Are football fans in Dublin connected with any political matters?

Guest193

Hi latley I was at few stadiums in Dublin watching the league of Ireland.

I have a question about Dublin teams/fans. For example Bohs and Rovers. Are both teams/fans connected to a political left or right sides? I've seen loads of lgbt promotion lately + both on Bohs and Rovers stickers about anti facist etc.

Are those teams connected to antifa groups? Does fans accept antifa and lgbt etc? I've seen many things lately at football grounds which are not connected to football more to politics etc. I wish to know the mentioned Bohemians or Rovers if they support any of these things or is it more club's agenda than fans/ultras?

As we all know Ireland is highly tolerant country, I just wonder all these anti facist and anthi homofobic campaigns, what the purpose of them in here? Any specific reason for it? To be honest I never seen anything connected to facist at all in Ireland etc therefore it seems a bit wierd.

thanks for answers.

mazdamiatamx5

The Irish working class is traditionally left of centre, partially for historical reasons, and football is mainly a working class sport. There is not much support for fascism in Ireland but recently there have been problems with a refugee encampment being burned down. Of course there are plenty of individual Bohs and Shels supporters who are right wing and against immigration, against LGBT, etc but the clubs official supporters organisations will never be seen to officially support them.

The teams are not formally connected to Antifa that I'm aware of, it's more of a public relations thing to be seen to be against the far right, pro LGBT etc.

Guest193

I was on Shamrock Rovers stadium lately and seen a stickers with a crossed out swastika and celts cross saying ''anti facist''. Heard somewhere Rovers fans were "right"? but once also I'v seen a photo on the internet from an away game where there was antifa flag in the away Rovers end. Guess it's all mixed up? bit of right and left? But with my experience when I was at Dublin stadiums I never seen anything from "right" to be honest.

martingriff

Is there an Antifa organisation in Ireland. Is the OP trying to paint people in a certain kind of light given how some people see Antifa

Brussels Sprout

Antifa isn't really a thing (as much as the far-right push for it) especially in Ireland. You do get counter protesters at anti-immigrant rallies but they're typically drawn from the likes of People Before Profit or just random people. You might be able to find a twitter or facebook account with the antifa logo on it but it's not an organisation with members in the same way as the likes of the National Party or the Irish Freedom Party.

Bohemians have strong left of centre politics. They've had pro immigrant messages on their jerseys in the past. I don't see anything sinister in that.

Hungry Burger

Personally I think Politics should be left out of sport. Everything in our society has become hyper politicised and polarised by American left/right style politics, which we traditionally never really had here to that degree.

I’m a big LOI fan but I’m glad my club doesn’t engage in this sort of thing. I wouldn’t be happy wearing a soccer jersey with ANY political sloganeering on it whether I personally agreed with it or not.

mazdamiatamx5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624061#Comment_120624061

Totally agree, the only thing I'd add is its partially a UK thing, eg Rangers and Celtic, also in Europe some of the Italian supporters clubs are very political. We don't need that s.hit in LOI or Irish sport in general, we have enough historical baggage. If someone wants to ally themselves with say Israel or Palestine they should do it at a political rally. Of course vast majority of the Rangers and Celtic fans who fly Israeli or Palestinian flags at games have probably never even met an Israeli or Palestinian citizen, they just fly certain flags to antagonise the other side.

Count Dracula

Hillarious.

more polarising fascism.

WTF? CIA? KGB?

Hungry Burger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624100#Comment_120624100

What?

Count Dracula

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624105#Comment_120624105

This entire forum has become polluted in the last month with OP's opening up really polarising topics?

Usually along very similar themes. Typically, rural v urban.

Now a new reg op ( see above ) has gone to Dalymount and is wondering if Friday night soccer is a melting pot of winged politics?

mother of christ.

Guest193

My topic is not to do with politics. It's the opposite, thats why I asked why is this brought to the LOI stadiums? rainbow captains bands, rainbow corner flags etc, is there need for it? I'm not homofobic and I think peoples sexuality is a private thing and it's not up to us to judge it and no need whatsoever to bring it to the football pitch. Football should be only about football all this campaigns are a joke. My question was more if fans accept it or not, because I wish to know it before I go to a football match again so I dont end up (accidently) supporting something I dont want...

mazdamiatamx5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624172#Comment_120624172

Most Irish people support LGBT rights, i would guess most LOI supporters do, others dont or have no interest in the subject. What about if someone turned up to watch a football match wearing, say, a music band t-shirt? Would you find that objectionable? Where would you draw the line?

