Supporting British teams

[Leeza]

As (I assume) fans of the EL and EL first division, would it be too much of a double standard if we claimed to support English teams too?

Personally while I'm sympathetic to Newcastle United, I think its silly for me to say I support them considering its unlikely I'll ever see a home game for them in my whole life.

[LeixlipRed]

I'm also a follower of the Toon. Ben to see them once. 1996 in London v Chelsea. That's about the full extent of my support

[NY Hoop]

I'm not british so therefore I dont support any clubs over there.

KOH

[LeixlipRed]

I'm not british so therefore I dont support any clubs over there.

KOH

You could have just not posted in the thread you know

[NY Hoop]

You could have just not posted in the thread you know

Thanks for coming. It's a very relevant point.


KOH

[Burnsie]

nyhoop, do you enjoy any other sports?

[finnpark]

Well I think its a kids thing. Silly really.

Outside Britain only 3 types of people support British soccer teams:

1. Stupid Women from the Far East

2. Stupid Unionists from Portadown

3. Little Kids from Ireland

Fit yourself into one of these brackets:p

[LeixlipRed]

Thanks for coming. It's a very relevant point.


KOH


And your point was relevant, was it?? You well know you were being smartarsed when the question about following British teams was asked in good faith

[endabob1]

I studied in Athlone so I supported de Town, used to go on a Friday night to St Mels, good times.
Moved to London always had a soft spot for Spurs, I supported Spurs because I can go and see them fairly often, moved up to the midlands in the uk pondering the merits of watching lower league teams or just going to Spurs less often.
Support who you want, go and see them as often as you can, don't worry about other people's opinions!
:ball:

[Gareth]

Had kept an eye on Liverpool between ages 4 - 8 but then went to a game and discovered Shels. Went to Anfield a few years later and rather than be blown away, I was underwhelmed and couldn't believe the export of irish bodies on a weekly basis to a ground in England when they could have the same at home...

[DmanDmythDledge]

Was a mad Man Utd fan, went to OT, no big deal IMO. Would have considered myself to be more of a Man Utd fan than UCD fan up to 4 years ago. Still "supported" Man Utd but recently I only consider myself to like Man Utd more than any other team in the world.

[gustavo]

Was a Manchester United supporter for most of primary school and secondary school but gradually my allegiances waned for some reason still like to see them win but am not really bothered if they dont

[charliesboots]

Well I think its a kids thing. Silly really.

Outside Britain only 3 types of people support British soccer teams:

1. Stupid Women from the Far East

2. Stupid Unionists from Portadown

3. Little Kids from Ireland

Fit yourself into one of these brackets:p

More visitors to Britain for football each weekend from Scandinavia than from Ireland.

When you say British teams I presume you include Celtic???:rolleyes:

[Fivesilver]

You could have just not posted in the thread you know

Much as it pains me to agree with a Hoop :D , I think NYHoop is spot on.

Typical workplace exchange:
- "We're playing them next week"
- "Midleton against Blarney? What competition is that in?"
- No, you eejit - United and Chelsea."
- :confused:

There's one bloke in our office who likes to go on about how many of Man United's fans are from London - he's a Liverpool "fan" from Carrigaline. :D

Support your local team.

[micls]

When you say British teams I presume you include Celtic???:rolleyes:

Of course he does...why wouldnt he :confused:

'Supported' Man united as a child. Went to old trafford once. Enjoyed it but nothing compared to how i was blown away on my first trip to the cross. Was a late convert-only bout 2 years ago but have never turned back. Not bothered either way bout United now.

I dont think anyone would have a problem with people supporting foreign clubs if they supported their own as well. Its just the fact that locals not supporting their own is killing our league that p*sses people off

[Soper]

I supported Rovers first and foremost, got into Utd after a bit cause of my Father who supported them because of Giggsy and Hughes(my fathers Welsh), but we went to every Rovers home and most away.My interest wained for them when I actually moved over here, right about the time they won the Champions League.It's Rovers for me now first and foremost, and secondly Cardiff because I can't stand watching football on tv and I need live football.

[EnDai]

No problem with people following teams over there, its those who do it while neglecting our league that annoys me - especially those who put it down without ever having seen 60 seconds of it.

Personally I keep an keen eye out for Hereford. Family from there, just up the road from Edgar St, and saw them a good bit when I was younger.

