The Peculiarities of the Irish Sports “Fan” and what it means for the future

Dots1982

Blogged on the topic in the subject line at https://veryintobloggingveryintonewmedia.wordpress.com/, its not exclusively about GAA until the conclusion. The pointsI wish to raise with writing the piece

- foremostly what does it mean to be a sports supporter
- the scarcity of quality live sporting events to attend in ireland and how people get round it
- the vacuum caused by this scarcity and how it could be filled by the GAA

One of the most intense experiences you can go through in the course of normal life is attending a sports event that you are heavily emotionally invested in. The great thing about sport which separates it from normal forms of entertainment and stimulation is that nothing is pre-ordained. Anything no matter how unlikely is still a possibility. There is one essential ingredient that will always be required if you are to find yourself being a wreck in your Hogan Stands or Shed Ends while bearing witness to a sporting event. That ingredient is time.

Time makes the heart grow fonder. Indeed it does but it also makes the sports fan grow more emotional. Emotional is a broad term I’ve deliberately used. My first and greatest love when it comes to sport is for the Irish international football team. The emotions started around 1991. I’d say the first emotion was interest. Then dedication, pride & hope followed as I and thousands like me rode out the Charlton Years. Slowly through the McCarthy era for every one positive emotion there was always two or three negative ones. Normally hope was the positive emotion and the negative ones were an assortment of “pains” such as frustration, anger, disbelief, rage & disgust. Very rarely was outright joy ever experienced in the 20 or so years of following the national team’s fortunes. Alan Mcloughlin’s equaliser at Windsor Park in 1993 that got us to USA94 is probably still the closest thing to actual joy it ever brought me and that was tinged with a rage that our own compatriots in the North could take dedicate themselves with such zeal to preventing us from qualifying. Jason McAteer’s goal vs the Dutch at the old Lansdowne road in 2001 was another moment of joy. These rare glimpses of positivity could only be enjoyed through enduring the last minute qualifier equalisers away to Macedonia, Israel etc or the nil all home draws to Iceland or Lithuania. It’s like what Christian Bale’s character says to Mark Wahlberg’s at the pivotal moment of the movie The Fighter “use all the **** that you’ve been through, all that ****in’ hell, all the **** we’ve gone through over the ****in’ years”. Maybe that’s why we were so good as supporters in Poland. We knew what we had come through to get there. We weren’t the same as the rest. Not like the Spanish who supported their team for the alien concept that it was a pleasure to watch their side in action. We had done the time, we had earned it and we weren’t going to allow anything, not even being by some way the worst team in the tournament stop us from making our mark and grabbing the limelight.

So the point of my reliving of personal experiences supporting the Boys in Green is to demonstrate my original gambit. That to truly understand what it means to support a sporting entity it doesn’t occur quickly and incidentally but through painful, steady emotional drawdowns that lead to you being eventually consumed by the fortunes of that sporting entity.

What I’m describing is what I would argue is the only way of truly supporting a sports team or individual but it could also be described as sporting snobbery. Surely there are other parts of attending a sports event that provide enjoyment and stimulation. Seeing sports stars perform at their optimum with skills that can be marvelled at is surely another way to enjoy sport. For instance you don’t need to know anything about the actors or directors of a film to like a movie. Is sport not the same? Well no, I would argue it’s not. Sport without a context of understanding the various subplots at stake in the contest you’re watching has no real value. Would I watch Barcelona vs Real Madrid for just a visual feast for the eyes, possibly but debatable. Would I watch Newcastle vs Hull City just for the sake of it, with no real interest in who wins or loses just to appreciate the skills exhibited by the players. No I don’t think many of us would. We watch these games to keep tabs on our Fantasy football players, for something to talk about with mates in case something interesting happens, maybe because we have a bet on the outcome of the game or there is a player the club or country we support are linked with playing in the game and so we get an ‘IN’ to the game that way. So while there is a multitude of reasons for watching a sports event, I think that the sportsmen being very good at what they do is normally down the list.

