Irish UK Club Football Bangwagon Jumpers -Irish Footballs Number 1 enemy [Archive]

dcfcsteve

13/04/2007, 9:09 AM

Quinn is doing what's best for Sunderland. That is his job/role.

He owes nothing to the Eircom league - a league where he didn't even play himself at any stage in his career.

If the EL was well supported and Sunderland were everyone's favourite second team - a bit like Barcelona etc would be for many football fans - then no-one would give a toss about this. It's not his fault that Irish clubs haven't persuaded anyone that they should support the domestic product.

The best way to stop things like this happening is for the ridiculous imbalance in support levels between Irish and English/Scottish clubs to be addressed. Does Niall Quinn have any responsibility, let alone genuine ability, for this to happen ? No.

MyTown

13/04/2007, 9:42 AM

The best way to stop things like this happening is for the ridiculous imbalance in support levels between Irish and English/Scottish clubs to be addressed.

Steve, You're a bit shy on suggestions here about how your big idea nmight get off the ground.

When the Irish Times did a big feature on Sunderland's 'Green' revolution. I wrote the following to them:

Your coverage of the ‘greening’ of Sunderland Football Club (‘Sunderland Revolution’ by Mary Hannigan, IT, 19/09/2006, p25) brings into sharp focus support for domestic football in Ireland. Charlie Chawke bubbled with enthusiasm at the prospect of Sunderland supporters clubs springing up all over Ireland and flying to Wearside every other weekend to cheer on the Black Cats.

If only a similar group of Irish businessmen could be found to support their local clubs and invest their largesse in their local economies. I doubt the new owners of Sunderland ever heard of Thurles Town, Newcastlewest, St. James’s Gate, St. Francis and more recently Dublin City football clubs. I wonder if they ever met their creditors or the few volunteers who tried to keep those clubs alive in their local communities, often at great personal cost?

The football community of Sunderland deserves success. They are traditional and loyal football lovers who have stuck with their club through thick and thin. I genuinely hope they are enjoying the buzz created by the Quinn-led take over and the arrival of Roy Keane.

The Sunderland manager would not have to worry about a prawn sandwich brigade if he ever chose to take up a similar challenge in his native land. (His past criticism of well heeled soccer supporters is profoundly hypocritical in light of the millions he will “earn” from his stint in the north east of England).

I think it highly unlikely that the scenario suggested by Sunderland’s co-owners of ‘plane loads of Sunderland fans jetting out from places like Galway will ever come to pass.

I just wish the investors money had stayed in Ireland and that support for football in Ireland could be seen as a worthwhile, if long term project. Football is played and enjoyed by thousands in this country. It has the potential to be life giving, health giving, can foster community and offer a focal point to many.

I ask the business community not to send their money abroad. Support your local team. Be guaranteed Irish and guarantee the future of Irish football.

The Irish Times was not impressed with my plea as they ignored it.

The Sunderland tie up with BoyleSports highlights how the need for sponsorship is not affected by borders. Wasn't Boylesports started in Armagh?

As you pointed out yourself, Quinnys responsibilities now are to his investors, and unsurprisingly, since many of them are Irish based, he's continuing to look in this direction for future funding.

Jerry The Saint

13/04/2007, 10:14 AM

If only a similar group of Irish businessmen could be found to support their local clubs and invest their largesse in their local economies. I doubt the new owners of Sunderland ever heard of Thurles Town, Newcastlewest, St. James’s Gate, St. Francis and more recently Dublin City football clubs. I wonder if they ever met their creditors or the few volunteers who tried to keep those clubs alive in their local communities, often at great personal cost?

No offence, but I'm not surprised the Irish Times ignored your letter. Quinn was actually one of the few supporters of Thurles Town in his youth and travelled all over the country to watch them. Maybe if they hadn't gone t*ts-up he would have poured his money into them:confused: I could see why he might be a bit disillusioned with the game here.

