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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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gormdubhgorm

Greyfox wrote: »

If you love a sport you want to see it played at the highest level. And when your use to watching sport at the highest level it can be difficult to adjust to watching it at a lower level.

I am sorry that is just silly, it is a snobbery - like glamping at music festivals.
Like it has to be sanitised and dressed up before there is an interest. A person who really likes sport (a sport) would watch games at any level if they are competitive.
I would go to minor football matches/u21 Dublin games.
O'Byrne Cup games - looking at up and coming players.

I would even watch some of those games where my team is not competing in because I like the sport, especially if it is going to be competitive.

They don't. Because they know there are people out there who don't understand why they use "we" when there talking about there club.

Look out for it the next time you get into a conversation with a randomer about which English team they support.

'I didn't just start supporting them when they winning. I have been following them since xyz'

It is the same thing on radio phone in's - Sheamus from Ballyhaunis on the line...a Man United supporter - 'I am a Man U supporter since xyz year...'

DeanAustin

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

I am sorry that is just silly, it is a snobbery - like glamping at music festivals.
Like it has to be sanitised and dressed up before there is an interest. A person who really likes sport (a sport) would watch games at any level if they are competitive.
I would go to minor football matches/u21 Dublin games.
O'Byrne Cup games - looking at up and coming players.

I would even watch some of those games where my team is not competing in because I like the sport, especially if it is going to be competitive.

Look out for it the next time you get into a conversation with a randomer about which English team they support.

'I didn't just start supporting them when they winning. I have been following them since xyz'

It is the same thing on radio phone in's - Sheamus from Ballyhaunis on the line...a Man United supporter - 'I am a Man U supporter since xyz year...'

Ah look you’re right to an extent. Ive supported Spurs since the 80s. They’ve been **** most of that time but they aren’t exactly Wrexham or Aldershot. All these ****ing dopes who say “I support them because my cousin lives there” is bull****ting. Every supporter of an English club has done so because at some time, that club was competing at the top end of the English game.

Edit: and I will add that if you look in the Man U or Arsenal threads at the minute, there’s quite a bit of “I can’t watch this **** anymore”, “I’m taking a break from supporting this club.” That’s the very epitome of sunshine supporters. And I’m not having a pop at those clubs - they just happen to be the big clubs struggling right now.

gormdubhgorm

Strumms wrote: »

People enjoy the Premiership, La Liga etc simply because it’s a much much better, much much more entertaining product than has been on offer here.

Better players
Better teams
Better facilities
Better atmospheres
Better competition
Better entertainment
Better excitement
Better occasions....

BETTER.

Greyfox wrote: »

If you love a sport you want to see it played at the highest level. And when your use to watching sport at the highest level it can be difficult to adjust to watching it at a lower level.

8-10 wrote: »

i don’t think anyone here is of that mentality. You don’t seem to get it reading your posts.

It looks like that to me - look at those posts above, there is a fear to support anything team that is not Premier League team among posters.

Because it viewed as better and then they could not possibly adjust from the club choice they have become accustomed to!

If you really love a sport you would watch it at all levels.
Ireland Premier League supporters do not so much as love the sport, they love the brand the glamour.
When it was called 'the best league in the world' for decades (when it plainly wasn't) the Irish supporter really believed it.

Drumpot

DeanAustin wrote: »

My brother supported Spurs before the FA Cup wins or UEFA Cup wins of the 80s but undoubtedly the fact Spurs are one of England’s biggest clubs played a role in his choice.

But it’s disingenuous to equate it with being a consumer of Apple or Coke. Very few iPhone owners react like that to a product release. Most football fans show some level of passion when their team plays.

By your logic every music fan, you included, are nothing more than consumers of brands. Sport and music are far more than that.

Like religious consumers! I think some sports and their fans are closer to followers of religion then just consumers. Asian fans I believe follow players but Europeans (certainly northern) are more likely to follow a club and stick with it
Through thick and thin.

I think people forget we are humans and we are animals, we are not as special as we like to think we are. We have basic instincts and love being in tribes, sports teams are tribes and in the case of some sports we are born into a tribe (GAA county) and in others we adopt a tribe. I don’t really see the problem and to be honest while it’s healthy to challenge the idea of choosing a tribe it’s quite ignorant to think there is something fundamentally odd with it , unless you have a poor understanding of what makes humans tick.

