Rugby now more popular than football AND GAA?!

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Originally Posted by SilkCut

Don't read it then.

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I read every thread. And comment on most. Why not have a Jedward thread as you seem to be suggesting if its Irish and succesful then great. This thread is nonsense 2 days before a huge game for the Irish football team. This is a football thread not a Rubgy/Gaa thread. If you want to to comment on these games then go to the other games threads. Get this off the football thread. I don't care what ROG/POG have done/will do/have ever done. Not interested. If I was i would go on a Rugger/GAA specific site. Not waste my time on a (fan slipping!) football site.

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Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

I read every thread. And comment on most. Why not have a Jedward thread as you seem to be suggesting if its Irish and succesful then great. This thread is nonsense 2 days before a huge game for the Irish football team. This is a football thread not a Rubgy/Gaa thread. If you want to to comment on these games then go to the other games threads. Get this off the football thread. I don't care what ROG/POG have done/will do/have ever done. Not interested. If I was i would go on a Rugger/GAA specific site. Not waste my time on a (fan slipping!) football site.

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???????
What's Jedward?
Im Irish, If its Irish and its successful I am quite justifiably proud of it and consider it great.
How is discussing the popularity and structure of Football v's other sports not a football thread?
Are you God? Must everyone bend to your will and submit to your every desire? There has been quite a valid discussion about football on this thread, now I admit it appears to have gone off topic - helped by you incidently - but we all have a right to discuss the topic of the popularity of our favourite sport (football incidently) and the challenges it faces. There are plenty of threads relating to the France game on this forum, so please feel free to contribute something positive to those threads as opposed to wasting your time reading something which you find offensive and then contributing nothing. Alternatively help get the thread back on topic.

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Originally Posted by SilkCut

???????
What's Jedward?
Im Irish, If its Irish and its successful I am quite justifiably proud of it and consider it great.
How is discussing the popularity and structure of Football v's other sports not a football thread?
Are you God? Must everyone bend to your will and submit to your every desire? There has been quite a valid discussion about football on this thread, now I admit it appears to have gone off topic - helped by you incidently - but we all have a right to discuss the topic of the popularity of our favourite sport (football incidently) and the challenges it faces. There are plenty of threads relating to the France game on this forum, so please feel free to contribute something positive to those threads as opposed to wasting your time reading something which you find offensive and then contributing nothing. Alternatively help get the thread back on topic.

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Yes I am God. And I would like this Rugby thread moved. How about that. No water into wine or bread & fishes stuff.

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Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

Yes I am God. And I would like this Rugby thread moved. How about that. No water into wine or bread & fishes stuff.

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Best move it so. Don't want God spitting his dummy. Especially before the most important game in our history.

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Originally Posted by SilkCut

Best move it so. Don't want God spitting his dummy. Especially before the most important game in our history.

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Oggy, Oggy , Oggy. aye Aye aye. Ging gang gooly gooly gooly gooly ging gang. ging gang goo. Ging gang goo. I'm sorry Silkcut but there is something Stewie Griffin about Irish Rugby.

I dont give a sh*te if Brian O Driscoll arse is considered ****ing arse of the century I dont give a sh*t if some kid does not know his Zinedne Zidane from his Kevin Kilbane what we should all be worried about is how the **** we are going make Croke Park the noisiest and most colourful stadium the world will ever see at 8pm this Saturday.

I play Rugby used play GAA and Fooball too im into all sports im patrotic to the hilt in any sport. Thats me im a sportsman. But football has always been nationally my first love right with my county GAA team.

Anyway all I know is that there going be 80,000 of us in that stadium ready to sing cheer and do anything we can to make sure or boys can make it to the world cup

Let the fooking sugar daddys read there Irish times all they like we just concentrate on getting the job done not what some kid knows or does not know.

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Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

Oggy, Oggy , Oggy. aye Aye aye. Ging gang gooly gooly gooly gooly ging gang. ging gang goo. Ging gang goo. I'm sorry Silkcut but there is something Stewie Griffin about Irish Rugby.

