QuoteThis is an Eircom League site , well I thought it was anyway .Originally Posted by jbyrne
I think there are two separate issues here.
First, Bertie, as a citizen, is entitled to support whoever he wants. And he's just as open to criticism for that choice as anybody else is. As a citizen, I'd much rather he supported his local side or closest eL side rather than a foreign team, just like I'd rather everybody did.
Secondly, a Taoiseach is aware that basically everything he says and does will be scrutinised. That comes with the territory of being Taoiseach. The eL, like it or not (and some posting here clearly don't), is the national league, and has been for many, many years. It is a part of our history, our culture, our tradition, and our identity. And these are things that a Taoiseach should be trying to promote, not ignore.
This is an Eircom League site , well I thought it was anyway .
Who cares really? His job is to lead the country and whatever he does in his own time (providing it's legal) doesn't bother me. It makes no difference whatsoever to me whether it's him I hear on the radio or some other joker spoofing on about how great "we" are getting on in the Premier League this season.
As far as I'm concerned they're both brainwashed spoofers who have managed to convince themselves and be convinced by the media that they are cheering on "their club." I say fair play to them. I hope you have a good time supporting "your" club.
What are the names of these players?
Colin Healy hardly stumbled in from the third division. He played for Celtic and won caps for Ireland and may be a regular now if injuries hadn't ruined him. Neale Fenn played for Tottenham at one point and Joseph Ndo got caps for Cameroon. These are hardly s**ty 3rd division calibre players. What about Kevin Doyle "stumbling in" to the English Premier League and being one of the top goalscorers?
What English team did Ndo play for? Colin Healy almost went to a World Cup and has played Champions League and when, oh when, was Mansaram one of the League's best payers?
By yor earning support theory, if we were all around in the 70s, you'd support England beacuse of their greater pedigree and Ireland's inability to compete with the World's best?
And given your loyalty to Bayern Munich, if they went into a Forest-style freefall, you would obviously find a better team, more worthy of your support?
The LOI not being worthy yet, but you're happy enough to allow others to put in the hard work to make it a success by which time you'll gladly jump on the band wagon?
Or have i picked you up wrong?
Actually, I'm glad Bertie doesn't support a LoI team; I'd hate it if he had a saving grace.
A patriot is someone who knows how to hate his country properly.
I agree, in theory, with the idea that we as Irish men/women should be supporting a local team. However, the way you would usually begin to support a local team ie by going along with your pals, father, grandfather etc., has not been the case for a large majority of people in this country. I began supporting Spurs in 1986 when my da brought me along to my first game whilst over visiting my gran for Christmas in London. I have supported them ever since though for me the love of the national team supercedes this.
When Rovers played for a while in the RDS, on my bus route, I went along for a bit with the brother, but I never developed an affinity with the club nor the LOI. I do respect fans of the LOI and I have been glad of late to see the progress being made both in the calibre of player on show and the end 'product'. I don't subscribe to the notion that you have to attend LOI football regularly to fully understand the game and feel that the attitude towards 'barstoolers' is counter-productive.
Live and let live I say, and I hope the domestic game continues to thrive. Those pointing to the youth support are correct as they are fans of the future. As any football fan knows, you can't change your club once your hooked.
Well, most people anyway.
And you ask me to help you??!! Man is evil!!!! Capable of nothing but destruction!
I must admit I used to support Man Utd when I was younger. At some stage I realised I was'nt from Manchester so I stopped supporting them. Im from Kerry where there is no team in the LOI so I just follow the league. This thing about supporting the nearest team does'nt wash. A kerryman is hardly going to support a cork team (although i did last suday in the RDS).
I recently moved to south dublin so I was thinking of following Shamrock Rovers next season and going to a few of their games. Not so sure now as they are'nt playing their home games on this side of the city.
Anyway as regards Bertie ahern he is entitled to do what he wants in his spare time and support who he wants but as leader of the country he should be a role model and supporting foreign teams is not the model i want to see!
