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Why did you choose to support your team?

135

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,219 ✭✭✭invincibleirish


    Thanks for that. My Da was Padraig Pearse, so there.

    I think I said that it's an old argument and I just let people be, but it's still something I believe in.

    I've lived in various cities and countries due to the nature of my work.
    Newcastle when the team is doing well is a fantastic place to be. Milan when either of the teams are playing too.
    Ditto for Baltimore and the Orioles or Philadelphia and the Eagles.
    It's a fantastic thing to behold when a town or region gets behind a team that's their own. It's special and hard to describe, but it's absolutely, without mistake, part of what gives the city and its people their identity. Ask anyone that's lived in those places, it's part of what binds them.
    We get something similar with the GAA - not so much in Dublin though, only here and there.

    We've kinda traded that in, that passion, that sense of belonging, for some plastic version of it and I would say that we're missing something because of it.
    I will honestly never understand why a man from Athlone or Mallow will deck himself out in Liverpool or Manchester United colours and live or die for a team that's in another country and call them 'we'. Why you would invest that much passion into something that's not your own. I just don't get it. Never have, probably never will.

    People think that because they do it and all their mates do too, there's nothing odd about it, but there is as far as I can see. If you're not English and you're wearing an English top and say 'we', I think you look daft. Sorry, but I do.

    I'll be watching the match tomorrow night with everyone else down the pub and hoping for a good game. And I'll probably still see 4 or 5 Premiership games next year too, I just don't care what end I'll be standing in.
    The real buzz for me will be in Parnell, Tolka or Croke Park(s) though, cos they're my teams.

    I'm not having a go, it's just what I think.

    Fair enough, in fact i would agree with some of your sentiment, but ultimately you equate following an English team with wanting to be English and by extension, less Irish. Im sure you can understand how offensive that notion is to plenty of no doubt pride Irish people who follow Premier League clubs, myself included, i also go to Croke park, Pairc ui Chaoimh, Pairc Rinn etc.Not so muc h Turners X anymore....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 150 ✭✭Crapjob Sean


    I've just seen that supporting your local team reinforces your local identity, and I have to think that putting all your sporting passion into a foreign one, attaches you to an identity that is not your own.
    I apologise if that offends anyone, but it's how I see it.

    Each to their own though. One of my best friends flies to Liverpool for every home game. I'd like to have some kind of intervention for the lad but no one's arsed.

    (My Da's not really Padraig Pearse btw)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    ecksor wrote: »
    I was basically a neutral until I ended up living in Reading for a few years so I started following them.
    :eek:
    ...
    You forgot to mention that team in your sig ;)

    Well, I grew up in a Liverpool house, my dad and his dad.

    I went with Manchester United, mainly because of Robson.

    Then I went to see Shels play Karpaty Lvov sometime in the 90s and started going to matches, but then a job in which I was working Fridays kicked in, and my LoI interest fell by the wayside, my brother (also Liverpool) kept up the interest though, then I changed jobs and was able to go again. That was the beginning of the end as far as EPL went for me.

    I felt more of a genuine connection to Shels, seeing them week-in week-out, the players not being Prima Donnas helped too. You could have a chat after a game, jaysis when we won leagues the players would be in the bar handing around the league trophy full of booze.

    Started working for the club on a voluntary basis too, and when the shít hit the fan I bought into the Supporters Group to keep the club alive.

    Shels is a part of me that no other club could be. There were tears in my eyes the night we won the League back in '06, knowing it was all about to collapse around us, but we bounced back, and 18 months and a demotion on, we are starting to come round, slowly.

    We'll be back.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,493 ✭✭✭eddiehead


    I first took an interest in Chelsea around 03/04 when the money got here, then when they won the league for the first time i knew i was a true blue!! :p
    Not really, but I get that a lot.

    I was never much of a soccer fan til I was around 12 or 13, but when I did watch I was amazed by Zola, he quickly became my favourite player and from there i took an interest in Chelsea, I was a big fan of Desailly too. I dont claim to be a lifelong supporter or be "part of the club"(ala DesF, fairplay to ya btw), but im certainly no fanboy who jumped on the abramovich bandwagon


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 505 ✭✭✭DerKaiser


    I first became aware of them in about '89 when I got a (cor!) Commodore 64 for my birthday, Commodore were the shirt sponsors at the time, but I wasn't into footie as a kid, it wasn't until Italia '90 that I started watching football, and I saw one or two games that didn't impress me (Mostly involving Dave Beasant in goals) and that horrible cup final in '94, but by that stage I had warmed to them, and it was one cup game in late '95 (I think) I saw Dennis Wise and Ruud Gullit in midfield together and they had me spellbound, it was probably around '93 I had decided I was a fan, but that match nailed the blue colours to my mast, then Zola arrived. End of story.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,890 ✭✭✭SectionF


    It's striking how many of these responses are of the 'happened to be on the telly' (because they were winning things) or even on a games console, at a time when I was sensitive to such things.

