Why do we support English teams??

[ger121]

Coming up on Moncrieff's show on NewsTalk 106. Should make for interesting listening. Lots of barstoolers will be texting in I'd say running down the el.

[Schumi]

Some guy:
I don't like Eircom League football, it's too partisan :rolleyes:

[Poor Student]

Some guy: I don't like Eircom League football, it's too partisan.


:confused:

[patsh]

Some guy:

I don't like Eircom League football, it's too partisan
:rolleyes:

Oh Jebus, I don't know whether to laugh or to cry.....:eek:. :D :confused: :(

[ger121]

After listening to that piece I give up on Irish people. They are just ignorant. In England people support their local, less glamourous team in large enough numbers, even though the big temas are right on their doorstep and therefore a lot more accessible and yet in Ireland we can't do the same. Doesn't say much about us as a sporting nation :(

[Poor Student]

After listening to that piece I give up on Irish people. They are just ignorant. In England people support their local, less glamourous team in large enough numbers, even though the big temas are right on their doorstep and therefore a lot more accessible and yet in Ireland we can't do the same. Doesn't say much about us as a sporting nation :(

Do a lot of people in England also just go and support bigger clubs in other parts of England and support near bigger clubs instead of the local small club? Or a combination of small club and local/not so local big club?

[ger121]

Do a lot of people in England also just go and support bigger clubs in other parts of England and support near bigger clubs instead of the local small club? Or a combination of small club and local/not so local big club?

I say it could be a combination of all 3. You just have to look at the attendance figures for games in England to see that clubs even in the conference get better attendance figures than most clubs in the el. I've a mate who works with me from Rochdale, he would support Man U but also goes to Rochdale and he is an average supporter that you would find in England. The main thing is he would never rubbish Rochdale just because they ain't Man U.

[Maynard]

Ye, I spend a fair bit of time in Oxford, and many regular Oxford Utd fans would have a preferance for one of the "big" clubs, if the U's aren't playing they would shout for the other team on Sky Sports or whatever...but they rarely if ever belittle their local teams because they are not worldbeaters

[Éanna]

It comes down to the fact that Irish people are more interested in success/glamour than supporting teams. The crowds shels got for their big euro games proves that

[The Dublin Red]

It comes down to the fact that Irish people are more interested in success/glamour than supporting teams. The crowds shels got for their big euro games proves that

Is that discussion still on????

Yeah loads of glamour following Nottingham Forest :D :D :D

[BohDiddley]

Why are Irish people who support British teams not thought of as West Brits, in the same way as applies to people who affect other types of Britishness, such as political viewpoints, or accents (with apologies to UCD and all who sail in her ;) ).

[Eire06]

It comes down to the fact that Irish people are more interested in success/glamour than supporting teams. The crowds shels got for their big euro games proves that
Eanna, I do go to Galway United matches and enjoy supporting them through thick and thin...

But I also enjoy watching the top players in the world playing world class football which you just don't see in the EL...
What is so wrong with that?

[Éanna]

Eanna, I do go to Galway United matches and enjoy supporting them through thick and thin...

But I also enjoy watching the top players in the world playing world class football which you just don't see in the EL...
What is so wrong with that?
Nothing. I never said there was, I'm the same myself. What I meant was that Irish people tend to look for that glamour and success while ignoring our own league- thats what ****es me off

[JC_GUFC]

It comes down to the fact that Irish people are more interested in success/glamour than supporting teams.


I think that's exactly it - and it's not just football that is true about.

I remember when United got to the cup semi against Shels we were 2-0 down and then with about 25 mins to go people started to leave!
We started chanting "We'll never see you again" at them.
They appeared to have no interest apart from if United actually won the game!

[Eire06]

Nothing. I never said there was, I'm the same myself. What I meant was that Irish people tend to look for that glamour and success while ignoring our own league- thats what ****es me off
Thats grand took you up wrong!! :o

I think the clubs and the FAI are to blame for this a lot..
They need to make the public know they are there and do some promotion to attract the fans.. esp young people during the summer ect.. involve them more with the club or something..

we were 2-0 down and then with about 25 mins to go people started to leave!
That bugs me people leaving any match early esp. if their team is loosing... :mad:

[The Dublin Red]

Why are Irish people who support British teams not thought of as West Brits, in the same way as applies to people who affect other types of Britishness, such as political viewpoints, or accents (with apologies to UCD and all who sail in her ;) ).

