a glamour friendly but a big enough time for a Limerick team that were consigned to a midtabl finish from the offset. We lost 1 - 0 but I was hooked and Colin Scanlon's chip of the Pat's keeper that bounced over the bar nearly killed me :p

So yeah, I'm a relative newbie.

[Boo_Boy]

I realised when I was around 10 that sitting on your arse on a Saturday afternoon watching Man Yoo was boring.
That's around the time I started going to all the Rovers home games, before then it was just something my dad and I did every few weeks.

[pineapple stu]

Where's the option to add a poll?

Fire ahead with stories alright, but it'd be interesting to break it down between, say -

a) brought to games at a young age by parent/older relative fan
b) went to a glamour friendly
c) wanted to support local team
d) local team coming to your school or junior football club and
e) Other

Option c for me.

[Louth4sam]

First games i remember were a Liverpool friendly and European cup match against Kispest Honved in 1991. Brought to LOI games earlier by my dad but don't remember them really. Started going to games properly a year or two later because all my friends went.

[poster]

A

Wasn't much to do in the 70's in Sligo either. Then electricity and the TV came and ruined it all.

[Mr A]

Mixture of a) and c) for me.

[Jofspring]

Went to a couple of games when i was younger and really enjoyed them but didn't get back to matches because of where i was living there was no way a kid was going to be able to make his own way into games. Started going again about 6 years ago and have probably missed about 10 home games max since then.

[atfconline]

Option c for me.

Brought myself along to the opening game of the "almost" season in 2000/01. Ten points clear by Christmas, I knew nothing but success.

Now into my eleventh season in this god-damned division and no sign of escape.

[Acornvilla]

my parents owned an abrakebabra and we were one of longfords sponsors so my dad always went to matches when we played finn harps in the fai cup in the late 90's i was mascot i was about 8 :D

stephen o brien gave me a whole 2 euro and the ref a tenner :D thats one of my earliest memories , that and seemingly playing either bray or finn harps every week and loosing my wallet somewhere near the old guinnes shed as i called it

[peadar1987]

Sort of a cross between a and c

My dad grew up in Stoke, and was a season ticket holder at City for years before he moved to London, eventually got Thatchered out of a job, and ended up marrying my mum and coming to Ireland (It's a terribly romantic story!). To him, supporting your local team, and watching live football was just something you did. I'd never had much more than a casual interest in football before that, kicking a ball around, and looking out for Stoke and Bray results in the paper, watching a bit of MOTD, but he decided when I was about 15 to take me to a Stoke game to show me what it was really all about on one of our trips over to visit my Nan. If I remember right, it was a dismal 0-0 draw with Mark McGhee's Millwall. Dennis Wise got a lot of abuse! After that, I was hooked, so myself and Dad decided to start heading down to the Carlisle to get our fix of live football, instead of waiting for the biannual visits to the Potteries.

Things just started getting more and more regular, until the ritual every second Friday was to walk down to Bray, order a curry from the Indian on the way past, and pick it up after the match. It was as much a way of spending time with my dad as it was watching football, really. Then I began going to matches on my own, and with any friends I could drag along when my dad wasn't available, and the rest is history (I've just looked down and realised I'm sitting wearing a Wanderers shirt in my flat in Edinburgh while typing this). Some people think you can't support two clubs. I'd like to think that myself and my Dad are evidence against.

[Guinney]

Option C I guess, Oriel Park is across the road from my house so couldn't really avoid it, even if I wanted to. Kinda went to matches sparsely when I was younger and then moved away for college but over the last 3 years, especially since Dundalk got promoted I've hardly missed a home game.

[De Town]

My dad is originally from Dublin, but got a job down here when he was 19, and he's been living here since. He's been going to Town matches since he came down here and I was brought along since I was about 5 or 6. 14 years later, I've seen some seriously great highs, and some awful awful lows. Wouldn't change it for the world though!

[shep]

My dad started bringin us(me and my bro) from the age of about 5,was always a tough decision back then as my mum used to offer to bring us to our cousins in Newry and buy us a comic and sweets.

