Who chose the name "Sporting Fingal" ?

[Tony Soprano]

Sporting Fingal is a cringe inducingly bad name, sounds mickey mouse and doesn't help the credibility of the league, to put it mildly

wouldn't Fingal County be better ?

anyone know anything about the name selection process, were other names in the running, any chance of a name change in the future ?

[The Lep]

I did.

[Charlie Darwin]

I rather like it. Breaks up the monotony of Uniteds, Towns and Citys (cities?).

[Tony Soprano]

what were they thinking ? it's a horrendous name

may as well have gone for Atletico Fingal, Lokomotiv Fingal or Dynamo Fingal, would hardly have been worse

it must be the worst name in European football (MLS or A-League names are a different matter)

[Charlie Darwin]

Well sporting is a word in English, which you can't really say for Atletico or Lokomotiv.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

what were they thinking ? it's a horrendous name

may as well have gone for Atletico Fingal, Lokomotiv Fingal or Dynamo Fingal, would hardly have been worse

it must be the worst name in European football (MLS or A-League names are a different matter)

What do you think of Sporting Lisbon?

[Dunny]

Paul the Octopus.

[Tony Soprano]

Well sporting is a word in English, which you can't really say for Atletico or Lokomotiv.

not used in this manner it isn't. it doesn't sound right


What do you think of Sporting Lisbon?

sounds a lot better than Sporting Fingal, anyway several clubs use Sporting in their name (Gijon, Braga) so it doesn't stand out in those countries

whats wrong with Fingal County ?

[sligo23]

It doesn't matter, they'll be gone soon enough anyway:o

[Charlie Darwin]

Sporting is a borrowed word from English - it doesn't exist in Spanish or Portuguese. And Sporting Lisbon is an inaccurate abbreviation used by English speakers which is not used in the country itself.

[Tony Soprano]

Sporting is a borrowed word from English - it doesn't exist in Spanish or Portuguese. And Sporting Lisbon is an inaccurate abbreviation used by English speakers which is not used in the country itself.

so its a word they borrow, use incorrectly (adding -ing), and then we reborrow it (despite this new word "sporting" already existing in English and having a different meaning)

we then place it in an unfamiliar position (before the name of the area) in the club name

any wonder the name doesn't sound right ?

[Tony Soprano]

It doesn't matter, they'll be gone soon enough anyway:o

it does matter - especially if they beat Maritimo, could even make the 4th round of the Europa League

lots of press coverage and sniggering from neutrals - just what the league needs

[osarusan]

lots of press coverage and sniggering from neutrals - just what the league needs

I think the press couldn't give a damn what their name is and there will be no sniggering whatsoever.

[corkharps]

Sporting Fingal is a cringe inducingly bad name, sounds mickey mouse and doesn't help the credibility of the league, to put it mildly

wouldn't Fingal County be better ?

anyone know anything about the name selection process, were other names in the running, any chance of a name change in the future ?
I did! And so did my wife!

[outspoken]

This is one of the most ridicouls things I've ever heard there's nothing wrong with the name sporting fingal , fingal county now that sounds stupid and makes no sense since fingal isn't even a county but evreyones entitled to their opinion but trust me there's no one snigering at our league because of a clubs name

[Charlie Darwin]

so its a word they borrow, use incorrectly (adding -ing), and then we reborrow it (despite this new word "sporting" already existing in English and having a different meaning)

we then place it in an unfamiliar position (before the name of the area) in the club name

any wonder the name doesn't sound right ?
Not quite - it was borrowed by Iberian clubs, probably in an effort to sound more "English," and generally rendered as Sporting Clube de [City]. Those clubs were then referred to by English-speaking folk as "Sporting [City]" because presumably that's what sounds best to the Anglophone ear. So Sporting [City] is basically only used by Anglophones and therefore shouldn't really sound weird except that it's mainly used to refer to foreign clubs.

There's an FC Arsenal Kyiv which sounds a bit weird alright, but that's mainly because Arsenal isn't really used as a prefix anywhere else. In fact, it's a noun so would be better rendered as Kyiv Arsenal.

[ped_ped]

I think the press couldn't give a damn what their name is and there will be no sniggering whatsoever.

I agree. I think most neutrals couldn't care less either. (And by neutrals I mean those who don't follow Sporting Fingal, and don't spend the best part of their day taking petty pot-shots at Sporting Fingal and their fans*)

Personally I think the name is refreshing, better than another F.C., United, Town, City, County . . .

