Ireland is a pretend football country

Mad_maxx

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Flight of the Conchords, Kiri Tekanawa, Taika Waititi, off the top of my head. They've a good live music scene I lived there for a while but yes don't have the old writers and poets like Ireland had.
They're mad for rugby but the atmosphere is just terrible at All Blacks games. Netball is popular there too for some reason.

i was at a bledisloe cup game between the all blacks and Australia over twenty years ago in Christchurch , atmosphere would be better at a junior B GAA club match

probably down to kiwi dourness

Undertow

randd1 wrote: »

Sure what's the challenge in supporting the likes of United and Liverpool?

What you want is a challenge is a real challenge as a supporter. Try Sunderland. Will they win this weekend, will they lose? Will they get promoted? Will they get relegated? Will we get that striker on a free transfer? We will go tits up at the end of the year? That's the type of club to put you through the emotional ringer.

United, Liverpool,City, Chelsea, Spurs? Phhtt. "Sheffield United, should be three points."" The supporters of them side have it handy.

Saints supporter here- I can definitely relate!!

Omackeral

fryup wrote: »

Remember when niall quinn and the irish consortium took over at Sunderland and they drafted in Roy Keane as manager.....it was like half the country was supporting them overnight...but now??? nowhere to be seen or heard

we're a nation of bandwagoners (if that word exists)

SundIREland.

Omackeral

Undertow wrote: »

Saints supporter here- I can definitely relate!!

Always interested in the outliers. What made you support them?

chrissb8

Undertow wrote: »

Saints supporter here- I can definitely relate!!

Sunderland til I die is the best bit of comedy to hit Netflix in years.

One minute they're like "this is it we're back!" after two wins. And then get smashed 5 matches in a row and are flabbergasted.

Fair play though, must be a frustrating club to follow.

Undertow

Omackeral wrote: »

Always interested in the outliers. What made you support them?

Matt Le Tissier blew my mind with what he could do with a football and I loved the fact that everyone always wrote them off for relegation year after year and they always pulled off a miracle at the death! Just fell in love with the club in the early 90's and never looked back, but its been one hell of a rollercoaster ride!!

Aongus Von Bismarck

Football/Soccer certainly wouldn't be as engrained in Irish culture as it would be here in Germany. I once read an interesting perspective that Ireland moved from a primarily agricultural society to a knowledge based one, and didn't have a long history of men working in heavy industry which was the foundation for other clubs in places like England and Germany. The GAA is also so interwoven into Irish society that it's difficult to compete against. A paper last week mentioned that only one Limerick player had made the Munster Rugby youth academy system as youngsters are all back playing hurling, even in traditional rugby schools.

Finally, the average LoI diehard is a complete bore, and very off-putting for the more casual fan. Seems you need to have a chip on both shoulders to follow the local game in Ireland - usually mixed with tedious republican politics, Adidas Original runners, and a contempt for the GAA and culchies.

Lost Ormond

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Football/Soccer certainly wouldn't be as engrained in Irish culture as it would be here in Germany. I once read an interesting perspective that Ireland moved from a primarily agricultural society to a knowledge based one, and didn't have a long history of men working in heavy industry which was the foundation for other clubs in places like England and Germany. The GAA is also so interwoven into Irish society that it's difficult to compete against. A paper last week mentioned that only one Limerick player had made the Munster Rugby youth academy system as youngsters are all back playing hurling, even in traditional rugby schools.

Finally, the average LoI diehard is a complete bore, and very off-putting for the more casual fan. Seems you need to have a chip on both shoulders to follow the local game in Ireland - usually mixed with tedious republican politics, Adidas Original runners, and a contempt for the GAA and culchies.

The Munster Academy isnt getting players from Limerick as much because there is a huge rise in standards in other areas like West Cork, Waterford as much as the standards of coaching isnt good enough in Limerick. Hurlings rise may be part of that but of the so called traditional rugby schools in Limerick they always played all sports and in most of them to high enough level.

Feenix

doublejobbing 2 wrote: »

I've never been to a match in Britain. If I were to go to one in London frankly I'd head down Charlton Athletic or Millwall for a look (might keep my accent on the DL at Millwall mind :pac:) Just proper rough and ready stadiums and fans. If I were up North I'd sooner to head to Oldham or Bury (if they start again) than nod off watching rubbish like the derby yesterday.

In Scotland I'd probably rather visit Hibs over Celtic for a match, even though I was quite into Celtic back in the day (more in the CL than caring about the SPL). The reaction to finally having to go a season without winning everything available has been incredibly cringe from their fans.

