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Why do Irish people support English teams?

DEFTLEFTHAND

I was born and raised in Tipperary. My mother kept the home when Dad worked.

Dad worked in the merchant navy for yrs and loved soccer.

He lived in Inchicore when I was born. He was an officer on the Holyhead ferry.

We used to go to Richmond Park. Some of my earliest memomories in life are of him swearing and getting angry with me up on his lap.

He was a very emotive man, but very loving.

I just could never get why most of Dublin and the rest of the country supported the English league .

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Avatar MIA

Beasty wrote: »

I'm from Yorkshire - never stood in the way of me supporting a team from Lancashire (although I do like to refer to it under it's modern name, Greater Manchester)

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[Deleted User]

extra gravy wrote: »

I don't think it takes a genius to work it out. Some of us grew up in the back arse of nowhere and would never have even heard of LOI as kids. The only football we saw was the World Cup and the FA Cup and English league on tv. It was a natural progression to start following these teams. I've no interest in LOI and couldn't care less what the high and mighty LOI fans think of me following an English team.

I'm a season ticket holder of an LOI team and a vocal advocate of it. I would have zero issues what anything you've posted.

jmayo

tayto lover wrote: »

Went to work in London after my Leaving Cert exams.
Lived around the corner from Highbury stadium and started going to Arsenal matches. Great year to start following the club, 1971 the first double year. Went to all home games and many away too.
Returned to live in Dundalk years later and have been attending Dundalk games since. I also go to Gaelic games and even went to one Rugby match, Ireland v England. I enjoy all sports except Cricket.
I often refer to Arsenal and Dundalk as “us” or “we”. No apologies either as I feel a part of both clubs. They are also a part of me.

Yeah but you actually lived in Highbury and went to the matches even if years ago.
And you go to Dundalk matches.

It is not like listening to some plonker in a bar talk about WE when he is shouting for Barcelona and the fooker has never been near the place in his life. Likewise with the fans of lots of English clubs.
I would really like Juve and Alteti, but I would never refer to them with WE.
I have never been at any of their matches or in their stadia.
Passing outside doesn't count in my eyes.

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I know of one chap from Greystones try to explain why he supported Dublin even against Wicklow without using the word 'bandwagon'...

Half of North and East Wicklow thinks they are dubs.
Greystones and Enniskerry being two of the absolute worst.

Hell underage Wicklow soccer is a disaster these days because all the clubs now play in Dublin leagues.

artvanderlay wrote: »

I support Man Utd because when I was kid, I was left in the house alone one day, and was bored out of my mind. I hated football until that point, but for some unknown reason I sat and watched the 1990 FA Cup semi-final between United and Oldham, and it was cracker ending 3-3. I supported United that day because I prefer the colour red! I loved Mark Hughes and Bryan Robson straight away, real gung-ho players. I watched the replay 3 days later which Utd won, and then the final and replay which United again won dramatically. This was my initiation into the joys of English football. I thought it was always going to be like that! From that point on I supported United, and I believe our fates have been intertwined ever since. Good years in my personal life have tended to coincide with good times for Utd. 2013 was the worst year of my life, from literally a few weeks after Fergie's last game, and it's been pretty **** ever since, but in the past few months, there has been an upturn and a change in attitude in both myself and United. We lost our way,

Convenient you started supporting united just as they were starting their winning streak.
Why wouldn't you support the underdogs Oldham that day?
After all they had couple of Irish guys in their team whereas united had none.

[Deleted User]

jmayo wrote: »

It is not like listening to some plonker in a bar talk about WE when he is shouting for Barcelona and the fooker has never been near the place in his life.

Thing is, I reckon a fella would be lashed out of it if he referred to Barca or Dortmund as 'us'. I think he'd be called out in it. If it's Liverpool or Chelsea though, it gets a pass.

JohnnyFlash

I don’t know what it is, but I’ve never met a really passionate Bohs supporter who wasn’t a complete arsehole. Little lads in plastic jackets going on about their hatred of Rovers, the Palestine flags, the clique atmosphere in the club bar, the amount of vapers who follow them. It’s like a Venn diagram of arseholery.

