Barstooler face offs?

[gustavo]

Unfortunately one of my Liverpool supporting barstooler mates, from Derry but living in Dublin, basically follows England, because Gerrard and Carragher play for them.

Makes me sick!
I remember watching last years CL final in a pub and Liverpool "fans"
laughing at the accents of Gerrard and Carragher when they were being interviewed , just struck me as strange that fans being amused at a trait that is supposed to be representative of their club

[Jinxy]

People in this country are only interested in watching the really big matches no matter the sport.

When Munster played in the Heineken final in Cardiff about 50,000 fans were supposed to have traveled, most of those would never have went to a Magners League game that season.

In GAA take away Dublin games and both finals most games have huge empty spaces. Am not a big GAA fan but decided last year to travel from Cork to watch them play Dublin in Parnell Park and a friend of mine who considers himself a huge Cork GAA fan said to me "Why did you go to watch that crap"?

I used to get six tickets in the block booking scheme but had to drop it to three cause in the 2002 qualifiers we got Holland and Portugal (everyone wanted tickets - even had strangers in the street asking me) then in the 2004 qualifiers we got Russia and Switzerland and these same lads said it wasnt worth it.

Why did you go if you aren't a big GAA fan? :confused:

[mypost]

Another barstooler bashing thread. :rolleyes:

True.

Yes, they are a pain in the arse, but so are some of us. "What part of Liverpool/Manchester/London are you from??" :rolleyes:

If I was to pick a club based on locality, I wouldn't support a LOI club, as a Junior Football team is the nearest to me. However, I've no interest in them or their football in general.

As I have stated before, people support teams based on family lineage. My da supported Rovers for years, so I continued the tradition, dfx soon followed, and other relations in the future will have no choice but to support Rovers, as that's our background, whether we live in Dublin, Dubai, or Darwin. Same goes for Liverpool in England. You don't get a choice, you support who your relations did before you. That's the way it is.

I support teams in Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. I was never in some of those countries before, but so what? If I go to any one of those teams games, I'll be made as welcome there as any local. I share the same interest as them, and their results affect me, as much as them. Big clubs are international conglomerates with fanbases stretching from America to Australia. In my experience, fans in most countries have no problem with that, only here. :rolleyes:

[Splurge]

I agree with Kev. If Dundalk FC didn't exist, there is absolutely no way that I'd go and support Drogheda (even though they were still in my county) or some other club that identified themselves as the County Louth club.


That's the way it was in wexford, when we were kids we went to Kilkenny the odd time but it didnt feel right, we also considered going to Bray, Cobh etc but that was a 2-3 hr drive in them days.

Now we have our own team and there are NO excuses for not supporting them, they play great football, they represent the whole county, it's affordable, we play on friday nights and we can watch our "other teams" from the comfort of our living rooms on sat/sun.

[eirebhoy]

Unless you support Monaghan.


I think we've all experienced the converstaion that goes along the lines of;

"So, who do you support?"
"I'm a Derry fan."
"Yeah, but which proper team do you support?
"Um...Derry City."
"Look, ok, who do you support in the Premiership?"
It's actually the same supporting Celtic. I've got to the stage where I have to say "just Celtic".

[Bluebeard]

That's the way it was in wexford, when we were kids we went to Kilkenny the odd time but it didnt feel right, we also considered going to Bray, Cobh etc but that was a 2-3 hr drive in them days.

Now we have our own team and there are NO excuses for not supporting them, they play great football, they represent the whole county, it's affordable, we play on friday nights and we can watch our "other teams" from the comfort of our living rooms on sat/sun.

Why Kilkenny?

I grew up near New Ross on the Wexford side of the border, but it was always Waterford for me, even discounting the atrocious road to Kilkenny (the road to Waterford was pretty bad then too).

Not a dig or complaint, just a question.

[holidaysong]

That's the way it was in wexford, when we were kids we went to Kilkenny the odd time but it didnt feel right, we also considered going to Bray, Cobh etc but that was a 2-3 hr drive in them days.

Now we have our own team and there are NO excuses for not supporting them, they play great football, they represent the whole county, it's affordable, we play on friday nights and we can watch our "other teams" from the comfort of our living rooms on sat/sun.

I couldn't support a 'Co. Louth team' though. It has to be more local than that for me.

