I've lost faith in Ireland.

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16/11/2009, 5:29 PM
Acornvilla

Quote:

Originally Posted by sligofan4ever

People follow English teams and not Irish clubs because they see it as a more attractive league and more attractive football. If you ask certain people if they're going to e.g the Rovers game on Saturday, they'll say no, if you ask why they'll most likely reply with 'because its sh!te'. I love watching Sligo Rovers, over the last 2 seasons we've been lucky to see some very attractive style of football, id been following Rovers beforehand, the atmosphere of being at a game rather than sitting on your hole at home watching a game between 2 teams who you'll probably never go to see at a game either is what does it for me! I also wouldn't be surprised there are die hard football fans in this country who live within a stone throw of their local LoI ground, but would sooner go see a team in England, i'd say people here have met these kind of people.

that would be 99% of people i know from limerick, longford and athlone
:(
16/11/2009, 7:02 PM
thischarmingman

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murfinator

I do agree though that people who support Man United, Liverpool or Celtic because they feel they have some sort of affinity with this country are idiots.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murfinator

I can also understand why someone would rather watch the game played at its finest and support a side like Barca. It's personal preference and I don't think the guy who chooses Bray or Barca should be condemned for their decision, what I don't like is this negative portrayal of people who would choose to support Barca as "bad fans" or people who don't have a clue about the game or whatever.

Seriously...what?
16/11/2009, 7:21 PM
John83

Quote:

Originally Posted by thischarmingman

Seriously...what?

You and Pineapple Stu both expressed incredulity at this part of this post. I don't understand.

On one had he says that supporting, e.g. Liverpool because they're somehow Irish is silly. On the other, he says that supporting, e.g. Barca because they play nice football is understandable. There's nothing shocking or contradictory in what he's posted.
16/11/2009, 8:00 PM
thischarmingman

Quote:

Originally Posted by John83

You and Pineapple Stu both expressed incredulity at this part of this post. I don't understand.

On one had he says that supporting, e.g. Liverpool because they're somehow Irish is silly. On the other, he says that supporting, e.g. Barca because they play nice football is understandable. There's nothing shocking or contradictory in what he's posted.

It's this fetishism of Barcelona. It's just get another cop-out. Yes, they're a great team with a great tradition, but why is supporting Barcelona considered a more noble thing than supporting Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal? Why do people who say they support Barcelona get an easy ride, but those who claim to support Liverpool don't? You can admire them by all means, but saying you are a supporter of Barcelona rather than a supporter of Bray because of the way they play is so fundamentally missing the point of being a football fan it's ridiculous.

Also, I don't see Barcelona winning the Spanish League or the European Cup each season; if you are one of these cultured 'followers' of football does this mean that you change allegience year on year depending on who's playing the best football? Or match on match? And it obviously follows that you support Brazil or Argentina at the World Cup even if Ireland are there?

It's seen as 'cool' to support Barcelona so its just yet another easy excuse for people not to support Irish teams. If you seriously think watching Barcelona on TV because they happen to play an attractive style of football is football support you are very much deluded.

Not to mention the fact that plenty of Irish people support EPL clubs and don't purport to choosing them because of any Irish affinity, real or imagined. They might fall back on it now and again if pushed, but many, many more Irish people support foreign teams because it's far easier to sit at the bar watching West Ham United players running in slow motion to Carmina Burana than it is to go to their local grounds, rather than because of any Irish affinity.
16/11/2009, 8:21 PM
dcfcsteve

No-one ever sees the irony in, on the one hand, bemoaning that people support English football over the Irish game - and then on the other hand, arguing in favour of people 'supporting'/using the English language over the Irish version.

After all, the arguements often trotted out for not speaking the Irish language, and the sentiments behind them, are in many ways similar or identical to those for not supporting Irish football.

Quote:

Originally Posted by John83

I grew up speaking this language. It's mine now as much as it's an American's or a New Zealander's. The fact that my mother's grandfather spoke only broken English doesn't make Irish my tongue any more than her maiden name being Power makes me French.

