The Republican Party

In today's Fiver from the Guardian:

"This one's brilliant: Irish TD (that's Member of Parliament to you) Barry Andrews has declared that profits are now clearly ahead of sport at Man Utd and it would be unacceptable if Irish parents are under pressure to pay for increased ticket prices and even more merchandising. "I fear that if ticket prices were to increase, this form of entertainment will once more be denied," said the Fianna Fail politician from the city that's home to League of Ireland sides Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne, St Patrick's Athletic, Dublin City, UCD and Bohemians."
http://football.guardian.co.uk/fiver...415657,00.html

Speechless is what I am, speechless ....

Yeah, it is pretty bad. Obviously he turns his nose up at eircom League football, disgraceful. :mad:

To add insult to injury it's them ridiculing him and not us. What does he mean by once more denied? When was it ever?

Ironic that it takes a British newspaper to point that out (though it probably came from an honest Irish hack).

You can tell him what you think here

This should also be duplicated on every club forum. I'll do gypsies-web.

Ha! What a fool. Just e-mailed him his quote followed by me asking him 'WHY?'.
Shows the ignorance towards our league from our leaders though. I'm sure Bertie's even more devastated...

Just emailed him myself there - won't be holding my breath waiting on a response though

When i e-mailed a TD before, i got the usual automated shíte. Still, hopefully if he gets enough he may think before talking shít next time.

One thing about up here, I regularly see Martin McGuinness, Pat Ramsey, Mary Bradley, Peter Anderson, Jim Clifford (SF & SDLP representatives) at the Brandywell.....although they have done feck all to highlight our stadium plight into the matter.

Fecking plastic Premiership fans are my pet hate and their 'Irish promoters'.

Ive added this to our BPSC forum.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dortie

One thing about up here, I regularly see Martin McGuinness, Pat Ramsey, Mary Bradley, Peter Anderson, Jim Clifford (SF & SDLP representatives) at the Brandywell.....although they have done feck all to highlight our stadium plight into the matter.

Fecking plastic Premiership fans are my pet hate and their 'Irish promoters'.

Ive added this to our BPSC forum.

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Well done. I think Mr Andrews' contact details warrant stickie status on every football forum in the country.
Not that he's going to be too pushed about your vote for a few decades yet ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BohDiddley

Not that he's going to be too pushed about your vote for a few decades yet ;)

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Ack, constitutional and non-constitutional republicans will see to it quicker than you think lad, and i dont mean the type in the 26 counties ;)

I've sent him this email. Wonder will I get a response?
********************************************
Mr. Andrews,
According to The Guardian, you seem extremely worried about tickets prices to football games involving a club in a different country. While I realise that the leader of your party is just one of the many who are obsessed with the minutiae of the "Red Devils", do you not think that the financial decisions of a business owned by private shareholders, and based in England, is outside your remit as a TD?
If you are actually worried about the expense to parents of having to pay for their, and their offspring's, travel to watch football at Man Utd. PLC, maybe you could do them a favour and point out the advantages of watching football here at home. In your own city, there are 6 clubs who provide "entertainment" in the form of professional football. Bohemians, Dublin City, Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne, St Patrick's Athletic and UCD, are all clubs based in Dublin, whose games can be seen easily and cheaply. Bus travel to a game and entrance fee would be well under €20 for children, thus dramatically reducing the financial burden and stress on their parents.
Indeed, you might even point out to your leader that a whole professional league exists in this country, as I'm sure that such a sports mad fan such as himself will be only delighted to learn that we have our very own football league here at home. Maybe you could point out to him that Tolka Park is very near his constituency office, and that Dalymount, Inchicore and Belfield are not to far away either. Maybe the two of you could even find your way to one of these grounds and see that we have clubs that do not charge the earth for games, merchandise or entertainment, have links with local communities, and encourage youngsters to join up and play.
It also might interest you to know that very recently, an all Ireland competition was run off very successfully between teams from leagues in the North and South, a very worthwhile exercise involving teams representing both traditions on this island.
So, if you will excuse me, here is a little suggestion for an ambitious and concerned politician such as yourself.
Encourage parents to send their children to local football games. Our own clubs try to promote their local communities, give opportunities for healthy living by organising local football teams for all ages, foster cross-border relationships by their ties to clubs in Northern Ireland, and are a local team that children can identify with and support as their own.
I'm sure you will agree that these would set a much better example to our children than simply preparing them to spend weekends in pubs watching English clubs play on television.
Thank you for your attention,
Patrick Shine.
(A supporter of Cork City FC.)

Superb letter Patsh. I hope you get a response, and look forward to seeing it myself !

