Rugby now more popular than football AND GAA?!

[an_ceannaire]

lads, can i just say, this thread was NOT meant as a wind up or to stir the sh*t
its just a reflection of what I and many more see as a decrease in support for the national football team.
Please dont take it as an insult.
I am sorry if anyone misunderstood.

Anyways, feck the begrudgers. 1-0 tonight. It wont be pretty but i fancy a doyler header from a corner. Cant see us scoring from open play.

[Straightstory]

Alot of people are losing interest in International football, unless we're taking part in WC & EC. The majority of football fans in this country are more bothered about MU/Liverpool/Celtic/Arsenal winning than Ireland. Alot of my friends were looking forward to the Chelsea/Arsenal game at the weekend than they are to the game Friday night. Its nothing to do the Traps style of play or anything like that. We have to qualify for something to raise the profile of the team and then all the glory hunters will get on board....

Totally agree with first point about the Premiership obsession. Can never understand all the 'Ireland have the best fans in the world stuff.' I've always thought they were/are some of the worst; Fickle, unknowledgeable about the game, and not supporting - or even being actively hostile to - club football in their own country.
It's still very early in the group, and if Ireland get near qualifying, people will be excited again. However, apart from Keane and Doyle up front, Ireland have the most boring bunch of players I can ever remember playing for the national side. This, and Trap's extremely dull, conservative and predictable way of playing football must be a factor.
If we qualify, though, all will be forgiven.

[Straightstory]

Well, actually, I do like Duffer as well. Nearly always Ireland's best player when he plays...

[Scooby Doo]

In all honesty, who gives a fiddlers about the type of football we play if we end up winning the match!!! Long balls all night will suit me fine if the desired result is achieved and I will consider the price of my ticket as money very well spent. We all knew from day one when Trap took over that this was the brand of football we'd play. Look back to the 2008 threads and I'm sure there were many posts predicting as much. It is working so far and has given Irish fans something to get very excited about on matchdays - the fact that we are competing well with stronger teams! If anyone on here had suggested, back in the dark days of Stan's reign, that we might just beat this Russia side, they'd probably have been laughed at.
I'm sitting in work and I can't concentrate on anything except the clock as it moves closer to 7.45. As a previous poster suggested, f*ck the begrudgers and get behind the BIG!

2-1 Ireland

[holidaysong]

You follow the team, you don't choose to be an Ireland fan it's who you are, it's generations of history, is the blood in our veins.

The one world you cannot use is apathy.

Replace Ireland in that quote with Dundalk FC, Athletic Bilbao or Boca Juniors and that's how nearly all football fans all over the world feel about their team. Apathy happens with the general public, not with them. Amongst the general public in Ireland I can definitely feel a disinterest in the national team in the last months and years. Indeed I'd guess this downturn in interest has a strong relationship with the upturn in fortunes of rugby in this country.

[an_ceannaire]

Replace Ireland in that quote with Dundalk FC, Athletic Bilbao or Boca Juniors and that's how nearly all football fans all over the world feel about their team. Apathy happens with the general public, not with them. Amongst the general public in Ireland I can definitely feel a disinterest in the national team in the last months and years. Indeed I'd guess this downturn in interest has a strong relationship with the upturn in fortunes of rugby in this country.

+1000000000000

[Wolfie]

lads, can i just say, this thread was NOT meant as a wind up or to stir the sh*t
its just a reflection of what I and many more see as a decrease in support for the national football team.
Please dont take it as an insult.
I am sorry if anyone misunderstood.

Anyways, feck the begrudgers. 1-0 tonight. It wont be pretty but i fancy a doyler header from a corner. Cant see us scoring from open play.

I'm attending games 25 years and I've seen the teams popularity ebb and flow over that period - I wouldn't let it concern you.

Some of the best matches I've been at had much less media exposure and were played out in front of roughly 23,000 fans. Ireland versus Bulgaria in 1987 springs to mind.

A smaller but committed bunch of fans will always generate a more vocal and passionate atmosphere anyway.

Some of the populist media interest that the team has acquired over the years has been a counter productive nuisance anyway.

I think the core support will always be around as its been with us since childhood.

You just can't beat the build up to these matches. Meet the mates,discuss the game over a few pints, stroll to the ground, anticipation of kick off..........................can't wait.

Come on Ireland.

