Why do you support the team you do?

[wws]

I think Wexford people will support the team and a new generation of 'real' supporters will develop and pass the passion down through the generations.

I think 'Pass The Passion' is the Carneigie Irish League slogan.

[Soper]

Started going to Rovers when I was very young, and got hooked.Supported Manure too, purely because my two favourite players, Giggs and Keane, played for them.Got hooked on Rovers though, went to nearly every home and away game that me and my family could.

The first time I realised what a barstooler was when some muppet (of the gah persuasion) in my primary was obsessed with Manure, and how his father had a magnet of champagne for when they won the European Cup.

People, eh.

[Pauro 76]

I used to follow Liverpool as a kid, but I've been persuaded to watch a few Spurs matches here as a few of my housemates are Spurs nuts and the bug has caught. But it just doesnt compare to watching your own team back home. If anyone here asks me who my team is. Its Longford Town.

[pete]

I think anyone who really likes football will want to see it live as tv only gives you a glimpse. This is the reason why International managers attend games as opposed to just watching on tv.

I would not expect a 5 year old to ask to be brought to an eL ground so its logical he/she will watch tv & get attached to a popular team.

[G-Man]

Coming from Wexford I'd agree with Passing Interest on most of his comments. Closest EL team to me would have been Waterford (about 50 min drive away) but there was never much coverage of EL on tv growing up and always had Premiership or Italian football (of which I'd have far more interest in and have attended much more Italian league games than Premiership, not hard seeing as I havent been to a Premiership game). When Waterfrod were on a good cup run a few of us would go watch games at the RSC, and since I've moved to Waterford I have gone to the odd game.

But I never really had a passion for the team or the club. I used to watch the Wexford Youth teams quite a lot, and would have far more sense of having a team when they played, so I was delighted to hear we now have a team in the EL and it will be a start of EL supporters in Wexford.

[passinginterest]

Thanks Pete that's kind of the point I was trying to make, however badly. If there had been blanket media coverage, a match of the day type programme etc. in place, I'm sure many more young people who don't have a team in their county or community would have supported another Irish team and maybe grown up to become a true supporter and started attending matches. Instead we were soaked in UK football and the home based teams never stood a chance.

[Seagull]

I grew up in a GAA heartland but hated it so Match of the Day was our saviour every week. I moved to Bray in the early 90's and was really disillusioned with the soulless English game on TV so I went along to watch the Wanderers play one Sunday afternoon and was instantly hooked- they lost but the atmosphere was great and the Carlisle was a very welcoming place. Actually, I bought a scarf so then I had to go back! I remember when we won the Cup in 99, the semi away to Shels on Good Friday, back to Bray but all the boozers closed! Now I bring my young lad along with his mate and they love it. It's a great League once you give it a chance imo.

[Gaillimh Al]

I think my first Galway Utd game was in 1988, when I was about 10. One of the first memories I have is of Vinny Arkins getting an awful slagging for the state of his haircut.

I think the crux of this debate, "who do you support if you have no ties", comes down to whether you're interested enough in watching the drama of live football. The choice between sitting in the pub having the "craic" watching a game, or going out in the freezing cold to follow a team through thick and thin is tough. For me,attending live football will always win out.

[Jerry The Saint]

Things would be a lot better if everyone followed the Frank Skinner rule for deciding this:


The only criterion anyone should ever use when choosing a football club - Geography. You sit with a pencil, a ruler, and a map, identify the nearest football club to your place of birth, you buy a scarf with their name on it and that's that"

[wws]

The nearest Italian club to me is Juventus

[corbyeire]

i would definitely agree that the league needs more exposure - kids exposed to premiership only know the premiership

from a hurling heartland in east galway - but had family friends in the city years older than me - one of them had a galway united jersey - i thought it was a hurling jersey and was told it wasnt

as a kid this obsessed me to the point i got me old man (from mayo, no interest in soccer) to bring me to terryland

cant remember when it was but the pitch was going the other way and there was feck all at it - i was hooked

[Dr.Nightdub]

In terms of local team, Rovers could've been my local-est team as the 86 bus went from the top of our road past Milltown. My da brought me to a Rovers league game once when I was young but just cos they played in green and white didn't mean they were a patch on his beloved Belfast Celtic so he never bothered going back and seeing as there was no-one else to bring me, I was saved from a fate worse than death. :D

I kinda stumbled onto Pats as being my local team about ten years ago. I was renting a flat in Rialto at the time, used to go out for a wander every Sunday, just following my nose, would sometimes end up down in the Museum of Modern Art, sometimes walk along the canal, wherever.