Luckily the Bovril and milky moos ,got the nod and here i am 23 years later still Dundalk mad!!!

[Riddickcule]

B and E.

Went to a few glamour games years ago, always wanted to know how they did after that. Results, Table etc.

Then one day in school a mate of mine suggests to a few of us to come along to the next game, it was a rovers game. So a few of us did and we loved it!

Then we went to a few other games before we finally started going to every game.

Then the 2009 season came and no-one went anymore..

[seand]

Option c for me.

Brought myself along to the opening game of the "almost" season in 2000/01. Ten points clear by Christmas, I knew nothing but success.

Now into my eleventh season in this god-damned division and no sign of escape.


Serves you right for bandwagon hopping in 2000 ............ ;)

[dong]

My Dad used to bring us to the showgrounds on Sunday afternoons in the late eighties.
I was only around seven or eight when i went to my first game and I distinctly remember the cup games with Shams and Vinny Arkins coming to town. When you're that age you get so sucked into the whole atmosphere that Arkins may as well have been Lionel Messi (or to use a player of the time Kenny Dalglish)
Been going since.

[Sam_Heggy]

Where's the option to add a poll?

Fire ahead with stories alright, but it'd be interesting to break it down between, say -

a) brought to games at a young age by parent/older relative fan
b) went to a glamour friendly
c) wanted to support local team
d) local team coming to your school or junior football club and
e) Other

Option c for me.

You forgot to add,
(f) mentally unstable
(g) Into self harm in a non violent way
(h) didn't want to be part of the "majority"


Mixture of a, c, f and h for me.

[marinobohs]

My grandfather was a member at Bohs back in the dark ages so family always had an affinity with the club and I was dragged along to Dalymount from a young age. Used to go to Tolka (nearest ground) to watch Shels when Bohs were away and before I was old enough to "travel". Somewhere along the line a mad evil red and black virus infected my bloodstream and I have been unable to shake the Dalyer habit since.
Several attempts at treatment (usually involving pubs) and a radical treatment of Prem (fathers family from Liverpool) have failed to treat this most insideous of addictions and at this stage I have just learned to accept my drug of choice.;)

[John83]

You forgot to add,
(f) mentally unstable
(g) Into self harm in a non violent way
(h) didn't want to be part of the "majority"


Mixture of a, c, f and h for me.
and (i) I heard there'd be rioting.

I went to a couple of the games in a triangular friendly held in Belfield Park between Coventry, UCD and Dublin City. Ran into Pineapple Stu, who'd captained/managed an old team I was on, and got mixed up with the wrong (singing) crowd. It's cost me money, time and relationships. THE BRAINWASHING HAS TO STOP.

[danthesaint]

went to school in crumlin not far from richer (for you culchie lads) we used to go drinking before hand and then went to the match

good times.......

[Doomofman]

My dad was born and raised in Inchicore... Has been going to Pats games for 40 odd years... Obviously dragged the kids along at times so there's 3 out of the 5 of us that are now die hard Saints fans...

[Dunny]

Maxi made me.

[PartySaint]

My dad is from Inchicore brought me to my first game in 1990, Pats Vs Rovers in the RDS(Rovers first game there) i was only 2 at the time so dont remember it, The first game i remember was 2 years later against Cork in Harolds Cross (still love the Cork jersey from that year always sticks out in my mind) Spent most of the match running around the greyhound track, 20 years later and im still going to games with my Dad, for me its what makes it so special, we have been all over the country and Europe together supporting Pats and i wouldnt change one moment of it (maybe the cup finals), Look forward to the day i have a son and can bring him along with his Dad and Grandad to his first Saints game

[stann]

Picked up the habit in college as I lived just up behind Turner's Cross. Would see a big crowd about from time to time, and a mate there was sort of into it, so decided to see what the fuss was about one day and got hooked. Used to stay up the odd weekend to go to games against Waterford, or for other big games (Derry especially, their away crowds were massive at the time, late 80s).
When I came home and started working there were another three or four lads of like mind, and we started going in to Kilcohan, me the only one driving at the time. Over the next few years, and the move to the RSC, they dropped away in dribs and drabs, until then there was one!