Same way as people who support soccer i.e 'the foreign game' ahead of GAA aren't either.....

[deco_kh]

1 of the main problems here is the way it is marketed here
The FAI make no effort in marketing

[Ronnie]

Theres no loyalty here, except for the hard core - in the country the local team gets ridiculed cause they have don't have enough locals on the team, yet when a club is forced to play a local team nobody goes to watch them cause there not good enough! Local loyalty here is to the GAA and thats just for the championship which even for the all ireland finalists might only be about 7 games. Not much effort in that. Last night grown Irishmen cried cause Liverpool won, some of them could vote Sinn Fein in an election and not see a contradiction!

[Éanna]

I think the clubs and the FAI are to blame for this a lot..
They need to make the public know they are there and do some promotion to attract the fans.. esp young people during the summer ect.. involve them more with the club or something..
I think the clubs and the FAI in particular could do a lot more, but I think its true of all sports, not just the eircom League. Look at the way GAA crowds grow once the Championship starts, look at the way Munster's crowds have rocketed because they've had a few good years- its the fickle nature of the irish sports fan that is ultimately responsible.

[Slash/ED]

The best bit of the show was someone saying "Sure I don't support Irish football the standard is awful....blahblahblah....I'm a Celtic fan"

Brilliant.

[trevy]

A lot of it is to do with lack of media coverage of our league.I support the local Eircom League club but also Liverpool since I was young. When kids are growing up they see Man Utd,Arsenal,Chelsea and Liverpool on tv every week but rarely see live Irish football or even highlights of it so they are going to go for the glamour and success of the Premiership.I also agree that Irish people tend to come out in big numbers when teams are doing well and for big Championship games like the Gaa but numbers fall for unglamorous games or when their teams are not doing well.

[BohDiddley]

Same way as people who support soccer i.e 'the foreign game' ahead of GAA aren't either.....
I think you've put your finger on it.
Here, uniquely, football is seen as 'foreign', even if it is Irish teams playing Irish football on an Irish pitch in front of an Irish crowd. So we're caught in a pincer that doesn't apply anywhere else in the world.
French or Italian or Spanish football supporters aren't seen as supporting a foreign game. But I would say that if someone from Madrid decided to become a Liverpool or a Milan fan, they would get short shrift from their compatriots.

[superfrank]

A lot of it is to do with lack of media coverage of our league.I support the local Eircom League club but also Liverpool since I was young. When kids are growing up they see Man Utd,Arsenal,Chelsea and Liverpool on tv every week but rarely see live Irish football or even highlights of it so they are going to go for the glamour and success of the Premiership.I also agree that Irish people tend to come out in big numbers when teams are doing well and for big Championship games like the Gaa but numbers fall for unglamorous games or when their teams are not doing well.
Point well made. I myself am a Chelsea fan first then a Bray fan simply because I could always see how Chelsea were doing. Although in recent times there's been more advertising around the town for matches at the Carlisle then there were when I was younger.

P.S. before I receive any gloryhunter taunts, I'd been a Chelsea fan for a long time before Abramovich came in! :mad:

[dancinpants]

Can you imagine the confusion amongst bar stoolers in Ireland after last night? "Do we support the Premiership Champions or the Champions League champions now? :confused: "

:mad:

[-lamb-]

someone mentioned lack of local telly coverage, and thats true.
add into it (for us older fans anyway) the fact that almost every english team has had irishmen from north and south in their teams to a greater or lesser extent and hence gave us someone to cheer for.
for example, i've supported arsenal since the mid 70s.....reason? twofold, my uncle brought me to see them when i was over visiting him as a kid and because arsenal had lots of players from this side of the irish sea all through the seventies in particular.
we could see them do us proud on match of the day every saturday night, something we couldn't do with our local teams.