Honestly though, I don't think he ever even considered investing in a club here (beyond his 400 Club membership). He has written about how he admires clubs like Shamrock and Pats but, like most people who follow football in this country, he would prefer to make English clubs Irish than to make Irish clubs better. The last time this was tried it was a spectacular failure but not even Mother Teresa would be generous enough to give Roddy Collins a job at this stage.

The Kelleher deal with Pats, and Wallace fronting up in Wexford, could be a big step for the league if successful.

Pablo

13/04/2007, 10:16 AM

Its the very diliberate tie up with Umbro Ireland as opposed to Umbro UK that i am worried about. Sounds like they are gonna flood the market to me on the back of the Keane factor.

Steve Bruce

13/04/2007, 10:45 AM

The ambition is to make Sunderland the biggest Irish supported English club.

Whether this happens or not I don't know, but I think that Sunderland will soon be a major player in the Irish Market.

CharlesThompson

13/04/2007, 10:45 AM

superfrank

13/04/2007, 10:51 AM

I say fair play to Niall Quinn as a buisnessman, he's been very clever. He's recognised a lot of Irish people like English football so he's trying to develop an Irish brand over there to appeal to these Irish people even more. He can't be blamed for what's wrong with our league. That's ridiculous.

As for the deal with Umbro Ireland, surely the Umbro owners had a say in it too?

BohDiddley

13/04/2007, 11:22 AM

shelbourne1904

13/04/2007, 11:30 AM

I think everyone is missing the point.Niall Quinn is in business so he has to look after his business interests in the UK.

But what about Boyle Sports??Part of their business is in Ireland .The money they make comes from Ireland but........

they are spending their money in England on an English club!!!

Clear the smokescreen here and anyone who spends money in Boyles should asked why they are doing this??????????????

Mr A

13/04/2007, 11:38 AM

Clear the smokescreen here and anyone who spends money in Boyles should asked why they are doing this??????????????

They're doing this because Sunderland are getting a hell of a lot of coverage and interest in the Irish media. So spending the money there will have major benefits for them here. Sad but true.

Kildare Lad

13/04/2007, 11:39 AM

I dont know if this has been mentioned yet, but theres a rumour that Sunderland are opening club shops in Cork and Dublin?!?

But I dont think he is doing any harm to the League Of Ireland.

OneRedArmy

13/04/2007, 11:41 AM

He's playing on our nation's propensity to jump on whatever new fangled bandwagon is rolling through town and newly enriched we have lots of spare cash to spend on whatever this weeks "new thing" is.

I suspect he's not so stupid to believe it will be anything other than transitory, as we don't do commitment, but who can blame him for making hay when the sun shines.

Its the Irish pysche that needs to change, not Quinn's actions.

Steve Bruce

13/04/2007, 11:43 AM

There's nothing 'wrong', immoral or illegal about Quinn selling Sunderland to Irish supporters. Quinn is a good businessman, in that he clearly is effective at putting a plan together to maximise his and his mates' returns out of football.

It's just rather pathetic that many among us, led by a massive PR campaign aimed at Mary Hannigan etc., will buy into this charade that sees support, investment, merchandising and now sponsorship money flowing out of Ireland.

Sunderland are about as 'Irish' as clogs and morris dancers. If the SundIreland project succeeds, as it probably will, it will merely confirm our status as a nation of football dopes.

A bit like Celtic then?

I'm not stiring but it is a fact that Irish people North and South of the border would rather support a team from a different country who has an Irish or Ulster background.

You have Celtic who promote an Irish background and you have the majority of the Irish footballing public who support them to.

In Northern Ireland you the same on the nationalist side. But on the unionist side you have the Rangers supporters because Glasgow Rangers promote a Ulster Unionist British ethos.

Personally I'm no fan of either of the Old Firm, Im a Linfield man and a United man(lived 10 mins from Old Trafford when I was a boy for 9 years)

Sunderland will become a sizeable English club with an Irish Support, whether it becomes an institution like Celtic or Rangers, I remain very doubtfull. But then our footballing public on this Island are very fickle.

