Fans of Dublin clubs...

**TheOwl** · 05/08/2005, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by GK for the Town

Has anybody noticed any difference with Shels over the last few years maybe?

I come from Portmarnock and in recent years whenever I see an EL jersey in the Fingal area it has been a Shels one, of course you still see way more Premership shirts.

If you ask most people around the Swords, Portmarnock, Donagmede area do they support anyone in the EL, they will often tell you "not really but I look out for Shels results." These are the type of people that then go to the big European games but we can't seem to get them to go to league games.

This might change when we move stadium, but that brings its own worries with regards transport etc.

**Jerry The Saint** · 05/08/2005, 10:44 AM

In primary school in the late 80s/early 90s our teacher was a big Derry fan. A couple of guys in the class were already Pats fans and, thanks to the big rivalry at the time, most of the rest became supporters by default just to slag him off.

I liked all sports and followed English soccer closely, I wanted to see the Irish players doing well but I just couldn't identify with any club across the water. People asked me who I supported (meaning "in the English league") and it never made sense to me why I should feel loyalty to any of them. I just said I supported Dublin because, even then, I could see that "supporting" a team was about going to watch them live, roaring yourself hoarse and suffering through the defeats instead of just buying a jersey and sitting in front of a TV screen.

Pats were in Harolds' Cross at the time so I dragged my dad along to see them and just kept going. The guys who were supporters before me stopped going years ago but I was hooked.

The connection to a particular community is very important but I find it odd that people seem surprised I follow the Saints even though I don't come from or live near Inchicore. My obvious response - "Well it's a lot nearer than f**king Liverpool!"

**wws** · 05/08/2005, 11:02 AM

well for me when I was a little boy, you see, I asked my mother, I says Ma, 'what will I be?' as you do. And than I added 'Will I be Pats? will i be rovers?' and do you know what she said to me????!!!!

"Wash your mouth my son"

than something about getting me das gun and shooting some rovers scum..... i dunno she trailed off at the end.....

**wexfordned** · 05/08/2005, 11:05 AM

Living in Wexford you don't have a local club.
Moved up to Phibsboro about 5 years ago & seen people going into the ground one Friday night to watch a game so I went as well out of curiosity, became hooked so now its Bohs Til I Die!

**bigmac** · 05/08/2005, 1:17 PM

Originally Posted by wexfordned

Living in Wexford you don't have a local club.
Moved up to Phibsboro about 5 years ago & seen people going into the ground one Friday night to watch a game so I went as well out of curiosity, became hooked so now its Bohs Til I Die!

Just wondering Ned, why don't Wexford soccer people come down the road to Waterford? There seems to be some hostility between certain elements of wex and Waterford soccer that results in very few players coming to play for the blues, in fact I heard that they were all being advised not to go to Waterford. There are always a few exceptions but between the south of Wexford and Waterford there should surely be enough local players to have a good premier team. New Ross is closer to Waterford than Dungarvan for example.

**Jaime** · 05/08/2005, 1:29 PM

Chelsea fan since knee-high, so went to a Bohs - Chelsea friendly in around 91, and just kept coming back.

**Roverstillidie** · 05/08/2005, 3:14 PM

Originally Posted by Jaime

Chelsea fan since knee-high, so went to a Bohs - Chelsea friendly in around 91, and just kept coming back.

its a loyalist thing....

**Anto McC** · 05/08/2005, 3:15 PM

Originally Posted by Roverstillidie

its a loyalist thing....

ooohhh that's below the belt but funny

**manic da hoop** · 05/08/2005, 3:53 PM

Originally Posted by Roverstillidie

its a loyalist thing....

Classic

**Maynard** · 05/08/2005, 5:50 PM

Beat myself with the morality stick and decided I had to stand up for Irish soccer. Used to (and still do) moan about the system we have in place of exporting our talent to England during their teenage years and then sitting back and repatrioting the players for international football. Can't change the system, but one man, one vote...so I voted with my feet and with me wallet.

**Dodge** · 06/08/2005, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Maynard

Beat myself with the morality stick and decided I had to stand up for Irish soccer. Used to (and still do) moan about the system we have in place of exporting our talent to England during their teenage years and then sitting back and repatrioting the players for international football. Can't change the system, but one man, one vote...so I voted with my feet and with me wallet.

So to protest against British clubs getting all our best young talent, you supported a club that tried to import old Britih players withno talent remianing*... It all makes sense

[SIZE=1]* I realise this "joke" is now redundant but it would've killed last year...[/SIZE]

**hoopy** · 06/08/2005, 3:21 PM

Bucko, the best forward I've seen in my time supporting the LOI

**CollegeTillIDie** · 06/08/2005, 3:24 PM

Originally Posted by TheOwl

I come from Portmarnock and in recent years whenever I see an EL jersey in the Fingal area it has been a Shels one, of course you still see way more Premership shirts.

If you ask most people around the Swords, Portmarnock, Donagmede area do they support anyone in the EL, they will often tell you "not really but I look out for Shels results." These are the type of people that then go to the big European games but we can't seem to get them to go to league games.

This might change when we move stadium, but that brings its own worries with regards transport etc.

If you think that will change with the new stadium you are sadly delusional

**CollegeTillIDie** · 06/08/2005, 3:28 PM

Ok went to UCD in 1979 the same year they joined the League of Ireland.
A good mate was on the committee as Superleague Secretary and he used to introduce me to any of the team that we encountered in the corridors or on the way to and from the Library, restaurant etc. Had been a misguided Leeds "fan" in the 1970's and half of them went to the NASL to play for Vancouver in the 1980-81 period. In March 1981 UCD played Vancouver Whitecaps in a friendly, and drew 1-1 with some of my former "heroes" .
It was my first match and I became a regular after a few years. Winning the FAI Cup in 1984 kinda sealed it for me.