The Sunderland 'Craze'

[oriel]

What is the Sunderland 'Craze' like in your area ? a local rag in Dundalk had a front page story over the w/e of a family attending a match in Sunderland, complete with photo and a smiling John Aldridge who I`m guessing has some corporate role. I just couldn`t believe how this was considered newsworthy, let alone front page.

[dcfcsteve]

Probably says as much about Dundalk as it does the Sunderland craze....

It is just fcuking stupid the whole Sunderland thing. I can't wait until the bubble inevitably bursts - and the way results are going, I may not have to wait too long.

[Bald Student]

However nothing wrong in supporting Irish players and getting behind them.

Unless you're in a group of less than 500.

[ndrog]

Def says more about Dundalk that it makes front page news. However nothing wrong in supporting Irish players and getting behind them.

yes there is ? its totally stupid .

[TheBoss]

Yes, you might want them to do well but to support them is entirely a different issue. I am bored myself, hearing about them on the Irish News Stations, radio and in papers. They might be owned and managed by Irishmen, so are a lot of foreign business. I do not see many support them.

[SunderlandBohs]

Here's the facts about Irish football 'fans' & the Sunderland craze. The papers say that over 1000 fans from Ireland travel over. Rubbish! It's a couple 100 at the most travel. Dozens of supporters clubs will open all over Ireland with 1000s joining. Only two (Dublin & Belfast) & they have been here long before Roy Keane was in charge. We had no new members. It's all media hype. It'll die down in awhile lads. I know how you all feel. If I find it annoying, God knows how you feel?! By the way, we are called Sunderland Association Football Club not Roy Keane's Sunderland.

[oriel]

Yes, you might want them to do well but to support them is entirely a different issue. I am bored myself, hearing about them on the Irish News Stations, radio and in papers. They might be owned and managed by Irishmen, so are a lot of foreign business. I do not see many support them.

Quite right. What is the 'craze' all about, they have bought average to poor players, currently lie 4th last and have as much an Irish tradition as the white cliffs of dover. How can someone wake up and suddenly announce 'I think i`ll support Sunderland now they have an irish manager, irish chairman and have been taken over by extremely wealthy irish business men (who have such a sharp eye for business they will be demanding a profit within a few years)

And what about the annoying sight of these idiots who travel over standing up and waving an Irish flag whenever the ball goes out of play, CRINGO, some complete with their eircom jersey, I dread to think what the locals must think of them/us, utter embarrasment I would say.

ps the dundalk connection i`m told is based on their sponsor, their head office in the town and the staff at the town centre betting shops wear safc tops - jesus christ is there no escape.

[kingdom hoop]

ps the dundalk connection i`m told is based on their sponsor, their head office in the town and the staff at the town centre betting shops wear safc tops - jesus christ is there no escape.

I think the staff in all Boylesports shops wear Sunderland jerseys on match days. They do in Tralee at least so one would presume they do everywhere. Good to know my lost betting money goes to a good cause

[Réiteoir]

I think the staff in all Boylesports shops wear Sunderland jerseys on match days. They do in Tralee at least so one would presume they do everywhere. Good to know my lost betting money goes to a good cause

I think that's written into the contracts of the staff who work there - basically they have no choice in the matter...

[Gareth]

Its no different to people jumping on the bandwagon when a team gets promoted, wins the cup, gets to the world cup, get to all-ireland.. fait play to them if they get some enjoyement from it surely nobody would begrudge them that. I think the most likely reason is that they fancied a trip somewhere so decided to go to sunderland to see the game and a night out in newcastle all done with cheap flights. Ive done it myself its good to get away for the weekend.

You are taking about a different thing to most of the people here. You talk about following a team so you can get a trip to a city and have a night out afterwards in Newcastle. These people don't follow a team, they support it, daily, and to most incorporate their passion into their daily lives, they are not interested in the once off events, they are interested in the team, the club, not just about having a bit of a holiday away somewhere. This thread is like comparing chalk and cheese. Your interest in Sunderland has no simliarities in what most of the people here are comparing your interest to. The only thing combining the two is at the centre a football match takes place.

