Down memory lane with Roddy Doyle

[NeilMcD]

I am a bit confused here I thought it was argued that anybody who supports the National team is only an event junkie and an Ole Ole fan.

[NY Hoop]

So a lot of people were irresponsible and spent money that they didn't have? That doesn't make you more of a fan. It makes you more of a risk-taker. Two different things.

Now you're creating a different argument. Fact is, a country like Ireland is always going to look to the larger sporting leagues of England for entertainment. There is a natural affinity to the big English clubs because they are culturally similar to ourselves. Not saying it's right or wrong but to ignore the powerful pull of the English leagues is misguided. It isn't fair to criticize how someone else gets their jollies. Buying champange for an English is, imho, over the top but then each to their own.

I had saved for that WC! Doyle represents the ole ole merchant all the way. You know "the best fans in the world" crap?

Acknowledge the pull of the english league. The premiership is also very popular in Scandinavia but their fans do not ignore their own domestic leagues. Their journalists dont have a sneering attitude to their leagues either.

KOH

[NeilMcD]

As I said before Roddy Doyel and others are entitled to do what ever they want to do and they are not breaking the law or harming anybody else. Not sure how that qualifies them as idiots and people hate Doyle so much. He is just a journalist who was asked to write about football for a book and he picked the world cup in 1990. I am sure he is not saying he is a hardcore fan, in fact in the piece he spells out that he never supported Ireland beyond the home games.

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

As I said before Roddy Doyel and others are entitled to do what ever they want to do and they are not breaking the law or harming anybody else. Not sure how that qualifies them as idiots and people hate Doyle so much. He is just a journalist who was asked to write about football for a book and he picked the world cup in 1990. I am sure he is not saying he is a hardcore fan, in fact in the piece he spells out that he never supported Ireland beyond the home games.

Good post.
I can't see why people are picking on Doyle. As Neil said, he simply provided his recollection of the tournament for a book. He's not claiming to be the team's number one fan.
I'm not a fan of Doyle's writing style but I have to say, he summed up the incredible emotions of the World Cup in that piece. Indeed, that piece is in contrast to a documentary RTE made about the Irish fans who went to Italia 90. A number of fans were interviewed for the programme and while some of them provided interesting stories, a number of them kept referring to how "we was locked. We was hammered. It was mad craic."

[NeilMcD]

I think Doyles piece summed up what it was like for a lot of Irish people to watch the games in Ireland. A huge proportion of the population did this and therefore it should be treated as a social history. There are many hardcore fans who I am sure could equally write up a brilliant piece on what it was like to be in Italy supporting the team and that would make for great reading also. Just cause Doyle did not go to Italy does not mean he is a tosser or an idiot etc.

[Fergie's Son]

I had saved for that WC! Doyle represents the ole ole merchant all the way. You know "the best fans in the world" crap?

Acknowledge the pull of the english league. The premiership is also very popular in Scandinavia but their fans do not ignore their own domestic leagues. Their journalists dont have a sneering attitude to their leagues either.

So you made your choices and he made his. I regularly fly from America to Ireland matches (France, Israel, Dublin etc. for the last campaign). Does that make me any more of a fan than someone who watches the games in a pub? I certainly don't think so.

I've go to Tolka Park about 50+ times in my life to support Shels, does that make me more of a fan of the Irish team?

You've appointed yourself as the "pure" fan when you are anything but. I'm delighted that you follow Ireland and the LOI but that does not mean other people should. Journalists write about what people want to read in order to sell their product (newspapers etc.). They need to make a living as well. And the LOI does get some good coverage and the Setanta Cup is a good way forward. That does not mean, however, that a Dublin-born Liverpool supporter is any less of a fan of the national team.

[NY Hoop]

So you made your choices and he made his. I regularly fly from America to Ireland matches (France, Israel, Dublin etc. for the last campaign). Does that make me any more of a fan than someone who watches the games in a pub? I certainly don't think so.

I've go to Tolka Park about 50+ times in my life to support Shels, does that make me more of a fan of the Irish team?

You've appointed yourself as the "pure" fan when you are anything but. I'm delighted that you follow Ireland and the LOI but that does not mean other people should. Journalists write about what people want to read in order to sell their product (newspapers etc.). They need to make a living as well. And the LOI does get some good coverage and the Setanta Cup is a good way forward. That does not mean, however, that a Dublin-born Liverpool supporter is any less of a fan of the national team.

Dont know what your problem is with me pal. I havent appointed anyone as anything. We'll have to disagree on what constitutes a supporter. Shouting at a tv screen in a pub does not and never will qualify. When I was living in the states I came home for our European games so I know the sacrifices involved.

My original point was that doyle is a tosser. I thought the reason why was well known. Obviously not. Here's why league fans here can dismiss him:

He was on Fantasy Football years ago and when asked by Baddiel why someone from Dublin would "support" chelsea he gleefully announced that the "League of Ireland is ****"

Hope that clears it up for you.