Stuttgart88

13/04/2007, 11:59 AM

I was dismayed that Irish new-money found its way into English football, presumably just as a trophy investment as realistically the chances of a return are small. In fact, if they get promoted they'll find the financial demands very tough. It's such a shame that owning an eL club isn't considered an asset to boast about.

In fairness to Charlie Chawke he did actually sponsor my old Leinster Senior team. Then again, he got it all back very quickly as our pitch was very near The Goat and we were there after every match and had meetings / AGMs etc. there!

BohDiddley

13/04/2007, 11:59 AM

A lot like Celtic -- or Celtic wannabes.

superfrank

13/04/2007, 12:05 PM

But what about Boyle Sports??Part of their business is in Ireland .The money they make comes from Ireland but........

they are spending their money in England on an English club!!!

Clear the smokescreen here and anyone who spends money in Boyles should asked why they are doing this??????????????
I'd imagine they do a lot of business on British football. The fact is el supporters are a minority of the football supporters on this island. The others support British teams and that's where a lot of these bookmakers get their money from.

Another question should be if Paddy Powers are now sponsoring Pats, how much is that worth to Pats? I guarantee it's no where near as much as Boylesports forked out for Sunderland.

Poor Student

13/04/2007, 12:08 PM

Anyone know what the attitude of North East England Sunderland fans are about the "greeing" up of their club? I assume given the rollercoaster ride they're on at the moment they don't really care?

Paraic

13/04/2007, 12:15 PM

I don't think that this is a trophy invetment by a long shot. The Magners etc of this world have shown that there is serious money to be made with the right investment (admittedly very few and far between though) in the English game, which simply isn't the case in the ELOI.

Quinn and Co is being very smart and there's no doubt that Sunderland are following the Celtic model in terms of raising the profile / support with the knock on effect that has. It's a natural enough thing for them to do - they're exploiting a market that's ripe for exploiting and until there's a real alternative domestically that's going to happen.

Boylesports
again, looks like a smart bit of business, they're not doing it for the Irish market, although, it will undoubtedly have a benefit, Boylesport are looking to make serious inroads in the UK with on-line poker betting etc. And what better way to do it than to with a team who, at the current rate of going will have serious exposure in the coming years. What odds that the shirt deal is performance based? Im not sure how €15m is in comparison to other shirt deals in the Premiership, but it does'nt seem like massive money if it is performance based.

Umbro
did a quick google and could only see references to Umbor UK in the few press releases that I saw. subject to correction on that one, and I don't know the corporate structure but I couldn't see umbro ireland recoup any significant investment on shirt sales in Ireland unless the deal was funded from the UK parent company.

Erstwhile Bóz

13/04/2007, 12:19 PM

In Northern Ireland you the same on the nationalist side. But on the unionist side you have the Rangers supporters because Glasgow Rangers promote a Ulster Unionist British ethos.

Jesus, you can say the word "Protestant" if you want to, you know; we're all grown up. ;)

A face

13/04/2007, 12:26 PM

Rocky

13/04/2007, 12:42 PM

This has all the potential of a potatoe eating dwarf signing for Barcelona as their centre forward as it has as being a long term Irish support winner for Sunderland and Niall Quinn. His 'greening' of Sunderland will fall flat on its face when Roy Keane ups sticks and takes over from Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and Terry Butcher takes the reigns at Weirside.

Didn't Leeds have loads of support here a few years back with O'Leary and all the Irish players!? What makes this so much different? The fact the owners are Irish too? I cant see it being successful long term.

CharlesThompson

13/04/2007, 1:01 PM

Didn't Leeds have loads of support here a few years back with O'Leary and all the Irish players!? What makes this so much different? The fact the owners are Irish too? I cant see it being successful long term.

Well I suppose Leeds have historically a reasonable base of Irish fans (I will refuse to call them supporters from here on in), and to be honest if the new David O'Learyites are still around the're very quiet.

