International Football vs The GAA

[OwlsFan]

Some time ago Tom Humpreys (he of the trouble making interview with Keane) set out a whole list of points why the GAA was better than soccer. Here are my responses as to why International Soccer is better than the GAA:

FOLLOWING INTERNATIONAL SOCCER vs FOLLOWING THE GAA (no contest)

1) No token Irish spoken..
2) You can play for Ireland even if you're in the British army, RUC, 2nd
generation Irish or adopted Irish (Tony Cascarinnnnnnnnnnooo).
3) No awful speech-making at the end of a final.
4) No “sure there's always next year” if you lose.
5) It's cosmopolitan not parochial or provincial.
6) When you sing the national anthem it means something.
7) Following your team to Brussels, Amsterdam, New York etc is better than
to Semple Stadium or Dr Hyde Park.
8) Segregation among the fans leads to a better atmosphere and
contribution from the fans.
9) No Brian Carthy or Marty Morrissey (alas we have George Hamilton - bring back
Philip Green).
10) The offside rule - prevents the aimless flam up the field policy adopted
by the poorer GAA teams.
11) Football jerseys aren't just mostly green and yellow or yellow and
green or green, yellow and green or even just green.
12) Meeting other nationalities (other than English fans)
13) The absolute ecstasy of a goal - because there are so many scores in
GAA, it's harder to get worked up about them.
14) Representing your country abroad.
15) No middle-aged farmers in suits who once played Gaelic 50 years ago being introduced to the crowd.
16) The teams don’t parade round after young boys in shorts before the start of the game.
17) Very few clergy are involved in managing teams except perhaps in Afghanistan.
18) The supporters’ colours consist of more than a cowboy hat with a coloured ribbon tied around it.
19) Giant Stadium in New York 75% full of Irish people.
20) The Club teams are not nearly all named after long dead patriots such as Sarsfield or Stack.
21) A goal by a Scotsman thousands of miles away from home can put your country on the world stage.
22) Hearing the Dubliners being played over the tannoy in a foreign country and the crowd singing along.
23) Travelling in a convoy of 30 coaches from all over Ireland down the autobahn with the Germans honking their horns in support and welcome.
24) Beating England .
25) Being a part of the best supporters in the world..

[Eire06]

OK a few comments on your comments, which I disagree with mostly

FOLLOWING INTERNATIONAL SOCCER vs FOLLOWING THE GAA (no contest)

1) No token Irish spoken.. I've spoken Irish at internationals
2) You can play for Ireland even if you're in the British army, RUC, 2nd
generation Irish or adopted Irish (Tony Cascarinnnnnnnnnnooo). Prefer home grown talent myself
3) No awful speech-making at the end of a final.I think ist nice and part of the tradition
4) No “sure there's always next year” if you lose. yes there is
5) It's cosmopolitan not parochial or provincial. can't see anything wrong with parochial or provincial
6) When you sing the national anthem it means something. It always mean something and most GAA supporters know the words
7) Following your team to Brussels, Amsterdam, New York etc is better than
to Semple Stadium or Dr Hyde Park. Ya its nice to get away on a little holiday, but makes no difference where i'm supporting my team, I'll support the all the same
8) Segregation among the fans leads to a better atmosphere and
contribution from the fans. Not necesseraly, Like the banter
9) No Brian Carthy or Marty Morrissey (alas we have George Hamilton - bring back
Philip Green). as you said George Hamilton ??
10) The offside rule - prevents the aimless flam up the field policy adopted
by the poorer GAA teams. ??
11) Football jerseys aren't just mostly green and yellow or yellow and
green or green, yellow and green or even just green. Sorry if green is too common for you, support Gaillimh, maroon is nicer
12) Meeting other nationalities (other than English fans) international rules
13) The absolute ecstasy of a goal - because there are so many scores in
GAA, it's harder to get worked up about them. Ever been to an all ireland final
14) Representing your country abroad. international rules and representing your county can be just as pleasing for some