Been to Charlton and Millwall. Charlton fans aren’t rough though, a lot of Millwall are but wouldn’t worry about the Irish accent. Lots of Second generation Paddies go the Den. Both great stadiums for a game as you say.

dxhound2005

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Finally, the average LoI diehard is a complete bore, and very off-putting for the more casual fan. Seems you need to have a chip on both shoulders to follow the local game in Ireland - usually mixed with tedious republican politics, Adidas Original runners, and a contempt for the GAA and culchies.

The average height of LoI supporters is 5'8". But nobody can compute their boring/interesting average. They are individual traits, which cannot be averaged. The ones I know are really interesting people.

Brian?

Omackeral wrote: »

Less publicised and less sectarian but still there.

It’s more like Everton and Liverpool than it is like the old firm though.

Feenix

Mad_maxx wrote: »

is the animosity between Hibs and Hearts as intense as that of the old firm ?

obviously two small sides by comparison with the Glasgow pairing so perhaps the rivalry is under reported ?

Great rivalry. You can tell it’s much more local than an OF game and can be edgier in a different way because they’ve more hooligans.
Hibs V Rangers is a great fixture for tension & atmosphere also.

EmmetSpiceland

dxhound2005 wrote: »

The average height of LoI supporters is 5'8". But nobody can compute their boring/interesting average. They are individual traits, which cannot be averaged. The ones I know are really interesting people.

The decline of Manchester United has been a real “boon” for the League of Ireland. The attendances at games, particularly those of Bohs and Rovers have been consistently high over the last few years.

With United now top of league, can’t see them winning it but credit where it’s due, it could spell disaster for LoI attendances once we’re back to “normal” live sports. All the ex-United fans will be dusting off their old jersey, stretching it over their protruding gut and saving their money for the pub on Sundays shouting at the TV.

Wouldn’t expect any less from such a fickle bunch. Hopefully they start to drop back down the table soon, for the League of Ireland’s sake.

thatsmighty

Soccer being played on every school playground in Ireland

Feenix

thatsmighty wrote: »

Soccer being played on every school playground in Ireland

That’s mighty

For Forks Sake

Omackeral wrote: »

Lee Chin played hurling, football and soccer for Wexford sure!

Sometimes in the same week

tastyt

[Deleted User] wrote: »

As a Kilkenny man, I had the same issue with regards to supporting Waterford. I've been to plenty of their games over the years but couldn't quite reconcile supporting Kilkenny in GAA and Waterford in soccer.

So while I keep the odd eye on how they're doing, I don't actively support them and my weekend mood doesn't teeter on a Waterford result.

This is such a bigger issue than people realise . Even if they don’t know it a lot of people have a county tribal feeling that they have been listening to since primary school, primarily thorough GAA.

There’s a lot of people who would love a league of Ireland team to support but as said above it doesn’t feel right supporting Waterford if from Kilkenny, Sligo or Galway if from Mayo , Limerick if you are from Tipp etc

Now you can call it stupid and say teams in these areas wouldn’t work , and they wouldn’t work overnight but it’s a long road to fix our football problem.

Our culture is a county colours/pride one in so many areas whether we like it or not. The majority of people will not support a team from a different county

Muahahaha

Mad_maxx wrote: »

i was at a bledisloe cup game between the all blacks and Australia over twenty years ago in Christchurch , atmosphere would be better at a junior B GAA club match

probably down to kiwi dourness

Funny that Ive seen the All Blacks play twice and the atmosphere was superb. First time was v Australia in Sydney at the new Olympic stadium in 2000, 110,000 people at it which is still a world record attendance for a rugby game. Will never forget Jonah Lomus performance, he was a beast. Second time was 2003 in Dunedins stadium 'the House of Pain' which is known as a fortress and the atmosphere was electric.

cms88 wrote: »

This is something i can never understand anf it's only said about GAA. You never hear someone who went to England to play soccer when they were young and it may not have worked out as being watsted to the GAA or anyone else

I think when people say playing GAA 'is a waste' what they are really referring to is a talented player putting all that dedication and hours in for little to no money when they might have went down the rugby or football route and made a proper living out of it. The GAA themselves have acknowledged they have lost players to rugby because of the money.

What a lot of people dont know as well is that there is a tax scheme for Irish rugby players whereby they can spend their career here and get a huge refund on a lot of the tax they pay at the end of it. Theres rugby lads who are earning 2-3 million euro over their career, pay half of it in tax but then at the end of it they get a whopping big cheque off Revenue as a refund which sets them up for the next stage of their life.

