N. Ireland Support last night

Did anyone see/hear the support from N. Ireland Supporters last night in the Millenium Stadium. Absolutely tremendous!

Brings me back to a time when we(ROI) weren't so egotistical, pompous and arrogant. We lay the blame on everyone but never look at ourselves. Its the "suits" fault, its the kids fault, is the PA announcers fault, its the FAIs fault, its the Stadiums fault, its the teams fault. Rubbish!

Why on earth are the FAI in the situation why they have to try and create an athmosphere? Us! Thats why. We need to get off our high horse, stop moaning and laying the blame on other peoples doorsteps and make some noise. Its not only the players on the pitch who have an obligation to perform.

Best supporters in the world my arse!

Kerr was right last night when he said we could learn about making noise from the Swiss fans, I couldn't believe there was only about 28000 supporters in the ground

northern ireland supporters looked the biz on the tv.
they were going bannanas at the final whistle :D

The Loyalist scum were larging it all over Cardiff yesterday. Singing No Surrender and drapping their poxy red hand flags all over the city centre. The, eh, more Republican minded of Cardiff City's support went and had a "quite word" with them. :D

KOH

Much as I'm not a fan of 'No surrender' 'GSTQ' 'the b*stadised flag (C) Davrps 2004' I've got to take my Leprechaun hat off to the Nord Iron supporters last night-they made a heck of noise and werre singing dancing-and stayed in the stadium to party after the final whistle!

If we were as bad as N.Ireland and just drew away from home to one of our closest rivals with 9 men, we'd all be the same. Our away support is excellent. Lansdowne is getting as bad as the likes of the French and Italian home grounds though.

They were loud alright and gave great support but that's the case for most teams including us. The away support is always better because it's the "hardcore" so to speak.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse

The away support is always better because it's the "hardcore" so to speak.

---

But where did they rent them from?

There's nothing wrong with Irelands away support, in fact it's fantastic. We could hear as many Irish chants as Swiss ones last night. The home support is where the problem lies but for away support we could be one of the best around imo.

In fairness they don't get much to sing about these days thought the sendings off were crazy they should not let foreigners ref local derbies.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Slash/ED

There's nothing wrong with Irelands away support, in fact it's fantastic. We could hear as many Irish chants as Swiss ones last night. The home support is where the problem lies but for away support we could be one of the best around imo.

---

I've heard a theory that the reason that our home support isn't great is because we have no real atmosphere at club games like in England where there's over 10,000 supporters at most games who have their own songs etc., we just are not used to making noise at a game week in week out

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by the 12 th man

northern ireland supporters looked the biz on the tv.
they were going bannanas at the final whistle :D

---

Hmmm...could have sworn I heard these same fans boo Hartson all night. Can't think why :confused:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tarzan_bray

I've heard a theory that the reason that our home support isn't great is because we have no real atmosphere at club games like in England where there's over 10,000 supporters at most games who have their own songs etc., we just are not used to making noise at a game week in week out

---

Yeah I think that's a good point, alot of the people in Lansedown have no exepreince of live matches at all bar the odd Irish international and there's no culture there of singing and really making some noise for the team.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Littlest Hobo

Hmmm...could have sworn I heard these same fans boo Hartson all night. Can't think why :confused:

---

Was there many people booing Hartson? Should he expect a hard time at Winsor?

was up in windsor for the serbia & m friendly before the summer. tremendous support

i don't want to have a go and brian kerr, i suppose i'm more having a go at fran & the boys.

but how dare they criticise the support at home matches and then turn around and offer a such unfriendly ticket options to the fans. eur7,500 i hear for the latest 10 year ticket scheme. talk about pricing the real fans out of the market

lansdowne will have more suits in it than the ifsc. i haven't heard much noise coming out of the east upper in a long time.

i can't remember all of the kerr interview but i hope he thanked the travelling fans. superb as always

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Slash/ED

Yeah I think that's a good point, alot of the people in Lansedown have no exepreince of live matches at all bar the odd Irish international and there's no culture there of singing and really making some noise for the team.

---

Thats Rubbish - Correct me if Im wrong but theres a pretty big sport following in this country. Be it for GAA, Rugby Soccer. How come the Munster Rugby Fans/Ireland can fill a stadium and sing away to their hearts content for a whole game when they'd normally be used to playing in front of attendances of 5,000. How come we could sing in the late 80s and early 90s. Were plain and simply too big for our boots. I cant remember any LoI clubs playing in front of 30,000/40,000 crowds back then.

