LOI fans: do you support the national team?

[bullit]

I support the team but never JD or the FAI.

[ArdeeBhoy]

There are 'Plastic Paddies' living in Letterkenny? Do tell...

Old Celtic pal of mine from Ballybofey whose family are involved with Finn Harps and who's also an enthusiastic fan of them is always 'joking' he can totally understand people not going to see the LOI, an element of self-deprecation before you all get upset!

[Stuttgart88]

What chip on my shoulder? Perhaps try reading my earlier post on this thread FFS.

The singing while being destroyed is not something well ever agree on I suppose but it's totally different to being a fan of the Irish team.Sorry Stu, mea culpa. The last paragraph was not directed at you at all and I realise now it read badly. The last paragraph was directed at those who continue the "best fans in the world" criticism and those who, well, clearly have a chip on their shoulder!

[Real ale Madrid]

I support Cork City and Ireland equally. 50% each. Cork City and Ireland are like 2 children to me. I cannot love 1 more than another, but when I'm at a Cork City match I love that more than Ireland and when I attend an Ireland game I love that more than Cork City. My deep sense of guilt stays with me for days after.

The problem with threads like this is they always descend into LOI fans looking down on Ireland supporters.
People should spend their leisure time as they please, be it in the Aviva, Turners X , Belfield or up on a bar-stool even! We should be looking to attract people to games not telling them where they should be spending their time.

[Macy]

If at a time that more and more players that came through the league are representing the state, why is it that LoI fans are (anecdotally) feeling less connected to the team? It's really a stretch to suggest the problems are, or at least only, with the LoI fans.

I know plenty of none (and even anti) LoI people that had a problem with the carry on after the Spain game in euro's. It's not even really about the singing - it's the pathetic back slapping that followed it.

[Mr A]

The gurning about the Spain game really gets on my nerves. Was it the fans doing the back slapping? Nope- media to blame. Same with the the whole "Best fans in the world" thing- I have yet to hear anyone at an Ireland game say such a thing, again it tends to be a media thing.

One of the best teams in the world beat a very limited Irish team off the park. The Irish fans sang anyway. Why exactly does this offend people so much?

[Closed Account 2]

In an ideal world both the LoI teams and the national team would be strong. If one element is strong, say LoI team(s) are more regularly in the group stage of the Europa League (or ideally the CL) but the national team is underperforming (e.g. under Staunton), or on the other hand if the national team is often qualifying for tournaments but the LoI teams are struggling in Europe then at least the stronger element can carry Irish football to a degree. So long as kids can see an Irish team (either the National Team, or Shamrock Rovers or Bray or whoever) competing on an international stage, then they are likely to be attracted to game. But if both the LoI teams and the national team are doing very badly then we risk losing the next generation to the game. If there is no exopsure to Irish football then kids could be lost to other sports like Rugby, the GAA and football could suffer.

A strong league and a strong national team are not mutually exclusive, so I dont see why anyone would wish either to suffer. It's up to individuals to support what ever domestic or international teams they like and to attend matches which they wish to go to but to want an Irish team (club or country) to "get a tonking" against non-Irish opposition is to actively wish for something that can only be detrimental to Irish football. Indifference is one thing but wanting "a tonking" is very small minded, petty and smacks of cliqueness.

[SwanVsDalton]

The gurning about the Spain game really gets on my nerves. Was it the fans doing the back slapping? Nope- media to blame. Same with the the whole "Best fans in the world" thing- I have yet to hear anyone at an Ireland game say such a thing, again it tends to be a media thing.

One of the best teams in the world beat a very limited Irish team off the park. The Irish fans sang anyway. Why exactly does this offend people so much?

Bang on the money. Using that 'best fans in the world' thing as a stick to beat well meaning football fans is churlish in the extreme.

[nigel-harps1954]

If at a time that more and more players that came through the league are representing the state, why is it that LoI fans are (anecdotally) feeling less connected to the team? It's really a stretch to suggest the problems are, or at least only, with the LoI fans.

