Barstooler face offs?

[gustavo]

Unfortunately one of my Liverpool supporting barstooler mates, from Derry but living in Dublin, basically follows England, because Gerrard and Carragher play for them.

Makes me sick!

I remember watching last years CL final in a pub and Liverpool "fans"
laughing at the accents of Gerrard and Carragher when they were being interviewed , just struck me as strange that fans being amused at a trait that is supposed to be representative of their club

[Jinxy]

People in this country are only interested in watching the really big matches no matter the sport.

When Munster played in the Heineken final in Cardiff about 50,000 fans were supposed to have traveled, most of those would never have went to a Magners League game that season.

In GAA take away Dublin games and both finals most games have huge empty spaces. Am not a big GAA fan but decided last year to travel from Cork to watch them play Dublin in Parnell Park and a friend of mine who considers himself a huge Cork GAA fan said to me "Why did you go to watch that crap"?

I used to get six tickets in the block booking scheme but had to drop it to three cause in the 2002 qualifiers we got Holland and Portugal (everyone wanted tickets - even had strangers in the street asking me) then in the 2004 qualifiers we got Russia and Switzerland and these same lads said it wasnt worth it.

Why did you go if you aren't a big GAA fan?

[mypost]

Another barstooler bashing thread.

True.

Yes, they are a pain in the arse, but so are some of us. "What part of Liverpool/Manchester/London are you from??"

If I was to pick a club based on locality, I wouldn't support a LOI club, as a Junior Football team is the nearest to me. However, I've no interest in them or their football in general.

As I have stated before, people support teams based on family lineage. My da supported Rovers for years, so I continued the tradition, dfx soon followed, and other relations in the future will have no choice but to support Rovers, as that's our background, whether we live in Dublin, Dubai, or Darwin. Same goes for Liverpool in England. You don't get a choice, you support who your relations did before you. That's the way it is.

I support teams in Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. I was never in some of those countries before, but so what? If I go to any one of those teams games, I'll be made as welcome there as any local. I share the same interest as them, and their results affect me, as much as them. Big clubs are international conglomerates with fanbases stretching from America to Australia. In my experience, fans in most countries have no problem with that, only here.

[Splurge]

I agree with Kev. If Dundalk FC didn't exist, there is absolutely no way that I'd go and support Drogheda (even though they were still in my county) or some other club that identified themselves as the County Louth club.

That's the way it was in wexford, when we were kids we went to Kilkenny the odd time but it didnt feel right, we also considered going to Bray, Cobh etc but that was a 2-3 hr drive in them days.

Now we have our own team and there are NO excuses for not supporting them, they play great football, they represent the whole county, it's affordable, we play on friday nights and we can watch our "other teams" from the comfort of our living rooms on sat/sun.

[eirebhoy]

Unless you support Monaghan.


I think we've all experienced the converstaion that goes along the lines of;

"So, who do you support?"
"I'm a Derry fan."
"Yeah, but which proper team do you support?
"Um...Derry City."
"Look, ok, who do you support in the Premiership?"

It's actually the same supporting Celtic. I've got to the stage where I have to say "just Celtic".

[Bluebeard]

That's the way it was in wexford, when we were kids we went to Kilkenny the odd time but it didnt feel right, we also considered going to Bray, Cobh etc but that was a 2-3 hr drive in them days.

Now we have our own team and there are NO excuses for not supporting them, they play great football, they represent the whole county, it's affordable, we play on friday nights and we can watch our "other teams" from the comfort of our living rooms on sat/sun.

Why Kilkenny?

I grew up near New Ross on the Wexford side of the border, but it was always Waterford for me, even discounting the atrocious road to Kilkenny (the road to Waterford was pretty bad then too).

Not a dig or complaint, just a question.

[holidaysong]

That's the way it was in wexford, when we were kids we went to Kilkenny the odd time but it didnt feel right, we also considered going to Bray, Cobh etc but that was a 2-3 hr drive in them days.

Now we have our own team and there are NO excuses for not supporting them, they play great football, they represent the whole county, it's affordable, we play on friday nights and we can watch our "other teams" from the comfort of our living rooms on sat/sun.

