Irish Times in plea for support for mainland football

Ireland's premier quality paper, The Irish Times, has backed a campaign to get more Irish people to follow football ... on the mainland.
Concerned at the lack of interest in less glamorous EPL clubs, the Old Lady of D'Olier Street has put its not inconsiderable weight behind a campaign to entice fans away from more parochial pursuits, such as wasting time and money going to see vastly over-supported League of Ireland clubs, which sometimes bring over 1,000 people through their turnstiles.
With this in mind, the newspaper today publishes a heartfelt plea by the BBC Ireland correspondent, James Helm, who hails from Middlesbrough, to follow ... Middlesbrough.
For maximum effect in countering the seductive lure of Irish football, this appeal is carried on the same page as LoI match reports detailing the exploits of the pampered prima donnas of the local game.
Here is Mr Helm's vision of the future:
... in 2012, with Boro riding high in Uefa competitions for the seventh successive year, and an inaugural member of the European Super League, I foresee the following conversation. The venue could be any crowded, Dublin bar where Boro's latest game is being shown live on big screens:

Me, misty-eyed, raising my voice above the cheers: "Remember the bad old days when Middlesbrough were rubbish?"

Fellow Boro fans, all Irish, all wearing replica home shirts: "No, actually, we don't."

Very strange. Anyone got the text...

Unbelievable,just f*cking unbelievable!!!!!!

I suspect that that piece was written with tongue firmly pierced through both cheeks.

Irish people will never support Middlesborough in any great numbers. Middlesborough will never make any European Super League. Hence why the 2 non-occurences can be juxtaposed for 'comic' effect.

As they would say in Liverpool "Calm down !"

Middlesborough may indeed be "rubbish" & virtually no irish people support but same could be said of Chelsea not so long ago.

Manchester & Liverpool "fans" can at least claim to some success in the distant past as reason they've supported for years but how do Chelsea fans explain their conversion...?

For all their claims about great irish supporters we are really a Nation of tv supporters i.e. we will watch a lot of tv in our support of various sports teams. Only Australians seem to turn up in large numbers for all sports events...

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

I suspect that that piece was written with tongue firmly pierced through both cheeks.

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It's strictly on the level.

I think you're being a bit hard on him BohDiddley - he describes a typical conversation with a taxi driver thus:

Whoever: "Why on earth do you follow Middlesbrough?" (accompanied by shakes of the head)
Me: "Because they were the local team where I grew up, and I've followed their fortunes, for better of for worse, ever since. Why do you support Man United / Liverpool / Arsenal / Chelsea / Leeds / Barcelona?"
Them: "But...Middlesbrough!"

Substitute Bohs, Pats, Cork or whoever for Middlesbrough and how many of us have had the exact same conversation for the exact same reasons?

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Originally Posted by Dr.Nightdub

I think you're being a bit hard on him BohDiddley - he describes a typical conversation with a taxi driver thus:

Whoever: "Why on earth do you follow Middlesbrough?" (accompanied by shakes of the head)
Me: "Because they were the local team where I grew up, and I've followed their fortunes, for better of for worse, ever since. Why do you support Man United / Liverpool / Arsenal / Chelsea / Leeds / Barcelona?"
Them: "But...Middlesbrough!"

Substitute Bohs, Pats, Cork or whoever for Middlesbrough and how many of us have had the exact same conversation for the exact same reasons?

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Agreed. He did say that. He's not the one who should know better though...

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Originally Posted by pete

Middlesborough may indeed be "rubbish" & virtually no irish people support but same could be said of Chelsea not so long ago.

Manchester & Liverpool "fans" can at least claim to some success in the distant past as reason they've supported for years but how do Chelsea fans explain their conversion...?

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Chelsea are successful and fashionable - two things Middlesborough will never be. Visit the town and you'll see why...! :eek:

Chelsea's Irish 'fans' also have Damien Duff as an excuse to 'justify' supporting the most establishment-English team in football.

Any paper with Kevin Myers in it just put it in the dog kennel. Makes great bedding.

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Originally Posted by Partizan

Any paper with Kevin Myers in it just put it in the dog kennel. Makes great bedding.

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The Irish Times is best irish newspaper although competition isn't string as feck all irish papers left.

Its actually a measure of how bad the situation is but to be honest even if got a few people thinking of their own actions, at how stupid the whole situation is.

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Originally Posted by pete

The Irish Times is best irish newspaper although competition isn't string as feck all irish papers left.

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When it comes to Eircom League soccer coverage Pete it is the WORST!

I see that the latest mainland team to benefit from the IT's love affair with English football is ... Reading ... in, of all places, An Irishwoman's Diary.
Irish people, it seems, are waking up to the news that this heretofore neglected gem of a club are not, in fact, rubbish, and are flocking to the kip, because they employ a few Micks.
Looks like we're in for a series of these expeditions into the lower reaches of EPL, where Irish punters looking for cred can direct their support.
Where next, I wonder? Would it be too much to hope that the penny might drop, or is the condition simply gone too far?

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Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

When it comes to Eircom League soccer coverage Pete it is the WORST!

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Really? Worse than the Indo, the Examiner and the Herald? There have been plenty of instances of good features by Emmet Malone posted on these pages, so to say that they're the worst is a bit over the top IMO.

