Supporting British teams

**Dodge** · 06/09/2006, 7:32 PM

Don't support anybody. Will watch it on TV but prefer other leagues. Used to get angry about the situation with Irish fans, just pity them now.

**Strabane_Harp** · 06/09/2006, 7:44 PM

I have no problem admitting i support Manchester City, but if they ever play Harps it will be harps all the way

**Fivesilver** · 06/09/2006, 7:53 PM

Originally Posted by superfrank

Like in all honesty do "strictly el" fans get so ****ed off if they see a kid wearing a Barca or a Real jersey in the street?? I never heard anyone on this forum bitching at another member for supporting a foreign, non-British team.

I have no problem with people wearing whatever they want. I just find it a bit surreal when people tell you they're "devastated" when some team from another country loses at the weekend.

The same lads come into work strutting around like peacocks, proud of their contrived connection with some arbitrary team they chose simply because they were successful. You always hear about their "loyalty" e.g "I've been into them since I was a kid" (funny you didn't choose Aldershot).
How difficult is it to be loyal to a team you know is going to have a trophy at least every couple of years?

I can't speak for others, but it's definitely not an anti-English thing with me - it's a pro-supporting your local team thing.

**Dodge** · 06/09/2006, 7:58 PM

Originally Posted by superfrank

Like in all honesty do "strictly el" fans get so ****ed off if they see a kid wearing a Barca or a Real jersey in the street?? I never heard anyone on this forum bitching at another member for supporting a foreign, non-British team.

But we're not competing for fans, airtime, column inches and now investors with Barca or Real. We are totally overshadowed by the UK leagues and thats why so many have a problem with them.

**grounded** · 06/09/2006, 8:24 PM

Superfrank,

Got nothing to do with people following british teams. Support your local the point thats being made here.
On the other hand though usually if you go to speak to a Milan fan they would know what theyre talking about.
Two weeks ago in one of the pubs in Athlone I spoke to a "Celtic" supporter. He didnt even know whom they were playing the following day but worn a Celtic Polo. So much for being a die hard supporter. I'm curious to know what would happen if ManU would go down to the Championship or even League1.

I'm not from the Town I live and work in but I always follow my local Team which at the moment (and hopefully for a long time) will be Athlone Town.

Support your local Team

**BohDiddley** · 06/09/2006, 8:52 PM

There is no law, human or natural, that says you can't support a local club and, like everyone else, follow a British team. And there's no point getting uppity and elitist about it. Why, AFAIK, Bohs will even let in ManU supporters these days. It's been found that they click turnstiles just like anyone else, and their money pays bills, just as well as anyone else's.

**Fivesilver** · 06/09/2006, 9:09 PM

Originally Posted by BohDiddley

... like everyone else, follow a British team. And there's no point getting uppity and elitist about it...

Who's everyone? I don't. and I'd bet there's no shortage of people on this board who are the same.
And I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be regarded as an "elitist" for supporting Sligo Rovers.

Why is it so difficult to imagine that there are people who aren't "committed fans" of teams in another country?

**LeixlipRed** · 06/09/2006, 9:12 PM

He never said comitted fans. "Follow" doesn't imply comittment. I follow Newcastle. As in i check for their results. A hangover from my childhood

**Poor Student** · 06/09/2006, 9:12 PM

I love Celtic as well as UCD but I am starting to get a bit more and more irritated with Irish people who know nothing of the eL. It really hit home when I was talking to my taxi driver on the way home from the airport on Sunday and we were talking about Andy Reid and getting him back in shape. I started going on about Keith Foy as a former compatriot and comparison and he didn't know what I was on about. Just as I find the suggestion that you should be eL only or you're less of a fan, I find being EPL or any other league only a bit weird.

**holidaysong** · 06/09/2006, 9:24 PM

Not another one of these threads...

**sligoman** · 06/09/2006, 9:24 PM

Originally Posted by LeixlipRed

And your point was relevant, was it?? You well know you were being smartarsed when the question about following British teams was asked in good faith

He's the biggest troll on foot.ie, just ignore him!

**BohsPartisan** · 06/09/2006, 9:27 PM

Like the man above the "football fans" who know nothing about the EL or even refuse to or whatever, I have no time for, but if I pay my membership to Bohs and go to the games who cares if I go to see Everton a couple of times a year and maybe Barca once too?

