Club or Country?

[liam88]

I'm with Tony, Kt, M@ttitude and the rest of the country crew!!
Can't believe people would put one club above our COUNTRY!
Course I'm proud of both my clubs but Ireland always come's first!

[Green Tribe]

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.

Yeah, I just found that out about Omagh Town just after I posted! Looks like Monaghan Utd is my only option! I'll think about it...

[Stevo Da Gull]

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

I heard that he was once on our books for a short time but he defo never played for us.

Anyhow back to the main, Bray come 1st and Éireann 2nd. Just feel more strongly about Bray but at the same time I think Irelands qualifacation for big tournaments (mainly World Cup) brings money into the FAI and a small percentage of this see's (i think ) its way into EL football, so I'm still really desperate for us to qualify (as well as the obvious reasons for wanting Éire to do well).

List of priorities:

1. Bray Wanderers
2. Family/Friends
3. ...........

[Plastic Paddy]

Bang on monutdfc, KT and M@ttitude. The two are mutually exclusive. I know plenty of Irish Tims that won't support Ireland because they see the 26-county team as some sort of endorsement of partition. Pathetic. Just like those who say they don't support Ireland because those who run the FAI are a joke. That's like renouncing your citizenship just because you don't like Bertie Ahern.

I gain just as much from seeing Celtic win as I do Ireland. That the two will never meet in competitive football means that there are two distinct paradigms in which I can follow a team; international and club competition. So, supporting my club and my country means I get the best of both worlds. Apart from when they throw away leads against the likes of Motherwell and Israel, that is...

PP

[CollegeTillIDie]

I have always wanted the national team to succeed even before I had a club team to support in the EL.
I have travelled to Germany ( Euro 88) Russia ( that godawful 2-4 defeat under Mick McCarthy) and Poland to watch the team play. I used to go to the home games before they became all seater now I only get to the odd game.

I never miss a home game for my club team and at one point I attended every game home and away. In one two season stretch I missed 1 League game out of 60. Now with Friday away games outside of Dublin it would necessitate taking time off work and quite frankly I have insufficient Annual Leave to sustain it.

One thing which a lot of fans of EL football and Premiershi* do not encounter is what those of us involved with clubs in Amateur football which have International representative teams sometimes experience.
Our club players get called into an international squad then they are " persuaded" either by team mates or by members of the international management squad to move club in order to further their international careers.

That makes it difficult to put the national team before the club in that context. In spite of that fact I do support the national teams concerned.
Come on the Boys in Green. Come on The Girls in Green

[Cosmo]

Club without a doubt, don't even have to think about it

[tonycuna]

I'm agree with this point of view.
...
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.

I quote myself cause I want to add that, yes, maybe, the 22-men of a nat team are very different around the years. But it's an obvious thing, and everyone knows that it is. A country 22-men has always differences, much more than the clubs one, and it can't be a reason to put club above country. I reckon myself and my Irish passion with players like Roy, Robbie or Kilbane at the moment, and you can't argue, they are in green for a long time until now. And in the past I felt represented by lads like Niall Quinn, Stevie Staunton, Gary Kelly, McAteer, the same Ian Harte that comes back now.

But I can understand, even if I'm not agree with them , with who says reasons about the frequency of matches and so on

In the end, you can put club above country, I can put country above club. But every of us during the season will suffer for their clubs. And every of us, in evening like last wed or sat, will be there, @stadiums, on tv or radio, to suffer for our national team

Bye lads

[ColinR]

country every time.

with club, a bad defeat will annoy me for a few hours, the next day i'm fine, a win the next week and all is rosy.

one week on, and israel is still ****ing me off, and probably will right through to sepetember

[superfrank]

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

I heard that he was once on our books for a short time but he defo never played for us.

I know he never played but he was at the club at one stage.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Yeah, I just found that out about Omagh Town just after I posted! Looks like Monaghan Utd is my only option! I'll think about it...

If I may quote a housekeeper from a repeated comedy series:
" Ah go on go on go on go on go on go on " do it KT the mighty MONS need you

[Gerrit]

I'd always put my country before any club or institution.

While the national team justs represents an institution: the FAI.

I cannot understand how so many people see 11 people as representing a whole country. I don't say it's wrong, but I just don't get it. 11 lads, not even chosen democratically (but chosen by one person) is how many % of the nation ?

