Irish Sunderland fan here. Debate very interesting

**OneRedArmy** · 09/05/2007, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by reder

I cant believe you typed that! You live in NI, judging by your umpteen other posts you support Rep. of Ireland. By your logic you should support NI, surely?

Take it down from the mast

**BohsPartisan** · 09/05/2007, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by jebus

Some people just look at football as a sport, a hobby/pasttime,

So you admit we are better fans than them!

**jebus** · 09/05/2007, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

So you admit we are better fans than them!

Of course we are!

**Poor Student** · 09/05/2007, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Name me another country in Europe where the overwhelming majority of football supporters reject their own club game in favour of a foreign one ?

Slovenia.

**BohsPartisan** · 09/05/2007, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

Slovenia.

What league do they predominantly follow? Italy?

**Steve Bruce** · 09/05/2007, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

What league do they predominantly follow? Italy?

That is so.

I was in Slovenia to watch Linfield. We flew into Italy(Triest) and drove to Gorica. It was an hour or so drive.

**Torn-Ado** · 09/05/2007, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

But as I pointed out, the Scandis also support their own leagues. Or at the very least don't snear at it dismissively.

The Asians are the biggest muppets of world football, so the less said about them the better. I clearly referred to Europe when I posed the question.

Many Swedes do support their own teams along with premiership teams but attendances for the Swedish league is poor. And a lot of Swedes sneer at their own league. Basically because its dire.

**BohsPartisan** · 09/05/2007, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Torn-Ado

Basically because its dire.

As opposed to the beautiful football you get from watching Liverpool V Chelsea?

**Torn-Ado** · 09/05/2007, 1:36 PM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

As opposed to the beautiful football you get from watching Liverpool V Chelsea?

Derry City and Cork City won't be knocking Chelsea or Liverpool out of Europe any time soon.

**BohsPartisan** · 09/05/2007, 1:47 PM

Originally Posted by Torn-Ado

Derry City and Cork City won't be knocking Chelsea or Liverpool out of Europe any time soon.

Maybe not but if asked to pay �50STG or (whatever extortianate price those teams are asking to watch them play) to see a game of hoofball or €15 to see two teams get it down and try to play football, I'll pay the €15 thank you very much. If I want to be bored at a game, well I'm a Bohs member and that only costs €330 per year. Teams like Chelsea and Liverpool serve up a rubbish brand of football, doesn't matter how good they are at being boring, they're still boring.

**Steve Bruce** · 09/05/2007, 1:51 PM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

Maybe not but if asked to pay �50STG or (whatever extortianate price those teams are asking to watch them play) to see a game of hoofball or �15 to see two teams get it down and try to play football, I'll pay the �15 thank you very much. If I want to be bored at a game, well I'm a Bohs member and that only costs �330 per year. Teams like Chelsea and Liverpool serve up a rubbish brand of football, doesn't matter how good they are at being boring, they're still boring.

I'm not about to defend Liverpool or Chelsea, I hate them both(although Liverpool is a true hatred, Chelsea is a fake hatred, once they start falling away to there level(around about spurs level) my hatred will go)

But with any big team in England(or Scotland) you get more than just a match. There is match day experience that not club on this island can provide, apart from big games.

The atmosphere is umpteen times better, the crowds are a different world & the general standard of play is better.

TV doesn't give the game justice and a lot of the crap matches on tv are far better actually in the ground. When you are caught up in the excitement and atmosphere.

My opinion anyway.

**GavinZac** · 09/05/2007, 1:53 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

The atmosphere is umpteen times better, the crowds are a different world & the general standard of play is better.

take a trip beyond windsor or united park sometime.

**galwayhoop** · 09/05/2007, 1:55 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

..... the standard that our teams play at, which would be league 2 at best.(4th teer in the English game)

not having a dig here but the IL* may be on a par with League 2 but I would put the eL at closer to lower half of the chamionship (tier 2).

