Come on Dodge, you know what the point was. I was trying to make that fella see how stupid his post was.
I was doing exactly what he was doing, and what CD said a lot were doing over on the Rovers forum.
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Come on Dodge, you know what the point was. I was trying to make that fella see how stupid his post was.
I was doing exactly what he was doing, and what CD said a lot were doing over on the Rovers forum.
No, by saying 'some LOI fans' rather than dublinred individually, you're implying its widespead.
No, he said 'some' but I'd imagine your fervour to have a pop at Irish football fans, you read it as lots.Quote:
what CD said a lot were doing over on the Rovers forum.
There's plenty of other boards out there saying far worse things about that journalist too. A lot of them not football related at all.
These facts bewilder me as much as anyone. I was making a comment on the state of the modern game really, though. United just happened to act as a convenient illustration.
As to why Irish people are generally more than happy and willing to act as avid patrons in this glamourous spectacle of consumption at the expense of walking ten minutes to a ground down the road, I'm not really certain. I'm sure it's quite a seductive pastime and speculating as to why would require a little more discussion, but, briefly, consuming the brand at a distance clearly suits those who wish to remain within a certain comfort zone. They generally don't have to come face to face with those who object to what is essentially their consumption of another's club. Gazing into a television isn't the most difficult thing to do and, for most when it happens, I'd argue that attending a game becomes more "making a weekend out of it" than anything else - all part of the spectacle and "experience" - so they probably don't truly engage with the local fan culture that they happen to be trampling upon.
Maybe it suits those who lack initiative and the curious notion of supporting a club, in the realest sense of the term, has never crossed their mind due to the peculiar and ingrained football supporting culture that prevails throughout Ireland enabling people to manufacture a "connection" from an early age so that it takes on the illusion of being a perfectly natural, expected and reasonable trait or habit. Then, there are others who unabashedly would rather just watch better quality football with little concern for much else along with the implications arising from this. Supporting a football team is like following a band for them, or something, I suppose.
The vague old field of observation and perception. I suppose that's why I mentioned those who actively seek to remain on the "outside" as opposed to those whose minds the idea of supporting a local football club has never crossed; generally implying that the former would have some problem with going to games and interacting more for reasons to do with a personal disdain reserved for the League of Ireland and everything to do with it. However, the term "barstooler" tends to be used almost exclusively in a pejorative or belittling sense. Not that I'm necessarily taking a huge deal of issue with it. I think it's an amusing term and, besides, I'm not a great fan of calcio moderno myself anyway, but each to their own and all that.Quote:
I think this is a bit of a misnomer too. I don’t know anybody who cares about people who’ve no interest in the league. The only people I have a problem with, are the people who actively seek to mock and belittle Irish football.
What about those who like Irish football and across the pond and beyond??
Would agree with the 'clique' comments about some LoI fans, not that it especially bothers me, but could be off-putting to some 'fairweather' fans. They should be grateful for every punter they attract from outside their main fan base.
Especially given the parlous state of the domestic game, financially.
Personally think they need to try to improve their marketing, which is minimal at best, beyond the local press. And the facilities probably need to be improved.
Good it's now a summer game, as attending games in appalling weathers as probably had the most-off putting effect of all....
I didn't say it was on the Rovers forum - unfortunately it was people I know personally. I did spot a thread on the Rovers forum while I was reading about the story though and it wasn't much different.
To be fair, Rovers fans have more reason to be hostile to the man than the average LOI fan due to the Thomas Davis/SDCC situation, but it still makes me uncomfortable that people would use that dispute to take satisfaction from this horrendous sequence of events.
I think it's probably simpler than you make it out to be. Football supporting has become, globally, a passive activity rather than an active one - and that's true in England as much as it is here. It's a very middle class thing, but the middle class is where all the money is and unfortunately middle class people tend to stick to their comfort zones, i.e. the pub or their sitting room.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Most people would rather watch the EPL in the pub where they're surrounded by friends than go to a match where they might be alone among people they don't know and that's really the crux of it. That's why it's so important that LOI clubs find a way to attract families because it's not reliant on individuals stepping outside their comfort zone - it's a family doing something together.
I've no issue there. They're doing their bit, or whatever you'd call it. I was really commenting on those who actively ignore the league or wish it ill will. If someone likes to watch Arsenal, Barcelona or whoever play football on television every week, that's fine - I regularly do it myself because I enjoy watching football - but, in my opinion, it's unfortunate when the majority of the great Irish sporting public, as they say, have absolutely no interest in bettering the Irish game and fail to detect why football in general is moving in the direction that it is.
Aye, but a lot of that is to do with marketing, 'brand image' and what is perceived to be ultimately a fairly poor product, sadly.
Except I never mentioned fans, was talking about the LoI competition (& domestic soccer generally) in recent times, well the last 20 years or so.
Well the "perceived to be" bit would be the fans.
I think most LOI fans are well able to appreciate good football from abroad, but the people who criticise the LOI for lack of quality, from my experience, aren't the best arbiters of quality. I don't think a lot of EPL fans appreciate just how awful some of the games in that league are. Manchester City for instance - full of world class players but rarely provide world class football. And don't even get me started on the teams managers like Tony Pulis/Roy Hodgson/Sam Allardyce put out.
It is, on internet message boards. Not sure I've ever heard in real life, certainly never thrown at anybody. But people will come up with any excuse to try and justify themselves - from terms used on internet forums, to now seemingly attitudes towards a journalist*. They'll take being called a "tourist 'insert appropriate expletive'" by UK clubs fans, either in person or in fanzines etc and won't let it bother them. They're the ones with the problem, not the LoI fans. If it wasn't that, it'd be something else.
*Obviously I'd rather the things alleged didn't happen, but its better people are caught, and there's always a nod to karma when those viewed as sanctimonious people are the ones up to no good. I really couldn't give a toss if other sanctimonious people have a problem with that view.
If i may quote this piece from the Bohs mb, posted a few minutes ago. Captures my feelings on the matter. Excuse the language :)
Quote:
Do you know what.
I've made my peace with Irish people who are die hard fans of Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea and increasingly Barcelona. The class of football the elite clubs provide is far superior than anything the LOI ever did, or ever will, offer up. And what's more, you will nearly always see your team win something (well, maybe not Arsenal) so, as an entertainment prospect, following an elite level English club makes sense over supporting the local gob****es who will just break your heart.
What boils my **** is... Irish people who support Stoke, Blackburn, Sheffield Wednesday, or any number of **** English teams because they think they are more "real" or "hardcore" then the Paddies who glory-hunt after the good teams.
If you want the kudos of supporting a **** team through thick or thin, support LOI, you ****.
If you want to plug into what football is all about, support your local team whoever they are, you ****-sucker.
If being Irish means something to you, then support real Irish teams not fake Scottish teams, you wankstain.
Obviously, I am excepting anybody who puts their local team first before they enjoy English or other league football.
http://yfrog.com/h896581942j
Sunday world exclusive...
Didn't take long
Not sure about that. Or at least people can operate on both levels, ie supporting Liverpool and Ireland. I don't know how many Slovaks supported Zilina before they qualified for the CL or how many Belorussians supported BATE. I think a lot of it just has to do with the weakness of the league (in comparison to others) - the only way you can see the top Irish players in action is to watch the EPL and I think that's it for a lot of people. Obviously there are people who just enjoy the better standard of football and the fact that a lot of people won't have any LOI-supporting friends, so you'll gravitate towards English football just to fit in.