I would agree that captains wearing LGBT bands is a bit pointless and strikes me as virtue signalling but on the other side of things consider there are no out LGBT players in the English Premier league and I'm not aware of any in LOI

Strumms

I was supporting Bohemians since the mid / late 1980’s. Some Bohemians supporters in recent times went off in a particularly left wing woke oppressive mindset …it detracts from the football, the atmosphere and the club itself because all of a sudden, the football is in danger of becoming a backdrop.

you go to Bohs matches now and you 100% will almost see more banners and signs that relate to specific left wing social and political causes then you will see for supporting the team….that’s a shame really because sport is about competition, competing, winning, entertainment, excitement and success.

As a club who were in huge debt they learned nothing….They’ve donated thousands of euros from shirt sales, foregone tens of thousands in sponsorship money to have instead certain slogans on their shirts.. and painted onto their stadium…

that’s not a one off that is a legitimate match day shirt ^^^^

Maybe their commercial guy might pick up the phone to Hyundai, Tesco, Dublin Bus, whoever… and say hey the league has a higher profile, greater attention and attendances…. Would you like to have your brand, on our shirt, in the match day programme and pitch side ? Cost you xx,xxx a year….?

but this fascination they have with social ‘justice’ and causes…..

people invest in the club and team with hard earned cash, effort and heart… yet the priority for the club and some fans isn’t supporting the team and club in its quest to win their first league championship since 2009…it’s continuing to enable the woke sideshow… and continue this self congratulatory ego schtick that goes with it.

can they perhaps prioritise the football, shut it with the WOKE drivel and be a fûckin successful football team and club ? We shall see….

seems to be strong support amongst the hardcore though which is a shame.

Count Dracula

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624172#Comment_120624172

I saw a female hockey player wearing a rainbow armband?

If you are worried so much about it I suggest you find another SPORT to support.

Are you in the CIA or the KGB?

Mongfinder General

About 20 years ago it was Bohs and Rovers who were the only two teams politicized, so to speak (leaving aside Derry City for obvious reasons).

Bohs and Rovers support would basically try to out Republican each other at a time when Sinn Fein had a handful of TDs. Nowadays, Bohs seem to have gone on a complete mad one with left wing crusades. I’m not sure all, if not most of their fans are on board with this.

I’d know more Bohs than Rovers fans. Rovers used to be tight with Celtic and to some extent Cliftonville - not sure about today.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624213#Comment_120624213

Would you ever behave. Football and politics have forever been intertwined. It has been one of few avenues for the average person to express themselves.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624061#Comment_120624061

It’s easy to take that kind of position when you’re not impacted by facists and homophobes.

Hungry Burger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624834#Comment_120624834

Ah yes the classic “Anyone who disagrees with me is a fascist” line

Guest193

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624061#Comment_120624061

Can you mention what team is that? It's nice to hear there is some teams like that...

Count Dracula

@Strumms

Can you not accept that these woke agendas and the facilitating of them by your club is actually a pretty shrewd attempt at trying to build their fanbase? By promoting fringe agendas or indeed new movements they are broadening the reach of their potential fanbase?

Common law of business is to get there first.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120625055#Comment_120625055

I've no idea how you twisted that from what I said, so to avoid any confusion, I don't believe that anyone who disagrees with me is a facist.

I do know that facists exist in Ireland and homophobes exist in Ireland, and both organise in groups, often being the same people, with the objectives of making lives miserable for people who are different in race or religion or ethnicity or sexual orientation or gender identity. This stuff is happening all over the place. You'll see the vaguely polite version of this all over boards.ie and the less polite versions all over other social media.

If you're a middle aged white man, it's easy to say that there's no need for anti racism, anti facist or anti homophobe campaigns or activity. If you're one of the people who's life is being made miserable by these groups, or if you're a person with basic amount of human empathy, you'll see the value in organisations taking up these positions.

Football has had very deeply embedded problems with racism and homophobia, with chants from the stands and bananas being thrown onto the pitch. It's not coming from a position of 'nothing to see here', which is why positive action is required and welcome.

Hungry Burger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120625132#Comment_120625132

My own team is Waterford United.

rolling boh

Maybe the likes of Bohs are trying to tap into all the non Irish who have moved here over the years to come to games and support them .Most people are against racism and any discrimination I presume .

Hungry Burger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120625161#Comment_120625161

Even if your claims about Ireland being a horribly bigoted place full of “fascists and homophobes” was true (which it definitely is not) I still fail to see what any of that has to do with football. I’ve been following LOI for years and can tell you first hand that any type of racism is not tolerated and if any club’s supporters were engaged in such a thing they would be named, shamed and the club fined.

It’s seems a certain cohort in this country think that a few protests around the place against Irelands AS process is akin to the brown shirts goose stepping around Germany in the 1930s. Truly a bizarre worldview to live under.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120625218#Comment_120625218

Where exactly did I say that Ireland "is a horribly bigoted place full of “fascists and homophobes”"? Funny how you have to exaggerate wildly to have something to complain about.

