Irish Football who travel to watch football in the UK

**nr637** · 10/09/2015, 1:26 PM

Over 121,000 overseas fans from the Republic of Ireland visited Britain last year to watch top-flight football.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34197370

Are you one of them?

**vinnie** · 10/09/2015, 1:55 PM

Originally Posted by nr637

Are you one of them?

Yep, I went to see Garforth Town vs Mossley Celtic in the Northern Premier League division 1 North, 3 years ago,

I'm sorry

**osarusan** · 10/09/2015, 1:59 PM

Originally Posted by vinnie

Yep, I went to see Garforth Town vs Mossley Celtic in the Northern Premier League division 1 North, 3 years ago,

I'm sorry

You're part of the problem

**Acornvilla** · 10/09/2015, 2:30 PM

I watched an u10's match in Sandgate last summer..

**peadar1987** · 10/09/2015, 2:44 PM

Usually take in a couple of Stoke games every season. And Firhill is just down the road from my flat. Sorry Monaghan, I'm probably the reason you went bust.

**KK77** · 10/09/2015, 3:49 PM

Season ticket holder at Liverpool myself.

**IsMiseSean** · 10/09/2015, 4:00 PM

Never been to Britain for a game, but I've been to games in Germany, Spain, Italy & Sweden. I balance it out with being a Galway United season ticket holder

**El-Pietro** · 10/09/2015, 5:06 PM

I travel to see Charlton probably once a year on average, didn't make it over last season. I did go to an Irish League game though, Institute lost by the odd goal in 5 at home to Cliftonville.

**Duffman** · 10/09/2015, 10:24 PM

First and last games of the season usually with a few aways over the winter months. Always try to get the the FA cup game but they're getting earlier and earlier.

**Nesta99** · 11/09/2015, 12:59 AM

Originally Posted by IsMiseSean

I balance it out with being a Galway United season ticket holder

Thats my exact stance! Vicarage Road, Root Hall and CCS this season so far, in past seasons Craven Cottage was great for getting tickets for even top 4 teams playing Fulham, never seemed to sell out and a nice day round Putney, Kew and Richmond on sunny April day. Used to see QPR too when they was League 1.

**nigel-harps1954** · 11/09/2015, 7:19 AM

Seen a fair few games across in the UK myself, mind you I didn't think much of the dog track around the pitch.

**brendy_éire** · 11/09/2015, 2:46 PM

Head to Edinburgh once every so often, and will get to the odd (awful) Hibs match.
I was also at a Harrogate-Hastings FA Cup match last year.
Sorry.

**Nesta99** · 11/09/2015, 3:26 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Seen a fair few games across in the UK myself, mind you I didn't think much of the dog track around the pitch.

No thanks from Derry fans for a quick and funny quip? they must be a bit sensitive about their dog track...

**Dodge** · 11/09/2015, 3:41 PM

Well done Nesta. You got the joke

**Longfordian** · 11/09/2015, 3:57 PM

Jokes. I get jokes!

**Nesta99** · 11/09/2015, 4:04 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Well done Nesta. You got the joke

Oooooh who's a little catty today then?

**redarmyfaction** · 11/09/2015, 4:36 PM

http://www.balls.ie/football/the-10-...mselves/268071

Twitter released figures a while ago showing who were the most popular Premier League clubs in different parts of the globe - at least as far as Twitter activity was concerned. In countries where this English football lark is a bit of a novelty, Chelsea and Man City were on top but in countries with a long tradition of following English football (like this one) Liverpool and Manchester United were still dominant.
Irish people have been following English football passionately since God was in play school. But some feel the need to tell themselves various lies to explain their support. Here are the top ten lies that Irish Premier League fans tell themselves and everyone else.
'I supported Blackburn well before they won the League'

We are coming up to what those of us in our mid 20s remember as 'the big switch', whereby a host of Manchester United fans in primary school decided, in what proved to be a desperately short-sighted move, to change their allegiance to Blackburn Rovers.

'I picked them because they had a lot of Irish players'

Only possibly true in the case of Aston Villa fans and the country's one Hull City fan.

'I have family in the area'

I'm going to need a phone number to ascertain whether in fact your cousins do live in the shadow of Anfield.

'Ah, yeah I'll try and get over by the end of the season'

I swear to you.
(Niche one) 'Sure, why would I go into watch (insert name of League of Ireland team) there's no local lads on the team'

Peter Collins rather dispatched that line of argument here.

'There's a long history in my family of supporting them'

We were United people back in the dark days of the 1980s.
'I support them because they're the Irish club in (insert name of the city in question here)'

They're the Celtic of East Anglia.
(When asked why they don't go to League of Ireland games) 'Facilities'

The lack of various unspecified 'facilities' are often used as a reason to dodge the poor old LOI. Not even Tallaght Stadium or Turner's Cross can cut it.

'I'd go to League of Ireland games if their fans weren't so superior'

Probably not either.
'Eating rats in your council house!!!'

'To be honest I'm not aware of the dietary habits of citizens of Liverpool'

I don't think its true that "Irish people have been following English football passionately since God was in play school", my father told me that in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s that people in Ireland did not support English teams, when he moved to London in the late 50s it was impossible to get his fellow Irishman to have any interest in Football or go to a game, his fellow Sligomen, Belfastmen, and Derrymen excepted. Following an English team began with edited highlights on BBC and ITV and the 1966 WC.