Wee Irish rant

[martybhoy]

I've only joined and here's my 1st rant :)

I live in Armagh, born and raised an Irishman, support the Republic though and though, go to nearly every friendly game, but have never had a sniff of a ticket for a "real" match.

I travell to Celtic Park a lot and none of my mates in the north of Ireland can help me get tickets for big matches at Lansdowne Rd. Where do all the tickets go and is my only chance of getting one joining a supporters club or Irish league side down south? I've heard of a few ROI supporters clubs in the north but no one else seems to have, I've even heard of 1 in Newry, 20 minutes from me yet no one I know, knows about it.

Friendlies are good but I want the real thing and am annoyed that no matter how hard I've looked I can't find a why to a Euro or World cup quailfier. I've even spoken to a few people I've met at these friendlies and they say if I went away with Ireland I'd get tickets no problem for any away match.

If anyone can shed some light on tickets or know of any supporters clubs around Armagh please let me know. :):confused:

[A face]

Man ... the tickets available thRough supporters clubs/groups etc. here are all for eL supporters .................








What eircom League team do you support ???????????

[Macy]

Leaving aside the fook up on the name of the league (gah ignorance?), the whole point of the these tickets martybhoy is that the people who support Irish football never got the tickets either.... All the other tickets are tied up with block bookers (for the time being anyway).....

[martybhoy]

So what your saying basically or the FAI is that because I don't support a EL club I don't deserve tickets to watch my country? HOW F*CKED UP IS THAT?? I support Ireland just as much as any of you and don't give me this EL crap, Ireland is for everyone Irish, not the EL only. Just cause I don't follow Finn Harps are Shamrock Rovers every week doesn't mean I can't support my country. Tickets should be giving out so everyone has a chance of seeing Ireland play and yes I do agree with the EL supporters getting a cut, along with fans from the north and thoughout Ireland.

[dahamsta]

Martybhoy, if you're really unable to get tickets from a Northern club for ROI matches, a little shouting in an ROI newspaper will make it happen pretty sharpish. There's so many cross-border initiatives going on at the moment, your bog-standard bogger politician will shudder at the thought.

Write to the Indo, the IT and the Examiner and tell them how "saddened and disappointed" you are by this "outrageous display of sectarianism". Well, that's a bit strong but a nice polite letter kind of hinting at underlying issues should produce a reaction. I'm not kidding, try it. Get your friends to write too.

Hit the Belfast Telegraph and any other popular newspapers up there while you're at it. And post the letter here before you send it so we can have a look and maybe help you out a little. And get all your friends in Cork to vote for me in the local elections next year. (I'm kidding, I'm kidding. :))

Welcome to Foot.ie btw.

adam

[Colm]

Originally posted by martybhoy
So what your saying basically or the FAI is that because I don't support a EL club I don't deserve tickets to watch my country? HOW F*CKED UP IS THAT?? I support Ireland just as much as any of you and don't give me this EL crap, Ireland is for everyone Irish, not the EL only. Just cause I don't follow Finn Harps are Shamrock Rovers every week doesn't mean I can't support my country. Tickets should be giving out so everyone has a chance of seeing Ireland play and yes I do agree with the EL supporters getting a cut, along with fans from the north and thoughout Ireland.


Right this is not really directed at you personally Marty as you live in Northern Ireland and there's not really any el clubs near you.

Anyway, this may seem as if it is a rather insular view and in truth I suppose it is.
Basically, if I had my way, only those that support an EL club should be entitled to International tickets. I hate all the Oirish supporters who spend most of thie time on a bar stool and only come out to see some real life football every couple of months when 'the boys in green' are in town. They are not football fans, they don't know what its like to stand on a terrace singing and chanting week in week out, the don't know what it's like to follow your team accross the country etc etc.
The Oirish fans are not football fans, they are fans of television hype........
There's no point in going on and on, you get what I'm saying by now.