So after considering this, I have to ask myself where do I stand with the latest Phenom in Irish sport; Conor McGregor. Conor competes in a sport that has no history in Ireland; Mixed Martial Arts. When I was in school, kids that went to karate class were normally bullied for doing so or were attending the Karate because they were already bullied and had watched too much of the Karate Kid. But now he is the hottest new name in Irish sport having sold the O2 out this summer and has designs on fighting in the Aviva stadium. I wish McGregor the best and he’s certainly in the best shape I’ve ever seen any Irish sportsman in. At the same time it is clearly a bandwagon built on hype rather than utter devotion from fans. If McGregor was beaten in his next fight, I find it hard to believe many of the ticket buyers would be genuinely devastated the way for example fans of Mayo will be if they end up losing another All Ireland final next month. McGregor is unashamedly fixated on getting as rich as possible as quickly as possible. He has arguably done more to promote himself and his sport than the GAA and the Irish Amateur boxing fraternity combined. It’s a formula that works in terms of establishing himself as a box-office draw but personally the whole thing rings a bit hollow for me and the ticket buyers are more consumers than supporters as far as I can see given the “overnight sensation” feel to it and the lack of any kind of background to MMA in this country.

Conor McGregor is at least Irish and he is a character one can root for. The Croke Park Classic coming up next Saturday is something beyond the beyond of what I understand attending a sports event to be. The event for the uninitiated is an American College football game between Florida and Penn State. Any angle I’ve mentioned as an “in” to a sports event does not exist in this fixture yet it is close to a sell out. Unless any Florida fans or players get to experience rain for the first time, I can’t see how anyone present is going to take away anything magical from attending.

Irish fans of attending live sport are subject to a vacuum due to the absence of an appealing domestic soccer scene. GAA & rugby fill this to an extent but rugby is still seen as an upper-middle class game and similarly GAA is a sport for bogwarriors as construed by a certain demographic. So fans compromise by hopping aboard bandwagons such as Conor McGregor or even Leinster rugby since the largest sporting event Ireland has ever hosted is the Special Olympics. Unfortunately this is unlikely to change anytime soon, there is fanciful talk of Ireland hosting the Rugby world cup with much citing of our GAA stadiums. A lot of work to be done is where I’ll leave my views on our prospects of how our national and sporting infrastructure would cope with hosting a huge event like that.
We, the irish, love the buzz of a big event be it a sports one or say a concert by a Country & Western singer who was big in the 90’s. The domestic soccer scene was a lost cause thirty years ago and is still in the same state now. The Rugby scene is very attractive to daytrippers but limited by their being only 4 elite teams in Ireland. So you’ve got to wonder is the GAA making the most of the potential of their sports and the love of Irish people to attend and enjoy the big days out. Clearly in the football championship there is a feeling that things only get going when it’s almost over. If the GAA can come up with a championship structure that will prolong the buzz of August and September for the whole summer or beyond then they might go further than ever before in killing off support in this country for Non-GAA, Non-Equine based sports.

Time will tell but if the GAA are brave and ignore tradition and focus solely on what will make the sport more popular with the public then I think the next five to ten years could break new ground in the history of GAA and give them a stranglehold of sport in this country way beyond what they already have.

Stoner

Good points there.

Also if the GAA could create a decent structure where someone from any county could have a better chance at a playing at the highest level for a sustained period of time each season.

Also a red card would not be a serious if there were more important games to play in rather than an almost knock out competition being the height of players season and the focus of all their training.

Awkward Badger

One huge problem with the McGregor argument and bandwagons is that MMA is an individual sport. To be emotionally invested in a fight usually involves money on the outcome not personally attachment to one fighter, its the same with boxing. People in general tune in for the one off big fights. Individual sport is a world apart from teams sports. Where people associate with and become invested in a team, particularly a regional team or club they feel part of as a fan. They buy the merchandise they know the players, its more than just events, there's a season to follow etc.

I think all sports rely on the bandwagon effect and will experience a drop off in interest during bad times. Leinster had success and this led to more exposure and more interests and more fans. If any county's hurling team were to suddenly achieve some amount of success there would be an increase in exposure in that county, more interest and more hurling fans. There's plenty of people who will go to GAA finals and such who wouldn't have any interest in the games played during the season. The opposite will occur when the teams have an extended bad patch.

I don't think the Rugby World Cup hope is fanciful at all either. Its not like the Soccer World Cup. There are only so many nations who are likely to get it and Ireland has a vote which means a certain amount of bargaining power and they are in a good position to host it. I think there's a decent chance and it would be a great boost for everyone. Also you seem very dismissive of Rugby. Rugby is not just a sport attractive to day trippers. The fact that there are 4 elite teams covering the 4 provinces and competing in and winning a multi nation league as well as a European cup imo sets it apart from most other games in Ireland. On the back of it there is an international team that also competes at the highest level of the sport. Rugby is growing and is breaking out of the old upper class game sterotype. I'd be surprised if in the future if the trickle down effect of success at International and and European levels combined with it being a professional sport with good money from the success Rugby is managing doesn't lead to a greater demand to play the sport at the lower levels.