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Ha Ha mate thats your opinion and you know what thats fine, I respect it, thats what these forums are for, this is why this is the only site I post on almost all posters are respectful and intelligent. Don't get me wrong Football is my favourite sport, so much so that I am flying home on Sunday in the hope of being in Paris on Wednesday. However living abroad makes one fiercely proud of being Irish, and everything the rugby teams have done justify that pride. It saddens me to think that people are so opposed to restructuring Irish, Scottish and Welsh football into something similar to the Magners League despite seeing how well it has worked for Rugby. It would never be La Liga or the Premier League but it has to be better than the shambolic leagues that currently exist, clubs with no money, young players having to move abroad, stadiums falling apart and now Derry being forced to pay secondary contracts to survive. Even Rangers (horrible as they are) look like they are in serious strife and the EPL have said no to allowing them and Celtic join their league. Something has to be done or the reality is that football in Ireland, Scotland and Wales will suffer irrepreble damage and Sports like Rugby will take its best players. All you have to do is look at Rugby League since Rugby went pro, its dying a slow painful death, I don't want that to happen to our domestic game (It will never happen globally). Thats the point of this thread IMO, to highlight an important change, and to get people talking about the changes required to save our beloved game in our own country.

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Originally Posted by Hibernian

I dont give a sh*te if Brian O Driscoll arse is considered ****ing arse of the century I dont give a sh*t if some kid does not know his Zinedne Zidane from his Kevin Kilbane what we should all be worried about is how the **** we are going make Croke Park the noisiest and most colourful stadium the world will ever see at 8pm this Saturday.

I play Rugby used play GAA and Fooball too im into all sports im patrotic to the hilt in any sport. Thats me im a sportsman. But football has always been nationally my first love right with my county GAA team.

Anyway all I know is that there going be 80,000 of us in that stadium ready to sing cheer and do anything we can to make sure or boys can make it to the world cup

Let the fooking sugar daddys read there Irish times all they like we just concentrate on getting the job done not what some kid knows or does not know.

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I played all three. And at a reasonably high level. But to have (not you who I respect Hibernian) people trying to suggest that rugby is the number one Irish sport is laughable. And by the way How many 'soccer' players suggested Irish people invest in bizarre schemes in Bulgaria, Dubai, etc. None I would guess.

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Originally Posted by SilkCut

Ha Ha mate thats your opinion and you know what thats fine, I respect it, thats what these forums are for, this is why this is the only site I post on almost all posters are respectful and intelligent. Don't get me wrong Football is my favourite sport, so much so that I am flying home on Sunday in the hope of being in Paris on Wednesday. However living abroad makes one fiercely proud of being Irish, and everything the rugby teams have done justify that pride. It saddens me to think that people are so opposed to restructuring Irish, Scottish and Welsh football into something similar to the Magners League despite seeing how well it has worked for Rugby. It would never be La Liga or the Premier League but it has to be better than the shambolic leagues that currently exist, clubs with no money, young players having to move abroad, stadiums falling apart and now Derry being forced to pay secondary contracts to survive. Even Rangers (horrible as they are) look like they are in serious strife and the EPL have said no to allowing them and Celtic join their league. Something has to be done or the reality is that football in Ireland, Scotland and Wales will suffer irrepreble damage and Sports like Rugby will take its best players. All you have to do is look at Rugby League since Rugby went pro, its dying a slow painful death, I don't want that to happen to our domestic game (It will never happen globally). Thats the point of this thread IMO, to highlight an important change, and to get people talking about the changes required to save our beloved game in our own country.

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Good Stuff Silkcut. I owe you a pint. And lets hope we have it in Durban!

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

Biggest load of crap I've read in a long time.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...all_ByMike.JPG

Here's 65,000 munster fans traveling abroad to watch their team.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...rugby_2006.jpg

And the ones that didnt....

"a few hundred hardy snobs" my arse.

