Like any sport you have the hard core fans who support the team through thick & thin and then you have the folks that jump on the band-wagon when success comes rolling in.
Given how poor our actual results have really been in the last 8 years and the mostly inept performance of the FAI I think the interest in the team is pretty strong.
Given how much humbug sourrounds the Ireland team it's pretty amazing how popular the team is but we love humbug! we are humbug!
Examples of humbug -
The FAI appointing Stan
The FAI appointing Trapp as the 2nd higest paid manager in international football.
The embarrassing over-reaction to Henry's handball
The ludicrious salary of John Delaney
The FAI retaining Don Givens for so long
The continual recruitment of players who couldn't find Ireland on a map of the UK & Ireland ( I am not referring to James McCarthy or Aiden McGeady, you know who I'm talking about...).
The attempted recruitment of players who have played for England at U21 level and who are known to want to play for England at senior level.
The Fran Rooney debacle and the usual FAI power struggles.
Genesis report
Limerick F.C. v FC Barcelona
FAI ticketing
and on and on and on....thank God for the IRFU or the Ireland team would be playing at the RDS!
I dunno about that.
I went to a couple of rugby games in Croke Park and I found it generally to be a much older crowd with far fewer kids than you'd get at a GAA/soccer game.
That's a money thing. Watch rugby in any pub in south Dublin and it's all 20-30 year olds.
A silly dublin fool just summed the whole thing up there to me in work ...They (Ireland) f**king* got Doyle injured for " US" (us being Wolves of course) ....Wolves !
What a top of the range clown. Ask him what part of Wolverhampton has he connections with again?!?
There was a piece in the paper yesterday about an FAI and Garda run project in Ballymun every Friday night. Its a midnight five a side league. Apparently has brought down the rate of anti social behaviour on that particular night by over 50%. Great initiative and as Dunph/Giles always advocate its the working class kids playing ball on the street is where the real football talent comes from. Can you imagine the IRFU supporting such a venture?!? They probably dont even know where Ballymun is.
Football is for all. Rugby as a participation sport is for you if you are from Limerick, if not then its only for the private school, middle class upwards brigade. Sad but by and large true.
Am happy to be proven wrong in certain instances but what I wrote above is my own personal experience in Cork and Dublin. Only really need to look at the demographics of the Irish/Leinster/Munster teams to illustrate the background of the vast majority. Must admit it was only when I moved to Dublin a few years ago that I fully realised the extent of the private school upbringing attached to Rugby.
And just for the record, am not one of these twisted anti other sport brigade (of which the gaa seem to have many). Am very happy to see Irish rugby do very well and there are elements of its organisation that we as football supporters can learn from. its just Irish football is my no.1 no question.
On the debate about rugby and soccer, the reality is rugby is our only professional team sport, we are successful in club rugby and these lads are seen to be part of the community. The top Irish soccer players live abroad, earn mad money and the majority of them will probably never live in Ireland again. This is why rugby continues to flourish in Ireland.
Why have Irish football fans abandoned foot.ie? A day before a big match I'd expect fresh posts every few minutes!
For a lad that isn't 'anti' any sport you never miss an opportunity to have a go at the GAA.
Surely you're not so naive that you don't realise there is a large anti-soccer element amongst the rugby fraternity?
I know plenty of rugby afficionados that happily refer to soccer as 'chavball'.
These are the same lads that were turning their nose up at having to cross the river to watch international rugby in Croke Park.
Look at any of the rugby forums.
They can't wait till the day the IRFU are freed from the shackles binding them to the FAI and irish soccer.
Recession guys, I can't be justifying €90 + travel and accom from London. Throwing in the friendly games as a package is taking the p**s in the current economic climate to. How about trying to fill the stadium for friendlies by vastly expanding out the school boy tickets and better concessions for others. At €5.60 a beer in the stadium they'll make up their money if they get enough people in.
After 20 years on the block booking, I didn't take up the last allocation, I know others the same.
Last edited by paul_oshea; 11/10/2010 at 1:06 PM.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
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