I know plenty of none (and even anti) LoI people that had a problem with the carry on after the Spain game in euro's. It's not even really about the singing - it's the pathetic back slapping that followed it.

It's been pointed out before. It's nothing to do with the team.

I have a huge sense of pride in the fact so many of the Irish team came through the League of Ireland, and those players can all be seen watching League of Ireland matches during time off.

It's the association itself that gives a sense of disconnection.

I pointed out already, I like to see the team do well. I'm happy to see them winning games. I'm happy to see them qualify for tournaments, or take big scalps along the way. I just have such a strong dislike for the organisation, that it makes me disconnected from following the team.

[DannyInvincible]

In an ideal world both the LoI teams and the national team would be strong. If one element is strong, say LoI team(s) are more regularly in the group stage of the Europa League (or ideally the CL) but the national team is underperforming (e.g. under Staunton), or on the other hand if the national team is often qualifying for tournaments but the LoI teams are struggling in Europe then at least the stronger element can carry Irish football to a degree. So long as kids can see an Irish team (either the National Team, or Shamrock Rovers or Bray or whoever) competing on an international stage, then they are likely to be attracted to game. But if both the LoI teams and the national team are doing very badly then we risk losing the next generation to the game. If there is no exopsure to Irish football then kids could be lost to other sports like Rugby, the GAA and football could suffer.

A strong league and a strong national team are not mutually exclusive, so I dont see why anyone would wish either to suffer. It's up to individuals to support what ever domestic or international teams they like and to attend matches which they wish to go to but to want an Irish team (club or country) to "get a tonking" against non-Irish opposition is to actively wish for something that can only be detrimental to Irish football. Indifference is one thing but wanting "a tonking" is very small minded, petty and smacks of cliqueness.

Just have to pull you up on one thing... Bray on the international stage?!...

[SkStu]

He was using Wicklow teams for examples.

[Charlie Darwin]

What is this whole Shamrock Rovers/Wicklow thing about? I've heard it a couple of times now.

[Closed Account 2]

Just have to pull you up on one thing... Bray on the international stage?!...

It's shameless self bias, I went the match Bray played against Grasshoppers years ago in the Europa league (or UEFA as it was then).

[SkStu]

Sorry Stu, mea culpa. The last paragraph was not directed at you at all and I realise now it read badly. The last paragraph was directed at those who continue the "best fans in the world" criticism and those who, well, clearly have a chip on their shoulder!

That certainly makes more sense!

[bennocelt]

Post #31 above by Rasputin betrays an absolutely enormous shoulder chip. I don't care if people support club over country, or no club at all. There is no one best way to be a football fan or to love the game. It's a broad church and everyone's welcome.

My granny and mother love football, and watch it most times when its on the box - hardly call them real football diehards though!:(

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

"The Fields" being sang last night at the end. Is that allowed if Ireland are winning or are we still sick to be associated with it?

[dfx-]

to answer the OP question...no.

Any result the national team gets is hollow, meaningless.

[Straightstory]

I support the national team, but my enthusiasm has dimmed somewhat, after being fairly fanatical for forty years or so. I'm just become moe and more aware that so many of the supporters are event junkies and barstoolers with no real interest in Irish football. Also, Trappatoni has really put me off...

[Señor Willy]

It probably is just an easy way to vent the frustration I have when I go to an LOI game, and as you pass In the gate, someone goes by to the pub in a Utd jersey for the game? When they could be watching live football less than 100 yards from the pub. but that arguments a long debated one not worth getting into.

All I was saying above Is, we sounded like we were happy to be hammered. No matter who you're playing, wether it be Spain or Salthill, you want to win. Quite obviously, I don't want people ripping up seats. That's a ridiculous statement.

[peadar1987]

Yup, I support the national team, and probably care more about their results in general than about Unknowns (which is to say, quite a lot!).

Unfortunately, I've never had the money to see many international games live, going straight from being a poor student to being an emigrant, but I think the last competitive game of ours I didn't watch was probably at least five years ago.