N. Irelands home support with 14000 is also fantastic. We should be ashamed of ourselves.

As for the booing of hartson and the loyalist chants- kettle black and pot spring to mind

And how many Swiss came to Lansdowne Road? 500? 1,000?

Learn from the Swiss supporters me arse.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blobbyblob

As for the booing of hartson and the loyalist chants- kettle black and pot spring to mind

---

Agreed- various factions at Lansdowne have been less than welcoming to Ferguson/Arveladze etc in the past

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tuff Paddy

I'm desperately hoping that the real fans heading to Paris next month will all be up for it. I'm counting down the days on the calendar already.
Any idea how many will go? A friend reckons 20,000? Is this possible?

---

Real fans my arse!!! there will be more day trippers, family outings, bringing the missus for a romantic weekend ****** than ever. It s the glamour tie and there will be allsorts there

Yours, Junior 'A Real' Fan :confused:

Quote:

---

The Loyalist scum were larging it all over Cardiff yesterday. Singing No Surrender and drapping their poxy red hand flags all over the city centre. The, eh, more Republican minded of Cardiff City's support went and had a "quite word" with them. :D

---

Actually only a small minority were singing 'no surrender'. If you think carrying an NI flag (as I did) is evidence of being 'loyalist scum', then you are mistaken. Aside from being embittered and a bigot, obviously. I heard of only one incident when the riot squad had to be called: some locals objected to GSTQ in a bar on St Mary's Street. Unpleasant briefly, but order soon restored. Since you're obviously an expert on Cardiff hoolie culture, you'll know there's usually far worse when they play a tasty English team, or the Jacks.

Quote:

---

The away support is always better because it's the "hardcore" so to speak

---

Actually our hardcore for big 'away' matches in recent years has been about 1,000. A lot of part-timers there last night :)

Quote:

---

the sendings off were crazy they should not let foreigners ref local derbies

---

Hughes can't complain too much- a bad foul on Savage then threw a big haymaker at him. Savage himself and Healy maybe should have had only bookings.

You can't allocate referees on that basis- it would have narrowed the choice to only Scotland and the Republic, England being in the same group!

Quote:

---

Was there many people booing Hartson? Should he expect a hard time at Winsor?

---

Yes and more of the same- it will be ever thus. Though less nasty than it has been, I'm glad to say.

Hartson seems to quite like being the fans' bogeyman (is it the same at big Celtic games)? He took his goal well, but the biggest Welsh failing was that no-one except Bellamy was trying to run at our packed central defence from wide. They will miss Giggs hugely when he follows Scholes into retirement.

Whaddaya mean he already has :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

The Loyalist scum were larging it all over Cardiff yesterday. Singing No Surrender and drapping their poxy red hand flags all over the city centre. The, eh, more Republican minded of Cardiff City's support went and had a "quite word" with them. :D

KOH

---

What an utter knob :rolleyes:

Funny the Soul Crew members I was chatting to had nothing but "respect, lads" for the OWC support.

"Poxy red hand flags all over the city centre" .........

Too f**kin' right there was!!!!!
:cool: .... and :cool:

PS: was chatting to 'Big' Johnny Harston in Bristol Airport today - "that was some noise you boys made last night. Tremendous"

Junior

What are you on about??, anyone that goes to support Ireland should be made welcome regardless of the reason.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Littlest Hobo

Hmmm...could have sworn I heard these same fans boo Hartson all night. Can't think why :confused:

---

"you lot stopping booing Rangers players and we'll stop booing Celtic players"

NI supporter at work today

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lux Interior

"that was some noise you boys made last night. Tremendous"

---

Just as a matter of interest as I didn't see the game, what songs were you lot singing? All we have is "The fields of Athenry" and "Come on you boys in green".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Just as a matter of interest as I didn't see the game, what songs were you lot singing? All we have is "The fields of Athenry" and "Come on you boys in green".

---

The usual mix of English terrace chant, suitably adopted .... step forward '(Lawrie Sanchez) Green & White Army'

'Sweet NornIron' ('Sweet Caroline')
'Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory .... We're Not Brazil, We're Northern Ireland'
'We'll Support You Evermore'
'Away In A Manger' (Healy)
'We Are The Champions - echooed with - Champions Of Britain'
'We're Not, We're Not, We're Not Very Good'

etc.

