Ban the booers for life.......

[liam88]

As an Irishman when i hear the word Cetic and football, i immediately think of......Belfast Celtic

who were made as a counterpart to.......
Belfast Celtic were formed as a (Glasgow) Celtic across the water and went on the be one of the greatest teams Ireland has ever seen.

Back to the point, regarding the booing that has been described as a "disgrace" and a "cancer"-I find this a little extreme. I'm not saying this as a Celtic fan but Ireland have one of the best reputations in international football regarding fans.
I think booin players for what team they play for is hardly on a par with monkey chants etc. At least it's about football!
Ok mabye you don't want it in the game and fair play, BUT there are far worse things being done by other countrys that a bit of booing. Sure some of our fans might boo our own players which is a wee bit stupid but when it comes to it we haven't followed our Northern neighbours past example by seeing "let him die" and rubbish like that!
As far as I'm aware Ireland fans have never been responsible for a football-related murder, correct me if I'm wrong, which brings us a lonmg way above other clubs.
I'm not saying we're perfect because we haven't murdered but you have to look at the bigger picture and see that there are a lot worse things going on weekin-week out at many matches across the globe.

[the 12 th man]

As far as I'm aware Ireland fans have never been responsible for a football-related murder, correct me if I'm wrong, which brings us a lonmg way above other clubs.
.

arent we the nice guys then.cop on liam,we are talking here about booing people for no reason other than you dont like the club they play for which is totally unacceptible to 99% of ordinary fair minded soccer supporters.

[nifan]

Sadly this is not the first time were some of our player's were booed due to club reason's, the worst i felt were the a**hole's who booed Kevin Grogan, Graham Barrett and David McMahon when they were introduced to the crowd @ half time during during the freindly with Mexico in may 98 just because they played for Man u, Arsenal and Newcastle, and this was while they were showing off the first international trophy we've ever won. Some thank's those lad's got for winning us a trophy.

I had not heard this before. ok2boo and other people claimed suring the whole lennon thing that ROI fans had never booed their own players due to club rivalry! I understand it is only a minority, but so were the *****s who booed lennon.

[nifan]

At the end of the day we all pay our Euros/punts/pounds & we're entitled to cheer/'boo' who we like.............................................. .for ANY team we support........

Boo the opposition if they cheat, not cos of what club they are associated with. I certainly wont be singling Thompson out for special treatment if he plays for england against us. I wont be cheering for Gerard or Owen either, but will be the following week for Liverpool.

[Paddy Ramone]

All these "die-hard celtic supporters" have appeared in the last 5 or 6 years. go back before that and yould never meet a celtic "supporter" or see a celtic shirt.

I think some Irish fans starting wearing Celtic shirts when Ireland qualified for Euro 88. There were three Celtic players in the squad, Bonner, McCarthy and Morris and Celtic had won the double. I remember seeing Irish fans carrying a banner congratulating Celtic on their centenary year. Does anyone remember when Irish fans first started wearing Celtic shirts

I don't remember Irish fans wearing Celtic shirts before that. I think before that most fans of Celtic in the Republic of Ireland lived in County Donegal. Only two live Celtic matches had been shown on RTE television before 1989, they were the 1967 European Cup final and the 1980 Scottish FA Cup final. Scottish football was only shown when English football was unavailable so there wouldn't have been too many Celtic fans.

[Macy]

I wont be cheering for Gerard or Owen either, but will be the following week for Liverpool.

Isn't that why international football is essentially hypocrisy? Club football first and foremost, international football is just a pleasant distraction...

[only1kilbane]

You come from the judas school of thinking obviously. It should be the greatest moments in your career wearing your countrys jersey whereas the weekend games keeps us occupied waiting for the qualifiers

[Macy]

No, I just feel differently to you... Take last year for example - Town winning the cup was far more important to me than Ireland qualifying (or not) for Euro 2004.

Also I find it very hard to support the likes of Morrison and Holland who clearly never considered themselves Irish and took the invitation to play as a career move. Them and their ilk ain't playing to represent their country, they're playing to play international football.

[Peadar]

Them and their ilk ain't playing to represent their country, they're playing to play international football.

I'd say they're in good company as there seems to so many players now who pick and choose to play for their countries when it suits them.

That said, Kenny Cunningham truely is "Captain Fantastic" and I hope to see him in management someday.

[lopez]

many clubs in continental europe were formed by englishmen but you wouldnt consider them english, you would consider them italian (as in the case of genoa) or austrian (austria vienna, i think).

All these "die-hard celtic supporters" have appeared in the last 5 or 6 years. go back before that and yould never meet a celtic "supporter" or see a celtic shirt.

None of these clubs have a core support of English descent. There are other teams like the Sao Paulo rivals Palmeiras and Corinthians. Palmeiras were founded by Italians and Corinthians by Spanish respective immigrants but now their support is mostly from black/mixed race Brazilians. This is a big difference with Celtic.

As for wearing green shirts at Ireland games. Why not? Some people just want to be different? Stand out from the others. That's why I've see Betis, Rapid Vienna, Palmeiras and a host of dodgy south American shirts (Deportivo Cali I think play in green). I've got an old green Deportivo La Coruna shirt although haven't worn it an Ireland game. Celtic shirts isn't the problem here.

[John83]

(Believe a Mr.Connolly has his critics!)......Wouldn't necessarily boo them,but have/would tell they didn't always cut it on the International stage.......

