Club or Country?

[Bosco]

This came up on a few other threads,could someone make a poll out of it?

For me its club,dont get me wrong i love supporting Ireland but i feel more connected with de town and some of the knobs attending international games would put you off

[superfrank]

I have three allegiances: Eire, Chelsea and Bray.

So it's hard. I only recently got into the local team again so I amn't terribly devoted yet. I've supported Chelsea for a really long time, about eight years and it began cos at the time my dad lived in London. However, I'm Irish and from a fiercely patriotic family, I think my great-grandad was in the IRA, so naturally I'm a devout Eire fan.

So Eire above all others.

Another reason I continue my support: Damien Duff has played for all three.

[Gerrit]

Club teams above country teams all the time. I just can't connect with country teams the way I can with clubs. Country teams have no fix players group, play only now and then, ... whereas clubs players usually stay a while (which helps to identify with them) and you have at least one game a week, which is easier to make friends of other supporters.

I do see country football in the same way as club football. As I said before, a country team is IMO no representation to a country. It's the representation of a sports federation with offices in a certain country. I never saw the Belgian team as representing my country, it's just a team consisting of 11 lads from Belgium - go in the average Brussels pub and pick 11 men who never kicked a ball before, they can also go on a field with the banner "Belgium". So for me a national team does not really represent an entire nation, I see them more or less as teams just like club teams. With the difference that a club is playing weekly, that I have friends at my prefered clubs, and that the players selected will be more or less constant.

So definitely club football all the way. I do support Norway in national team football, but never with the same passion as when I support Shelbourne, Rosenborg or Ostend (my prefered clubs).

[tonycuna]

Club teams above country teams all the time. I just can't connect with country teams the way I can with clubs. Country teams have no fix players group, play only now and then, ... whereas clubs players usually stay a while (which helps to identify with them) and you have at least one game a week, which is easier to make friends of other supporters.

I'm agree with this point of view.
But I think that there's the patriotic feeling that makes me put Ireland above Arsenal.
Yes, you're right. I became an Arsenal fan thanks to Tony Adams presence. And that team, with him, especially that from 97/98 winning title' campaign, is the one I love much.
But when Ireland plays, there are some things like national anthem, home matches and away matches (that are more significant as "home" and "away", than clubs matches), and so on, that are much more emotional.
So, for me, it's Ireland first, and Arsenal second

[Dodge]

club. Never depressed about Ireland losing. Think this coould be another one thats split between el fans and fans of UK teams.

[Gerrit]

Well, yeah, but two remarks:

- the Irish national side is just one team from Ireland just like Dublin City or Galway Hibs are... Put the 11 players of Swords Celtic on that field and play the Soldiers Song, they could as well use the banner Ireland

- if you'be supporting fanatically an EL side it may be different. You can't go to all Arsenal games because of the distance, therefor it's more difficult to get to know your fellow fans and make close friendships with them. With an EL team you could, and once you're that far the fellow fans are also friends of yours that you see every weekend, it's becoming a social event then and not just a sports game. This is something that is impossible with national teams because they only play once every two months or so...




I find it very hard to identify with national sides. I do support Norway, but it's just not the same feeling as with the clubs. The one week familiar faces like Carew, Rushfeldt and Strand could be in the team, and then two months later it could be a completely different team. Very hard to identify with... You don't have such a rotation and staff changes with club sides, the list of players will remain more or less unchanged for at least a whole season.

[KR's Post]

Another reason I continue my support: Damien Duff has played for all three.

He hasn't played for Bray!!! Feel the same for all my teams when they Win, Lose or Draw!!!!

[Green Tribe]

I don't have a club...(awaiting the abuse ) so it's only Ireland for me

[De Town]

I don't have a club...(awaiting the abuse )

You should try and pick one (in Ireland) and stick with them because I would imagine its terrible having to wait a couple of months at a time for a match to come around

[Orchard Celt]

It would have to be club I think. I follow Celtic and just like every other club fan I check teletext 100 times a day too see of any news on my club (please tell me I'am not the only one ). Club football is contiunes though out the year while International games pop up every few months. I do check out too see how other Irish players are getting on in England, Scotland etc.. but I'd only really start thinking of the next Ireland game once there's an International break but like my club when I watch Ireland I'am kicking every ball and screaming at every tackle, when Ireland lose or draw I get dissappointed and when we win I'am over the moon.

