Why do Irish people support English teams?

Kermit.de.frog · 13-07-2019 7:56am

8-10 wrote: »

I

I've never said the Irish league is ****. It just doesn't interest me at much.

And if our own league had teams in the Champions League - i'd say it would interest you a lot more.

Only they are deprived of resources by "fans" like you.

It's colonial inferiority (everything in Britain is superior and better). I understand that. But our own country can also have a great league that would interest a lot of people if supporters could just see it and understand the connection.

8-10 · 13-07-2019 8:03am

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

And if our own league had teams in the Champions League - i'd say it would interest you a lot more.

Only they are deprived of resources by "fans" like you.

It's colonial inferiority (everything in Britain is superior and better). I understand that. But our own country can also have a great league that would interest a lot of people if supporters could just see it and understand the connection.

Personally, no even if Ireland had Champions League teams among the best in Europe I wouldn't switch teams. I'll remain a Liverpool fan for life but you are right that many would switch and I'd be fine having that happen, it'd be great for people to see more live games.

Omackeral · 13-07-2019 9:13am

8-10 wrote: »

First time I've heard about any links with those clubs

That's because they're just a team off the telly to most people here. This is the type of thing people mean when they speak about community, values and ethos of clubs, good and bad. It goes beyond what's on the pitch. There are major aspects of clubs that are very local and that will just resonate within the locality. Things that people from Far East Asia,the USA and even Ireland won't get by watching on a screen or visiting twice a decade.

8-10 · 13-07-2019 9:35am

Omackeral wrote: »

That's because they're just a team off the telly to most people here. This is the type of thing people mean when they speak about community, values and ethos of clubs, good and bad. It goes beyond what's on the pitch. There are major aspects of clubs that are very local and that will just resonate within the locality. Things that people from Far East Asia,the USA and even Ireland won't get by watching on a screen or visiting twice a decade.

Is their links with Linfield really a major aspect of the club?

If it was they'd work much harder getting that out to the global fanbase.

With Liverpool things like Hillsborough, Heysel, supporter links with Monchengladbach, supporting local food banks, links to the Red Sox, Don't buy the S*n campaign etc etc are all well publicised to the fanbase outside of Liverpool.

I'm gonna go occams razor here and suggest that it's not well known because a link with Linfield is not a major aspect of Chelsea and is more a localised tradition among a small % of the supporter base and not the official club as a whole

Omackeral · 13-07-2019 9:45am

It's embedded and routed in their fan base since before Sky TV times and you can ignore it if you want but there's plenty of elements there. A simple Google of Chelsea/Rangers brings up 100's of links and loyalist images. Linfield are a smaller club but they're there too. The Chelsea of today is different to the Chelsea even of the mid 90's but the element is absolutely still there and woven into the fabric of a portion of their fan base who'd be very fond of the ''No Surrender'' crap. Obviously it's not officially endorsed by the club!

Chelsea isn't just this megabucks superclub that you see on TV. Put it this way, you wouldn't bring an Irish tri-colour into one of their supporters bars if you knew what was good for you.

8-10 · 13-07-2019 10:04am

Omackeral wrote: »

It's embedded and routed in their fan base since before Sky TV times and you can ignore it if you want but there's plenty of elements there. A simple Google of Chelsea/Rangers brings up 100's of links and loyalist images. Linfield are a smaller club but they're there too. The Chelsea of today is different to the Chelsea even of the mid 90's but the element is absolutely still there and woven into the fabric of a portion of their fan base who'd be very fond of the ''No Surrender'' crap. Obviously it's not officially endorsed by the club!

Chelsea isn't just this megabucks superclub that you see on TV. Put it this way, you wouldn't bring an Irish tri-colour into one of their supporters bars if you knew what was good for you.

In fairness I was aware of the Rangers link now that we're talking about it, it was Linfield that was a completely new one on me.

I was at Stamford Bridge in the mid-90's so I know it was a different club. Just didn't know anything about Linfield and don't recall seeing anything.

But then again I'm no Chelsea fan. A similar link with Liverpool (e.g. Monchengladbach as mentioned) and I do know about it.

There's this perception that EPL fans are fans of football and the League as a whole. It's not always the case. I know everything there is to know about being a Liverpool fan but I don't go watching random EPL games on TV if we're not playing so if Burnley have local rivalries other than Blackburn I don't know about them, if Chelsea have a link with Linfield it's new to me.