Maybe have a read of this before you respond:

https://www.the42.ie/irish-soccer-racism-5116554-Jun2020/

riffmongous

How could anyone have a problem with not-negative fan engagement? Anything fan groups do that isn't mindless violence or destruction should be encouraged

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058297322/are-football-fans-in-dublin-connected-with-any-political-matters

Dublin is a tolerant city. It's hardly surprising that the cities sports scenes are tolerant & accepting & proud to be so. It is what it is, there's no ulterior motive, no malice. You ask what's the purpose of being proud & confident of their lack of prejudice? Probably to use their platform to set a good example. Strange thing to be questioning to be honest, it's fairly obvious.

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120625298#Comment_120625298

Just read this as I posted. 100% & it goes further than not-negative, it's forward thinking, positive & constructively pragmatic.

Danzy

Mostly it is apolitical, there are a few rich kids who went on holidays to Germany once and think that they are creating FC St. Pauli in Dublin, with all the brand marketing opportunities but most fans just want to enjoy the game, same as any other sport.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120625201#Comment_120625201

Most people are against racism and any discrimination I presume .

Well they are and they aren't.

Many of these non Irish may be in agreement with the anti-racism initiatives but be totally against any LGBTQ+ rights initiatives.

Guest193

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120625481#Comment_120625481

St Pauli is terrible fan base. They are left, and I can say facist left, I don't know how Celtic fans can be friends with them and I think Bohemians like them too?

.....

So to sum up Dublin fans

Bohemians very left leaning

Shelbourne left leaning

Shamrock Rovers bit of left and right? I'v read on the internet they use to be right but I think it was only Bohs fans accusations? Been on Tallaght and seen nothing but left leaning impression.

St Patrick left?

artanevilla

Bohs are involved in a lot of social and community initiatives. I wouldn't call it politics, they are not affiliated with any political party and count as members people of all political parties and members. Board members and staff come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds a political beliefs.

Welcoming people from LGBT backgrounds into football (a traditionally not friendly place) is not politics, bringing people in direct provision to games is not politics, working with prisoners in Mountjoy is not politics, bringing attention to climate change is not politics, donating presents to kids at Christmas is not politics, supporting kids to play football in war torn areas is not politics. These are social issues and the club is just trying to make its local community a better more inclusive place, these issues go across the whole political spectrum (except maybe the extreme far right, who are anti everything).

Some of the stuff can be a bit cringe but it gets the club attention. We've grown our membership from a couple of hundred to a couple of thousand in a short number of years.

Some like the poster strumms above would prefer the club go back to the days of 800 people at a game and four million in debt and can't see the wood for the trees. You wouldn't be able to pick up the phone to these sponsors if not for these initiatives, unless you want a five figure sum to plaster a gambling company on the front of your jersey.

For the information of that poster, zero sponsorship money has been forgone for the likes for the refugees welcome shirt, it had the full support of the clubs main sponsor, the % of profits of the sales of this shirt donated to charity pales in comparison to the revenue generated by the club for it. How many away shirts does a LOI team sell a season? I will tell you it is a fraction of what this shirt sold. Add to that the revenue (into six figures) that the Bob Marley shirt generated (and continues to do so). Other clubs wouldn't even clear four figures on away shirts not to mention the worldwide headlines in major publications these shirts generate.

It's also worth noting that ALL of these initiatives are driven and organised by non-playing volunteers, there is a complete separation between this stuff and what happens on the pitch. It is absolute idiocy of the highest order to suggest that the footballing side has been affected negatively by all of this recent advocacy. We have gone from fielding a team of amateurs a few years ago to having one of the top 5 or 6 playing budgets in the league with a full time playing and coaching staff and director of football. Any playing/coaching staff involved in the above stuff is purely voluntary from their point of view and in fact it's something a lot of them enjoy, going into Mountjoy etc.

These initiative generate and INCREDIBLE amount of revenue. Bohemian FC is 100% member owned and we are competing in a league with billionaire owners like Shamrock Rovers, Derry and St.Pat's and we are competitive. All revenue is self generated.

For people like strumms above who bizarry believe that somehow this is preventing the club from winning the league, can they please suggest how the club would have gone full time without all this publicity which has filled our stadium? Genuine question. I guarantee you weren't at the meeting a few years ago when the club was pretty much dead in the water and people were discussing what the new club would be called and what it would be like watching the club playing LSL football in the Phoenix Park.

The club might be considered left leaning, but the reality is the majority of fans who go on a regular basis home and away are working class folk from places like Finglas, Cabra, Ballymun and Blanchardstown. I go home and away, spend a lot of money on the club and volunteer. I don't think I've ever once in all my years going (since mid-90s) gotten into a political discussion at the club or with any other Bohs fan. However if I was on twitter I'd be sure to be dragged into one by fans of other clubs who scoff at this stuff while their own club posts losses every season written off by a wealthy owner.