"I grew-up supporting Man United. It's my team now as much as it is someone from Singapore or Surrey's. The fact that my grandfather supported only Drumcondra doesn't make the League of Ireland my league any more than him driving a Toyota makes me Japanese".

So you're from a long line of non-Irish speakers then. Well what about the tens of thousands of people in Ireland who are second, third, or even fourth generation supporters of English football teams ? By your logic - the English league is their football league, not the LOI. So why is it fairgame for them to ignore the Irish language, but they can be belittled and bemoaned for not opting for thr Irish option in something as trivial as football ? And anyway, don't you get it - Celtic and Manchester United ARE Irish....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Straightstory

There's a hell of a lot more to being Irish than speaking a language that, for all intents and purposes, died out a hundred years ago. In fact, the state/official obsession with this dead language to the detriment of other aspects of Irish culture is one of the great frustrations and irritations of Irish life. One thing the Irish language certainly is NOT is 'our native tongue'. Our native tongue - by definition the language we all grow up speaking naturally - is, whether you like it or not (and you seemingly don't), English.

So the Irish language "for all intents and purposes, died out a hundred years ago" ? Well one could easily argue that Irish domestic footall 'for all intents and purposes, died out three to four decades ago'. The league has been seriously on the skids since the early 1980's, and was on a downward trajectory for a period prior to that. So what's with the obsession of you and people on hre ewith this dead league ? Surely that's to the detriment of other aspects of Irish sporting life and culture, and one of the great frustrations and irritations of Irish life ?

And one thing the League of Ireland certainly is NOT is our domestic league. Our domestic league - by definition the league we all grow up supporting - is, whether you like it or not (and seemingly you won't) the English and/or Scottish leagues.

Are we getting the irony of being an LOI'gor whilst at the same time turning your nose up at the Irish language ? It's the same principle - resorting for something non-indigenous because the home-grown version is perceived as largely dead, irrelevant, boring, backward, unfashionable, out-dated, and of little value etc. Both the LOI and the Irish language are viewed as irrelevant fringe activities by most of Irish society - ironically at the same time by people on either side of the fringe activities. The same mentality that sneers at one is usually found behind the sneers towards the other.

:ball:
16/11/2009, 8:34 PM
thischarmingman

Quote:

Originally Posted by PartySaint

You think thats bad, I heard a group of lads in Ireland jerseys singing a United song on the way to Croker the other night

In Derry I remember seeing a fight break out between to rival gangs of Liverpool and Manchester United 'fans.' In. Derry.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

I agree with this.

We're like a junkie or a manic depressive coming down off a high.

That reminds me of Terry Eagleton's description of Ireland during the boom as being akin to "a toilet attendant who has just won the lottery."

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

The fact that we're all having this conversation in the English language, and most of us would be incapable of doing it in our native tongue 88yrs after most of the country became 'independent', says it all really.

I agreed with John:

Quote:

Originally Posted by John83

I grew up speaking this language. It's mine now as much as it's an American's or a New Zealander's.

As a nation, we've done pretty well with it, don't you think? Joyce, Beckett, Yeats, Heaney, Banville, Doyle, Stoker, Swift, Moore, Synge, Lewis, Wilde, Maturin...among others- surely we can claim it as 'our' language as much as anyone else's?
16/11/2009, 8:38 PM
dcfcsteve

Quote:

Originally Posted by thischarmingman

As a nation, we've done pretty well with it, don't you think? Joyce, Beckett, Yeats, Heaney, Banville, Doyle, Stoker, Swift, Moore, Synge, Lewis, Wilde, Maturin...among others- surely we can claim it as 'our' language as much as anyone else's?

As a nation we've done pretty well with the English League, don't you think ? Brady, Stapleton, O'Leary, Quinn, O'Shea, Keane, Givens, ... among others- surely we can claim the English League as "our" league as much as anyone else's....?
16/11/2009, 8:58 PM
Paddyfield

I witnessed a conversation between an Irish woman and a Russian barman in a pub in Salthill, just 3 weeks ago.