[pauliek]

I was brought to games by my parents, my first game was when I was only weeks old. Ive ben going for the 19 years since. I went on a run of not missing a game for exactly 2 years which I am very proud of

[Martinho II]

Maxi made me.

where is maxi this weather? Hes fairly quiet this weather! I used to do summer football training in Abbeycartron with Zac Hackett,Heysham El Khershi, Leo Devlin and Denis O'Brien for two years in a row.. i thoroughly enjoyed them when I was about to start secondary school and got roped into going to Abbeycartron to see the town play with the same bunch of lads that are now in Section o with me! this would have being around 1989/90.. I have being going regularly for the past ten years home and away and went to a few games each season at home up to that point but still had the interest..

[poster]

where is maxi this weather? Hes fairly quiet this weather!..

Bad weather down here.

[Martinho II]

Bad weather down here.

i agree with you there poster..:D Where is Maxi though?;)

[fionnsci]

My Dad was a Pat's fan back in the day but he had long since stopped going by the time I came along. Anyway, I was a big Spurs fan when I was young(er) but by the time I was about 13 (unfortunately also about the time they started to get things together!) I realised that I didn't really feel any connection to the club or care how they did. I followed Pat's for a while from a distance before going to a dull 1-0 win....and becoming hooked!

[Schumi]

Where's the option to add a poll?The option to start one at the bottom of the thread seems to have disappeared, probably during the upgrade a while back. If you make a new thread with the poll in it and merge it with this one, it should work.


Fire ahead with stories alright, but it'd be interesting to break it down between, say -

a) brought to games at a young age by parent/older relative fan
b) went to a glamour friendly
c) wanted to support local team
d) local team coming to your school or junior football club and
e) Otherf) brought to a game at an older age by a friend.

[Paddyfield]

went to school in crumlin not far from richer (for you culchie lads) we used to go drinking before hand and then went to the match

good times.......

Ironically, I reckon there are more culchies living around Inchicore and its environs than Dubs.

[Rasputin]

My first game was in the 90s some time, I think I was probably around 8 when my father brought me to the showgies.
It was a game against Derry and I distinctly remember Wes Charles, he was just head and shoulders above the rest in quality.
Marcus Hallows could have been playing then aswell, im not quite sure.
From then I had a connection but didnt continuosly attend games because I had nobody to bring me cause my father didnt really have an interest in Football because of his bog origins.
It wasnt until I was about 13 that I would attend the showgies every other week with friends since I had the money and means to get to games by myself.
I then started going on away trips about 2 years later, the first being to St Mels I think.
Have been hooked and never looked back since, but now its as much a social thing as a love for the club since its the one thing that will bring all the lads togethor every other week since many are scattered all over Ireland now.

[Dunny]

where is maxi this weather? Hes fairly quiet this weather!

He's still about Oriel Marty!

[Magicme]

My brother was well into the Mons when I was a teenager and I would listen to him going on about it but not that interested until I moved to Dublin and then watched out for their results avidly and went to a few games when Mons were playing Dublin teams but not regularly.

Then years later when my hubby and I split up and I moved back to Monaghan and was bringing my sons up on my own, I decided someone had to bring them to football and it wasnt gonna be him. I felt that they should play at their local club and support them too so I brought Dylan then 5 to the mini leagues to play football and started bringing Jake (then 2yrs old) and Dylan to matches. I got sucked in while they pretty much ignored the football and even when they were away visiting their dad I would go to the games on my own or drag a friend or 2 with me.

Ten years on, I now work for the club, plan my holidays around games and will be a Mon til I die. My boys can take it or leave it funnily enough but I hope that when they are older that they appreciate it more and become proper fans in their own rights.

[osarusan]

I was just one of the huge bandwagon around the all-conquering Limerick sides of the mid-1990's.