[Block G Raptor]

This isn't just an Irish phenonenom (how do you spell that word ?). Wasn't there something on telly a while back showing all the Norwegians who flock to england at the weekend, and when interviewed, some of them said that the Norwegian league was crap.
The english premiership is, like it or not, the biggest league in the world right now. I work with a polish guy who goes to watch Leeds utd. I live in Gort and a lot of the Brazilians follow Arsenal (because of Gilberto I was told). Although I also saw a Brazilian in a Dublin GAA jersey which made me laugh.

I met five Norwegians in Burdocks on friday and got chatting to them when one asked me if Bohs had a club shop in the area. It turns out they had traveled over specifically for the match!

[eirebhoy]

in fact mods could you move this thread to one of the ireland forums or the celebration of mediocrity that is the junior league forum so the barstoolers on there could try and justify their "support" of english clubs
:rolleyes: Pure ignorance. What's the minimum amount of games a year your team must play for you to count as a fan?

gustavo
Kingdom
tricky_colour
Ciaran
kennedmc
irishfan86
tetsujin1979
paul_oshea
Irish_Praha
Dr. Ogba
shakermaker1982
jmurphyc
Drumcondra 69er
Stuttgart88
ifk101
drummerboy
Emmet
NeilMcD
OwlsFan
dr_peepee
galwayhoop
theworm2345
geysir
danonion
back of the net
Sligo Hornet
FarBeag
RogerMilla
youngirish
jbyrne
Noelys Guitar
carloz
Paulie
Billsthoughts
Qwerty
Greenforever
drinkfeckarse
Scram
citizenerased
Mento
livehead1

Just a few of the posters on the Ireland forum that I recognise (a quick check through recent threads). A small few of them support premiership teams that I know of.

[Splurge]

Why Kilkenny?
I grew up near New Ross on the Wexford side of the border, but it was always Waterford for me, even discounting the atrocious road to Kilkenny (the road to Waterford was pretty bad then too).
Not a dig or complaint, just a question.

I'm from north Wexford and we reckoned it was the nearest to us, probably only a marginal difference really, this was before the "new rd" aswell, i actually forgot Waterford in my original thread, dunno why but Cobh allways felt like a closer team, maybe they were higher profile in my day?

[Bottle of Tonic]

At least some LOI fans on here have a balanced opinion but not all unfortunately.

A few things strike reading this thread and others on foot.ie
For many LOI fans its all about 'local'.
They prefer it being small and a niche market.
There is a real 'anoraky' superiority complex.

I'm from rural Roscommon and been living in Scotland 7-8 years. Celtic season ticket holder this past season. Regular at games season before. Mainly barstooler with the odd trip previous to that.

I kind of follow Longford in the EL as I went to school there, have been to a couple of matches when home over the years, but can't imagine been able to support them outright or as much as some of the EL fanatics on here and their respective clubs. I'm from Roscommon not Longford. Athlone, while just over the bridge in Westmeath is like a different planet to me!

I'm probably moving back to Ireland soon, possibly Dublin, and would be interested in going to see some live football. even though I'm one of these "celtic" "fans" (seriously what's with the bitterness GZ) I would have nothing against the EL. However from reading this forum and the views of some of its fans the last year or so I really don't know if I want to go along.

I won't be local to any team, they won't be 'mine', so I won't be part of it and get the same enjoyment as the other real fans do. I'm not sure if I'd want to mix with the other fans either, especially if I revealed I was a "celtic" "fan" thus laying bare my inferiority as a football supporter. I'd probably also have to do some research on the Queens tax rates on match tickets so I wouldn't look redfaced and silly in front of some sneery real fan who happened to be born in his local clubs catchment area.

I wasn't born in any catchment area. Shame I just can't be as genuine a football supporter as some of ye. I really never knew it worked like that.

Sod it, I'll see where I end up living and try a few games at the nearest side. I'll probably just go back to watching local GAA though.

[Splurge]

I couldn't support a 'Co. Louth team' though. It has to be more local than that for me.

An enniscorthy town, Wexford town etc team would never have worked, it would have alienated the rest of us, i wouldnt have supported either even though i now live in Wx town.

[Schumi]

I'm probably moving back to Ireland soon, possibly Dublin, and would be interested in going to see some live football. even though I'm one of these "celtic" "fans" (seriously what's with the bitterness GZ) I would have nothing against the EL. However from reading this forum and the views of some of its fans the last year or so I really don't know if I want to go along.