[Deleted User]

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I don’t know what it is, but I’ve never met a really passionate Bohs supporter who wasn’t a complete arsehole. Little lads in plastic jackets going on about their hatred of Rovers, the Palestine flags, the clique atmosphere in the club bar, the amount of vapers who follow them. It’s like a Venn diagram of arseholery.

That's what most people would call having friends.

The Moldy Gowl

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I don’t know what it is, but I’ve never met a really passionate Bohs supporter who wasn’t a complete arsehole. Little lads in plastic jackets going on about their hatred of Rovers, the Palestine flags, the clique atmosphere in the club bar, the amount of vapers who follow them. It’s like a Venn diagram of arseholery.

Calm down Stephen Bradley.

OldMrBrennan83

Omackeral wrote: »

That's what most people would call having friends.

That's bollocks.

[Deleted User]

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

That's bollocks.

Having mates? Yeah, it's not for everyone. What's bollocks is this notion that people are gonna pick you out of a crowd of thousands as a newcomer to LOI and abuse you for being a first timer. As I've asked already and have yet to receive an answer on... how would they know?

OldMrBrennan83

Omackeral wrote: »

Having mates? Yeah, it's not for everyone. What's bollocks is this notion that people are gonna pick you out of a crowd of thousands as a newcomer to LOI and abuse you for being a first timer. As I've asked already and have yet to receive an answer on... how would they know?

In a small bar where a group have been going for years? Very easily. So easily that I find it hard to believe you can't seem wrap your head around it. It's impossible to break into that kind of clique, especially at a LOI club, unless there's some very exceptional circumstances.

_

[Deleted User]

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

In a small bar where a group have been going for years? Very easily. It's impossible to break into that kind of clique, especially at a LOI club, unless there's some very exceptional circumstances.

People have drinks with their mates at a bar. Shocking. Nobody targets some chap that's there with a line of questioning like "what do you think you're doing here?". 99% of people are delighted to have new potential fans on board. That goes doubly so for someone sitting or standing there watching the match. They don't set you you like a gang of jackyls. It's just another excuse in a long line of them as to why people don't want to go. Some reasons are valid, others are just that... excuses.

OldMrBrennan83

You're speaking from inside the wall though. Of course you're not going to agree with it.

[Deleted User]

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

You're speaking from inside the wall though. Of course you're not going to agree with it.

Inside the wall!?! It's hardly the Stone Cutters! I start going with a friend of mine when I was 17. He moved away. I kept going back. Struck up conversations with many people in the games that followed and people were only delighted to talk football with me. All football. Even that evil foreign English Premiership. Ended up making quite a few really good friends from it and we've included people we've seen who are on their own in our chats and they gravitated towards us next time and the cycle repeats. Not once have I ever seen anyone ever ostracised for having the nerve to attend a match. Quite the opposite, if anything. The more, the merrier.

namloc1980

Been to many a LoI game and I've never ever seen someone abused for coming to a game for the first time. Where are you guys seeing this happening (apart from in your heads that is)?

The Moldy Gowl

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

You're speaking from inside the wall though. Of course you're not going to agree with it.

When I started going last year I would sit at the bar by myself waiting on people to come in.

Everyone is friendly and all say hi.

Even if you were to walk up to someone and say its my first game, who should I look out for or other football talk. You would get that.

[Deleted User]

namloc1980 wrote: »

Been to many a LoI game and I've never ever seen someone abused for coming to a game for the first time. Where are you guys seeing this happening (apart from in your heads that is)?

Genuinely never heard it happening myself or from fans of other clubs. Then you've that headcase claiming you've fellas roaring "Bomb The Premiership". I'd say the worst that happens is people go and they don't get chatting to someone and they see that as cold or hostile. I know for a fact that if someone was abused for having the nerve to attend a game where I go, another 10 people would jump to his defence and tell the fool to knock it off. Haven't seen anything like that in nearly 20 years though so don't think it's anything to worry about.