[dancinpants]

This "media coverage" excuse is balls - the reason people support English and Scottish clubs is pure unadulterated f**kin' laziness with a very healthy dose of ignorance thrown on top of it. Too many people in Ireland just couldn't be bothered to shift their fat @rses of the sofa (or haul there @arse off the bar stool for a couple of hours) and take a walk, bus, drive down to their local football stadium - lets face it everyone knows they are there (media coverage or not). I bet you if you took half of the eejits to Manchester of London and told them to find Old Trafford or Highbury without directions they wouldn't have the gumption to get further than the airport bar!!! Gobsh!tes the lot of them!!!

[TonyD]

someone mentioned lack of local telly coverage, and thats true.
add into it (for us older fans anyway) the fact that almost every english team has had irishmen from north and south in their teams to a greater or lesser extent and hence gave us someone to cheer for.
for example, i've supported arsenal since the mid 70s.....reason? twofold, my uncle brought me to see them when i was over visiting him as a kid and because arsenal had lots of players from this side of the irish sea all through the seventies in particular.
we could see them do us proud on match of the day every saturday night, something we couldn't do with our local teams.

I've always found the "Irish Players" reason for supporting English teams particularly amusing. There are plenty of Irish players with teams here if people are so interested. And on the Match of The Day factor, you could see your local teams live, which is a far better experience. I tend to agree with Dancinpants, a lot of it is down to laziness, that and saturation Media coverage. Whenever there's been a bit of hype about a "Domestic game" the crowds usually increase noticeably, the prime example was Shelbournes euro games last summer.

[superfrank]

Whenever there's been a bit of hype about a "Domestic game" the crowds usually increase noticeably, the prime example was Shelbournes euro games last summer.
Yeah that's true and hopefuuly they'll show more European matches this year but one good thing is that this season there'll be alot more eircom football on the telly and another which should help support for eircom teams is the summer league format we've had forthe past few years as it doesn't coincide with the English and European seasons so if people want football it's not on the telly, you have to go your local ground. :rolleyes:

[A face]

I've always found the "Irish Players" reason for supporting English teams particularly amusing. There are plenty of Irish players with teams here if people are so interested.

No you're wrong .... it is Irish players who play outside of the country who lend the reason to support other league to this argument, i.e. it doesn't matter a fúck where they are from .... it is an excuse for them because they knows is not normal.


And on the Match of The Day factor, you could see your local teams live, which is a far better experience. I tend to agree with Dancinpants, a lot of it is down to laziness,

Well i'd have to say there is a culture for in now adays ... you cant pass most bars now and the have bigs screens, happy hours and crisps in the shape of ManU crests.


that and saturation Media coverage. Whenever there's been a bit of hype about a "Domestic game" the crowds usually increase noticeably, the prime example was Shelbournes euro games last summer.

This is correct ..... and wont change until it is forced, ...... it hasn't changed by people sitting on their hands ..... another approach has to be adopted .... Sky should be allow to broadcast here without compensation .... never contested .... RTE should be allowed show 'foreign played sports' over domestic ones ..... The sports council shouldn't get a red cent of the tax payers money while they allow the above to happen .... eircom League fans shouldn't be allowed give out unless they actually do something about it .... Eamon Dunphy should be shot at dawn ... Irish football served him well .... he just doesn't serve !! ...... we could go on for ages here .... the main thing ... it wont change until people do something about it !!

[-lamb-]

I've always found the "Irish Players" reason for supporting English teams particularly amusing. There are plenty of Irish players with teams here if people are so interested. And on the Match of The Day factor, you could see your local teams live, which is a far better experience. I tend to agree with Dancinpants, a lot of it is down to laziness, that and saturation Media coverage. Whenever there's been a bit of hype about a "Domestic game" the crowds usually increase noticeably, the prime example was Shelbournes euro games last summer.

by "people" i assume you mean "old enough to go by themselves"? by which stage kids will already have a fav from across the water due to the reasons i gave.
i think thats the problem really. it takes parents/relations to bring kids to local games when they are young so they have some sort of feelings/memories/attachment to their local club as they get older.
a lot of people are talking about adults here, and an adult's reasons for not supporting local football...i'm talking about kids and their reasons as they grow up. you can't really blame a kid for not knowing much about their local football - they never see much about it and not too many are dragged to the games. all they get is epl, spl and cl.