A GAA lad putting in similar hours has very little earning power in comparison, the top lads might get a few personal sponsorships but so do the top lads in rugby too anyway as well as a free car. Plus when a rugby career is over they can easily get parachuted into very well paying jobs with the companies who sponsor the teams (banking, insurance, Big 4 consultancies etc) whereas the GAA lad continues on as a teacher or Garda.

Thelonious Monk

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

usually mixed with tedious republican politics

Never seen anything remotely republican at LOI games, I hate all that stuff

IAMAMORON

I think a bit much is made of the competition from Rugby and GAA. I mean players will play whatever game they prefer at the time.

I remember when Dublin couldn't win an All Ireland. Lots of Dubs bemoaning the fact that soccer and rugby had robbed them of their best players. Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, Brian O'Driscoll, Denis Hickey even dudes like Johnny Sexton were all being blamed for Dublin not being able to win an All Ireland. Fast forward 10 years and all of a sudden the Dubs can't lose one. Seemingly soccer is now the big victim.

Cards on the table here, I know I quite enjoy bashing soccer, primarily Irish people who support the premiership. But I can live with it. Despite the fact that they are wasting their time both physically and emotionally. I actually miss having mammoth, hours long kick arounds on the playing fields during summer evenings. I enjoyed playing the game.

But watching tulips with Liverpool or Man U jerseys shouting at a television down the local really winds me up bigtime. What are you phucking doing , I mean really, please cop the phuck on?

IAMAMORON

I think the League of Arlan also suffers from an innate inverse snobbery which has it rotten to the core. It has almost developed into a form of unhealthy smugness. It lingers like an aura around its' disgruntled begrudging fans.

They are hell bent on supporting the game with a distinct chip on their shoulder, like it is some sort of a penance they have to serve for a few hours on their Friday night. I mean social distance is actually something that is not all that uncommon at your average LOI match.

If you ever get talking to a Pats, Hoops or Shels fan it is almost as if you are not worthy to talk to them about their relinquished plight? They kind of wallow in their pain and implore your sympathy. " Ah shore, we could gomplain yeknow but nowanna phuggin listen " .... your dam right I won't listen, that jersey didn't get a wash from last week either the bang of Bo off it ye smelly chunt,

Good luck.

Mad_maxx

thatsmighty wrote: »

Soccer being played on every school playground in Ireland

of course , we always played soccer at breaktime in both primary and secondary , never GAA , same story with us playing indoor soccer in my twenties every Wednesday after work , different story when it came to official organised matches , GAA dominated

participation numbers doesnt taken into account that fact that a kick around with your mates isnt organised sport

EmmetSpiceland

IAMAMORON wrote: »

If you ever get talking to a Pats, Hoops or Shels fan it is almost as if you are not worthy to talk to them about their relinquished plight? They kind of wallow in their pain and implore your sympathy. " Ah shore, we could gomplain yeknow but nowanna phuggin listen " .... your dam right I won't listen, that jersey didn't get a wash from last week either the bang of Bo off it ye smelly chunt.

Fair point(s), I, but if I’m honest, I’ve always found the Pats and, in particular, Shels fans to be fairly sound.

Contrast that with Rovers and, in particular, Bohs fans, though. Insufferable, and aggressive, would be the most accurate “terms” I’d apply to them. Best avoided, especially at the bar.

Omackeral

IAMAMORON wrote: »

If you ever get talking to a Pats, Hoops or Shels fan it is almost as if you are not worthy to talk to them about their relinquished plight? They kind of wallow in their pain and implore your sympathy. " Ah shore, we could gomplain yeknow but nowanna phuggin listen " .... your dam right I won't listen, that jersey didn't get a wash from last week either the bang of Bo off it ye smelly chunt,

Are they Jamaican?

Strumms

Mad_maxx wrote: »

huge number of Aston Villa fans or at least used to be , West Ham to a lesser extent , both very big clubs admittedly from a supporter standpoint

I know two Villa fans here, first guy 41 or 42 now...He starting supporting them in the 92/93 season as he was an ABU and Villa were vying with United for the title.... used to have nice bit of banter with him that season he was convinced until villa fell about 7 points behind that the title would be theirs, it almost killed him.

Second guy is about 65 now and lived in Birmingham for a couple of years in his 20’s.

I had an Irish swimming coach in my teens, Tony that professed to support Barnet. Think it was a windup but he used to know pre internet days some mad barnet facts and statistics... or at least he’d tell us they were facts.

NewbridgeIR

Omackeral wrote: »

Always interested in the outliers. What made you support them?

I know a couple who started following Southampton in 1983-1984 season - when they were league runners-up.