[tiktok]

martybhoy, if the question you're asking is who deserves tickets more to an Irish international.....

someone who turns up to landsdowne road four times a year after spending their money travelling to scotland or england to watch football the rest of the year....
or someone who spends their weekend cheering on an EL team, supporting the grassroots of the game in their country, giving money to clubs that are based in this country...
then the answer is the latter.

that said, i'd sooner have real football fans in the ground for internationals (who know the players, recognise tactics, can appreciate football regardless of who is playing it, who cheer, sing and chant) than a bunch of businessmen who get tickets because their clients are sponsors of the FAI and are there for the grub and to schmooze.

basically, your battle in this fight isn't with EL fans, because we don't get the allocations we should, it's too hard as it is for a guy who watches Galway united or Ramblers to get tickets for him and his kids. your complaint should be aginst the suits who don't give a crap.

if you want advice on how to approach it, do what Veterinari suggested or approach Derry City FC, who would get an EL fans allocation and explain your situation.

[tiktok]

Originally posted by Silvio Dante
Yet more"League of Gentlemen" tosh from the Cork City/EL brigade....:rolleyes:

there are those who support Ireland a few days a year and there are those who support Irish football.
if you think the hundred quid you throw the FAI for three home games (as you've admitted, not even wearing an Irish shirt, preferring to give your money to celtic than to football in your own country) entitles you to more respect from an EL fan than they'd give to someone who forks out thirty quid a fortnight to bring his family (wearing club scarves and shirts) to see cobh ramblers play then your an idiot.
call it league of gentleman if you want, but naysayers like you, who don't give a f*ck about our own league or the people in and around it aren't worth the steam off my
p!ss.

[Junior]

Originally posted by tiktok
there are those who support Ireland a few days a year and there are those who support Irish football.
if you think the hundred quid you throw the FAI for three home games (as you've admitted, not even wearing an Irish shirt, preferring to give your money to celtic than to football in your own country) entitles you to more respect from an EL fan than they'd give to someone who forks out thirty quid a fortnight to bring his family (wearing club scarves and shirts) to see cobh ramblers play then your an idiot.
call it league of gentleman if you want, but naysayers like you, who don't give a f*ck about our own league or the people in and around it aren't worth the steam off my
p!ss.

I don't support an EL side, but I refute the suggestion that someone who does, is more worthy a fan of the Irish National side than I am. I think you TikTok have been one of many to suggest that club issues are not relevant at Landsdowne Rd, all of a sudden now they are??

While it won't take a genius to second guess your response, the EL is not the be all and end all, fair play to you for supporting Cork but there are thousands of Ireland supporters who do follow ManU, liverpool, Celtic because they are football fans and they are no less entitled tickets to follow Ireland than you are.

Jnr

PS: Im not particularly a big singer at games nor do I bring a flag, I suppose this means I shouldn't even bother applying to renew my block booking?

[Macy]

Originally posted by Junior
I don't support an EL side, but I refute the suggestion that someone who does, is more worthy a fan of the Irish National side than I am. I think you TikTok have been one of many to suggest that club issues are not relevant at Landsdowne Rd, all of a sudden now they are??

While it won't take a genius to second guess your response, the EL is not the be all and end all, fair play to you for supporting Cork but there are thousands of Ireland supporters who do follow ManU, liverpool, Celtic because they are football fans and they are no less entitled tickets to follow Ireland than you are.

Jnr

PS: Im not particularly a big singer at games nor do I bring a flag, I suppose this means I shouldn't even bother applying to renew my block booking?
I don't see why it has come to this arguement again - the fact is that the eL supporters have been squeezed out since the Charlton era, particular since Lansdowne had to go all seater. At the same time the atmosphere has dropped away to pathetic levels. The intention of this scheme is to re-establish the link between the International team and the eL, and by grouping together singing eL fans to improve the atmosphere. I think everyone agrees the atmosphere was better at the Georgia and Albania matches than it would otherwise have been.