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And there was me talking about International rugby. :o

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Originally Posted by mypost

And there was me talking about International rugby. :o

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ireland v australia rugby in croke park today ... 70,000 plus fans at match could have foo led me atmosphere is terrible ( sounds like stadium half full) even commetators have mentioned it 3-4 times the lack of support for team ... do the great /wonderfull fans only cheer / sing when they are winning... compared to atsmosphere last night when fans were magnificent backing an irish soccer team .. :p

atmosphere was class alright. Croker is a night stadium.

Never stopped singing.

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Originally Posted by paul_oshea

atmosphere was class alright. Croker is a night stadium.

Never stopped singing.

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Was very good last night and having watched the game back on tv as well, it did come across very well on tv. The anthem sounded unreal. Its just a shame we couldnt swap the results.

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Originally Posted by old git

ireland v australia rugby in croke park today ... 70,000 plus fans at match could have foo led me atmosphere is terrible ( sounds like stadium half full) even commetators have mentioned it 3-4 times the lack of support for team ... do the great /wonderfull fans only cheer / sing when they are winning... compared to atsmosphere last night when fans were magnificent backing an irish soccer team .. :p

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You could nearly hear people talking to each other in the crowd it was that quiet.

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Originally Posted by old git

ireland v australia rugby in croke park today ... 70,000 plus fans at match could have foo led me atmosphere is terrible ( sounds like stadium half full) even commetators have mentioned it 3-4 times the lack of support for team ... do the great /wonderfull fans only cheer / sing when they are winning... compared to atsmosphere last night when fans were magnificent backing an irish soccer team .. :p

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The Rugby match was a friendly. I've been at plenty of soccer friendly games where the atmosphere was as bad.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

Biggest load of crap I've read in a long time.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...all_ByMike.JPG

Here's 65,000 munster fans traveling abroad to watch their team.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...rugby_2006.jpg

And the ones that didnt....

"a few hundred hardy snobs" my arse.

I like soccer a lot but the fanbase for it is far, far less likable than for the other 3 main sports in the country. What soccer for a start a large portion of the countries "fans" tend to be living in other countries. Even look at this forum you'll see a large number of people living in the UK, US, Australia and elsewhere. And they're the most "snobby" of all, they criticise rugby supporters and the game they follow, they criticise the GAA for being evil, they complain about barstoolers, complain about people who support the premiership, complain about this and complain about that. A lot of the so called fans of this sport especially on this site come across as begrudging auld men with zero tolerance for folk with other interests.

We have 4 great sports in this country that give great entertainment for different reasons. I pity those who feel that they must choose one and berate the rest.

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Ya I saw many of these types leaving Croke Park with 20 minutes to go in the Heineken Cup Semi Final earlier this year..........where are the big crowds for the Magners league games??

It's easy being a fan in the good times.

Where were these crowds 10 years ago??

Sunshiners they are, sunshiners they will always be.

ALSO THIS SURVEY WAS OF 1,000 PEOPLE - 51% WOMEN & 49% MEN - HARDLY AN IN DEPTH RESEARCH OR POLL.

The Key thing in this thread is the underlying metaphysical crux of the matter that is hard to articulate accurately but I'll give it a try.

FOOTBALL MATTERS RUGBY DOESN'T.

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Originally Posted by elroy

Was very good last night and having watched the game back on tv as well, it did come across very well on tv. The anthem sounded unreal. Its just a shame we couldnt swap the results.

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Am I the only person who didnt get this on TV, hell maybe i had the sound down - but booing the French players is hardly great support, and singing ole ole a million times is a bit boring after a while - where was the fireworks, the fans jumping from side to side, the flares..................parts of the second half there was no noise - at least on TV.................or my TV:p

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Originally Posted by old git

ireland v australia rugby in croke park today ... 70,000 plus fans at match could have foo led me atmosphere is terrible ( sounds like stadium half full) even commetators have mentioned it 3-4 times the lack of support for team ... do the great /wonderfull fans only cheer / sing when they are winning... compared to atsmosphere last night when fans were magnificent backing an irish soccer team .. :p

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That's quite silly, did you not see Ireland v Wales in Croke Park and the ocean of silence there? Or the boo's being the only sound when Cyprus came to visit. And those were competitive games, plus the rugby game was almost a sell out, a friendly soccer game would be lucky to get half that.