    Surely following a team goes deeper than that? I'm really trying not to be preachy here, as I'll happily watch EPL and CL, but we do literally need a reality check.

    Think about it: football on television actually is not football. And you need to be clear about whether you like football, or just like television.

    Sitting there watching ManU steamroll Wigan or whatever financial pygmies are this week's victims may be entertaining and engaging, but you are not at a match, nor are you part of the event. You are on a sofa or, indeed, on a bar stool hundreds or, as is often the case these days, thousands of miles away. If you have a heart attack and fall off your barstool, not only will no one actually connected with the event or club care, no one, whether they are in Dublin, Manchester or Shanghai, will know.

    As for saying I'd go to Old Trafford/Stamford Bridge more if I could afford it, isn't that the point? You don't live there, they haven't invented the technology affordably to beam you there yet. So it's not real to follow that team exclusively at the expense of a team where you do live.

    Football is about the game being played as a real sport, for real people and communities, in places you can touch and feel. Television is about looking at things happening very, very far away.

    Now, what time is kick-off in Moscow?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 505 ✭✭✭DerKaiser


    I follow Bohs too mate, but we have to be totally honest, the majority of fans in this country are gonna watch the premier league as the quality of football is light years ahead of the Eircom league, I don't watch TV at all, saving live footie and rugger, so, no you're wrong, I hate TV and I love football, kick off in Moscow is 10:45, making it 7:45 here


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,890 ✭✭✭SectionF


    DerKaiser wrote: »
    I follow Bohs too mate, but we have to be totally honest, the majority of fans in this country are gonna watch the premier league as the quality of football is light years ahead of the Eircom league, I don't watch TV at all, saving live footie and rugger, so, no you're wrong, I hate TV and I love football, kick off in Moscow is 10:45, making it 7:45 here
    You love football on TV. You also follow a local team in a league that can never hope to compete in terms of player quality with the richest league in the world. That's what I do too.
    But most Irish football fans exclusively follow it on television (or on games consoles) and I think that tells us something.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 150 ✭✭Crapjob Sean


    DerKaiser wrote: »
    I follow Bohs too mate, but we have to be totally honest, the majority of fans in this country are gonna watch the premier league as the quality of football is light years ahead of the Eircom league, I don't watch TV at all, saving live footie and rugger, so, no you're wrong, I hate TV and I love football, kick off in Moscow is 10:45, making it 7:45 here

    I think his final question may have been for rhetorical effect.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 45,643 ✭✭✭✭Mr.Nice Guy


    Became captivated by Man Utd from seeing them on TV and began rooting for them whenever they were on. I think it dismayed my Dad as he was more partial towards Arsenal. When he realised I was staying a United fan though he bought me lots of magazines and United tapes. I also absolutely idolised Mark Hughes and he was my favourite player. Later on it was Roy Keane.

    Don't feel a great affinity with my local team Bohs but I like to see them do well since my grandad was a big fan and since a lot of my mates from school followed them.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 395 ✭✭albertw


    Supported ManU as a kid but grew out of that rubbish 1991 ;-)

    Was in school when Rovers and Galway were in the cup final in Lansdown Rd. At the time Rovers played in the RDS which was close to the school and there were plenty of Hoops fans there too.

    Lost the final but have supported Rovers ever since. You kind of get hooked on live football and meeting up to go to games etc. etc. Now that the fans own the club its all the better!

    As for football on TV - MNS RTE 2 Monday 8pm :-)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,103 ✭✭✭estebancambias


    I'm Irish but somehow I manged to first support Bohemians and the Irish national team.

    My interest in Bohs went, then came back...went and has sort of come back(but I sort of just go to random matches)

    The only team I really care for is Ireland. If Ireland miss a penalty I cry...if Ireland concede in the last second in the US puppet state I go into a state of depression.