Anyway, one Sunday in Jan 1997 I was just wandering along Emmet Road, heard crowd noises coming from behind the houses, got curious and went to investigate, lo and behold Pats were playing either UCD or Derry, can't remember, it finished 0-0 anyway.

Started going more regularly, then discovered that friends of friends were regulars so started going with them. Been hooked since.

[kdjaC]

Eirebhoy is a closet EL fan ;) buy me beer or i will out you :p


Da brought me to pats many moons ago, still go now bring my damn weiner kids (which somehow costs the same as going to McD :confused: )


kdjac

[sonofstan]

Grew up in Galway, football obsessed but this was the 60s/70s and Galway didn't have a league team - remember seeing galway Utd(?) beaten 10-0 by a German U-16 team at terryland in the early 70s, though.
We moved to Athlone in '74 the year the town came second and made the UEFA cup - was completely hooked; as far as i was concerned this was easily as good as seeing Arsenal (my mother grew up in London and the Arse were her and her father's team) since I'd never seen Arsenal and knew no better.

We moved to Dublin in 75 and I never really established a Dublin team - though Bohs were the nearest - went to internationals in Dalyer though. Then Punk rock led me away from football for quite a while.......
.....its 2000 and for academic reasons I'm in Colchester. A similar exile - from Norway - Brings me along to see Col U; it all comes back in a flash, I remember again what football is really about (I'd been to a few prem. matches in the meantime - no real buzz) when i came back to Dublin, I decided to turn my vague affiliation to the Red and Black into reality, a time which coincided with an burgeoning interest in football on my Daughters behalf ....... and 5 years on we're still there (or at least i am - she's discovered music and had less patience with the Farrelly era that I) Like BD, I love that we're a members club and the fact that we're a real urban institution, pluralist and local at the same time. And i like being able to say 'we' and it meaning a bunch of people I know, a place I pass most days and not simply a shirt i bought off a club in a city hundreds of miles away.

[BohDiddley]

Like BD, I love that we're a members club and the fact that we're a real urban institution, pluralist and local at the same time. And i like being able to say 'we' and it meaning a bunch of people I know, a place I pass most days and not simply a shirt i bought off a club in a city hundreds of miles away.
Oh yeah! :cool:

[NavanBohs]

Like BohsPartisan I'm from Navan, I still live here. Up until about 99/00 I barely knew this league existed and was a Man United 'fan' (I've been to Old Trafford once in '98). A lot of the Bohs squad, after training, used to come to the place where my Dad works (we both work there now) for their lunch and my dad go to know a good few of them. He'd come home a few evenings and tell me about how he was talking to whatever player. He especially got to know the keeper Wayne Russell who was a sub for a long while and at half-time he'd bring me and my mate out to take penalties on him when he was warming up with the subs.
My dad and uncle then went to their first Bohs match, a 0-0 draw against Waterford in Dalymount on apparently the coldest night ever. I went to the next one with them and unfotunately I cannot remember what team we played or what score it was.
The atmosphere after the Aberdeen match in Tolka was the first time I just thought, wow, this is unreal. I would've been about 11 or so. Since then the only team I really support is Bohs, and to me nothing beats just being in a football ground watching live football.

[Kildare Lad]

Kildare County are my local club, i live about a 15 min drive from the stadium, went to my 1st match when i was 12 after managing them in Championship Manager!

Lost 2-1 to Monaghan on that day (i think), went with 2 of my friends, they didnt ever delevop an intrest in the Eircom League. But I was, havent missed many home matchs since then.