I own my football club, I'm not just a fan. I'm proud to say that and I'm proud to see first hand the difference it has made in people's lives and it not just being about 90 minutes of a load of young lads kicking a ball around, and I'm even prouder that so called fans like strumms are struggling seeing the club reach a new level of success both on and off the pitch.

Guest193

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120626576#Comment_120626576

Fair play for this post very good explanation of things..

I have different point of view but have to agree to something. Basicly it's all about money. So all them anti racist campaigns, refugees welcome, lgbt etc provides revenue, brings attention from sponsors and other people because it's a current trend in Ireland. So it could be a matter that even though most people support the initiative the don't really agree with it, but oficially they will pretend to support it and like it because there is benefits. Fair play at least I know now.

artanevilla

It provides revenue for the club both directly through shirt sales and indirectly through promotion in the community which increases gates and also encourages sponsorship from companies who want to be associated.

On the other hand it has enormous benefit for the community and provides a social outlet for fans of sport, certainly for those who may not have been comfortable in a football stadium before.

Ask the numerous volunteers who give up their time freely to work in the community if it's basically all about the money. As we are are 100% members owned club, there is no incentive to generate a profit for the shareholders, no dividends are paid out. All revenue generated is invested back into the club, including into the playing side which has the effect of improved performances on the pitch, it generates employment and grants more resources for these initiatives.

mikemac2

In my days as a Shelbourne season ticket holder, a member of the 1895 trust and attended some open meetings with former chairman Joe Casey I cannot remember anyone ever discussing politics, not once.

Sure there are references to Dublin City Council but every football club in the world has dealing with their council. Finian McGrath TD had a pitchside board but that's just advertising. He might have put out an article now and again about the club but nothing like the OP is referring to

Nope, fans were there for the football and the club was trying hard to bring children and families to the games. I never heard politics and anyway you switch off from the 24/7 news cycle at a game and enjoy it

Sam Russell

I think here should be a distinction between 'supporters' and 'fans'.

Supporters buy tickets, and season tickets at that. They fund the club themselves through that. They wear the clubs colours, and travel to see them play live.

Fans are only interested in the club by watching games on RTE2, and following the results and comments in the media.

Supporters are invested in the club for its own sake and the sport it espouses, and not politics.

That Lambert lad involved with Bohs seems to love the whole football as a political vehicle thing. He’s a bit much tbh.

riffmongous

140,000 raised for St. Francis Hospice by Bohs last weekend with their Aslan/Christy Dignam tribute shirt

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120626576#Comment_120626576

I wouldn’t prefer that Bohs go back to being in debt and crap attendances, no. That’s a disingenuous statement on your behalf and people will see through it.

id quite frankly push improving the product on the pitch and around it.

giving away advertising space on shirts, and elsewhere. Aslan, Palestine for life, Refugees welcome, the list is endless. So it’s not just “ non playing volunteers” spearheading this guff…

successful clubs ON the pitch are ran as successful businesses off it. That’s a simple fact.

new levels of success on and off the pitch ? Last won the league 14 years ago, cup, 15 years ago. You’ve some way to go convincing us that new levels of success have or are about to happen.

considering the club won doubles, what new levels of success are you on about exactly ?

Years trying to get the stadium renovated/rebuilt and in the end had to sell their stadium to Dublin City Council… to fund it and pay off debts…since then the development plans have been downscaled, significantly…

There is no new level of success either on or off the pitch as you claim.

Annd9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120626196#Comment_120626196

Bohs newer fan base would be very left leaning alright , the older crew not so much. This can be seen in videos where they are doing monkey chants at a Shels player in the 90's .

Shelbourne had a fan group in the late 80's early 90's who's banner displayed a hammer and sickle. The new batch seem to keep it totally apolitical.

Rovers older crew seemed to be apolitical but like Bohs the newer middle class crew brought the antifa side of things into play .

Pats seemed to be apolitical for years but as mentioned above newer middle class fans seemed to get more involved and the political stuff crept in but not in a major way .

Would say most groups at these clubs would class themselves as republican . As mentioned elsewhere Rovers would have strong connections with Clifftonville and Bohs with Celtic . Shelbournes main group is named in Irish and use the Phoenix from the flames as their emblem so would imagine they have republican leanings .

eire4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120626576#Comment_120626576

Thank you for so brilliantly articulating who Bohemians are. As someone who grew up playing for what it was then in the Belvedere to Bohemians road before the more recent academy I am proud to be a Bohs man and think that it is great to see how the club has developed in recent years. It will always be very difficult for Bohs in the current climate to challenge the clubs with billionaire owners in terms of winning titles but where Bohs are today as opposed to the near bankruptcy in 2015 is a testament to the amazing work done by the members since then.