The Irish obession with English Football

[Neil]

Good article on
dangerhere.com

"The Irish barstool brigade is reminiscent of a Jerry Springer audience. A brotherhood of lazy, opinionated dolts addicted to the commercialism and sensationalism of jingoism. However, the tide may slowly be turning for the domestic game. "

[pete]

Good article but a bit ironic to have it on Dangerhere.

Ironically, many of those who have returned home have found themselves lacking the skills needed to compete in the Premier Division.

I think that more than anything has shown how much the standard has imroved here in recent years.

[Gary]

Why is there such an obsession with English football?

Who cares, why is there such an obsession with those who are obsesssed with it?

Little better than GAA saying that if you play GAA you cant play any "foreign" sports.

[Neil]

As an Irishman it makes me physically sick to see 5,000 "Irishmen" cheering for a Scottish team against their home town team in their home town stadium.

It's not just football though. Irish people in general have an inferiority complex.

[Colm]

Proudly displaying the latest ‘home’ jersey they’ll chant and sing for Keano, Beckham, Owen and whoever, while squabbling vehemently about why United are better than Pool or vise versa. Yet, these are the same men who come the Euro qualifiers, will be equally happy to see England lose, as the Republic win.

This always underlines the idiocy of the whole thing for me. The same fools who act all devoted to an English team will boo and jeer their heroes when they are playing for England. They'll rant on about 800 years and how they hate England and all this rubbish and the following week they will be back in the pub pretending to be scousers or mancs or whatever. Idiots!

[Gary]

said it before and ill say it again, what really gets up my nose is the guy who sneers at you for supporting a local club. That really sets me off. But the guy, like me, who takes an interest in an English team, whats wrong with it. Football doesnt stop after your local team.

And yes, i find it pathetic to see guys my age (im 24) and older wearing a Man Ure jersey with VAN NISTELROOY 10 on the back of it.

Anyway, this is funny , and oh so true.

[TommyT]

Originally posted by GWA
Who cares, why is there such an obsession with those who are obsesssed with it?

Little better than GAA saying that if you play GAA you cant play any "foreign" sports.

Eh it's a good bit different to the Gaa, supporting your local team is something done all over the world, you support your local team and hope that one day they might be the best in Europe. That's a world away from making up a game, claiming some ancient origins for it and never testing yourselves against teams from other countries.

Those who are obsessed with English football are the reason the league's European ranking is so far behind the national teams and why TV-media coverage is so poor, in other words their pathetic bandwagon jumping bleeds our clubs dry.

[Xlex]

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...125#post830125

a responce from a premiersh*t fan...

Im one of the people who support a Brittish team, celtic, but I can agree with the guy on that!
If it was all about the quality of football (as many who support English premiership teams claim) then surely everybody would be following Spanish teams, and Real Madrid in particular?
Iv never been able to get a logical explanation for that one from people who claim to follow English football because of the quality as compared to Scottish or as the thread states League of Ireland football.
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Well you may belive that, but I dont!

I have wathed many La Liga, and Serie A matches, and they are not more entertaining than the Premiership. And for me thatys the key.

the first thing i would point to is that you say one is better that the other, but dont say how you judge this?

I would concede the general standard of defending seems better, and the pace they are played at allows time and space on the ball, promoting the players with better technique. (but thats not a entirley good thing!)

Also the best teams in the UK are better than there italian counterparts, and on a par with the Spanish giants, or thereabouts. Although Arsenal have under achieved again this year, they are a match for any team inthe world as are United. And Newcastle are getting better and better.

Just to go back to the point of 'better football' i put a premium on entertainment. I'd rather see 2 teams have a go, than 2 teams sitting back and waiting for something to happen. It makes for better TV. If the quality of football is muck, then it takes away from the match, so there is a balance of skill and enthusiasm and required. and the premiership has that balance IMO.

I also like to follow the carreers of the Irish national squad. I cant do that watching Waterford united, Barcelona or Lazio. Players like Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, and John O'Shea who all have the potential to be world class!

Finally I dont wish England win ever time they play, unlike some 'fans'. I do think there is a hyprocasy in cheering Beckham and Owen for there clubs, then booing them for there country.
Im one of the people who support a Brittish team, celtic, but I can agree with the guy on that!

[pete]

The evolution of Sky Sports has meant football is more entertainment that anything else. The concept of supporting a club is unknown to a lot of people.

btw said it here many times before but while I may not delight in people ignoring the eL for foreign football as long as they don't slag off the eL doesn't bother me.

[sean04]

I was at the Bohs game and was sickened to see the ground full of Tottenham fans from all over this country - even more sickening when a few of their travelling English contingent were waving a Union Jack at the Bohs fans. How can any Irish feel any way part of an English team. I'm not a fanatical supporter of any eircom league side but I like to see irish sports do well particularly our national soccer team. It's cringe to see grown men and their sons/daughters excited at the prospect of a poor Spurs team coming to Dublin.

[yur man]

keep up the slaggin lads, it does work

i kept me eye on how cork were doin for years but didnt support them properly till recently

im lookin forward to the new season and will be catchin any cork games that rte broadcast online. gonna get me sister to record the game against st. pats n send it on to me. shud be interestin

it wud be nice if the clubs cud broadcast all their own matches live online for us exiles and people who cant get to the matches. i wudn't mind payin a few quid for it either. cant be that hard can it