Also, Sporting ______ > ______ United (not to insult fans of Monaghan, Mervue, Waterford, Drogheda . . . even Limerick and Cork, previously, I just thinlk the name SOUNDS better.)



*in before a reference to the number of fans they have / some crack about property developers

[Tony Soprano]

This is one of the most ridicouls things I've ever heard there's nothing wrong with the name sporting fingal , fingal county now that sounds stupid and makes no sense since fingal isn't even a county but evreyones entitled to their opinion but trust me there's no one snigering at our league because of a clubs name

i'm really surprised by this post

you don't find the name sporting fingal embarrassing ? you wouldn't be embarrassed telling people you were a fan of "sporting fingal" ? do you also like the name "Real Salt Lake" in MLS perhaps ?

Fingal is a county, and "Fingal County" would tie in with the fact that the club is supported by Fingal county council as part of their football programme for Fingal county

I think its safe to say there are plenty of barstoolers who snigger at the name - makes me cringe everytime I hear it and I don't even support them, i cringe because its reinforce sterotypes of the LOI as a mickey mouse joke league

[ped_ped]

fingal county now that sounds stupid and makes no sense since fingal isn't even a county

Careful now ;)


i'm really surprised by this post

you don't find the name sporting fingal embarrassing ? you wouldn't be embarrassed telling people you were a fan of "sporting fingal" ? do you also like the name "Real Salt Lake" in MLS perhaps ?

Fingal is a county, and "Fingal County" would tie in with the fact that the club is supported by Fingal county council as part of their football programme for Fingal county

I think its safe to say there are plenty of barstoolers who snigger at the name - makes me cringe everytime I hear it and I don't even support them, i cringe because its reinforce sterotypes of the LOI as a mickey mouse joke league

Just answer me this: Why? What's so awful or embarrassing about it?

[Charlie Darwin]

Surely a Mickey Mouse league would have teams like Fingalland and Fingalworld in it. Eurofingal.

On a serious note, Real Salt Like have since forged genuine ties with Real Madrid. Wouldn't be an awful thing if one of the Sportings reached out to Fingal either.

[Dodge]

FFS tony, of all the embarressing things in this league the name of that club isn't in the top 100. Stop whining for the sake of it

[Schumi]

What a strange thread, I doubt any barstooler gives a ****e about their name. There are far worse names for a club than Sporting Fingal, I thought Dublin City was much more cringeworthy myself.

Fingal is no more a county than South Tipperary BTW.

[Charlie Darwin]

Sporting Club of Fingal Administrative District it is then.

[Tony Soprano]

Not quite - it was borrowed by Iberian clubs, probably in an effort to sound more "English," and generally rendered as Sporting Clube de [City]. Those clubs were then referred to by English-speaking folk as "Sporting [City]" because presumably that's what sounds best to the Anglophone ear. So Sporting [City] is basically only used by Anglophones and therefore shouldn't really sound weird except that it's mainly used to refer to foreign clubs.

There's an FC Arsenal Kyiv which sounds a bit weird alright, but that's mainly because Arsenal isn't really used as a prefix anywhere else. In fact, it's a noun so would be better rendered as Kyiv Arsenal.

except it does sound weird. like calling it Athletic Fingal or Racing Fingal would sound weird.

I don't know whether Arsenal Kiev sounds weird in Russian/Ukrainian (and in cyrillic) or enough about their naming conventions. I'm not sure Arsenal Kiev are named after Arsenal in London. This used to be CSKA Kiev so there is a connection there (army) and there used to be another team called Arsenal Kiev in the 1930s. And Arsenal is a word in Russian/Ukrainian. Unless the team in the 1930s was named after Arsenal in London of course (which is possible I suppose)


I agree. I think most neutrals couldn't care less either. (And by neutrals I mean those who don't follow Sporting Fingal, and don't spend the best part of their day taking petty pot-shots at Sporting Fingal and their fans*)

Personally I think the name is refreshing, better than another F.C., United, Town, City, County . . .

Also, Sporting ______ > ______ United (not to insult fans of Monaghan, Mervue, Waterford, Drogheda . . . even Limerick and Cork, previously, I just thinlk the name SOUNDS better.)