I won't be local to any team, they won't be 'mine', so I won't be part of it and get the same enjoyment as the other real fans do. I'm not sure if I'd want to mix with the other fans either, especially if I revealed I was a "celtic" "fan" thus laying bare my inferiority as a football supporter. I'd probably also have to do some research on the Queens tax rates on match tickets so I wouldn't look redfaced and silly in front of some sneery real fan who happened to be born in his local clubs catchment area.You wouldn't get any **** for being a Celtic fan (probably best not to wear the jersey if you're going to go to Bohs games though ;)). No one (well the vast majority anyway) has any problem with people supporting teams from other countries, it's people belittling our teams that annoys people. Go to games, you'll enjoy it and meet lots of people who'll be happy you're going to their team's games.

[Bluebeard]

I'm from north Wexford and we reckoned it was the nearest to us, probably only a marginal difference really, this was before the "new rd" aswell, i actually forgot Waterford in my original thread, dunno why but Cobh allways felt like a closer team, maybe they were higher profile in my day?

COBH:eek:

It really is probably more that you would have felt like a glory hunter following the Blues in the 90s, with us regularly winning the first division, every five years or so - the silverware was just pouring into the RSC back then:o;)

[Mr A]

I once killed a barstooler with a trident.

[Réiteoir]

I met five Norwegians in Burdocks on friday and got chatting to them when one asked me if Bohs had a club shop in the area. It turns out they had traveled over specifically for the match!

Aye - there's a small hardcore of Norwegian Bohs fans in Oslo (mostly with Irish parents who moved over there).

Met up with a few in a sportsbar to watch the home leg of the Bohemians - Rosenborg Champions League game a few years back

[Réiteoir]

I once killed a barstooler with a trident.

Was there a man on fire in the vicinty of this?

[SunderlandBohs]

I remember watching last years CL final in a pub and Liverpool "fans"
laughing at the accents of Gerrard and Carragher when they were being interviewed , just struck me as strange that fans being amused at a trait that is supposed to be representative of their club
Reminds me of my brother in law. He claims to be a mad Manchester Utd fan but hates Northerners (from Enlgand) because he lived in London. He also claims that because he is a Manu fan he knows more about football than me because I support 'unsuccessful' Sunderland.Why bother travelling over to watch them knowing they'll never win the Premiership! Also gives me grief about following Bohs as well as Sunderland, saying I can't follow the two of them. (Even though he aslo follows Fulham!) And why do I watch LOI football. Cause it only full of losers & has beens.Doesn't see how I could get excited if Bohs win or be in the horros if they lose because 'It's only the poxy eircom League!'. Doesn't understand that Bohs v Rovers means more to me than Man Utd v Liverpool. Also hates the Ireland team. But he is 'The True Football Fan'. I'm just wasting me time.

[Erstwhile Bóz]

I met five Norwegians in Burdocks on friday and got chatting to them when one asked me if Bohs had a club shop in the area. It turns out they had traveled over specifically for the match!
Deadly. There was a group of five or six English lads on the 10 I got back into town. From the snatches of conversation I got, agus mé ag cúléisteacht, they were delighted with themselves for getting up and doing something and not wasting another evening of their holiday in the boozer; they were freezing their nuts off (they were wearing the de rigeur English lads gear); and they loved the bars in Dalymount. Three goals and a sending off helped, too.

Couldn't ascertain how they found out about the match, though.

[sonofstan]

A good ploy is to join in a barstooler conversation with an original and astute comment about the football they're watching - if they haven't heard someone say it on telly before you, they'll be dumbstruck......

[GavinZac]

At least some LOI fans on here have a balanced opinion but not all unfortunately.

A few things strike reading this thread and others on foot.ie
For many LOI fans its all about 'local'.
They prefer it being small and a niche market.
There is a real 'anoraky' superiority complex.

I'm from rural Roscommon and been living in Scotland 7-8 years. Celtic season ticket holder this past season. Regular at games season before. Mainly barstooler with the odd trip previous to that.

I kind of follow Longford in the EL as I went to school there, have been to a couple of matches when home over the years, but can't imagine been able to support them outright or as much as some of the EL fanatics on here and their respective clubs. I'm from Roscommon not Longford. Athlone, while just over the bridge in Westmeath is like a different planet to me!