Quite a few Nottingham Forest fans who were 8 - 10 years old when they had the great success in 1978-1980.

Plenty Leeds fans in Ireland who are hitting 60 now and still talk about the team of the early 70s.

FA Cup finals were much bigger then and got people interested / following teams. My cousin's interest in Manchester City began with the 1969 FA Cup final. Because he was into them, I got interested a few years later in the Malcolm Allison era.

Spurs picked up a few in 1981/82 etc. And my next door neighbour became a Wimbledon fan in 1988 and never looked back

Stihl waters

Hamsterchops wrote: »

You wish.

GAA heads call it soccer so that Garlic Football (basically handball) gets the football moniker

You'll find in countries with their own brand of football such as America, Australia and countries like New Zealand who have rugby they'll call it soccer, I've never heard any irish person call it football, they may call football Gaa but will always refer to soccer as soccer

Lost Ormond

Muahahaha wrote: »

I think when people say playing GAA 'is a waste' what they are really referring to is a talented player putting all that dedication and hours in for little to no money when they might have went down the rugby or football route and made a proper living out of it. The GAA themselves have acknowledged they have lost players to rugby because of the money.

What a lot of people dont know as well is that there is a tax scheme for Irish rugby players whereby they can spend their career here and get a huge refund on a lot of the tax they pay at the end of it. Theres rugby lads who are earning 2-3 million euro over their career, pay half of it in tax but then at the end of it they get a whopping big cheque off Revenue as a refund which sets them up for the next stage of their life.

A GAA lad putting in similar hours has very little earning power in comparison, the top lads might get a few personal sponsorships but so do the top lads in rugby too anyway as well as a free car. Plus when a rugby career is over they can easily get parachuted into very well paying jobs with the companies who sponsor the teams (banking, insurance, Big 4 consultancies etc) whereas the GAA lad continues on as a teacher or Garda.

I wouldnt say its about all the hours that the GAA players put in for no monetary return as a waste but the waste of talent for so many other sports because there isnt the facilties and more importantly the opportunity to try most sports.
There isnt that many irish rugby players earning near 2-3 million in their career. Most earn far less than that. The average pro rugby career is only about 7 years and for most of that 7 years you will be in academy or on very small development or full contracts

IAMAMORON wrote: »

I think the League of Arlan also suffers from an innate inverse snobbery which has it rotten to the core. It has almost developed into a form of unhealthy smugness. It lingers like an aura around its' disgruntled begrudging fans.

They are hell bent on supporting the game with a distinct chip on their shoulder, like it is some sort of a penance they have to serve for a few hours on their Friday night. I mean social distance is actually something that is not all that uncommon at your average LOI match.

If you ever get talking to a Pats, Hoops or Shels fan it is almost as if you are not worthy to talk to them about their relinquished plight? They kind of wallow in their pain and implore your sympathy. " Ah shore, we could gomplain yeknow but nowanna phuggin listen " .... your dam right I won't listen, that jersey didn't get a wash from last week either the bang of Bo off it ye smelly chunt,

Good luck.

Quite a few do have a chip on the shoulder but would you blame them?

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

I know a couple who started following Southampton in 1983-1984 season - when they were league runners-up.

Quite a few Nottingham Forest fans who were 8 - 10 years old when they had the great success in 1978-1980.

Plenty Leeds fans in Ireland who are hitting 60 now and still talk about the team of the early 70s.

FA Cup finals were much bigger then and got people interested / following teams. My cousin's interest in Manchester City began with the 1969 FA Cup final. Because he was into them, I got interested a few years later in the Malcolm Allison era.

Spurs picked up a few in 1981/82 etc. And my next door neighbour became a Wimbledon fan in 1988 and never looked back

Would agree with that. Nearly all friends i have who support Leeds do because their parents did in the 70s...

Breezin

Festive Life wrote: »

Would agree with that. Nearly all friends i have who support Leeds do because their parents did in the 70s...

I support follow Leeds because I supported followed them in the 70s! Marching on together -- forever!


I support Bohemians, which stands accused above of inverse snobbery. What a load of stinky codswallop. :rolleyes:


We've multiplied our attendances by a factor of 3 or 4 over the last few seasons, with many sellout games. I've seen no one objecting. We even let in people from Meath! :eek::pac:

Did you smash it

I would say about Dalymount and 6k being adequate... people don’t seem to understand that is you have a new stadium with good facilities that that becomes an attraction bigger than the football for a lot of people.

Does everyone who goes dog racing be enchanted by the spectacle of dogs chasing a mechanic hare.