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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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[Deleted User]

odyssey06 wrote: »

If all that matters is the local element that's a narrow parochial view I do not subscribe to.

Counterpoint; you'd be laughed at or called weird if you were from Longford and supported Kerry in GAA because they're better. You get a pass from doing it in football/soccer though. That's just an observation.

odyssey06

76 pages in. Havent heard a single good reason why you shouldnt support a non local team.

If supporting a local team works for you all well and good.

And sometimes people support a local team in one code say GAA and a non local team in another. It works for them. And really if local trumps everything then for 90 percent of the people in this country that means GAA.

But if you a problem with someone supportong a non local team... you are the one with the problem. If all that matters is the local element thats a narrow parochial view I do not subscribe to.

gormdubhgorm

odyssey06 wrote: »

"The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom."
- Danny Blanchflower

Football is about glory. If by using the phrase glory hunters it was meant as a cheap insult it just shows up your limited parochial view of the game.

Does it? How does it do that exactly.

I am sure Danny Blanchflower was not one for hype...?
What he was talking about was style of play....

I consider myself a Dub - support the Dublin footballers (home and away) and hurlers (mostly home). There is a sense of place following them and identity.
Parnell Park and Croke Park are only short spins away from where I live now and where I grew up.
I also enjoy following sport I would not considering myself a big LOI fan - but I am going to see Rovers v Dundalk because I think there will be tension in it and it will be competitive.

As regards to me calling Irish fans 'glory hunters' that is exactly what they are as most chose a Premier League team when they were 10 and that team were doing well.
Maybe gloryhunters is a wrong term - a brand consumer might be a better one.
They are more attracted to the brand rather than a sense of place a real community. It is an articifal creation of a 'community' like a manufactured boyband group. They even imitate the accents of the Engish when singing songs etc.

That is just odd in my view. It just adds to the artificial nature of it.

Even funnier the Irish consumers of traditional English teams/brands have the gall to look down on those who recently support the newer team/brands who are funded by new money oil etc

From the Liverpool - Tottenham Final thread the day after Liverpool won -

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Oil money can buy a lot but it can't buy fans like this.

I know Ireland not the only country to fall for this branding -

It really brings it home they are targeting consumers from no matter where they are from, with completely different justifications - the adverts contradict each other!

But people will still trick themselves with thier false association 'we' etc and 'more than a club' - 'or a special club'.

However, it is not just the fact that Irish people associate themselves with these brands, what annoys me even more is that they also degrade anything Irish and automatically assume it is inferior.
But, these type of people do not seem to understand the sense of natural sense of community and place - which they have to go elsewhere to look for it. Local is no longer good enough there is no glamour and hype.

I ask you to point me to all those Irish premier league supporters of Brighton, Burnley, Sothampton, Watford.
Why are the Irish premier league supporters always Man United, Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal
That is because they are the top teams in England.

How many Man City/Chelsea jerseys would you have seen in Ireland 20 years ago?

D14Rugby

I always think of a fan being someone that if their club were in financial trouble might be upset but wouldn't really do anything while a supporter will set up a fans trust, fund raise, do odd jobs to save the club money, donate money etc

Yermande

I go to about 5 or 6 games per year. So on those days I'm a supporter, but for the rest of the season I'm a fan? What a load of nonsense.

OldMrBrennan83

trashcan wrote: »

I'd call that a fan, not a supporter. If people think that's me being superior, then so be it.

A fan like someone is a fan of watching a TV show. Which is essentially what they are anyway.

Yermande

trashcan wrote: »

I'd call that a fan, not a supporter. If people think that's me being superior, then so be it.

There's no distinction between the two as far as I'm concerned. You'll regularly hear players and managers thanking the fans for their support, or words to that effect.

trashcan

Greyfox wrote: »

If you watch you team on tv and care about wheter they win or lose your a supporter.

I'd call that a fan, not a supporter. If people think that's me being superior, then so be it.

Greyfox

65535 wrote: »

Please correct me if I am wrong but I think that all soccer teams in Britain and beyond are 'owned' by people who 'buy' players.

Every good football club in the world buys players, including the LOI clubs.

odyssey06

65535 wrote: »

I have to say I find it very odd that someone would 'support' a non local team.

Please correct me if I am wrong but I think that all soccer teams in Britain and beyond are 'owned' by people who 'buy' players.

So essentially the richest owner can buy the best players ?

Doesn't sound like what football was supposed to all about at all.

Its been that way since 1893 at least. Back then some people found the concept of professional clubs odd too.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_(association_football)

65535

I have to say I find it very odd that someone would 'support' a non local team.

Please correct me if I am wrong but I think that all soccer teams in Britain and beyond are 'owned' by people who 'buy' players.

So essentially the richest owner can buy the best players ?

Doesn't sound like what football was supposed to all about at all.

Edgware

Liverpool F.C. A good cup team

blade1

D14Rugby wrote: »

They haven't been successful in a winning leagues was but they won a champions league in 05 and were consistently top four until 09 which is when a lot of their fans here would have started following them. The difference in the amount of Liverpool jerseys you'd in 05 or now and in 2010 is staggering.

Merch is huge business these days.

D14Rugby

RobMc59 wrote: »

TBF liverpool have`nt been particularly successful in recent years(until yesterday!) so people supporting them are hardly "glory hunters"-here in England they are disliked by the majority of fans of other teams as they are looked upon as a bunch of constant whingers who have a god given right to success.