I'm probably moving back to Ireland soon, possibly Dublin, and would be interested in going to see some live football. even though I'm one of these "celtic" "fans" (seriously what's with the bitterness GZ) I would have nothing against the EL. However from reading this forum and the views of some of its fans the last year or so I really don't know if I want to go along.

You aren't a barstooler, why are you complaining?


I won't be local to any team, they won't be 'mine', so I won't be part of it and get the same enjoyment as the other real fans do. I'm not sure if I'd want to mix with the other fans either, especially if I revealed I was a "celtic" "fan" thus laying bare my inferiority as a football supporter. I'd probably also have to do some research on the Queens tax rates on match tickets so I wouldn't look redfaced and silly in front of some sneery real fan who happened to be born in his local clubs catchment area.

I wasn't born in any catchment area. Shame I just can't be as genuine a football supporter as some of ye. I really never knew it worked like that.

Sod it, I'll see where I end up living and try a few games at the nearest side. I'll probably just go back to watching local GAA though.your local club doesn't have to be in the eircom league. I don't know if you'll surprise me but i'd give very long odds on there not being an intermediate/junior club in your area.

[dortie]

I remember many a late Sunday night (Sunday games) arriving back into the Metro in Derry from Dublin wearing Derry colours, myself and a few others ended up in quite a few 'brawls' with the local premiership lovers, nothing to do with constant 'what you doing watching that rubbish etc'...or the beer mind you.

Way before the first Kenny era when we just survived the winding up order.

Lets just say, things have changed alot in the past 7 years or so, you dont hear it or see it as often as back then, there seems to have been a certain turn-around with the majority of the Derry public, ive noticed it big time. Better interest in their local club thankfully.

[Bottle of Tonic]

You aren't a barstooler, why are you complaining?

Because of your and other posters attitude toward Celtic supporters(and followers of EPL teams), the obvious disdain you hold towards them,and the idea that is put across that they are inferior football supporters and/or morons.

Don't generalise so much in this kind of debate. Everyone has a different story and reasons.



[/QUOTE]your local club doesn't have to be in the eircom league. I don't know if you'll surprise me but i'd give very long odds on there not being an intermediate/junior club in your area.[/QUOTE]

When I left 7 years ago there was no soccer club in the vicinity. no hurling no rugby either. Only Gaelic football. I think there are some now, but i doubt above the level of a few of my peers from the boozer. Should I be supporting them now, in the Roscommon and district league? Or what about they lads from the pub across the road here where I am in Edinburgh? They have a team. Follow them?

[sligoman]

across the road here where I am in Edinburgh?So you're in Edinburgh and still over looking the local team by supporting Celtic;).

[GavinZac]

Or what about they lads from the pub across the road here where I am in Edinburgh? They have a team. Follow them?Hibs? go on, you might aswell

[depor]

[QUOTE=michaelguineys;907994]Thank god that wasn't the case in the City v Sundireland game last summer.
Because of the way the tickets went on sale (Munster Senior League were in charge of their distribution) and some people in our city's obsession with Roy Keane and sunderland, i was half dreading the game to be honest.
I thought it was going to be full of barstoolers cheering for sunderland.
How wrong was i??
Now there was a lot of barstoolers around, don't get me wrong, but the amount of city fans that managed to get their hands on tickets was unreal.
The atmosphere was unbelievable, chanting "Support your local team" from start to finish. I was so proud to be a city fan and a LOI fan that day.
When Denis scored and we went 1 up it was unreal
It was a big 2 fingers to all those barstoolers who say our league is sh*t.
It might have ended 1-1 but every single cork city supporter did their club and league proud that day.


true, it was a good game and the city support were out in force. i enjoyed it.

[hedderman]

[quote=michaelguineys;907994]
The atmosphere was unbelievable, chanting "Support your local team" from start to finish. I was so proud to be a city fan and a LOI fan that day.


"Support your local team" is an excellent chant.

I originally supported Man Utd up until I was about 15 or 16 when my friend brought me along to a Derry match. The atmosphere was amazing, the last season in the Jungle, and it got started from there.

I must have stopped supporting Man Utd some time after that.

I was walking behind a man near Croke Park yesterday wearing a Dublin GAA rucksack with a Man Utd badge attached. That's probably your average Dub in terms of supporting teams.

[Erstwhile Bóz]

I was walking behind a man near Croke Park yesterday wearing a Dublin GAA rucksack with a Man Utd badge attached.
Sounds like something you could buy in Carrolls on Westmoreland Street.

