Annoying Monday morning soccer conversations

[marinobohs]

Just to play devil's advocate here, I'd prefer to watch a gorgeous girl in a porn video, than have sex with Mary Harney!

fair enough Peadar I will have to bow to your superior knowledge/experience concerning sex with Mary Harney :cool:

[Mr A]

Mind you, it'd be a turnaround considered her and her buddies have been riding the country for years.

[harpstilidie]

The conversations that wind me up the most are when a Barstooler asks you who you support, and obviously id say Rovers and then comes the inevitable, but who do you "really support", as if my following Rovers was for charity of some sorts.
Its as if following the LOI isnt counted as being "real support".
In summary all barstooler west brit plastics must die.

Same here, really annoys me. Someone asks me, 'So who do you support?' I say 'Harps'. Then they go, 'but who in England do you support?'....agghhhhh!!

[John83]

Reminds me of the time I was in Rome first (2007), and I found an Irish pub just down the road from where I was staying. Don't normally go into Irish pubs abroad, but this one was (is) very good; load of football scarves on the walls and what have you. Went up to the bar and the barman recognised my UCD jersey. He was Italian, but had spent time in UCD as a kid at a foreign language school. Not only did he give me a free pint in exchange for my scarf, but when I went back two years later, I got another free pint.

There's no real point to that story I suppose; certainly not in the context of the original post. But at least it shows that we're right.
Careful now, or Lamper.sffc will be over to argue the definition of free.

[pineapple stu]

That was The Lep, but still - :D

(Also - for shame you, as a mod, correcting people. Shouldn't be allowed. Disgrace. And so forth)

[dfx-]

Is it just me wondering why you had a UCD scarf on you in an Irish pub in Rome? :p

[bennocelt]

Probobly the one thing that always annoys me is the use of "we" by EPL/SPL (alledged) fans when referring to some english/scottish club. Bad enough these people never darken the doorstep of any ground but when I hear "we this"or "we that" it just grates :mad:

there are many clubs here (Bohs, Shams, Cork etc) that offer footie fans a chance to own their own club but unless your name is Glazer, Abramavich, Henry or Desmond then please please desist from using the "we" term in connection with a football club.

Great thread. God I hate barstoolers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN1WN0YMWZU

[pineapple stu]

Is it just me wondering why you had a UCD scarf on you in an Irish pub in Rome? :p
Fresh from the San Marino game/heading off to the Bari game.

To be honest, I didn't walk in the first night with the scarf, but when I figured it might be good for a free pint...!

[SkStu]

Same here, really annoys me. Someone asks me, 'So who do you support?' I say 'Harps'. Then they go, 'but who in England do you support?'....agghhhhh!!

"defintely not Derry" ;)

[Lim till i die]

"Any news on the Markets Field."

"It's all hush hush."

"F**kin typical of that robbing shower of b**tards. I'll follow them when they're in the Markets Field alright."

[peadar1987]

Same here, really annoys me. Someone asks me, 'So who do you support?' I say 'Harps'. Then they go, 'but who in England do you support?'....agghhhhh!!

Derry. ;)

[John83]

Is it just me wondering why you had a UCD scarf on you in an Irish pub in Rome? :p
It's Pineapple Stu; he wears UCD gear to funerals.

[WoodquayBoy]

Fresh from the San Marino game/heading off to the Bari game.

To be honest, I didn't walk in the first night with the scarf, but when I figured it might be good for a free pint...!
Typical free-loading student! Marinobohs, I just might use that comparison in future arguments, and pray the Mary-Harney-in-lingerie-and-6-inch-stilettos-rubbing-baby-oil-all-over-herself* rebuttal is not thrown back at me.




(*Did I go a bit far there??) Sorry, nerves over tonight's play-off are getting to me

[marinobohs]

Typical free-loading student! Marinobohs, I just might use that comparison in future arguments, and pray the Mary-Harney-in-lingerie-and-6-inch-stilettos-rubbing-baby-oil-all-over-herself* rebuttal is not thrown back at me.