They haven't been successful in a winning leagues was but they won a champions league in 05 and were consistently top four until 09 which is when a lot of their fans here would have started following them. The difference in the amount of Liverpool jerseys you'd in 05 or now and in 2010 is staggering.

RobMc59

D14Rugby wrote: »

If you think that final was glorious then you've set the bar seriously low. I'm working off the quote you posted here.

"doing things in style and with a flourish" neither of those things can be applied to anything done in that final, Liverpool won and grand well played but by your quote they did not win in a glorious way

TBF liverpool have`nt been particularly successful in recent years(until yesterday!) so people supporting them are hardly "glory hunters"-here in England they are disliked by the majority of fans of other teams as they are looked upon as a bunch of constant whingers who have a god given right to success.

Greyfox

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

IMO I think nearly all Irish fans of English teams are glory hunters or consumers of a brand. It feels wrong to call them supporters.

If you watch you team on tv and care about wheter they win or lose your a supporter.

branie2

I don't support any English team

D14Rugby

odyssey06 wrote: »

Seriously? Liverpool's european campaign wasn't glorious? Pull the other one.

No one expects every minute of every match to have a goal.

If you think that final was glorious then you've set the bar seriously low. I'm working off the quote you posted here.

"doing things in style and with a flourish" neither of those things can be applied to anything done in that final, Liverpool won and grand well played but by your quote they did not win in a glorious way

odyssey06

D14Rugby wrote: »

You also know fine well that the glory he is talking about is completely different the glory referred to in glory hunters. Glory hunters are after exactly what he says the game is not about, winning, look at Liverpool last night that was winning not glory, the game was ****, people may well have died of boredom, exactly what Danny says the game is not about.

Seriously? Liverpool's european campaign wasn't glorious? Pull the other one.

No one expects every minute of every match to have a goal. A 0-0 draw can be a glorious result for the underdog.

D14Rugby

odyssey06 wrote: »

"The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom."
- Danny Blanchflower

Football is about glory. If by using the phrase glory hunters it was meant as a cheap insult it just shows up your limited parochial view of the game.

" What is a club in any case? Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it. It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes. It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city. It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love."
-Bobby Robson

You also know fine well that the glory he is talking about is completely different the glory referred to in glory hunters. Glory hunters are after exactly what he says the game is not about, winning, look at Liverpool last night that was winning not glory, the game was ****, people may well have died of boredom, exactly what Danny says the game is not about.

odyssey06

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

IMO I think nearly all Irish fans of English teams are glory hunters or consumers of a brand. It feels wrong to call them supporters. Consumers is the probably the best word.

"The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom."
- Danny Blanchflower

Football is about glory. If by using the phrase glory hunters it was meant as a cheap insult it just shows up your limited parochial view of the game.

Bobblehats

Wiiiiberpool ..

Hamsterchops

Irish people should support Italian football teams, why? because their food is better than English food and their flag is very similar to ours, they also make lovely wine, and the Pope lives in Rome, and he's not English

gormdubhgorm

Here is a synopsis of why Irish people support English clubs from 2016

https://www.balls.ie/football/irish-english-league-fans-353235-353235

I think they should have went into more detail on the Liverpool - Man United sections.

About 10 years of age during successful years - or failing that, thier father supported them.

I am surprised Arsenal does not get a mention - glory years recently - plus 80's on Brady - Stapelton - O'Leary.

IMO I think nearly all Irish fans of English teams are glory hunters or consumers of a brand. It feels wrong to call them supporters. Consumers is the probably the best word.

The Moldy Gowl

Omackeral wrote: »

It's how some "salt of de earth" Dubs might say United. Usually have seen it written as Unireh

Oh I know. I just wanted him to explain how stupid it sounds.

Surprised a Maureen or brenda Rodgers wasn't thrown in.

[Deleted User]

The Moldy Gowl wrote: »

Unira?

It's how some "salt of de earth" Dubs might say United. Usually have seen it written as Unireh

The Moldy Gowl

Edgware wrote: »

Hurry hurry, Unira have a new shirt out celebrating the Treble, a must have for all the kids

Unira?

Edgware

Hurry hurry, Unira have a new shirt out celebrating the Treble, a must have for all the kids

Bonniedog

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

Just wondering, but did you pick Torquay or Cambridge randomly, or were you a fan of Soccer AM on Sky? A few years ago, the presenters were Helen Chamberlain (a Torquay United fan) and Max Rushden, a Cambridge United fan.

Mentioned Torquay because I watched brilliant Netflix doc called "Losers" which had bit about them, and actually sums up what it means to follow a "crap" little team in any sport (try the Dublin hurlers

And Cambridge because I knew woman from Cambridge who was absolute fanatic and supported not the glamorous United but City! Don't know if they're even in league an more. Must check.

Anyway, she derived huge joy and pain from that as opposed to people who form ersatz attachments to EPL teams. And yes, I was once that soldier and followed Leeds in the 70s, so I do get the lifetime attachment part and that there are Irish connections to various clubs. Leeds thing was definitely started through Giles I would say.

(Cambridge City always been non league according to Wikipedia. )

Badly Drunk Boy

Bonniedog wrote: »

The quality thing doesn't really hold up either. If it did then there would be no English soccer outside of EPL as the people who go to see Torquay or Cambridge would just watch whatever crap is on the telly. Same applies to Spain, Germany, Italy etc. People just like the community part of it.

Just wondering, but did you pick Torquay or Cambridge randomly, or were you a fan of Soccer AM on Sky? A few years ago, the presenters were Helen Chamberlain (a Torquay United fan) and Max Rushden, a Cambridge United fan.