[viagogo]

Why did you go if you aren't a big GAA fan? :confused:

A day out on a quiet Saturday.

[NavanBohs]

Deadly. There was a group of five or six English lads on the 10 I got back into town. From the snatches of conversation I got, agus mé ag cúléisteacht, they were delighted with themselves for getting up and doing something and not wasting another evening of their holiday in the boozer; they were freezing their nuts off (they were wearing the de rigeur English lads gear); and they loved the bars in Dalymount. Three goals and a sending off helped, too.

Couldn't ascertain how they found out about the match, though.

Probably the same lads behind me at half-time at Burdocks, from what I gathered they were Norwich fans, they were on about the Mirror girls during half-time and how you wouldnt see anything like that at Carrow Road :)

[bennocelt]

One thing Premiership fans don't seem to understand is that the quality of football is probably the least important thing in supporting a team. Obviously we all want our teams to do well, but no matter how ****e Shels are I would never stop following them and going to matches, ect, and Im sure its the same for most of you. I like watching football played well like every football fan but that doesnt mean I have to support an English club to see it. Most big Leagues in Europe are avalible to watch somehow now a days for watching good football.

Rambelled on a bit there, but one last thing, you often get barstoolers from parts of the country who dont have an eircom League team near them, and they say thats the reason they dont support an eircom League club. My cousin from Cavan is like this and he supports Liverpool. I tried telling him Monaghan is closer to Cavan then Liverpool, but he wasn't listening of course.

Def agree here
I really hate when people use the excuse that the LOI (or EL) is "****e so why bother". If you truely love football (and its not "soccer"!) then it doesnt matter if a game is rubbish or great it should get your attention 100% all of the time. Its not as if football is in great shakes at the moment anyway (its **** poor now in my opinion)

Im also from an area that doesnt have a LOI club or even a leinster league team, and my local team is ran like a dictatorship, but that hasnt stopped me from supporting our own Irish league. This season i have gone to sligo, longford and ucd to see games and would really love to get to see all irish clubs in action (very doubtful at the moment what with the bank balance).
I used to support celtic, way back when no one followed them. I find it really amusing now that there are so many celtic fanes around and now i cant stand the club (corporate greed). It took me a while to see the light, that supporting our own league is the real thing a true football fan living here should do.
I have also taken a break from supporting the irish national team so i guess I need the LOI games to give me a bit of a fix. cant wait for the ufea/cl draws for the i5rish teams so i can book a few foreign holidays


But you know the irish love a party, and the bandwagon is always on the go

[boovidge]

it's pretty embarassing when you're watching a Premiership game on Sky and you see an Irish flag pinned to the stands. :o

[Sheridan]

My favourite encounter involved the 2003 UEFA Cup final; I was watching it in someone's living room and reacted to a Porto goal, at which point one of those present turned to me and asked disbelievingly if I was supporting Porto. When I answered in the affirmative, he shook his head and said "You're a real Brit, aren't you?" I responded, "You're the one sitting here supporting a British club." "They're an Irish club!", came the indignant rejoinder. "Which part of Ireland is Glasgow in?" elicited nothing but silence. You could practically see the steam billowing from his ears. Man, was I glad Porto won that night.

[sullanefc]

Yeah that's true alright and in some cases those flags are only there when the team they are supposed to be supporting are winning. The small one with chelsea across the tri colour is a bit silly imo given thaqt a percentage of chelsea's support is anti-irish. I don't honestly know how anyone from Ireland can support them tbh

Its probably an upside-down Ivory Coast flag :D

[boovidge]

Yeah that's true alright and in some cases those flags are only there when the team they are supposed to be supporting are winning. The small one with chelsea across the tri colour is a bit silly imo given thaqt a percentage of chelsea's support is anti-irish. I don't honestly know how anyone from Ireland can support them tbh

wasnt there a bloke getting stick for taking one of them to an Ireland game?:rolleyes:

Liverpool was formed as a protestant, anti-irish club too and it has masses of Irish fans.

The ultimate irony in all of this is that alot of these "fans" will go off on one about "Brits" or have some sort of anti-British sentiment whilst wearing their replica shirts. :o

[gilberto_eire]

wasnt there a bloke getting stick for taking one of them to an Ireland game?

Liverpool was formed as a protestant, anti-irish club too and it has masses of Irish fans.

