POTM. Couldnt agree more. Looking forward to the 29th!Originally Posted by Mr_T
KOH
honestly cant see more than 10,000 Irish going to stuttgart. paris is a lot easier to get to and tickets were not a problem either thats why such a big amt went. remember all the day trippers in paris? a lot of fans will wait to see if they get tickets before booking travel to this one. we will only get about 5,000 tickets officially and maybe another 2,000 to 3,000 from german sources etc
I'm not getting on a high horse if your referring to me. I don't believe in preaching to people to support a team cause they SHOULD, I do try and take mates to games and see what they are missing.
You didn't adress any of my points however, the basic assertion being that Irish football (and other sports) fans love the big events, but can't be arsed with the rest of it, a phenomenon I don't think occurs as acutely in other countries whose away support was mentioned in this thread. We seem to be unique in this whether you think its a great attribute or a fault.
As for your music analogy, there is no connection or similarity between being a fan of a band cause you like their music and the reasons why people support a football team, and if you think there is then you have never experienced what its like to be a fan of a team.
Being a fan of a team is widely accepted as being something you are for life If you support an English team (which is your right), say Liverpool and they are in decline while Man Utd are playing great football and winning things, do you say, know what, I think I'll go and follow Man Utd for a while cause they're better?? Or Celtic/Rangers or to put it more simply, if Ireland are $hite are you gonna excercise your free will and support England instead?? Find me a football fan that thinks thats totally acceptable!
With music you can be a fan of 100 different artists and if Metallica or Bob Dylan produce a succession of rubbish albums you're gonna move on to listen to somebody else who is producing quality music to your taste, and any music fan would do the same.
See the difference??
You're wasting your time with people like that. Bottom line is there is no football culture in this country. Proof is in your local on sunday afternoons.
KOH
Sorry I am not supporting the guy who only likes foreign leagues. I am justing pointing out the tone of the argument and looking down on people for not going to Eircom leagues does not help anybody and that includes the Eircom Leaugue. We live in a free society where people can do what they want and their is no moral or legal obligation in supporting your own league, or your own country or even liking football.
In Trap we trust
Have the ticket application forms been sent out by FAI yet?
Talk about rippin the p!ss!
[QUOTE=$Leon$ You have to remember that Germany will be coming into this game after a home world cup.
Yes. I know that. I'm going to the World Cup.
Traditionally host nations have always done well in the world cup. 7 host nations have won the world cup not to mention the number of host nations that have made it to the final.
I also know that. And your point is?
Hopefully for irish fans this will lead to a football overload in germany meaning not alot of fans will travel to stuttgart. [/QUOTE]
There's no such thing as a football overload in nations like England, Spain or Germany.
For a lad that never sits down and watches 90 minutes of football, you sure give the impression on this forum that you're a football fan! You don't attend Eircom League games, you don't follow the Premiership (or any other domestic league for that matter) and like myself, it's only recently you started going to Ireland games. Don Vito, no later than last night recalled our days together in Belgrove 23, 5 where you would leave the living room rather than sit down and watch a football match- his words, not mine! Anyway no hard feelings.
Last edited by Dillo; 06/04/2006 at 12:11 PM.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
As a fully fledged Ireland follower home and abroad Leon is well entitled to air his views Dillo. He makes some very valid points and there's a lot to what he is saying as regards Germany's WC campaign having an impact on the following EC qualifiers. Where Leon has formed his opinions and facts is questionable as he can't bring himself to truly immerse himself in the beautiful game. He is entitled to air his views like everyone else, however, and should be commended for his regurgitation of others' opinions!
Last edited by JoeSemi; 06/04/2006 at 12:22 PM.
Mens sana in corpore sano
Don't for get about the big Irish population in Germany too.
Dillo what are you on about?There's no such thing as a football overload in nations like England, Spain or Germany.
For a lad that never sits down and watches 90 minutes of football, you sure give the impression on this forum that you're a football fan! You don't attend Eircom League games, you don't follow the Premiership (or any other domestic league for that matter) and like myself, it's only recently you started going to Ireland games. Don Vito, no later than last night recalled our days together in Belgrove 23, 5 where you would leave the living room rather than sit down and watch a football match- his words, not mine! Anyway no hard feelings.
Whats your point got to do with me not following domestic football?
Alot of English and European clubs sickin me to watch. Overpaid merceneries diving around the place trying to score free-kicks rather than goals.
As Liam Griffin once famously said "I can't understand how young Irish fellas can pledge allegiance to a piece of the industrial heartland of greater manchester or liverpool" and I'm sure his sentiments apply to Barcelona and Madrid in the same way.
Growing up not all of us were fortunate to have eL clubs on our door step. while some like your self were only a stones through from their nearest team others like myself were well over an hours drive from our nearest ground.
Just because i don't have a long tradition of actually attending International games doesn't mean i haven't been watching them.
"If I wanted you to understand it, I would have explained it better." Johan Cruyff
We had around 4,000 in Tel Aviv last year.