(*Did I go a bit far there??) Sorry, nerves over tonight's play-off are getting to me

dont use the comparison tonight so (Peadar is a Bray Fan). *














* and yes, way way too far ;)

[Fivesilver]

Have been known to have a "discussion" or two with Prem supporting friends (I know it will come as a surprise to many on here :D) and usually wrap it up by the comparison of live footie versus "SKY" to sex versus porn video !
..............usually ends the argument :cool:

Or the difference between going to small-venue gigs and watching the X Factor

[Dead_Star]

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

There's a growing group of people now who won't support Ireland cos they're crap. I've had people in work say that they would support an Irish team if they got to the CL, but only in the CL group stages, because basically any standard below what can't get out of the group stages isn't worth supporting.

This person was a Leeds fan, and then changed to Arsenal around the time Leeds went pop...



I heard people use that excuse before about the standard being bad giving for a reason they don't support an Irish team. And I know a lad that was in school with me that went from supporting Sheffield Wednesday to Newcastle and a few years ago I seen him in a Chelsea jersey.

But it doesn't explain why some Irish people support team's in the lower divisions in England. I have meet Irish people that support Leeds, Notts Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Crystal Place. They still support them even when the teams successful period ended.

It's like their saying they are die hard football fans for sticking with "their" team that was successfully when they were younger and have stuck with them even though they are now crap. Could they be arsed going up the road to see a local team play? No, but they still have some connection team in the lower leagues in England. I can never figure out what goes through their heads when it comes to this. I have heard people that support second division English teams sneer the standard of Irish football.

[pineapple stu]

It's their way of standing out from the crowd I'd say. But to do this, it seems you still have to support an English team.

[SkStu]

i have to say all the stuff posted here is bringing a wry smile to my face. Agree with everything posted. But i would also like to add another category of wbanker to this list... the 'stooler who claims superiority over other 'stoolers based on the fact that he doesnt even like the EPL and is a huge Juventus/Milan/Barca/Madrid* fan.

These guys are almost worse because they think theyre better..

* Club jersey purchased in the mid 90's is sufficuent evidence of their being "huge fans".
* Attendance at any game ever is irrelevant but if they've taken a tour of the Noucamp (or equivalent) on a stag weekend then you'll never hear the end of it.

[John83]

I don't have a problem with any of these people. They're consumers of sports entertainment, and I'm a fan of my local football team. Sometimes, I also consume sports entertainment. They don't understand that my following UCD isn't like their following of Liverpool, but that's okay.

[SkStu]

that is because you are rational and apply logic. Which says to me that you shouldnt be interested in following a football team and should instead take up sudoku.

[John83]

I find sudoku kind of boring to be honest. Anyway, I'm published in combinatorics, so it's a bit too much like work.

I wonder, if I worked in chaos theory, would I find the LoI boring too?

[PartySaint]

Hold on Lads,Did anyone ever think maybe we're the ones who are wrong??

http://lledgerock.com/shocked-cat.jpg

[John83]

I thought about it, but no. The fan culture driven by the marketing teams in the likes of Manchester and Isleworth (BSkyB headquarters) have manipulated and aped traditional fan culture. Their customers are being sold a manufactured approximation of the fan culture we experience. Are they wrong to enjoy the product they buy? No, absolutely not. But they're not football fans, any more than fans of The Undertaker and John Cena* are wrestling fans.

*WWE references may be out of date and/or film stars and/or dead. I just don't know, and can't be arsed checking.

[Guinney]

I often fruitlessly try to convince my mates to go to Dundalk matches, but they would rather sit on their 'barstools'. In my opinion watching football from the telly isn't truly watching football. Football is a spectator sport from the sidelines, from the terraces, from the stands, from the one man and his dog, from the packed stadiums. But try convincing your average LoI-shunning barstooler of this. The simple truth is to many Irish people are event junkies and only like supporting teams when times are good. A real fan supports his team through tick and thin. I've nothing against supporting English teams, but supporting your local team should come first.

Here are some of the reasons why some of my barstooler mates don't go to matches:

Why should I support Dundalk they aren't even top of the league....Liverpool 'fan'.
The league is **** ... a person who never set foot in Oriel probably since we played Liverpool yonks ago.
Its to dear, I can't be spending this money every week ... a regular in Anfield & Croke Park & soon to be regular in Aviva, where ticket prices are much higher than Oriel (plus travel costs).
I'd go if the league was better ... how can the league get better if attendances don't improve.
What did Dundalk ever do for me ... A Celtic 'fan', Neil Lennon regularly visits his house, cuts his grass and does general DIY jobs for him.
Sure there's no local lads playing ... from an Irish man I work with who supports Liverpool, an English team full of foreigners