The Russian guy said when he came to Ireland, he would continue to play and support football. Injury (and age?) curtailed his playing days but he decided to jump on the bandwagon and support the club that is the best supported in Ireland. No, not Shamrock Rovers, Derry City or Cork City. Not even Galway United, even though he lives within a few KMs of the home stadium.

He supports Man Utd. He is fanatical about them. He didn't support them before he came to Ireland.

I don't know why but I was embarrassed for him and for myself as a fan of an Irish football club.
16/11/2009, 8:59 PM
peadar1987

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murfinator

The LOI is an embarrassment, simple as. They're run poorly, clubs fold every season, the best players can't wait to jump ship and run to some mediocre championship team, the style of play is defensive, boring and horrible to watch. There's simply no pride in supporting a LOI club and its unfair to expect people to support them out of compulsion because of where they live.

Football isn't about something that is nice to watch. If you want to look at something spectacular and impressive, look up videos of parkour on youtube. Football is a tribal sport. I get infinite amounts more pleasure watching Bray or Stoke score the scrappiest goal in the world than I do watchin Lionel Messi beat 3 Albacete players before firing one into the top corner from 30 yards. It's a natural thing to want something you can legitimately associate yourself with to flourish, and it's hardwired into our brains by evolution from the days we were competing with Neanderthals for wooly mammoths to eat. Not many people who have arbitrarily adopted an English club, or a continental club, simply because they play "nice football" will ever experience the highs and lows I've felt in the Carlisle or the Britannia over the years. That's why people support, and I mean properly support, football teams, not just because they want to look at something pretty and intricate on the TV for an hour and a half every Saturday afternoon.

And despite what happened tonight, I still have immense pride in my club and my town. And we will be back.
16/11/2009, 9:00 PM
John83

Two interesting replies, and I wish I had the time to debate these, but the building's about to be locked here, so I'll be very brief.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thischarmingman

... supporting Barcelona considered a more noble thing than supporting Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal? ...

In my opinion, football supporters, those of us who go to watch our local (and national) team play, who support them independent of merit or success, don't have a monopoly on football. The peak of the game, technically, can be aesthetically amazing at times. I can appreciate the game from this perspective too. From this point of view, I can admire the ethos in Barcelona which will see a back pass to the keeper booed, or a successful manager sacked because his style of play wasn't acceptable. I can admire Ferguson's Man Utd teams for an athletic attacking style, Wenger's Arsenal for an emphasis on short passing, technical play, a great defence like Italy's was a few years ago (it's still very good, but Nesta, Cannavarro and Maldini at their peaks made for a hell of a back line a few years ago). I'm okay with someone being a fan of the game in this sense.

People who support an English team though are the worst of both worlds. They ape the supporters of local clubs, but they're missing the point. I don't care if your grandad and your dad supported England for some ill-conceived reason, you're Irish and you support Ireland.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

No-one ever sees the irony in, on the one hand, bemoaning that people support English football over the Irish game - and then on the other hand, arguing in favour of people 'supporting'/using the English language over the Irish version.

I think the comparison is facile. I can stop going to UCD games, stop going to Ireland games, stop buying jerseys, watching games on TV, playing the sport (badly) - never think twice about it. Maybe you think you're too big a Derry fan to do that. But you're thinking it in English.
16/11/2009, 9:01 PM
peadar1987

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

No-one ever sees the irony in, on the one hand, bemoaning that people support English football over the Irish game - and then on the other hand, arguing in favour of people 'supporting'/using the English language over the Irish version.

After all, the arguements often trotted out for not speaking the Irish language, and the sentiments behind them, are in many ways similar or identical to those for not supporting Irish football.

