Barstool facepalm

[Yossarian]

That's fair ignorant stuff. I wonder if he thinks LOI doesn't count for some reason.

Looking at some of the Facebook comments below the article it seems that as the LoI teams are only in the qualifiers then it doesn't count......

[DannyInvincible]

Looking at some of the Facebook comments below the article it seems that as the LoI teams are only in the qualifiers then it doesn't count......

Dundalk kick off in the same round as APOEL.

[Charlie Darwin]

Well they said "by September".

[Dunny]

Maybe a well known poster from around these parts who writes for them can set them straight.

[ciaraa]

http://www.balls.ie/football/cllian-sheridan-new-club/299393

balls.ie is one of irelands worst contributions to the internet

[pineapple stu]

Have to say the reference to "it's possible that by September" actively acknowledges the LoI teams.

I think it's fair enough.

[Jofspring]

balls.ie is one of irelands worst contributions to the internet

Used to follow them on Facebook, Twitter etc... And had to remove them. A few other sporting sites/blogs that are similar.

[bennocelt]

they started doing really bad click baits as well, I also had to delete them

[ger121]

Safari crashes a lot when I try to open links to their site through facebook or twitter. Maybe it's trying to tell me something...

[Charlie Darwin]

That time of year again

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/declan-lynch/you-should-never-not-watch-a-match-31421056.html

[peadar1987]

That time of year again

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/declan-lynch/you-should-never-not-watch-a-match-31421056.html

Oh god, that's dire:



They say that the relatively weak performances of our teams in the Champions League in recent seasons - Liverpool in particular put up a poor show last year - has "proven" that the Premier League is not "the best league in the world", that that is all hype.


"Our teams" indeed.

I thought perhaps it was an article borrowed from an English news service, as is sometimes, the case, then got to the last paragraph:




And still...still they come with their cribbing about how ludicrous it is for people from, say, Roscommon, to be regarding themselves as Liverpool fans. In fact, Irish people have been supporting English football teams for so long now, as a natural expression of their humanity and of their longing for a bit of diversion in their lives, it can with some justification be called our national game.
In a similar move, people from Roscommon became fans of the Beatles without thinking it was ridiculous, what with all the great Roscommon bands they could have supported at the time.
Thank God we can admire aspects of a culture other than our own, that we are so open-minded.

A couple of short sentences would pretty much win you a game of Barstool Bingo. Just a reference to crappy facilities and you'd have a full house.

[ger121]

I was reading it and kept having to remind myself it wasn't an article from Waterford Whispers News. Cringe Factor 10!

[Nesta99]

A natural expression of our humanity.... Mother of jaysus.....

[nigel-harps1954]

So disrespectful and ignorant toward football in this country. Come to expect little else from the majority of journos here though.

[Dalymountrower]

I would think that Lynch's piece was dripping with irony until the sub editor got his hands on it

Lynch is a long time Athlone fan, would have seen him at lots of other LOI ga mes too

[peadar1987]

I would think that Lynch's piece was dripping with irony until the sub editor got his hands on it

Lynch is a long time Athlone fan, would have seen him at lots of other LOI ga mes too

If being an Athlone fan doesn't make you hate Irish football, nothing will ;)

[gufcfan]

If being an Athlone fan doesn't make you hate Irish football, nothing will ;)
Says the Bray fan... I feel your pain.

[nigel-harps1954]

https://thetirconaillview.wordpress.com/2015/08/03/ollie-and-the-quiet-revolution/

A loosely related article to this thread. Why are more people not watching a team top of the league while 15,000 travel to Croke Park and more travel regularly to England and Scotland?

Thought it was a well written article and deserved a few more readers.

[joey B]

That time of year again

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/declan-lynch/you-should-never-not-watch-a-match-31421056.html

The saddest thing about it is it probably represents the view of the vast majority of football supporters in this country the patriotic Irish me hole!

[IsMiseSean]

the patriotic Irish me hole!

That always makes me laugh but not as much as 'the sports mad Irish'.

[Charlie Darwin]

http://www.wiganlatics.co.uk/news/article/irish-latics-david-roche-stand-up-and-be-counted-2597956.aspx

[SkStu]

http://www.wiganlatics.co.uk/news/article/irish-latics-david-roche-stand-up-and-be-counted-2597956.aspx

Wow...


Why did you start supporting Wigan Athletic?

It’s a strange story really because I don’t have any family ties to Wigan or anything.

Not really that strange mate. Exactly like 99% of the Irish fans of English teams.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

In all fairness, most Scandinavian and Dutch lads have an English team they support pretty rigorously.