No matter what happens, Irish EPL football fans are more likely to be swayed by success than anything else. If and when Sunderland get promoted, I have no doubt they can do 'well', but when it comes to winning trophy's they have an Everest to climb to compete with Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. The new Sunderland 'fans' will get bored in a few years and Sunderland will become their a team they like and then slink off back to their normality.

MyTown

13/04/2007, 1:10 PM

No offence, but I'm not surprised the Irish Times ignored your letter. Quinn was actually one of the few supporters of Thurles Town in his youth and travelled all over the country to watch them.

Fair cop JTS. I wasn't aware Quinny had followed Thurles Town around the country, so I definitely stand corrected on that.

However, I stand by the main emphasis of that point, which is that NQ is only ONE of a number of co-owners of Sunderland, and I'm guessing he is the only one who hitched his wagon to an Eircom League team in the past.

padraicoc

13/04/2007, 1:15 PM

Boylesports
again, looks like a smart bit of business, they're not doing it for the Irish market, although, it will undoubtedly have a benefit, Boylesport are looking to make serious inroads in the UK with on-line poker betting etc. And what better way to do it than to with a team who, at the current rate of going will have serious exposure in the coming years. What odds that the shirt deal is performance based? Im not sure how €15m is in comparison to other shirt deals in the Premiership, but it does'nt seem like massive money if it is performance based.

This is smart business, at the end of the day when boyle sports make a profit on their investment in the uk they'll bring that profit home to armagh(UK, but that's a different argument) in Ireland.

(I am assuming boyle sports are from armagh from a post above!)

Umbro
did a quick google and could only see references to Umbor UK in the few press releases that I saw. subject to correction on that one, and I don't know the corporate structure but I couldn't see umbro ireland recoup any significant investment on shirt sales in Ireland unless the deal was funded from the UK parent company.

I assume Umbro Ireland are fully owned by Umbro "global" and that the profits are going there anyways, or a loss would be forked out for by the head office, and the same would happen if UMBRO UK sponsored same, but if umbro Ireland are sponsoring this and make profit in ireland off the back of it then maybe there will be more jobs at umbro ireland, taxes gained and employment gained in ireland etc.

What I am saying is Umbro is umbro don't matter what country they are based in the profits go home...

superfrank

13/04/2007, 3:55 PM

Jeeze, i'm suprised to hear you say that Frank :eek:
I'll take that as a compliment.

pete

13/04/2007, 4:12 PM

Quinn previously tried to arrange flight from Cork-Sunderland but was cancelled due to lack of interest. Of course now they on the brink of promotion might have more interest. I can't wait to see oirish folks with Sunderland jerseys so I can study up on Sunderland & ask them questions about the team of 2005 to which they will clearly be clueless.

I know the bandwagon is nothing new but surely Sunderland really does take the biscuit.

Why was there not the same interest when Mick McCarthy got them promoted on a shoestring budget?

:rolleyes:

Tazskool

13/04/2007, 4:20 PM

Marketing sums it all up... He is looking for someone close to home and somewhere untouched by Sunderland and using the fact he has Irish sponsors and Irish manager who is world known to bring money into the club by selling merchandise in Ireland..

Its business.. cant knock a guy for wanting to make money and keep the club afloat..

Would you say the same if your teams shirts suddenly were being sold in England and your club had English sponsorship?

Gareth

13/04/2007, 5:08 PM

Irish people supporting English sides is nothing new. Any fans we have are unlikely to move to being Sunderland weekly visitors, and anyone that does go over, well why haven't we attracted them before now. Quinn has the right to do what he wants. He has no reason to promote Irish soccer, and unless he says he cares deeply for it and we can label him a hypocrite etc, then he's just another businessman tapping a market. He just happens to be Irish.