:)

[The Man Himself]

i was born in waterford and lived in kilcohan park all my life next door to waterfords old ground, my first ever match was watching the blues take on manchester united in a friendly back in 1990 and ever since that day i have adopted both teams the blues and man u as my two fav teams,

i attended all of the blues home games last season and about 8 away games and have also been to old trafford 7 times this season with 2 more trips to come before the end of season.

[gustavo]

Always been a fan of the Rovers really but theres a lot of people in the town who would look out for their results and not actually bother going to the game and would have the attitude that the league is crap but still would call themselves Rovers fans. In fairness I used to be one of them myself. I remember when the Dublin Dons thing was around and I didnt think there was anything wrong with it , I was a Manchester United fan at the time and thought it would be great to have the Premiership in Ireland. As the years wore on the alliegience for Man United wore off , i suppose it was easier after secondary school where nearly everyone had an English team and i thought nnothing of it. I remember being delighted when they won the European Cup so to be honest I wouldnt disparage the club at all when they gave me all those memories and i still hope they win the title this year but its from a different perspective I am viewing it now.

[Martinho II]

I got into Longford Town when a few of the older section o lads and myself used to cycle out to matches in Mullogher every couple of sundays. We are still going to matches today. Sorbo the Greek was part of that gang.It was very difficult supporting them in those days. We were always losing and I didnt know the players. Loved the craic have being goin ever since.

My first away game was the 1999/00 season the bug has totally got hold of me since then. I have supported them seventeen years now!

proud moments getting promoted, stephen kenny, europe and the trophies we won!:

[Comic Book Guy]

Like most here I grew up about 5 minutes walk from Ramblers ground, my uncle played for them and I remember my father bringing me to a game when I was 9 and I was hooked after that.

[Da Real Rover]

Another point is when it comes to the likes of Cork, Sligo, Waterford, etc. they have a team representing the county most of them love. tbh most Dubs don't have the affinity with Dublin as others have with their county

Oh Jaysus Christ, you are actually saying i love my county. I cant speak for all of our fans but i can speak for me and my mates and tell you that i have no affinity and no loyalty to my county. it has nothing to do with me and the people who reside in it have nothing to do with me. and above all i am far from in love with it or them. I am from sligo town not out in the boglands, in my opinion a person from rural county sligo has more in common with a person from mayo than with people from sligo town. The closest thing it can be described as is all the 'culchies' that head up to dublin for the sales and the general annoyance with which dubs look on these 'outsiders'. that is how i look on people from outside sligo town, especially with people from sligo county who take half an hour before they make that dive onto the rampaging escalator in Quayside, or when they get to the top of the que in tesco and count out all their ****ing coppers as 10 people wait behind them in the que, or how the bog men spill there pints all over you with their big fat fingered farmer hands.

[1 9 2 8]

The joys of been a townie

[red bellied]

They also should have their sandwiches and flasks confisicated before they enter the Showgrounds.

[gustavo]

Oh Jaysus Christ, you are actually saying i love my county. I cant speak for all of our fans but i can speak for me and my mates and tell you that i have no affinity and no loyalty to my county. it has nothing to do with me and the people who reside in it have nothing to do with me. and above all i am far from in love with it or them. I am from sligo town not out in the boglands, in my opinion a person from rural county sligo has more in common with a person from mayo than with people from sligo town. The closest thing it can be described as is all the 'culchies' that head up to dublin for the sales and the general annoyance with which dubs look on these 'outsiders'. that is how i look on people from outside sligo town, especially with people from sligo county who take half an hour before they make that dive onto the rampaging escalator in Quayside, or when they get to the top of the que in tesco and count out all their ****ing coppers as 10 people wait behind them in the que, or how the bog men spill there pints all over you with their big fat fingered farmer hands.


Ha ha thats funny , the way you are talking you would swear you are living in Manhattan or LA , not a small provincial town like Sligo. By the to any Dubliner you are one of those culchies.

Sligo Rovers has always been representative of the county and surrounding regions. There wouldnt be much of a club if just people living in the town attended games.

[Paddyfield]

A friend of mine used to go to Terryland and I went with him a few times. We would never really watch the match. I was one of those kids who ran around the place drinking Fanta and then kicking the empty can around the place.

