QuoteThat and the fact the IRB headquarters are in St Stephen's Green. I can't imagine a rugby equivalent of Platini sitting behind a desk, stroking a white cat and plotting our downfall from Dublin 2.Originally Posted by SilkCut
Time heals nothing. Saipan is still ingrained in us.
Come on lads we are hurting but those lads gave too much for we fans and the country as a whole to start forgetting about them just like that.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
That and the fact the IRB headquarters are in St Stephen's Green. I can't imagine a rugby equivalent of Platini sitting behind a desk, stroking a white cat and plotting our downfall from Dublin 2.
Just to get an alternative view on this, an editorial from New Zealand on the increase in interest in football, now that the All Whites have qualified for the World Cup: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/all-whites...ectid=10610684
Never have I known so little buzz, anticipation and media/public interest in an Irish team.
We cant sell out stadiums for big internationals, yet Munster and Leinster sell out a league game....
we are playing a world giant this Friday and no one seems to notice.
There is no talk of it, no excitement in workplaces, pubs, homes etc etc
This game may as well not be taking place .....
I realise Rugby has overtaken soccer in Ireland, but this is ridiculous.
Why have the Irish people abandoned this team?
Last edited by an_ceannaire; 05/10/2010 at 1:30 PM.
Welcome back...
Even on here its been rather quite, i think the thierry henry incident has put a lot off people off to be honest, and i dont think its still a raw moment, but with the growth of rugby, the same thing occurred in australia after the 2006 world cup where they went out to italy and were undone by cheating etc...soccer was on its way up big time then, but it put the aussies off big time. I'm sure there is more than just that however, people are in the midst of a recession, soccer would generally be better received in lower class areas etc, places that are always worst hit in recessions and factories upping sticks etc, they just dont have the money to go and support like the good old days.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
Yet another in your series of threads. Let's see what the crowd is on Friday.
Highest crowd in Europe (give or take 2k) against Andorra and at inflated prices hardly counts as abandoned. Over 2 million watched the second leg in Paris, versus a peak of only 1.1 or 1.2 million for the Grand Slam decider.
Irish fans have always been up for the big games and the big games only. Leinster v Munster is a big game and I doubt it was EUR 70 in.
Rugby crowds would typically have more disposable income than soccer crowds and almost every game is against a top 8 country. The rugby team still enjoys the halo effect from 2 years ago. The football team has no such luxury.
Straight after Italia 90 we got less than 20k for our next two internationals.
Football is far and away the most popular sport in Ireland, both participation and on TV. Sadly, it's English football that everyone seems most interested in. Last time I visited my parents in Rathfarnham I counted more Chelsea shirts than Leinster shirts which I thought was telling.
Much of a muchness really, between Leinster and Chelsea.
Alot of people are losing interest in International football, unless we're taking part in WC & EC. The majority of football fans in this country are more bothered about MU/Liverpool/Celtic/Arsenal winning than Ireland. Alot of my friends were looking forward to the Chelsea/Arsenal game at the weekend than they are to the game Friday night. Its nothing to do the Traps style of play or anything like that. We have to qualify for something to raise the profile of the team and then all the glory hunters will get on board....
Only our third game in this group. And come Friday it will be huge game. The build up for these early in the group games usually only goes into overdrive when the opposing team arrives. Beat Russia at home then the build up for the Slovakia wil be bigger again. It always takes on a momentum of its own (providing we win).
Pretty much agree with all of Stutts comments above. Does no one forget the massive public interest/outrage/outcry/hurt less than one year ago?!?! Show me any other sport in Ireland that could even get close to that? Answer: None.
The most the gaa could is something akin to the Louth/Meath match earlier this year but that was a shadow of Parisgate.
In the main, Irish people follow winners, hence why there are so many Man U, Liverpool and now low and behold Chelsea fans. What happened all the Blackburn fans that emerged circa 1995 i wonder?!?! The early part of the campaign is generally quiet but media (and general public) interest will get higher towards to end of the week. I am only starting to look towards friday but it will be thursday before the nerves and nervous wreck syndrome takes over. Football is still the biggest sport in this country and attracts the most interest. You will have the bar stoolers than will say Ireland are sh*te etc etc, let them off, we dont need that sort of support. Heres to a packed LR and a massive win on friday night. Then you will see the general interest suddenly soar!!
thats the thing though. a lot of these kind of "fans" seem to have been allocated seats near me. constant moaning about the team and discussing the previous weekends premiership games. drove me mad v andorra.
Armenia away and Andorra at home don't exactly set the pulses racing. Add in Trappatoni's pragmatic approach which means we're probably not going to score a bagful of goals, and it's not difficult to see why there's less buzz about. The FAI must have been terribly disappointed when the draw was made - they could hardly have picked less inspiring opposition from each seeding group. Still, the attendance against Andorra was decent given the prices and opposition.
All that said, football is still waaaaay more popular than rugby, and a win against Russia will see Irish people suddenly rediscover the team.
Last edited by osarusan; 05/10/2010 at 10:02 PM.
That's funnier than the "Your Majesty Your People Need You" headline when Di, Dodi, Dido and the dodo died. Was that one of yours and all A_C? :-D
Is it time to crack open each others skulls and feast on the goo inside?
World giant? I thought we were playing Russia ...that team who've won as many trophies as Greece and Denmark. One more than us for sure but come on like.
It only gets funnier with the repetition!
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
I haven't posted much lately but I've been following the site as usual and it seems even the interest among our dedicated fans has waned. I for one am excited for the game, got some premium level seats and can't wait.
I think a win against Russia should we achieve it might do a bit to restore interest in the game. Many sports fans in this country are event junkies. If we were looking like qualifying for a tournament I'd say the buzz would come back. Although its a little sad that that is what it would take (there are countries who have never qualified for a tournament but there is always excitement when their national sides play), I would love to see the game I love restored to the place where I think it deserves to be.
"No regrets, none at all. My only regret is that we went out on penalties. That's my only regret. But no, no regrets." -Mick McCarthy
Very true.
I think people are being a bit premature about the Irish fans not being up for this game. Rightly or wrongly, a lot of the buzz is generated by the media, the tabloids, the news stations, broadsheets, everyone. Who, have been a little bit preoccupied with all things Ryder Cup at the moment. It'll crank up over the next few days, mark my words, I'm fricking nervous as hell already. It'll be a full house Friday despite the €90/Norway ticket price. Come on Ireland!
Things are a bit autumnal at the moment. Wait until the fair weather returns.
if such apathy exists in Ireland then it is just part of the global problem. People who are suffering from the recession are losing patience with the spoilt, overpaid, forgive my french, a*seholes who play the game today. National pride, in football terms, is disappearing too. It is a bother for players.
Tell that to the crowd in Drogheda that were burning Meath flags that night!
It will be interesting how the Friday night game works, should be good. I think its well the game is away, Friday isnt so good. Although the Armenia game was the exception rather than the rule, as it kicked off at a poor time for tv.
I guess at this moment in time, people have more pressing worries on their mind than who plays left full for ireland.
Always look on the bright side of life
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