None of them are league best players.
You can look at the other way. How bad are English clubs that they release potential which is then matured within the league. I could mention a certain Kevin Doyle but sure after training for a few weeks with a real club he was transformed.
Are you serious? You claim you support Bayern but yet say you probably won't always support them. This is hilarious, what sort of fan are you? Support them for now and then feck off in a few years.
btw, how exactly do you support them? Jersies? Season ticket? Have you ever been over to a game even? How many times? or do you support them by watching them on telly or just looking up the result online like most football "supporters" in this country?
Life without Rovers, it makes no sense...it's a heartache...nothing but a fools game. S.R.F.C.
I hope not. I live in England.
You're not a fan, regardless of whether you describe yourself as one.
You're a consumer.
As long as you accept that then there's no problem with your views. Just don't expect to get any respect or validation in places like this for them.
You're posting in a forum where most members would view "dropping their team" in a similar way to dropping their family, eg unthinkable.
Unfortunately you just don't get what supporting a football team is all about and I pity you for that. You're missing out bigtime.
Supporting a football team can mean many things to many people. Who put you in charge of telling everyone how to live their lives?
Ok Bertie.....Well like I said that view of supporting a team is old fashioned. A team to me is a collection of players. In 10 years time the team you support will have a whole new set of players. So what exactly are you supporting? It isn't the players, it's just some romantic image of the club's flag and what they stand for.
It's silly and dated.
And I've been to the Allianz Arena 3 times, the San Siro twice. Ironically I've never been to an Eircom League game. >_>
Sorry if that sucks to you but thats what young people are doing, on an average day I'll see people wearing Barca, Ac Milan, Brazil, Argentina and whatnot shirts. I don't think I've ever seen anyone wearing a Cork City shirt, heck you don't even see people wearing EPL shirts anymore.
We're Irish, we're the best so why shouldn't we support the best sports teams even if they're not our own. ^_^
If you'd seen the Longford Town players graft towards the end of the season you'd revise that opinion. But go on, dismiss me cos it's 'only' Longford Town. You wouldn't be the first.
If I was supporting players, I'd have spent a lot of time last season watching our alumni at Shamrock Rovers or Drogheda — both contenders. But I didn't, cos I support Longford Town.
I just gave my view on what I understand the term supporter to mean, which last time I checked was my prerogative.
You weren't giving your opinion, you were lecturing....
..and "Unfortunately you just don't get what supporting a football team is all about and I pity you for that"
...you condescending %^$£!
You could say the same thing for the national team, why do you support them? The players change, the managers change, and the team goes uphill and downhill once in a while. Are you supporting a romantic image of the flag and what it stands for?Well like I said that view of supporting a team is old fashioned. A team to me is a collection of players. In 10 years time the team you support will have a whole new set of players. So what exactly are you supporting? It isn't the players, it's just some romantic image of the club's flag and what they stand for.
It's silly and dated.
Given your desire to support the best, why don't you support Brazil/Argentina/Italy? In fact Italy is best, you'll be able to see them live in Ireland in the near future.
Because it doesn't make any sense.
You support the Irish team because you are Irish right? You feel an allegiance to the team that represents the same country you do, right?
I feel the same about the national team. But I also feel the same about Limerick. The national allegiance I feel to the Irish team is reflected in the regional allegiance I feel with the Limerick team.
Why is it that you have allegiance on one level, but so no reason for allegiance on another level? Allegiances exist on every level, from club allegiance in the county league, club allegiance in the national league, to national allegiance on the international level. Why do you only adhere to one kind?
If you are satisfied with just choosing the very best club to support, regardless of the fact that you have no allegiance to them, even though these allegiances exist, why not do it at a national level?
ooooh.......touch a raw nerve there did I?
Come out with posts like he has on a football SUPPORTERS forum and you're going to get ridiculed.
Last edited by OneRedArmy; 08/12/2007 at 10:13 AM.
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