I was reading the other day in another thread about Bohs fans giving a standing ovation to a rapist who was playing for them and it sounded like that was news to a lot of people even in the locality where the rape happened.

I don't think it's just the TV thing. In general you have fans who experience supporting a team differently. Some just go to games, others pour over stats, some consume endless media and can name backroom staff and know every players history and others simply wear the jersey and cheer without being able to name all the players.

They're all fans

DEFTLEFTHAND · 13-07-2019 10:07am

Omackeral wrote: »

It's embedded and routed in their fan base since before Sky TV times and you can ignore it if you want but there's plenty of elements there. A simple Google of Chelsea/Rangers brings up 100's of links and loyalist images. Linfield are a smaller club but they're there too. The Chelsea of today is different to the Chelsea even of the mid 90's but the element is absolutely still there and woven into the fabric of a portion of their fan base who'd be very fond of the ''No Surrender'' crap. Obviously it's not officially endorsed by the club!

Chelsea isn't just this megabucks superclub that you see on TV. Put it this way, you wouldn't bring an Irish tri-colour into one of their supporters bars if you knew what was good for you.

The Headhunters set up The Blues Brothers Alliance.

Chelsea , Linfield, Rangers.

Loyalist to the core with connections to the UVF.

Chelsea is the one club you stay away from if you're a paddy in London.

RobMc59 · 13-07-2019 10:24am

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

And if our own league had teams in the Champions League - i'd say it would interest you a lot more.

Only they are deprived of resources by "fans" like you.

It's colonial inferiority (everything in Britain is superior and better). I understand that. But our own country can also have a great league that would interest a lot of people if supporters could just see it and understand the connection.

Your talking about sport,a pastime recreation.
Its nothing to do with colonial inferiority imo.
I don't know if you like any sports but would you be happy if others were criticising you so vehemently over your choice of team/sport?

padzer220982 · 13-07-2019 11:25am

Omackeral wrote: »

It's embedded and routed in their fan base since before Sky TV times and you can ignore it if you want but there's plenty of elements there. A simple Google of Chelsea/Rangers brings up 100's of links and loyalist images. Linfield are a smaller club but they're there too. The Chelsea of today is different to the Chelsea even of the mid 90's but the element is absolutely still there and woven into the fabric of a portion of their fan base who'd be very fond of the ''No Surrender'' crap. Obviously it's not officially endorsed by the club!

Chelsea isn't just this megabucks superclub that you see on TV. Put it this way, you wouldn't bring an Irish tri-colour into one of their supporters bars if you knew what was good for you.

Correct those links have been there long before Pat from Dublin started watching Chelsea on the box in the early 2000's.. I'd assume a good few of the Chelsea boys were part of the mob that wrecked Lansdowne Road when we played England.. shouting no surrender along with the Combat 18 gang

D14Rugby · 13-07-2019 11:26am

8-10 wrote: »

Is their links with Linfield really a major aspect of the club?

If it was they'd work much harder getting that out to the global fanbase.

With Liverpool things like Hillsborough, Heysel, supporter links with Monchengladbach, supporting local food banks, links to the Red Sox, Don't buy the S*n campaign etc etc are all well publicised to the fanbase outside of Liverpool.

I'm gonna go occams razor here and suggest that it's not well known because a link with Linfield is not a major aspect of Chelsea and is more a localised tradition among a small % of the supporter base and not the official club as a whole

Hi everybody it's us, the club that has at least one high profile incident of racism a year. Just letting you all know, incase you didn't already, that our fan base also have strong links to these historically bigoted clubs. That is all thank you.

Yeah... I'm sure that'll happen... They'll also publicise the fact they used to one of the most infamously hooligan clubs in England before sky TV came.

odyssey06 · 13-07-2019 11:34am

It's nothing to do with cultural inferiority or GAA wouldn't be a massive sport here; and there's a huge overlap between GAA fans and EPL soccer fanbase in this country.

If there are some dodgy elements to Chelsea's fanbase surely it's a good thing people from the Republic and elsewhere support them and dilute them and don't let such dodgy elements hijack a club.

Greyfox · 13-07-2019 11:34am

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Yeah but...they are more than a bit dim.

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Why would you support a foreign league at the expense of your own league?

Look, I don't expect an answer. You are all thick to me and the same idiots who will slam the Irish league "because it's sh!t".