I see where you're coming from, but it's not as if all those people who have no interest in Irish are off learning Basque at the weekend, and claiming it is a much better language.
16/11/2009, 9:12 PM
Acornvilla

Quote:

Originally Posted by peadar1987

Football isn't about something that is nice to watch. If you want to look at something spectacular and impressive, look up videos of parkour on youtube. Football is a tribal sport. I get infinite amounts more pleasure watching Bray or Stoke score the scrappiest goal in the world than I do watchin Lionel Messi beat 3 Albacete players before firing one into the top corner from 30 yards. It's a natural thing to want something you can legitimately associate yourself with to flourish, and it's hardwired into our brains by evolution from the days we were competing with Neanderthals for wooly mammoths to eat. Not many people who have arbitrarily adopted an English club, or a continental club, simply because they play "nice football" will ever experience the highs and lows I've felt in the Carlisle or the Britannia over the years. That's why people support, and I mean properly support, football teams, not just because they want to look at something pretty and intricate on the TV for an hour and a half every Saturday afternoon.

And despite what happened tonight, I still have immense pride in my club and my town. And we will be back.

yea we just cant get rid of you shower :D hope ye do well next year
16/11/2009, 9:32 PM
dcfcsteve

Quote:

Originally Posted by peadar1987

I see where you're coming from, but it's not as if all those people who have no interest in Irish are off learning Basque at the weekend, and claiming it is a much better language.

No - but they learn and grow up surrounded by and immersed in the English language. In Ireland.

Just like they grow up surrounded by and immersed in English football. In Ireland.

Why is one so unacceptable to everyone on here, but not the other ?
16/11/2009, 9:33 PM
Rovers1

Quote:

Originally Posted by peadar1987

Needless to say, she was of a contrary opinion, so he ended the argument by saying she wouldn't understand, as she probably was a protestant!?!

It's a common problem we have. We don't beleve in round-abouts either.
16/11/2009, 9:40 PM
Acornvilla

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rovers1

It's a common problem we have. We don't beleve in round-abouts either.

haha thanks for that :)
16/11/2009, 9:41 PM
dcfcsteve

Quote:

Originally Posted by John83

I think the comparison is facile. I can stop going to UCD games, stop going to Ireland games, stop buying jerseys, watching games on TV, playing the sport (badly) - never think twice about it. Maybe you think you're too big a Derry fan to do that. But you're thinking it in English.

Not facile at all, as the same sentiment and mentality rests behind approaches to both 'our' league and 'our' language.

You choose to follow Irish football. So few other Irish people do so that if you want to discuss Irish footbal with other supporters, you generally have to make a bit of an effort (i.e. your work-place/school/college/street/whatever won't be wall-to-wall with fellow Irish football followers).

Likewise, you could learn Irish and similarly chose to use that when you could/wanted to. Though invariably the search for another Irish speaker to converse with in Ireland would be no different a numerically challenging experience than the search for another LOI supporter. (Actually - you're probably more like to find a fellow Irish speaker... :eek:). And just like people would sneer at you for being an LOI supporter, the same mentality would drive them to sneer at you for being an Irish speaker.

And someone who speaks Irish doesn't have to think in English - regardless of what they buy.
17/11/2009, 7:26 AM
rerun

Quote:

Originally Posted by twoenz

Where are you going in Germany?

Apparently the football is better there, LOI is rubbish... ;)
17/11/2009, 9:38 AM
pineapple stu

Quote:

Originally Posted by peadar1987

Football isn't about something that is nice to watch.

Whole post endorsed 100%.

One point Murfinator made earlier is that the LoI is boring because it has a low goals-per-game ratio compared to the rest of Europe. I don't have time to check that stat out, but in any case, it's irrelevant. If goals-per-game makes entertainment, the UCD Superleague would be selling out to thousands every game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by John83

In my opinion, football supporters, those of us who go to watch our local (and national) team play, who support them independent of merit or success, don't have a monopoly on football. The peak of the game, technically, can be aesthetically amazing at times. I can appreciate the game from this perspective too[...]I'm okay with someone being a fan of the game in this sense.

Absolutely. But Murfinator's point was that -

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murfinator

I can also understand why someone would rather watch the game played at its finest and support a side like Barca.