That would be me. I wouldn't boo him, just groan every time I hear his name in a squad/on the teamsheet, or when he gets the ball. Even sang "He's ****, but he scored a goal..." at him in the last friendly he bothered to turn up to.

[Paddy Ramone]

Also I find it very hard to support the likes of Morrison and Holland who clearly never considered themselves Irish and took the invitation to play as a career move. Them and their ilk ain't playing to represent their country, they're playing to play international football.

The vast majority of internatioanls who play for Ireland have an affinity with the country. You're hardly telling that all Longford Town players have an affinity with your town, are you? Quite a high percentage of them would be mercenaries just like Morrison and Holland. Many of them from Dublin, a place you seem to despise.

[Macy]

Probably wasn't clear about that, I didn't mean all players that were born outside of Ireland, just the total tw@ts like Clinton "Come and get me Sven" Morrison and Matty "God save the queen" Holland (and I'd include Ray "I still consider myself scottish" Houghton on that list too).

btw A refreshing change to be accused of despising Dublin - I'm usually accused of being a closet Dub.

[pete]

Its only natural to have more interest in a team you watch live almost every week as opposed to one you may not see for 6 months at certain times. At a club you get to see young players progress etc...

This isn't unique to football & know people you who watch Munster who say don't care too much what happens to National team as long as player X is fit foir next province game... I'm sure the same thing happens with inter-county v parish GAA teams.

[eirebhoy]

If so many people support their club more than their country (believe me there is a very high percentage of people who would prefer their club winning the Champions league rather than Ireland winning the European Champs) then why R K called a traitor for choosing club over country?

[lopez]

If so many people support their club more than their country (believe me there is a very high percentage of people who would prefer their club winning the Champions league rather than Ireland winning the European Champs) then why R K called a traitor for choosing club over country?

If people think that their club (that is the foreign one that is all so fashionable to support) winning the Worthless Cup, the F*ck All Cup or any other cup is more important than anything Ireland does, then fine: F*ck them. Just next time Ireland are playing in a big game, f*ck off, and let me and others, like me, who put Ireland at the top of their football tree get the tickets instead. Sick to death of these 'footballing cono - seurs' (cono being Spanish for c*nt) turning up at Ireland game for any reason except supporting Ireland.

[Slash/ED]

Anyone who booed liam miller against the Czechs should never, under any circumstances, be let back into Lansedown Road again.

[lopez]

Anyone who booed liam miller against the Czechs should never, under any circumstances, be let back into Lansedown Road again.

Slash. As with so many people on this forum, I've have had my differences with you, but I totally agree with you here.

To Davros and others: Supporting Ireland for Irish people should be above everything else. Support Ireland and Celtic yes, but they aren't on the same level. If they are on the same level, or Celtic is more important then please join the back of the queue when it comes to tickets for big games, like Switzerland last year. Same goes for Man Ure fans, with Holland the year before with the Stam sh*te, or Direpool fans and all the others.

Irish Celtic fans are hypocritical when it comes to Irish players. They claim they are an Irish club then slag off an Irish player for moving on to what is a far better league. Imagine an EL club slagging off one of their players for moving to England (eg: Judas moving from Cobh to Nottingham Forest). Exactly!

Then there's Alan Maybury. I believe he had his leg broken by Nedved when he was with Leeds. But then he's only a Prod. Or a bad prod 'cos, shock horror, he supports Rangers. Fair play to him! BTW, no one has mentioned the good reception that Nedved got the other night. No boos there (or cheers, but he does play in Italy, like). Even better had he played for Celtic/Man Ure/Direpool, but still. Let's wait a year or two for that then. Instead we are told that some Romanian should get the treatment in May for sidelining a Celtic player who plays for a foreign country. You're having a laugh.

[Plastic Paddy]

Instead we are told that some Romanian should get the treatment in May for sidelining a Celtic player who plays for a foreign country. You're having a laugh.

Oh dear. Looks like we're heading for our first "difference of opinion". From what I gather, you're not a fan of club football/any team in particular and here at least it shows. FWIW, I don't place Celtic above Ireland and never have; they at least to my mind operate in different paradigms. That said, when combined they represent the sum of my football allegiance, and I can't compartmentalise the emotions that result. Ergo the blurring of the lines.

As I won't be getting the chance to let Ganea know what I think of him and his hospitalisation of one of my club's centre-halves until we play Romania in May, I'll let him have it with both barrels then. (Quietly, like, in case the gentlemen supporters around me take offence... ) And it won't surprise you to know that I can't be arsed driving to Wolverhampton to stick a banana up his car exhaust or shove crap through his letterbox instead. So you'll have to put up with it...

I may, of course, calm down in the next couple of months. Perhaps if I'm extra nice to Mrs PP, that'll help...

PP

[Beavis]

Supporting Ireland for Irish people should be above everything else. Support Ireland and Celtic yes, but they aren't on the same level. If they are on the same level, or Celtic is more important then please join the back of the queue when it comes to tickets for big games, like Switzerland last year.

Could not agree more.But it comes back to the same issue of tickets constantly going to the wrong people and the chances are it will never change.

Then there's Alan Maybury. I believe he had his leg broken by Nedved when he was with Leeds.... No boos there

I was hoping he'd get some abuse.His tackle on Maybury in that Champions League game was a disgrace.Completely intended to injure and I would have been delighted to see him being jeered (tried myself for the first few minues till I got bored) but thankfully instead we got the benign Milan Baros as he left the pitch applauding the crowd,which was some solace...