*in before a reference to the number of fans they have / some crack about property developers

we'll have to agree to disagree. i think it hurts the credibility of the league, sounds ridiculous and harms efforts to get neutrals to take the league seriously. like a joke name you would expect to see in a fantasy football league or five a side tournament. Real Phibsborough, Atletico Skerries, Sporting Fingal, Olympique Sallynoggin. Spot the odd one out.

its bad enough LOI fans telling barstoolers they support bohemians or st pats. imagine the roars of laughter a kid would face at school telling his Man Utd supporting mates he was a "Sporting Fingal" supporter.

[Tony Soprano]

Just answer me this: Why? What's so awful or embarrassing about it?

if you have to ask....


Surely a Mickey Mouse league would have teams like Fingalland and Fingalworld in it. Eurofingal.

On a serious note, Real Salt Like have since forged genuine ties with Real Madrid. Wouldn't be an awful thing if one of the Sportings reached out to Fingal either.

agreed Fingalland, Fingalworld and Eurofingal would be (slightly) worse

there's a Crystal Palace Baltimore aswell. a name that rolls off the tongue. like Chivas USA and the New York team. whats worse - New York/New Jersey Metrostars or New York Red Bulls.

[Dodge]

Who gives a ****e about New York?

You don't follow Sporting so what embarrassment can you possibly feel on their behalf?

Again, ffs...

[The Lep]

I cant believe this thread has actually gone to 2 pages :) Mods must be off the board.

Why has it taken 3 years for the OP to question the name seeing it was discused in a thread when we entered the league. No sport on tv so he/she tried a spot of fishing :)

The Replies are priceless from the same Fingal haters , please dont stop as its funny :)

[gufc2000]

There are far more important issues in our league at the moment, than the suitability of the name Sporting Fingal.

Whats wrong with the name anyway? Its something different at least

[PartySaint]

This is one of the most ridicouls things I've ever heard there's nothing wrong with the name sporting fingal , fingal county now that sounds stupid and makes no sense since fingal isn't even a county but evreyones entitled to their opinion but trust me there's no one snigering at our league because of a clubs name

Not true, I had a barstooler ask me the other week, how i could take a league seriously that had a team called Sporting Fingal in it and then had another laugh when they heard the name

Obviously i didnt care what they were saying but it does happen

For the record i dont really care because i just call them Fingal anyway but i did laugh when i heard it first

[Riddickcule]

Some people are too easily letting jealousy get the better of them.

[bullit]

The Stereophonics song,(the) "Drugs dont work" and also my own song "how w*ankered am i on crack" spring to mind as i read this thread.
Share that stuff around man!!!..!!

[Lamper.sffc]

Personally im outraged. God awful name.

I like Bob. Sporting Bob or Bob fingal. :)

Of all the attempts to thrash the club in the past 3 years, this has to be the worst one yet and I include the thread that popped up a year or two ago that was slating the clubs mascot for being a fox.

Personally can we just get back to the no fans slagging and the fact the council pays for Condos and ferrari s for the players. Its less cringeworthy and iv grown quite fond of them

[Tony Soprano]

Not true, I had a barstooler ask me the other week, how i could take a league seriously that had a team called Sporting Fingal in it and then had another laugh when they heard the name

Obviously i didnt care what they were saying but it does happen

For the record i dont really care because i just call them Fingal anyway but i did laugh when i heard it first

hooray

someone seeing some sense

its not quite as bad as "Pat Graces Famous Fried Chicken League of Ireland" but its part of the same issue - the image problem the league has, names like Sporting Fingal reinfore negative sterotypes of the league as small time, amateurish, mickey mouse, not to be taken seriously etc

Hunky Dory's park doesn't help either

[Tony Soprano]

Personally im outraged. God awful name.

I like Bob. Sporting Bob or Bob fingal. :)

Of all the attempts to thrash the club in the past 3 years, this has to be the worst one yet and I include the thread that popped up a year or two ago that was slating the clubs mascot for being a fox.