We have to stop this sulking child approach to our game. Niall Quinn wants bums on seats in Sunderland and sees Ireland as a potential market. We have to compete with that, not sulk and go but but but he is Irish, he should invest in our league. He didn't so what are we going to do about it. I know moaning about it wont convert any fans.

eirebhoy

13/04/2007, 5:49 PM

A bit like Celtic then?
Celtic are signing an Aussie in the summer and are all over the MLS looking for players which will mean they'll have a player from every continent in the first team squad. With Nakamura signing they're trying to make as much as possible. They've made a Japanese version of the official site, will play a friendly there every summer and are planning on opening a Celtic shop in Tokyo. Football is a business.

Niall

13/04/2007, 6:50 PM

Look this is embarrissing but we are a re a very insecure nation so we have to deal with this. Bottom line a few years back Peter Reid was touted as the next english manager - and Now ? Keane will go the same way. The fickle Irish obsession with Sunderland will pass and bland normallity will prevail.

The Man Himself

13/04/2007, 7:10 PM

The ambition is to make Sunderland the biggest Irish supported English club.

Whether this happens or not I don't know, but I think that Sunderland will soon be a major player in the Irish Market.

not a hope, united, Liverpool and celtic have the irish market wrapped up,
no room for sunderland here.

superfrank

13/04/2007, 10:02 PM

Why was there not the same interest when Mick McCarthy got them promoted on a shoestring budget?

:rolleyes:
Cos he's not Irish-Irish. Niall Quinn and Roy Keane are two local lads.

Billy Lord

13/04/2007, 11:29 PM

The kind of people who are being sucked in by the Sunderland hype will never support an Irish club so they are irrelevant. We need to focus on those who have a slight affinity to local clubs, who might go to the odd game, and make them more open to the notion of coming to games more often.
The LOI has nothing to offer daytrippers, unless they're English football fans on a weekend away looking for a reminder of how it used to be before the plastic seats and plastic people took over and ruined their game.
I've met loads of Brits who think the LOI is great because they can stand at games here and even switch ends at half-time.

bohsRap

14/04/2007, 3:00 AM

I think everyone is missing the point.Niall Quinn is in business so he has to look after his business interests in the UK.

they are spending their money in England on an English club!!!

Like it or not, Niall Quinn is doing a terrible dis-service to LOI and for that he should be ashamed. Everyone is swept up by his idea. No congratulations is due to either Keane nor Quinn as they are both limiting the league's expansion by promoting a british club. If they or the sunderland investors put half the money they are investing, into a Irish club we would see real progress. Makes me sick!

Gaillimh Al

14/04/2007, 7:14 AM

This has all the potential of a potatoe eating dwarf signing for Barcelona as their centre forward

Lionel Messi would have been a dwarf only for they had him on growth hormones at an early age and I'm sure he likes an oul spud.

Gareth

14/04/2007, 8:51 AM

Soper

14/04/2007, 10:38 AM

I cannot see how anyone can be defending Quinn or the 'Drumaville(sp?)' consortium over this. However saying that, Scottish club managers are Irish footballs no.1 enemy at the moment, in my eyes, because they are trying to get players on the cheap. This is far more detrimental to our clubs and league.

This is worse than Lurch, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the others North Eastern play thing.

bohsRap

14/04/2007, 11:17 AM

Billy Lord is the only post in the last number that I would agree with. I wish people would stop looking and moaning at this. Negitively rarely attracts fans to games. Niall Quinn and Roy Keane are not ruining Irish football. Will ye listen to yourselves. Its more about us marketing our league cleverly. Maybe we should take a leaf out of their books and implement smart marketing campaigns rather than saying sniff sniff quinny stole our game?

As Irish people you would think they could show a little interest, in the game the love so much, at home, not just the odd friendly. Instead they are taking fans away from the league with massive marketing that is very hard to compete with when budgets are so small for all LOI clubs.

How do you know they won't ruin Irish football. They'll definetly have a negative impact on the game here, attracting potential customers away from our league!

osarusan

14/04/2007, 3:14 PM

The LOI has nothing to offer daytrippers, unless they're English football fans on a weekend away looking for a reminder of how it used to be before the plastic seats and plastic people took over and ruined their game.

