Finnan's Performance in Champions League Final

[NeilMcD]

I dont support a league of Ireland team as like you I grew up in Clare for a large part of my life so you can choose a club a club chooses you as Karlos said earlier and I agree him. However I wonder why so many people in Ireland happened to be chosen by Man utd and Liverpool, very strange that they are the two clubs that dominated English football for the last 25 years. I support Ireland, I go to EL games now and again but I dont feel any great affinity with any one club. I would look out for Bohs results and go to the odd game. However I do not understand the mentality of someone saving up so much money to go to support a foreign team and bringing their irish flag with them. This happens with teams that have no Irish players too. The point about Cameroon is slightly different. I would reckon they would be a group of fans that would be supporting the player more than the club i.e. if he moved clubs they would be unlikely to stay supporting Shels. However Steven Finnan could move in the morning and people woudl still supoort Liverpool and fly the irish flag.

Call me old fashioned but I believe if you are Irish you support ireland and if you have a local team you support them too. Its ok to look at foreign football and even go sometimes to the games but this idea that they are "your" club and you would get worked about the game and be nervous all day yesterday, and be the greatest night ofyour life etc etc., It is crazy and I dont understand the passion for a foreign club. I could maybe understand an affinity but passion and love etc etc seems mad to me.

The scottish lads in my house cant understand why in Ireland so many people in their work support English teams. They find it laughable and its one time I cant come back with a response

[Tired&Emotional]

I dont support a league of Ireland team as like you I grew up in Clare for a large part of my life so you can choose a club a club chooses you as Karlos said earlier and I agree him. However I wonder why so many people in Ireland happened to be chosen by Man utd and Liverpool, very strange that they are the two clubs that dominated English football for the last 25 years. I support Ireland, I go to EL games now and again but I dont feel any great affinity with any one club. I would look out for Bohs results and go to the odd game. However I do not understand the mentality of someone saving up so much money to go to support a foreign team and bringing their irish flag with them. This happens with teams that have no Irish players too. The point about Cameroon is slightly different. I would reckon they would be a group of fans that would be supporting the player more than the club i.e. if he moved clubs they would be unlikely to stay supporting Shels. However Steven Finnan could move in the morning and people woudl still supoort Liverpool and fly the irish flag.

Call me old fashioned but I believe if you are Irish you support ireland and if you have a local team you support them too. Its ok to look at foreign football and even go sometimes to the games but this idea that they are "your" club and you would get worked about the game and be nervous all day yesterday, and be the greatest night ofyour life etc etc., It is crazy and I dont understand the passion for a foreign club. I could maybe understand an affinity but passion and love etc etc seems mad to me.

The scottish lads in my house cant understand why in Ireland so many people in their work support English teams. They find it laughable and its one time I cant come back with a response

I reckon you need to expand you mind....read some books on planet Earth, travel the world, explore new cultures & religions and stuff & maybe meet a nice Brazilan lass - sounds like you haven't even left home yet never mind your parish

[macdermesser]

There have been some ridiculous debates on this website but this really takes the medal. A guy supports Liverpool. They get to the Champions' League final. He saves up the cash and goes to Istanbul. He brings his tricolour to show that he's Irish and to get it onto tele so maybe his mates will recognise him at home. Or maybe because he likes the flag and being Irish or whatever and likes waving it. Big deal. That is that.

I'm all for discussion about identity, politics, etc, but this 'debate' is a waste of time.

"I'm all for debating but I'd rather paint a simplistic picture of a big dopey guy spending loads of his money supporting his childhood team, waving an Irish flag to his mates at a match, just to right in his mind that there is no contradiction."

[NeilMcD]

I reckon you need to expand you mind....read some books on planet Earth, travel the world, explore new cultures & religions and stuff & maybe meet a nice Brazilan lass - sounds like you haven't even left home yet never mind your parish

Can you not put across a point of view without a persoal insult to me. Even though i should not defend myself. BUt you have made a comment about me without ever meeting me or talking to me. I have indeed travelled the world and I would reckon I have a broad view of different cultures and been to more countries than most of the "enlightened people" who support Liverpool and Man Utd etc in Ireland. I left home when i was 18 and have not returned and have lived in a few foreign countries and gone to many matches there etc. I will not make personal comments about you, I will just express my views in a civilaised manner without going down the road of personal insults.

[Tired&Emotional]

Can you not put across a point of view without a persoal insult to me. Even though i should not defend myself. BUt you have made a comment about me without ever meeting me or talking to me. I have indeed travelled the world and I would reckon I have a broad view of different cultures and been to more countries than most of the "enlightened people" who support Liverpool and Man Utd etc in Ireland. I left home when i was 18 and have not returned and have lived in a few foreign countries and gone to many matches there etc. I will not make personal comments about you, I will just express my views in a civilaised manner without going down the road of personal insults.

