Supporting British teams

**drinkfeckarse** · 07/09/2006, 2:48 PM

Originally Posted by Leeza

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!

Football is all about feeling. End of. You can't help who you pull towards be it your local team or a team from fcukin Argentina.

I was born in bred in Cobh. I played for Cobh. Do I "support" Cobh? No. Do I want to see Cobh doing well? Of course.

I support Liverpool and I have been to see Celtic many times since I've been in Scotland. Can I help who I support? No. Can I explain it? No.

There are no rules in how or who to support. I hate the way some people look down their nose at you because you don't support your local team. What do you want...a medal??

At the end of the day it doesn't matter a bit anyway. Each to their own. Debates like this are a waste of time because you'll always get some people who refuse to accept anything other than their own opinion.

**jebus** · 07/09/2006, 5:41 PM

Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

Try reading the thread before diving in with both feet - what people are saying is that it's no problem supporting any team be it Liverpool or Livingston but following your local team should come first. Incidentally most fans who actually live across the water would agree with that.

BTW What part of Sheffield are you from?

KOH

Just re-read the thread and I'd suggest you should do the same. On the first page alone there are four, possibly five posters who say that supporting British teams should be confined to your childhood, your fellow Rovers fan NY Hoop says 'I'm not British, so I don't support a British team', a few agree with him, and after that I couldn't be bothered re-reading any of the rest of the garbage.

Nice comeback with what part of Sheffield are you from by the way, never seen that one on here before, never seen it win any discussions either come to think of it

Now answer me this, and not just you WeAreRovers because I don't think this applies to you, but a few people have said whats the point in supporting a British team when you don't get to see them live. At Limerick FC we have supporters living in Japan and London to name two places who don't get to the games much, I personally find it difficult to get to games that aren't around the Dublin area since we play our home matches at 7.45 on Fridays and I don't finish work in Dublin on Fridays til 6pm. Is there much point in us continuing to support our clubs? Or should we just start going to whoever is nearest and start up from scratch? And can we please not resort to GAA/League of Gentlemen argument of 'it's a local team for local people' point of view?

**Leeza** · 07/09/2006, 6:00 PM

I never said anything about football being reserved to local people for local teams... My whole argument is to do with my belief that it is rather silly to say you support a team who you may or may not see live in the flesh some day. As I said, I always look out for Newcastle and most football conversations I have with my mates usually ends up being an EPL one. To be honest I don't know what everyone is yapping on about at this stage.

**superfrank** · 07/09/2006, 7:46 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

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.

I know plenty of people who watch La Liga on Sky Sports every Sunday, I remember I used to watch the La Liga programme they had on TG4 and only for the fact I don't have Sky I would watch La Liga.

I am a person who likes football and I watch it any chance I get, no matter whos playing, no matter the "standard" and through this I have developed affections for other teams most notably Chelsea, simply because they are the easiest to watch so I agree with you to an extent there Dodge.

Irish people investing in British clubs doesn't bother me. I mean you have Libyans investing in Italian football, Russians, Egyptians, Irish and Americans in English football so I don't think that can really be compared.

Column inches=yes that's a problem. A lot of papers give eL "handouts". Why can't they put it in with the English leagues and the SPL?? It justs gives the non-el fans a chance to throw away the eL part. But then again we're not going to win anyone over by forcing it down peoples throats or giving them guilt-trips and being elitist. It's just stupid, imo.

**superfrank** · 07/09/2006, 7:53 PM

Originally Posted by grounded

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.

Yes, people like that are stupid. That's why I wouldn't say I "support" Inter or Marseille because I don't know enough about them. I just checkl for their results.

I honestly feel that you should support your local team. You have the choice to support who you want. In an ideal world it would be your local one but alot of Irish people have fallen into the marketing trap of the Premiership, cos in fairness it is the best marketed league in the world.

**bennocelt** · 07/09/2006, 7:54 PM

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

I'm not british so therefore I dont support any clubs over there.

KOH

exactly

**Plastic Paddy** · 07/09/2006, 8:11 PM

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

I'm not british so therefore I dont support any clubs over there.

A complete non-sequitur. And as for this "support your local side" tosh you produce elsewhere in the thread, it completely neglects to consider social and economic mobility; the mere fact that people actually do move around the world during their lives. For my own part I was born in west London and have lived in Hertfordshire, Birmingham, Dublin, Belfast, Leeds and am now back in London. So who's my "local" team? And - frankly - what does it matter? (As it happens, I follow three teams, two of whom I have played for at some level, but that's by the by). But it's only football and there's much more to life than that, especially when football leads to being sneered at by someone because of their completely misplaced sense of superiority. Grow up ffs and find a bit of perspective.