I couldn't support a 'Co. Louth team' though. It has to be more local than that for me.

[Block G Raptor]

This isn't just an Irish phenonenom (how do you spell that word ?). Wasn't there something on telly a while back showing all the Norwegians who flock to england at the weekend, and when interviewed, some of them said that the Norwegian league was crap.
The english premiership is, like it or not, the biggest league in the world right now. I work with a polish guy who goes to watch Leeds utd. I live in Gort and a lot of the Brazilians follow Arsenal (because of Gilberto I was told). Although I also saw a Brazilian in a Dublin GAA jersey which made me laugh.

I met five Norwegians in Burdocks on friday and got chatting to them when one asked me if Bohs had a club shop in the area. It turns out they had traveled over specifically for the match!

[eirebhoy]

in fact mods could you move this thread to one of the ireland forums or the celebration of mediocrity that is the junior league forum so the barstoolers on there could try and justify their "support" of english clubs

Pure ignorance. What's the minimum amount of games a year your team must play for you to count as a fan?

gustavo
Kingdom
tricky_colour
Ciaran
kennedmc
irishfan86
tetsujin1979
paul_oshea
Irish_Praha
Dr. Ogba
shakermaker1982
jmurphyc
Drumcondra 69er
Stuttgart88
ifk101
drummerboy
Emmet
NeilMcD
OwlsFan
dr_peepee
galwayhoop
theworm2345
geysir
danonion
back of the net
Sligo Hornet
FarBeag
RogerMilla
youngirish
jbyrne
Noelys Guitar
carloz
Paulie
Billsthoughts
Qwerty
Greenforever
drinkfeckarse
Scram
citizenerased
Mento
livehead1

Just a few of the posters on the Ireland forum that I recognise (a quick check through recent threads). A small few of them support premiership teams that I know of.

[Splurge]

Why Kilkenny?
I grew up near New Ross on the Wexford side of the border, but it was always Waterford for me, even discounting the atrocious road to Kilkenny (the road to Waterford was pretty bad then too).
Not a dig or complaint, just a question.

I'm from north Wexford and we reckoned it was the nearest to us, probably only a marginal difference really, this was before the "new rd" aswell, i actually forgot Waterford in my original thread, dunno why but Cobh allways felt like a closer team, maybe they were higher profile in my day?

[Bottle of Tonic]

At least some LOI fans on here have a balanced opinion but not all unfortunately.

A few things strike reading this thread and others on foot.ie
For many LOI fans its all about 'local'.
They prefer it being small and a niche market.
There is a real 'anoraky' superiority complex.

I'm from rural Roscommon and been living in Scotland 7-8 years. Celtic season ticket holder this past season. Regular at games season before. Mainly barstooler with the odd trip previous to that.

I kind of follow Longford in the EL as I went to school there, have been to a couple of matches when home over the years, but can't imagine been able to support them outright or as much as some of the EL fanatics on here and their respective clubs. I'm from Roscommon not Longford. Athlone, while just over the bridge in Westmeath is like a different planet to me!

I'm probably moving back to Ireland soon, possibly Dublin, and would be interested in going to see some live football. even though I'm one of these "celtic" "fans" (seriously what's with the bitterness GZ) I would have nothing against the EL. However from reading this forum and the views of some of its fans the last year or so I really don't know if I want to go along.

I won't be local to any team, they won't be 'mine', so I won't be part of it and get the same enjoyment as the other real fans do. I'm not sure if I'd want to mix with the other fans either, especially if I revealed I was a "celtic" "fan" thus laying bare my inferiority as a football supporter. I'd probably also have to do some research on the Queens tax rates on match tickets so I wouldn't look redfaced and silly in front of some sneery real fan who happened to be born in his local clubs catchment area.

I wasn't born in any catchment area. Shame I just can't be as genuine a football supporter as some of ye. I really never knew it worked like that.

Sod it, I'll see where I end up living and try a few games at the nearest side. I'll probably just go back to watching local GAA though.