[LeixlipRed]

Much as it pains me to agree with a Hoop :D , I think NYHoop is spot on.

Typical workplace exchange:
- "We're playing them next week"
- "Midleton against Blarney? What competition is that in?"
- No, you eejit - United and Chelsea."
- :confused:

There's one bloke in our office who likes to go on about how many of Man United's fans are from London - he's a Liverpool "fan" from Carrigaline. :D

Support your local team.

I agree with him as well. I never said I didn't. But he was being smartarsed when it was an honest question

[superfrank]

Loads of people around the world support clubs in other countries. Like in all honesty do "strictly el" fans get so ****ed off if they see a kid wearing a Barca or a Real jersey in the street?? I never heard anyone on this forum bitching at another member for supporting a foreign, non-British team.

I myself support Bray and Chelsea. I also have minor interests in the fortunes of Marseille, Inter and Crvena Zvezda.

I think people can support any team they like, not just their local team.

[Terry]

Bar myself all my family were born in manchester, so Man Utd is still seen as a home town club. Dont get to go to OT as often as I used to with work,family etc. commitments now. Still class GUFC as my first team though and always will.

[Dodge]

Don't support anybody. Will watch it on TV but prefer other leagues. Used to get angry about the situation with Irish fans, just pity them now.

[Strabane_Harp]

I have no problem admitting i support Manchester City, but if they ever play Harps it will be harps all the way

[Fivesilver]

Like in all honesty do "strictly el" fans get so ****ed off if they see a kid wearing a Barca or a Real jersey in the street?? I never heard anyone on this forum bitching at another member for supporting a foreign, non-British team.


I have no problem with people wearing whatever they want. I just find it a bit surreal when people tell you they're "devastated" when some team from another country loses at the weekend.

The same lads come into work strutting around like peacocks, proud of their contrived connection with some arbitrary team they chose simply because they were successful. You always hear about their "loyalty" e.g "I've been into them since I was a kid" (funny you didn't choose Aldershot).
How difficult is it to be loyal to a team you know is going to have a trophy at least every couple of years?

I can't speak for others, but it's definitely not an anti-English thing with me - it's a pro-supporting your local team thing.

[Dodge]

Like in all honesty do "strictly el" fans get so ****ed off if they see a kid wearing a Barca or a Real jersey in the street?? I never heard anyone on this forum bitching at another member for supporting a foreign, non-British team.

But we're not competing for fans, airtime, column inches and now investors with Barca or Real. We are totally overshadowed by the UK leagues and thats why so many have a problem with them.

[grounded]

Superfrank,

Got nothing to do with people following british teams. Support your local the point thats being made here.
On the other hand though usually if you go to speak to a Milan fan they would know what theyre talking about.
Two weeks ago in one of the pubs in Athlone I spoke to a "Celtic" supporter. He didnt even know whom they were playing the following day but worn a Celtic Polo. So much for being a die hard supporter. I'm curious to know what would happen if ManU would go down to the Championship or even League1.

I'm not from the Town I live and work in but I always follow my local Team which at the moment (and hopefully for a long time) will be Athlone Town.

Support your local Team

[BohDiddley]

There is no law, human or natural, that says you can't support a local club and, like everyone else, follow a British team. And there's no point getting uppity and elitist about it. Why, AFAIK, Bohs will even let in ManU supporters these days. It's been found that they click turnstiles just like anyone else, and their money pays bills, just as well as anyone else's.

[Fivesilver]

... like everyone else, follow a British team. And there's no point getting uppity and elitist about it...

Who's everyone? I don't. and I'd bet there's no shortage of people on this board who are the same.
And I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be regarded as an "elitist" for supporting Sligo Rovers. :D

Why is it so difficult to imagine that there are people who aren't "committed fans" of teams in another country?

[LeixlipRed]

He never said comitted fans. "Follow" doesn't imply comittment. I follow Newcastle. As in i check for their results. A hangover from my childhood

[Poor Student]

I love Celtic as well as UCD but I am starting to get a bit more and more irritated with Irish people who know nothing of the eL. It really hit home when I was talking to my taxi driver on the way home from the airport on Sunday and we were talking about Andy Reid and getting him back in shape. I started going on about Keith Foy as a former compatriot and comparison and he didn't know what I was on about. Just as I find the suggestion that you should be eL only or you're less of a fan, I find being EPL or any other league only a bit weird.