[Iorfa2MaccaJim]

I went to my first ever Blues game on my ninth birthday with my Dad, and my best friend.
My uncle joined us a year or two later, and now 11 years on, we follow The Blues all over
the country. I love it.

[KianD]

Because I'd have been murdered if I dropped *both* my auld lads clubs (I'm never supporting Spurs, sorry dad!).

[sheao]

Option c for me without a doubt.
When we won the league in 2005, i witnessed and experienced a moment that will stay with me forever.
What made it more special was that it was my local club .
All LOI fans could probably say the same thing
No barstoolers could ever feel like that.
Went to a few home games a season up until 2008 and then for the last 2 seasons i've gone to every home game and a load of the away matches aswell .
Five years on and i'm a proud owner of my football club .

[Dundalkjames]

My granda brought me to a few games but I really became hooked around 2006 have been going to home and away games since

[Charlie Darwin]

Grew up around Tallaght so never really had a "local" senior team after Rovers left the RDS. Start going along to their games anyway as my mates supported them - used to take two buses down to games in Richer and Dalymount after school and got a bit hooked after that. First Division years were a bitch.

[bullit]

My dad "sent" me to games C.1974 and i thank him all the time.(you could duck under the turnstiles then) when cash was a no go i hopped the walls or sold programmes(packet of tayto,a coke &free in the stand) I knew phillip greene well and told him that i didnt like the song that we made up about him:p and i still have the same enthusiasm today as i had back then:)

[Spudulika]

A year later than Bullit, 1975, I don't remember much but there's a photo of myself and my Dad on the Carrick Road going into Oriel. The first game I remember was from 1978 with Bohs.

[poster]

bring all the lads togethor every other week since many are scattered all over Ireland now.

I love you too.

[Battery Rover]

My Grandad played for Athlone in the late 1800s until the cup winning year in 1924.

I was born in England and started going to my local club Watford from about the age of 4 with my uncle. Moved to Ireland when I was 5 and now going every week since 1971 totally hooked.

Now involved at committee level and it is a hobby that costs me 15k plus a season and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else on a match night. Lucky enough to have seen us win the league, play in europe and win a couple of the lesser cups. I will hopefully before my time is up fingers crossed will see us win the FAI Cup and that is highly likely as any team whatever standard they are can win that as Longford have proved twice. :p

On Saturday for the Midlands' version of El Grand Classico I will be a ball of nerves all day until after the game. I can feel it building inside already.

[pineapple stu]

Poll added.

Interesting to note that promotional activities by the club, or links with the junior clubs, haven't made a single post yet. Maybe clubs aren't doing it long enough, or maybe bringing kids along with their coaches to play half-time games simply isn't a good way of getting them to come back - it's just a treat for the kids. Anyone ever involved in anything like that?

Also, BR - I hope that's a typo! :eek: Even us mere non-committee member mortals should never think about how much we spend following the team...

[Sam_Heggy]

Also, BR - I hope that's a typo! :eek: Even us mere non-committee member mortals should never think about how much we spend following the team...

Please refer to the Euromillions thread, BR is loaded.

[A N Mouse]

As a kid all my friends 'supported' a team, I don't think I was all that interested. Trying to fit in: I became a bit of a glory hunter - liverpool, spurs, man u, whoever was winning.

But when City came back I was brought along to the brandy - realised this was special, not just something on tv or radio - been my team ever since.

[seand]

I ticked a, c and f, the 'other' being that it's not that uncommon or weird to follow the local League of Ireland team in Dundalk. (Unlike, say, Dublin where jaws drop when you express an interest in "that ****e")

[Dodge]

When I was just a little girl, I asked my father what would I be, will I Rovers, will I be Pats, here's what she said to me


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ5qN491zGg

[Rasputin]

I ticked a, c and f, the 'other' being that it's not that uncommon or weird to follow the local League of Ireland team in Dundalk. (Unlike, say, Dublin where jaws drop when you express an interest in "that ****e")
True that, I always wondered what it was like to support your local team where it was not the norm.