(My emphasis)

There's a difference between being "a fan of the game in this sense" and being a supporter. I'm a fan of Barca's play, but I wouldn't consider myself a Barca supporter. The Espanyol v Villerreal I (and you) saw last year is by far the best game technically I've ever been at, but it pales in comparison with UCD pummeling Longford to win with two late goals.

For right or wrong, whenever I read Murfinator's posts, all I can think of is that appalling Sky Sports (I think?) ad where the taxi-driver tries to come across really knowledgeable on football just by trotting out random stats they picked up from Sky Sports during the week.
17/11/2009, 10:11 AM
GypsyBlackCat

I said it on here before, we not a football loving nation, we're a glory hunting nation.

Look at the amount of people in Ireland who follow the big four. Not many would follow lesser English clubs. How many Chelsea shirts do you see now. How many did you see in the mid-eighties? Remember post 1992 when nearly eveyone had a Newcastle jersey. Where have they all gone? Same with Sunderland. Although its more of a exception than rule with Sunderland!

My mates in Sunderland don't understand why people in Ireland don't follow LOI. It seems natural to follow your local club. Most of them would follow Blyth Spartans or Durham City as well as Sunderland. Plus the season runs opposite to the EPL we've the best of both worlds.
17/11/2009, 10:54 AM
BohDiddley

Why should it be either/or? It isn't for most.

ManU and Liverpool replica shirts are a common sight at any LoI ground. It's not realistic to expect people raised on EPL and MOTD before it to abandon British football. It may be possible to persuade them that their own national league is also worth supporting.
17/11/2009, 11:06 AM
marinobohs

Quote:

Originally Posted by BohDiddley

Why should it be either/or? It isn't for most.

ManU and Liverpool replica shirts are a common sight at any LoI ground. It's not realistic to expect people raised on EPL and MOTD before it to abandon British football. It may be possible to persuade them that their own national league is also worth supporting.

Totally agree, as long as LOI seeks to "compete" with EPL we will lose. better to remind them they are football fans and so having an Irish AND English team is twice as good :) LOI and EPL should be made complimentary and not competing. Telling "fans" they should give up Man U/Liverpool etc and support a local team is not going to generate much interest in the LOI unfortunately and may chase off potential customers. Get them to go to a few games and the addiction kicks in........ ;)
17/11/2009, 11:10 AM
Macy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hairy Bowsie

No it's not, but it is another nice handy excuse for them to use.

I just thought it might as well be me that post the feeble excuse than some randomer trying to justify themselves. People will try and justity why they ignore irish football - best to ignore them (it's them that's missing out) and enjoy what we've got.
17/11/2009, 12:11 PM
peadar1987

Quote:

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

One point Murfinator made earlier is that the LoI is boring because it has a low goals-per-game ratio compared to the rest of Europe. I don't have time to check that stat out, but in any case, it's irrelevant. If goals-per-game makes entertainment, the UCD Superleague would be selling out to thousands every game.

Here are the statistics from the most recently completed seasons of major European leagues:

Bundesliga: 2.92 goals/game
La Liga: 2.897 goals/game
Evedivisie: 2.84 goals/game
Norwegian Premier: 2.77 goals/game
Danish Superliga: 2.75 goals/game
Swedish Allsvenskan: 2.65 goals/game
Serie A: 2.6 goals/game
Turkish Super League: 2.57 goals/game
Premier League: 2.48 goals/game
Football League Championship: 2.44 goals/game
SPL: 2.4 goals/game
Russian Premier League: 2.4 goals/game
League of Ireland 2009: 2.32 goals/game
Ligue 1: 2.26 goals/game
League of Ireland 2008: 2.22 goals/game
Super League Greece: 2.15 goals/game
Portuguese Liga: 1.15 goals/game

Okay, so the LOI is towards the bottom of the list, but come on! Look at the two major leagues people choose to follow instead, the SPL and the EPL. If you watched 10 EPL games instead of 10 LOI games, you would probably have seen one extra goal in 15 hours of football! Even less if you chose to watch the Scottish league.
17/11/2009, 12:14 PM
peadar1987

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macy

I just thought it might as well be me that post the feeble excuse than some randomer trying to justify themselves. People will try and justity why they ignore irish football - best to ignore them (it's them that's missing out) and enjoy what we've got.