Thankfully all of the chants I grew up with are now gone :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by davros

Fair enough,last time I looked though,' Britain' :eek: was En*land,Scotland & Wales........ the osc.is just a representative XI of an illegally occupied area :mad: .......Still hope you F*ck-up the T*ns as much as possible when you play them ;) I will definitely 'support' you v.them!

---

You know, as I belted that one out last night, I was thinking to myself .... "this'll really annoy that chook, davros" :rolleyes:

British Champions 1984 to date :cool:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse

They were loud alright and gave great support but that's the case for most teams including us. The away support is always better because it's the "hardcore" so to speak.

---

Thats very true, I was just about to say the same myself.

They also have the advantage of being grouped togeather, and are
probably all well 'oiled', at a home match they will be more
spread around the ground.

You probably would feel a bit self consious if you are the only one
in your block singing ("whose that **** making all the noise" etc..)
Where as if everyone around you is singing, you would tend to feel
compelled to join in whether you wanted to or not.

Probably something pschycolosists? (cant spell :D ) call the 'herd instint'.

Yes indeed hats off to the Norn Irish who fought like men posessed on the field and sang like posessed off it. It was great to see a team spurred on my their fans in such a way.

Brian Kerr's constant complaints with rergards to the Irish team not being supported enough at home I think stems from the players being booed off the pitch against the Swiss at home a couple of years ago. Also the booing of Rangers players has been a bit of a problem. However I don't think it is his right to tell us off for not being supportive. Its counter productive and is alienating the fans. Irish football fans are a strange breed I don't think we are becoming like the French at all. It seems like at home we are afraid to sing because of what the people around us will think and as soon as we hit foreign soil with a couple of pint we don't give a flyin f(&k what anyone thinks. It is sad to say but it seems we're insecure thats all and nobady wants to take control. I think we expect more now and I think thats right if you don't expect you will not achieve.

I was in the north terrace on Sat against Cyprus and we started booing the stupid Carlsberg heads. I thought that was fair enough. There is far too much corporate crap goin on at the FAI. A pathetic couple of kids in green tryin too too hard to start mexicans waves was silly and I thought it was too much or too little, whatever it wasn't right.

We have all to make an effert at home matches and thats the bottom line and not forced into having 'TOTAL FUN'.

Michael Boyd has led a "Football for All" campaign in Northern Ireland that has been very successful. They do have great home and away support although not in the numbers that follow us.

BTW I thought the Swiss noise and support was poor on Wednesday night - thought we totally out sang them -.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by beautifulrock

Junior

What are you on about??, anyone that goes to support Ireland should be made welcome regardless of the reason.

---

I agree 100%.

Frequently on this forum someone will pipe up with 'Real Fans do this'...blah blah blah yadda yadda

It ****es me off, who the are the real fans?? "I've been to more games", " I go to all the away games" "I've got a big fkucin flag and a leprechaun outfit" therefore I know how to create an atmosphere at a game??

I was just respondong to a post that suggested Paris will be where all the 'real fans' are. In fact every man and his dog will be there......

hope that clears it up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Duncan Gardner

. I heard of only one incident when the riot squad had to be called: some locals objected to GSTQ in a bar on St Mary's Street. Unpleasant briefly, but order soon restored. Since you're obviously an expert on Cardiff hoolie culture, you'll know there's usually far worse when they play a tasty English team, or the Jacks.

---

A Welsh workmate who was at the match said the only trouble he saw afterwards was Cardiff meatheads entering into a "spirited debate" with Swansea meatheads. In his words: "The world thinks we're ignorant sheep sh*ggers, and sometimes we prove them right".
He said the fans from the Occupied Territories were no trouble at all. And yes, they did sound the business on the box.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Was there many people booing Hartson? Should he expect a hard time at Winsor?

---

Probably the main contingent of norn ire fans. Something tells me he'll be greeted with a similar reception at Windsor. Still can't work out why :confused:.........hmmm..tell you what it could be something to do with his normal day job ;) :mad:

Honestly, Hobo, you're flogging a bit of a dead horse there. Savage (while he was on) and Bellamy (throughout) took the most stick from our fans, for broadly the same reasons they get it at Aston Villa or Middelsbrough.

There's far less sectarianism at our games now and you need to recognise it.

I think we could and should take note of the progress the NI supporters have made and see if we could apply something similar ourselves. I visit their site pretty regularly and they're on the ball with things like the 'Sea of Green' initiative to cover the kop in colour.
There's no point in us saying "ah but they've had f*** all to sing about for years so when they get a result they go nuts" -that's more shame on us as we have had many, many more good times and occasion to celebrate in the last couple of decades than they have. Lansdowne is feckin eerie sometimes it goes that quiet.
I don't accept it has anything to do with our not having a well attended professional league either. We sang like birds not so long ago ...okay not birds exactly but some feckin' loud animals anyway.