[Ezeikial]

Sure there's no local lads playing ... from an Irish man I work with who supports Liverpool, an English team full of foreigners

Last time I heard that one, I told the barstooler of the bunch of local lads....Ross Gaynor, Tiarnan Mulvenna (at that time), Stephen McDonnell, Ciaran McGuigan, Johnny Breen. Before I got to mention other locals who were often in the squad, he replied "Sure they are all $hite, if there was really good local lads I'd go"

[marinobohs]

Hold on Lads,Did anyone ever think maybe we're the ones who are wrong??

http://lledgerock.com/shocked-cat.jpg

Try a day trip to Old trafford, Anfield, or any "big" EPL ground PS and I promise you that you when you look at the number of g*bs around you it will become clear where the real football fans are *

I believe in live and let live (still hope some of the EPL junkies can be converted to the one true faith) but there are times......



* not trting to offend anybody here but much the same can be said about the crowd at most Rep of Ireland games.

[WoodquayBoy]

For Annoying Monday morning conversations, a new departure for me today was annoying Wednesday morning conversation:
WC: How did ye got on last night against Cork?
M: We were playing Bray, and we won, so we're staying up.
WC: Ah great, and didn't Salthill beat Monaghan? It'll be interesting now with 3 Galway teams in the First Division, I'll probably go to a few games so next year.
M: *walks away shaking my head*

[Dodge]

Woodquay, you need to move jobs. For their safety as much as anything else.

I work with a bunch of aulwans and weirdos. Only one likes football, and has a decent interest in the league to be fair. The rest don’t talk to me about sport because they’re sick of me rolling my eyes at them after they say anything at all on the subject. I call them “the world cup is crap because Ireland isn’t in it” types

Just to echo bluebeard’s post above. Have gone to plenty of games in England and mainland Europe. Always treated as an equal by them, and they usually get what supporting a team is about.

[marinobohs]

Woodquay, you need to move jobs. For their safety as much as anything else.

I work with a bunch of aulwans and weirdos. Only one likes football, and has a decent interest in the league to be fair. The rest don’t talk to me about sport because they’re sick of me rolling my eyes at them after they say anything at all on the subject. I call them “the world cup is crap because Ireland isn’t in it” types

Just to echo bluebeard’s post above. Have gone to plenty of games in England and mainland Europe. Always treated as an equal by them, and they usually get what supporting a team is about.

Congrats on the job at tallaght stadium Dodge :cool: (Yes, put away the burning torches, it was only a joke).
depends very much on where you are in England. Scouser (born in/live in) Liverpool fans dont have a lot of time for the day trippers and are not shy about letting them know, understand similar sentiments can be found at Old Trafford. Would agree with you they are less defensive about supporting their team than we seem to be and (especially outside the top of the EPL) are still traditional footie fans in the main.

[Dodge]

Yep, scousers and mancs might despise day trippers there to support Liverpool/Man U (complete with kit, scarf etc etc) but as I'm just there to have a few beers and watch a bit of ball they treat me far better than they do my Liverpool/Man u supporting mates. It actually ****es my mates off that I can swap stories about bus breaking down and last minute equalisers and being kept behind while home fans throw ****e at us.

[marinobohs]

Yep, scousers and mancs might despise day trippers there to support Liverpool/Man U (complete with kit, scarf etc etc) but as I'm just there to have a few beers and watch a bit of ball they treat me far better than they do my Liverpool/Man u supporting mates. It actually ****es my mates off that I can swap stories about bus breaking down and last minute equalisers and being kept behind while home fans throw ****e at us.

Best advice I could give anyone (over 7 yrs of age) is to never, ever wear one of those jesters hats to Anfield ! saw some guy get (verbally) slaughtered by the crowd around him for same "crime" recently (difficult to feel sorry for him either mind you).

Not sure how they would react to Leprechaun outfits :rolleyes:

Most real fans have many memories of crap trips in crap conditions, getting lost in East Belfast (jeez was that fun) or getting stuck in the middle of nowhere (to see a LSC game), than we have of glorious days out - its what makes the good times enjoyable*.


* this is a standard excuse to be used to justify our condition.

[Schumi]

Most real fans have many memories of... getting stuck in the middle of nowhere

Ah, the days when Kilkenny were in the league.