[holidaysong]

Not another one of these threads...

[sligoman]

And your point was relevant, was it?? You well know you were being smartarsed when the question about following British teams was asked in good faithHe's the biggest troll on foot.ie, just ignore him!

[BohsPartisan]

Like the man above the "football fans" who know nothing about the EL or even refuse to or whatever, I have no time for, but if I pay my membership to Bohs and go to the games who cares if I go to see Everton a couple of times a year and maybe Barca once too?

[Poor Student]

I'm curious to know what would happen if ManU would go down to the Championship or even League1.



You'd be surprised. Leeds still command a strong support here in spite of their relegation. An even sterner test of loyalty are the relegations of Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday (I know they're back now) to England's 3rd flight. Both clubs though pretty unfashionable here maintain a big enough support (probably bigger than half the Eircom League's clubs!) including some board members here.

[sligoman]

I support Man United(been to one game), Celtic(0 games) and Valencia(3 games). Obviously don't class myself as a major fan though as I'm living in Ireland and can't see them week in, week out. Don't care what people think. People that support only foreign teams and laugh at you for supporting an EL team annoy me but equally, someone who laughs at you for supporting a foreign team aswell as an EL team annoys me too.

Sligo Rovers are, and always will be, my number one club. If someone asks me who I support, I always say Sligo Rovers.

[Poor Student]

Like the man above the "football fans" who know nothing about the EL or even refuse to or whatever, I have no time for, but if I pay my membership to Bohs and go to the games who cares if I go to see Everton a couple of times a year and maybe Barca once too?

There's two types of foreign football fan who knows nothing about the eL. There's the ignorant one who just doesn't care what you do and there's the tw@t who openly derides and criticises the national league while lauding up "their" EPL. I'm not into unbirdled primordial nationalism or anything but I find this kind of self loathing pretty annoying.

[Leeza]

No problem with people following teams over there, its those who do it while neglecting our league that annoys me - especially those who put it down without ever having seen 60 seconds of it.


I know plenty of people like that.

P*ss's me off too, especially considering Monaghan were playing like Arsenal at one stage in our majestic 2-2 draw with Shams.


Also, this has nothing whatsoever got to do with me being anti-English or anti-premiership or anything like that. As I said, I've a soft spot for the Toon, but personally I think its silly to call yourself a 'die hard' Man-U fan or anything like that. (Unless you are going to see them live semi-regularly)

To me football is a grassroots thing. If I lived in somewhere like Bristol I would probably support Bristol City or Bristol Rovers, if I lived in Manchester I'd either support Man U or Man C. I live in Monaghan and so support Monaghan!

Just my two cents.

[NY Hoop]

Leixlipred lose the attitude. I wasnt being smartarsed at all. I'm not british so I dont support any british club. And yet you agree with me:rolleyes:

Fivesilver is spot on. All this talk of "we" and "us" is pathetic from barstoolers. The irony is they slag the EL without seeing that the money they spend on british clubs could be used to improve our league.

I have no problem whatsoever with EL fans who follow any foreign side as long as the EL side comes first.

It was mentioned that more Scandinavians go to britain every week than Irish. But the crucial difference is that they do support their local sides.

IMO Dolan was right you cant support 2 clubs.



KOH

[Rory H]

to be honest and i am ashamed of it i used to more of an aston villa fan than a sligo rovers fans but in the last 3 years ive started to care less and less about villa....and my support of rovers will never cease now...id never watch villa ahead of rovers,im not going to villa park until the e.l. season is over....keith foy and harpel singh is better than any villa player too so whats the point:D

[WeAreRovers]

More visitors to Britain for football each weekend from Scandinavia than from Ireland.


Difference is that the Scandanavians support their own leagues too, unlike the self-loathing hoardes you see in Dublin Airport every Saturday morning.

As a number of people have said on this thread - and it applies from Monaghan to Manchester to Motherwell - SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TEAM. That doesn't preclude you from following any team in any other league it just makes you more consistent and less hypocritical.

