randd1 wrote: » Sure what's the challenge in supporting the likes of United and Liverpool? What you want is a challenge is a real challenge as a supporter. Try Sunderland. Will they win this weekend, will they lose? Will they get promoted? Will they get relegated? Will we get that striker on a free transfer? We will go tits up at the end of the year? That's the type of club to put you through the emotional ringer. United, Liverpool,City, Chelsea, Spurs? Phhtt. "Sheffield United, should be three points."" The supporters of them side have it handy.
fryup wrote: » Remember when niall quinn and the irish consortium took over at Sunderland and they drafted in Roy Keane as manager.....it was like half the country was supporting them overnight...but now??? nowhere to be seen or heard we're a nation of bandwagoners (if that word exists)
Undertow wrote: » Saints supporter here- I can definitely relate!!
Omackeral wrote: » Always interested in the outliers. What made you support them?
Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: » Football/Soccer certainly wouldn't be as engrained in Irish culture as it would be here in Germany. I once read an interesting perspective that Ireland moved from a primarily agricultural society to a knowledge based one, and didn't have a long history of men working in heavy industry which was the foundation for other clubs in places like England and Germany. The GAA is also so interwoven into Irish society that it's difficult to compete against. A paper last week mentioned that only one Limerick player had made the Munster Rugby youth academy system as youngsters are all back playing hurling, even in traditional rugby schools. Finally, the average LoI diehard is a complete bore, and very off-putting for the more casual fan. Seems you need to have a chip on both shoulders to follow the local game in Ireland - usually mixed with tedious republican politics, Adidas Original runners, and a contempt for the GAA and culchies.
doublejobbing 2 wrote: » I've never been to a match in Britain. If I were to go to one in London frankly I'd head down Charlton Athletic or Millwall for a look (might keep my accent on the DL at Millwall mind :pac:) Just proper rough and ready stadiums and fans. If I were up North I'd sooner to head to Oldham or Bury (if they start again) than nod off watching rubbish like the derby yesterday. In Scotland I'd probably rather visit Hibs over Celtic for a match, even though I was quite into Celtic back in the day (more in the CL than caring about the SPL). The reaction to finally having to go a season without winning everything available has been incredibly cringe from their fans.
Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: » Finally, the average LoI diehard is a complete bore, and very off-putting for the more casual fan. Seems you need to have a chip on both shoulders to follow the local game in Ireland - usually mixed with tedious republican politics, Adidas Original runners, and a contempt for the GAA and culchies.
Omackeral wrote: » Less publicised and less sectarian but still there.
Mad_maxx wrote: » is the animosity between Hibs and Hearts as intense as that of the old firm ? obviously two small sides by comparison with the Glasgow pairing so perhaps the rivalry is under reported ?
dxhound2005 wrote: » The average height of LoI supporters is 5'8". But nobody can compute their boring/interesting average. They are individual traits, which cannot be averaged. The ones I know are really interesting people.
thatsmighty wrote: » Soccer being played on every school playground in Ireland
Omackeral wrote: » Lee Chin played hurling, football and soccer for Wexford sure!
[Deleted User] wrote: » As a Kilkenny man, I had the same issue with regards to supporting Waterford. I've been to plenty of their games over the years but couldn't quite reconcile supporting Kilkenny in GAA and Waterford in soccer. So while I keep the odd eye on how they're doing, I don't actively support them and my weekend mood doesn't teeter on a Waterford result.
Mad_maxx wrote: » i was at a bledisloe cup game between the all blacks and Australia over twenty years ago in Christchurch , atmosphere would be better at a junior B GAA club match probably down to kiwi dourness
cms88 wrote: » This is something i can never understand anf it's only said about GAA. You never hear someone who went to England to play soccer when they were young and it may not have worked out as being watsted to the GAA or anyone else
Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: » usually mixed with tedious republican politics
IAMAMORON wrote: » If you ever get talking to a Pats, Hoops or Shels fan it is almost as if you are not worthy to talk to them about their relinquished plight? They kind of wallow in their pain and implore your sympathy. " Ah shore, we could gomplain yeknow but nowanna phuggin listen " .... your dam right I won't listen, that jersey didn't get a wash from last week either the bang of Bo off it ye smelly chunt.