It's all bandwagon stuff really.

When Munster and Ireland were poor in rugby, no-one wanted to know except a few rugby heads. The stands at Thomand Park would be half empty.

Munster win a few games and the Ireland rugby team win a few games and suddenly everyone follows rugby.

Before Jack Charlton arrived, Lanesdowne Road would be half empty for soccer internationals.

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Originally Posted by Emmet7

It's all bandwagon stuff really.

When Munster and Ireland were poor in rugby, no-one wanted to know except a few rugby heads.

Munster win a few games and the Ireland rugby team win a few games and suddenly everyone follows rugby.

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There's certainly a strong bandwagon-effect but you're greatly mistaken if you think the only people who followed rugby before recently were "a few rugby heads". A bit of success doesn't take a sport from 'nowhere' to 'everywhere'.

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Originally Posted by SilkCut

Bang on there Bunk. The bubble won't burst for several reasons but the biggest one is the structure the IRFU put in place when the game went professional. Unlike the FAI, the IRFU showed themselves to be a very clever forward thinking organisation. They knew a country of our size could not possibly support a league the size of the AIL as a professional entity, clubs would have gone under in double quick time (how could Blackrock have afforded to pay the best player on the planet and keep a competitive team together?) this was seen with the collapse of the Scottish and Welsh leagues who thought they knew better. The IRFU pretty much resurrected rugby in those countries with the Magners league idea, giving them the opportunity to use "provincial teams" as opposed to the traditional "club" model. For those of you saying Munster are not technically a club, I am sorry to burst your bubble but for the purposes of Heineken Cup and Magners League, they are indeed "a club" as are Ulster, Leinster and Connaught. All of their players are registered with club sides merely to confirm eligibilty to play for the larger "Province" because of some old rule or other from back when the game was amateur. Irish rugby is now on the cusp of something massive, we are leading the way in Europe, this is something for us all to be proud of. rugby fans or not.

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The Provincial structure is not unique, it's modelled entirely on the All-Black set-up, local clubs, provinces, national team at the top of the pyramid with first dibs on the players availability. Everything revolves around the national team first and foremost, the provinces come secondary to that.
Warren Gatland was in charge of Ireland in the early days of professionalism and was very influential in the structure.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

And for me personally I'll cut to the chase and say I'm not as proud of the Irish soccer team as I am of the Rugby team or the county team and it all boils down to location. Soccer feels too anglicised a game for my liking, guys like Doyle, Duff, Given, Andy Reid etc are legends and if the whole squad was like that there'd be no problem but don't expect me to sing the praises of someone like Caleb Folan who essentially is here because he isn't good enough for England. To compare with the rugby lads, I regularly see them training, I have a book with each of their autographs and even go to see Munster play. My only first hand experience with an Irish player is at the Late Late Show when our captain came on to tell us all to lower our expectations and continued to explain how we're not as good as England.

Even look at the Lucozade "last 15 minutes" adverts. For Rugby we get ROG, the hero of our first six nations in decades, football there's gooch the best player in the game and likewise Shefflin. For soccer there's a former reserve goalkeeper telling us through an English accent how bravely the team will battle.
Or how about Lawrenson when he expresses his viewpoint as an "Irishman" as he speaks through a thick english accent on the national british tv station. Or how we've now played some home games in London. It's a game and setup that makes me very uneasy about being passionite towards it at times, I wouldn't have those reservations with Rugby, Football or Hurling.

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You see this is something I don't understand. I am Irish through and through and put my support for the Irish football team before all other. But I now live in Australia permanently after I married an Aussie. We are expecting our first child and to me that child will be as much Irish as Australian. I will bring them up sharing my passions and heritage. Say for example they were to become a decent footballer (long shot but stay with me) would they not be as entitled to play for Ireland as someone who grew up in the country? Would their Aussie accent outweigh their Irish parent and love for Ireland?