Apologies then if this is too personal but you don't seem to see your insult to others who are proud to passionately support their team, regardless of who that team is, and take an Irish flag as Irish people to support them?!

I'm Irish, support a British club team (and the Green Army) and I will take my national flag wherever I wish without feeling the need to explain it...


This "debate" is over....finally!

[NeilMcD]

Name one place were I have personally insulted anybody on this board. If you are going to make allegations like that, Back them up please. I

[Donal81]

"I'm all for debating but I'd rather paint a simplistic picture of a big dopey guy spending loads of his money supporting his childhood team, waving an Irish flag to his mates at a match, just to right in his mind that there is no contradiction."

Just when I thought it couldn't get any more ridiculous, you step it up a gear with that post. I've too much work to do for this hackneyed rubbish.

[Ozymandias]

yawn...............

[TheOwl]

NeilMcD you are saying “I can’t understand this" and “I can’t understand that.”

Truth is: you have just never fallen in love with a football club! However, by the looks of things plenty of people on here have.

When a club gets under your skin (let’s say Liverpool), you don’t consider yourself to be supporting a “foreign team”, geography doesn’t even enter your head, instead they become YOUR team, not the city of Liverpool’s team, not England’s team, but YOUR team.

Over time you continue to invest time, money, emotion, EVERYTHING into this club, and the passion simply grows and grows.

I know plenty of extremely passionate Liverpool fans who barely, if ever, go over to Anfield.

But their days are spent thinking about Liverpool. About what team will Benitez put out next week? About who they should sign next season? About what formation they should play against Milan etc. etc.

It’s the only soap opera they’re interested and they spend more time thinking about Liverpool than they do about their jobs, their families, or even their girlfriends.

Does it make sense? To every passionate club football fan yes, but to someone like you who has never experienced such a bond with a club then understandably no!

My mate has been going out with this girl for two years, she is annoying, demanding, has no personality, and isn’t particulary good looking. I can’t understand how he puts up with her, but he does, because he loves her, and you got to respect that, because you can’t choose who you fall in love with. Same thing applies to football clubs

I have no doubt that when Liverpool fans say that last night was the greatest day of their lives, that they really mean it. It must have been a stunning payoff for someone who has cared about the club for an extended period of time.

However, having said all that, I’m always trying to encourage people to follow an Eircom League side too, because your passion for a club only increases when you get to see them in the flesh on a regular basis.

Same goes for international football too - I’m sure your passion for the Irish team increased when you first saw them play? And then further still when you saw them play away for the first time?

But basically Neil, when it comes to the crunch, there is no real rhyme or reason towards supporting one football team over another, and certainly there are no geographical ‘rules’ that should have to be obeyed.

You say you can’t understand why so many people go ga ga over a win for an English team - well for them it is not a victory for England but a victory for themselves, and I say let them enjoy it!

Well done Liverpool fans – I’m fuming with jealousy!

[Neish]

RESPECT to Samuel L. Jackson. The screen legend was recently
>interviewed by Kate Thornton on British T.V. about working with
>Colin Farrell in S.W.A.T. when the following conversation took place:

>
>Kate: What's it like working with Colin, 'cos he is just so hot in the

>U.K. right now.
>
>Samuel: He's pretty hot in the U.S. too
>
>Kate: Yea! but he's one of our own!
>
>Samuel: Isn't he from Ireland
>
>Kate: Yeah, but we claim him 'cos Ireland is beside us.
>
>Samuel: You see that's your problem right there. You British keep
>claiming people that don't belong to you. We had that problem in
>America too - it was called slavery.

[NeilMcD]

NeilMcD you are saying “I can’t understand this" and “I can’t understand that.”

Truth is: you have just never fallen in love with a football club! However, by the looks of things plenty of people on here have.

When a club gets under your skin (let’s say Liverpool), you don’t consider yourself to be supporting a “foreign team”, geography doesn’t even enter your head, instead they become YOUR team, not the city of Liverpool’s team, not England’s team, but YOUR team.

Over time you continue to invest time, money, emotion, EVERYTHING into this club, and the passion simply grows and grows.

I know plenty of extremely passionate Liverpool fans who barely, if ever, go over to Anfield.

But their days are spent thinking about Liverpool. About what team will Benitez put out next week? About who they should sign next season? About what formation they should play against Milan etc. etc.

It’s the only soap opera they’re interested and they spend more time thinking about Liverpool than they do about their jobs, their families, or even their girlfriends.

Does it make sense? To every passionate club football fan yes, but to someone like you who has never experienced such a bond with a club then understandably no!