Then I really became really interested when Galway United got to the 1985 FAI Cup semi final versus Limerick City. The first leg was a draw in Tolka and the replay was held in Athlone. I asked my mother if I could go and she said to ask my Dad and he said to ask her so after a process of elimination, I got the half day of school and I was on a train with my mates to St Mel's for the all-or-nothing replay.

John Mannion scored the winner after extra time and I was truly hooked.

[derrymac]

Went to the first match in the LOI in 1985 when i was 12.. Home Farm in the league Cup. Went to all the matches for a few years then moved away to college in Britain.. now back and living in Dublin so make more away games than home games.
Before that it was Liverpool on tv cos there was no local team to support

[Soper]

A bit off topic, but I miss going to see my team play so much that when I go back to university again in a few years, I'm tempted to move back.

[Terry]

My Dad and Uncle brought me to my first match in terryland in 1986 against Derry City and Ive had the bug ever since. Would also be a Man Utd fan, since all of my family (bar me) were born there and we still go back as often as possible even though every year that gets less and less.

[kdjaC]

A bit off topic, but I miss going to see my team play so much that when I go back to university again in a few years, I'm tempted to move back.

Missus wants to move outside Dublin, 1st thing i thought off " **** that travel to pats games" so we ehh not moving ever. btw this not moving thing costing me a few hundred grand.

Dedication :D


kdjac

[dfx-]

Missus wants to move outside Dublin, 1st thing i thought off " **** that travel to pats games" so we ehh not moving ever. btw this not moving thing costing me a few hundred grand.

Dedication :D


and possibly a missus as well?:D

I support Rovers for a very simple reason and that is there is no other club worthy of supporting.

[Billy Lord]

Brought to Rovers from infancy, although I was about ten before I felt a true affinity. When I was a kid, going to Rovers was the thing to do, there was a lot of glamour associated with the club back then (big European games, a huge media interest, we had Mick Leech and Frank O'Neill, who were superstars).
I'm one of those football whores who supports loads of clubs (Man U, Roma, Hammarby, St Johnstone - and that's just for starters), but nothing matches the passion and pride I feel for Rovers, and every other experience pales. I genuinely feel that we have the greatest fan experience in the world; there's never a dull moment and it's truly ours now that we own the club. It's a genuine community, and we truly love our club. I pity those who don't understand, and that sense of belonging is very satisfying.
Quite simply, Rovers is greater than the sum of its parts and that's a wonderful feeling.

[Réiteoir]

My father was/is a Bohs fan, and so was his father

So I had no real choice in the matter - although I would have gravitated to them anyway if left to my own devices.

As others have said here - the sense of being a part of something, of a community, the pluralist, institution ethos - is good enough for me

[Kildare Lad]

and possibly a missus as well?:D


Hahaha,

We could write a book on this thread, it would jerk a few tears....

[pete]

Cork City have attracted supporters from neighbouring counties such as Kerry in recent times. In fact some are fairly prominent in the club now...

[CharlesThompson]

Grandad. Dad. Now me.

I live in Leixlip which is a fair bit out from Dalyer. My missus was talking about moving a little bit further out so we could have a tiny mortgage or even no mortgage. If I did, it'd be a disaster for getting to and from matches. So Bohs, I have a ****ing huge mortgage because of YOU!!!!!

[sonofstan]

Grandad. Dad. Now me.

I live in Leixlip which is a fair bit out from Dalyer. My missus was talking about moving a little bit further out so we could have a tiny mortgage or even no mortgage. If I did, it'd be a disaster for getting to and from matches. So Bohs, I have a ****ing huge mortgage because of YOU!!!!!

Well, I've got no mortgage now, and I'm 5 mins from Dalyer - but the club is going to move away from me! 'snot fair....

[sligoman]

I've been going since I was at least 6 years old. Took a break. Then been going to every home game since 1998 or so. Was a "big" Man Utd fan but now it's just not the same as supporting yer local team, LIVE. Still watch their games if it was on but just not as big into them as I used to.

