When "what they want to do" is waste their money on something profoundly stupid, it is a little shocking. Then again, I was brought up in a protestant family who re-used wrapping paper, so that could just be me.Originally Posted by KK77
But it's not stupid to them. A country of begrudgers we are!
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I wish that strategy would work, but I see no evidence of it. Waterford United have tried that and makes no difference at all.
There's no point sweating this. It's like a group of Irish cinema enthusiasts railing against Iron Man 3 selling out when their beloved Pavee Lackeen didn't even get a general release.
This is waaaaaaaay beyond a football matter. These are global brands making a whistle stop tour in Ireland. Our association is complicit, but sure we knew that already.
If I'm a "begrudger" for thinking the people spending money on this game are absolute imbeciles, then fine. I'm a begrudger. They probably think the same of me for supporting LOI.
They might just think that's what you want to do.
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As an aside, and apropos of nothing in particular, I remember being at a pre-season friendly at Tolka Park when I lived in Dublin in the early '90s, against Millwall I think, but I'm open to correction on that.
The ground was sparsely populated. I was sitting with my mate and a young fella, aged maybe 16 was sitting a few rows behind us. He was wearing a Liverpool kit. A Millwall supporter who had made the trip wandered past us. "Oi you. Yes, you. [points at young fella] Support your facking local club."
It's not begrudgery. I respect the foreign clubs for the way they have built up such a money-making machine. It's impressive. What I am giving out about is the fact that people spend ten times what they would for a competitive game between two teams from their own country, in favour of watching a friendly between two foreign teams. And then have the sheer nerve and hypocrisy to turn up their noses at LOI fans, because our league is "crap", and "they wouldn't pay to watch that rubbish".
People are entitled to spend their money as they see fit. I think if LOI people concentrated on the league it might grow instead of making smart remarks about others who don't. Maybe Irish people have been going to England to follow clubs as far back as when Irish players left the league to go to England.
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And people are equally entitled to point out that the way some people spend their money is daft.
If you chose to spend your money on filling a bath full of baked beans and climbing in I'd be entitled to tell you how silly you are.
Mind you, that would be cheaper than and definitely a better conversation starter than paying 100 quid to watch a meaningless friendly.
I've no real problem with people going to this game - it's their choice. As LOI supporters, we should be doing more to try to get people to come to LOI games - not run them down for supporting foreign teams. There's no reason why they can't do both - support a LOI team and support a foreign team if that's what they want.
I never miss a Harps home game - in fact, I've only missed about half a dozen home games in 25 years at Finn Park. Don't do as many aways now as I used to - there was a time up until about 10 years ago that I would have attended nearly all Harps away matches too - but for one reason or another I can't do it now (kids, work, etc - getting away from work on a Friday early isn't easy when you have to leave Donegal to head to Galway or Wexford or wherever). I also go across to England about 4 times a season to watch games over there and be in Lansdowne for Ireland home games (just the competitive ones nowadays, don't make as many friendlies as I used to).
Up the Harps!!
Well, thankfully it's not an either/or. I imagine most everyone on here does concentrate on the LOI, but luckily it doesn't neceassrily rule out taking an informed, critical position on Irish people's obsession with a league in another country.
And it's also not an either/or for them either. In theory, they could watch their Match of the Day, travel to England for the occasional match, and still go and watch their local club play. Every week, more or less. But they choose not to. They prefer a mediated version of football, rather than the messy reality of watching actual human beings play football.
That's simply historically inaccurate. In the years following World War II, and up to and including the 1970s, Irish people sinmply didn't have the money to travel to the UK on a whim to watch football. What English football they did watch was when they emigrated. Not coincidentally, LOI attendance figures were regularly in the 20,000+ range during this period.
I get you're trying to argue the point that people who watch English or Scottish football are just ordinary football fans, but its actually a very peculiar habit. It only looks normal because that's all many Irish people have ever known. But the extent of it is a very rare phenomenon, and you'd be hard pushed to find any other country in the world that ignores its own league to this extent, whilst clearly loving the game itself.
I supose if you have nothing else to do and it bothers you that much!
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If it bothers you that much one could say you are silly!
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I don't think it bothers anybody that much, except that it's money and support we wish would be invested in the domestic game.
All i am saying is people are entitled to watch whatever football in whatever league they choose without people making smart arsed remarks. If they concentrated on their own league maybe it would grow.
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It bothers a lot of people if we are all being honest.
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It bothers people for the reason I said, but not excessively so. There is nobody sitting outside your sitting room window quietly disapproving of you for enjoying a match on the telly.
We'll just have to agree to disagree so!
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I am. I do that.
Is that just me then? Hello? HELLO?
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