Personally can we just get back to the no fans slagging and the fact the council pays for Condos and ferrari s for the players. Its less cringeworthy and iv grown quite fond of them

if you look again you'll see this isn't an attempt to thrash the club. i do have other issues with fingal, but i'll leave that for another day. this is only about the name. its not "I hate Fingal because they have a crap name" or "Fingal are bad for the league" (although I think they may be if they don't survive)

I'm trying to say "Fingals name damages the league"

[Lamper.sffc]

hooray

someone seeing some sense

its not quite as bad as "Pat Graces Famous Fried Chicken League of Ireland" but its part of the same issue - the image problem the league has, names like Sporting Fingal reinfore negative sterotypes of the league as small time, amateurish, mickey mouse, not to be taken seriously etc


Hunky Dory's park doesn't help either

Well done, your job here is done.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4VO9DMfhL0

[Charlie Darwin]

except it does sound weird. like calling it Athletic Fingal or Racing Fingal would sound weird.

I don't know whether Arsenal Kiev sounds weird in Russian/Ukrainian (and in cyrillic) or enough about their naming conventions. I'm not sure Arsenal Kiev are named after Arsenal in London. This used to be CSKA Kiev so there is a connection there (army) and there used to be another team called Arsenal Kiev in the 1930s. And Arsenal is a word in Russian/Ukrainian. Unless the team in the 1930s was named after Arsenal in London of course (which is possible I suppose)
You could be right - I'm not too hot on my Ukrainian grammar and history.

But the basic point is that calling a team Sporting Lisbon/Sporting Gijon/Sporting Fingal is an Anglophone phenomenon that simply doesn't occur outside the English-speaking world.

[dcfcsteve]

Sporting Fingal is a cringe inducingly bad name, sounds mickey mouse and doesn't help the credibility of the league, to put it mildly

wouldn't Fingal County be better ?

anyone know anything about the name selection process, were other names in the running, any chance of a name change in the future ?

Ohhhhh - the deep, deep shame we all face since the appearance of a team called 'Sporting' in our league.

I've been avoiding eye contact, wearing black and self-flaggelating myself every night since. I can't even bring myself to speak to family or friends any more.

You really don't have much going on in your life if this is the type of thing that you worry about..... :eek:

[Spudulika]

if you look again you'll see this isn't an attempt to thrash the club. i do have other issues with fingal, but i'll leave that for another day. this is only about the name. its not "I hate Fingal because they have a crap name" or "Fingal are bad for the league" (although I think they may be if they don't survive)

I'm trying to say "Fingals name damages the league"

While I know this is a serious WUM, and proves the point that parents ought to have a safety lock on their pc's so that pre-teens can't go messing about on adult forums (only god above knows what reaction the Sporting Totty thread got, sweet holy!) - but this is all nonsense and the "I have other issues" betrays either jealousy or ignorance. The main thing is that Sporting is a perfect name for a club set up to represent the overall sporting interests of an administrative district. I won't comment on other clubs names in other leagues, or even in our own. However Arsenal (please look it up people) is a military term for a storage depot, mainly for artillery - hence Arsenal of London are the gunners. Arsenal Kiev were a former army team and so it made sense, nothing to do with the London side.

For Sporting - I have noticed nobody seems to grasp this - it's the short form for "Sporting Club", or as is the case in some countries "Sports Club", like SC. In Germany you have SG (sports association) Eintracht Frankfurt. So the origination, unless the man behind the club was winding me up, for Sporting Fingal was to create a Sports Club modelled sensibly on those on the continent, where an umbrella organisation looks after the sporting interests of a district or organisation (like Bayer Leverkusen which was works club). In the same way as Railway Union, Dublin Bus, CIE Ranch, St. James Gate etc were in Ireland.

So at the end of it, Sporting Fingal (so long as they get to Lusk and bring more sports under the umbrella) will be a massive step forward for Ireland instead of factional fighting between different sports. Then again, so long as there are the jealous and uninformed we'll always have the craic on forums!

[seand]

I think OP has hit the nail on the head when it comes to the problems of the credibility of the league. Sporting Fingal? Shocking name. And don't get me started on Shamrock Rovers, sounds like a bunch of dogs eating clover. Finn Harps? Bohemians?! And while we're at it Gary Twigg? He sounds like a bit of tree ffs! Get it sorted Lord John of Delaney!!

[superjohnny]

Personally im outraged. God awful name.

I like Bob. Sporting Bob or Bob fingal. :)

Of all the attempts to thrash the club in the past 3 years, this has to be the worst one yet and I include the thread that popped up a year or two ago that was slating the clubs mascot for being a fox.