KOH

[BohsPartisan]

I normally only go to Goodison after the EL season is over though I got the chance of a ticket for this Saturday's Merseyside Derby and wasn't going to pass that up.
Though back before the summer season sometimes I would be at Dalymount on a Friday night then get up for the early boat from Dunlaoighre the next morning. Had some in depth discussions on the EL with scousers in the pub after some games too. They are always interested to hear of some of the Irish fans that actually support their own teams. Met one scouser who has been keeping an eye on Shels results since he was over for UCD v Everton in the CWC in 84. Aparantly he met some Shels fans when he was over.

[Dassa]

I like to see arsenal do well but would never go and see them. went to see Rangers once and hated it. realised that i enjoyed spending my money watching Loughgall and NI because least with those teams you feel like you are involved and the investment stays in your community.

[grounded]

@ Poor Student

I know that there are people still following Forest but I find it hard to believe that the same number of people that are supporting ManU or Chelsea for example would do so if they'd go down. Its not just an Irish thing. I know of a lot of germans travelling to the UK every weekend but as someone said earlier they also fill their stadia at home. There was a guy on telly from Cork i believe who flies out to Exeter to support them. I must say fair play to him choosing a side like them but still wonder why its not his local side he supports.

Would be great to have a banner that could travel around the country and be displayed at televised matches "Support your local - Our Country Our Clubs" just to remind people before hopping on planes to england again

[gufct]

For me its 1. Galway United 2. Ireland & 3. QPR.

I go to QPR maybe 3 times a year since the switch to summer soccer and would go and watch a local league match any division when im in another country.


Worst type of barstoolers are the ones who dont go to any games and still think they are true supporters because they have sky sports and buy theire latest jersey and look down their noses at el fans.

Some el fans can be too elitist which causes bitterness.

[Vitruvian Man]

The people who get on my nerves the most are the barstoolers who support the likes of Exeter or some other mickey-mouse nobodies in England. They consider themselves the quintessential “hardcore” supporter because they have picked an obscure team and not a big-time Charlie like Liverpool, Man U, and Arsenal.

I only have pity on the glory-hunting barstoolers who were caught in the media trap when they were kids. But these ‘hardcore’ gobsh!tes have no excuse not to be supporting their EL teams.

[RonnieB]

Support your local teams first and anything after that is your own business.

[ger121]

My sister is a big Liverpool fan and goes to quite a few games each year. As she comes to watch Bohs with me I head over with her to watch Liverpool. I've seen them play more times than a lot of so called Liverpool supporters from Ireland and would watch out for there results and want them to do well but I wouldn't say I'm a supporter at all. I just don't feel that same affinity I would have for Bohs. No matter how many times I've been over in Liverpool and even though the people are friendly I always have this feeling of being an outsider and that no matter how many times I go I never would truely belong.

[BohsPartisan]

The people who get on my nerves the most are the barstoolers who support the likes of Exeter or some other mickey-mouse nobodies in England. They consider themselves the quintessential “hardcore” supporter because they have picked an obscure team and not a big-time Charlie like Liverpool, Man U, and Arsenal.

.

Absolutely. I remember seeing a bloke wearing a Rochdale jersey a few years ago in a pub. I said if you want to support a sh't team we've got plenty of them over here.

[NeilMcD]

What ever you do dont put up an Avator of an EL team on this board though as you get abuse for it.

[BohsPartisan]

What board?

[jebus]

Typical narrow minded Eircom League attitude, which is why this league will never take off from the ground. The majority of football supporters in Ireland support British club, end of story. If you want to complain about them not supporting Eircom League clubs then you have to look at a few points that would drive them, i.e. lack of coverage, lack of decent players, lack of fans, and the prevailing Eircom League fans opinion that they are better than the British supporting football fan simply because they go and watch the local team play sh!te football.

Whoever said the majority of Irish supporters who support British clubs are either fat women, small kids or whatever are talking out of their arse, and anyone who thinks that someone supporting a small time English club is a gob-****e who think's they are great should take a look and see a gob-****e who thinks they are great cause they support a small time Irish club.

By the by my footballing preferences are

1. Sheffield Wednesday
2. Limerick FC
3. Inter Milan
4. Rep of Ireland

I've been supporting Wednesday for over ten years longer than I have LFC so thats why they are Number One, Inter I've had an interest in since the 80s and Ireland because even though I'd rather watch paint dry than watch an Ireland game, I'm still Irish, so obviously would like to read about them doing well in the morning papers :p