**Poor Student** · 06/09/2006, 9:31 PM

Originally Posted by grounded

I'm curious to know what would happen if ManU would go down to the Championship or even League1.

You'd be surprised. Leeds still command a strong support here in spite of their relegation. An even sterner test of loyalty are the relegations of Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday (I know they're back now) to England's 3rd flight. Both clubs though pretty unfashionable here maintain a big enough support (probably bigger than half the Eircom League's clubs!) including some board members here.

**sligoman** · 06/09/2006, 9:35 PM

I support Man United(been to one game), Celtic(0 games) and Valencia(3 games). Obviously don't class myself as a major fan though as I'm living in Ireland and can't see them week in, week out. Don't care what people think. People that support only foreign teams and laugh at you for supporting an EL team annoy me but equally, someone who laughs at you for supporting a foreign team aswell as an EL team annoys me too.

Sligo Rovers are, and always will be, my number one club. If someone asks me who I support, I always say Sligo Rovers.

**Poor Student** · 06/09/2006, 9:36 PM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

Like the man above the "football fans" who know nothing about the EL or even refuse to or whatever, I have no time for, but if I pay my membership to Bohs and go to the games who cares if I go to see Everton a couple of times a year and maybe Barca once too?

There's two types of foreign football fan who knows nothing about the eL. There's the ignorant one who just doesn't care what you do and there's the tw@t who openly derides and criticises the national league while lauding up "their" EPL. I'm not into unbirdled primordial nationalism or anything but I find this kind of self loathing pretty annoying.

**Leeza** · 06/09/2006, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by EnDai

No problem with people following teams over there, its those who do it while neglecting our league that annoys me - especially those who put it down without ever having seen 60 seconds of it.

I know plenty of people like that.

P*ss's me off too, especially considering Monaghan were playing like Arsenal at one stage in our majestic 2-2 draw with Shams.

Also, this has nothing whatsoever got to do with me being anti-English or anti-premiership or anything like that. As I said, I've a soft spot for the Toon, but personally I think its silly to call yourself a 'die hard' Man-U fan or anything like that. (Unless you are going to see them live semi-regularly)

To me football is a grassroots thing. If I lived in somewhere like Bristol I would probably support Bristol City or Bristol Rovers, if I lived in Manchester I'd either support Man U or Man C. I live in Monaghan and so support Monaghan!

Just my two cents.

**NY Hoop** · 07/09/2006, 10:16 AM

Leixlipred lose the attitude. I wasnt being smartarsed at all. I'm not british so I dont support any british club. And yet you agree with me

Fivesilver is spot on. All this talk of "we" and "us" is pathetic from barstoolers. The irony is they slag the EL without seeing that the money they spend on british clubs could be used to improve our league.

I have no problem whatsoever with EL fans who follow any foreign side as long as the EL side comes first.

It was mentioned that more Scandinavians go to britain every week than Irish. But the crucial difference is that they do support their local sides.

IMO Dolan was right you cant support 2 clubs.

KOH

**Rory H** · 07/09/2006, 10:38 AM

to be honest and i am ashamed of it i used to more of an aston villa fan than a sligo rovers fans but in the last 3 years ive started to care less and less about villa....and my support of rovers will never cease now...id never watch villa ahead of rovers,im not going to villa park until the e.l. season is over....keith foy and harpel singh is better than any villa player too so whats the point

**WeAreRovers** · 07/09/2006, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by charliesboots

More visitors to Britain for football each weekend from Scandinavia than from Ireland.

Difference is that the Scandanavians support their own leagues too, unlike the self-loathing hoardes you see in Dublin Airport every Saturday morning.

As a number of people have said on this thread - and it applies from Monaghan to Manchester to Motherwell - SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TEAM. That doesn't preclude you from following any team in any other league it just makes you more consistent and less hypocritical.

KOH

**BohsPartisan** · 07/09/2006, 10:54 AM

I normally only go to Goodison after the EL season is over though I got the chance of a ticket for this Saturday's Merseyside Derby and wasn't going to pass that up.
Though back before the summer season sometimes I would be at Dalymount on a Friday night then get up for the early boat from Dunlaoighre the next morning. Had some in depth discussions on the EL with scousers in the pub after some games too. They are always interested to hear of some of the Irish fans that actually support their own teams. Met one scouser who has been keeping an eye on Shels results since he was over for UCD v Everton in the CWC in 84. Aparantly he met some Shels fans when he was over.