15) No middle-aged farmers in suits who once played Gaelic 50 years ago being introduced to the crowd. ya cause di*ks in suits sittin on their a$$ are soo much better
16) The teams don’t parade round after young boys in shorts before the start of the game. It tradition and I like it
17) Very few clergy are involved in managing teams except perhaps in Afghanistan. Not all the clergy are bad you know, some do a lot for the community
18) The supporters’ colours consist of more than a cowboy hat with a coloured ribbon tied around it. seen plenty of cowboy hats at international games, its a bit of fun do you know what that is??
19) Giant Stadium in New York 75% full of Irish people. and
20) The Club teams are not nearly all named after long dead patriots such as Sarsfield or Stack. tradition and respect
21) A goal by a Scotsman thousands of miles away from home can put your country on the world stage. and fair play to him
22) Hearing the Dubliners being played over the tannoy in a foreign country and the crowd singing along. hear them in every holiday resort I've been too as well
23) Travelling in a convoy of 30 coaches from all over Ireland down the autobahn with the Germans honking their horns in support and welcome. ya its fun travelling away
24) Beating England . oh that is nice now I have to admit
25) Being a part of the best supporters in the world.. support for GAA teams is good to you know, try going to an all ireland Final

[blobbyblob]

OK a few comments on your comments, which I disagree with mostly

FOLLOWING INTERNATIONAL SOCCER vs FOLLOWING THE GAA (no contest)

1) No token Irish spoken.. I've spoken Irish at internationals
2) You can play for Ireland even if you're in the British army, RUC, 2nd
generation Irish or adopted Irish (Tony Cascarinnnnnnnnnnooo). Prefer home grown talent myself
3) No awful speech-making at the end of a final.I think ist nice and part of the tradition
4) No “sure there's always next year” if you lose. yes there is
5) It's cosmopolitan not parochial or provincial. can't see anything wrong with parochial or provincial
6) When you sing the national anthem it means something. It always mean something and most GAA supporters know the words
7) Following your team to Brussels, Amsterdam, New York etc is better than
to Semple Stadium or Dr Hyde Park. Ya its nice to get away on a little holiday, but makes no difference where i'm supporting my team, I'll support the all the same
8) Segregation among the fans leads to a better atmosphere and
contribution from the fans. Not necesseraly, Like the banter
9) No Brian Carthy or Marty Morrissey (alas we have George Hamilton - bring back
Philip Green). as you said George Hamilton ??
10) The offside rule - prevents the aimless flam up the field policy adopted
by the poorer GAA teams. ??
11) Football jerseys aren't just mostly green and yellow or yellow and
green or green, yellow and green or even just green. Sorry if green is too common for you, support Gaillimh, maroon is nicer
12) Meeting other nationalities (other than English fans) international rules
13) The absolute ecstasy of a goal - because there are so many scores in
GAA, it's harder to get worked up about them. Ever been to an all ireland final
14) Representing your country abroad. international rules and representing your county can be just as pleasing for some

15) No middle-aged farmers in suits who once played Gaelic 50 years ago being introduced to the crowd. ya cause di*ks in suits sittin on their a$$ are soo much better
16) The teams don’t parade round after young boys in shorts before the start of the game. It tradition and I like it
17) Very few clergy are involved in managing teams except perhaps in Afghanistan. Not all the clergy are bad you know, some do a lot for the community
18) The supporters’ colours consist of more than a cowboy hat with a coloured ribbon tied around it. seen plenty of cowboy hats at international games, its a bit of fun do you know what that is??
19) Giant Stadium in New York 75% full of Irish people. and
20) The Club teams are not nearly all named after long dead patriots such as Sarsfield or Stack. tradition and respect
21) A goal by a Scotsman thousands of miles away from home can put your country on the world stage. and fair play to him
22) Hearing the Dubliners being played over the tannoy in a foreign country and the crowd singing along. hear them in every holiday resort I've been too as well
23) Travelling in a convoy of 30 coaches from all over Ireland down the autobahn with the Germans honking their horns in support and welcome. ya its fun travelling away
24) Beating England . oh that is nice now I have to admit
25) Being a part of the best supporters in the world.. support for GAA teams is good to you know, try going to an all ireland Final

Agree with all responses above

[Bluebeard]

20) The Club teams are not nearly all named after long dead patriots such as Sarsfield or Stack.

And I thought that he was just up for trial - another triumph for the English penal system?

[beautifulrock]

Try harder Owls

[Green Tribe]

i think it is hard to compare the both, i have always supported my county in GAA as well as follow the national team in football. The glory years in the 1990's were so special for me and the rest of Co.Down, going to the games were always fun, exciting and mad in the Ulster final nights in Clones

Maybe because my family were involved and it was easy to know the players as they were usually your teacher at school or your neighbour, relative etc there was a great sense of community life. I would support both teams equally, as has been debated, both sports have their perks and i am glad we can enjoy both.