A fair point, but I'd prefer to enjoy what we've got, and be fairly certain it will all still be around in 12 months time!
17/11/2009, 1:01 PM
Riddickcule

I get a fair bit of stick for supporting Bray,

For a while though there was a big "fad" about going to Bray games, when they were doing well of course, mid-table those times , good times, lol
Anyway when our form dipped and never picked back up ppl stopped going to games, they ask me "You still going to Bray games" i say yeah why don't you anymore?
"Well, coz they're **** now arn't they?" "Why would you go now i'd rather be shot"

Bandwagoners of the highest order, i tell you, if we made the Cup Final, then say we won it and got into europe, the amount of bandwagoners we'd have is unthinkable, all of a sudden this "buzz" will be back in the town!

Every item would be bought the scarves, shirts etc.

Once we're done in europe, 70% of those ppl would never set foot in the Carlise again.
17/11/2009, 1:08 PM
Macy

Quote:

Originally Posted by peadar1987

A fair point, but I'd prefer to enjoy what we've got, and be fairly certain it will all still be around in 12 months time!

It will, and it won't have anything to do with the knobs that write the league off if it isn't.
17/11/2009, 1:27 PM
John83

Quote:

Originally Posted by peadar1987

...Norwegian Premier: 2.77 goals/game
...Premier League: 2.48 goals/game
...League of Ireland 2009: 2.32 goals/game

That's it, I'm becoming a Sandefjord fan. They even sound like where I'm from (Sandyford).
17/11/2009, 1:29 PM
endabob1

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riddickcule

I get a fair bit of stick for supporting Bray,

For a while though there was a big "fad" about going to Bray games, when they were doing well of course, mid-table those times , good times, lol
Anyway when our form dipped and never picked back up ppl stopped going to games, they ask me "You still going to Bray games" i say yeah why don't you anymore?
"Well, coz they're **** now arn't they?" "Why would you go now i'd rather be shot"

Bandwagoners of the highest order, i tell you, if we made the Cup Final, then say we won it and got into europe, the amount of bandwagoners we'd have is unthinkable, all of a sudden this "buzz" will be back in the town!

Every item would be bought the scarves, shirts etc.

Once we're done in europe, 70% of those ppl would never set foot in the Carlise again.

Hardly unique to Bray or indeed Ireland, despite what many fans think.

Northampton average about 6k for their home games but took something like 30k to Wembley a few years ago or the auto-windscreen thingy final.
I know people who went who wouldn't have seen the inside of sixfields but they were there with their scarves and jerseys..
17/11/2009, 1:36 PM
davidatrb

I think that I have given the League of Ireland a fair crack. But now my team is gone so I'm back to supporting Man Utd. Now I really enjoyed following Kildare around for years but I wouldn't blame anyone for not supporting LOI.

A. Not everyone has a "local" team. 22 teams in the league, 6 from dublin, 3 from galway and 2 from louth - means that only 14 of the 27 counties (including County Derry!) have an LOI team. So I understand how for a large proportion of the population, supporting an LOI team was never an option.

B. The clubs are being run poorly. Since I began supporting the League Kildare County, Kilkenny City, Dublin City and Cobh Ramblers have dropped out. Shels, Derry have almost gone bust and have been demoted. Cork, Drogheda have gone into administration. Limerick FC were refused a license and so kicked out too, coming back as Limerick 37. Shamrock Rovers were decucted 10 points and hence relegated for financial irregularities. I can understand that people who did follow a club don't any more because of the actions of their board or because of the fact their team just does not exist any more.

C. Lack of anything in the media about the LOI. Every kid knows about the English League by the time they are 5. Probably takes another 5 years before they hear about the LOI. Shows like MNS are good and Sacar Beo and LOI live, but will take at least a decade of media exposure for shows like this to make any impact on attendances I would imagine.

