Football: Beauty Contest yes or no?
think most fans want the best circumstances when they go to matches. Result, performance, conditions and any other criteria they wish in whatever order. I think everyone wants the best and the nicest for their team and they want opposition fans to appreciate that. At the UCD Bowl we have 'The Next Best Thing', come watch the stars of the future. And UCD always play it on the deck like it's supposed to be played, even when we don't.
Because it's normal to want the best or best available. There seems to be resentment towards fans who chose an already big or successful club, whether here or abroad. Or towards fans who didn't travel on a paticularly ardous away trip. I don't use the terms 'bandwagon jumper' or 'barstooler' in a derogatory sense but I appreciate that outside of Dublin some LoI fans' adversarial relationship with some other Football fans they consider 'barsytoolers'. Fans should also be attracted to what suits them, in the past on the Radio I've heard celebratory LoI fans say they were great LoI fans 'cos they watched their team play Kilkenny in the rain. (As if it was Kilkenny's fault!). Standing in the rain isn't for everyone and presenting LoI as a 'chore' or 'hardship' turns most sane people off.
There are other fans who are attracted to a Stadium because they believe it is outside the law and they can say and do what they like. "We have a right to Abuse". Generously, I give these fans three years of regular football to grow up. For some it takes alot longer, especially when maturity has been stunted by excessive MB use. I know LoI fans in their thirties who still start fights and abuse women inside stadiums. They start on women because they are cowards.
On a separate issue. There's also an alarming situtation developing in Cork, there are these FORAS Gumpers. Apart from believing life is like a box of chocolates, they believe that their football club is a Pagent catwalk and they are the ones who are going to chose the winner and they will chose who they wish to work with and who they won't. No hint of uglyness, no stain just beautiful people allowed.