Even a surprising amount of people in the more traditional footballing nations support a foreign team (along with their domestic team). I've seen Italians in Rome wearing West Ham kits, presumably due to the Paolo Di Canio link - that's as tenuous as it gets.

I mean there are bigger things to laugh about than young Johnny supporting Crewe Alexandra. Half the people in the country under the age of 30 - and virtually the entire non-inner city Dublin female population - speak in an American accent. I think that's pretty embarrassing.

It's hard to sustain any kind of fanbase when the G.A.A. has an iron grip on things, the stadiums are worse than English Conference and Scottish League Two stadiums and emigration is culturally ingrained - particularly in the most attractive market segments.

[SkStu]

In all fairness, most Scandinavian and Dutch lads have an English team they support pretty rigorously.

more often that not in addition to a local team. That's really the key missing part with Irish barstoolery (barstoolism?).

[PartySaint]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/sep/10/overseas-fans-premier-league-games-high-800000


The number of overseas fans visiting England to watch Premier League (http://www.theguardian.com/football/premierleague) matches rose to 800,000 last year, contributing a collective £684m to the economy, according to new research.Though most of the visitors were from the Republic of Ireland (121,000), the league also drew 93,000 from Norway, 58,000 from Sweden and 53,000 from the US.
Manchester United were the most popular destinations, with Old Trafford and the Emirates both receiving 109,000 international visits last year. Liverpool rank not far behind on 99,000, with 89,000 visiting Chelsea, 51,000 Wembley, 40,000 Tottenham, 33,000 Manchester City, and 30,000 Fulham’s Craven Cottage.
The research, undertaken on behalf of VisitBritain by the Office for National Statistics, also indicated that football-related tourism is responsible for one in 10 visits to the north-west, and one in 20 trips to the north-east.

The overall £684m economic gain represents a 15% rise – or an increase of £89m – compared to when the research was last conducted in 2010, when 50,000 fewer overseas fans visited.
While Richard Scudamore, the Premier League’s chief executive, welcomed the numbers as “very encouraging”, some fans groups remain concern that increasing demand will serve to drive up ticket prices still further. Last season fans stagedorganised
protests against prices (http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jul/28/premier-league-ticket-prices-football) in the Premier League, while a Guardian survey this month found adult prices in the Championship will regularly surpass £35 – with Sheffield Wednesdaycharging £52 for certain games (http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/sep/03/championship-ticket-prices-52-pounds-game).
Sean Bones, the Manchester United Supporters Trust vice-chairman, told the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34197370): “It’s good for the country when additional funds come into the economy but we need clubs to reward the long-term loyalty of our supporters.”
Tracey Crouch, the tourism minister, welcomed the figures as proof of “the positive role football is playing in showcasing key destinations in many different regions … It’s great for local economies, great for football and great for the UK’s tourism industry.”


We're winning...

[nigel-harps1954]

That's over 1/3 of the entire League of Ireland attendance for the 2014 season across 20 clubs.

[Spudulika]

Reading comments on this made me feel really depressed this morning. "10% of them in LOI grounds" "10% of the revenue for LOI clubs..." Can anybody imagine the absolute carnage and apocalypse were 12,000-odd extra heads were spread across our games? And worse, a couple of million extra slosh around LOI clubs? Chaos. Our clubs are not built (with very, very few exceptions) to handle money, they're not even able to negotiate as a collective, nor handle TV coverage. It's terrible that this came out the same moment as the Rovers plea to RTE.

[gufcfan]

they're not even able to negotiate as a collective

Naughton and co. have been extremely efficient at stopping anyone from doing anything positive. (http://www.the42.ie/league-of-ireland-consultation-process-2118764-May2015/)

[Joe Strummer]

I have officially seen it all now.

http://s13.postimg.org/mxtz18qd3/shirt.png

[outspoken]

I have officially seen it all now.

http://s13.postimg.org/mxtz18qd3/shirt.png

There was a Leicester one yesterday, looking forward to them being the new Blackburn rovers. I'm a spurs fan but I'd never wear that.

[marinobohs]

I have officially seen it all now.

http://s13.postimg.org/mxtz18qd3/shirt.png

Honestly the most embarrassing football connected thing I have ever seen (and yes, I have seen clowns in club coloured jester hats :mad:)

Anyone spotting a 'fan' (over age 9) wearing anything like this should really report them to the mental health authorities

[El-Pietro]

I get ads for those all the time for Dortmund, the German National Team and the Philadelphia Eagles. As far as I can tell those shirts are print on demand and the ads you get are based on your facebook likes.