Whether it be family ties, seeing on TV or whatever your reason it doesn’t matter why somebody chooses to support a team. If I chose Boston red socks for baseball would that be an issue ? Course it wouldn’t but it’s when it effects , for example LOI football, that some people seem to want to make it into an “issue”.

I supported Shelbourne Fc growing up very much because my dads friend was one of their sponsors and he got me season tickets. Also one of my friends dads brought me to a Shelbourne game and I really enjoyed it. How is that more relevant then my dad bringing me to Eric Cantonas debut at old trafford? Which do you think was more memorable as a child? Should I scold young me for being starry eyed and loving watching united on tv and being a massive fan of mark hughes?

When SAF retired my connection with united dwindled a lot because he was what made the club a club. I owned shares in the club but when the glazers took over I alwasy felt the club started on a downward journey , it lost a bit of its soul right then. SAF leaving solidified that and now it’s mostly a commercial entity. I can’t help support them but I really don’t want to TBH because the club I grew up loving is not really there anymore.

The EPL is now just a commercial monstor that’s all about selling to the highest bidder. That includes clubs being owned by unethical twats who can do what they want and use and abuse fans religious support of their teams any which way they want. That includes white washing their reputations and buying high profile clubs for political immunity.

I live near Drogheda United now and have thought about going to some games but it would feel odd considering my shelbourne introduction. It’s the same as my support for united, I can’t seem to change allegiance or stop caring for something that meant so much to me when I was young.

niallo27

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

That was belatedly change for change sake trying to please all and stratifying none.
The Hurling worked more game same level same quality teams against each other.
The Siper 8s was half @rsed change.

There used be a sense of strong community in Irish soccer Cork Hibs v Cork Celtic. Drums v Rovers. Huge crowds
There is a major void in Irish soccer now. A lost of sense of community and sense of place and self. Since the late 60s/70s most Irish soccer people pick a top six English team to try and create that sense of community/that sense of belonging.
It is also gentrified among those top six English teams, the middle class Irish do no have to associate with the working class. As most of them are priced out of it.

The fact there was only 3k at the Limerick Cork game proves my point only 3k of a hardcore have that sense of place.
There are a number of other factors at play here.
The others were seduced by a massive global sporting event, which superseded thier sense of place.
The GAA know the rest of those supporters will be back later in the year - so it does not bother them..
Plus Cork are notoriously poor supporters at football (Plus thier football team is the weakest for a long time), they consider themselves a hurling county first and football county second.
The same with Limerick. Both county's are massive supporters when it comes to the small ball, not the round ball.

I agree with your main point, there is a huge void. So can you really blame young fellas from wanting to fill these voids with English football teams. Its only England like, I use it be able to fly to liverpool from shannon every day of the week for 20 or 30 quid.

gormdubhgorm

DeanAustin wrote: »

Ah look you’re right to an extent. Ive supported Spurs since the 80s. They’ve been **** most of that time but they aren’t exactly Wrexham or Aldershot. All these ****ing dopes who say “I support them because my cousin lives there” is bull****ting. Every supporter of an English club has done so because at some time, that club was competing at the top end of the English game.

Well fair play to ya at least your honest. I would have much more respect for a fella who says that rather than inventing reasons how he is tied to the club, while nervously foostering/looking at the ground. Or then the very same fella having the neck to say to another fella who supports another English team - that it was only because they were winning!

You make an effort to go the games and bring your young fella.
Giving the young lad memories he will always remember.
It is not as if you are just going to the pub and throwing it a packet of tayto.
It is real a day out type thing going to a game over in England, for a young fella in particular.

Personally I just would not feel a tie to an English club at all.
I am thinking of going to see Sutton United near where my brother lives - just to see what it is like. I had subscribed to them on you tube.
I suppose if/when I do see a Sutton United game that will be my answer to people who ask me which English club I support?
Sutton United!

jimmycrackcorm

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Support your local economy.

Increase sense of community.

Increase the standard of the local team and therefore increasing the standard of the competition they are in.

When this happens local talent will stay in Ireland longer and be less likely to be chewed up and spat out by bigger leagues.

The local lad in your team will actually be local and the community will see him everyday - so the players are more accessible.

Russians should only buy Ladas. No BMWs comrade.