*yes, yes i know linfield are in the setanta final but sure joe gamble said that they molested football against ye so thats good enough for me

**dfx-** · 09/05/2007, 1:56 PM

Originally Posted by Torn-Ado

Derry City and Cork City won't be knocking Chelsea or Liverpool out of Europe any time soon.

So it's not 'basically because it's dire' then...

**BohsPartisan** · 09/05/2007, 1:57 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

But with any big team in England(or Scotland) you get more than just a match. There is match day experience that not club on this island can provide, apart from big games.

The atmosphere is umpteen times better, the crowds are a different world &

I disagree with this. I go over to Goodison a couple of times a year and the atmosphere is generally better at whatever game I've been at the night before in Dalyer. In fact its only against the likes of Liverpool and Manure where you can say the atmosphere is any good. The crowds are bigger, but less involved in the game. Numbered seating has ruined the atmosphere at games. There was a time when the Goodison crowd was the proverbial twelfth man. Now there is hardly a peep out of 75% of the Glawdys St for the 90 minutes. Old Trafford too is as quiet as a morgue a lot of the time. The Beer is better in Dalyer than it is in any Premiership ground too!

**BohsPartisan** · 09/05/2007, 2:19 PM

English teams are robbing game of skill, says Valdano

Sid Lowe in Madrid
Tuesday May 8, 2007
The Guardian

The former Real Madrid coach and World Cup winner Jorge Valdano has attacked Rafael Ben�tez and Jose Mourinho, insisting that they are ushering in a bleak future for football and likening the Champions League semi-final between Liverpool and Chelsea to "a **** hanging from a stick".
The Argentinian, who scored in the 1986 World Cup final and has a respected reputation as a football intellectual, claimed that Mourinho and Ben�tez mistrust talent because of their own failure to make it as players and said their approach is bad news for the game.

Read the rest

**dcfcsteve** · 09/05/2007, 2:21 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

But with any big team in England(or Scotland) you get more than just a match. There is match day experience that not club on this island can provide, apart from big games.

The atmosphere is umpteen times better, the crowds are a different world & the general standard of play is better.

I'm not sure when you last had the whole 'match-day experience' in England Steve ? It's certainly not the case for any English stadiums I've been at this year (e.g. Newcastle, Sunderland, Fulham, Arsenal). The atmosphere at a decent City game would wipe the floor with them hands-down.

And what is 'match-day experience' other than a cliche anyway ?? Apart from a spot of merchandise shopping, eatting a dodgy burger, and savouring any (often non-existent) atmopshere before a game, what exactly is this 'wow' experience we're all meant to be in awe of at the ground of an English club ??

**BohsPartisan** · 09/05/2007, 2:24 PM

My favourite bit of the match day experience on my trips to Goodison is a curry chip and a cheese and onion pie up county road followed by a pint in the black horse!

Forgot to add that I've brought a few Premiership regulars who live in England to EL games and they thought the atmosphere p1ssed all over the premiership "match day experience".

**Steve Bruce** · 09/05/2007, 2:24 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

I'm not sure when you last had the whole 'match-day experience' in England Steve ? It's certainly not the case for any English stadiums I've been at this year (e.g. Newcastle, Sunderland, Fulham, Arsenal). The atmosphere at a decent City game would wipe the floor with them hands-down.

And what is 'match-day experience' other than a cliche anyway ?? Apart from a spot of merchandise shopping, eatting a dodgy burger, and savouring any (often non-existent) atmopshere before a game, what exactly is this 'wow' experience we're all meant to be in awe of at the ground of an English club ??

I haven't been over to Old Trafford for 12 years. So if the experiance had changed since then, well I cannot obviously comment.

**dcfcsteve** · 09/05/2007, 2:27 PM

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

I haven't been over to Old Trafford for 12 years. So if the experiance had changed since then, well I cannot obviously comment.

I'm sure games like Man U v Watford and Reading really set the Old Trafford fan's hearts racing as part of the elusive 'matchday experience'.

The foundations have only just stopped rocking, I understand...