How very bitter you must be.

sullanefc

14/04/2007, 4:37 PM

I've met loads of Brits who think the LOI is great because they can stand at games here and even switch ends at half-time.

I'd agree that Niall Quinn is no friend of Irish football but there is no point in griping about it I think. Let the half wits go on their trips to Sunderland/Bandwagon F.C.

Billy Lord's quote above says to me that Irish clubs should be promoting LOI football in the UK. I'm sure there are plenty of football fans over there would love a live game of football in their off-season.

Why not get in with Bord Failte and advertise a weeks summer holiday in Ireland and take in a LOI match as well.

Might work??

zinedineontour

15/04/2007, 8:32 AM

how bitter some people on here are . Quinn has had an excellent career for Ireland and as such should be regarded in a high manner. He spent the best days of his footballing career at Sunderland and obviously feels a great sense of passion and warmth towards the club and its fans. He has changed the club around and brought passion back into the area which is great to see. Why the **** he would want to pump money back into the LOI when so many of its fans are so bitter about english football and if you dont support your local loi club your not worthy .. Grow up and realise that Quinn is a decent man who is putting money back into the club and people who gave him the best years of his career..

zinedineontour

15/04/2007, 8:37 AM

As Irish people you would think they could show a little interest, in the game the love so much, at home, not just the odd friendly. Instead they are taking fans away from the league with massive marketing that is very hard to compete with when budgets are so small for all LOI clubs.

How do you know they won't ruin Irish football. They'll definetly have a negative impact on the game here, attracting potential customers away from our league!

I dont think its Niall Quinn and Sunderland attracting potential customers away from the league it seems to be the attitude of the "fans " of the LOI that will keep people away. The attitudes of some on here sum it all up.

Gareth

15/04/2007, 8:57 AM

I think the point ringing out is we have to market our own league properly and improve the venues, spectacle etc if you want to get the kind of fans in that people mentioned here. Niall Quinn didn't stop us doing that.

Terry

15/04/2007, 9:10 AM

His 'greening' of Sunderland will fall flat on its face when Roy Keane ups sticks and takes over from Alex Ferguson at Manchester United .

exactly what I was going to say !

galwayhoop

15/04/2007, 9:37 AM

I assume Umbro Ireland are fully owned by Umbro "global" and that the profits are going there anyways, or a loss would be forked out for by the head office, and the same would happen if UMBRO UK sponsored same, but if umbro Ireland are sponsoring this and make profit in ireland off the back of it then maybe there will be more jobs at umbro ireland, taxes gained and employment gained in ireland etc.

What I am saying is Umbro is umbro don't matter what country they are based in the profits go home...

don't think so padraic, umbro sold franchises to individual countries. john courtney bought the irish franchise - don't know if he still has it though - and they make their own sponsorship deals etc. and pay either a yearly percentage of profits or a set fee to the parent company.

galwayhoop

15/04/2007, 10:04 AM

Like it or not, Niall Quinn is doing a terrible dis-service to LOI and for that he should be ashamed. Everyone is swept up by his idea. No congratulations is due to either Keane nor Quinn as they are both limiting the league's expansion by promoting a british club. If they or the sunderland investors put half the money they are investing, into a Irish club we would see real progress. Makes me sick!

come off it. both of these men made their careers in the english professional game. quinn is the puppet head of the consortium who took over a club with massive potential - big ground & very loyal local following but struggling financially and in an artifically poor league position. roy keane has moved into the next stage of his professional football career i.e management.

like it or lump it but neither could fulfill their their career aims with an irish eL side so why should they not try it with a large professional club in the country that both of them have raised their families and spent the vast majority of their own lives? what do you want them to say - ah no thanks lads but i'm going to work for athlone town and promote the game in the country of my birth!