Personally can we just get back to the no fans slagging and the fact the council pays for Condos and ferrari s for the players. Its less cringeworthy and iv grown quite fond of them


Big question though, who will you support in 3 yeras time when Sporting goes bustage..? ;)

[drummerboy]

I think the original idea was to have numerous sporting clubs from the area: ie basketball, hockey, ect all called Sporting Fingal with the amenities build in Swords for the other sports. Haven't heard much more about it though.

[Jofspring]

JP McManus also has a "Sporting Limerick" slogan/brand(?) which is on the Limerick FC jersey, Limerick GAA jerseys and i'm pretty sure its on another sporting code played in Limerick. Sporting doesn't have to be taken as a copy of Sporting Lisbon which seems to be what is annoying you. Sporting Fingal could cover the whole idea of being Sporting like the Sporting Limerick idea.

[sullanefc]

What a silly thread. Sporting is a great name for a club. And like others have said, it's different from the usual United's, City's and Rovers.

I also don't understand why people are so hostile towards Sporting Fingal. They are a new club set up in an area that had no LOI representation. They are hardly like Dublin City who set up a new club in an area that already had a LOI club. If Tralee or Carlow manage to get into the Premier, will people have the same attitude?

Or is all this hostility to do with money? Ok, they are being heavily backed financially, which probably gives them a false position, but they are hardly going to win new fans when they are rooted to the bottom of division 1.

I for one, hope they get a decent support base together, and are around for a long time.

[Munster Saint]

Oh God the shame, the shame! Why can't we have clubs with proper names like they do in Austria? SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz, KSV Superfund, Cashpoint SCR Altach, SV Josko Fenster Reid. Think how much better it would be if the big Dublin derby was played between Des Kelly Interiors FC and Woodies DIY Shamrock Rovers...

Wait, no, those names are worse, much worse than any we have in the league. There's nothing wrong with Sporting Fingal as a club name. If we reach a point where sponsors start renaming clubs or putting their logos on the club crest like they do in Austria then I'll be embarrased for the league, until then I'll concern myself with more important things.

[**FrOsTy**]

If you think Sporting is bad then what's your opinion on Cork City FRIENDS OF THE REBEL ARMY SOCIETY CO-OPERATIVE

[Spudulika]

I notice Tony has gone quiet, the parents must have him down in Dollymount for the day! :-) (kidding)

No matter how silly the thread began, I thank him for raising a genuinely good issue. How strong would some of our clubs be if they embraced other local sports clubs in their area? A multi-sport club would always generate more community spirit and through that funds, and of course like in some big clubs the bigger the section (ie basketball, football) the more funds they would justify in getting. Also most I've dealt with in Europe are well run as businesses as there is a great connection with the people. Then again, if that happened in Ireland there'd be precious few biscuit tins lying in the ticket office to "help" players.

[Tony Soprano]

for the people who don't realise the problem with this name - over the next few days try to ask some of your barstooler or neutral mates what they think of the name, and come back to this thread and post waht they said

ask them if it reinforces a mickey mouse, amateurish perception of the LOI, or whether they agree with some of the posters on here that the name is fine, "perfect" even.

[passinginterest]

I talk about the League of Ireland all the time with lads who have minimal interest and are far more concerned with the goings on in the Premiership and I've never once heard a remark about the name Sporting Fingal. Personally I like it and I agree with the concept of multi-sport community clubs, they certainly have the potential to attract more investment and interest from the public.

As others have pointed out there's plenty of embarrassing things about the league and using "Sporting" as part of the clubs name is right down at the bottom of the list.

[Tony Soprano]

I talk about the League of Ireland all the time with lads who have minimal interest and are far more concerned with the goings on in the Premiership and I've never once heard a remark about the name Sporting Fingal. Personally I like it and I agree with the concept of multi-sport community clubs, they certainly have the potential to attract more investment and interest from the public.

As others have pointed out there's plenty of embarrassing things about the league and using "Sporting" as part of the clubs name is right down at the bottom of the list.

ask them specifically about the name and see what they say

[galwayjames]

sporting fingal is a lot more interesting than fingal united or fingal county and i think it's great to have a different sounding name in the league.

a lot of young fellas would hear it and compare them to sporting lisbon instead of man utd so they instantly get the idea they are a good attacking team.

i think the name is great and I've no idea why someone would not like it when it is so original in comparison to almost every other team name in the league.