I don't think of it as a club or country row. Once any of them are playing they get my full support and I'am always proud of who we are, win, lose or draw

[OwlsFan]

As I said elsewhere, those who put club before country will understand Ferguson putting his club before Ireland and even the players putting their club before their country.

It is this attitude that will kill international football. Any of the money in the form of grants which the FAI puts into the EL comes from international gate receipts. There is no money in the EL.

I'd always put my country before any club or institution. I don't think there is any greater feeling (in sporting terms) than standing in a foreign stadiums with thousands of your compatriots signing your national anthem. Brilliant....

[Green Tribe]

You should try and pick one (in Ireland) and stick with them because I would imagine its terrible having to wait a couple of months at a time for a match to come around

Where I'm from the nearest EL/IL club etc is quite far, the closest would be Monaghan or Omagh Town, and it would feel strange supporting them, I don't know , it's hard to explain.

[4tothefloor]

As I said before, a country team is IMO no representation to a country. It's the representation of a sports federation with offices in a certain country. I never saw the Belgian team as representing my country, it's just a team consisting of 11 lads from Belgium - go in the average Brussels pub and pick 11 men who never kicked a ball before, they can also go on a field with the banner "Belgium". So for me a national team does not really represent an entire nation, I see them more or less as teams just like club teams. With the difference that a club is playing weekly, that I have friends at my prefered clubs, and that the players selected will be more or less constant.

I support Limerick FC, Liverpool and Ireland. I actively support all three, i.e. I go to the home games, all of Limerick's and Ireland's, and as much as I can of Liverpool's. With the new Ryanair Shannon to Liverpool route that was just launched, I hope to go to Anfield once a month from next season on. I am passionate about all three and refuse to put one over the other.

[jorge]

I support rovers,ac milan i would put rovers over ireland simply because the FAI is run by ............. and is supported mostly by eh .............

[M@ttitude]

Country all the way, being a liverpool fan I would still rather Ireland beating france and switzerland than pool winning the cl again next season and the year after.. I cant believe most of you picking your clubs, so you would swop a summer of celebration and partys on the worlds stage for a fist in the air and few pints in your town that only a small percentage of IRELAND will even take notice of! Geeks...

[Green Tribe]

so you would swop a summer of celebration and partys on the worlds stage for a fist in the air and few pints in your town that only a small percentage of IRELAND will even take notice of! Geeks...

well said!

[M@ttitude]

Why thank you green lady...

[Green Tribe]

Why thank you green lady...

You're very welcome!

[monutdfc]

Where I'm from the nearest EL/IL club etc is quite far, the closest would be Monaghan or Omagh Town, and it would feel strange supporting them, I don't know , it's hard to explain.

Well KT, Omagh Town have (unfortunately) folded, so you can support us. We already have several fans from Co Fermanagh, most notably James and Denise from Lisnaskea who never miss a game, home or away.

[monutdfc]

I don't think of it as a club or country row. Once any of them are playing they get my full support and I'am always proud of who we are, win, lose or draw

I'd agree with this. There is no conflict. You don't have to choose. You don't have to declare a preference, you don't have to choose one and damn the other.

When this question was posed before I had no hesitation in choosing Club. Last weekend, the question was posed to me again: we played Kildare County on the Friday night before Ireland played Israel. Now I know what I think has no bearing whatsoever over the result, but I asked myself if I had to choose between United winning or Ireland winning which would I choose? I probably veered towards Ireland (on the basis that even if we beat Kildare we would end up mid-table anyway - if it was a choice between United ever actually winning something or Ireland qualifiying it would be United all the way (I feel selfish about that - my extreme pleasure versus the pleasure that would be experienced by a much greater amount of people - but on that basis I'd want China to win ever international cometition going!). But after Friday night when we beat Kildare I was on such a high that suddenly my answer had changed to Club; supporting a club, especially an eL club where you can be really involved means that a win means so much more to you. But, and it's a big but, I fully understand anyone who answers Country (my brother would for one). The guy who owns the Monaghan Boys on Tour flag rarely misses a United game, but I know what his answer would be (Country) and I fully understand why. Davy Keogh says hello is a bohs fan and secretary of a junior club I believe, and I would guess he would answer country (apologies to Davy if I have got this wrong). But my over-riding comment to the whole subject is, as OrchardCelt says, you don;t have to choose.