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Originally Posted by DonnyG

You see this is something I don't understand. I am Irish through and through and put my support for the Irish football team before all other. But I now live in Australia permanently after I married an Aussie. We are expecting our first child and to me that child will be as much Irish as Australian. I will bring them up sharing my passions and heritage. Say for example they were to become a decent footballer (long shot but stay with me) would they not be as entitled to play for Ireland as someone who grew up in the country? Would their Aussie accent outweigh their Irish parent and love for Ireland?

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your spot on sir...i wouldnt pass any heed on the original poster..he just comes on to agitate and annoy...he wont even have the balls to answer you post as he always avoids poeople who challenge him with valid points

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Originally Posted by old git

ireland v australia rugby in croke park today ... 70,000 plus fans at match could have foo led me atmosphere is terrible ( sounds like stadium half full) even commetators have mentioned it 3-4 times the lack of support for team ... do the great /wonderfull fans only cheer / sing when they are winning... compared to atsmosphere last night when fans were magnificent backing an irish soccer team .. :p

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Can't really compare a Saturday evening game (especially a world-cup playoff) with a Sunday afternoon game (with half the crowd probably still hungover).

We're not comparing like-with-like. Qualifying for a WC is a major football achievement for Ireland. Not making a WC Q/F is a disaster for the rugby team. Also, beating Australia ina November test is nice, but not crucial. I'm not sure there'd have been many people leaving Croker yesterday absolutely gutted if we'd lost 13-20, but maybe that says more about me than the rugby crowd.

The only game I can think of in rugby that is equivalent to a knockout game is something like when we played Argentina in 2003 as third seed(?) and we won by a point. That was a winner take all play off game.

I love the 6 Nations and winning the Slam was a great achievement - one to be savoured - but the fact that if you have a bad 6N campaign sure you just start again next year, totally un-disadvantaged. It's just not the same, not to mention the truly global nature of football.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I'm not sure there'd have been many people leaving Croker yesterday absolutely gutted if we'd lost 13-20, but maybe that says more about me than the rugby crowd.

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The Ireland and Australia rugby teams are much closer matched than the French and Ireland soccer teams.
Compare and contrast the reactions of the soccer fans with the draws with Italy?

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

We're not comparing like-with-like. Qualifying for a WC is a major football achievement for Ireland. Not making a WC Q/F is a disaster for the rugby team. Also, beating Australia ina November test is nice, but not crucial. I'm not sure there'd have been many people leaving Croker yesterday absolutely gutted if we'd lost 13-20, but maybe that says more about me than the rugby crowd.

The only game I can think of in rugby that is equivalent to a knockout game is something like when we played Argentina in 2003 as third seed(?) and we won by a point. That was a winner take all play off game.

I love the 6 Nations and winning the Slam was a great achievement - one to be savoured - but the fact that if you have a bad 6N campaign sure you just start again next year, totally un-disadvantaged. It's just not the same, not to mention the truly global nature of football.

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The Point is winning the Grand Slam will never never compare with beating England in Euro 88 or the penalty shoot-out in Italia 90 for the mood and euphoria it generated, those moment resonate deeper simply because soccer is the peoples game Rugby is a game for the middle classes and boarding school set, In Dublin it starts in Kielys in Donnybrook and ends somewhere just outside Dunlaoighre with pockets of stronghold in class divided cities like Cork and limerick..You are never going to get a Christy Moore song about the Grand Slam, the best you'll get is closing Dawson Street on a Sunday afternoon.

We always qualify for Rugby WC tournaments but you'll hardly ever going to hear of a Joxer story with sleeping bags rolled out after all the stout was polished of simply because the lads from Foxrock or Douglas will be booked into the Radisson or Hilton . There won't be any fans there from Ballybough or Ballymun.

Rugby is Populist at the moment but it's still an elitist sport for aspiring classes and middle classes..thats the Class issue thing out of the way.