[dcfcsteve]

I think the most likely reason is that they fancied a trip somewhere so decided to go to sunderland to see the game and a night out in newcastle all done with cheap flights.

If you want a cheap weekend away and a night out in Newcastle, then why go to watch Sunderland rather than the Toon. Like most of your posts, that doesn't make any sense.

I fancy a night out in Manchester. Think I'll go see Preston play whilst I'm there......

[Réiteoir]

to be fair - Pat Devlin and his family have had a lot of dealings with Wor Newcastle over the years.

Plus Given, O'Brien, that lad who only won a cap despite not playing for the first team, and Duff turning out for the Barcodes - there's enough there for the discerning Irish Daytripper.

Plus the Broon in Newcastle is better than you get anywhere else.

[Gareth]

Rocketfingers, teh argument to your point raised is we have plenty of clubs irish owned, irish players and irish managed that need your support very badly but that is not happening in favour of doing so for one in England. I don't really care if you support Bogner Regus or Juve but I will say if you wanna support irish teams, then maybe look to home before seeking a solution abroad is all.

[Réiteoir]

If you want a cheap weekend away and a night out in Newcastle, then why go to watch Sunderland rather than the Toon. Like most of your posts, that doesn't make any sense.

I fancy a night out in Manchester. Think I'll go see Preston play whilst I'm there......

Sod Preston - you need to take in a game in the Blue Square Northern.

I suggest Hyde United or Leigh RMI

[Neish]

Yes I apologise profusely for refusing to go with the crowd and for holding the same views as the majority of NORMAL football fans.

Ah? Does that statement not contradict itself? If you weren't going with the crowd you woul be a LOI fan and not defend the idiots who pledge alligence to clubs in a complete different country. If These people are normal football fans I ask you in what other country (excluding countries in less devloped areas) to the vast majority of fans support clubs in a different country & ev a country that alot of these people say they hate because that country invaded & conqured their country)

[dcfcsteve]

Sod Preston - you need to take in a game in the Blue Square Northern.

I suggest Hyde United or Leigh RMI

To be honest I'd go to see Stockport County, as my sister lives near Edgeley Road.

It's AFC Wimbledon for me in the non-league stakes.

[SunderlandBohs]

i know how your thinking mate.i bet you youve even walked down the road in a sunderland top and someone would mutter look at that gloryhunting twit!!

True! It's annoying. Or even worse is the 'You must be a Roy Keane fan?' No, I'm a Sunderland fan, the only reason I like Keane is because he's our manager & if result don't improve that might change! The worst of all is the sad Man Utd fans buying Sunderland tops! It's got that bad I sometimes fly over from Belfast to avoid the morons at Dublin airport. By the way Cupcakes, going to see Sunderland play & heading into Newcastle for a night shows what kind of fan you are. No Sunderland fan would step foot in that hole! That's how the rivalry is. That boils my p*ss! The only good thing to come out of Newcastle is the Metro!

[dcfcsteve]

No Sunderland fan would step foot in that hole! That's how the rivalry is. That boils my p*ss! The only good thing to come out of Newcastle is the Metro!

Sorry SB - but that's just nonsense.

The economic set-up of the Niorth-East is such that large numbers of Makems regularly work, shop and socialise in Newcastle. I know of loads of Sunderland fans born and bred who have lived and worked in Newcastle happily for years. I even saw Niall Quinn drinking in the Aklenside in the Quayside on two different occassions in the last 90's - so even died-in-the-wool Sunderland players were to be seen out in Newcatsle occassionally, despite how dangerous that was.

Northern Rock - Newcastle's sponsors - even have large offices in Sunderland, and plenty of Makems happily spend their working days boosting the fortunes of their rival's main sponsor.

But if you're only flying over to the odd game a season, I guess you probably wouldn't have noticed the reality of the situation over there.....

P.S. I love the irony of an Irish person adopting the whole inter-cl;ub rivalry from England - evemn going so far as to call Newcastle "a hole". I can assure you that Sunderland would come off worse in every single category of comparison with Newcastle...

[Réiteoir]

What if we chuck Middlesbrough into the equation?

[Dodge]

I can assure you that Sunderland would come off worse in every single category of comparison with Newcastle...

Except Oirishness. Truely, the greatest category of them all