D. Facilities.

Like people have said there is no reason why people can't support both an LOI team AND a premiership team. There are many valid reason why ppl prefer not to attend LOI games and ppl should be respected for whatever choices they make. I've always found it very disrespectful on here how ppl go off at "barstoolers".
17/11/2009, 1:37 PM
pineapple stu

Quote:

Originally Posted by John83

That's it, I'm becoming a Sandefjord fan. They even sound like where I'm from (Sandyford).

And their manager's Irish. What more do you want?
17/11/2009, 1:47 PM
PartySaint

Quote:

Originally Posted by thischarmingman

In Derry I remember seeing a fight break out between to rival gangs of Liverpool and Manchester United 'fans.' In. Derry.

You win this round

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paddyfield

I witnessed a conversation between an Irish woman and a Russian barman in a pub in Salthill, just 3 weeks ago.
.

When he started talking to a woman about football you should have known the conversation was going anywhere interesting
17/11/2009, 1:52 PM
Magicme

If I move to Beligum I will support La Magie Mons RAEC Mons
17/11/2009, 1:53 PM
Magicme

Quote:

Originally Posted by PartySaint

When he started talking to a woman about football you should have known the conversation was going anywhere interesting

Oi, why is there not a "kick up the butt" smilie when you need one?
17/11/2009, 2:11 PM
peadar1987

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidatrb

I think that I have given the League of Ireland a fair crack. But now my team is gone so I'm back to supporting Man Utd. Now I really enjoyed following Kildare around for years but I wouldn't blame anyone for not supporting LOI.

A. Not everyone has a "local" team. 22 teams in the league, 6 from dublin, 3 from galway and 2 from louth - means that only 14 of the 27 counties (including County Derry!) have an LOI team. So I understand how for a large proportion of the population, supporting an LOI team was never an option.

That's why I think the FAI should really be encouraging teams in places like Mullingar, Laois and Tipperary, who don't have a local team to support. And I don't have any problem with someone from Bantry not adopting Cork City as their team. My main problem is with people who live within a few miles of an LOI ground, and still choose to ignore the team that play there. Most of Dublin, Galway, Limerick etc. (I worked in Galway for a while at a watersports centre. I used to ask the kids if they supported United, then ask which one. Always Manchester. Except for one who was West Ham)

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidatrb

B. The clubs are being run poorly. Since I began supporting the League Kildare County, Kilkenny City, Dublin City and Cobh Ramblers have dropped out. Shels, Derry have almost gone bust and have been demoted. Cork, Drogheda have gone into administration. Limerick FC were refused a license and so kicked out too, coming back as Limerick 37. Shamrock Rovers were decucted 10 points and hence relegated for financial irregularities. I can understand that people who did follow a club don't any more because of the actions of their board or because of the fact their team just does not exist any more.

I can understand that. That's why the FAI need to show a bit of balls, and maybe make a joke of a season or two of the league, but ultimately stop it from being a joke in future. This topic has been discussed to death though

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidatrb

D. Facilities.

This is a poor excuse. The Carlisle is widely acknowledged as one of the worst grounds in the league, but the only things I would change as a supporter would be to build better toilet facilities, sort out the obstructions to the view (The floodlights, the dugout, and the roof supports in the Rehab Bingo Stand), and cover the away supporters for when it rains. If you're watching football, all you need is a seat to sit on and preferably something to keep the rain off you. Gourmet food and a big screen are pretty secondary to the whole matchday experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidatrb

Like people have said there is no reason why people can't support both an LOI team AND a premiership team. There are many valid reason why ppl prefer not to attend LOI games and ppl should be respected for whatever choices they make. I've always found it very disrespectful on here how ppl go off at "barstoolers".

I don't have any problem with someone following an English team. I support Stoke, because my Dad's from there. I've actually been following them longer than I've been following Bray. My problem is when they follow an English team, rationalising it with all sorts of daft excuses, or just acting like a complete onanist, like that fella from my course, instead of picking a team they actually have a real connection with.