On technique its several levels below soccer. There was a big hoopla yesterday because a 22 yr prop burst through 2 or three Aussie Tackles.. not skill in my opinion, the guys is no different to a prize bull stuffed with a diet and weight regime to give him bulk so its no wonder he can knock a few lads over with the Ball squeezed to his chest, in soccer if you can skip past three players while only relying on ball contol, speed and trickery its real skill simply because you never have full possession of the ball only the Goalkeeper has that, Compare Maradonas unreal skill in WC 86 and Rugbys equivalent Johan Lomu in Rugby WC 95, there is no comparison Maradona was a gifted Genius Johann Lomu was Freakishly big and fast but thats it.

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Originally Posted by Reality Bites

The Point is winning the Grand Slam will never never compare with beating England in Euro 88 or the penalty shoot-out in Italia 90 for the mood and euphoria it generated, those moment resonate deeper simply because soccer is the peoples game Rugby is a game for the middle classes and boarding school set, In Dublin it starts in Kielys in Donnybrook and ends somewhere just outside Dunlaoighre with pockets of stronghold in class divided cities like Cork and limerick..You are never going to get a Christy Moore song about the Grand Slam, the best you'll get is closing Dawson Street on a Sunday afternoon.

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Beating England in Euro 88 you won't get anything that will beat that in rugby, soccer or any other sport.
As for your comment about Rugby being a middle class sport you haven't a clue. I support both soccer and rugby and this is a complete generalisation of Rugby supporters. As for Christy Moore not writing a song for the grand slam thats just ridiculous. Anyway, who do you think played for the Irish team during the 6 Nations last year.

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Originally Posted by Reality Bites

We always qualify for Rugby WC tournaments but you'll hardly ever going to hear of a Joxer story with sleeping bags rolled out after all the stout was polished of simply because the lads from Foxrock or Douglas will be booked into the Radisson or Hilton . There won't be any fans there from Ballybough or Ballymun.

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Complete rubbish. I think you'll find similar stories from both Leinster, Munster fans and Irish fans and the lengths they went to to get to Heineken Cup games and Grand Slam games and also to World Cups.

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Originally Posted by Reality Bites

Rugby is Populist at the moment but it's still an elitist sport for aspiring classes and middle classes..thats the Class issue thing out of the way.

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Rugby has always been a well supported sport in this country especially at International level.

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Originally Posted by Reality Bites

On technique its several levels below soccer. There was a big hoopla yesterday because a 22 yr prop burst through 2 or three Aussie Tackles.. not skill in my opinion, the guys is no different to a prize bull stuffed with a diet and weight regime to give him bulk so its no wonder he can knock a few lads over with the Ball squeezed to his chest, in soccer if you can skip past three players while only relying on ball contol, speed and trickery its real skill simply because you never have full possession of the ball only the Goalkeeper has that, Compare Maradonas unreal skill in WC 86 and Rugbys equivalent Johan Lomu in Rugby WC 95, there is no comparison Maradona was a gifted Genius Johann Lomu was Freakishly big and fast but thats it.

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I know if that lad had been playing soccer he would have gone down rolling around the ground like he'd been shot at the first whiff of a tackle.
Jonah Lomu!!! What are you like. Maradona is perhaps the best to have ever played football. Lomu is nowhere near the best player to have played Rugby. Just shows how much you know about Rugby?

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Originally Posted by Reality Bites

The Point is winning the Grand Slam will never never compare with beating England in Euro 88 or the penalty shoot-out in Italia 90 for the mood and euphoria it generated, those moment resonate deeper simply because soccer is the peoples game Rugby is a game for the middle classes and boarding school set, In Dublin it starts in Kielys in Donnybrook and ends somewhere just outside Dunlaoighre with pockets of stronghold in class divided cities like Cork and limerick..You are never going to get a Christy Moore song about the Grand Slam, the best you'll get is closing Dawson Street on a Sunday afternoon.

We always qualify for Rugby WC tournaments but you'll hardly ever going to hear of a Joxer story with sleeping bags rolled out after all the stout was polished of simply because the lads from Foxrock or Douglas will be booked into the Radisson or Hilton . There won't be any fans there from Ballybough or Ballymun.

