I followed with interest the "It beggars belief" thread. Having looked at the ourweecountry site a few times in the past, it is informative to find out what our friends up north have to say.
Unlike Norn Iron supporters, the *vast* majority of Republic supporters do not regard their neighbours as a rival of any sort. Casual disinterest is probably the best way to sum up the feeling of Republic supporters. (Anyway Norn Iron are so bloody crap at present that *few* teams could regard them as a rival.) Norn Iron as a team are simply not discussed except in relation to their no-score run, the Lennon retirement etc. The "rivalry" such as it exists seems to be generated by the ourweecountry boys and their supporters.
Having only attended the 1994 match in Windsor, I cannot say what the atmosphere is like now. It was not particularly enjoyable for us that night. I wondered if I had turned up to the wrong match when I noticed a large number wearing what seemed to be Rangers scarves :D. Having said that I was seated next to a number of people from Portadown who were top men and real NI supporters.
The ourweecountry site seems to me to have a minority of contributors who, despite their protestations, seem to despise everything (and everyone) south of the 'border'. SuperProds and DUPe supporters? Who cares. The majority appear to be real supporters who want to support a struggling team through a difficult phase. If that is the case then they are *real* supporters of their team and should be applauded for their efforts. Results will improve for the team.