Originally Posted by bennocelt

exactly

But you're happy to live in Wales. Bet you don't slag the locals for not following their local LoW side instead of Liverpool or Man U. You'd probably be picking your teeth off the pavement.

PP

**The Legend** · 07/09/2006, 8:14 PM

I like watching irish players in the prem and any team that plays attractive football... if a team as neither, I have no interest.

**bennocelt** · 07/09/2006, 8:16 PM

and do you know that the english fans are laughing at all these dumb micks supporting "their" teams from the north of england

**Fivesilver** · 07/09/2006, 9:08 PM

Surely the most entertaining part of this thread has to be the repeated references to EL fans as being "elitist".
Without exception, whenever I ask a "fan" of an overseas team why they don't support their local team, the reply is something scornful along the lines of "Why would I watch that crap?"

Still, it's nice to know that from now on, I can be secure in the knowledge that I'm among the elite.

**DmanDmythDledge** · 07/09/2006, 10:08 PM

This is a very difficult issue to sum up. I for the life of me can not understand how people can support foreign teams over Irish teams, despite the obvious difference in skill level. Everyone that supports football of some sort can say that they love football, so why don't they travel a short distance to watch the beautiful game?

I really don't know what to think of people that actively support foreign teams- 99% Premiership teams, if not 100% more than likely. These people have a clear love for the team they support such that they will travel every week or second week just to see them play. These people are truely affected by the fortunes of the team they follow. For example, a teacher in my school has a season ticket at Liverpool and goes to see them play in every home league game during the course of the season, and many away games. Does this make him any less of a supporter than the EL die-hards that travel the four corners of Ireland? No, but I still can't understand how he doesn't not have the same sort of passion for a team just down the road from him.

Football is all about passion. Sometimes you can't choose what you "choose" to do. Somethings are just destiny. Some people don't know why they support certain teams, but what they do know is that they will support that team all their life and will be deeply affected by relegation, and ecstatic with league success. These people are not the ones to point the finger at. We should do that to the barstoolers.

These people either spend their weekend down the pub or in their armchair "supporting their team", even though they've never been to Old Trafford, Anfield or Celtic Park. When they are succesful they go on about how long they have been supporting their childhood team. Bullsh*t. When their team starts to go into decline, go into the doldrums, get relegated, they will be seen down the local Champion Sports or Lifestyle buying the new champions replica jersey. And then the same bullsh*t again.

They neglect the local league because it's not good enough for them, even though they have never been in an EL ground in their life, or even seen a match from their barstool.

So there are some people feeling down-hearted on a bus journey home or among the awe-inspiring Kop, and there are some people celebrating on their barstool or down the local Champion. I know which group I'd rather be in.

**JC_GUFC** · 07/09/2006, 11:02 PM

Same old ****e again on this forum! Bring back the original el forum with postings from Dr Cheese and his many guises!

For the record I "support" Palace in England, which really brings home the point of how much TV has an influence on people. You hear fu** all about Palace on TV when they're not in the Premiership. How many Peter Taylor have been on SS News as opposed to Dowie ones 2 years ago? Even Andy Johnson is in the England team with no-one batting an eyelid because he plays in the Premiership rather than the Championship!
It's a sad reality that TV pretty much controls football and peoples minds!

As well as going to United as often as I can and other random games around Dublin I've seen Cork play away at Djurgardens and am off to Paris in a few weeks to see Derry.

**Ronnie** · 08/09/2006, 8:36 AM

Do any clubs have the reverse? There is a woman from London who flys to Ireland and drives to Longford for about 10 or 12 home games a year- she lives in north London, not far from Arenal and Spurs and I imagine a host of smaller clubs, yet she chooses to come to Longford Town and has being doing so for 5 seasons.

**Partizan** · 08/09/2006, 9:03 AM

When I take a glance over at dangerhere.com and watch as the self-appointed Irish soccer Alan Hunter-esque fans quibble and salivate over the lates goings on in England, the more I agree with NY Hoop. To me a football club is part of the community. Like your family, its a vital component of who you are, your surroundings, city, environment, your upbringing. Its your identity. I couldnt for the love of me support a foreign side because 1) I wasnt born there and 2) I have no connection to there so how cold I support them. It would be like supporting Kerry in the bogball. What connection to I have with Kerry, none.