IAMAMORON wrote: » If you ever get talking to a Pats, Hoops or Shels fan it is almost as if you are not worthy to talk to them about their relinquished plight? They kind of wallow in their pain and implore your sympathy. " Ah shore, we could gomplain yeknow but nowanna phuggin listen " .... your dam right I won't listen, that jersey didn't get a wash from last week either the bang of Bo off it ye smelly chunt,
Mad_maxx wrote: » huge number of Aston Villa fans or at least used to be , West Ham to a lesser extent , both very big clubs admittedly from a supporter standpoint
Hamsterchops wrote: » You wish. GAA heads call it soccer so that Garlic Football (basically handball) gets the football moniker
Muahahaha wrote: » I think when people say playing GAA 'is a waste' what they are really referring to is a talented player putting all that dedication and hours in for little to no money when they might have went down the rugby or football route and made a proper living out of it. The GAA themselves have acknowledged they have lost players to rugby because of the money. What a lot of people dont know as well is that there is a tax scheme for Irish rugby players whereby they can spend their career here and get a huge refund on a lot of the tax they pay at the end of it. Theres rugby lads who are earning 2-3 million euro over their career, pay half of it in tax but then at the end of it they get a whopping big cheque off Revenue as a refund which sets them up for the next stage of their life. A GAA lad putting in similar hours has very little earning power in comparison, the top lads might get a few personal sponsorships but so do the top lads in rugby too anyway as well as a free car. Plus when a rugby career is over they can easily get parachuted into very well paying jobs with the companies who sponsor the teams (banking, insurance, Big 4 consultancies etc) whereas the GAA lad continues on as a teacher or Garda.
IAMAMORON wrote: » I think the League of Arlan also suffers from an innate inverse snobbery which has it rotten to the core. It has almost developed into a form of unhealthy smugness. It lingers like an aura around its' disgruntled begrudging fans. They are hell bent on supporting the game with a distinct chip on their shoulder, like it is some sort of a penance they have to serve for a few hours on their Friday night. I mean social distance is actually something that is not all that uncommon at your average LOI match. If you ever get talking to a Pats, Hoops or Shels fan it is almost as if you are not worthy to talk to them about their relinquished plight? They kind of wallow in their pain and implore your sympathy. " Ah shore, we could gomplain yeknow but nowanna phuggin listen " .... your dam right I won't listen, that jersey didn't get a wash from last week either the bang of Bo off it ye smelly chunt, Good luck.
NewbridgeIR wrote: » I know a couple who started following Southampton in 1983-1984 season - when they were league runners-up. Quite a few Nottingham Forest fans who were 8 - 10 years old when they had the great success in 1978-1980. Plenty Leeds fans in Ireland who are hitting 60 now and still talk about the team of the early 70s. FA Cup finals were much bigger then and got people interested / following teams. My cousin's interest in Manchester City began with the 1969 FA Cup final. Because he was into them, I got interested a few years later in the Malcolm Allison era. Spurs picked up a few in 1981/82 etc. And my next door neighbour became a Wimbledon fan in 1988 and never looked back
Festive Life wrote: » Would agree with that. Nearly all friends i have who support Leeds do because their parents did in the 70s...
FTA69 wrote: » I remember reading an article before that laid the problem facing us. Irish soccer is still geared toward the English leagues, and we send over umpteen teenagers every year for trials. These teenagers are often far behind their counterparts in other countries in terms of training hours and physical development. Something ridiculous like 95% of these teenagers wash out after a year and the vast majority of them never play soccer again. On top of that the Premier League can now draw players from all over the world, Africa and the like, which just wasn’t the case in the 1990s to the same degree. Where we should be cultivating our young papers in a domestic league we end up scrapheaping them in England at a very young age. On top of that the domestic league is poorly managed by the FAI and unfortunately poorly supported by the majority of Irish soccer “fans”. I’m not an expert on soccer by any means but it’s an analysis that made a lot of sense to me.
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