UP DOWN UP DOWN!!!

[pete]

No Straw Hats
No wool beadings

btw the GAA bashing allowed on this forum as its a football site.

[Don Vito]

Any chance someone could post Tom Humphrey's side of the argument?

[OwlsFan]

Sure here they are: Remember my comments are why International soccer is better than GAA. pronane, why don't you feck off to a GAA site and take you cowboy hat and ribbon with you It's meant to be a bit of fun.
THIS IS FROM 1995, AT THE START OF THAT YEAR'S GAELIC FOOTY SEASON]

101 reasons why the GAA is better than Soccer

1. Paul Gascoigne.
2. Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney on a sunny day is one of the loveliest sights in sport.
3. Bribery scandals.
4. Because the championship has always been the Championship. The League of Ireland has had more new improved formulas than most washing powders. Indeed it's not even the LOI anymore.
5. Because by and large GAA heroes don't turn into villains overnight. One week this column would have happily borne Eric Cantona's children. The next week Eric was playing with Manchester United and this column wouldn't give him the time of day. Same old Eric both weeks though.
6. Most GAA players lead fuller lives than your average pro soccer player, thus they have more to talk about and fewer clichés to use.
7. The PA announcer at Landsdowne Road soccer internationals need to be shot. We hate the Mexican wave.
8. Bohs never Win anything anymore.
9. The offside rule can be really tedious.
10. Andy Gray.
11. Jimmy Hill.
12. Micheal O'Murchearaigh.
13. No GAA team would ever wear a strip as vile as Chelsea's away strip last season (1994 - 1995).
14. Nobody sings "you'll never beat the Irish" at GAA games.
15. When Jurgen Klingsmann did his witty diving celebration at the start of the English season every lame brain in the game did the same thing for three months. Why?
16. Since Dalymount decayed, professional Irish soccer has no place to call home despite two World Cups and a Euro Championship.
17. RTE would never foist Brendan O'Carroll on the GAA viewership.
18. There is no piece of sporting equipment available anywhere that is as lovely as a well crafted hurley.
19. Vinnie Jones would bawl like a baby if he ever came up against Brian Mullens (Brian McGilligain, Brian Corcoran..) And that's just three Brians that spring to mind.
20. If something goes wrong the GAA always comes up with some excuse. "The crowd arrived too early" "The cat was sick" In soccer nobody is ever to blame. Rioting in Landsdowne Road can be put down to what insurers call an act of God.
21. The GAA may not appreciate its women as much as it should but at least we all know who Angela Downey is. The most famous woman in English soccer is Dani Behr.
22. It's hard to feel passionate about any sport that John Major feels passionate about. Plus David Mellor never made love to anyone while wearing a GAA jersey.
23. "Clash of the Ash" was a lovely film about hurling. "Escape to Victory" was a soccer film with Pele and Sly Stallone in it.
24. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go.
25. Spivs. Who asked DISC to ask Wimbledon to move to Dublin anyway.
26. People working for Irish soccer clubs who double as scouts for English clubs. Some mistake surely.
27. No soccer manager was ever as warm and as entertaining as Eamon Coleman.
28. No segregation at GAA matches.
29. No naff furry hats on men who should know better at soccer matches.
30. No naff jewellery on men who should know better at GAA matches.
31. There were 15,154 fans at Irelands last home World Cup game pre Jack Charlton. Now you couldn't squeeze all the "real" fans into the Maracana with a shoehorn.
32. The GAA player who performs in front of 70,000 at the weekend will be teaching your kids on Monday or he'll be selling you meat or fixing your drains or representing you in court. The soccer player who performs in front of 70,000 fans at the weekend will be moaning about too many games and trying to sell you his personalised brand of leisure wear.
33. GAA players don't sell stories to the Sun.
34. GAA players don't have stories that the Sun would like to buy.
35. Bungs.
36. Backpasses.
37. Barry Venison's dress sense.
38. Jack Walker can buy a league title. You can't buy an All-Ireland.
39. Penalty shootouts. What was wrong with the old interminable FA cup replay sagas eg Leeds and Ipswitch 1975. Heartbreaking but memorable.
40. Jack Boothman doesn't care if America doesn't like GAA. Joao Havelange loses sleep over it.
41. Nobody ever proposed making GAA goals bigger. Not even Charlie Redmond.
42. GAA nicknames are better: Sambo Hunter, Fat Larry, Babs, Bingo and so on. Soccer players just add a Y to each others surnames.
43. The Munster Hurling Final.
44. The Munster Football Final.