Don't tell me it never annoyed you when people asked you "Kildare? Why would you want to support them", and you had to give the stock answer "Because I'm from Kildare", only to be greeted with a blank look of incredulity.

When people who are from Bray slag me because Bray lose, but "their" team Liverpool or Arsenal have won, I feel very tempted to cheer for France on Wednesday night, and when challenged say "Ireland? Why would I want to support them? They're ****"
17/11/2009, 2:23 PM
bennocelt

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidatrb

A. Not everyone has a "local" team. 22 teams in the league, 6 from dublin, 3 from galway and 2 from louth - means that only 14 of the 27 counties (including County Derry!) have an LOI team. So I understand how for a large proportion of the population, supporting an LOI team was never an option.

D. Facilities.

.

No team in my local area - but thats no excuse for me not to make the effort to support my league - the LOI. How is supporting a team in Manchester or Glasgow better than getting off your arse and on a bus/train and heading to a LOI game.

Facilities? Its the football I'm mostly interested in, not the standard of the toilets or if the stand has a cover, or the quality of the meat pies at half time?

But fair enuff -I guess you are still hurting over Kildare town!:p:)
17/11/2009, 2:36 PM
John83

Quote:

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

And their manager's Irish. What more do you want?

I'm sold. Where can I get a Sandefjord crest put on the site?
17/11/2009, 2:48 PM
WoodquayBoy

Quote:

Originally Posted by cavan_fan

Irish people dont support the Eircom League.

I'll join this debate late, and my contribution will be brief as the likes of PineappleStu, thischarmingman, Marinobohs and Peadar 1987 have said it all as far as I'm concenred.
Anyway, my point is this: none of us support the Eircom League anymore.
Get it right.
Thank you.
17/11/2009, 7:22 PM
SkStu

Quote:

Originally Posted by GypsyBlackCat

I said it on here before, we not a football loving nation, we're a glory hunting nation.

Look at the amount of people in Ireland who follow the big four. Not many would follow lesser English clubs. How many Chelsea shirts do you see now. How many did you see in the mid-eighties? Remember post 1992 when nearly eveyone had a Newcastle jersey. Where have they all gone? Same with Sunderland. Although its more of a exception than rule with Sunderland!

My mates in Sunderland don't understand why people in Ireland don't follow LOI. It seems natural to follow your local club. Most of them would follow Blyth Spartans or Durham City as well as Sunderland. Plus the season runs opposite to the EPL we've the best of both worlds.

it really is as simple as this. Ireland is not "sports mad", never has been and nver will. Unless there is glory by proxy we just dont want to know generally. I always thought i loved footie until i went to my first Bohs game against UCD and then i realised that what id had before was merely liking to watch the game on telly. Bohs was true love. Live football is where is at - and if you truly love football, you will want to watch it live no matter who is playing, no matter what the goal per game ratio is, no matter what the teams are.

Any other excuses is just bullsh!t masquerading as laziness being defended as consumerism.
17/11/2009, 7:41 PM
ArdeeBhoy

No matter what team you support, you should at least back your country.

Otherwise yer in danger of sounding like a couple of Irish players who play/played for PL clubs in Manchester who obviously would have preferred internationals never existed?

And the irony is, even though the most well-known one is capable of being a self-indulgent tw*t, he looks like Mother Teresa compared to the most recent example.

And the comments about Dublin & West Brits are laughable;Did some of you actually go to school? Or ever spent any time in O'Connell Street? Or know why it's the capital?

If you don't, get your parents or family to sue your local education board.....
17/11/2009, 8:01 PM
peadar1987

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

And the comments about Dublin & West Brits are laughable;Did some of you actually go to school? Or ever spent any time in O'Connell Street? Or know why it's the capital?

If you don't, get your parents or family to sue your local education board.....

Refresh my memory. Isn't it some sort of giant conspiracy against Cork?

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