[Mr A]

Another annoying conversation many of you may relate to is the "There's a lad playing for the local junior side that is twice as good as anyone at the local LOI club". I always ask why they haven't asked for a trial and the response is usually that the guy wouldn't be bothered with the travelling or some such. Never mind the fact he playing in a crap league and would prefer to remain the main man locally than actually prove he's good enough for senior football. Or maybe he knows he wouldn't cut it. Although in fairness these statements rarely come from players but just muppets looking for another excuse about supporting senior football.

On the conversation above- I spent a few days selling Harps draw tickets door to door years ago. It was demoralising in general but the interesting part was that every single house I went to where the people were English or Scottish they knew exactly who Harps were, bought a ticket and wished us well. They had an automatic affinity to the local club that is rarely seen among Irish people.

[pineapple stu]

Another annoying conversation many of you may relate to is the "There's a lad playing for the local junior side that is twice as good as anyone at the local LOI club".
Which of course explains the excellent record non-league sides have against senior clubs in the FAI Cup.

[Fivesilver]

I'm published in combinatorics

I think we were there in the Intertoto a few years back.

[SkStu]

Ah, the days when Kilkenny were in the league.

i was thinking more along the lines of that walk from Foster's Avenue.... *shudders*

;) ;)

[John83]

i was thinking more along the lines of that walk from Foster's Avenue.... *shudders*

;) ;)
Yes, that 100 yard walk which takes one from a wealthy suburb of Dublin to the middle of nowhere in dozens, even tens of seconds. :p

[peadar1987]

On the conversation above- I spent a few days selling Harps draw tickets door to door years ago. It was demoralising in general but the interesting part was that every single house I went to where the people were English or Scottish they knew exactly who Harps were, bought a ticket and wished us well. They had an automatic affinity to the local club that is rarely seen among Irish people.

As I've said in other threads, I got into Bray through my Dad, who is from Stoke. To him, getting out and watching your local side is just something you do!

[Charlie Darwin]

Clearly what we need is some sort of exchange program where we transfer our barstoolers for proper English football people. Although I'm not sure Liverpool could cope with the stress of 1.5 million Irish immigrants.

[BonnieShels]

It's their way of standing out from the crowd I'd say. But to do this, it seems you still have to support an English team.

Not really Stu. I still get quizzical looks. and most certainly stand out from the crowd like a sore thumb.
I remember back in August my lil bro's (Slowly and surely introducing him to the wonders and beauty of supporting Shels) club Beech Park got to play against Ballyfermot United in Richmond Park at half time of the 71st meeting of Pats and Sligo this season. Anyway during the first half Sligo had some sort of a attack coming down the left hand side and I started cheering on Joey Ndo. My brothers mates (all 8 and 9 yo) were cheering on Pats and thought I was mad.
Anyway to make a long story boring, I was asked who did I support and I said Shels. They then said ah no really, I said Shels. No but who are your main team, I said Shels. All looked at me like a I had 10 heads. I then turned it around and rather cruelly asked who they supported (Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea predictably. No Man U surprisingly.) and then commented on their lack of Scouse/London accents. All of them to a boy cowered in their seats.
I was unreasonably smug. :)

[BonnieShels]

Ah, the days when Kilkenny were in the league.

Or the hellish experience of a November night seeking out Station Road with no map and only a vague recollection of directions. Great ground and great soup mind. I treasure my Kildare County mug.

Heading to Edinburgh in a couple of weeks to a gig and the GF doesn't realise that she's coming to see Hibs and St Johnstone as a bonus. :)

I am a sport obsessive and will next to near go and watch whatever the locals are into and get stuck in and ask questions and learn and then some team will crawl under my skin and that's it. Eg. Maple Leafs, Carlton.

[WoodquayBoy]

Woodquay, you need to move jobs. For their safety as much as anything else.
If it wasn't for this feckin recession, I probably would. As for local fans in England hating the daytrippers, I wss said dyatripper in Old Trafford a few years ago, about 10 minutes into the game two lads a couple of rows in front of me and clearly sozzled, got in a bit of a row with each other, each accusing the other of being blow-ins, pushing and shoving before both took off their tops to reveal their copious amount of tattoos, proving they were Mancs. I didn't open my mouth for the rest of the game

[danthesaint]

I had one last thursday during playing astro with lads from the job.