45. Dublin vs Meath is a real local derby. What does Liverpool vs Everton mean to Jan Molby or Daniel Amokachi.
46. You always remember what county your Irish teacher came from.
47. We care so much about the weaker GAA counties that we sensitively refer to them as the "so called weaker counties". English soccer just makes the premier league smaller.
48. How many soccer players does it take to change a light bulb? Eleven. One to stick it in. ten to hug and kiss him afterwards.
49. Why can nobody agree on the size of the crowd at domestic soccer games.
50. Under age players get to be part of the biggest days in hurling and football. The Irish U21 team are sadly neglected. The "real' fan seldom turn up to see them.
51. Soccer players go to Rumours. GAA players go to the pub.
52. If a GAA player ever jumped at a spectator like Eric Cantona did the rest of his team would join in. So would the rest of the crowd.
53. You can't play a defensive game of football or hurling.
54. Razzmatazz. OK the Artane Boys band may be boring but why does it take Sky 3 hours to show a 90 minute soccer game.
55. Soccer players always describe the game they have just played in the same guarded way. There is nothing like a GAA player cutting loose "He ate the ****e out of us" said an Offaly player of Eamon Cregans half time speech in last years All Ireland.
56. The championship means summer. The FA (or FAI) Cup means winter.
57. DJ Carey in full flight.
58. Barry Fry, Ken Bates, Ron Noades, Robert Chase. Take your pick.
59. Television runs soccer. Schoolteachers run the GAA.
60. Vinnie Jones grabbed Gascoignes testicles. Paudie O'Se decked Joe McNally during the National Anthem. McNally learnt his lesson. Gascoigne just got worse.
61. Joe Brolly in full flight, on the field or off it.
62. Jimmy Barry Murphy was the coolest skinhead ever to grace a playing field.
63. There's nothing like seeing the bonfires blazing when a winning team reaches it's home borders.
64. The GAA season always leaves you wanting more. The soccer season leaves soccer people demanding less. Fewer games please.
65. Three points for a win is a distortion of the games natural balance.
66. "Soccer isn't a matter of life and death, it's much more important than that" isn't such a witty thing to have said.
67. The GAA is just a part of life and death.
68. Gaelic Games is harder to play. Niall Quinn and Kevin Moran got out and went to soccer. You never see anyone coming the other direction.
69. GAA players run faster, hit harder and last longer. Nobody acts like a grenade just went off if they get tripped.
70. Soccer is so subtle that Wimbledon can win the FA cup.
71. There's no one quite so bitter as a soccer bigot.
72. They think Ryan Giggs is the new George Best. Sure sign of decline.
73. GAA teams are numbered one to fifteen, soccer teams read like the national lottery results.
74. All soccer players wear shinguards. Some hurling players even wear helmets.
75. Ever penny we put into soccer stays at the top. Most of what we spend on GAA trickles down.
76. The GAA is about where you're from. Soccer is mainly about who you like.
77. A scoreless draw in GAA would be quite a novelty.
78. The GAA offer a journalist the chance to travel to Kerry regularly.
79. The GAA won't sell us all out by starting a European SuperLeague.
80. Under 13,000 fans attended the FAI Cup final. "Real" fans would rather watch Wimbledon play AN other at a new characterless stadium built by suits for suits.
81. Old soccer players get testimonials, Old GAA players just slip down to junior. Dog rough it is too.
82. Bubble perms never made it to Croke Park.
83. Throw ins set the adrenalin pumping faster than tip offs.
84. GAA fans never have time for the Mexican wave.
85. Rupert Murdoch doesn't own the GAA.
86. Ghosted soccer biographies.
87. All of soccer works to filter the best players to the top teams. GAA sides always get to keep their heroes.
88. Dual players still carry a certain romantic cachet.
89. The Dergvate, Gay Priors pub, Tommy Tubridy's, The Bradog, The Drovers, MacGleogans, The Pound Bar, Mc Sweeney's.
90. No soccer team has a name quite as lovely as that belonging to Fighting Cocks of Carlow.
91. Danny Lynch. The thinking person's PR man.
92. The InterToto Cup. The ZDS Date Cup, The Simod Trophy.
93. Guinness ISN'T inscribed in large letters on the Liam McCarthy Cup. Carling IS inscribed in large letters on the Premier league trophy.
94. Doubling on an overhead sliotar is a more beautiful thing than volleying a soccer ball.
95. Roy of the Rovers was a prat.
96. GAA goalposts cast nicer shadows on summer evenings.
97. There are always two men in white coats behind each goal at GAA games. Very wise.
98. The new Cusack stand. We call it space age.
99. Sideline cuts, high catches, summer schools to define the tackle.
100. The Dubs.
101. The Championship is here again.


