NOt sure if this point has been made before, but I think away fans are crucial to the atmosphere at Landsdowne. Road. I think most people would agree that the atmosphere was better against the Faroes the other night than it has been in a long time. There are a few reasons for this IMO, one is probably the good result we got in paris and good performance. HOwever another reason is that lots of people went to paris in what was probably there first every away match. They saw what it was like to support your team away from home, and brought this kinda of support back to LR.
Another point I would like to make is that opposition fans can add to the atmosphere at LR. While it is great that I can get tickets for home games at LR, due to the fact that not many teams bring huge away support, I do think that teams like Holland etc that would bring good away support would help create a better support at LR. I think our support in Basel made the Swiss shout more too. Rivalry is part of football and there is nothing better to get you shouting that the opposition fans shouting too.
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
Agree with that, but as with yourself, the less away supporters that come to Lansdowne the more of a chance that I have of getting a ticket (since I am on the waiting list!), so I'm not sure if I would prefer more away support!
UCD sha-la-la
i dont think its got anything to do with away fans......its the attitude of people at the games. Irelands supporters just sit there waiting to be entertained instead of getting behind the team from the off. Was at a 2nd division game in Cadiz, 15000 and NO away fans and they never stopped until the final whistle. They are not there to be entertained, they want a win and they feel they are helping by making massive noise. Its just not the Irish thing to do for some reason.......i'd blame the catholic church myself.........
Don't agree either.When we played Bulgaria there recently,their fans were singing for the whole game while there wasn't a sound from the home crowd.
Anyway a enough of this,I'm optimistic about the atmosphere for the coming games.
<insert witty remark>
Well I would rather compare like with like. Cardiff are a club team who have fans going to games every week or every forthnight at least. International teams play at home about 5 times a year. Scotland and Ireland are renowned as the best supporters when we travel. However both struggle to get decent atmosphere at home games. It is not just an Irish thing. Scotland are having trouble at their home games for quite a while even when they were doing well. However when a team with decent away support as in taking the full allocation, Hampden is buzzing, as it was for the Dutch match, and this was long before they took the lead.
Many people have said that the atmosphere for the Dutch game was the best in a long time and that was due to the importance of the game but also the fact that away support filled the whole of the north terrace. NObody likes to be out sung at home. I do think that more people travelling to games will have a positive affect on the atmosphere at home games. But i thijnk more bodhrans etc are needed as these often get the crowd going are the ones that initiate the singing. There are also many social reasons for it. A booming economy does not help atmosphere at ground either but that would take a thesis to fully explain
In my Opinion two many people (ie suits) turn up to football cause it's a fashion statement not because the are football fan's and following the Ireland team mean's the world to them, and sadly due to corperate Ireland these are the type of people that get the first look in for ticket's cause it's something to say in the boardroom or on the golf course that they were at that game on wednesday night.
You only have to look at the mass exit at about the 82nd minute of game's and watch how vast area's of stand's are empty at the final whistle to see how a lot of people who go to LR really feel about watching the team. Somebody told me that the reason for this was that people want to catch the last train's, well at the Cyprus game which was played at 3pm it was no different, I suppose the last train's on a saturday are at 5,30 in the afternoon then in that case.
There also is a hell of a lot of snobbery about a lot of people at game's, i've seen some right old boot off's between people who want to support the team and people who don't want their sleep disturbed by some so called skanger in a football shirt at of all thing's a football match.
Its crazy to see people be what society wants them to be but not me.
I think a good idea if the fai could get it would be to have home games at 7:45 on a sat similar to the game in france. This would get more people wearing jerseys and drinking which hopefully would get them singing a bit more. Away support makes a huge difference as well and i thought the atmosphere had improved at the faroes game with some away fans there
I think it has been mentioned on here before that a later kick off on a Saturday so people can have a couple of pints, or even selling drink in the stadium would definitely help the atmosphere and I agree.
I'm not saying that we need drink to have a good time, but anyone who has had one or two would be far more likely to join in in the singing and chanting.
UCD sha-la-la
i also agree with later kick-offs. mid-week games should be at no earlier than 8pm as 7.30pm, as it currently is, allows too little time for people to get to the ground from work resulting in most people arriving during the national anthems or later. the earlier the ground fills the better the atmosphere builds up before kick-off
The only problem there JB is that there's nothing in Lansdowne Road to entice people into the ground early.
Was at Highbury a few weeks ago and under the North Bank you had the usual food and coffe counters but you also had a live band, TV's showing goals, team news etc. There was a penalty taking comp for kids.
Plenty to see and do.
This was by no means the best I've seen, but the fact remains, people were happy to get to the ground early and be part of the ever building atmosphere.
Have Boot Disk, will travel
I must sit in the wrong part of LR (East Upper) but I have never met anyone who sits in the same area who has not had time for one or two pints and those who roll in after kick-off are generally those who insist on having three or four or five pints!
Agree with that, but as with yourself, the less away supporters that come to Lansdowne the more of a chance that I have of getting a ticket (since I am on the waiting list!), so I'm not sure if I would prefer more away support!
I'm on the waiting list too and get offered tickets if away fans don't take up there allocation...Will the Swiss take up there full allocation...does anyone know and what about the French will they travel? Fingers crossed we get Croker so every can get to the game...............
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