My mate has been going out with this girl for two years, she is annoying, demanding, has no personality, and isn’t particulary good looking. I can’t understand how he puts up with her, but he does, because he loves her, and you got to respect that, because you can’t choose who you fall in love with. Same thing applies to football clubs

I have no doubt that when Liverpool fans say that last night was the greatest day of their lives, that they really mean it. It must have been a stunning payoff for someone who has cared about the club for an extended period of time.

However, having said all that, I’m always trying to encourage people to follow an Eircom League side too, because your passion for a club only increases when you get to see them in the flesh on a regular basis.

Same goes for international football too - I’m sure your passion for the Irish team increased when you first saw them play? And then further still when you saw them play away for the first time?

But basically Neil, when it comes to the crunch, there is no real rhyme or reason towards supporting one football team over another, and certainly there are no geographical ‘rules’ that should have to be obeyed.

You say you can’t understand why so many people go ga ga over a win for an English team - well for them it is not a victory for England but a victory for themselves, and I say let them enjoy it!

Well done Liverpool fans – I’m fuming with jealousy!

Fair play good post.


I dont understand people falling in love with a team from a foreign country. I am hardly alone in that though. I think many people find it perplexing about Irish soceity that we all hate England to win but yet support English football teams. It is said time and time again when I go abroad. And yes I have travelled despite some people alleging I have never left home without backign it up with any facts.

[TheOwl]

http://foot.ie/showthread.php?t=25481

Eircom League lads are debating this issue too, on a more appropriately title thread than "Finnan's performance in Champions League final" too!

[Karlos]

I think many people find it perplexing about Irish soceity that we all hate England to win but yet support English football teams.

Don't wish to drag this argument on any further but I think it should be clarified that we all do not hate England to win.

[Fergie's Son]

something slightly pathetic seeing Irish guys in Liverpool jerseys celebrating like it was the best night of their lives. I know that we all want to belong to something bigger, and bask in reflected glory etc. and that is hardly possible with the Eircom league clubs in Europe ..

Then again .. I suppose its not only an irish thing in this global football marketplace.

Give me a 1-0 against Holland anytime above all that stuff.

Thank you. You wrote exactly what I have been feeling. I received numerous texts and emails about how Dublin has "shut down" because of the result. Makes no sense to me. I'm a United fan and have been for 20+ years (since they played Home Farm in 82') but that does not mean I'd get that excited just because they won the CL.

Ireland first, then Dublin then everyone else.

[tricky_colour]

Just though I would point out that it is not only the Irish who support
some of the top Premiership teams, ie teams from a different country it
is quite common.
I took a look at the Liverpool message boards and there were messages
of congratulation from fans from virtually ever country under the sun:- China, the Philipines, Poland, Italy (Inter supporters), USA, Spain. Austrailia Thailand,
Germany, Belguim, South Africa....
Obviously one of the reasons is that these clulbs have been successful
and like it or not the chances of an Irish club winning a major trophy
are pretty remote.

[thejollyrodger]

why the **** cant irish people support liverpool if they want ? irish interest has always been there with liverpool and thought it was great seeing the irish flags in the ground ... though we should all just go to league of ireland games shouldnt we ..

Cos none of them bother their holes going out and supporting Shels in Europe FFS or Shels winning the E.L

[hudhastings]

Don't wish to drag this argument on any further but I think it should be clarified that we all do not hate England to win.

yes we do exeption 4 you_

[dr_peepee]

I actualy like England to win.... Only to get far enough to be beaten when it matters like in the Quaters or the Semi's. It seems to hurt them that little bit more...

I feel the same about Man U...

[Karlos]

yes we do exeption 4 you_

not true, i know many other folk who can separate sport from historical issues and are happy to see a country where they have lived, have many friends, have english wives, husbands, girlfriends, like the english players in their team etc etc...to win.


Wouldn't bother me in the slightest if England won something, I only care about Ireland winning or not winning things.

[zinedineontour]

Cos none of them bother their holes going out and supporting Shels in Europe FFS or Shels winning the E.L

do they not no ? ok so for example my friends who were in turkey supporting liverpool with there tricolour are also shels season tickets holders and travelled to split and coruna to see the boys this season ! dont generalise just cause someone supports an english team it means they dont support loi ? i support sunderland regularly go over but i also go to shels a lot so if i bring a tricolour to sunderland am i a bad person ?

some people should get there loi glasses off and wake up and smell the reality . not everyone who has tricolour at english games doesnt come near loi .. and even if they dont so what ? its what people are brought up with ,, once we all pull together and support ireland thats what matters ..

thought it was great seeing the tricolours in turkey myself ..well done lads