[

[$Leon$]

what is it about some people in this country who feel it is only possible to follow one sport?
whats wrong with following all sports?
if u turn up at a eL match on a friday night does that mean u can't turn up in croke park on sunday?
i don't understand these people.
can anyone explain their mentality to me?

[OwlsFan]

Nothing at all - doesn't mean you can't poke fun at each other.

[cullenswood]

41. Nobody ever proposed making GAA goals bigger. Not even Charlie Redmond.

[elroy]

what is it about some people in this country who feel it is only possible to follow one sport?
whats wrong with following all sports?
if u turn up at a eL match on a friday night does that mean u can't turn up in croke park on sunday?
i don't understand these people.
can anyone explain their mentality to me?

Agree with ya 110%, football is my first love but i also follow gaa and rugby.
I dont agree with alot the gaa do or either with quite a few of its members or how its run overall. But that doesnt stop me from enjoying the games.
Both hurling and gaa can be great games when played well.
its the whole anti soccer side within its ranks that i despise.
They all argue each code is competing against each other, I whole heartedly disagree, can a kid only play one sport?? I think not.
At the end of the day, the gaa has a domestic footing the fai could only ever dream off, and the fai has an international stage the gaa will never have.
Support all Irish sports imo.

[thejollyrodger]

I follow all sports , soccer, football and rubgy. I dont see what the problem is between the different sports. There are some good rugby players that have came through GAA.

One thing that I dont like, is the anti soccer mentality in GAA. There isnt as much anti GAA in soccer. It has to go in the 21st century.

[elroy]

I
One thing that I dont like, is the anti soccer mentality in GAA. There isnt as much anti GAA in soccer. It has to go in the 21st century.

Very very true

[Don Vito]

what is it about some people in this country who feel it is only possible to follow one sport?
whats wrong with following all sports?
if u turn up at a eL match on a friday night does that mean u can't turn up in croke park on sunday?
i don't understand these people.
can anyone explain their mentality to me?

I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate $Leon$ on his first ever decent contribution to the forum. 1 out of 460 aint bad I suppose, only another 459 posts to read through now for his next.

[$Leon$]

there are the hard liners in all sports not just soccer (sorry if i didn't make that point clearer).
what they don't seem to realise is that they (one sport hardliners) is that they have more in common with each other than "sporting neutrals"
same also applies to music and other things

[Don Vito]

there are the hard liners in all sports not just soccer (sorry if i didn't make that point clearer).
what they don't seem to realise is that they (one sport hardliners) is that they have more in common with each other than "sporting neutrals"
same also applies to music and other things

$Leon$ please stop before you ruin your good post, people understand you, we're not all school drop outs from the 'cud.

[Eire06]

One thing that I dont like, is the anti soccer mentality in GAA. There isnt as much anti GAA in soccer. It has to go in the 21st century.

It goes both ways, The GAA is softening towards soccer and other sports as a new generation who have grown up playing multiple sports are coming along now...

But for some reason (Mainly Croker) Soccer supporters seem to be turing more and more anti-GAA..

Ther is an awful lot of anti-GAA support around these days....

I personally am a fan of both and a range of other sports...
A question for those of you who support both sports

If Ireland were playing and you county were playing at the same time which would you go to/watch?

I would personally record the GAA and go to the soccer ...
But if It was an all Ireland final and a soccer friendly.. It'd be a tough choice

[elroy]

An Ireland game would always come first for me, although I must admit a game against China isnt the most attractive proposition in the world