Fair play to ya Duncan-hope ya had a grand time :)
My referances to your flag and song were joking-I obv. wouldn't sing them myself but that's just because it's not my country-nothing personal :)
Whatever anyone says the Nord Iron supporters put up a fine show with an almost insignificant amount of trouble-hope ya repeat it in future matches and good luck in the group :D

To the original poster of this thread. Were you in Basle on Wednesday, where the terrific Irish away support sang for the full 90 minutes. the Swiss fans only chanted twice in the whole game. Brian Kerr should be worrying about his tactics rather than how the Swiss fans are signing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by green goblin

A Welsh workmate who was at the match said the only trouble he saw afterwards was Cardiff meatheads entering into a "spirited debate" with Swansea meatheads. In his words: "The world thinks we're ignorant sheep sh*ggers, and sometimes we prove them right".
He said the fans from the Occupied Territories were no trouble at all. And yes, they did sound the business on the box.

---

Described by the Valley Rams (not Soul Crew!) as, and I quote, "the worst fans ever to set foot in Cardiff" If you don't know what happened at the Prince of Wales and O'Neills then don't comment.

As for City and the Jacks, that's a regular occurence at Wales games when the Swansea loyal venture into the capital.

KOH

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

If you don't know what happened at the Prince of Wales and O'Neills then don't comment.

---

Merely said what the lad sitting next to me (Who was at the match) said. He's a Welshman who only saw Welshmen being stoopid with each other. The only Northern Irish fans he saw at the ground and afterwards were well behaved and out for a good time. But I'm sure you're right, yes, there were vast swarms legion of Northern fans acting like monsters, blah blah blah...Whatever. :rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shane123

To the original poster of this thread. Were you in Basle on Wednesday, where the terrific Irish away support sang for the full 90 minutes. the Swiss fans only chanted twice in the whole game. Brian Kerr should be worrying about his tactics rather than how the Swiss fans are signing.

---

No I was not in Basle. Nor was this thread refering to away supporters who usually have a ball. Thats not the point that is being made. For almost 20 years weve regarded ourselves as the best supporters in the world. I can honestly say that we can dump that tag now.

If anyone had reason to stay quiet at an international match, it would be northern Ireland. From any international thats been played in Windsor Park in the last 12 months, their supporters have sang, entering, during and leaving the match. All the while they were getting dumped with the worst goal scoring record in international football.

I'm a regular at Lansdowne for soccer and rugby and GAA pitches all over the country. Plenty of "suits" at the rugby able to make noise. Is it a different quality of suit. I dont think so. Its most definitely not the stadiums fault. I remember the North Buckets swaying from side to side for 90 minutes against Yugoslavia back in 2000. An athmosphere that their manager thought was one of the most intimidating he had ever experienced in football.

Was there no suits/no children/fake supporters there that night? Were it not for the financial implications we'd be as well off playing in Tolka for all the noise we make. For all it matters, I'm only of those "real" fans with the big flags(POWER TOURS) and the jersey, hat, scarf and leprechaun suits. The block bookers have gone stale. Too comfortable in our bucket seats. Maybe scrapping the block bookers and getting in some new blood is the answer.

See who the "real" fans are then? :mad:

In all honesty I think 'real' fans is a bit of a difficult thing to classify. I mean I've only been to one Ireland game-but I'm 16 and stuck in England.....however I've been to every Ireland gam I;ve had the CHANCE to go to (one) and sung my heart out there ;)
So am I less of a fan than people who follow the team round the world? Aye I know that they have given a bigger contribution to the team than me-I don't deny that and I do respect them for doing so. Having said that if on what I earn from my Saturday job I could have bought a ticket and flight to Basel-and my parents were happy with me jetting off then I would have.
Not making myself out to be anything I'm not, an not putting down/disagreeing/agreeing with anyone here-just saying it's not all that black and white.

As far as the Northern Ireland fans go-fair play to them-in the stadium. I'm not sure what went on outside (I've heard rumours of them killing the Welsh lambs as they slept in their cots) so I'm not going to comment; but on tv I saw a massive crowd getting 110% behind their team and behaving themselves while creating a massive exciting atmosphere-I'd respect that in any team.