[stevieontour]

Why couldn't the FAI organise a TV Advertising Campaign before the league kicks off each year with a player from each team, saying something like "It's our League, It's your league etc." Every other organisation in the world using Nationalism to further their interests these days. Why the hell can't the FAI????

I'm in Sydney at the moment and a few weeks ago I was out and a Scouser asked me who I supported. When I told him Shels, he said I was the first Irish person he had talked football to that actually followed an Irish team. He found it bizarre. If these bar stool fans realised what their fellow supporters of English teams thought of them, they'd think again of following Premiership teams.

[drinkfeckarse]

Just noticed your signature Slash/Ed, had to laugh. Not bad at all (for a Dub) ;) :D

[Ash]

Just got this from a lad in work. Dunno where it originated from...

"The problem with Irish people is that they are convinced that football is one
big aesthetic spectacle and they forget the underlying social dynamics that
people in the stadium come to love. This is simply because they rarely if ever
go to games and when they do they tend to be one-offs, internationals, trips
to England, whatever. The outcome is that they have this expectation of
what football is all about which jars with the reality of people who are at
games week in, week out. As such the idea of loving fast flowing, fast
passing, dribbling, look Mum no hands football is all the rage in Ireland. But
this is what happens when TV selects the best game to show, then normally
they see the highlights and forget that while, as Brian Clough used to say, 'it
only takes a second to score a goal', it takes 89 minutes and 59 seconds to
do everything else. Whilst Real and Barce are playing beautiful football in
Spain, what about Malaga versus Albacete? That's football too and whilst
not very interesting for the likes of yourself is really just as important as
every other Spanish league game.

For the vast majority of football fans, the quality of the football is besides the
point. Most teams have cycles and rarely dominate over the long-term
(unless its Celtic and Rangers and that's even more boring) so over the
course of supporting a team, you eventually see them play bad football in
some armpit of the country, desperately defending to earn a 0-0 draw, whilst
it is raining and freezing cold. It isn't the football that keeps the fans warm, it
is the love of being there. Then when your team does produce great football
and achieves at the highest level, it is a glorious feeling that the people there
will remember for the rest of their lives.

So yes football is being raped but not by negative tactics of Greece and
co. but by the armchair brigade, the prawn sandwichers and the band
wagoners who drive (or are driven by) the BSKYB agenda of football where
it is all transcendent, all of the time. Well it isn't about that, its about being
part of a club and a community of people with shared values and dreams, its
about going to football matches on your wife's birthday, its about telling all
your house guests to be quiet whilst you listen to the results on the radio, its
about booting down motorways in a foul temper because you are about to
miss the first five minutes of the game which is a mid-table clash, its about
blowing all your money on traveling to games.

We believe in all this ****** that we are the best supporters in the world -
let me tell you a truth - we are the worst. Why did Ireland exceed other
countries in looking for World Cup match tickets? Because football supporters
in other countries spend all their money to games week in, week out -
traveling up and down their country watching bad football games but loving
every second of it whilst we sit here and sneer at our own game which
incidentally is getting better all the time despite the smug eliteness of the
Anglophiles who live in our little island.

So all of you Anglophiles who are so worried about the state of English
football and to a lesser extent the upper echelons of the Champions League
participants, please remember that domestic football is available on your
doorstep. It will no doubt be a bad football game in the aesthetic spectacle
idea that impresses you all but in the wider existence of football for those
clued in to the spirit of supporting games, it is what the weekend is all about."

