Why support ireland

**jbyrne** · 10/09/2007, 1:01 PM

Originally Posted by Higgo

That is the biggest load of **** I have ever read. Do you want a medal for supporting your team? Following your team through thick and thin is what it's all about. 'The best fans in the world'....utter nonsense. Do you not realise that football is rotten in this country, right from the top down?? In my opinion, in general, Irish football fans are a joke. Get a grip.

your experience of our away fans is obviously next to nil. dont bother getting into a debate you clearly know nothing about

no one is looking for a medal and the point i was making that we supoort through thick and thin unlike a lot of other countrys. only 6,000 slovaks bothered to turn up on sat and they were at home. who or what exactly do you compare our fans to when you call us a joke?

**Pablo** · 10/09/2007, 1:03 PM

I support them because they represent my country. Even though it seems that our name is now simply the "republic"

Having said that i feel less and less of a connection after games lately.

**Stuttgart88** · 10/09/2007, 1:08 PM

Or as Emmet Malone continues to say "the South".

**Higgo** · 10/09/2007, 1:33 PM

Originally Posted by baileban

The state of Irish football at the moment is not down to the fans - you said Irish football fans are a joke. Why would you say that??
If the system is rotten as you call it from the top down what has that got to do with the fans?? The fans are on the periphery - nothing to do with the running of the game. You did not qualify anything that you said about Irish supporters.
I think Wolfie answered the original question perfectly - a super post - but your comments about the fans being a joke were out of order!!
I also agree that jbyrne was "attacked" - not his post.

OK. I will explain the reasons why Irish football supporters annoy me. First of all, we get say 40,000 people at an international match. 90% of these people have never given the EL a chance. Now, I have been attending local matches for 14 years and I fully accept that the standard is not what it should be. My point is this - I cannot understand why the average football supporter cannot see the value in following a team week in week out regardless of the quality of the league. Thousands of people around Europe follow 'crap' teams because of a love for those teams. If Irish people had a similar mentality, maybe the league woud not be in such a state. Thousands of people travel to away games, travel to Sunderland etc, ignore the decent league that is dying on their doorstep and the proceed to claim they are great football supporters. They are pumping money into a foreign league. Just because they spend a fortune going to an ROI match does not mean they are doing much for the general good of the game here.

Surely you guys can see this?

**NY Hoop** · 10/09/2007, 1:38 PM

Originally Posted by jbyrne

do you know anything about that fan? he was born in england with irish parents. so what if he puts chelsea on his flag? i saw a lad at the weekend with a great polo top with a half QPR crest and half Irish crest with "club and country" written underneath. they are allowed follow who they like. this is sport we are talking about after all!!

Try reading what I said.

Do you know anything about chelsea fans?

"They are allowed to follow who they like"? Oh dear.

Supporting through thick and thin? Presume that's a joke of some kind. If bandwagon was an Olympic sport we would win every time. 6,000 travel to Slovakia and about the same amount go to england every week to "support" english clubs while ignoring their own domestic league. Yeah we have the "best fans in the world" alright. Ole ole ole

KOH

**Pablo** · 10/09/2007, 1:53 PM

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

Try reading what I said.

Do you know anything about chelsea fans?

"They are allowed to follow who they like"? Oh dear.

Supporting through thick and thin? Presume that's a joke of some kind. If bandwagon was an Olympic sport we would win every time. 6,000 travel to Slovakia and about the same amount go to england every week to "support" english clubs while ignoring their own domestic league. Yeah we have the "best fans in the world" alright. Ole ole ole

KOH

all you need is a ginger wig, an inflatable shamrock and a love for booing Rangers players to be a true Ireland fan

**jbyrne** · 10/09/2007, 1:56 PM

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

Try reading what I said.

Do you know anything about chelsea fans?

"They are allowed to follow who they like"? Oh dear.