I can see why people who follow via bar stool and a couple trips a year don't like being told this, but the fact remains that eL supporters support Irish football week in week out - surely you can't argue with that!?! Whether that means we should be given priority is different matter, but there must be a fairer way than the totally corrupt block booking system and to me the fairest way to do this would be as per rugby and through the football clubs up and down the country... Give the tickets to those involved in Irish football....

[pete]

This whole debate is the same as the moral outrage of irish "football fans" claiming they had a right to watch irish matches on RTE & that the FAI by trying to raise a few quic had deprived them of this.

I wouldn't go so far as to suggest that people who don't go to eL games shouldn't get a ticket but clearly those who support irish professional & amateur football should get first preference. I accept theres many people who will only support the international side but don't know why they think that they have a greater right to tickets that someone involved with irish football every week.

[yur man]

the fai shud give the tickets to league clubs, see how many they get back and then sell the rest to the foreign league fans

[soccerc]

All el clubs get an allocation of tickets for international games but they don't necessarily filter down to supporters.

This initiative was launched to highlight how the colour and atmosphere at el games could help inspire other Ireland supporters to:

1. Get involved in supporting the international team in a more pro-active manner by reference to the el fans section on the North Terrace.

2. Advertise the eircom League to those not familiar with the domestic game by showing how the different sets of supporters get behind their respective teams. In this context 1000 el fans contributed more to the atmosphere at both the Albania and Georgia games and should lead the way again against Russia.

If only 1000 new supporters were encouraged to come along to games on a regular basis upwards of €250k could be generated as additional income for investment by the clubs in the domestic game. The more investment the greater the possible return.


These ticket allocations are specifically for supporters of eircom League clubs, those who support the domestic senior game weekly throughout the year. While other football fans may seek tickets for Internationals, as someone pointed out, they may not support the game domestically at local or el level.

If they do belong to a local junior or schoolboy club then they should approach them for tickets. These clubs do have access to tickets by way of their affiliation to their respective league, though they may be very limited.

Should those who only follow teams from a different country suffer? Well if suffer is the right word then in my personal opinion they have disenfranchised themselves.

[tiktok]

Originally posted by Junior
I don't support an EL side, but I refute the suggestion that someone who does, is more worthy a fan of the Irish National side than I am.

the mail you took offence to was in response to more crap spouted by silvio, who just repeats this league of gentleman rubbish everytime his arguments are defeated.

if you'd read my reply to Martybhoy's query i stated clearly that i would sooner have real football fans (regardless of who they support) than the suits that seem to have gotten tickets since the day OPEL became the National team sponsors. i even offered what little advice i could to get him moving in his quest for tickets.

and your right, i think club issues are not relevant, and that's why i loved to see fans from all the EL clubs standing together, tifo flags in hand, chanting in unison for ireland.

but i stand by what i said...
people who support the EL week in week out are genuinely supporting irish soccer and should be thought of first when tickets are handed out.

[Mondo]

Originally posted by tiktok


but i stand by what i said...
people who support the EL week in week out are genuinely supporting irish soccer and should be thought of first when tickets are handed out.


While i may NOT be a supporter of the EL, i do agree 100% with
your post.
Fans of EL clubs should be giving priority on ALL Ireland games,home and away,as it is these fans that actually support Irish teams!

[Junior]

Originally posted by tiktok
the mail you took offence to was in response to more crap spouted by silvio, who just repeats this league of gentleman rubbish everytime his arguments are defeated.

if you'd read my reply to Martybhoy's query i stated clearly that i would sooner have real football fans (regardless of who they support) than the suits that seem to have gotten tickets since the day OPEL became the National team sponsors. i even offered what little advice i could to get him moving in his quest for tickets.

and your right, i think club issues are not relevant, and that's why i loved to see fans from all the EL clubs standing together, tifo flags in hand, chanting in unison for ireland.

but i stand by what i said...
people who support the EL week in week out are genuinely supporting irish soccer and should be thought of first when tickets are handed out.

I did indeed read your reply to Martys post, hence my reply disagreeing with you that an EL supporter has any more right to a ticket than a Non EL supporter (No less right either I might add!)

