Why do Ireland fans....

**Nailer77** · 15/02/2007, 3:35 PM

Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

Fair enough point but if these same people support Ireland that makes them hypocrites.

KOH

No it doesn't, not for one minute. Given that the team itself is made up of players from those clubs I don't see how it makes them hypocrites, are the players hypocrites? There's no hard and fast rule that determines or links club support to national team support. You support who you support, its a shame more Irish clubs don't get support but there's reasons for that, the challenge is to turn it around.

**ainsie** · 15/02/2007, 3:47 PM

ainsie: if you're not a follower of 'second rate soccer' (sic) why do you support the Republic of Ireland? How could that bunch of useless micks ever be worthy of your fantastic support?

Because at least they once were good and maybe someday will be again.The same cant be said for Rovers and the likes.

And I'm not going to answer that other bigoted twit, because all he does is insult, without the cop to debate. He should take his place alongside the GAA bigots that did not want to share. This debate was changed to another Eircom League rant long before my post. I was replying, read back.

Come on Ireland in the Rugby!!! and I wont be going to AIB league games either just because I support my country.
I wont be going to Santry to watch Interprovincial Athletics but will support Ireland at the big Championships.

So the people on here that support Ireland at anything and dont support the grass roots of the same sport are all Hypoctites in the eyes of people on here. Correct??? Well as long as they apply that to themselves when they are shouting for Ireland at any sport then they can preach to me about not giving a sh*t about the EL.

**NY Hoop** · 15/02/2007, 3:57 PM

Originally Posted by ainsie

Because at least they once were good and maybe someday will be again.The same cant be said for Rovers and the likes.

How would you know ? An honour to take abuse off someone of your knowledge.

And by the way it's the height of hypocrisy to support Ireland whilst supporting an english club.

Ireland v england and you would support Ireland yet if an Irish club plays mankpool or the like you would support the english club. That is hypocrisy.

KOH

**WeAreRovers** · 15/02/2007, 3:59 PM

Originally Posted by ainsie

Come on Ireland in the Rugby!!! and I wont be going to AIB league games either just because I support my country.
I wont be going to Santry to watch Interprovincial Athletics but will support Ireland at the big Championships.

Well that makes you a big-game bandwagon jumper and not a hypocrite. I'll let the readers decide which is worse......

KOH

**ainsie** · 15/02/2007, 4:00 PM

Dig deep, if thats your arguement why are you even supporting an English game?? Just support the GAA

**ainsie** · 15/02/2007, 4:03 PM

Well that makes you a big-game bandwagon jumper and not a hypocrite. I'll let the readers decide which is worse......

I do try to explain myself, will you just stop spouting off the first crap that come out, and explain why supporting my country all my life in different sports, when they are losing or winning is a band wagon jumper, please

**Billy Lord** · 15/02/2007, 4:40 PM

ainsie: thanks for your response. At least you are honest enough to admit that you follow Ireland because they were once good, and not because they're Irish.
But if that's your sole criterion for supporting Ireland, why don't you support a better national team instead? After all, the same logic prevents you from supporting an Irish club.
I have followed your advice and now support Italy. They're far better than Ireland ever will be, and are the reigning world champions. No more substandard international 'soccer' for me! Venuto su voi ragazzi in azzurro!!!

**lopez** · 15/02/2007, 5:08 PM

I never understand this devotion to English teams. Fair enough, follow teams with Irish players and once they get rid of them follow the next club with most. Otherwise, as His Lord-ship says, follow a team worthy of gloryhunting. It's basically the same.

You can normally tell the year of birth of certain Irish followers of the more (now) crappy English teams. Nott'm Forest and Ipswich (between 1968 and 1970). Brighton (1970-74). Blackburn (1985-1989). I'm sure you can add a couple of others (Wimbledon? Coventry?). If this rings true with anyone here, you are sadder than the sad.

**bennocelt** · 15/02/2007, 5:22 PM

Originally Posted by Peadar

Yes, quite sure! Having spent almost 5 years in England, I've mixed with some of the best football supporters, I've seen anywhere in the world, on my travels.
Your name suggests that you're alligned to a certain Glasgow bigot franchise so I'll spare my words, because I'm worn out from trying to talk sense to your lot.

fair enough

**GavinZac** · 15/02/2007, 5:33 PM

Originally Posted by ainsie

You have some nerve , just because you support some farty little club with no ground (hopes to get one from the County Council) does not give you the right to judge other peoples clubs. I have lived away from this country and am now back and have travelled the world supporting the Irish Team( the team where most of the players play in real leagues) and will continue to follow them, but your assumption seems to be that if a person does not have any interest in second rate soccer and decides not to pay his hard earned money to watch a second rate product he is not a true supporter.

second rate product? have you seen it lately? i presume not. why do you support ireland then? why not support brazil, they produce a consistantly good product.