So I'm not so sure there is any missed opportunity for GAA in that regard.

Dots1982

Awkward Badger wrote: »

One huge problem with the McGregor argument and bandwagons is that MMA is an individual sport. To be emotionally invested in a fight usually involves money on the outcome not personally attachment to one fighter, its the same with boxing. People in general tune in for the one off big fights. Individual sport is a world apart from teams sports. Where people associate with and become invested in a team, particularly a regional team or club they feel part of as a fan. They buy the merchandise they know the players, its more than just events, there's a season to follow etc.

So you are saying McGregor isn't a bandwagon because people support him in huge numbers and this is unusual for an individual athlete. Just want to be sure that's your argument? If it is I can see your point but I think certain Tennis players for instance have a huge support but its not a bandwagon as the reason they support these players is that they like the way the person plays Tennis. I think the Mcgregor thing is a bandwagon in my opinion because all of a sudden people care about MMA where most people in ireland have never followed it or done it or any other combat sport so they follow it for the "craic" and the party. I think if you asked a lot of people who support McGregor about McGregor's rivals they wouldn't be able to name many of them never mind critique them. That's what I mean about it being hollow and to some degree artificial. This is not running down McGregor who I complement in my piece.


I think all sports rely on the bandwagon effect and will experience a drop off in interest during bad times. Leinster had success and this led to more exposure and more interests and more fans. If any county's hurling team were to suddenly achieve some amount of success there would be an increase in exposure in that county, more interest and more hurling fans. There's plenty of people who will go to GAA finals and such who wouldn't have any interest in the games played during the season. The opposite will occur when the teams have an extended bad patch.

OK the key reason why GAA isn't a Bandwagon is that counties will always be on a high or low so people will always come out and support the "sport" and attendances will always be consisent as there is no way every county can do badly. Horseracing is another sport that isn't a bandwagon. People will always go because it is just ingrained in Irish people's culture. Attendances may fall and rise but the sport has no chance of becoming anything close to a small draw.


I don't think the Rugby World Cup hope is fanciful at all either. Its not like the Soccer World Cup. There are only so many nations who are likely to get it and Ireland has a vote which means a certain amount of bargaining power and they are in a good position to host it. I think there's a decent chance and it would be a great boost for everyone. Also you seem very dismissive of Rugby. Rugby is not just a sport attractive to day trippers. The fact that there are 4 elite teams covering the 4 provinces and competing in and winning a multi nation league as well as a European cup imo sets it apart from most other games in Ireland. On the back of it there is an international team that also competes at the highest level of the sport. Rugby is growing and is breaking out of the old upper class game sterotype. I'd be surprised if in the future if the trickle down effect of success at International and and European levels combined with it being a professional sport with good money from the success Rugby is managing doesn't lead to a greater demand to play the sport at the lower levels.

I would be surprised if we host a rugby world cup in the near future. We can as a shared country with Thomond and Croker park and the Aviva but as a single bid we are going to have to host them in provincial GAA grounds. Provincial GAA grounds are in my opinion almost without exception, complete kips.

With regards to rugby, the four elite teams I meant were Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Ireland. I didn't class Connacht as elite in terms of their brand or support.

Secondly I called Rugby upper middle class not upper class. I think that's fair. Perhaps progress can be made to make it a working class game but so far that movement hasn't produced anyone yet in terms of a working class elite rugby player.

Big Rugby events are to be honest IMO a "couples day out" to a lot of people which is fine but its missing a lot in terms of atmosphere. I admit to sporting snobbery in my piece. I just think that if Irish rugby were to fall in its pecking order to being at Scotland's current level, support would drop off a cliff. Hence what I mean by it being a very successful bandwagon.

So I'm not so sure there is any missed opportunity for GAA in that regard.

GAA has a few problems, hurling being the 5th of worst sport in certain counties, In football: a growing gap between the good and the bad teams, not enough big games between the big teams in the championship. If the GAA can overcome these issues (which will be very hard to overcome) they can really become even bigger than they are already

Answers above

Awkward Badger

Dots1982 wrote: »

So you are saying McGregor isn't a bandwagon because people support him in huge numbers and this is unusual for an individual athlete. Just want to be sure that's your argument? If it is I can see your point but I think certain Tennis players for instance have a huge support but its not a bandwagon as the reason they support these players is that they like the way the person plays Tennis. I think the Mcgregor thing is a bandwagon in my opinion because all of a sudden people care about MMA where most people in ireland have never followed it or done it or any other combat sport so they follow it for the "craic" and the party. I think if you asked a lot of people who support McGregor about McGregor's rivals they wouldn't be able to name many of them never mind critique them. That's what I mean about it being hollow and to some degree artificial. This is not running down McGregor who I complement in my piece.

