shels or linfield

[BobbySands]

For all the talk here about supporting our domestic league over our English counterparts theres a lot of Eircom league supporters here supporting Linfield. While theres no law against being a hypocrite it takes away from the smug, self righteous stance often adopted by the many here who look down their noses at the Celtic, Man U etc supporters who are constantly being ridiculed. C'mon Shels.

[Shelsman]

I'm backing Linfield because they are a progressive club with active anti-sectarian policies; because if they win they will deprive $hels of money which they will use negatively to sabotage other club's squads

I don't see how Shels have 'sabotaged' other clubs' squads........yes they sign the best players, but it's up to the original club to keep the player under contract if they want to hold on to them. If they can't do that then the player is entitled to sign for whichever club they like / whichever club offers them the best terms.

I'd say that Bray were glad of the money Shels paid for Jason Byrne.....

[Da Real Rover]

But what makes a team Gerrit is there fans. And once again you look at clubs fans with far right political leanings such as Millwall, Lazio, Ferencavors, Real Madrid and Lazio. You would not criticise a Jewish person for having a bias against Lazio, even if a 'minority' of Lazio fans wave around Swatstikas or when they made a banner, go back to Auschwitz. Just as you would not criticise a black person for having a bias against Real Madrid even if its only a 'minority' of fans that are making monkey noises. I see it no differently for a Catholic person having a bias against Linfield. And if you say that politics has nothing to do with football you really do have your head in the sand for the past century.

[Gerrit]

For all the talk here about supporting our domestic league over our English counterparts theres a lot of Eircom league supporters here supporting Linfield. While theres no law against being a hypocrite it takes away from the smug, self righteous stance often adopted by the many here who look down their noses at the Celtic, Man U etc supporters who are constantly being ridiculed. C'mon Shels.

Linfield are (Northern) Irish, not English. I don't think they will like to be called English themselves, there's a world of difference between English and British. Northern Iron has a quite large fanbase in that area...

[Gerrit]

But what makes a team Gerrit is there fans. And once again you look at clubs fans with far right political leanings such as Millwall, Lazio, Ferencavors, Real Madrid and Lazio. You would not criticise a Jewish person for having a bias against Lazio, even if a 'minority' of Lazio fans wave around Swatstikas or when they made a banner, go back to Auschwitz. Just as you would not criticise a black person for having a bias against Real Madrid even if its only a 'minority' of fans that are making monkey noises. I see it no differently for a Catholic person having a bias against Linfield. And if you say that politics has nothing to do with football you really do have your head in the sand for the past century.

I know, but I rather don't join in playing that game. And don't forget part of the Linfield support are just as decent anti-sectarian people as you and me.

Of course some clubs have a support that leans towards a certain political preference, but that doesn't mean we have to play that game as well. That way we'll never get to ban the link between football and politics, a link that many football fans worldwide would love to see dismantled.

[BohDiddley]

For all the talk here about supporting our domestic league over our English counterparts theres a lot of Eircom league supporters here supporting Linfield. While theres no law against being a hypocrite it takes away from the smug, self righteous stance often adopted by the many here who look down their noses at the Celtic, Man U etc supporters who are constantly being ridiculed. C'mon Shels.

Halo-polishing par excellence. I don't think the position you describe as hypocritical is in the least bit inconsistent.
Linfield are on the same island and can be seen live without the aid of a ferry, Ryanair jet, or helicopter. I have far more respect for their mainstream, non-bigoted fans, and for fans of any other club on the island (even Shels! ) than for E. P. 'supporters'.

[Da Real Rover]

I know, but I rather don't join in playing that game. And don't forget part of the Linfield support are just as decent anti-sectarian people as you and me.

Of course some clubs have a support that leans towards a certain political preference, but that doesn't mean we have to play that game as well. That way we'll never get to ban the link between football and politics, a link that many football fans worldwide would love to see dismantled.

I know that not all Linfield fans are bigots and its bad to start branding all there fans but that does not mean that you must treat Linfield like a regular club. it takes a sizeable minority to give a club like Linfield the reputation it has. Trying to deny its reputation while there chanting for fenian blood is frankly naive and a bit ignorant. I think its a bit much to be dressing it up as PR friendly club when the evidence is there to see for the past decades up until modern day.
Also clubs are the fans they represent and because of that clubs also represent the fans many ideoligies which includes politics. For example Livorno are seen as the most left wing club in Italy, Livorno the city was actually the founder of the Communist party in Italy. Hence the fans politics are represented through the club. So i believe that it is naive to think you can separate there ideoligies from there club as it is a major factor why people support there club, because it represents there feelings on a bigger platform.

[1 9 2 8]

I wonder what Rovers' political bias is?