I personally have supported the National side for about 15 years, have a block booking at Landsdowne and travel to a high proportion of Away fixtures. Is some fella who has been supporting Galway Utd for the last year or so more worthy of a ticket than I? you say he is, I say he isn't.

The Block booking system was there for all to apply for i.e. all football fans, now EL fans think that they have a right to start complaining at how tickets are being distributed, any reason why these fans are not on the block booking system in the first place?

I am not anti EL, and though I don't have a favourite club I would always check for results, like to see EL do well in europe etc.. I am just totally against this 'We're EL fans, we are first in the Queue'

As I said before, many fans of the Irish national side have no interest in EL, but hurt just as much when Ireland lose and celebrate just as much when they win. These fans are just as worthy of a ticket as any other Ireland fan.

[Junior]

Originally posted by Conor74
I say it's impossible to judge. Is a fellow on the dole who can afford a few friendlies in Dublin more worthy of a ticket than some rich fellow who went to Japan, staying only in 5 star hotels? Is some exiled Irish labourer in Boston who gets physically sick with excitement before games he tunes into on his radio more worthy than some fellow who goes to all the games but sees them as something to do of an evening? Is your fellow who supported Galway for a year more worthy than someone who supported Bohs for 13 months, but missed 4 matches in that time? Do you seriously expect the FAI or any organisation to examine each case on its merits?

There will always be hard cases. You would do well to talk to the number of GAA fans in Ulster who will miss the All Ireland final as thousands of fairweather fans go to Croke Park - and that's with clubs taking a limited allocation.

But the best way of ensuring that those who care about the game here get to see the national side is by distribution through clubs and county leagues first.

Good post, and that is what I'm getting at, Irish fans come from all walks of life, rich/poor, abroad/at home, support an EL club/ don't support an EL club or any club for that matter. And no I don't expect the FAI to take in to account all these issues, nor did I suggest it. But my point is that you can't exclude this significant 'Non EL supporting fan base' - nor should they have any less rights in terms of ticketing.

I would have no objection to a % being allocated to EL clubs to in turn distribute to there own fans - but in no way should these fans take overall priority.

some questions I have based on my lack of EL knowledge (other than what I read in the papers). Is this a new issue?, did many EL fans take up block bookings? have EL crowds grown dramatically in recent years?

Cheers, Jnr

[soccerc]

Originally posted by Junior


I would have no objection to a % being allocated to EL clubs to in turn distribute to there own fans - but in no way should these fans take overall priority.

Cheers, Jnr


Overall priority with less than 3% of total tickets....................!

[Junior]

Originally posted by soccerc
Overall priority with less than 3% of total tickets....................!

I was referring to earlier suggestions in posts made, not what currently happens.

[Bluebeard]

I think that Conor made the best point to date on the matter, that it shouldn't really matter who you are as long as you are there genuinely because you love the game.

Priorities have been arse about face for a long time regarding the relationship between local level of football in Ireland and the national team. 3% is a ridiculously small alocation for the national League to be getting in my opinion, and that should be addressed.

So too should the crowding out of a lot of the other clubs, at intermediate, junior, and lesser level. I would imagine (corect me if I'm wrong, I'm just guessing here) that it isn't much different to what the likes of, say Rockmount, Johnville, Clonmel Town, Ross Celtic, and the other vitally important local clubs get.

And then there are the non-affiliated fans, who will genuinely put up a good voice for the team. These have been having a hard time of it too. At the end of the day, I reckon that these people also deserve their seat, like Junior, for instance. But what I cannot stand is to see these seats being given over to suits who are there as a PR exercise or they're Monty Burns business partner or whatever. Football is about fans, and I would rather have even Silvio and his many names in the stand abusing all he saw fit than have a halfwit in a suit who will turn to the man beside him and say "The Green Ormy is very bad today, roysh, whors yoar man, Pawl Moc Graff?", before slipping out to talk to the office on his phone before the half time rush. That annoys me.

