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I find it weird reading through this thread where people say they don't support the national side. I just don't see how you can stop supporting your country. Does not compute!Quote:
Originally Posted by Strawberry
However, in saying that I completely agree with Strawberry re the atmosphere in for the last few years. Bar the Italian and French games at home the atmosphere has been seriously flat at most games.
The fact that the Irish football team does not represent me.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Much the same as roasters cant understand why I cheer on who ever is playing the Sligo Gah team, because it doesnt represent me.
Even though we are constantly bombarded with ****e that the Sligo Gah team does in fact represent me or the Irish Football does represent me, I disgaree.
theres a few on the Bohs board too who dont support the Irish team or are just ambivalent towards it. Dont get why myself. International football almost always gets the blood pumping. Im Irish and im Bohs. Though if it came down to Bohs v. Ireland, it would be Bohs.
I was at that and bar singin Ole Ole Ole before the game and then after goals what atmosphere was there? That was my last game becasue i thought if there isn't going to be an atmosphere at a game like that there never will so no point travelling up when i could watch it on tele with the same atmosphere at home.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
I went when the LOI singing section was formed when Brian Kerr took charge, within about 3 games the FAI took tickets off us for the Brazil friendly and it all collapsed from there, don't really follow the national team since then although Ill hop on the bandwagon if they qualify for something.
Besides Landsdowne is on the other side of the city to me and the standard of some of the other national teams is much higher, I dont see why I should support the team till they are winning world cups etc.
I support Ireland in theory. As a football fan I want my country to do well, and get into the games when watching on tele.
I'm a barstooler though. When I was at home the cost involved just wasn't worth it. Ridiculous ticket prices plus the travel costs, staying over in dublin etc. I'd get a City season ticket for the price of one Ireland game.
Because of the cost/distance I never made the connection to the Irish team as I did with City. They're still my country, I still support them and hope they do well but it's really not the same. With City it's a community, and the whiole club was/is a major part of my life. With Ireland, they're lads playing for my country but that's about it.
High Ticket prices and midweek games with no trains back to the likes of Longford just dont go well together.
I'm no singer at club or country games, but that's not my reason for going. It's to see the team win. That's the bottom line. Atmospheres don't win leagues, improve world rankings or qualify for tournaments, results do. So a good result is worth the expense imo.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Not saying you do, but some of those complaining about the distance and the cost probably have no problem with paying a few hundred Euro and set out for EPL club games 12 hours before ko every weekend, to watch them play. When we played at home in the days before Lansdowne discovered electricity, people shut businesses early and people traveled there in their thousands to watch us in front of sell-out crowds. And tickets were (relatively) expensive then too.Quote:
Originally Posted by micls
Doesn't mean we are any less IrishQuote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Quote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
More Irish then the team anyway.
Who said you were any less Irish?Quote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
I want them to win but don't "support" them.
There isn't the same feeling of affinity as there is with my club side.
I would go more often if I could bring the kids, get parking, and have change out of €100.
Really? Who? Doubt there's many on this thread anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by mypost
I'm a bit confused by this. People travel in their thousands now too, I'm ust not one of them as it's not worth the money imo.Quote:
Originally Posted by mypost
Somebody hit the nail on the head in that LOI fans were ****ed about by the FAI in the block-booking scheme. High prices, poor locations in ground, late posting out of tickets, cutting allocations and customer service that only Ryanair would be proud of. That was all well and good. The FAI could do that during the good times, but now that times are tough and they struggle to get crowds, people remember how they've been treated in the past. I went to the first match against Walse in Croke Park and it's the last Ireland match I've been to. To find bad seats in Croe Park is a difficult tasK, but the FAI managed it. The LOI fans was put in the back rows of the lower stand. It was like watching a football match through a letter box. I haven't been back..
People have no problem paying the money to the IRFU for their home internationals, (same seats, same stadium, same travel issues, more expense) as the team is relatively successful. They will be back quick when we start qualifying for tournaments again.Quote:
Originally Posted by SMorgan
Not any time soon so.Quote:
Originally Posted by mypost
The IRFU struggled to sell tickets since the AVIVA opened. I think they have had a max of three sell out games and poor crowds barr that. They where extremely overpriced though. A lot of people ended up getting free tickets to some Ireland matches to fill up some seats. The clubs returned thousands of tickets they couldn't sell.Quote:
Originally Posted by mypost
I agree though, make a tournament and all of a sudden everyone will want to go. That goes for every sport though.
And it goes hand in hand with the value for money thing. People don't feel like it's value for money to pay the current ticket prices for poor games, with no atmosphere. Were we to qualify, there'd be a buzz about the games, it'd feel like more of an event and people would feel like it's more worthy of spending the money on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jofspring
It's no different to league football, we might get 2k at a run of the mill game but if there's a final at the cross the tickets would sell out in a day or so.
I've been going to home games fairly solidly since I became a student. Living in Belfast at the time, it was fairly handy to head to the games, especially the Croke Park ones.
Back living in Derry now, and still get to most matches, though midweek games mean taking a half day in the afternoon and the next morning off work, so it's not ideal.
I can fully understand why people would give it a miss though, as the costs involved are high.
I usually drive down with 4 other Derry fans, so we share the petrol costs, but you're still talking about 55 to get to a game. It's a fair whack, especially if there's two matches on that week.
I wouldn't consider myself a big fan of the national team but I do find myself going to most Ireland home matches (despite the fact they they are horrendous to watch, I think like when a woman gives birth she supposedly forgets the pain and thats how they can go through it again, I forget how bad Ireland are to watch and keep going) I have friends who consider themselves big big fans but rarely go to games but I suppose thats an Irish thing
When Pats lose it can ruin a weekend/week but when Ireland lose i lose no sleep over it, Would like to see them qualify for a major tournament but doesn't really bother me if they don't