[Charlie Darwin]

I get ads for those all the time for Dortmund, the German National Team and the Philadelphia Eagles. As far as I can tell those shirts are print on demand and the ads you get are based on your facebook likes.
Fitting they'd be generic products right down to the way they're made.

[pateen]

Honestly the most embarrassing football connected thing I have ever seen (and yes, I have seen clowns in club coloured jester hats :mad:)

Anyone spotting a 'fan' (over age 9) wearing anything like this should really report them to the mental health authorities

Whats the fockin dripping blue paint about?

[osarusan]

When they're cut, they bleed Tottenham blue.

[sadloserkid]

Bit time football - often like watching paint dry!

[TheBoss]

I know its a skit but thought it was suitable for here.

867615123367090

[outspoken]

A pub in Longford last night was fully decked out inside and out with Liverpool flags, banners, jerseys hanging from the roof, you name it. A big sign in the pub saying home of the Longford Liverpool kopites.

[gufcfan]

kopites.
They can't even spell gob****es the muppets.

[vinnie]

A pub in Longford last night was fully decked out inside and out with Liverpool flags, banners, jerseys hanging from the roof, you name it. A big sign in the pub saying home of the Longford Liverpool kopites.

Breaks your heart, pity you couldn't get a few of them to your home games

[outspoken]

Breaks your heart, pity you couldn't get a few of them to your home games

No they'd rather use the tag line of no locals while they roar on their beloved pool in a Coutinho jersey.

[Brusher]

I think the power brokers within Irish soccer have really missed the boat in the last few years especially ! It now looks unlikely grounds will ever be even half full but the FaI should be targeting social media in all it's forms,as that's where kids interact with foreign teams as well as the tv.I have often wondered if all so called football fans bought a LoI club jersey,what a difference that would actually make to clubs. Also,clubs in conjunction with the FaI could run a weekly or monthly competition,with different prizes

[outspoken]

I think the power brokers within Irish soccer have really missed the boat in the last few years especially ! It now looks unlikely grounds will ever be even half full but the FaI should be targeting social media in all it's forms,as that's where kids interact with foreign teams as well as the tv.I have often wondered if all so called football fans bought a LoI club jersey,what a difference that would actually make to clubs. Also,clubs in conjunction with the FaI could run a weekly or monthly competition,with different prizes

Totally agree with you, this attitude of wel throw a poster up and people will come is the worst attitude I've ever seen. Bar a very small handful of clubs no one makes an effort with social media

[pineapple stu]

Was down the pub last night watching the match. Two lads started talking about how ****e we were midway through the first half - which in fairness was the only sensible thing they said to each other.

The solution was to do what the IRFU did. Four provinces, playing abroad. It's the only way. Leinster FC in the Premiership - sure they'd watch that. I mean, Bray Wanderers is all well and good, but there's only a few hundred people at the games, and what's the point of that? Anyway, once you get to that level, you won't be going any further. Leinster in the Premiership is the solution.


Anyways, both had left by the time Shane Long (whose career stalled irreparably after playing for Cork) set up Stephen Ward (who never went anywhere after four whole years at Bohs) for the Ireland goal.

[wonder88]

Follow what the rugby guys done/did seems to be the solution. Anyone around Galway for the last few months will confirm this. "The European Bandwagon Capital"

[BonnieShels]

Follow what the rugby guys done/did seems to be the solution. Anyone around Galway for the last few months will confirm this. "The European Bandwagon Capital"

In fairness, I still think Limerick has that mantel. I think it's great that Connacht are doing what they are doing. Why begrudge?

Watching Ireland games in pubs is a painful experience. I hate it.

[nigel-harps1954]

I can't watch football in busy pubs, at all. It's an incredibly mental experience.

[IsMiseSean]

In fairness, I still think Limerick has that mantel. I think it's great that Connacht are doing what they are doing. Why begrudge?

Considering Connacht were only getting 3000 at games at the start of the season and nearly 8000 by the end of it & could of easily got over 10k if they had the ground, that's a pretty big bandwagon.

I agree though, what they've done is fantastic but when their star players leave and there back to being average the crowds will dwindle again and the Galway sporting public will all be GAA fans again if they can manage a SF/Final appearance.

[Ezeikial]

I agree though, what they've done is fantastic but when their star players leave and there back to being average the crowds will dwindle again and the Galway sporting public will all be GAA fans again if they can manage a SF/Final appearance.

Why not a successful Galway Utd?

Surely the underlining point here is that there is a large sports following in Galway who crave sporting success?

[Mr A]

If Galway United were to make the FAI cup final they'd get a big crowd going. But building a consistent crowd in the city is difficult, perhaps because there are so many from outside the city living here.