I admire in some way your national pride and maybe I miss out something because I don't have it. But I don't understand, with the best will of the world. If the Belgian flag and anthem are waved/played at a football game, that doesn't mean that these 11 players (11 out of a population of over 10.000.000) represent the country. Therefor, in combination with the low frequence of games, I don't care too much about country football. Doesn't move me really, and I will rarely stay home to watch games on TV, while for my club (both Shelbourne as back at home Ostend) I have several times taken days off.

[superfrank]

I cannot understand how so many people see 11 people as representing a whole country. I don't say it's wrong, but I just don't get it. 11 lads, not even chosen democratically (but chosen by one person) is how many % of the nation ?

Maybe it's different for bigger countries. As for Ireland it's like 0.000275%. Obviouly in other countries it's a lower percentage. In a way, it's like a Taoiseach picking his ministers. One person picking a limited few to represent the entire nation, that sorta thing.

Don't worry, I'm not going to bring politics into this....

[Green Tribe]

If I may quote a housekeeper from a repeated comedy series:
" Ah go on go on go on go on go on go on " do it KT the mighty MONS need you

I think they do need the support

[FarBeag]

I love football and if given the chance would watch it 24/7 no matter what team are playing and what country they are playing in.I have gone to a few premership matches as i live in uk for the last decade and am sure if i was living in Ireland i would go to a few el matches. Saying all this i don't have any real affection for any club apart from Celtic who i have a soft spot for but i have and will continue to follow Ireland all over the world win lose or draw.

[Macy]

Club before country. Not even a question.

[magic moments]

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....

Having been a chelsea fan for over 20 years there is no doubt in my mind who means more to me!!! IRELAND always has and always will be no.1.

Why i'd even follow them to roppongi and back!!!(sorry i have!!)

[tiktok]

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...

Geeks?
As I pointed out in another thread, the above is typical of the 'event junkie' we have following the national team.

I don't see the two as being in competition with each other for my affections, but if games were to clash I wouldn't be in Landsdowne and if asked the question would I prefer to see Cork City win the league and go into the CL next season or Ireland to qualify for the World Cup?
The former, hands down (though obviously I want the latter too).

[M@ttitude]

Event junkie? I have been to every home match (friendlies included) since i was six and have travelled a bit but only because finacially I couldnt afford it, I think thats the difference between EL fans and English club fans, the EL fans hate the rest of the country (typical cork attitude) while English club fans support there clubs on TV but support anything Irish 100%... geek

[tiktok]

Event junkie? I have been to every home match (friendlies included) since i was six and have travelled a bit but only because finacially I couldnt afford it, I think thats the difference between EL fans and English club fans, the EL fans hate the rest of the country (typical cork attitude) while English club fans support there clubs on TV but support anything Irish 100%... geek

Event Junkie?
"so you would swop a summer of celebration and partys on the worlds stage" Those are your words, not mine.
You place more importance on parties and celebration than "a fist in the air and few pints in your town that only a small percentage of IRELAND will even take notice of". I don't.

As for 'typical cork attitude', I'm not from the county.

I don't hate the rest of the country, but I find attitudes like yours insulting. Just because you don't 'get' LOI football doesn't mean that you have the right to p!ss all over something that thousands of you're countrymen and countrywomen are passionate about.

And for the record the EL is 100% irish, but I don't see you supporting that

Geek -v- Event Junkie
Bring it on

[OwlsFan]

While the national team justs represents an institution: the FAI.

I cannot understand how so many people see 11 people as representing a whole country. I don't say it's wrong, but I just don't get it. 11 lads, not even chosen democratically (but chosen by one person) is how many % of the nation ?

I admire in some way your national pride and maybe I miss out something because I don't have it. But I don't understand, with the best will of the world. If the Belgian flag and anthem are waved/played at a football game, that doesn't mean that these 11 players (11 out of a population of over 10.000.000) represent the country. Therefor, in combination with the low frequence of games, I don't care too much about country football. Doesn't move me really, and I will rarely stay home to watch games on TV, while for my club (both Shelbourne as back at home Ostend) I have several times taken days off.

No, the team is run by an institution but represents the country. Alas, other than the nation voting on who it wants to represent it, there isn't any alternative I'm afraid. Maybe we should have a Eurostar type competition to see who should play for Ireland