I'm going to fire a mail off to him as well.

Would be good if anyone who is in his constituency wrote to him and pointed out that they are a potential voter as well.

Got this response. Doesn't really address any of the issues I raised. He seems to miss the point that the very idea that parents should feel "pressure" because of "the corporatisation of English football" is utterly ludicrous.

Guess when you "follow" UCD..............;)
************************************************** ***

Dear Patrick
I have received emails from a number of people this morning about this
issue. As it happens I am a follower of (though not a regular attender at)
UCD, a former programme seller at Glenmalure Park for Shamrock Rovers, a
former coach of Granada FC in the South Dublin Football league, a current
player for Blackrock College over 35s in the AUL and a former player for
Portobello in the UCL.
However I am at liberty to comment on all matters in public life including
the expense and pressure that parents face arising from the corporatisation
of English football.
I hope this clarifies the matter.
Kind regards
Barry Andrews TD

Quote:

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Originally Posted by patsh

************************************************** ***

Dear Patrick
I have received emails from a number of people this morning about this
issue. As it happens I am a follower of (though not a regular attender at)
UCD, a former programme seller at Glenmalure Park for Shamrock Rovers, a
former coach of Granada FC in the South Dublin Football league, a current
player for Blackrock College over 35s in the AUL and a former player for
Portobello in the UCL.
However I am at liberty to comment on all matters in public life including
the expense and pressure that parents face arising from the corporatisation
of English football.
I hope this clarifies the matter.
Kind regards
Barry Andrews TD

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I hate replies when people just list bóllocks they did about 50 years ago. I still can't see how it concerns him-it's a different country ffs! You don't see him commenting on German or Spanish soccer! I recieved a similar one, just without the long list of crap.

I sent off a complaint too,
If I get a similar response back, i'll be sending another one :rolleyes:

And I replied back with the following: (I really must do some work soon!)

************************************************** ****
Dear Mr. Andrews,
Thank you for your swift reply. It's nice to know that you have had such a long career and interest in football.
However, surely it must strike you that the very fact that Irish parents feel such pressure and have to go to huge expense because of the "corporatisation" of English football is utterly ludicrous?
If you feel that it is a situation serious enough to speak out on, then surely it's an issue for which you might offer some solution, rather than mere comment. Will you soon be making a speech condemning the practice where the tax-payer funded, national broadcaster of this country endlessly hypes the Premiership, thus contributing greatly to this parental pressure to continue to fund English football?
A speech or campaign offering alternatives to this situation could achieve so much. You could offer the solution of the much healthier and cheaper alternative of supporting your local team at a ground in the open air, which would have the following benefits:

• Adding greatly to the health of our young people and the nation
• A decrease in alcohol consumption
• An injection of funds into a business which continues to gainfully employ many of our young boys so cruelly cast aside by the "corporate" entities of English football
• Less "peer" pressure and financial stress on parents.

I'm sure you will agree with me that these benefits are a worthwhile goal, and wouldn't do any harm to your continued electoral success either!

Yours sincerely,

Got the same reply.

Will ask him if he issued a press release asking people to support Shamrock Rovers in their current financial difficulties.

Got the same reply, sent him this back....

Mr. Andrews,

With respect, at no point did I question your right to comment on any matter of public life.

My concern was your suggestion that the only entertaining football experience available to an Irish Person lies across the Irish sea. Your response, rather than clarifying the matter, has left me even more confused. Surely a man with the experience in domestic football that you claim should be all too well aware of the battle clubs like your own UCD face in attracting new supporters and the negative image comments like yours cast.

As a former programme seller at Shamrock rovers you can't have missed the plight that the club currently faces and how the negative aspects of the situation are dealt with in the media with more interest than the positive aspects have ever been.

Your comments have given the British press and the Irish Public at large the opportunity to demean our league and those involved in it and you should apologise.

I got this, 2nd, reply:

*************************************************
fair point
*************************************************

Thats it in it's entirety, and so ends my brief relationship with Barry Andrews!.....:p

Quote:

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As it happens I am a follower of (though not a regular attender at)
UCD, a former programme seller at Glenmalure Park for Shamrock Rovers, a
former coach of Granada FC in the South Dublin Football league, a current
player for Blackrock College over 35s in the AUL and a former player for
Portobello in the UCL.

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So this means he went to 1 UCD game, sold programmes for Rovers when a kid, helped drive kids to traing for Granada (are they a tv company?), plays 5 a side with the lads & played with a pub team. Hes just great although all those matters are of no concern.

:rolleyes:

I don't think matters what he says about Man United just hilarious that is a foreign newspaper that making fun of him...