Supporting through thick and thin? Presume that's a joke of some kind. If bandwagon was an Olympic sport we would win every time. 6,000 travel to Slovakia and about the same amount go to england every week to "support" english clubs while ignoring their own domestic league. Yeah we have the "best fans in the world" alright. Ole ole ole

KOH

how can you assume that the 6,000 in slovakia also travel to watch english teams each weekend?

and of course people can support who they like. who makes up the rules of who people are or are not allowed support? i am well aware of what a lot of chelsea fans are like but i'm sure that some of them are long standing fans that follow that club for the right reasons. everyone has the freedom to follow who they like... simple as. that lad is from england and wants to follow ireland as well as the club of his choice... problem is what??

**Dodge** · 10/09/2007, 2:01 PM

Originally Posted by jbyrne

and of course people can support who they like. who makes up the rules of who people are or are not allowed support? i am well aware of what a lot of chelsea fans are like but i'm sure that some of them are long standing fans that follow that club for the right reasons. everyone has the freedom to follow who they like... simple as. that lad is from england and wants to follow ireland as well as the club of his choice... problem is what??

Nothing wrong with it. But what NY Hoop and Higgo are talking about is supporting Irish football, and not just the international team. If you can't see the link between the state of our league, and the state of our national team, then you shouldn't really be in this conversation. Anybody who doesn't support an irish team (na dby that I mean actual go to games) cannot be said to be a true irish football fan, as they are not interested in Irish football progresssing

**NY Hoop** · 10/09/2007, 2:05 PM

Originally Posted by jbyrne

how can you assume that the 6,000 in slovakia also travel to watch english teams each weekend?

Are you on crack? Did you even read what I posted?

and of course people can support who they like. who makes up the rules of who people are or are not allowed support? i am well aware of what a lot of chelsea fans are like but i'm sure that some of them are long standing fans that follow that club for the right reasons. everyone has the freedom to follow who they like... simple as. that lad is from england and wants to follow ireland as well as the club of his choice... problem is what??

Putting chelsea on a tricolour is wrong. What club do you support?

KOH

**NY Hoop** · 10/09/2007, 2:12 PM

Originally Posted by baileban

jbyrne - you are wasting youir time arguing with those "I-hate-anyone-who-supports-an-English-club" idiots - (apparently it's OK to call somebody this on this forum - ref: Higgo on jbyrne- though I will probably get censured because I am not one of the conforming mod-arse-licking brigade).
Get over yourselves Higgo and NY Hoop - come down off the high nags before ye fall and hurt yourselves.
If I want to travel to England and watch a Prem match - in between Terryland Park every two weeks - and support Ireland at the same time then I will - if it annoys the lkes of ye then thats even better again!!
Theres a thought for ye - did ye ever think its possible to watch EL AND English matches at different times- bet ye didn't with that tunnelled blinkered vision problems ye keep having.

Calm down sunshine. Nothing wrong with following an english side as long as you support an Irish one first.

Do you not find it laughable that the same people who slag off the EL while wearing the usual mankpool tops are cheering on Israel against ingerland last saturday?

What is "ye"?

KOH

reder · 10/09/2007, 2:12 PM

Originally Posted by jbyrne

were you even at the match? i was and i didn�t hear anyone singing �youre not singing anymore�. to have a pop at our fans is ridiculous beyond words, we had more fans in the stadium than they had!! what other country would have 6,000 travel to such a game? i thought the support was excellent throughout although a roof over our heads would�ve kept the noise in better. granted there are always a few day trippers but i keep seeing the same fans turn up game after game in the hope that we might actually have a win to celebrate. despite our poor away competitive record we continually travel in large numbers with great nature and not even a whiff of trouble. without doubt the best fans around

The chant was very clear where I was. It was after Doyle scored. Thankfully that god awful "Easy" chant didnt get going.

As for daytrippers, cmon jbyrne, there were loads of them at the game. Most travel agents in Ireland were bringing groups over for 3 day trips.

As for the club issue, I couldnt care less who they support as long as they dont turn up dressed like a derranged leprechaun and act the eejit. Prefer if the didnt support Kirkby town in truth but thats a personal issue.