[The Dublin Red]

This "media coverage" excuse is balls - the reason people support English and Scottish clubs is pure unadulterated f**kin' laziness with a very healthy dose of ignorance thrown on top of it. Too many people in Ireland just couldn't be bothered to shift their fat @rses of the sofa (or haul there @arse off the bar stool for a couple of hours) and take a walk, bus, drive down to their local football stadium - lets face it everyone knows they are there (media coverage or not). I bet you if you took half of the eejits to Manchester of London and told them to find Old Trafford or Highbury without directions they wouldn't have the gumption to get further than the airport bar!!! Gobsh!tes the lot of them!!!

I don't know about that at all and I think its way too easy to blame 'bar stool' supporters for all the ills in the league of Ireland. I think you'll find many committed Man Utd and Arsenal supporters.

I know from supporting a club like Nottingham Forest that those of us who have got involved and travel over regularly feel a certain ownership of what is our club. We have a healthy membership in our branch and for those without access to the internet or without credit cards we ensure that match trips are available for those who want to go. Our trip at easter has always been successful as we could fit a home and away match in on the long weekend.

The Nottingham weekends are also very social orientated in that its a weekend away and we've made many friends in England. There is a pre season tour of Denmark coming up in July and I am considering going, its not for the football but for the craic with the lads who are going.

We're also holding an end of season dinner in Mallow with Tommy Gaynor being our guest of honour. I'm delighted by the fact that 20 people from Nottingham are making the journey over to support our event. They value our support and friendship that we in the Irish branch give and when we go to matches we're treated like Kings.

[deco_kh]

One of the main reasons that they wont support the El that i get off people is
' ah but the grounds are crap ,and they've no good players'
Perfect response i find is that , the reason why they have good players and good grounds is that you's thick ****s buy their jerseys and spend a fortune going over to England every so often :rolleyes:

The lack of TV coverage doesn't help either
You get these barstoolers crying about how good Steven Gerrard is but when he stick's on an England Jersey he becomes a '****in English scum bag' ( No offence to english people) and everyone hates him, it's an absolute joke.

[The Dublin Red]

One of the main reasons that they wont support the El that i get off people is
' ah but the grounds are crap ,and they've no good players'
Perfect response i find is that , the reason why they have good players and good grounds is that you's thick ****s buy their jerseys and spend a fortune going over to England every so often :rolleyes:

The lack of TV coverage doesn't help either
You get these barstoolers crying about how good Steven Gerrard is but when he stick's on an England Jersey he becomes a '****in English scum bag' ( No offence to english people) and everyone hates him, it's an absolute joke.

You're always going to get the idiots, fools and glory hunters I suppose thats the nature of life, people are like sheep.

However I still think both the EL and support for English clubs can exist happily. I think the biggest threat to Irish League football is the agressive marketing of the GAA. English football is played in the Winter and on mainly Saturday's and Sunday's. Irish football is played in the Summer and with most games on a Friday. The two can exist easily.

If people aren't bothered well then thats another thing. I can support Forest and still make it to Bray because its not going to break the bank!!!

[kevincronin2000]

seeing the way the game is marketed poorley here the only way to get people to come to the games is to start bringing your kids to the games at a very early age. (belive me it works).

Warning. some away games are not recommended for young children as you are limited to the amount of alcohol you can consume. ;)

[patsh]

A lot of it is to do with lack of media coverage of our league.I support the local Eircom League club but also Liverpool since I was young. When kids are growing up they see Man Utd,Arsenal,Chelsea and Liverpool on tv every week but rarely see live Irish football or even highlights of it so they are going to go for the glamour and success of the Premiership.I also agree that Irish people tend to come out in big numbers when teams are doing well and for big Championship games like the Gaa but numbers fall for unglamorous games or when their teams are not doing well.
Good point but then we are back to why our national broadcaster, funded by ALL OF US, is allowed to pump so much money into supporting and promoting the already financially bloated Premiersh*t, while treating our own league like sh*t.
They will say that the audience is there for the Premiersh*t, but which comes first, the audience or the hype?

If RTE, or anyone, set aside serious money to advertise, hype up and promote our league, we would get an audience soon enough.

