LOI support for Ireland

Just wondering how many league of Ireland fans here support Ireland actively on a regular basics? If you don't or stopped what was the reason? Or if you do how does the 'experience' differ if it does to following your local team. I gave up going to Ireland games a good few years back mainly due to international games been played mid week now along with increasing ticket prices although they have reduced the price a small bit lately.

There was a big block booking of LoI fans. Repeated screwing around from the FAI and stupid ticket prices have seen the numbers fall off, but it's still there. It never seemed to quite work out as a singing section, and wasn't really facilitated that way.

I'd love to go to games, but I simply can't afford to. If it's a choice between going to eight Bray games, or one Ireland international, Bray wins every time. I'm still interested in the team, and watch every game on the telly, true Barstool style, and I'm not the fickle type who'll stop supporting them because they lose to Italy, France, or Cyprus, but I couldn't be considered hardcore by any definition of the word.

How do you mean by 'never facilitated that way'?

Used to follow Ireland - at world cup and a few home/away games. But Delaney and all the shenanigans within the FAI and the plastic support(ole ole brigade) have lost interest, and this was way before that France game. But since then i took up LOI football and i havent looked back at all - love the LOI, love the small but very vocal atmosphere at games, and dont think i could ever go back to following the national team as i find it boring.(unless they had a few LOi players - which is never i guess!)

Who do you support Bennocelt? I think Ireland have some kind of a singing section now in the south stand.

I've been taken/going to Irish games since I was 3, but when I was in Uni I was more regular (my own income etc) and I block booked tickets back in 1992 (you had to buy 2 at a time). Then I couldn't attend one home game, against Latvia I think, and I lost my seat for the 2nd game. I went in person to complain and they told me I was in the wrong. I still go to the odd games, I was in Yerevan because it was close, and prefer to go to away games when possible. Though as Peadar said, and I'd be in line with his thinking, I'd rather spend my money on a bunch of LOI games than 1 Irish match, but I'll always watch on tv, or the net, no matter where I am. Oh, and I traveled on my own to the Iran playoff match in 2001, though to be fair I was based in Jeddah at the time and had seen Saudi vs Iran there, so I figured it'd be cool to travel. As it turned out Ireland played both teams in the campaign.

Originally Posted by Red Army

How do you mean by 'never facilitated that way'?

I was thinking of stuff like the Carlsberg band being placed right in front of it, completely out of sync with the LoI singing, the experiment of placing the LoI drummers together not being replicated, and stewards pressing people to sit down there.

Originally Posted by Red Army

Who do you support Bennocelt? I think Ireland have some kind of a singing section now in the south stand.

No LoI team in greater Westmeath
So follow any game I can when I'm home - which is about next week - so might see if i can get a lift to Mervue (V Longford), and home for the FAI cups games

I feel dirty going to Ireland matches knowing that the amount of supporters there would never dream of passing through the turnstiles at a LOI game.

LOI >>>>>>> Internationals

Originally Posted by John83

There was a big block booking of LoI fans. Repeated screwing around from the FAI and stupid ticket prices have seen the numbers fall off, but it's still there. It never seemed to quite work out as a singing section, and wasn't really facilitated that way.

to those that dont know the big block booking was dated back to the fran rooney era I was in that section myself.. it never really took off though!

Nope.
The state of the average Irish supporter, embaressing is not the word with their stupid hats and inflatable hammers.
But what really gets me is the contempt with which LOI supporters have been treated by the FAI.
I have no interest in taking part in that mong fest.

I'm going to see Ireland again after boycotting the 'Croke Park Years'. So many of the supporters are wan*ers, though - Barstoolers and event junkies. LOI fans a much finer bunch of people.

Originally Posted by Red Army

Just wondering how many league of Ireland fans here support Ireland actively on a regular basics? If you don't or stopped what was the reason? Or if you do how does the 'experience' differ if it does to following your local team. I gave up going to Ireland games a good few years back mainly due to international games been played mid week now along with increasing ticket prices although they have reduced the price a small bit lately.

The reality is, there shouldn't be any difference. As Irish citizens and passport holders, we're obliged to support Ireland in any sport imo, for better or worse. My local club represents me in the LOI, my international team represents me and my identity as an Irishman on the world stage.

You saw how passionate people got about the team after Paris. Atm, supporting the Ireland football team isn't fashionable, mainly because of opinions formed after a bad hour at home to Russia. That'll all change when we qualify for our next tournament. The Ole Ole-ing, the "barstooling", and the ticket pricing whinging will be forgotten very quickly when we're at it, when the entire country looks for time off work to see us play in the finals again.

Used to go the odd time but its a very expensive trip to go up on a week day so don't bother. Get off work early, petrol, food, drinks, match tickets and the fact I'd be arriving home late and have to be back up early for work doesn't make it appealing. The constant opening of the papers to see another story about Stephen Ireland or some English player that wants to claim for Ireland gets boring too.

I will watch Ireland on the telly at home when a match is on but rarely make the effort to go up to Dublin. The same goes for supporting the Irish Rugby team. The cost of going up makes is very off putting so very rarely go up to them.

Originally Posted by SupaJon

I feel dirty going to Ireland matches knowing that the amount of supporters there would never dream of passing through the turnstiles at a LOI game.

LOI >>>>>>> Internationals

What you said

I do but am in the minority of Limerick fans - as evidence of the Thierry Henry chant last night and regularly from other LoI fans too.

What chant is that gspain? Honestly never heard one (except from Linfield fans at Richmond)

In my experience nearly all 'older' LOI fans are regular ROI match goers (or at least actively support ROI) while it's hit and miss with younger fans. I don't think message boards are representative either with the 'silent majority' definitely supporting ROI

Originally Posted by Dodge

What chant is that gspain? Honestly never heard one (except from Linfield fans at Richmond)

In my experience nearly all 'older' LOI fans are regular ROI match goers (or at least actively support ROI) while it's hit and miss with younger fans. I don't think message boards are representative either with the 'silent majority' definitely supporting ROI

Its just Limerick fans chanting Thierry Henry and Allez les bleus to the FAI officials at games in support of France. No need to explain why surely.

Dont bother with Ireland games myself anymore but the complete lack of atmosphere put me off after a while sad really that more noise is made in Jackman then at Ireland games.

I go whenever I can but being from Sligo and studying in Galway makes it a bit difficult. Used to have the block booked tickets with my dad but they were way too expensive for this campaign, still been to some of the games though.
I'd have to say though in comparison to LOI I find the atmosphere to be very boring, particularly in Croke Park. I think if we were performing better the Aviva would probably produce a decent atmosphere though, hopefully the restructuring of the ticket prices will have a positive impact too