    I also always had time for Dynamo Kyiv and I think after Ireland it was the second jersey I got from my uncle from Ukraine.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,951 ✭✭✭DSB


    SectionF wrote: »
    It's striking how many of these responses are of the 'happened to be on the telly' (because they were winning things) or even on a games console, at a time when I was sensitive to such things.

    Surely following a team goes deeper than that? I'm really trying not to be preachy here, as I'll happily watch EPL and CL, but we do literally need a reality check.

    Think about it: football on television actually is not football. And you need to be clear about whether you like football, or just like television.

    Sitting there watching ManU steamroll Wigan or whatever financial pygmies are this week's victims may be entertaining and engaging, but you are not at a match, nor are you part of the event. You are on a sofa or, indeed, on a bar stool hundreds or, as is often the case these days, thousands of miles away. If you have a heart attack and fall off your barstool, not only will no one actually connected with the event or club care, no one, whether they are in Dublin, Manchester or Shanghai, will know.

    As for saying I'd go to Old Trafford/Stamford Bridge more if I could afford it, isn't that the point? You don't live there, they haven't invented the technology affordably to beam you there yet. So it's not real to follow that team exclusively at the expense of a team where you do live.

    Football is about the game being played as a real sport, for real people and communities, in places you can touch and feel. Television is about looking at things happening very, very far away.

    Now, what time is kick-off in Moscow?
    Excellent post.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,103 ✭✭✭estebancambias


    I disagree.

    Watching a game on your own arugably could mean you are more of a fan of football. You don't have anything to excite you(fan chanting, general atmosphere) the only thing you have is the tv and yourself. I know this is the reason I don't attend some Ireland games because I want to see how the match plays out. I just can't do this when I go to a game. I'm going to the Ireland game on Saturday for the atmosphere...I will rush home on the Bus and watch it again on RTE TWO to actually experience the match.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,951 ✭✭✭DSB


    Watching a game on your own arugably could mean you are more of a fan of football.

    I know you have supported it decently enough, but I still think thats one of the most bizarre opinions I've heard.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,103 ✭✭✭estebancambias


    Sorry what I mean is that some could think this. From an Irish perspective this is clearly not the case, as Irish league attendances indicate.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    I could have supported someone else I suppose, but I would have been beaten up even more often by my big brother.

    In Portsmouth you don't get too much choice regarding who you support :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,224 ✭✭✭ironictoaster


    A lot of my family supported Liverpool, I wanted to be different I started supporting Man Utd just annoy them at first but, eventually they grew on me.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,985 ✭✭✭✭Gavin "shels"


    I'm going to the Ireland game on Saturday for the atmosphere.

    With the exception of a Mexican wave, a round of "You boys in green", "Fields of Athenry" (with the usual muppets adding in IRA and Sinn Fein) and if you're luckly and we loss then you get a round of booing.:rolleyes:
    Sorry what I mean is that some could think this. From an Irish perspective this is clearly not the case, as Irish league attendances indicate.

    Just a note:
    Irish League = Northern Irish League
    League of Ireland = Rep. Ireland League


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,103 ✭✭✭estebancambias


    With the exception of a Mexican wave, a round of "You boys in green", "Fields of Athenry" (with the usual muppets adding in IRA and Sinn Fein) and if you're luckly and we loss then you get a round of booing.:rolleyes:

    You're right, but I don't so much mean a vibrant Fernabache-esque atmosphere just the general feeling of being at the Ireland match.

    I don't mind so much the Sinn Fein aspect of the song...but the IRA bit annoys me, but only because the people who chant it probably have no idea what they are chanting about.




    Just a note:
    Irish League = Northern Irish League
    League of Ireland = Rep. Ireland League


    I don't recognise Northern Ireland, thus Ireland has only one league.....well partially true.:)


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,700 ✭✭✭brayblue24


    My mother went in to Dublin around 1974 ( I was 7 ) and brought me out a light blue T Shirt with white collar and sleeves - so I became Colin Bell. Why oh why did she have to do it? She could have got a red one and I would have been Kevin Keegan, that would have made for a happier life....

    ... then I moved to Bray and started supporting them. Why oh why did I have to do it? I could have moved to Drumcondra/Fairview, that would have made for a happier life....

    ... then I saw a Barcelona jersey. Why oh why............


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 13,016 ✭✭✭✭jank


    Live close to the X so its Cork City for me.