D14Rugby

Greyfox wrote: »

If you love a sport you want to see it played at the highest level. And when your use to watching sport at the highest level it can be difficult to adjust to watching it at a lower level.

They don't. Because they know there are people out there who dont undetstand why they use "we" when there talking about there club.

That's just not true at all. People who love sports watch any level they can get. Sure I saw a thing the other day of some guy from Crumlin United thanking a coach saying he lived and breathed Crumlin United and that the night after helping the senior team do the double he spent the next morning watching they youth teams in the park, that's someone that loves football. Someone that can only watch top level doesn't love football. Sure even Roy Keane gets down to Cobh and Cork games a few times a year, go to any rovers games and you'll see more Ireland caps watching the game than you've had hot dinners, same with other loi clubs, these people love football, Sean who watches Liverpool down his local and doesn't watch anything below EPL doesn't love football.

Strumms

D14Rugby wrote: »

You can have the first 3 but after that nah none of that stuff is better in the English Premier League (not been called the Premiership for over a decade at this stage). Especially not atmospheres, compare even the biggest EPL games to Rovers Bohs and its not even a contest, even neutrals like copa 90 will tell you that

Bohs vs Rovers sure, one of footballs greatest rivalries full stop. However it would be foolish to use that as an example or some sort of barometer for the whole LOI. It’s a one off fixture that goes a ways to prove nothing in the context of the bigger debate.

D14Rugby

Strumms wrote: »

Bohs vs Rovers sure, one of footballs greatest rivalries full stop. However it would be foolish to use that as an example or some sort of barometer for the whole LOI. It’s a one off fixture that goes a ways to prove nothing in the context of the bigger debate.

That's why I said the biggest EPL rivalry, it's not a one off, Rovers Dundalk, Rovers Bohs, Bohs Pats, Rovers Pats, to name a few of the more obvious ones all put the majority of EPL games to shame for most of the standards you listed

[Deleted User]

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

I suppose if/when I do see a Sutton United game that will be my answer to people who ask me which English club I support?
Sutton United!

But... you're not from there? :P

I also had a mate that followed Juventus, just Juventus. Same as other folks, he liked watching them on telly in the 90's. People used to think he was weird for following a foreign team in a foreign league.

Bonniedog

D14Rugby wrote: »

That's just not true at all. People who love sports watch any level they can get. Sure I saw a thing the other day of some guy from Crumlin United thanking a coach saying he lived and breathed Crumlin United and that the night after helping the senior team do the double he spent the next morning watching they youth teams in the park, that's someone that loves football. Someone that can only watch top level doesn't love football. Sure even Roy Keane gets down to Cobh and Cork games a few times a year, go to any rovers games and you'll see more Ireland caps watching the game than you've had hot dinners, same with other loi clubs, these people love football, Sean who watches Liverpool down his local and doesn't watch anything below EPL doesn't love football.

It's the local connection at the end of the day.

doesn't bother me that people have an attachment to Liverpool or Man u or whoever, but it is an ersatz one. They are not from those places. People who follow LOI teams are.

My main interest supporter wise is Dublin hurlers which puts us on par attendance and success wise with Bohs maybe

Seriously though. My Bohs friends don't follow Liverpool and I don't support Kilkenny. Same as lots of people in Cambridge like my friend follow Cambridge City in non league rather than Arsenal.

AidoEirE

Why do irish support english teams

Easy, the irish league and setup is ****e. You go to an lou game its misery battling wind, rain and the quality of football is seriously inferior mever mind the fact the fai put **** all into its countries soccer league, compared to the english side, where if you go to a match, its a phenomanl spectacle, protected by the elements and the atmosphere is far superior with 40 to 60 thousand people depending on where you go.

Home side, the premiere league is on every saturday and sunday, loi has feck all games on tv and if they are on at daft times.
Theres no promotion by rte or any of the tv license money we pay for.

It's a no given why so many supprort the english teams, because its done so much better.

And to be honest, who cares, let people enjoy what they want.

Bonniedog

Well, there is no rain and wind when you are sitting in front of Sky with its canned crowd noises. This much is true.

I've been in Anfield, for a final league match of the year v Southampton in late 1990s. Seen better atmospheres at Dublin county finals to be honest. This is where the canned crowd noises come in.

Strumms

AidoEirE wrote: »

Why do irish support english teams

Easy, the irish league and setup is ****e

And to be honest, who cares, let people enjoy what they want.