the attitude of some eL fans on this site is ridiculous. they give out about the 'daytrippers'/'ole olers' at ireland games, they give out about people supporting british clubs, they give out about not wanting these people goin to eL games anyway, claim to be the only 'real' fans in the country, reckon that keane and quinn are ruining the local game.....etc etc. on and on and on.... the moral high ground taken by some on here is crazy, just because you go the your local ground (as i do) does not give you a monopoly on being a 'real' fan.

and the attitude expressed earlier about money going out of the country into a foreign economy is similar to the attitude of dev and the earlier governments! keep irish, be irish, buy irish, move on lads that attitude was outdated 60 years ago, we live in a multi-national society. a global economy, a global society, foreign investment, multi-national companies.....

the faults of the eL do not lie at quinns, keanes or charlie chawkes doors. they are all either furthering their carrers or trying to make a few pounds. they are not revolutionaries who should single handidly try and promote the eL and bring it to another level. and why should they? hopefully this 'revolutionary' figure, who is willing to pour money blindly into a club, will come someday but until then why are we engaging in our favourite pass time of knocking everyone else???

monutdfc

15/04/2007, 10:37 AM

I don't really care one way or the other about Niall Quinn/Roy Keane/Sunderland FC - except to the extent that Roy Keane could, possibly, perhaps, one day make a very good Ireland manager.

But what does annoy me a little bit is the massive exposure they get in the Irish media. RTE will give one Championship result - the Sunderland one. The Times or Independent will give one Championship match report - The Sunderland one. You could say it's the Irish link, but Wolves have an Irish manager and as many Irish players as Sunderland.
And of course Bohs, Shels, Pats, Mons etc etc all have Irish managers and more Irish players than either!

BohDiddley

15/04/2007, 11:21 AM

and the attitude expressed earlier about money going out of the country into a foreign economy is similar to the attitude of dev and the earlier governments! keep irish, be irish, buy irish, move on lads that attitude was outdated 60 years ago, we live in a multi-national society. a global economy, a global society, foreign investment, multi-national companies.....

the faults of the eL do not lie at quinns, keanes or charlie chawkes doors. they are all either furthering their carrers or trying to make a few pounds. they are not revolutionaries who should single handidly try and promote the eL and bring it to another level. and why should they? hopefully this 'revolutionary' figure, who is willing to pour money blindly into a club, will come someday but until then why are we engaging in our favourite pass time of knocking everyone else???

Mick Wallace and Garrett Kelleher might disagree, as might the combined owner-members of several clubs. It's not a question of patriotism or xenophobia. It's a matter of engagement with the sport where you live. Your reducing everything to some quack-modern version of a globalised economy is, quite frankly, depressing. If you think football is all about money, then I suggest that you take a short cut and simply follow the stock markets instead.

the attitude of some eL fans on this site is ridiculous. they give out about the 'daytrippers'/'ole olers' at ireland games, they give out about people supporting british clubs, they give out about not wanting these people goin to eL games anyway, claim to be the only 'real' fans in the country, reckon that keane and quinn are ruining the local game.....etc etc. on and on and on.... the moral high ground taken by some on here is crazy, just because you go the your local ground (as i do) does not give you a monopoly on being a 'real' fan.

You seem to be bundling a lot of stuff there that doesn't necessarily fit. Thinking that there's something off about the SundIreland project does not equate to criticising people for following British football.

What makes Quinn's venture particularly noteworthy is the sanctimonious tones that accompany it, and the attempt to sell it as somehow Irish. If he's just in it for the money, that's fine. But please spare us the saviour of football spiel and the plastic paddywhackery.

bohsRap

15/04/2007, 11:30 AM

I dont think its Niall Quinn and Sunderland attracting potential customers away from the league it seems to be the attitude of the "fans " of the LOI that will keep people away. The attitudes of some on here sum it all up.

I don't see how LOI fans could distract people from games. These "foreign loving fans" people prefer to sit and discourage development of local and Irish football. I've nothing against people showing an interest abroad but I'm not going to applaud them for it. I would like to see them show some sort of interest in the game over here instead of bashing it constantly!