Well if you call EPL fans a bit dim they will get hurt and respond with because its sh*t. Both statements are disgusting, untrue and bad for football. Why do people feel the need to go into EPL v Irish league mode. There both very different experiences, as many people have pointed out you can do both,. You cant tell people who to support, football doesnt work that way. Yes more EPL fans should go to Irish league games as its something there likely to really enjoy but for them it's not as simple as go to 2 games and your in love with live football, it takes time to get attached and there are constant distractions and demands on people's time.

D14Rugby · 13-07-2019 11:43am

Greyfox wrote: »

Well if you call EPL fans a bit dim they will get hurt and respond with because its sh*t. Both statements are disgusting, untrue and bad for football. Why do people feel the need to go into EPL v Irish league mode. There both very different experiences, as many people have pointed out you can do both,. You cant tell people who to support, football doesnt work that way. Yes more EPL fans should go to Irish league games as its something there likely to really enjoy but for them it's not as simple as go to 2 games and your in love with live football, it takes time to get attached and there are constant distractions and demands on people's time.

I can safely say nobody here is in irish league mode. Done even know the name of your own league for god sake.

Dr. Bre · 13-07-2019 12:00pm

Omackeral wrote: »

I'd be happy if the people that described themselves as football-mad in this country attended matches every week and backed their local clubs the way the people of Bristol (for example) do. Why can Bristol natives do it but we can't?

Cos in Ireland we seek glory. Why do Irish people support top 6 English sides ! Why don’t they support a Bristol for example! Only GAA seems to hve local support in Ireland

Greyfox · 13-07-2019 12:40pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

I can safely say nobody here is in irish league mode. Done even know the name of your own league for god sake.

I know it's the Airtricity league and have called it that on previous posts. There should be no Airtricity league fans asking why someone supports a foreign team and instead it should be what Irish team do you also follow. (Like most Airtricity fans). Yes there also shouldn't be any Irish fans of the EPL looking down on the Airtricity league especially when they haven't given it a fair chance

8-10 · 13-07-2019 1:18pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

Hi everybody it's us, the club that has at least one high profile incident of racism a year. Just letting you all know, incase you didn't already, that our fan base also have strong links to these historically bigoted clubs. That is all thank you.

Yeah... I'm sure that'll happen... They'll also publicise the fact they used to one of the most infamously hooligan clubs in England before sky TV came.

Still waiting a couple of responses to my questions yesterday mate.

And for the record I didn't realise there was a hooligan element I thought it was just a link between the clubs that was meant. Loaning a few players out etc

Patrick2010 · 13-07-2019 1:23pm

Greyfox wrote: »

I know it's the Airtricity league and have called it that on previous posts. There should be no Airtricity league fans asking why someone supports a foreign team and instead it should be what Irish team do you also follow. (Like most Airtricity fans). Yes there also shouldn't be any Irish fans of the EPL looking down on the Airtricity league especially when they haven't given it a fair chance

League north of the border = Irish League
League south of the border = League of Ireland

League is not referred to by some sponsor name. Is the EPL referred to by its sponsor name?

D14Rugby · 13-07-2019 1:30pm

8-10 wrote: »

Still waiting a couple of responses to my questions yesterday mate.

And for the record I didn't realise there was a hooligan element I thought it was just a link between the clubs that was meant. Loaning a few players out etc

And you'll be waiting a while longer because you can get t'**** if you think I'm arsed re reading your ****e to try find these questions.

We've been talking about the sectarian element of Chelsea, posting pictures of loyalist crests with their crest, rangers crest and Linfield crest on it and talking about links between the clubs and their fanbases and you're claiming you thought the link was an feeder club link? Pull the other one.

D14Rugby · 13-07-2019 1:31pm

Greyfox wrote: »

I know it's the Airtricity league and have called it that on previous posts. There should be no Airtricity league fans asking why someone supports a foreign team and instead it should be what Irish team do you also follow. ( Like most Airtricity fans ). Yes there also shouldn't be any Irish fans of the EPL looking down on the Airtricity league especially when they haven't given it a fair chance

They're not the worst company but I don't think they have a fan base now

8-10 · 13-07-2019 1:35pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

And you'll be waiting a while longer because you can get t'**** if you think I'm arsed re reading your ****e to try find these questions.

LOL you make shít up and then can't back it up so you don't reply. When asked for a reply you say you can't be bothered looking it up when deep down you know what I'm referring to.