It perplexes me to see all those eejits lined up at Dublin airport spending thousands on the development of English football yet they slag off eL for being ****e. Do you know that the native fans in England despise these clowns. How could people go for this overmarketed, processed package. Its so artifical it would make Quash orange look like the Real McCoy with the juicy bits.

Call me elitist (now the eL can hardly be described as such) but for me eL is where its at. After all, why would you drain your dick over every hardcore site on the net when you can settle for the real stuff.

**drinkfeckarse** · 08/09/2006, 9:18 AM

Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse

At the end of the day it doesn't matter a bit anyway. Each to their own. Debates like this are a waste of time because you'll always get some people who refuse to accept anything other than their own opinion.

Originally Posted by Partizan

I couldnt for the love of me support a foreign side because 1) I wasnt born there and 2) I have no connection to there so how cold I support them. It would be like supporting Kerry in the bogball. What connection to I have with Kerry, none.

It perplexes me to see all those eejits lined up at Dublin airport spending thousands on the development of English football yet they slag off eL for being ****e.

Point proven.

Originally Posted by Ronnie

Do any clubs have the reverse? There is a woman from London who flys to Ireland and drives to Longford for about 10 or 12 home games a year- she lives in north London, not far from Arenal and Spurs and I imagine a host of smaller clubs, yet she chooses to come to Longford Town and has being doing so for 5 seasons.

Of course they do, Cork have some Italians I think that come over but I don't see anybody telling them to support their local team

**Peadar** · 08/09/2006, 9:21 AM

Is it that time of year already, when we get another one of these rubbish threads.
I would like to think that the majority of people who support the eircom League are football fans, who were drawn to their club for whatever reason.
Being football fans, they will want to watch the game at every level and expand their knowledge and understanding.
If you watch football in other leagues, it's likely that you'll be drawn to a team in that league. You do not have to apologise to anyone for that.

Support whoever you like and support them well.

**drinkfeckarse** · 08/09/2006, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Peadar

Is it that time of year already, when we get another one of these rubbish threads.
I would like to think that the majority of people who support the eircom League are football fans, who were drawn to their club for whatever reason.
Being football fans, they will want to watch the game at every level and expand their knowledge and understanding.
If you watch football in other leagues, it's likely that you'll be drawn to a team in that league. You do not have to apologise to anyone for that.

Support whoever you like and support them well.

Well said Peadar.

**BohsPartisan** · 08/09/2006, 10:40 AM

Strangely enough it was a few trips to Goodison that spurred me into going to watch LOI football. I realised after a couple of trips over that watching on TV or Listening on the radio can't compare to the feeling of being at a live game. I began to crave real live football. As I said in another thread (or was it this one) I was already drawn to Dalyer because of the awe inspired by the sight of the floodlights as a kid on day trips to Dublin from Navan, so I didn't think twice about making Bohs my club. Soon they were my number one club with Everton falling into second place. Now they are a distant second to Bohs but I'll always have an affection for Everton because in essence when I got into football it was Peter Reid, Graham Sharpe, Andy Gray, Trevor Steven, Kevin Sheedy, Neville Southall and Co. that kept me hooked.

**NeilMcD** · 08/09/2006, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by northside hoop

I've "supported" Man Utd since the first time I ever watched a football match on telly. When I discovered Rovers and the feelings that real football support bring I almost lost all feeling for the club over night, because 15 years of watching telly and listening to radio's couldn't compete with going balistic when you're there for a last minute winner against gypos. I still want them to win of course, but I get nearly as much joy if some minnows beat them.

The night they won the European cup I celebrated mildly. When Rovers achieve anything I go ape****. The reason is nothing to do with an ideology or anything like that, but simply because I'm there every week through the **** times that it makes the good times mean so much more.

Great post, This post shows all the positives of the EL and going to games week in week out yet does not take a pop at anybody. Great post in my view. Positives posts achieve much more than negative ones in my view.

**WeAreRovers** · 08/09/2006, 10:57 AM

I'm with Partizan on this, football is a community thing, a feeling of belonging and a feeling of place. Check out the letter and thread from the Evertonian on our board to see what real football fans think - http://www.srfcultrasforum.com/forum...=4391#post4391

I fully accept that I'm a snob and an elitist when it comes to football but noting will ever persuade me that, for instance, Rogue Trader is an Evertonian. You're not, simple as that unless of course you're from Liverpool.
I know blokes from south Dublin who go the pubs for Liverpool/Utd matches and call each other "Scouser" and "Manc". Truly pathetic.

They're my elitist views and I won't be changing them anytime soon. I also think you should send your kids to local schools for much the same reasons. You can't have a community unless you're prepared to help build and support it.

KOH