Rugby is Populist at the moment but it's still an elitist sport for aspiring classes and middle classes..thats the Class issue thing out of the way.

On technique its several levels below soccer. There was a big hoopla yesterday because a 22 yr prop burst through 2 or three Aussie Tackles.. not skill in my opinion, the guys is no different to a prize bull stuffed with a diet and weight regime to give him bulk so its no wonder he can knock a few lads over with the Ball squeezed to his chest, in soccer if you can skip past three players while only relying on ball contol, speed and trickery its real skill simply because you never have full possession of the ball only the Goalkeeper has that, Compare Maradonas unreal skill in WC 86 and Rugbys equivalent Johan Lomu in Rugby WC 95, there is no comparison Maradona was a gifted Genius Johann Lomu was Freakishly big and fast but thats it.

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Good post....just to point out i think im right in saying that the Rugby team dont even have to qualify for the World Cup much less go through a 10 game campaign which included playing the World Champions twice.

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Originally Posted by colster

Rugby has always been a well supported sport in this country especially at International level.

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Better supported than football for as long as I can remember

Even in the 90's when the Irish rugby team were cack they still got great support and internationals especially the 5 nations were always sold out.

Even the club game in the early 90 with the AIL acheived some big attendances etc. easily comparable to what Irish football clubs got. The IRFU decided that provinces were the way to go and though its not perfect they have been proved right. Look at Irish football clubs at the moment?!

The idea that rugby has just been popular over the last 10 years is rubbish - although it is more popular now and has probably attracted some of the ole ole brigade from the football in the late 80's and 90's - maybe Christy Moore will do a song about it? Wound that just be grand - think of the crack we'd have ;)

Ultimately there are some @rseholes that follow rugby that have a negative view on football. Although after reading some the opinions on this thread I can say the same about some Irish football fans - appears they too have a nicely balanced chip on each shoulder.

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Originally Posted by colster

Beating England in Euro 88 you won't get anything that will beat that in rugby, soccer or any other sport.
As for your comment about Rugby being a middle class sport you haven't a clue. I support both soccer and rugby and this is a complete generalisation of Rugby supporters. As for Christy Moore not writing a song for the grand slam thats just ridiculous. Anyway, who do you think played for the Irish team during the 6 Nations last year.

Christy Moore has always leaned heavily towards Socialism, hence I feel he feel more comfortable singing about a Irish Soccer team supported by Grass roots working class supporters like the fictional Joxer rather than an accountant from Howth who had a great time with his Blackrock buddies on a Leinster away trip


I know if that lad had been playing soccer he would have gone down rolling around the ground like he'd been shot at the first whiff of a tackle.
Jonah Lomu!!! What are you like. Maradona is perhaps the best to have ever played football. Lomu is nowhere near the best player to have played Rugby. Just shows how much you know about Rugby?

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As per my original point - Because you never have full possession of the ball in soccer ( unlike in rugby) beating a player is a far superior skill I see nothing in your response that refutes this apart from a silly comment about a tackle.

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Originally Posted by kennedmc

Even the club game in the early 90 with the AIL acheived some big attendances etc. easily comparable to what Irish football clubs got. The IRFU decided that provinces were the way to go and though its not perfect they have been proved right. Look at Irish football clubs at the moment?!

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A provincial system just wouldn't work in football though.

http://foot.ie/forums/showthread.php...de#post1222903

That's my opinion on it anyway.

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Originally Posted by DonnyG

You see this is something I don't understand. I am Irish through and through and put my support for the Irish football team before all other. But I now live in Australia permanently after I married an Aussie. We are expecting our first child and to me that child will be as much Irish as Australian. I will bring them up sharing my passions and heritage. Say for example they were to become a decent footballer (long shot but stay with me) would they not be as entitled to play for Ireland as someone who grew up in the country? Would their Aussie accent outweigh their Irish parent and love for Ireland?