The ultimate irony in all of this is that alot of these "fans" will go off on one about "Brits" or have some sort of anti-British sentiment whilst wearing their replica shirts. :o

Ya but that's in the past now, i doubt any Liverpool fans now hate the Irish while Chelsea currently have links with Rangers.

The Merseyside one is a funny old thing, Everton(everyone in Wayne Rooney's area are Evertonians, and from an article i was reading the place he's from is an Irish populated area) are meant to be the ''Irish'' club but i've only ever came across one fan round Galway from my encounters with ''Football'' fans, but then Ireland is just full of Liverpool ''fans''. Goes to show how much the ''fans'' here know about the clubs they follow abroad, they ended up supporting a Prod' club over a Catholic one:D

Observation: Why are the ''Liverpool'' fans the most likely to get tattoo's and wear gear ALL the time?!. Most of my friends support one or the other and i notice the ones who follow United are less likely to have jersies and additional gear, while Liverpool supporters are covered in gear from tracksuits to tattoo's :D
Most scumbags too seem to prefer Liverpool!!

[boovidge]

The Merseyside one is a funny old thing, Everton(everyone in Wayne Rooney's area are Evertonians, and from an article i was reading the place he's from is an Irish populated area) are meant to be the ''Irish'' club but i've only ever came across one fan round Galway from my encounters with ''Football'' fans, but then Ireland is just full of Liverpool ''fans''. Goes to show how much the ''fans'' here know about the clubs they follow abroad, they ended up supporting a Prod' club over a Catholic one:D


I think all they need to know is the size of the trophy cabinet and how often theyre on sky to be honest ;)

[aidz1]

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=OOfJjHozCEc

quite relevant for this thread i think...

[thischarmingman]

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=OOfJjHozCEc

quite relevant for this thread i think...

That's terrific! Have had that experience many times. People saying 'We' when it's a club across the water they have no connection with always makes me cringe.

:D

[holidaysong]

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=OOfJjHozCEc

quite relevant for this thread i think...

Very good. :D

[pól-dcfc]

not irish they're are british pay taxes to the queen and all the other stuff that comes with being part of britain,


:(

Can I not be Irish though?

Celtic fans really **** me off though.

[endabob1]

Ah every few months this crops up, I know I'll regret it but here goes.
I grew up in Offaly, it was early 80’s I was seduced by the delights of English Football on MOTD & the Big Match.
Spurs were my team, 2 reasons, Glenn Hoddle was a genius in my eyes and they had Galvin & Hughton as an Irish connection, also My sister went to White Hart Lane and I got the ticket as a souvenir. I’ve always supported them they are my team and nothing has or will ever change that, despite several broken promises to myself that I will give them up!
Athlone Town were the nearest LOI side and we would get taken about once a year to see them, when I went to make my own way in the world I ended up in Athlone RTC, I used to go to St Mels occasionally (semi-regularly depending on state of grants & girlfriends!) to watch them I remember some great games and some awful ones but for the most part I remember the enjoyment of watching live sport. I love watching live sport whether it’s Sunday League Football or a Six Nations game in front of 80,000.
When I graduated from AthloneI moved to London, finally I got the chance to watch Spurs regularly, I was a member for 3 years & a season ticket holder for 2, unfortunately my time in London co-incided with the Gross, Francis, Graham era’s but going to Wembley in 99 to watch Spurs win the League Cup was one of the highlights of sport watching life. After a couple of years on the move in sunnier climes I returned to the UK a few years back and I now go to watch my local Conference North side (Conference Proper next season thanks to a 3-0 win over Telford on Saturday) and despite the gulf in class I get a huge amount of enjoyment watching the games, there’s something great about leaving home at 2:45 for a 3pm kick off, handing over cash at the gate and watching football for pure pleasure, ducking into the social club behind the stand for a swift pint before getting home by 5:30 In many ways it’s a similar experience to watching Athlone all those years ago, I see familiar faces when I go and there is a proper sense of community.

My point is this, watch the football you can and enjoy it for what it is, support who you like and tell anyone who mocks your choices to go away and mind their own business.

