Citygirl
01/07/2004, 7:21 PM
I will be the first to admit that i havent been the biggest fan of john byrne but this weeks article is great:
Cork's heroics expose depth of domestic apathy
Eircom League Focus with John Byrne
Fair play to Cork City. Last Sunday's win in Malmo was even more impressive than the previous week's victory against the Swedes at Turners Cross, where the element of surprise was Malmo's pathetic excuse for getting spanked.
Explanations were no longer necessary as City proved their superiority - winning home and away ends any argument. And full credit to City boss Pat Dolan for playing both legs down and keeping the pressure off his team. Now it's on to Holland for Saturday's second round, first leg meeting with NEJ Nijmegen.
The only downside of City's tremendous performances is that they've been greatly overshadowed by Euro 2004 and Irish indifference. Outside of the eircom League hardcore, the results just passed most people by.
It always seemed odd that the Irish refer to themselves as 'the best fans in the world' when reality dictates otherwise. Many Irish people claim to be dedicated football fans yet they can't bring themselves to support an Irish club.
The most common excuse used is that the eircom League isn't 'good enough' for them. The conceit of that claim is sufficient to show so-called Irish football fans up for what they truly are: glory hunters, rather than supporters.
English football fans get a lot of negative press, but the truth is that they're an incredibly loyal bunch. It can't be much fun following a Nationwide League minnow, but many English fans have total faith in their home team. Which is admirable.
We do things differently here, of course. Supporting your local club is perceived as an act of near-insanity, while Irish people who've never even been to Liverpool, London or Manchester can talk of 'us' and 'we' when discussing the minutiae of 'their' club. And without a hint of irony.
The Cork City fans who made the journey to Malmo last Sunday - and will be breaking the bank to be in Holland on Saturday - have no such delusions of identity. Fair play to them, too.
from www.rte.ie/sport
Cork's heroics expose depth of domestic apathy
Eircom League Focus with John Byrne
Fair play to Cork City. Last Sunday's win in Malmo was even more impressive than the previous week's victory against the Swedes at Turners Cross, where the element of surprise was Malmo's pathetic excuse for getting spanked.
Explanations were no longer necessary as City proved their superiority - winning home and away ends any argument. And full credit to City boss Pat Dolan for playing both legs down and keeping the pressure off his team. Now it's on to Holland for Saturday's second round, first leg meeting with NEJ Nijmegen.
The only downside of City's tremendous performances is that they've been greatly overshadowed by Euro 2004 and Irish indifference. Outside of the eircom League hardcore, the results just passed most people by.
It always seemed odd that the Irish refer to themselves as 'the best fans in the world' when reality dictates otherwise. Many Irish people claim to be dedicated football fans yet they can't bring themselves to support an Irish club.
The most common excuse used is that the eircom League isn't 'good enough' for them. The conceit of that claim is sufficient to show so-called Irish football fans up for what they truly are: glory hunters, rather than supporters.
English football fans get a lot of negative press, but the truth is that they're an incredibly loyal bunch. It can't be much fun following a Nationwide League minnow, but many English fans have total faith in their home team. Which is admirable.
We do things differently here, of course. Supporting your local club is perceived as an act of near-insanity, while Irish people who've never even been to Liverpool, London or Manchester can talk of 'us' and 'we' when discussing the minutiae of 'their' club. And without a hint of irony.
The Cork City fans who made the journey to Malmo last Sunday - and will be breaking the bank to be in Holland on Saturday - have no such delusions of identity. Fair play to them, too.
from www.rte.ie/sport