OldMrBrennan83

There's hardly any point in banging one's head against a wall on this anyway. Anything you lot don't want to hear just gets immediately roared down as false and followed by a strong of stupid meme pictures. And then you try to maintain that match going LOI fans are the friendliest bunch in the world at the same time as smugly talking down to anyone who doesn't go.

twowheelsonly

Avatar MIA wrote: »

Another thing that stops me getting involved is the sheer amateur management of it. How could you get too involved with, say, Cork when they are a season or two away from imploding. :rolleyes:

You pick the one team that won't be imploding any time soon

. Made a profit every year since FORAS took over !!

Kidchameleon wrote: »

The Irish league is crap. Im not trying to be smart but that is the reason nobody watches it. Look at how a league in Ireland can be run (GAA) compared to how the FAI run the LOI and you will see the reason why

Plenty of people watch it, nowhere near enough IMO but there's still a decent enough number of regulars. The GAA league is a joke BTW. Check out the attendances there at some of the less attractive games. Championship is where it's at and that ties in nicely with the Event Junkie theory.

Trump Is Right wrote: »

2) Too many teams for such a small Island. This means what support we do have for domestic football, is too thinly spread... so there is very little scope for growth in fanbase. Look at the Rugby guys, they were smart enough to only divide our small rugby fanbase into 4 teams... this means even the weakest of the 4 provinces can still potentially get strong crowds if successful.

.

8-10 wrote: »

Leinster and Munster get good attendances though it has to be said. Their average Pro 14 attendance is higher than many established Premiership clubs like Gloucester, Northampton, Bath etc

Pro rugby decimated the AIL though. The top competition in this country was practically demoted to nothing by the establishment of these 'provincial club sides'.

wobatkicker23 wrote: »

Why are you framing this question as if it’s the most nonsensical thing in the world when the majority of Irish soccer fans couldn’t give two ****s about the LOI.

Would you watch the ladies team of your equivalent LOI club over a big premier league match? And if not, why?

On another point, the reason the GAA differ with the Irish soccer scene is the fact that all the Irish LOI teams are franchises. My county team represents everyone in the county. Who represents Kerry in LOI? Or do you expect a Kerry person to support Cork City?

wobatkicker23 wrote: »

That’s great but when it is two counties with the sporting rivalry that Cork and Kerry have then you won’t find Kerry people supporting Cork City.

Cork City don’t even represent the rest of the county.

Just out of interest, yes I'd regularly attend our ladies games ahead of anything else that might be on TV. Our underage games as well - spent yesterday afternoon at Cork City Vs Shamrock Rovers U17.

To say that Kerry people won't support Cork City just shows that you don't have a clue. Plenty of Kerry people do. Killarney Celtic run busses for supporters a few times a year and bring gangs of kids to the 'Cross - and they love it. They've even played in the half-time kids games. Likewise with Tipperary, plenty coming down regularly from Cashel and Clonmel.

Personally, at this stage, I couldn't care less about people supporting English teams. It's their loss if they prefer watching television to going to live games and actually getting involved in creating an atmosphere and helping out 'their' club. The 'We' thing used to annoy me, now it just makes me laugh. BTW, the real question should be "Why do people prefer watching football on TV rather than attending live games?"

I have to say though, in Cork most football supporters have or will make their way along to Turners Cross, even on a semi-regular basis and there's very few that deride the league. Criticisms, yes, but not outright derision. The policy of bringing in teams and busloads of kids is starting to pay off as well as Cork City is 'their' team, moreso than any English teams. The number of kids shirts sold and worn around the City and County is a joy to see. Get 'em early enough and you have them for life.

[Deleted User]

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

There's hardly any point in banging one's head against a wall on this anyway. Anything you lot don't want to hear just gets immediately roared down as false.

All I can go on is 20 years of experience, the testimony of a slew of newbies from various clubs and zero really believable anecdotes from anyone to the contrary thus far. It's hardly roaring anyone down.