Aside from that wee rant, I once again recommend that those of you who cannot get tickets go to some of the underage games, I've been doing that for years as I couldn't get tickets to the big games. They are normally cheap enough, and some of the players turn out to be big stars. Some of them also turn out to be Joe Gallen, but that's part of the fun!

[Junior]

Perhaps a larger national stadium is the answer!!!!:D ;)

[tiktok]

I think Conor's post more or less hits the nail on the head, it's better than anything i've posted on this topic anyway. I'm probably biased toward the EL because i'm a city fan, but i do believe that we get an exceptionally raw deal.

having said that i'm not suggesting that Junior or martybhoy should be excluded,as i've said i want to have real fans in the ground. Bluebeard is probably right that the allocation to companies as a PR excercise is what we should be angry about, i don't know the % but it only seems to get bigger every year.

[Mondo]

Originally posted by Junior
Perhaps a larger national stadium is the answer!!!!:D ;)

A LARGER National stadium??? Where IS the National stadium to enlarge?:confused:

[soccerc]

Originally posted by Bluebeard
I 3% is a ridiculously small alocation for the national League to be getting in my opinion, and that should be addressed.


Bluebeard, the eircom League clubs get considerably more than 3% of tickets allocated to them.

The 3% I am referring to is the allocation "specifically" for supporters of eircom League clubs who for various reasons have not had access to the allocation their club receives. To my mind they are the bread and butter of supporters domestic league football in Ireland and should thus be recognised and rewarded as such.

Without a domestic league we would not under FIFA and UEFA rules be permitted to enter a team representing the country in international competition. Therefore, it is my belief that these fans should be regarded as stakeholders in the game in Ireland resulting in access to match tickets.

Those "fans" who want to see Ireland play but who support a team in a different jursdiction must accept that their place in the pecking order is lower than dare I say it "real fans". ( Don't take me up wrong I dislike that expression but to me supporters of foreign teams who spend money going to watch them play in a different country and who have never attended an eL game yet criticise it as being "crap" are not fans or supporters of Irish football).

As I previously said all clubs affiliated to the FAI have differing routes for ticket access but in the normal course of events these tend to find their way to "committee men" and sponsors.

As someone else pointed out it was only after 1987 that demand for tickets became an issue and even then their have been games at which attendances have been low.

The Russia game will be the fourth occasion that this special allocation has happened and it will be the same for the friendly with Turkey.

After that, I do not know yet how the process currently in place will progress as the World Cup campaign should see a different approach taken to international match ticket sales. That said, while I am not in a position to guarantee that eL fans will continue to get ths allocation I would be confident that the arrangement will remain in place with one or two minor adjustments in it's administration.

[lopez]

Originally posted by Conor74
...the best way of ensuring that those who care about the game here get to see the national side is by distribution through clubs and county leagues first.

You must be a 'half pint full' optimist if you think that the allocation of International tickets to EL clubs, county leagues, etc. etc., will lead to the distribution of the tickets to the 'real fans' whoever the **** they are when they're at home.

Even though I'm not a 'real' Irishman, and therefore not a 'real' Irish fan, I know enough about Ireland, especially L a n g e rland, that even less tickets will end up with 'real' 'Irish' fans than they do at the moment. The country's full of Charlie Haughey wannabes. :eek: Didn't the Rugby international tickets get distributed through the clubs? Where do they all go to now? How many pieces of silver were obtained?

Speaking of 'real' 'Irish' fans, how come that when we have a **** period, they are conspicuous by their absence. Indeed, I never had much trouble getting tickets in the prior to the Charlton days that some of you think has stiched up the 'real' 'Irish' fan. In fact I never even got a ticket for most matches because it was pay on the door. :p

Martybhoy, I think there is a supporters club in Warrenpoint. A mate of mine moved back there and got me a ticket for the last game against the OSC in '94. Wonderful night!