**ainsie** · 16/02/2007, 10:02 AM

ainsie: thanks for your response. At least you are honest enough to admit that you follow Ireland because they were once good, and not because they're Irish.

Read the post above

I said

explain why supporting my country all my life in different sports, when they are losing or winning is a band wagon jumper, please

I support them NOW, in the past, and even further back than that. But I give up. OK I'll start supporting the EL if it makes me more Irish which seems to be the point.

Later

**BohsPartisan** · 16/02/2007, 10:32 AM

The worst one is the Tricolour with Ashbourne says Howya. Now thats embarrasing.

**bholg** · 16/02/2007, 5:13 PM

Originally Posted by lopez

I never understand this devotion to English teams. Fair enough, follow teams with Irish players and once they get rid of them follow the next club with most. Otherwise, as His Lord-ship says, follow a team worthy of gloryhunting. It's basically the same.

You can normally tell the year of birth of certain Irish followers of the more (now) crappy English teams. Nott'm Forest and Ipswich (between 1968 and 1970). Brighton (1970-74). Blackburn (1985-1989). I'm sure you can add a couple of others (Wimbledon? Coventry?). If this rings true with anyone here, you are sadder than the sad.

with you there man... Ive seen fights starting over people supporting rival clubs in towns they have never set foot in... madness.

Sunderland bandwagon pulling out of the station... ALL ABOARD!

**Higgo** · 17/02/2007, 9:23 PM

i have read the majority of posts in this thread. I genuinely cannot understand how anybody can defend a person who defaces the flag with the name of a club from England. It really is a pathetic state of affairs that people have more pride in foreign clubs than in their local clubs. There is no excuse whatsoever for 'CHELSEA' to be sprawled across a tri-colour. Anybody who thinks this is normal is not worth talking to. Reading this thread just reminded me why I couldn't be bothered supporting the national team. Give me Shels playing in the LSL any day. Sad.

**Superhoops** · 17/02/2007, 9:52 PM

Originally Posted by Higgo

.... I genuinely cannot understand how anybody can defend a person who defaces the flag with the name of a club from England.....

What about 'defacing' the flag with the name of a team from Scotland, Wales or Northern Irleand or any other country? or is it only teams from England?

Personally, I have no issue with anyone who takes an Irish flag with the name of their favourite club on it to a game which that club are playing in, whether in be in England or anywhere else. But at Ireland games, as much as I hate to see people wearing club shirts, I hate seeing Ireland flags with club names plastered all over, regardless of from wherever those clubs are from.

**Irish_Praha** · 18/02/2007, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by ainsie

Read the post above

I said

I support them NOW, in the past, and even further back than that. But I give up. OK I'll start supporting the EL if it makes me more Irish which seems to be the point.

Later

Is that so far back that it's like garlic bread (the future)?

**holidaysong** · 18/02/2007, 1:05 PM

Originally Posted by Superhoops

What about 'defacing' the flag with the name of a team from Scotland, Wales or Northern Irleand or any other country? or is it only teams from England?

Damn Derry City fans!

**Higgo** · 18/02/2007, 1:20 PM

Originally Posted by Superhoops

What about 'defacing' the flag with the name of a team from Scotland, Wales or Northern Irleand or any other country? or is it only teams from England?

Personally, I have no issue with anyone who takes an Irish flag with the name of their favourite club on it to a game which that club are playing in, whether in be in England or anywhere else. But at Ireland games, as much as I hate to see people wearing club shirts, I hate seeing Ireland flags with club names plastered all over, regardless of from wherever those clubs are from.

I have nothing at all against England for a start. My point is - it's embarrassing that people are so fanatical about clubs across the water that they feel the need to declare this at an Ireland game. Can you really not see that? Tell me this...where else would you see this carry on?

**citizenerased** · 19/02/2007, 8:17 PM

Its against the constitution to deface a tricolour, guinness logos and day keogh included

**Qwerty** · 19/02/2007, 11:03 PM

Originally Posted by citizenerased

Its against the constitution to deface a tricolour, guinness logos and day keogh included

There is no provision in the constitution for defacing the tricolour. However you may remember that Guinness was criticized by the government during the 2002 WC for selling Irish flags with the Guinness logo. But there is no law or constitutional bar to defacing the flag.

The Dept of the Taoiseach has specificed protocols for respectful usage of the flag: these include:

17 The National Flag should never be defaced by placing slogans, logos, lettering or pictures of any kind on it, for example at sporting events.

18 The National Flag should not be draped on cars, trains, boats or other modes of transport; it should not be carried flat, but should always be carried aloft and free.