KOH

[Dodge]

Goor writer though.

Wouldn't call him a tosser for that opinion. I usually agree with it (although I think anybody who supports/doesn't support a team because they're good/bad has something wrong with them.)

While we're here, and speaking as a mod, can people quit calling everybody they disagree witha tosser; it just sounds childish...

[OwlsFan]

I think the last few posts sum it up. Doyle is not a fan of the EL but wrote an evocative piece about Italia 90.

[geysir]

To add to Doyle's list of tosser stuff, he was also a supporter of Wimbledon to Dublin and claims that Pat Dolan is a visionary http://indigo.ie/~benildus/RDoyle.htm
I think he should leave the fantasy behind when he finishes his writing, he stretches it too far.

[Roverstillidie]

So you made your choices and he made his. I regularly fly from America to Ireland matches (France, Israel, Dublin etc. for the last campaign). Does that make me any more of a fan than someone who watches the games in a pub?

of course it does.

i started this, and it was meant in the context of a book of lunatics who supported the likes of exeter and hereford town up and down the country, getting hammered and having to travel all the way home after in despair. pure, dyed in the wool fans.

roddy sits in the boozer and watches the national sidea and is somehow in the book with these fans. he typifies the ole ole brigade who follow a british side but boo their 'own' players when they wear three lions. he couldnt name the u21 manager if you put a gun to his head. fans who do down el supporters whenever they can in a smug manner because their 'team' and 'league' is better. roddy put himself forward as an expert by appearing on these shows so he can live with it.

i believe that fans who only watch their sides in the pub are inferior in quality to those who travel and make sacrifices to see them live. its illogical to suggest otherwise. thats why they are called barstool fans.

[NeilMcD]

So what about someone who does not do down the EL but did not grow up near an EL team so therefore has no affinity to an EL club. They also dont have any affinity to any other club around the world except maybe for taking an interested in all football but they would not support any club. However they go to all the home and away games for the national side and they can name the U21 manager and also the u19 manager of the national side.

[Roverstillidie]

So what about someone who does not do down the EL but did not grow up near an EL team so therefore has no affinity to an EL club. They also dont have any affinity to any other club around the world except maybe for taking an interested in all football but they would not support any club. However they go to all the home and away games for the national side and they can name the U21 manager and also the u19 manager of the national side.

preciscely what has that football fan got to do with roddy doyle? who said you have to be an EL fan?

would they abuse people who do have a club?

[NeilMcD]

Its got nothing to do with Roddy Doyle really just asking a question. This person would not abuse anybody for supporting or not supporting whatever a team.

[Roverstillidie]

Its got nothing to do with Roddy Doyle really just asking a question. This person would not abuse anybody for supporting or not supporting whatever a team.

hold on. roddy doyle sits in the pub to watch the national team. thats fine, no-one has a problem with that, but people do have a problem with him appointing himself an expert, doing the domestic game down and supporting wimbledon for dublin.

lets call a spade a spade, he is a bar stool ole oler. and his opinion on football should be treated as such.

[NeilMcD]

I agree with you , I did not realised that Doyle had said those things about the EL and the bringing of Wimbledon to Dublin. I think there are a lot of contradictions in his head if he supports Chelsea and Ireland and wants to bring Wimbledon to Dublin.

[Karlos]

I think some of this guff aimed at Doyle is merited and some is grossly unfair. Doyle has been a regular at Lansdowne Road for Donkey's years now so I'm not sure how that classify's him as a barstooler. He was going long before the ole ole buzz kicked off. A relation of mine has close business ties with Doyle and I know this as fact. I've met him in Searsons on Baggot Street before many a game down through the years.

As he says in the piece itself "remember nothing about the '86 qualifying games even though I went to all the home ones."

His opinions are of course open to debate and I disagree with some of them but I don't believe because he watched a major tournament at home like so many of us for many reasons that he should be labelled a barstooler.

[NY Hoop]

Its very easy to put on a green scarf and go to Lansdowne once a month or once every two months.

There are people who follow Ireland everywhere but who wouldnt spend a penny to watch their local EL side. I've met some of them...........


KOH

[NeilMcD]

There are people who follow their Local EL side everywhere but would not watch their national team also. I have met some of them.


There are people who follower their local EL side but would not follower their local amateur league team also I have met some of them

There are people who follow a foreign team but do not support their local EL side I know I have met some of them


THere are some people who do not follow any team I know I have met some of them

[NY Hoop]

There are people who follow their Local EL side everywhere but would not watch their national team also. I have met some of them.


There are people who follower their local EL side but would not follower their local amateur league team also I have met some of them

There are people who follow a foreign team but do not support their local EL side I know I have met some of them


THere are some people who do not follow any team I know I have met some of them

You a politican?!

KOH