[YankExile]

LOL, I can definitely say there is no LOI club near me... not within a few thousand km! For most of my life, I had little or no interest in the game. Then I began spending time on the internet with people from other countries, and it started to sound interesting. But I had no American team locally, no MLS club anywhere close to me (at least till Toronto starts up), and I saw no real reason to attach myself to any of the big clubs in Europe. Sure, they're strong clubs, but the emotional connection wasn't there. Then one day, I began thinking of my Irish ancestry and being able to trace my roots back to Cork, and I wondered if there was a club in Cork, and what the league in the Republic was like.

Since then, I've been hooked. The FAI and the eL may be ****e (after discovering this board, and reading the posts, I figure they probably are), but I still feel more attached to them than any more powerful league anyway.

[GuisaSaigon]

My uncle used to go to all the games back in the 80's he used to bring half the town in to Terryland in the back of an old VW van.
He brought me to my first game when i was 9, a friendly Vs Celtic in 86. We lost 2-0 but I was hooked.It appealed to me much more than GAA. after a while my uncle stopped going and i would scab lifts or hitch 12 miles to Terryland, nothing would stop me getting my football fix.
I support Galway United because they are my local team. I've never been to Liverpool or Manchester and i wouldnt see the sense in supporting them even if I had visited those cities. I watch English football on tv but nothing compares to having a few beers and going to Terryland for a game.
It's not just the football that keeps me going to games It's got as much to do with the characters on the terraces and the craic in the pubs as what goes on on the pitch.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Ok I lived near Tolka Park for the first three years of my life, and though Grandad was a Drums fan didn't get to a game to my knowledge. Then we emigrated to Canada. While in Canada I got to know some Italians in my class in school. Alberto invited me to his home to see some sport highlights one Weekend. There was a soccer (they call it that in North America you see )game Italy were playing in the Mexico hosted World Cup 1970. I think it was the semi-final they beat West Germany 4-3. Next week I went back to see the highlights of the final , they lost 4-1 to Brazil. I have loved soccer ever since and Italian soccer particularly.

The next year we came back to Ireland. One of the classmates got me interested in Leeds United, fortunately we had a teacher who was a Waterford supporter and they were League Champions when I was in 4th and 5th class with him as teacher. He taught me to play football and because of him we all looked out for LOI results on Sunday evenings and slagged him on rare occasions that his beloved Blues got beaten . Anyway when I was 10 a neighbour brought me to Tolka Park to see Shelbourne play Finn Harps in a League game. Brendan Bradley played for Harps who won 2-1 that day. Over the years I went to an average of one game involving a LOI club per year, and got to see Bohs at Home , Rovers at home and Home Farm at home . On one summer holiday even saw Sligo Rovers play a pre-season friendly.

I got into UCD the year we joined the League of Ireland, and one of my friends was on the committee. And though I was introduced by him to a few of the players who were fellow students did not go till the following season. Vancouver Whitecaps featuring several ex Leeds players from the 1970's played in Belfield Park in March 1981. UCD held them to a 1-1 draw and that was the beginning of it. I have been a UCD fan ever since.
I suppose the club winning the Cup and playing in Europe early on during my support may have helped the process, I know my friend's brother joining the club on scholarship in 1985 certainly would have been the catalyst otherwise.
I live on the Northside some 15 miles from the stadium but UCD have become my club in a way that probably no other club could have. In one of my early visits to Belfield Park I was asked to help out manning a turnstile, since then I have sold half-time draw tickets, club replica shirts, keyrings, scarves, hats, programmes, fanzines, refreshments on behalf of the club.
I have also written for and edited the programme, written for the fanzine, and done the public address. I also served on a fund raising committee for two years.

However unlike very many other fans posting here other EL clubs are important to me to after all without them we'd have nobody to play against :)!
I have also supported other EL clubs playing in Europe over the years; Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians, St.Patrick's Athletic, Bray Wanderers, Dundalk and Cork City as well as UCD on two occasions. Because when other EL clubs succeed in Europe in year 1 it might make it easier to advance in Europe for EL clubs in year 2, which might include my own. I call it constructive self interest.