It was the largest single influx of "tourists" to the country since the state was formed. They rolled out the green carpet and lined the streets with Irish flags. It was a fantastic trip!
I heard estimates of there being 40,000 in Paris for the game and around 35,000 people getting tickets. We completely took over the stadium. There were so many Irish in Paris that we crashed the mobile phone network.
There were over 14,000 of us in Cyprus for the last game.
We got 5,000 tickets for the Holland game in Amsterdam in 2000
The Dutch FA released another 2,500 tickets on the day of the game and pretty much all of them were taken up.
Have Boot Disk, will travel
expect something similar for stuttgart
I'll have to agree with $Leon$ here. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and he's made some good points about the Germany game in Stuttgart. I would agree that the country might be suffering from a football overload come September. When we played Holland in the Amsterdam Arena in September 2000, there were a few thousand empty seats in the stadium. The Dutch had gone out of Euro 2000 (which they co-hosted with Belgium) on a penalty shootout to Italy. The Ireland game was like an anti-climax for the Dutch supporters who are just as passionate about football as the Germans.
$Leon$ grew up in a part of Meath that is a long way from any EL club. Why should his interest in the game be worth any less because he doesn't follow an EL team? I grew up in Longford with League of Ireland football on my doorstep. I followed LTFC religiously since I was 7 and stopped going when I was 16. I became disillusioned with a lot of the people I saw involved in the club. The club has improved since then, and this can be mainly attributed to Jim Hanly. Nonetheless, there is still an element involved in the club that turns my stomach. I no longer feel an attachment to LTFC and don't feel obliged to attend EL games anymore.
As for $Leon$'s comments in relation to the big European clubs, I have to agree once more. How anyone can put Liverpool, Man U or Arsenal ahead of their own national team I don't know. Then again, people might wonder how I can put my national team ahead of local team. In my view, the G14 clubs have systematically set about destroying the beautiful game. If they get their way, international football will be a thing of the past. I watch Premiership and CL football every week and admit that I enjoy it. However, it doesn't have the same soul as international football. Therefore, I can understand why $Leon$ prefers to concentrate on Ireland.
It was Euro 88 and Ireland's involvement that gave me my love for football. I went to my first Ireland game in 1993 and have missed just one home game since 1995. I still get the same feeling on the day of an Ireland game, regardless of whether we're playing France in a WC qualifier or Canada in a friendly. The tension builds throughout the day and I get the butterflies as I walk towards the ground. No other sporting occasion can beat it for me. I suspect I'll be one of the few people that will be sorry to see the old Lansdowne knocked.That's why Ireland will always come first for me. LTFC, a Premiership or European club could never measure up.
I think this thread has highlighted a lot of snobbery, particularly on the part of EL fans. The Eircom League and the international team are not necessarily interchangeable for everyone. It's my view that someone who only supports Ireland is no less of a supporter than someone who attends EL games. Indeed, I've often read comments from EL fans complaining about Irish supporters wearing Celtic jersies. One thing I've noticed since the EL clubs got their allocation on the North Terrace is that many EL fans wear their EL jersies and scarves to Ireland games. There's a certain sense of irony there I feel.
"Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe." Dillo
Fully agree. The Eircom league has to become more attractive to fans, and I think it it going in the right direction with the likes of Cork city winning the league playing very attractive football.
An awful lot of irish fans that travel to games, while not regular eircom league followers, are involved with junior clubs up and down the country at grass roots level.
I think those involved with EL think the rest of us sit on our arses in the pub every weekend!
JPM ,
While sometimes I feel that a certain proportion of what you write is tosh and some posters seem to worship the space you type on, the piece of thinking you posted just there was a thing of pure beauty. Excellent post.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Think we're talkin POTM material from the PM
"If I wanted you to understand it, I would have explained it better." Johan Cruyff
Fair enough but ye SOuth Co. Dublin kids think that every JPM post is POTM.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
This is the first time i've ever put one of his or anybody elses post up for POTMFair enough but ye SOuth Co. Dublin kids think that every JPM post is POTM.
"If I wanted you to understand it, I would have explained it better." Johan Cruyff
$Leon$, maybe i'm being a bit harsh on you there but you know where i'm coming from! You're entitled to your opinion as much as the rest, I never said you weren't. I have nothing against people who don't follow the Eircom League. In fact, I can perfectly understand why people don't follow it. However, I feel both your desire to watch and attend both football and rugby matches has only come about in recent times. Whether this is subject to some kind of peer pressure, or with regard to your sudden fondness for egg chasing, to fit in with the South Dublin folk I don't know. Maybe it's a bit of both. Furthermore, why do you put down your location on this forum as "Blackrock, County Dublin" when you actually live in Deansgrange
Last edited by Dillo; 06/04/2006 at 7:41 PM.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Bull $hit is the only reply that comes to mind when i read your post.
All you see to do lately on this site if object to anything i post.
Just recieved this PM from Dillo, it explains alot of the sh1t he's talkin
Last edited by $Leon$; 06/04/2006 at 7:47 PM.
"If I wanted you to understand it, I would have explained it better." Johan Cruyff
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