Its more of a problem with bar stool fans than LOI fans. I'd say nearly 80% of LOI fans would follow/support a foreign team. But not many from the from the otherside would follow a LOI team. In an ideal world, people would follow both. We're not the only country with this problem but it doesn't seem as bad as it is here.
Personally, I don't have enough time to support more than one team. If I had any more spare time, I'd go to more Derry games. I'll happily watch football anywhere in the world but I'm never too bothered about the results, its more about the experience.
In terms of why the Irish aren't more like the Cypriots or the Norwegians, who tend to support a British team but also go along to their local games as well, I would say its a combination of reasons. In no particular order,
1) poor facilities. Its a good reason not to go, particularly for those with families
2) Lack of FAI support. The FAI didn't give a monkies about domestic football until recently, and arguably they still don't. This don't care attitude goes back generations and then has propagated in the media and onwards to the wider sporting public.
3) Bandwagonism. As a nation, we love jumping on a bandwagon. There are numerous examples. Basketball in the 80's, rugby in the last decade (interprovincial attendences were similar to EL 15 years ago). We don't have a culture of supporting a team through thick and thin. The GAA is based upon a small hardcore keeping the sport ticking over for 9 months and then a crowd of yahoos rocking up to Croker in the summer. Supporting multiple teams allows you to hedge your bets and increase the chance you can catch a passing bandwagon.
4) We're really still British. Unsaid, unaccepted, but true. We watch their TV, used their currency until recently, shop in their shops, use their language, still our biggest trading partner. We're even siding with them on Europe. Why wouldn't we support a British team?
Last edited by OneRedArmy; 01/09/2008 at 2:10 PM.
Don't get me started on that! I got in an arguement with a friend who tried to tell me Celtic were more Irish than Bohs.Originally Posted by jinxy lilywhite
TBH I don't see much of a problem if a supporter of a LOI Club wishes to support an EPL club as well, as long as they're going to the matches of the LOI club etc...
I myself class myself as first as Rovers fan but after that a Leeds fan.
But without doubt I know, I'm a lot more of Rovers fan (and always will be) than that of a Leeds fan.
It's the fact that your a part of it here, whereas with supporting Leeds, it's very much an outsider looking in really...
also culture. In England the local football club is a big part of the town and it's community. "Gloryhunting" is looked down upon.
I support Cork City, but I follow English teams as well. I do not support them, just take an interest. Likewise other home nation teams. I generally wouldnt be bothered who won English Premier League games or SPL or IL, but in Europe I would hope for any English or Scotch team do well over a European team. I support 1 club, you can only support 1 club.
People who buy Sky and watch Man Utd, Chelsea, Sellthick etc and buy the jerseys are not supporters, they are CUSTOMERS.
"No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." - Edmund Burke
when i was younger i purely supported man utd growing up, this was down to the fact i didn't know anything about limerick soccer and never had been to a game barr 1 or 2 that i was brought to. all i ever saw on telly or in the papers was english or scottish football. as i got a little older and found out more about irish football and about limerick football i started supporting them and i definately get more joy out of going to jackman park to watch limerick play than watch Man united on the box. live football and getting behind your home club is what its all about and there is no better kick than going supporting your local team home or away and seeing them win whether it be Limerick in soccer or Shannon in rugby or any other local team you like to follow for that matter.
The people that annoy me are the ones who consider themselves die hard football fans who supposedly support the irish national team through thick and thin and want to see the english national team fail so badly yet support english clubs like man utd, liverpool, aresenal etc... and would laugh at the suggestion of supporting an LOI team.
What bugs me is the love Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard in their club shirt and then there a c*nts when they wear an England shirt.
Then sometimes the fair weather eloi supporters are just as worse. How many of us hold a grudge or even know fellow supporters who jump on the bandwagon when their team is doing well and then when they lose or go through a bad patch they wipe their hands with the club until they put a string of decent results behind them.