Captain Havoc

I'm not judging but I'll tell ye about my football fan history. Firstly, I'm a complete football slut. I first got into football when I was younger and my brother who is much older than me moved to Upton Park, still follow West ham to this day. Went there and loved it. Some of the lads used to go to Buckley Park and I started going, completely hooked. Went to college in Shannon, went to see Limerick play City a few times, also one of the lads in college is a Cork City fan so been to the Cross a few times. Moved to Switzerland, went to see my local team Lausanne Sport play regularly, moved to Paris, watched Psg, South of England, back to watching West Ham, Birmingham, the blues. Zürich, FC Zürich, Dublin, I watched everyone. By the time I got back to Kilkenny, City were gone. A couple of years later, I got my drivers license and started going to Shamrock Rovers games, I like going there and I have a season ticket but I don't really feel connected at all, even though I have jerseys and stuff, I just sit there on my own looking like a cultchie. The fans in tallaght are nice though and the facilities are really good. I go there because I can watch decent football in comfortable settings. I love watching the games live, I rarely watch games on TV unless it's West ham or Ireland away, maybe champions league. Every West ham fan in Kilkenny knows each other. I'm also a season ticket holder in the aviva. I think the football on TV is a bit like ice-cream, it's really good but too much of it is really bad and just turns you into a fat ****.

namloc1980

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

There's hardly any point in banging one's head against a wall on this anyway. Anything you lot don't want to hear just gets immediately roared down as false and followed by a strong of stupid meme pictures. And then you try to maintain that match going LOI fans are the friendliest bunch in the world at the same time as smugly talking down to anyone who doesn't go.

When someone is claiming that at the only LoI they ever attended fans were uploading videos to Snapchat chanting "bomb the premier League" 10 years ago, then they deserve every meme in the book to be honest. There's plenty to debate about the LoI without resorting to blatant lies.

OldMrBrennan83

namloc1980 wrote: »

When someone is claiming that at the only LoI they ever attended fans were uploading videos to Snapchat chanting "bomb the premier League" 10 years ago, then they deserve every meme in the book to be honest. There's plenty to debate about the LoI without resorting to blatant lies.

There's plenty to debate without resorting to post after post of those stupid pictures too.

Also, I know it's not 10 but it must be getting close to it now and they did say the time was around 10 years. There was a first wave of snapchat that people forget happened before it went and came back as the current fad.

decky1

more exciting that the GAA, and they have the decency to pay their players not like the Grab all crowed her. it's time they started to pay those guys who dedicate their lives to the gaa winter and summer.

OldMrBrennan83

decky1 wrote: »

more exciting that the GAA, and they have the decency to pay their players not like the Grab all crowed her. it's time they started to pay those guys who dedicate their lives to the gaa winter and summer.

They're not forced to.

Avatar MIA

twowheelsonly wrote: »

You pick the one team that won't be imploding any time soon . Made a profit every year since FORAS took over !!

And yet they lost 9 players this year and appear to be struggling. Where's the modicum of consistency?

[Deleted User]

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

There's plenty to debate without resorting to post after post of those stupid pictures too.

Also, I know it's not 10 but it must be getting close to it now and they did say the time was around 10 years. There was a first wave of snapchat that people forget happened before it went and came back as the current fad.

Snapchat Stories were a thing only 5 years ago. That's a big difference to 10. He wouldn't divulge where he ''saw'' all this either and was just genuinely sketchy with details. ''Bomb the Premier League'' chants were the icing on the cake. He wasn't interested in any debate so got exactly the rebuttals he deserved.

OldMrBrennan83

Omackeral wrote: »

Snapchat Stories were a thing only 5 years ago. That's a big difference to 10. He wouldn't divulge where he ''saw'' all this either and was just genuinely sketchy with details. ''Bomb the Premier League'' chants were the icing on the cake. He wasn't interested in any debate so got exactly the rebuttals he deserved.

And stupid picture replies were showing an interest in debate?

The Moldy Gowl

Avatar MIA wrote: »

And yet they lost 9 players this year and appear to be struggling. Where's the modicum of consistency?

It's a handful of games into the season. It's far too early to be judging any team. Dundalk had a poor result or 2 so far.
Might as well wrap up the league.

[Deleted User]

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

And stupid picture replies were showing an interest in debate?

Can you not read what I wrote? He had no interest in debate, was lying or making stuff up and is generally a bit troll-like on his posts on this site so people just responded in kind to him. No point debating with someone who's not honest.

imme

Irish soccer was sub par, teams were small, parochial.

Some things don't change.

People had family in the UK hence the connection. Your uncle lived beside White Hart lane or you followed a team because they had an almost incredible number of Irish players playing for them.