[Paulie]

Unless we're playing absolute minnows, when watching Ireland I usually find myself thinking after about 5 minutes of play, that if I could just fall asleep, wake up after the game and be told the result without having to go through the torment of the game itself, it would be much better for my health and general well being. I couldn't support a club, I couldn't do this on a weekly basis. I wouldn't want to!

[thischarmingman]

Indo led with Man United story today: http://www.independent.ie/sport/

[tetsujin1979]

Indo led with Man United story today: http://www.independent.ie/sport/

I was on the site this morning, and the lead story then was the "Trap focuses on same old little details"
Looks like the United story was added in since then, the figures were only announced this morning so it's unlikely to be in the paper itself.

[an_ceannaire]

I was on the site this morning, and the lead story then was the "Trap focuses on same old little details"
Looks like the United story was added in since then, the figures were only announced this morning so it's unlikely to be in the paper itself.

Wood.........trees..........

[The Fly]

Wood.........trees..........

Could you use a larger font please?

[Fizzer]

I think there is general apathy towards the team which isn't helped by the rugby-obsessed media. I'm just not sure whether perhaps its always been that way and the public have always only been interested when we were qualifying for world cups. I hate the way I'm the only person in work interested in the team, loads of people don't even know the game's on tonight. On the 'best supporters in the world' issue yeah I think thats probably overstated but I do think there's a really special relationship between the players and the real fans. I'll never forget Duffer in tears in Paris saluting the fans in the corner of the stadium as they cheered the team off the pitch. It's that kind of stuff that makes our team and our fans special.

[amaccann]

Hand on heart? I'm just not feeling as passionate about the Ireland team as I used to (30 years old, supporting Ireland since I was a wee fella). I have lost interest. As an add-on, I have also followed rugby for that same length of time, so it's not like I've been jumping ship or anything, I have followed both sports passionately and see them as both very different and very similar (as an aside, I fecking hate some of the blow-ins rugby has attracted - mostly the muppet Leinster supporters; even rugby's losing it's innocence)

But soccer? Errrrgh, I dunno it's just so hard to get the passions stoked for the sport anymore. Generally that is, rather than specific teams or tournaments.

Maybe it's the bland stadia that have no uniqueness about them; maybe it's the overpaid, overprotected players, acting like brainless metrosexuals; maybe it's the horrible, horrible cynicism & gamesmanship that cripples every game; maybe it's the constant hyping by Sky or EA that demand I be terribly excited about Stoke vs. Wigan; maybe it's the corruption across the board in every regional association; maybe it's this country's obsession with the Premiership that flies in the face of any notion of patriotism or local pride; maybe it's the style of play Ireland adopt these days; maybe it's how we're reduced to dredging the English Championship for England's sloppy seconds; maybe I've just grown out of the sport.

And yet. G'wan the Ireland, give those Ruskies a clobbering. I may refuse to go to the Aviva (spit) for any sport until the prices come down, but I'll still be glued to the TV cheering the lads on. I just wish that I was cheering on a sport that means something to me these days. As William Shatner says, I can't get behind that.

[Jinxy]

All the general admission tickets are sold out, thats for sure. Premiums i dont think so, but then the prices for those tickets are very expensive. It was ridiculous putting in so many premium seats in the place but anyways thats for another day.

I think recession is a huge factor. Football supporters by and large do not have the same level of disposable income as the rugby crowd so obvioulsly will be hit harder by the recession.

I also think the Friday night game, although good for us based in dublin isnt ideally suited to everyone, ie travelling from abroad or down the country so that is also likely to affect numbers.

LR capacity for competitive games was about 17k short of what we have now. So ignoring the croke park years, based on traditional LR figures, I think 50k in for an international game is very good going.

Finally, no one should be going supporting Ireland (Football, rugby or otherwise) for the 'entertainment' value. We are a small country, we dont have the playing pool of a Brazil, we're not going to produce 11 gifted players. Following Ireland is about pride in your country, pride in the jersey, something you cant explain, its what you belong to, its your team and it really really really matters to you if we win lose or draw. Its living every kick of the ball, every tackle, every bad decision. You cant buy this sort of passion, I for one treasure the fact that I have this passion for the Irish team, those that dont, well they dont realise what they are missing.

A short story, a die hard gaa hurling fan came with me to paris this year. His first Ireland away game, may have been his first Ireland game. He was blown away by the experience and that was before the game even started.

Did you cure him?