[Junior]

Originally posted by Mondo
A LARGER National stadium??? Where IS the National stadium to enlarge?:confused:

very pedantic, I hope you understood the sarcasm in my post. I'll repahse: A LARGE National Stadium...better?

[Macy]

Originally posted by lopez
Didn't the Rugby international tickets get distributed through the clubs? Where do they all go to now? How many pieces of silver were obtained?
The people I know who are involved with Rugby clubs always get tickets for the games... Obviously some clubs choose to essentially tout their tickets to travel agents (as in the past people in Merrion Square also, allegedly), no system is perfect... At least the money raised by those tickets goes directly into those clubs, and ultimately the members of those clubs can stand for their committee and see a change in the method of distribution (as I believe some eL club fans have done successfully on this issue)... Whats fairer - the block booking system where it seems people can pick and choose the matches they go to and still get tickets to the big games?

[Junior]

Originally posted by Conor74
This argument is starting to bore me!

Look, if I agree with those who knock the eL, and yes yes yes all tickets should of course be distributed through Man Yoo, the Irish League in NI, Seltic and Liverpool FC, and eL fans should wash their mouths out for suggesting otherwise, can we start a new topic?

has anyone suggested any of those methods? who are you agreeing with?

[A face]

For the record .... I think eL fans are entitled to far more than those Man yooooooooooo fools etc.


I actually wont be happy until we have first say on everything that happens nationally


Any argument made that differs from that isn't worth the time od day .... get in the Q and wait your turn when you are called. Fools


End of ......

[dahamsta]

Originally posted by A face
For the record .... I think eL fans are entitled to far more than those Man yooooooooooo fools etc.I agree, although I think calling them fools is a bit much. They watch the British game because they think it's better quality, and the amount of people that think this way should tell you something.

adam

[lopez]

What I was saying was that clubs, either through fans or the committees, will put the club's interests first. This may include, selling all the tickets to touts for desperately needed cash.

Having had a block booking in the past, (through the RISSC in London) but sadly no longer, I don't think this was either dificult to obtain, nor discriminating except to those on low incomes or the dole.

My suggestion is keep the block booking but add a substantial levy/offer a substantial discount for season ticket holders of EL clubs, for applicants living in the 26 counties. EL clubs should also offer one-match membership, as done by some Spanish clubs for instance, known as 'socio amigo', for us outlanders, giving us a stake in an EL club. Anything but increase the bureacracy in the distribution of tickets.

[gspain]

Rugby is not ideal either - for the England game many clubs sell their allocation to Mike Burton for corporate hospitality (touts with suits). He pays well for them and they use the money to run the clubs.

The block booking system discriminates against poorer fans who have to stump up up front for every game incl all the friendlies and potentially against country based fans although I used to travel from Limerick, Cork & Galway for friendlies when I lived in those cities. However by and large it does give tickets to the fans who go to every game and not just pick the plum ones.

However it does give fans tickets. My father has been block booking since the 70's and going long before that. I've been going since I was 8 (originally on his ticket ) :D but then in my own right. Block bookings have been open for Euro 88 campaign, Italia 90 campaign - opened up again for USA 94 and again for Japan before the first qualifier.

There was huge hype in 89 for the Spain game and basically tickets were not available then until after Euro92. Many people held off on taking block bookings for USA 94 until after the Albania and Latvia home qualifiers then made rush again.

If you are a LoI fan and regularly attend games the chances are that you are known to the club and if you look for International tickets and commit to take them for all games then you will usually get them. However if you turn up the week or month before a big game looking for tickets they won't have them as the guy who was buying them for Macedonia & Liechtenstein has probably got them. Most clubs operate the block booking scheme too.

Frankly there are far more of the "event junkies" at the friendlies than the competitive games.

[Schumi]

Originally posted by Macy
The people I know who are involved with Rugby clubs always get tickets for the games...
My dad is involved with a junior club and effectively people have to buy a ticket for every game (friendlies etc.) to guarantee tickets for the big 6-nations games. This seems to me to be a better way to run the system. Why should people get tickets to the big World Cup qualifier games and then not bother going to the smaller friendles?