To me there is only one MUFC that matters and that's MONAGHAN United .
The only Hooped team that count are Shamrock Rovers and Sligo mean more to me than Blackburn Rovers and Drogheda United mean more to me than Dundee United. Dundalk mean more than Derby County... you get the picture ;)

And of course this year we should all free the Limerick 37 :D

[micls]

Total blow-in.
After a lifetime of passing by Dalymount Park (apart from one brilliant Bob Marley gig) I discovered Bohs when, er, 'we' played Bate Borisov in 2003. It was unforgettable, surpassing anything I had seen in internationals (:mad: ) or at EPL.
I am being perfectly honest when I say that I feel genuinely sorry for anyone who, like me in those wilderness years, doesn't follow Bohs.

Very similar story to mine. Despite living in Cork City knew very little of City when I was younger, then started going out with a ciy fanatic. Finally managed to drag me to the home game against Malmo and that was it....I was hooked. Love every minute of it now and couldnt imagine going back to just watching football on tv.

Just a case of love at first sight, the passion, the fact that it was my local team everything about the experience.

I too feel sorry for those who can live without it

[Tis-smeee]

Dad brought me to my first game in kilcohan then it turned into a vicious cycle and im still going the madness of it

[ollie]

Cork city are the nearest team to me.My dad brought me to the first game back in Turners Cross against St.Pats.been going since when i can.

[Neish]

Well my father is from Galway and a big hurling man so I was never really into football untill the 1990 World Cup. I was 10 at the time and all the hype of following my nation in a world wide tounament made me fall in love with the game. I started watching a few games on the telly then but the next one I really remember was the Cup Winers cup final of 90/91 Man U vs Barcelona, when United won I decicded to start folowing them and have been since.

About a year later my cousin took me to watch a Celtic Vs Rangers game in a celtic supporters bar I think Rangers won but being young and impressionable I was impressed with all the gren and white and the tri-colours and I've been following Celtic since.

However in 1993 I went to my 1st Finn Harps game a friendly against Bradford(I think) the following season I attended quite a few Harps games and quickly realised that despite the fact I still loved watching Man U and Celtic there was nothing quite like following you home town team.

I've been a Harps supporter ever since that nearly 14 years now Now I describe myself as a fan of Man U and Celtic but a Finn Harps supporter



Or as Frank Skinner said

"Only one thing should matter when your choosing which team to follow, Geography"

[khoop]

I used to follow Bohs, but I changed to Rovers because green and white hoops are much sexier than red and black stripes.

[Jamjar]

Limerick fan from Limerick, Cork fan from Cork, Sligo fan from Sligo, Derry fan from Derry, Kildare fan from Kildare, Galway fan from Galway. ;) Seriously though, there's a big difference there. If I really loved my county like most country folk do and there was one big team basically representing that county of course I'm going to support them playing the sport I love.

Isn't that the whole point.....before english football got so overhyped Anfield, Old Trafford, Highbury etc. would have been full of supporters from the respective localities.
I've supported Rovers since I was 9 or 10 when my friends dad used to bring us to Glenmalure pk.

[Poor Student]

"Only one thing should matter when your choosing which team to follow, Geography"

That's rubbish. Where do you draw the line? I live up the road from a LSL club and I live a tenth of a mile closer to Richmond Pk. How many people in England live closer to a Conference league, Ryman league or even lower level and forsake them for a bigger club? You support whoever feels right for you.

[dcfcsteve]

Started supporting Derry when I was 13 because, errr - I'm from Derry...!

We'd just joined the League of Ireland, and literally every male in the town with even a vague interest in sport followed the club. Ireland will never see anything like it again.

22 years later, and having lived in numerous parts of the world, one of the few constants in my life has been being a Derry City supporter.

City 'til I die...! :ball:

[floatinghoop]

Geography is what made me a Rovers fan, mostly-- for southsiders of a certain age (i.e. before Bray made it to the big time) it was the logical choice.

Also knew Peter Farrell's brother to say hello to, and my dad used to kick a ball around with the great man himself when they were kids, so I suppose that counted for something also.

There is a thread on the SRFC board about the best pubs in Dublin, and I suppose I am saying that I agree with the poster there that the best pub in Dublin is your local.