What regions embrace or dismissive of LoI football?

[ped_ped]

Where I'm from football is rarely used for anything - it's Gaelic or soccer.

[eitoof]

There's a huge swathe of the south midlands that has no interest in or tradition of LOI.
From North Tipperary, through Offaly, Laois, Kildare, Carlow to Kilkenny.
Yes, there were LOI teams in Kilkenny city and Newbridge but the suppport levels never reached any significant level.
The FAI should be looking at this vast area with a view to development of the game.

[Paddyfield]

Limerick doesn't embrace LOI soccer at all in my opinion. It's been the same regular heads for years. English football is king in Limerick, then junior soccer. Even at that no one really supports junior football, it's mainly made up of a few club men here and there and the players that play for the clubs. The only way we could really up the crowds is if we were consistently around the top of the table, winning trophies and playing nice football. Anything other than that and people will stick to their English and junior teams.

I was in Rathbane in the late 80's and there were massive crowds despite the fact that the ground was a merely a field. The potential must be still there.

[The Donie Forde]

I always found that football is not that big in those areas where it's called "soccer".

Soccer AM, Soccer Saturday etc etc in the home of "football".
I think people with an aversion to 'soccer' is just plain snobbish, to be frank.

[BonnieShels]

Most kids who play both sports, would call Association football Soccer

Where I'm from football is rarely used for anything - it's Gaelic or soccer.

Soccer AM, Soccer Saturday etc etc in the home of "football".
I think people with an aversion to 'soccer' is just plain snobbish, to be frank.

On the money Donie.

In general discussions about Association Football I call it soccer simply because I would be a huge Gaelic Football fan too.

Never get why some people get a bee in their bonnet to be honest.

[Straightstory]

'Soccer' is a slang term (like 'rugger') - from the word 'association'. Football is the proper term. 'Soccer' when used in England, is a somewhat old fashioned and rather quaint term.
Gaelic football is the proper term for... Gaelic football. (Although not a lot of 'football' involved: always seems to me to be fifteen goalkeepers against fifteen goalkeepers: horrible, horrible game.).

[White Horse]

Soccer AM, Soccer Saturday etc etc in the home of "football".
I think people with an aversion to 'soccer' is just plain snobbish, to be frank.

I think it is the reverse in Ireland, the term soccer is used as the GAA heads want to claim that Gaelic football is 'real' football, which it isn't as it is more like basketball. Also, the word soccer makes it sound more foreign and therefore non-Irish.

[Eminence Grise]

I've found you can get the odd rise out of some people who tell you they play football by asking 'Gaelic or proper'? Then tell them you follow the garrison game - spit it out like a verbal hand grenade (like Randal in Clerks II - 'it's cool. I'm taking it back.')

[pineapple stu]

I guess the main issue with "soccer" is the similarity to the horrible Americanisation "saccer"

[White Horse]

I guess the main issue with "soccer" is the similarity to the horrible Americanisation "saccer"

It's worse in Dundalk, GAA heads say sawkorr.

[DannyInvincible]

The term "soccer" was invented by the English (and not the Americans), of course, as an abbreviation of "association football", as Donie highlights.

[DannyInvincible]

Stutts made a good point in the World Cup thread (I think) a few weeks back. First, we mocked Americans for not getting the game. Now, we patronise them for "finally" getting it. Given the infrastructural shambles Irish football (domestic and international) finds itself in from top to bottom, it's argually we ourselves who don't get it!

[pineapple stu]

The term "soccer" was invented by the English (and not the Americans), of course, as an abbreviation of "association football", as Donie highlights.

I know that.

Saccer (with an A) is the Americanisation. And all the connotations that come with it.

[pateen]

Do they? serious question.

Association football is always Football or tippy tappy, Gaelic Football is either Bogball or Gaelic and hurling is hurling.

Cant remember if I ever heard the word "soccer" said

Really, what country are you living in?

[jinxy lilywhite]

Really, what country are you living in?

Republic of Ireland the last time I checked my GPS.
No one I know in my immediate vicinity would call association football soccer. It's just football.

[White Horse]

Republic of Ireland the last time I checked my GPS.
No one I know in my immediate vicinity would call association football soccer. It's just football.

Apart from a couple of Gah heads who spit when Ireland win a game, I only hear it on Dublin radio and TV programmes.

[Sheridan]

The term "soccer" was invented by the English (and not the Americans), of course, as an abbreviation of "association football", as Donie highlights.

FFS, not this again. It was called "soccer" as an equivalent abbreviation to the colloquialism "rugger", to differentiate the two codes in casual discourse at a time when "football" could have meant either. No-one would dream of saying "rugger" in any semi-formal context.

[Charlie Darwin]

'Soccer' is a slang term (like 'rugger') - from the word 'association'. Football is the proper term. 'Soccer' when used in England, is a somewhat old fashioned and rather quaint term.
Gaelic football is the proper term for... Gaelic football. (Although not a lot of 'football' involved: always seems to me to be fifteen goalkeepers against fifteen goalkeepers: horrible, horrible game.).

Nonsense. Football is the proper term for all codes. Rugby, gaelic, Aussie rules, association are all distinguishing names. There is no one correct "football".

[BonnieShels]

Nonsense. Football is the proper term for all codes. Rugby, gaelic, Aussie rules, association are all distinguishing names. There is no one correct "football".

The nail on head.

Here we have Canadian Football to contend with too.

And let's not forget Eton Wall Game and Cambridge Rules...

[DannyInvincible]

I know that.

Saccer (with an A) is the Americanisation. And all the connotations that come with it.

Sorry, wasn't necessarily responding to you in particular. Just adding my two cents generally.

FFS, not this again. It was called "soccer" as an equivalent abbreviation to the colloquialism "rugger", to differentiate the two codes in casual discourse at a time when "football" could have meant either. No-one would dream of saying "rugger" in any semi-formal context.

Were you taking issue with something in particular I said or simply despairing at the general route the overall discussion has taken? Nevertheless, you make an insightful point; rugby would never have a serious league entitled something along the lines of 'Major League Rugger'.