Obviously some clubs choose to essentially tout their tickets to travel agents And this is something that really annoys clubs who look after their members as the money gained from this goes to paying players and coaches more money than they would otherwise be able to.

[lopez]

Originally posted by Conor74
BTW Lopez, do you have any idea of how popular rugby is now?

Yes, and despite your aversion to the game, I think locally this is brilliant: Something that the EL can follow. But isn't this down to the Celtic League and the Heineken Cup. Better than playing the three other provinces in what were the opportunity for the selectors to look for who had the best connections:o sorry best all-round skill to play for Ireland.


Originally posted by Conor74
And no, if you follow Bath or Saracens in England...

Er, we plastics have our own team in London thank you very much, unless you are going to compare it with Celtic and claim it is really an English club, founded by English people, for English people.;)

[Footie_Fan]

Originally posted by Junior
I personally have supported the National side for about 15 years, have a block booking at Landsdowne and travel to a high proportion of Away fixtures. Is some fella who has been supporting Galway Utd for the last year or so more worthy of a ticket than I? you say he is, I say he isn't.

The Block booking system was there for all to apply for i.e. all football fans, now EL fans think that they have a right to start complaining at how tickets are being distributed, any reason why these fans are not on the block booking system in the first place?



Totally agree!!! I am a block booker as well... if all these EL fans wanted tickets why didn't they apply for the block booking scheme at the start? Where were all these EL fans when there was only 5000 at Lansdowne for the friendly against the North in aid of Omagh. Notable by their absence in the friendly v Paraguay while those present nearly froze. If Ireland were not doing well this conversation wouldn't be held. But if the EL fans weren't there you could guarantee the block bookers would be.. supporting Ireland through thick and thin and therefore block bookers have more right to tickets then everyone else. We go to EVERY game!

[lopez]

Originally posted by Footie_Fan
...Where were all these EL fans when there was only 5000 at Lansdowne for the friendly against the North in aid of Omagh...

A very interesting point here, FF, because the poor attendance at the Omagh benefit game was blamed on...:rolleyes: the club final of a foreign country (well the northern bit of a foreign country) for which EL fans on this forum are continually blaming for undermining Irish club football, and whose supporters' booing of a certain club's rival's players (and ex-players), when they play against Ireland, has created more than a little fuss in this forum.:eek:

[MariborKev]

There are a significant number of block bookers who are also EL fans

[Footie_Fan]

Originally posted by Maribor
There are a significant number of block bookers who are also EL fans

This is true but I am talking about the EL fans and all the other fairweather Irish supporters for that matter who just want the big match tickets and feel it is there god given right to them.

[Bosco]

Originally posted by Footie_Fan
This is true but I am talking about the EL fans and all the other fairweather Irish supporters for that matter who just want the big match tickets and feel it is there god given right to them.

FF i agree that if you have been to the majority of ireland games home and abroad you have a right to tickets.But don't you dare call el fans fairweather supporters we are the ones who follow are teams through thick and thin week in week out around the country, we are not the ones who go along to a football match every 2 months because the cream of irish players playing in england are in town.Unless you are an el fan yourself as i notice you live in dublin,are you?
It may be easy for you to get the day or evening off once every 2 months to see some live football .But by this day for most el fans it may be their 3rd match that week and therefore 3rd day in a week.
If you do follow ireland through thick and thin around the world fair play to ya but don't presume that we are only there for the big names and big matches

[Schumi]

Originally posted by Footie_Fan
Where were all these EL fans when there was only 5000 at Lansdowne for the friendly against the North in aid of Omagh. And where were all the block bookers?