Tipperary lad: Did ya see the back of the sun (if it wasnt bad enough he was from Tipperary but he reads the sun, and a man u fan) should have really been put down haha
Me: No
TL: yeah they were saying a pub is the ideal local to watch a match, and laughed.
Me: So, TL, did ya go to the All Ireland Final?
TL: Yeah
Me: So you are saying that it would have been better to watch that match in the pub rather than go to the game in croker.

He didnt know what to say.

[redobit]

I spent a few days selling Harps draw tickets door to door years ago. It was demoralising in general but the interesting part was that every single house I went to where the people were English or Scottish they knew exactly who Harps were, bought a ticket and wished us well. They had an automatic affinity to the local club that is rarely seen among Irish people.

Same happened meself. Heard the English accent at the doors and were suprised when they more than happy to buy a ticket of us and have a chat about the club. More and more english accents at LOI grounds it seems and Rovers have some english fans that will travel over for games too. Standing on terraces, good banter, hardcore fans, decent prices - everthing they have lost at their highest levels.

[pineapple stu]

Anyway to make a long story boring, I was asked who did I support and I said Shels. They then said ah no really, I said Shels. No but who are your main team, I said Shels. All looked at me like a I had 10 heads. I then turned it around and rather cruelly asked who they supported (Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea predictably. No Man U surprisingly.) and then commented on their lack of Scouse/London accents. All of them to a boy cowered in their seats.
Remember going into Ireland v Brazil in Lansdowne Road a few years ago; start of 2004, cos we'd just been relegated. Some kid - no idea why - was asking me who I supported.

Idiot kid - Who do you support?
Me - UCD
IK - No, who do you support in the Premiership?
Me - UCD
IK - UCD aren't in the Premiership
Me - Yes we a...ah ******.

Saw that bit in one of the tabloids danthesaint mentioned too. "A match isn't the same unless you're watching it with a big crowd" - well duh. Read on - "So watch it in your local pub". Just risible.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Actually to go mildly off topic, there's a serious debate raging amongst the smarter NFL fans in the US about whether watching a game in the stadium is better than at home. Compared to College Games (where no-one really argues staying at home is a better experience) there are the issues of stadium location (more likely to be in local equivalent of Abbotstown), and lack of atmosphere aside from a few stadia (unsurprisingly they are the more central located stadia). Obviously that doesn't apply to the pub one here too much but it's an interesting one in it's own right.

[marinobohs]

Actually to go mildly off topic, there's a serious debate raging amongst the smarter NFL fans in the US about whether watching a game in the stadium is better than at home. Compared to College Games (where no-one really argues staying at home is a better experience) there are the issues of stadium location (more likely to be in local equivalent of Abbotstown), and lack of atmosphere aside from a few stadia (unsurprisingly they are the more central located stadia). Obviously that doesn't apply to the pub one here too much but it's an interesting one in it's own right.

american football is very technical and in grounds of 70/80 thousand it is impossible to know what is going on. saw some games in Meadowlands NJ where given the distance fom the pitch etc it was well nigh impossible to figure what was going on. TV with close ups and instant replays is probobly a far better vehicle for viewing american football.

In "soccer" (apols now for using the term but only to differenciate) this is not as abig an issue and it is easier to follow what is going on*. Also average american footie game takes about 3 hours - think 3 hours in most LOI grounds might be pushing it somewhat :(


* this does not apply to LOI refs.

[bluemovie]

american football is very technical and in grounds of 70/80 thousand it is impossible to know what is going on. saw some games in Meadowlands NJ where given the distance fom the pitch etc it was well nigh impossible to figure what was going on. TV with close ups and instant replays is probobly a far better vehicle for viewing american football.

I'd totally disagree, but it would be way off-topic.

[Dodge]

All Amercain football stadiums have big screens showing replays and the usual TV graphics (down & dostance etc). Most have announcers telling you what happened on each play.

The debate in America (and I'm not sure its all from the "smarter" NFL fans either) usually boils down to "Are you getting value for money spending $100-$300 surrounded by drunken yobs, in the cold, watching your crappy team compared to watching it on your HDTV complete with choice of games to watch (from NFL Sunday package) in comfort?"

[Aberdonian Stu]

Well there's that Dodge and all of those are valid but I think the drunken yobs and cold are generally more tolerable in grounds where there is likely to be a buzz, hence the college game (almost all on-campus in college towns) or more centrally located pro stadia tend to not have this debate as much.