Long Live King Kenny
ya limerick will win two or three matches, get a decent crowd up to jackman park, draw or lose that match and the crowd is gone the following week. very frustrating
Well let me see I would say I watch 3 teams
I get to see all the home internationals .
I am a season ticket holder at Galway .
I also make a couple of visits each season to watch Burnley .
Adding to this I just hope the Irish do well this over the two away games because I have been watching very poor football so far this season from the club sides .
That is one thing that bugs me, as if the quality of football means anything
Also i hate when people moan about facilities
Sure they are bad, but its football
I mean i go to the pub for the beer, not cause the toilets are lovely, etc
mmmmm
Its all got to do with the buzz around the town when they are doing well and if people can take Limerick seriously after what has happened in the past. Things are changing though and I have brought many friends to games this year who I would have never expected to go to a Limerick game. I always get smart comments from people when I am in town with any sort of Limerick gear. Ironic thing is it comes from fellows wearing Liverpool jerseys etc.. I just tell them I feel sorry for themya limerick will win two or three matches, get a decent crowd up to jackman park, draw or lose that match and the crowd is gone the following week. very frustratingDo you get that attitude in Limerick, Jofspring?
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I remember reading this before about Limerick Football. I used to live there but it was a long time ago. How different is the L37 to the other Limericks in the past? sorry for going off topic hereIts all got to do with the buzz around the town when they are doing well and if people can take Limerick seriously after what has happened in the past. Things are changing though and I have brought many friends to games this year who I would have never expected to go to a Limerick game. I always get smart comments from people when I am in town with any sort of Limerick gear. Ironic thing is it comes from fellows wearing Liverpool jerseys etc.. I just tell them I feel sorry for them
Long Live King Kenny
I haven't read most of the posts in this thread but I'd like to say that it is definately possible to support more than one team. Bray Wanderers are my no.1 but I also get very emotional when watching Arsenal and Hibs play (and when I can only see the score on a text or whatever), I care about these clubs and I'm not about to force myself to stop caring just because some people think that it's wrong to follow more than one team.
I actually know a guy who supports two LOI teams (Dundalk and Kildare)!
Last edited by Stevo Da Gull; 01/09/2008 at 3:48 PM.
It is a lot different I think. General poor attitude around the city though towards the club I find but it is improving constantly. There is way better coverage in the local media for Limerick these days.
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Imo, it is possible to support A club team in different countries, but not more than one in those countries. Here, I support Rovers, in England it's Liverpool, but I support a team in 7 other countries as well. Apart from the odd game in Europe, none of them are directly competing with each other.
International football is completely different. You can only support one team, and in 90% of cases, it's where you were born that ties you to the hip internationally.
I obviously have too much time on may hands as I keep more than a passing interest in teams in a number of leagues.
My first love is, obviously Galway United, but always keep an eye out for the scores of :
England - Man Utd, second team I supported as a kid, after United, and we're talking about the dark season when they were relegated
Scotland - Hibs (purely because Edinburgh is a nice city, Glasgow is a kip and I hate Celtic fans because of reasons mentioned earlier)
Spain - Celta Vigo (port city, lovely part of country, and real underdogs - aren't even in La Liga
Holland - Groningen (since we played then in Europe 20 years ago)
Germany - Bayern, was in old Olympic stadium, class place.
Italy - Inter, all my mates picked Milan, so had to be different/odd!
Greece - Iraklio (thanks to 2 week hol on Crete)
Doesn't make me less of a Galway United fan though.
And there is a friend of mine who lives in Kildare but is from Galway, and he supports both United and County - he'll be in trouble next year deciding who to support when we're both in First Division :-(
Last edited by WoodquayBoy; 01/09/2008 at 4:54 PM. Reason: spelling
"Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins."
"Homer Simpson, smiling politely."
I am not quite sure how thats different, I always "support" Argentina in INT football
I think this thread is missing the point.
Supporting a couple of teams is a global phenomena. Even the yanks do it. Ditto devoting all your attention to one team. How much understanding does it require?
Ignoring your local game is pretty much unique to us.
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