Agreed, the product as in quality of the football has vastly improved over the last few years but the facilities are at best third division or worse in most cases. It’s a poor product not entertaining wise but in terms of comfort and enjoyment and overall experience. A pissy, rainy, windswept, Tolka Park in March wont have you clamoring to snap up season tickets and Tolka is no way the worst facility out there...

D14Rugby

AidoEirE wrote: »

Why do irish support english teams

Easy, the irish league and setup is ****e.

Well that's not true for starters. Also the Irish league is the NI league.

You go to an lou game its misery battling wind, rain

Yes March to October, the notoriously bad months for weather in this country, and of course it never rains in England.

the quality of football is seriously inferior mever mind the fact the fai put **** all into its countries soccer league, compared to the english side,

Inferior yes, seriously inferior no.

where if you go to a match, its a phenomanl spectacle, protected by the elements and the atmosphere is far superior with 40 to 60 thousand people depending on where you go.

That ****e Saturday was a phenomenal spectacle?
The atmospheres class isn't it, that's why sky have been caught out putting sound over the fans to make it louder.

Home side, the premiere league is on every saturday and sunday, loi has feck all games on tv and if they are on at daft times.

You know you can, and now here's a mad suggestion, go to the games, it's not a feckin TV show. Yeah 8pm on a Friday such a daft time, that's why the EPL have started to have games at that time too.

Theres no promotion by rte or any of the tv license money we pay for.

It's a no given why so many supprort the english teams, because its done so much better.

And that's a reason not to go to games? Some mental gymnastics there.

Done so much better? So what you're saying is you've been suckered by good marketing. You proud of that?

[Deleted User]

"And to be honest, who cares?"

There you have it, the Greatest Fans In The World's new motto.

Anyway, you do realise that practically every LOI fan also enjoys the English Premier League and European football? Maybe you don't, maybe it's easier to just make broad claims and write everything off. "The matches are on a stupid times". Friday night is a fantastic time to have games on. Great kickstart to the weekend and a brilliant way to have meetups in a social setting. What's the point in having them on the same time as English games? People can and do enjoy both.

I'd love to know your cut-off for standard. Are Championship clubs worthy of support? What about League One? SPL? How about Republic of Ireland's national team? Thank god for football people that actually get up and out to support and back their clubs, whether that's in Dublin, Dundee, Birmingham or Bolton.

gimli2112

Can't understand why people watch foreign films. Subtitles? Jesus, learn the language ffs. I had a great weekend watching Liverpool, I'm odd like that.

[Deleted User]

gimli2112 wrote: »

Can't understand why people watch foreign films. Subtitles? Jesus, learn the language ffs. I had a great weekend watching Liverpool, I'm odd like that.

That's well and good but do you call Paramount Pictures ''we'' and look forward to 20th Century Fox away in April?

The Moldy Gowl

AidoEirE wrote: »

Why do irish support english teams

Easy, the irish league and setup is ****e. You go to an lou game its misery battling wind, rain and the quality of football is seriously inferior mever mind the fact the fai put **** all into its countries soccer league, compared to the english side, where if you go to a match, its a phenomanl spectacle, protected by the elements and the atmosphere is far superior with 40 to 60 thousand people depending on where you go.

Home side, the premiere league is on every saturday and sunday, loi has feck all games on tv and if they are on at daft times.
Theres no promotion by rte or any of the tv license money we pay for.

It's a no given why so many supprort the english teams, because its done so much better.

And to be honest, who cares, let people enjoy what they want.

Apart from bashing the fai, which all LOI fans do so at least you have that in common with them.

Shouldn't be letting RTÉ or the fai decide what you want to watch whether they promote it or not. Then all we would watch is marty Morrissey on holiday.

8-10

Bonniedog wrote: »

Well, there is no rain and wind when you are sitting in front of Sky with its canned crowd noises. This much is true.

I've been in Anfield, for a final league match of the year v Southampton in late 1990s. Seen better atmospheres at Dublin county finals to be honest. This is where the canned crowd noises come in.

Wolves this season and Barça in the semi final were both great atmospheres. The latter being one of the best you'd find anywhere, a phenomenal night of football with the atmosphere to match it.