**Higgo** · 10/09/2007, 2:14 PM

'Get over yourselves' ? What are you talking about? That doesn't make sense. I love Irish football, I am simply arguing the case from an EL perspective. You are not recognising our point of view. It is a valid argument. Your flippant attitude would suggest to me that you have f*** all counter arguments. This is a message board, I am truly sorry for airing my opinions

**paul_oshea** · 10/09/2007, 2:16 PM

If they make loads of noise and get behind the team, they can go naked bar a green jersey. I dont care. SO long as they make up the numbers thats the most important thing to me, as numbers "usualy" or at least should make a difference in a game and aid the result. At the end of the day the result is what SHOULD matter to TRUE Irish fans.

Putting chelsea on a tricolour is wrong. What club do you support?

Absoloutely nothing if you are from london and support Ireland in my opinion. AFTER ALL THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT GET BEHIND AND FOLLOW IRELAND THE WORLD OVER before a load of people from Ireland bother too. EL fans included in that.

**Stuttgart88** · 10/09/2007, 2:17 PM

Originally Posted by Higgo

This is a message board, I am truly sorry for airing my opinions

Originally Posted by Higgo

You sir are an idiot. Full stop.

Ah, the irony...

**sligoman** · 10/09/2007, 2:17 PM

Originally Posted by baileban

If I want to travel to England and watch a Prem match - in between Terryland Park every two weeks

Go to a Galway away game the 2nd week rather than going across to England if you are a genuine Galway fan

.

**NY Hoop** · 10/09/2007, 2:18 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

If they make loads of noise and get behind the team, they can go naked bar a green jersey. I dont care. SO long as they make up the numbers thats the most important thing to me, as numbers "usualy" or at least should make a difference in a game and aid the result. At the end of the day the result is what SHOULD matter to TRUE Irish fans.

Absoloutely nothing if you are from london and support Ireland in my opinion. AFTER ALL THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT GET BEHIND AND FOLLOW IRELAND THE WORLD OVER before a load of people from Ireland bother too. EL fans included in that.

Thank you for showing your ignorance.

KOH

**Stuttgart88** · 10/09/2007, 2:18 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

If they make loads of noise and get behind the team, they can go naked bar a green jersey. I dont care. SO long as they make up the numbers thats the most important thing to me, as numbers "usualy" or at least should make a difference in a game and aid the result. At the end of the day the result is what SHOULD matter to TRUE Irish fans.

Absoloutely nothing if you are from london and support Ireland in my opinion. AFTER ALL THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT GET BEHIND AND FOLLOW IRELAND THE WORLD OVER before a load of people from Ireland bother too. EL fans included in that.

Jesus Paul, I had a virtual essay I was about to submit, but you said it far better than I was about to.

**Higgo** · 10/09/2007, 2:21 PM

Putting CHELSEA on an Irish flag is wrong, there is no logic in it. Chelsea have nothing to do with Ireland...it's as simple as that in my eyes. I can see it now - SHELBOURNE FC - plastered all over an England flag in Wembley.

Come on, think about it. It's not right.

**Dodge** · 10/09/2007, 2:26 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

If they make loads of noise and get behind the team, they can go naked bar a green jersey. I dont care. SO long as they make up the numbers thats the most important thing to me, as numbers "usualy" or at least should make a difference in a game and aid the result. At the end of the day the result is what SHOULD matter to TRUE Irish fans.

Would you not prefer to see Irish football develop? Do you see the national team as the be-all-and-end-all?

And as I've said earlier, I couldn't care less what club anybody supports. if you don't watch LOI football, you don't care about Irish football.

Name one european country that is succesful without a well attended league

**Higgo** · 10/09/2007, 2:26 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Ah, the irony...

I have explained my reasons for that insult. You are not listening to what I am saying. My points are valid...whether you like it or not. Many Irish football supporters are hypocrites. Have you any coherent arguments against this statement???