No I accept that a large part of the interest in McGregor is from bandwagon fans. As you say MMA has exploded here very fast simply because of him and when he goes a lot of it will go with him. I just think given the difference between individual sports and team sports I'm not sure its of that much relevance to the GAA or other team sports given an individual sportsperson for the most part lives and dies on his current reputation whereas a team support will invest long term and consider themselves as part of the club in a way they can never be part of an individuals success.

OK the key reason why GAA isn't a Bandwagon is that counties will always be on a high or low so people will always come out and support the "sport" and attendances will always be consisent as there is no way every county can do badly. Horseracing is another sport that isn't a bandwagon. People will always go because it is just ingrained in Irish people's culture. Attendances may fall and rise but the sport has no chance of becoming anything close to a small draw.

I don't think you can call any sport a bandwagon sport though. I'm not calling GAA a bandwagon sport but there is definitely aspects of it that draw short term and temporary interest from people. All Ireland final for example is an event, a lot of people like events and want to go even if they are not die hard fans who followed every game. This is the same as any other big event in any other sport. Whether its the next UFC main event, Heineken Cup Final, some Irish team reaching a big game in the Champions league qualifiers etc. People get drawn to big events.

But I agree GAA more than others is embedded in communities and there is a huge fan base there regardless. But it still needs more new support, more people buying jerseys, more people attending games regularly etc

I would be surprised if we host a rugby world cup in the near future. We can as a shared country with Thomond and Croker park and the Aviva but as a single bid we are going to have to host them in provincial GAA grounds. Provincial GAA grounds are in my opinion almost without exception, complete kips.

You'd have Croker, Aviva, Ravenhill, Thomand, RDS etc plus with such an event coming there would be investment in other grounds to avoid having to use kips. There was also talk of maybe including Scotland or Wales in the bid and having a few games there. It may not happen but the idea isn't as fanciful as it sounds I don't think.

With regards to rugby, the four elite teams I meant were Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Ireland. I didn't class Connacht as elite in terms of their brand or support.

Well Connacht are a professional team competing in the Rabo as well as the others and recently competing in the Heineken Cup. They have a great core support and they are improving and growing. As a brand and support wise they may not be as big as the others but in terms of Irish rugby I'd certainly consider them equals to the other provincial teams. They certainly wouldn't be better regarded as anything like an AIL team.

Secondly I called Rugby upper middle class not upper class. I think that's fair. Perhaps progress can be made to make it a working class game but so far that movement hasn't produced anyone yet in terms of a working class elite rugby player.

Its fair to a point but as I said its changing. The changes in support and interest will translate to a change in player base. But that change will take a bit longer. The best facilities and people are more than likely in the traditional rugby playing schools. So for the time being players coming through those schools will stand a better chance of making it. But it is changing and the game is expanding well beyond the upper middle class game its considered to be.

Big Rugby events are to be honest IMO a "couples day out" to a lot of people which is fine but its missing a lot in terms of atmosphere. I admit to sporting snobbery in my piece. I just think that if Irish rugby were to fall in its pecking order to being at Scotland's current level, support would drop off a cliff. Hence what I mean by it being a very successful bandwagon.

I don't think that's a fair statement at all to make about Rugby and not other sports. The All Ireland Final and Provincial finals are no different in that regard. There's not 80k people trying to get tickets for every GAA game at every level. There will be fans and there will be people there for the day out. Every big event in every big sport has this not just rugby. So you cannot write off all the international support as people having a day out.

I also think your view of the support dropping off if they dropped to Scotlands level is unfounded, I'm sure it would drop as would the support of any GAA team if they went through a bad streak. But the sport wouldn't drop off the map. Ireland's position has been up and down and the support ever there, Scotland are currently ranked 8th a position we occupied not too long ago after a very poor season.

Its not a successful bandwagon its a successful and expanding professional sport. It may not have the infrastructure of the GAA but its impriving all the time. Take the BOI deal with Leinster recently. 5 year 6 million euro sponsorship deal with the money being used to grow and promote the amateur game across all levels in Leinster.

With Rugby offering teams competing at the highest level of International, Provincial and European professional sport and investing in its infrastructure and promoting the amateur game across Ireland I don't see how the GAA have any opportunity to seal up sport in Ireland and strangle it out of the market.