In defence of BORO, They are supported by local people, through thick and thin, I travel away with them and they bring whole familys away,
Old pensioniors, couples. People with not much money who see trips with their club as their holidays. Is'nt this the same as the hard-core support of Irish teams. Sure it would be easier to support Newcastle but glamour clubs are soulless. I supported MAN UTD as a boy the same reasons why youngsters support chelsea today and to be fair am a season ticket holder now. But i travel with Boro on away trips (Perk of the job) and the difference is worlds apart,

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Originally Posted by Finn 05

In defence of BORO, They are supported by local people, through thick and thin, I travel away with them and they bring whole familys away,
Old pensioniors, couples. People with not much money who see trips with their club as their holidays. Is'nt this the same as the hard-core support of Irish teams. Sure it would be easier to support Newcastle but glamour clubs are soulless. I supported MAN UTD as a boy the same reasons why youngsters support chelsea today and to be fair am a season ticket holder now. But i travel with Boro on away trips (Perk of the job) and the difference is worlds apart,

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Fair play to the smoggies/nappy-rippers (you can tell I used to live in Newcastle.... :D ), but your point is completely irrelevant.

The point here is that Irish people should be supporting Irish football - not unglamorous clubs from English or Scottish towns they couldn't pin-point on a map, let alone have ever been to visit.

Good luck to the loyal Boro fans - no-one is knocking them. It's the fantasy footballists in Oireland who think this picking an unglamorous foreign team is just great craic all together, whilst their own local team is dying on its feet 2 miles down the road from them for want of their support. People with that attitude are pure-bred w@nkers.

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Originally Posted by pete

Middlesborough may indeed be "rubbish" & virtually no irish people support but same could be said of Chelsea not so long ago.

Manchester & Liverpool "fans" can at least claim to some success in the distant past as reason they've supported for years but how do Chelsea fans explain their conversion...?

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This is going off topic but there are a fair few Irish Chelsea fans of a certain age (ahem) dating from the successful mid sixties to early seventies era.

To me an English club is an English club and I don't see why there should be any distinction drawn between Irish people who support one English team over another.

Its just a personal opinion, but unless you're very busy with a real life then its quite feasible to support both a local team and a foreign team.

Don't British Chelsea supporters hate the Irish supporting Chelsea or something? I've heard this a no. of times :confused: - something to do with the Blues brothers. I know its not the majority but there is suppose to be a real hatred for Irish fans supporting their club!

Said many time but Irish people are event junkies so will latch onto any successful teams with irish players in the UK. Supporting any team 12 months a year that involves getting off the couch is not the irish way...

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Originally Posted by Raheny Red

Don't British Chelsea supporters hate the Irish supporting Chelsea or something? I've heard this a no. of times :confused: - something to do with the Blues brothers. I know its not the majority but there is suppose to be a real hatred for Irish fans supporting their club!

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That blues brothers stuff is largely in the past and it was only ever a tiny minority. I've never had any hassle over there and I'm always struck by how many Irish accents you hear around you.

Yeh I had a slight feeling that it was probably from the 80's and 90's when it was at its worst.

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Originally Posted by fergalr

This is going off topic but there are a fair few Irish Chelsea fans of a certain age (ahem) dating from the successful mid sixties to early seventies era.

To me an English club is an English club and I don't see why there should be any distinction drawn between Irish people who support one English team over another.

Its just a personal opinion, but unless you're very busy with a real life then its quite feasible to support both a local team and a foreign team.

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Thats all fine provided that is the case. But in this country we have so called soccer supporters who will not attend and support their local team but will declare devout support for a British club. That is what is damaging in Ireland.
It's a lot easier to support some big British club - just switch on the box and buy the jersey.

I mean our Taoiseach is a self confessed Man U fan, we have rabid republicans supporting Celtic as a badge of honour - trying to tell me that Celtic is more Irish that the 22 in our league!

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Originally Posted by pete

Said many time but Irish people are event junkies so will latch onto any successful teams with irish players in the UK. Supporting any team 12 months a year that involves getting off the couch is not the irish way...

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Exactly!! It's OUR problem. We're just not feckin' Oirish enough! In fact, we're nearly feckin' British. Supportin' local teams, what next? Mushy peas and steak and kidney pie?

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

I suspect that that piece was written with tongue firmly pierced through both cheeks.

Irish people will never support Middlesborough in any great numbers. Middlesborough will never make any European Super League. Hence why the 2 non-occurences can be juxtaposed for 'comic' effect.

As they would say in Liverpool "Calm down !"

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This is the same broadsheet newspaper that gives minimal coverage to the EL Premier Division AND NO COVERAGE AT ALL of the First Division.
What frigging country do they think they are living in? Calm down My Eye!:mad:

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Originally Posted by Ronnie

It's a lot easier to support some big British club - just switch on the box and buy the jersey.

I mean our Taoiseach is a self confessed Man U fan, we have rabid republicans supporting Celtic as a badge of honour - trying to tell me that Celtic is more Irish that the 22 in our league!

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Capped it in a nutshell , and for the record Linfield , Glentoran and Portadown are more Irish than Celtic cause they play in the Irish FA Cup the Irish League etc.

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Originally Posted by Ronnie

Thats all fine provided that is the case. But in this country we have so called soccer supporters who will not attend and support their local team but will declare devout support for a British club. That is what is damaging in Ireland.
It's a lot easier to support some big British club - just switch on the box and buy the jersey.

I mean our Taoiseach is a self confessed Man U fan, we have rabid republicans supporting Celtic as a badge of honour - trying to tell me that Celtic is more Irish that the 22 in our league!

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Just to be clear - I don't disgaree with a word you're saying. I only weighed in cos there was a suggestion that it made a difference as to which foreign club one supported.