[bennocelt]

I gave up on the team a while ago, just dont get the buzz from it, too much rubbish surrounding the national team, get much more fun and enjoyment from following the LOI
I hate Delaney and the whole shenanigans with the FAi, but in one sense i would love to shake his hand and say thanks for opening the LOi world to me. I love the LOI now and dont think I would ever give two sh its about the national team, unless I see some LOi representation.
And I have no other sport to follow either, no rugby or gah, 100% football watching, playing coaching, whatever

[Charlie Darwin]

I think there is general apathy towards the team which isn't helped by the rugby-obsessed media.

It depends what papers you read. Excluding GAA from the conversation, the Times and Indo are probably 50/50 rugby and soccer, while the Tribune and Business Post are more rugby-focused, but I think all the rest are soccer-oriented. There's a pretty obvious class division there.

With TV, you could make the argument, but I think it's probably more to do with money. There is far, far less money in rugby, which is why RTE can afford Magners League and Six Nations action while all the good football is left to Sky and Sellotanta.

[Qwerty]

Hand on heart? I'm just not feeling as passionate about the Ireland team as I used to (30 years old, supporting Ireland since I was a wee fella). I have lost interest. As an add-on, I have also followed rugby for that same length of time, so it's not like I've been jumping ship or anything, I have followed both sports passionately and see them as both very different and very similar (as an aside, I fecking hate some of the blow-ins rugby has attracted - mostly the muppet Leinster supporters; even rugby's losing it's innocence)

But soccer? Errrrgh, I dunno it's just so hard to get the passions stoked for the sport anymore. Generally that is, rather than specific teams or tournaments.

Maybe it's the bland stadia that have no uniqueness about them; maybe it's the overpaid, overprotected players, acting like brainless metrosexuals; maybe it's the horrible, horrible cynicism & gamesmanship that cripples every game; maybe it's the constant hyping by Sky or EA that demand I be terribly excited about Stoke vs. Wigan; maybe it's the corruption across the board in every regional association; maybe it's this country's obsession with the Premiership that flies in the face of any notion of patriotism or local pride; maybe it's the style of play Ireland adopt these days; maybe it's how we're reduced to dredging the English Championship for England's sloppy seconds; maybe I've just grown out of the sport.

And yet. G'wan the Ireland, give those Ruskies a clobbering. I may refuse to go to the Aviva (spit) for any sport until the prices come down, but I'll still be glued to the TV cheering the lads on. I just wish that I was cheering on a sport that means something to me these days. As William Shatner says, I can't get behind that.

I think a lot of folks feel the same way, rugby has improved no end over the years. When I was a kid the only rugby on TV was the 5 Nations which was great but now you get the Tri-Nations, Super 14, ITM Cup and the Northern hemisphere club & provincial comps as well. The quality and excitement and pure skill, power and physicality is immense and they're not over paid prima-donnas!

I've gone right off the EPL, of course being a Liverpool supported hasn't helped...I have more interest in the domestic game.

I still maintain an interest in the best Irish players and in the national teams at all age levels but frankly after watching the WC this summer, it was so dire that I don't care whether we qualify of not, each competitive game should be treated as an occasion and enjoyed as that and no more. Friendlies should be sh1t-canned.

My earliest memory of the WC was Mexico 86, the Brazil v France QF is deeply imprinted on my mind as one of the best games I ever saw but I'm wondering if I saw the same now for the first time how good would it really be? I think rugby has taken 'football' to a whole new level and soccer just can't compete - for me at least.

[DannyInvincible]

too much rubbish surrounding the national team

What in particular is "too much rubbish"?

[Jinxy]

I think a lot of folks feel the same way, rugby has improved no end over the years. When I was a kid the only rugby on TV was the 5 Nations which was great but now you get the Tri-Nations, Super 14, ITM Cup and the Northern hemisphere club & provincial comps as well. The quality and excitement and pure skill, power and physicality is immense and they're not over paid prima-donnas!

I've gone right off the EPL, of course being a Liverpool supported hasn't helped...I have more interest in the domestic game.

I still maintain an interest in the best Irish players and in the national teams at all age levels but frankly after watching the WC this summer, it was so dire that I don't care whether we qualify of not, each competitive game should be treated as an occasion and enjoyed as that and no more. Friendlies should be sh1t-canned.

My earliest memory of the WC was Mexico 86, the Brazil v France QF is deeply imprinted on my mind as one of the best games I ever saw but I'm wondering if I saw the same now for the first time how good would it really be? I think rugby has taken 'football' to a whole new level and soccer just can't compete - for me at least.

I don't quite understand this.