[The Dublin Red]

I still think the emphasis should be on promoting the League of Ireland and forget looking over your shoulder at English and Scottish football. We can all co-exist. What I would say is that there ahve been improvements and Shels doing so well in Europe was a huge boost for the League. Obviously there is work to do in terms of improving facilities and marketing the the game but it can be done. We're a small nation and the sport we love is the 2nd support, we have to accept that. However we can build the game and it cvan become attractive.

What I won't accept is people knocking those who support teams that are in the island next to us. We do no harm and enjoy our football as much as anyone. I for one put alot of time into organising a supporters club and although the rewards haven't been on the playing field for a while it is still very rewarding.

In terms of the bar stool brigade.... well to be blunt do you really want them at your games? Sure they'd only annoy you anyway!!! They're happy in what can be said is shallow support, let them off!!!

Finally I come back to it again, Football in this country will always be the poor relation of GAA. The GAA have the bulk of support and youth outside Dublin and they will continue to aggresively hold their domination. Premiership football and Manchester United are the least of our worries.

[Poor Student]

by "people" i assume you mean "old enough to go by themselves"? by which stage kids will already have a fav from across the water due to the reasons i gave.
i think thats the problem really. it takes parents/relations to bring kids to local games when they are young so they have some sort of feelings/memories/attachment to their local club as they get older.
a lot of people are talking about adults here, and an adult's reasons for not supporting local football...i'm talking about kids and their reasons as they grow up. you can't really blame a kid for not knowing much about their local football - they never see much about it and not too many are dragged to the games. all they get is epl, spl and cl.

Very good points. There is no medium which provides good access to young kids for eL football. No magazines and the only programme is on when even most adults are in bed! No eL player is a household name amongst children and they will certainly not be going to eL games by their own initiative from before the age of 12 unless living in highly close proximity to the club's ground. Unless living dead close or blooded in by a family member most clubs miss kids in that crucial young period where a bond with the favourite club is fostered.

[Neish]

While I do follow Man U and Celtic(been supporting both from the age of 9 or 10 while I didn't start following Harps till ath age of about 13 or 14)I'm really starting to get fed up with arguing with premier league and celtic fans over the reasons why i support harps(Which is really making me care less and less about these two sides espically Celtic). They go on about the standard and atmosphere but the vast majority have never been to and EL game.

I was in the pub one night with fbtn watching the Glentoran V Longford match, there was a decent crowd in many wearing liverpool, man u tops and celtic tops. They were giving out about having to watch this game whilst Chelsea were playing on SkyVs West Brom (as far as I remember). I wouln't of minded so much if even there was a Chelsea or West Brom fan in the place but no.

[bigmac]

The start em young philosophy is the main one for me. I grew up listening to my Dad talk about going out to Kilcohan Park and waiting for someone to bring him in in front of him at the turnstiles - kids went in for free in those days. When I was in school though there was never any presence of Waterford United in the school, unlike other sports who would have players come in to help with coaching a lot of the time. GAA intercounty players, American basketball players - but never any soccer players - IMO there should be a football liason officer, maybe FAI funded, or some other such community role for each club. The clubs could give a player this job and it would fund a squad member.

Schools should be targeted to attend the games - especially secondary schools. I agree that it's probably not to anyone's advantage to have a bunch of primary school kids running around the place with no interest in the game (i don't mean kids with their parents here though) but kids from about 14/15 up should be encouraged to attend games - even if they're only charged a few euro or something to get in it might capture some long term fans. - I started going to Blues games when they moved to the RSC - even before the stand was built there and even though I'm not living in Ireland at the moment I still have a season ticket (I've seen one game thus far this season).

I'm reminded of a quote from a guy behind me after a particularly dull game 2 or 3 years ago in the RSC. The stadium announcer said "next weekend the Blues will entertain Bohemians.." and the guy behind me chipped in with "we'd entertain f***in nobody!"
Like it or not, nobody goes to EL games for the high standard of football. People do (me included) go to England to watch games just to see some world class players but at the end of the day, if you offered me a choice between a live game and a tv game I'd always go for the live one. Unfortunately I can't say the same for others. How many people in Dublin watched the Setanta cup final on the telly instead of going to the game? Doesn't matter if you support a team playing or not, IMO it's got to be better than sitting in your living room watching a game that's only being played down the road.