[Footie_Fan]

Originally posted by Bosco
FF i agree that if you have been to the majority of ireland games home and abroad you have a right to tickets.But don't you dare call el fans fairweather supporters we are the ones who follow are teams through thick and thin week in week out around the country, we are not the ones who go along to a football match every 2 months because the cream of irish players playing in england are in town.Unless you are an el fan yourself as i notice you live in dublin,are you?
It may be easy for you to get the day or evening off once every 2 months to see some live football .But by this day for most el fans it may be their 3rd match that week and therefore 3rd day in a week.
If you do follow ireland through thick and thin around the world fair play to ya but don't presume that we are only there for the big names and big matches

I wasn't actually referring to the EL fans as fairweather supporters I was speaking about the suits and the guys who come to odd game here and there.

But it must be said there is also EL fans who are fairweather supporters of the Irish National Team... if they don't go to all the games the can hardly expect big match tickets by right. Just like if say there is a season ticket holder at Cork looking for a ticket for the FAI cup final and I want one too and I have only been to the odd Cork game... who deserves the ticket?

I support Shels in the EL league and go to as many games as I can.

[Footie_Fan]

Originally posted by Schumi
And where were all the block bookers?

Well I can't control what other people do but I was in my seat.

[Dodge]

Haven't got involved in this yet but


Originally posted by Footie_Fan
But it must be said there is also EL fans who are fairweather supporters of the Irish National Team... if they don't go to all the games the can hardly expect big match tickets by right. Just like if say there is a season ticket holder at Cork looking for a ticket for the FAI cup final and I want one too and I have only been to the odd Cork game... who deserves the ticket?

Supporting the national team is nothing. They can fill the stadium most weeks. Supporting the eL is VERY important because if it died, there would be no international team. Thats why the people who support Irish soccer every week of the year DO deserve the tickets more than somebody who goes to the big games (and all internationals are big in this context) The people who go to Cork every week will get tickets because real Irish football values its customers.

The FAI has started to cop on to this and is emphasising the need for people to support Irish football and not just the national side.

[Footie_Fan]

Originally posted by Dodge
Supporting the national team is nothing.

What planet are you on?

[Bosco]

Originally posted by Footie_Fan
What planet are you on?

What a meaningfull post!:o

[Footie_Fan]

Originally posted by Bosco
What a meaningfull post!:o

Where you talking about your own post?

Dodge just said supporting national team is nothing!!!! This is astounding! Everyone in the country should support the national team! 100%

[Dodge]

Originally posted by Footie_Fan
Where you talking about your own post?

Dodge just said supporting national team is nothing!!!! This is astounding! Everyone in the country should support the national team! 100%
No, I meant going to national team games is nothing as plenty of people can and do. In fact if you don't go, there will be people queuing to fill your place. In that sense you're not that important.

Where as eL fans are VERY important?

[Dodge]

Originally posted by Silvio Dante
Em...Where do you get that one from....?
If a country doesn't have a national league, it can't have a national team. Simple UEFA rules... Why do you think Wales persist?

[Duncan Gardner]

Dodge, I take your broad point (that the Eircom and Irish Leagues are crucial to the health of the game). If I still lived in Ireland I'd watch one or both of them. Instead, it's non-League over here mainly, as I'm not paying Captain Birdseye and the Roman Tsar £50 at Chelsea.

But you're a little disingenuous. If the Eircom bankrupted, UEFA would certainly be concerned. But if reformed as a parks league, like in Liechtenstein or Andorra, the national side could keep going :)

[Dodge]

Originally posted by Duncan Gardner
Dodge, I take your broad point (that the Eircom and Irish Leagues are crucial to the health of the game). If I still lived in Ireland I'd watch one or both of them. Instead, it's non-League over here mainly, as I'm not paying Captain Birdseye and the Roman Tsar £50 at Chelsea.

But you're a little disingenuous. If the Eircom bankrupted, UEFA would certainly be concerned. But if reformed as a parks league, like in Liechtenstein or Andorra, the national side could keep going :)
I'm sure it would and obviously the FAI would never let it happen :( but if it did happen, I reckon the FAI would be in chaos which would result in the international teams failing and a vicious circle would ensue. A stronger league, makes for a stronger association and in turn… well you get my idea