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Well that's something that I've never understood. You've chosen to live in Australia, that is your country of choice, you might have a romantic view of yourself being 100% Irish or whatever you like but you're not part of the community here, you don't live the day to day life or communicate with the people here all the time every day. I speak form experience knowing many Americans with distant Irish relatives who claim to be heavily Irish despite never actually being in the country. For some people being "Irish" is some abstract romance thing in their head that makes them special as its something unique to them compared to the people around them. To me, being Irish is choosing Ireland as your home, Australia is your home and it was your decision to make it that, just like it's my decision to choose Ireland as mine.

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Originally Posted by peadar1987

A provincial system just wouldn't work in football though.

http://foot.ie/forums/showthread.php...de#post1222903

That's my opinion on it anyway.

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I don't disagree with that. The way UEFA govern the game it couldn't happen and as we only have 3 provinces it just wouldn't make sense! (For a lot more reasons then that also).

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

Well that's something that I've never understood. You've chosen to live in Australia, that is your country of choice, you might have a romantic view of yourself being 100% Irish or whatever you like but you're not part of the community here, you don't live the day to day life or communicate with the people here all the time every day. I speak form experience knowing many Americans with distant Irish relatives who claim to be heavily Irish despite never actually being in the country. For some people being "Irish" is some abstract romance thing in their head that makes them special as its something unique to them compared to the people around them. To me, being Irish is choosing Ireland as your home, Australia is your home and it was your decision to make it that, just like it's my decision to choose Ireland as mine.

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Your a great man to bring yourself to support an Irish team where not even one of the squad, nor the manager, nor the managers assistant, nor many of the supporters live in Ireland.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

Well that's something that I've never understood. You've chosen to live in Australia, that is your country of choice, you might have a romantic view of yourself being 100% Irish or whatever you like but you're not part of the community here, you don't live the day to day life or communicate with the people here all the time every day. I speak form experience knowing many Americans with distant Irish relatives who claim to be heavily Irish despite never actually being in the country. For some people being "Irish" is some abstract romance thing in their head that makes them special as its something unique to them compared to the people around them. To me, being Irish is choosing Ireland as your home, Australia is your home and it was your decision to make it that, just like it's my decision to choose Ireland as mine.

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We should have a seperate Mein Kampf thread.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

Well that's something that I've never understood. You've chosen to live in Australia, that is your country of choice, you might have a romantic view of yourself being 100% Irish or whatever you like but you're not part of the community here, you don't live the day to day life or communicate with the people here all the time every day. I speak form experience knowing many Americans with distant Irish relatives who claim to be heavily Irish despite never actually being in the country. For some people being "Irish" is some abstract romance thing in their head that makes them special as its something unique to them compared to the people around them. To me, being Irish is choosing Ireland as your home, Australia is your home and it was your decision to make it that, just like it's my decision to choose Ireland as mine.

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I think I'll dump my Swedish missus and move back home so I can be Irish again.

Utter utter sh!te.

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Originally Posted by Murfinator

Well that's something that I've never understood. You've chosen to live in Australia, that is your country of choice, you might have a romantic view of yourself being 100% Irish or whatever you like but you're not part of the community here, you don't live the day to day life or communicate with the people here all the time every day. I speak form experience knowing many Americans with distant Irish relatives who claim to be heavily Irish despite never actually being in the country. For some people being "Irish" is some abstract romance thing in their head that makes them special as its something unique to them compared to the people around them. To me, being Irish is choosing Ireland as your home, Australia is your home and it was your decision to make it that, just like it's my decision to choose Ireland as mine.

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WTF mate. Are you serious? I was born and raised in County Roscommon and was 30 when I moved to Australia, I have an Irish passport and my whole family is Irish - yet I'm not really Irish because I live in Australia. So by your reckoning a recent immigrant to Ireland is more Irish than me because they have chosen to live in Ireland?

It’s a big world out there you know and Irish people have travelled the world throughout history – doesn’t make us any less Irish

Be careful you don't get a nosebleed so far up there on your (really REALLY GREEN) pedestal.