You don't get that atmosphere every week, true, but that's what makes the special nights special

Edgware

8-10 wrote: »

Wolves this season and Barça in the semi final were both great atmospheres. The latter being one of the best you'd find anywhere, a phenomenal night of football with the atmosphere to match it.

You don't get that atmosphere every week, true, but that's what makes the special nights special

And the ****e nights ****e

The Moldy Gowl

8-10 wrote: »

Wolves this season and Barça in the semi final were both great atmospheres. The latter being one of the best you'd find anywhere, a phenomenal night of football with the atmosphere to match it.

You don't get that atmosphere every week, true, but that's what makes the special nights special

And I'm sure there was plenty of other games with good atmosphere.

But the wolves game was last game of the season with a small chance of winning the leauge and finishing on crazy points. Even if the game meant nothing, that last game would have been a send off to the players.

The Barça game was semi final of the champions leauge. You would expect a good atmosphere to get the team up for it.

It's not like those games were in the pissing rain in December or the group stage.

8-10

Edgware wrote: »

And the ****e nights ****e

Yep! But those nights make it worth it as a fan for me

8-10

The Moldy Gowl wrote: »

It's not like those games were in the pissing rain in December or the group stage.

PSG in the group stage was also amazing. Huddersfield came to town signing "where's your famous atmosphere"....newsflash lads we don't go crazy for Huddersfield at home. It's not atmosphere for the sake of it, it's supporting your team and bringing the noise when the better teams are in town to give your team the push. The LOI or any other league is no different when the bigger fixtures get the larger crowds and louder support.

D14Rugby

8-10 wrote: »

PSG in the group stage was also amazing. Huddersfield came to town signing "where's your famous atmosphere"....newsflash lads we don't go crazy for Huddersfield at home. It's not atmosphere for the sake of it, it's supporting your team and bringing the noise when the better teams are in town to give your team the push. The LOI or any other league is no different when the bigger fixtures get the larger crowds and louder support.

So your support is conditional. Those games you don't deem worthy of your support are quite often the ones it's needed most. Actually the EPL is pretty unique in that the atmosphere doesn't vary with attendance, which is what happens in other leagues, the importance of the game in most leagues affects the size of the crowd but the atmosphere remains proportional, that's not true in the EPL as stadiums are generally always 90%+ full.

8-10

D14Rugby wrote: »

So your support is conditional.

Not in the slightest. The atmosphere differs depending on the size of the game, the support never changes.

This isn't EPL or even soccer-specific. In any sport you get bigger crowds for bigger games, look at Roland Garros this week and you'll see more people for Nadal games than anyone else on the same court. Watch Rory McIlroy in the Irish Open versus in a major and you'll have more people following him around the course. Bigger crowd = bigger atmosphere.

The support doesn't change ever, maybe I was misleading on trying to describe the atmosphere but that's absolutely not what I meant.

D14Rugby

8-10 wrote: »

Not in the slightest. The atmosphere differs depending on the size of the game, the support never changes.

This isn't EPL or even soccer-specific. In any sport you get bigger crowds for bigger games, look at Roland Garros this week and you'll see more people for Nadal games than anyone else on the same court. Watch Rory McIlroy in the Irish Open versus in a major and you'll have more people following him around the course. Bigger crowd = bigger atmosphere.

The support doesn't change ever, maybe I was misleading on trying to describe the atmosphere but that's absolutely not what I meant.

You said

it's supporting your team and bringing the noise when the better teams are in town

Sounds pretty conditional to me now.

You also completely missed/ignored the point. In leagues other that the EPL the decrease in atmosphere can be explained by a decrease in attendance, attendance doesn't decrease in the EPL but the atmosphere does, its unique in that.

ohnonotgmail

D14Rugby wrote: »

You said

Sounds pretty conditional to me now.

You also completely missed/ignored the point. In leagues other that the EPL the decrease in atmosphere can be explained by a decrease in attendance, attendance doesn't decrease in the EPL but the atmosphere does, its unique in that.

You sound surprised that fans get more excited during games against bigger teams.

[Deleted User]

8-10 wrote: »

Bigger crowd = bigger atmosphere.

Not true at all. Was at Man United vs Spurs myself and all I could hear was a small section of away fans chanting ''60,000 muppets!'' at the masses. Prawn Sandwich brigade and all that.

I've been at matches in dingy auld grounds that wouldn't hold 5k and you could hardly hear yourself think.