[Splurge]

I couldn't support a 'Co. Louth team' though. It has to be more local than that for me.

An enniscorthy town, Wexford town etc team would never have worked, it would have alienated the rest of us, i wouldnt have supported either even though i now live in Wx town.

[Schumi]

I'm probably moving back to Ireland soon, possibly Dublin, and would be interested in going to see some live football. even though I'm one of these "celtic" "fans" (seriously what's with the bitterness GZ) I would have nothing against the EL. However from reading this forum and the views of some of its fans the last year or so I really don't know if I want to go along.

I won't be local to any team, they won't be 'mine', so I won't be part of it and get the same enjoyment as the other real fans do. I'm not sure if I'd want to mix with the other fans either, especially if I revealed I was a "celtic" "fan" thus laying bare my inferiority as a football supporter. I'd probably also have to do some research on the Queens tax rates on match tickets so I wouldn't look redfaced and silly in front of some sneery real fan who happened to be born in his local clubs catchment area.

You wouldn't get any **** for being a Celtic fan (probably best not to wear the jersey if you're going to go to Bohs games though ). No one (well the vast majority anyway) has any problem with people supporting teams from other countries, it's people belittling our teams that annoys people. Go to games, you'll enjoy it and meet lots of people who'll be happy you're going to their team's games.

[Bluebeard]

I'm from north Wexford and we reckoned it was the nearest to us, probably only a marginal difference really, this was before the "new rd" aswell, i actually forgot Waterford in my original thread, dunno why but Cobh allways felt like a closer team, maybe they were higher profile in my day?

COBH

It really is probably more that you would have felt like a glory hunter following the Blues in the 90s, with us regularly winning the first division, every five years or so - the silverware was just pouring into the RSC back then

[Mr A]

I once killed a barstooler with a trident.

[Réiteoir]

I met five Norwegians in Burdocks on friday and got chatting to them when one asked me if Bohs had a club shop in the area. It turns out they had traveled over specifically for the match!

Aye - there's a small hardcore of Norwegian Bohs fans in Oslo (mostly with Irish parents who moved over there).

Met up with a few in a sportsbar to watch the home leg of the Bohemians - Rosenborg Champions League game a few years back

[Réiteoir]

I once killed a barstooler with a trident.

Was there a man on fire in the vicinty of this?

[SunderlandBohs]

I remember watching last years CL final in a pub and Liverpool "fans"
laughing at the accents of Gerrard and Carragher when they were being interviewed , just struck me as strange that fans being amused at a trait that is supposed to be representative of their club

Reminds me of my brother in law. He claims to be a mad Manchester Utd fan but hates Northerners (from Enlgand) because he lived in London. He also claims that because he is a Manu fan he knows more about football than me because I support 'unsuccessful' Sunderland.Why bother travelling over to watch them knowing they'll never win the Premiership! Also gives me grief about following Bohs as well as Sunderland, saying I can't follow the two of them. (Even though he aslo follows Fulham!) And why do I watch LOI football. Cause it only full of losers & has beens.Doesn't see how I could get excited if Bohs win or be in the horros if they lose because 'It's only the poxy eircom League!'. Doesn't understand that Bohs v Rovers means more to me than Man Utd v Liverpool. Also hates the Ireland team. But he is 'The True Football Fan'. I'm just wasting me time.

[Erstwhile Bóz]

I met five Norwegians in Burdocks on friday and got chatting to them when one asked me if Bohs had a club shop in the area. It turns out they had traveled over specifically for the match!

Deadly. There was a group of five or six English lads on the 10 I got back into town. From the snatches of conversation I got, agus mé ag cúléisteacht, they were delighted with themselves for getting up and doing something and not wasting another evening of their holiday in the boozer; they were freezing their nuts off (they were wearing the de rigeur English lads gear); and they loved the bars in Dalymount. Three goals and a sending off helped, too.

Couldn't ascertain how they found out about the match, though.

[sonofstan]

A good ploy is to join in a barstooler conversation with an original and astute comment about the football they're watching - if they haven't heard someone say it on telly before you, they'll be dumbstruck......