One:

D14Rugby wrote: »

You've said you wouldn't really care if your club moved.

No, I didn't say that. You are completely making it up. Correct?

RobMc59 · 13-07-2019 1:37pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

And you'll be waiting a while longer because you can get t'**** if you think I'm arsed re reading your ****e to try find these questions.

We've been talking about the sectarian element of Chelsea, posting pictures of loyalist crests with their crest, rangers crest and Linfield crest on it and talking about links between the clubs and their fanbases and you're claiming you thought the link was an feeder club link? Pull the other one.

Just for the record,Chelsea and their fans are disliked by most other EPL fans.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/most-hated-club-premier-league-12994750

8-10 · 13-07-2019 1:40pm

RobMc59 wrote: »

Just for the record,Chelsea and their fans are disliked by most other EPL fans.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/most-hated-club-premier-league-12994750

United and Liverpool too according to that. I'm not that surprised

padzer220982 · 13-07-2019 1:46pm

8-10 wrote: »

Still waiting a couple of responses to my questions yesterday mate.

And for the record I didn't realise there was a hooligan element I thought it was just a link between the clubs that was meant. Loaning a few players out etc

just loaning a few players out?? Are you serious??

There's a video on YouTube that shows Chelsea fans up in Newcastle at half time in the concorse doing the "bouncy' which I believe is a loyalist song about jumping on a Catholics head.. a lot of Scottish accents in the video which to me means there's a few Rangers boys down in the Chelsea crowd.. Rounded out by a rendition of f*ck the Pope and the IRA

Look it up it's on YouTube

8-10 · 13-07-2019 1:54pm

padzer220982 wrote: »

just loaning a few players out?? Are you serious??

Yeah I'd never heard of the links before and I know basically zero about Linfield and their fans

D14Rugby · 13-07-2019 2:05pm

8-10 wrote: »

LOL you make shít up and then can't back it up so you don't reply. When asked for a reply you say you can't be bothered looking it up when deep down you know what I'm referring to.

One:

No, I didn't say that. You are completely making it up. Correct?

You defend people for saying they wouldn't care if a club moved city so I took that to be you agreeing with them as no sane person would agree with that being something an actual supporter could think.

8-10 wrote: »

Yeah I'd never heard of the links before and I know basically zero about Linfield and their fans

**** right off. My mum couldn't tell you how many players are in a football team and even she could tell you about linfield and their fans

padzer220982 · 13-07-2019 2:12pm

8-10 wrote: »

Yeah I'd never heard of the links before and I know basically zero about Linfield and their fans

Linfield are basically a mini Rangers.. play in blue white and red and have a club shop on the Shankill Road in Belfast, the spiritual home of Loyalism in the north

8-10 · 13-07-2019 2:15pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

You defend people for saying they wouldn't care if a club moved city so I took that to be you agreeing with them as no sane person would agree with that being something an actual supporter could think.

**** right off. My mum couldn't tell you how many players are in a football team and even she could tell you about linfield and their fans

Good for her I don't know anything about them. Don't even know where they play. I've only ever been to a league game in Northern Ireland once

And yep I never said it and I dont have a problem with anyone supporting anybody for any reason and I don't have an issue with someone changing teams for any reason.

I say it over and over again here: each to their own

For you to claim that me agreeing or not having a problem with something that's being said means that I have said that that is how I feel about my team is such a stretch. Come on. I agree with somebody so Im OK with that for Liverpool?

I keep saying over and over that personally I'm not changing the team I support. But I have no problem with others doing so.

Each to their own, so don't make assumptions, just accept that I am accepting of opinions that aren't my own and maybe try it out yourself sometime?

Omackeral · 13-07-2019 2:41pm

Dr. Bre wrote: »

Cos in Ireland we seek glory. Why do Irish people support top 6 English sides ! Why don’t they support a Bristol for example! Only GAA seems to hve local support in Ireland

Ah I've said it time and time again. You hear of the uncles that lived there in the 70's and all that but there was a massive influx of Irish to Birmingham yet we don't see any of their attire on our streets or in our pubs. Ditto to the less fashionable (read: successful) London clubs.

ToddyDoody · 13-07-2019 2:43pm

There's English fans of Irish soccer too you know.

Omackeral · 13-07-2019 2:44pm

8-10 wrote: »

I say it over and over again here: each to their own

If only that was the case.

Why do Irish people support English teams?

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