[Poor Student]

The closest EL side to me is UCD. I or my family have no affilliation to them. Irish domestic football isd a non entity as far as I'm concerned. No offence but thats how it is....

I don't see why you wouldn't give us a chance. We're cheap and it is an easy chance to see a real live game which nothing can beat for me. Even being so close to the pitch you learn little intricacies of the game you cannot on TV or being up high in the stand. You'd see the standard can be better than you'd think too.

[deco_kh]

I don't see why you wouldn't give us a chance. We're cheap and it is an easy chance to see a real live game which nothing can beat for me. Even being so close to the pitch you learn little intricacies of the game you cannot on TV or being up high in the stand. You'd see the standard can be better than you'd think too.

Dead right there PS
Don't knock it till you try it

[Bald Student]

The closest EL side to me is UCD. I or my family have no affilliation to them.Fair enough Silvio. I think the point is though that the majority of people in this country have no affilliation to any English or Scottish club either (watching them on the telly doesn't count as affilliation in my books).

At the end of it all, soccer is a part of the entertainment business and people will choose to watch whatever form of it they enjoy the most.

P.S. You should call round Belfield sometime, we'd be glad of the extra support.

[dancinpants]

Irish domestic football isd a non entity as far as I'm concerned. No offence but thats how it is....

I disagree....but people with your attitude don't help. Probably a better standard of football here than will be on show in the City Ground next year - League One is it? :rolleyes: .

[dancinpants]

Its whats in your heart that counts at the end of the day...

Just out of curiosity Silvio, what draws you to Notts Forest? Are you from around there originally? Or whats the story?

[thejollyrodger]

The fact that so many people support English soccer teams says there is something seriously wrong with soccer in this country.

If we were like the dutch league, with decent stadia, decent enough football being played and clubs playing regularly in Europe then I dont think there would be SO MANY people cheering on English sides as their are at the moment.

We do well in Rugby with the 2 proviences. We need a European outlet to really justify the league here. We need lots of money too.

Personally I think a lot of supporters just latch on to a club here when they are doing well. I seen lots of Liverpool shirts today and I never saw them in 15 years. Where have all the Man Utd supporters gone who used to be in everyones face.

Irish supporters are very fickle. We always move on to the next sport that we are doing well. We like a sing song and the craic of the big day out but rarely stick with something.

Only 1 club wins the english priemership but all 20 teams get their fans out. We will never have that here. English fans are the best fans IMO.

[jofyisgod]

Personally I think a lot of supporters just latch on to a club here when they are doing well. I seen lots of Liverpool shirts today and I never saw them in 15 years. Where have all the Man Utd supporters gone who used to be in everyones face?



You just saw them-they now wear Liverpool tops...Know exactly what you mean. Chelsea win league, Chelseas shirts sticking out of peoples holes. Everywhere.

[Stevo Da Gull]

Most people over here are just hopeless and ignorant when it somes to the EL, I sometimes get pi**ed off when the following conversation occurs:

Some1: Who do you support?

Me: Bray Wanderers

Some1: But who do you really support like?

Me: Bray

Some1: So you dont like support a real team from England or anything?

:mad: :mad: :mad:


Then on the flip side its nice to go into school on a Monday morning and have people slag me over any bad Bray results (well when I say nice you know what I mean), a lot of people will check the text just to see how the local club (in my case Bray) did even if they have no major interest which is better than nothing I suppose.

I did'nt listen to the show but then again I think I have a fair idea about what was said. I have got no problem with people who support English clubs (sometimes I feel kinda bad for them coz they are missing out on something), at the end of the day its theyre decision and they have every right to support whichever club they like whether it be Man U or Grays Athletic or Bohs, the people I have a problem with are those who dont give the EL a fair go. Oh and I also hate the people (I know that sounds strong) who support Man U or whoever and then come out with something like ``United are gone sh*te, I like Chelsea know`` or ``Nah I dont like United anymore I just stick to watchin Celtic these day's`` BTW i'm not tryin to pick on Man U in patricular but the above are good examples.