[Gerrit]

I prefer to treat Linfield as a normal club just like Shels, Sligo or whatever EL club rather than joining the political issues thing. What happened in the past is the past, and recently I've seen some nice effords from clubs as Linfield to ditch sectarianism and ban it from their stands. It may take a while before the minority crying for Fenian blood is completely gone, but they do make effords - so why not trying to move on and see them as a regular club ?? There is ink and there is Typp-Ex. The typp-ex is there for a reason ; sometimes we have to try to forget the past reputation or acts of someone and try to move on with the current form of the person or in this case club. The current Linfield fans and board have made effords towards banning the sectarian element, so I prefer watching at that rather than keep on nagging about a part of their fans that is becoming more and more a minority.

And what you say about Livorno, Ferencvaros, Real, etc makes sense, but you should not forget that a club cannot literary ban every single troublemaker from coming to their games. No club can prevend some people with less good intentions from entering their ground. To use a fictive example, if a neo-nazi starts to support Shelbourne and comes to the games, does that make Shelbourne a neonazi club ?? Don't think so...

And off the record: as far as I know there are no such people in the Tolka stands, so keep funny comments on this example for yourself please

[Éanna]

We have been successful lately, we have money, maybe if you won something once in a while you wouldn't be so bitter.

Read what I've said here and elsewhere. My hatred of Shels has never been a secret and pre-dates them winning trophies. I hate Shels for many reasons, very little to do with the amount of trophies they've won.

Also for somebody who hates Shels, you spend a lot of time on our message board!

I spend time on other message boards, to talk to other fans. As I have clearly pointed out, more than once, I have nothing against Shels fans, its the club I hate.

[Éanna]

My god were you describing David Jeffrey or Pat Dolan there?

LOL

[Éanna]

For all the talk here about supporting our domestic league over our English counterparts theres a lot of Eircom league supporters here supporting Linfield. While theres no law against being a hypocrite it takes away from the smug, self righteous stance often adopted by the many here who look down their noses at the Celtic, Man U etc supporters who are constantly being ridiculed. C'mon Shels.

rubbish, absolute and utter rubbish

[sligoman]

Though choice! Dublin scum or Northern scum? . Dublin scum it is

[TonyD]

Anyone But Shels. To hell with the politics. For practical reasons as much as blind hatred The last thing we need is $hels getting their hands on more wads of dosh.

[thejollyrodger]

I WILL BE SUPPORTING FORZA SHELS OF COURSE

were going to teach the Irish league a lesson about footie

[eirebhoy]

Anyone But Shels. To hell with the politics. For practical reasons as much as blind hatred The last thing we need is $hels getting their hands on more wads of dosh.

Its nothing really to do with politics. The majority of Linfield fans hate us Irish. I don't know how any Irishman could support them.

[steveyg2004]

Its nothing really to do with us. The majority of Linfield fans hate us Irish. I don't know how any Irishman could support them.

I hate Linfield but that's a pretty sweeping statement by anyone's standards!!

[Éanna]

Its nothing really to do with us. The majority of Linfield fans hate us Irish. I don't know how any Irishman could support them.

You've conducted a poll of all Linfield fans then have you? Majority me hole. Most of them probably couldn't give a ****. They're football fans- fair enough they may have different politics to me or you, but that's irrelevant in this instance.

[Fortuna1886]

Its nothing really to do with us. The majority of Linfield fans hate us Irish. I don't know how any Irishman could support them.

Not at all, some of my best friends have friends who are Irish

Seriously though I can see why people have a problem with our perceived image but it really isn't representative of the bulk of our support. Don't get me wrong we our obviously mainly from a pro unionist background but that doesn’t automatically equate to being anti Irish. Linfield and football in general didn't cause the problems in our society up here, but it does reflect them.

One poster here says he wouldn't treat us as a normal club or words to that effect which saddens me, I like most on here am a passionate supporter of my wee club and the Irish League in general. I don’t follow Scottish or English football, just Linfield. I don’t support them for any religious or cultural reason, purely for the fact that they where the first team I was taken to see, could have been Crusaders, Distillery or Christ forbid the Glens.

We do have a few half-wits who leech onto us and we are trying to remove them but I’d be lying if I thought it will ever be totally eradicated, but believe me when I say it certainly isn't tolerated let alone encouraged.

[pete]

Not at all, some of my best friends have friends who are Irish

Ah come on now you are takin the p!ss

I haven't seen any Linfield fans coming on here with sectarian comments. Only people with those comments have been people trying to show how bigoted Linfield fans are supposed to be.



Heres a tune for Tolka:

"Convict Chairman! Convict Chairman!"
Get a nice flags with that written on it & stand back for the fireworks