[Aaron]

There is a certain generation in Derry you will find support clubs across the water because of the time we were without senior football in this City, thats a reason why alot here support foreign teams

[boovidge]

I returned to the UK a few years back and I now go to watch my local Conference North side (Conference Proper next season thanks to a 3-0 win over Telford on Saturday) and despite the gulf in class I get a huge amount of enjoyment watching the games, there’s something great about leaving home at 2:45 for a 3pm kick off, handing over cash at the gate and watching football for pure pleasure, ducking into the social club behind the stand for a swift pint before getting home by 5:30

see you next season, I'm a Lewes fan :D

[pól-dcfc]

Droylsden :(

[endabob1]

Droylsden :(

Indeed, Kettering fans are very concious of not doing a Droylsden although to be fair I think there is a much better balance to the Kettering side to anything I've seen in the last 3 years of conference North football. I'd be very surprised if they came straight back down.
Sorry if we've drifted off topic :p

[Erstwhile Bóz]

Liverpool was formed as a protestant, anti-irish club too and it has masses of Irish fans.
Liverpool was formed out of a Methodist club (named Everton) who had a fight with their brewer landlord, you eejit. The religious support of the teams became polarised, suiting the local religious idiots down to the ground, after a prominent local Catholic (English) personality joined the Everton board at the turn of the century and all the Catholic Irish bigots followed like thick sheep. Honest John McKenna, non-Catholic Irishman and Liverpool's manager for twenty-odd years, was renowned for not giving two flying fecks about that divide when it came to buying footballers for Liverpool.

And by the time Irish people (here) got on the Liverpool gloryhunt in the late '60s, the Kop was as split as the terrace of any other English club whose supporters chanted "Celtic"/"Rangers" to one another during boring matches.

By all means berate the idiot who claims to be supporting Liverpool because of the spurious claim to (Catholic) Irish links, but get it right! There's enough ammunition to refute such a moron without over-egging the pudding and saying they were formed as an "anti-Irish club".

[Réiteoir]

Indeed, Kettering fans are very concious of not doing a Droylsden although to be fair I think there is a much better balance to the Kettering side to anything I've seen in the last 3 years of conference North football. I'd be very surprised if they came straight back down.
Sorry if we've drifted off topic :p

Worcester City here (due to living in Worcester for the past 25-odd years) :D

Our coach got bricked by some Redditch Schooligans last night - they did a bloody good job of it tbh - even slashed all four tyres.

All this as a result of us beating them 1-0 in the 1st Leg of the Worcestershire Senior Cup Final.

The mind boggles...

(Anyway - making the 520 mile round trip to Blyth on Saturday - game in the afternoon then a night out in Newcastle - will be over at the Bohs vs Derry game in a couple of weeks though :cool:)

[Hibernian]

Liverpool was formed out of a Methodist club (named Everton) who had a fight with their brewer landlord, you eejit. The religious support of the teams became polarised, suiting the local religious idiots down to the ground, after a prominent local Catholic (English) personality joined the Everton board at the turn of the century and all the Catholic Irish bigots followed like thick sheep. Honest John McKenna, non-Catholic Irishman and Liverpool's manager for twenty-odd years, was renowned for not giving two flying fecks about that divide when it came to buying footballers for Liverpool.

And by the time Irish people (here) got on the Liverpool gloryhunt in the late '60s, the Kop was as split as the terrace of any other English club whose supporters chanted "Celtic"/"Rangers" to one another during boring matches.

By all means berate the idiot who claims to be supporting Liverpool because of the spurious claim to (Catholic) Irish links, but get it right! There's enough ammunition to refute such a moron without over-egging the pudding and saying they were formed as an "anti-Irish club".

On that topic were Man Utd a Catholic club in there early days. I think they were close to being called Manchester Celtic.

Anybody know anymore??

[Erstwhile Bóz]

On that topic were Man Utd a Catholic club in there early days. I think they were close to being called Manchester Celtic.

Anybody know anymore??
Apparently so, insofar as there was any divide in Manchester. Can't remember whether the phrase "the Catholic Church at play" was meant to be said about Everton or Man. United, but it was one of them!

Matt "Knight Commander of St. Gregory" Busby happily played for Protestant City, though. (And was subsequently made club captain -- presumably through some kind of administrative error -- of Protestant Liverpool in the thirties.)

Don't think there was any English clubs, even if their fanbase came to be associated with one religion over another (mainly due to the presence of ignorant Irish immigrants), who operated a x-religion-only policy similar to that of Rangers, for example, which is the reference point most people would think of when you say "Protestant club". It doesn't seem to have been the same situation, even on Merseyside, where there was huge Catholic/Protestant tension (thanks to the Irish again -- hurray).