    And of course Arsenal. Saw some player of theirs score a great goal sometime in 1988/1989 when i was 8. Can't even remember who it was (think it was Michael Thomas), but what got me hooked was his celebration. He did this mad aerial twisty turny summersault thing. Never seen anything like it before (maybe i should have gotten out more!:D)
    It was Arsenal all the way with their yellow strip for me!:)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭Havermeyer


    I'm a Man U fan. I wasn't given a choice really. My grandfather had been a Man U fan for years and years. My mam, in turn, is also a Man U fan, so I was dragged into it; not that I'm complaining. :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,985 ✭✭✭✭Gavin "shels"


    brayblue24 wrote: »

    ... then I moved to Bray and started supporting them. Why oh why did I have to do it? I could have moved to Drumcondra/Fairview, that would have made for a happier life....

    Indeed you could be supporting Shels.:eek:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,920 ✭✭✭evad_lhorg


    Oldest brother is a United fan, next brother is a Liverpool fan. they had a small recruitment thing goin when I was six. the United brother won and im so glad he did! :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,087 ✭✭✭hunter164


    Indeed you could be supporting Shels.:eek:



    Gav is the Southside Red Recruitment.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 41,077 ✭✭✭✭Xavi6


    SectionF wrote: »
    It's striking how many of these responses are of the 'happened to be on the telly' (because they were winning things) or even on a games console, at a time when I was sensitive to such things.

    Surely following a team goes deeper than that? I'm really trying not to be preachy here, as I'll happily watch EPL and CL, but we do literally need a reality check.

    Think about it: football on television actually is not football. And you need to be clear about whether you like football, or just like television.

    Sitting there watching ManU steamroll Wigan or whatever financial pygmies are this week's victims may be entertaining and engaging, but you are not at a match, nor are you part of the event. You are on a sofa or, indeed, on a bar stool hundreds or, as is often the case these days, thousands of miles away. If you have a heart attack and fall off your barstool, not only will no one actually connected with the event or club care, no one, whether they are in Dublin, Manchester or Shanghai, will know.

    As for saying I'd go to Old Trafford/Stamford Bridge more if I could afford it, isn't that the point? You don't live there, they haven't invented the technology affordably to beam you there yet. So it's not real to follow that team exclusively at the expense of a team where you do live.

    Football is about the game being played as a real sport, for real people and communities, in places you can touch and feel. Television is about looking at things happening very, very far away.

    Now, what time is kick-off in Moscow?

    While I agree with you in as lot of what you've said, it all boils down to exposure. Put it this way, if my Dad hadn't taken me to Tolka Park when I was 4 I probably wouldn't have discovered League of Ireland football until I was about 10 and was old enough to stay up til half 10 or whatever on a Friday night to go to a game. Contrast that with the Premier League. By the time I was 10 I was hooked on City because I had easy access to them either through live games or Match of the Day re-runs on a Sunday morning before I went to my own game.

    The first thing a kid sees in a sports shop is a United jersey, or the latest boots worn by Cristiano Ronaldo. Turn on the tv and Thierry Henry is promoting a new car, or the next Ford Super Sunday is being bigged up. Where is the eL in all this? Why aren't Jason Byrne or George O'Callaghan doing Lucozade ads instead of Damien Duff? That's where the problems lie.

    Look, if your average run of the mill football fan has the opportunity to sit in front of the tv with four or five mates and a pizza and a six pack in the fridge then they are more likely to do that than freeze their balls off in Dalyer on a cold Friday in February. Right or wrong that's the way things are and it's unfair to put the blame squarely on Average Joe who just wants to watch a bit of football.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 13,016 ✭✭✭✭jank


    Think about it: football on television actually is not football. And you need to be clear about whether you like football, or just like television.

    So true. Football on TV is an event to be watched. Unfortunately for the EL the PL is sexy and attacts all the plaudits making the job to promote the EL much harder. The EL's quality has come on leaps and bounds in the last ten years but people dont give much of a toss about it. They would prefer to have their heine in a nice comfy chair watching United vs Wigan rather then go do the road and expereince real football where they can get invovled, all be it at a slightly less quality.

    Its Ireland in the 21st century.:(


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    jank wrote: »
    Football on TV is an event to be watched. Unfortunately for the EL the PL is sexy and attacts all the plaudits making the job to promote the EL much harder.
    Absolutely. Stick Pat's and Boh's in Anfield in front of a full house with all the Sky Sports trickery and then maybe you'll attract a few more bar-stoolers.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 761 ✭✭✭grahamo


    Manchester United. Parents moved from Dublin to Manchester to work in the 60's (No jobs here). I was born in Manchester. My whole family are United fans.


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