nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

Ireland is a pretend football country

Did you smash it

Reading on RTE.ie that the public purse will be used to fund a white water rafting complex in the ifsc to the tune of 25 million.

This while “the home of Irish football” Dalymount park is a half condemned ruin.

It amuses me that people think Ireland is a football country because it has the highest participation rate of any sport.

Truth is we have no football economy really beyond a really small time one and no matter what the FAI do they’ll never have the ability to upgrade it as there is no financial investment or wealth in football in the country.

The public’s investment in football amounts to sky sports subscriptions and trips cross channel.

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

trashcan

Muahahaha wrote: »

Croatias sporting success goes back to the Cold War days when they were Yugoslavia and they heavily funded athletes there as a way of fomenting national pride and sticking it to the west. Its something that has endured since they got independence. They've produced some remarkable technically gifted footballers over the years too, they got to the semi finals of the World Cup in both 1998 and 2018 which is some achievement for such a small nation.

Yeah aside from Peter Jackson (Oscar) and Lorde (Grammy) its difficult to think of many other NZ successes in the arts on an international stage. Im sure there are others but sport in NZ is the be all and end all.

Neil Finn, one of the best songwriters of the last 50 years, is a Kiwi. Not saying it disproves the point, but I just thought he deserved a mention.

With regard to the original question, it’s been asked for as long as I can remember, and I’m not sure there is an answer. It is what it is really. I’m a season ticket holder at St Pats, and it’s brilliant. I’ve seen a few league titles, plus the elusive cup win after 50 odd years. Nothing an English team could do could top that for me. Pats are my team, in a way that Man U or Liverpool could never be. I “followed” Man City as a kid, cos that’s what you did, you picked your English team. I slowly came to realise, they had nothing to do with me. When I started going regularly to Richmond it all fell into place.

The League of Ireland doesn’t have the money, the glamour, or the standard of play of the Premier League in England, but you can still see highly entertaining matches, and above all, it’s your team. After all, how many people would watch Ireland matches as a neutral. Or if it’s all about the standard, wh6 don’t people support Spain or Germany instead of Ireland. I don’t really feel qualified to comment on the GAA. Growing up in Dublin it meant nothing to me, and I actually find it almost unwatchable as a game.

[Deleted User]

Deleted User wrote: »

One of the weirdest things of last summer in an exceptionally weird year was seeing Liverpool flags actually flying on flagpoles outside houses on a drive through Munster. How did that ever become a thing, wouldn't you actually be crawling with shame as you hoisted the flag? (Assuming you are an adult)

Wasn't a one off either, right through Clare, Limerick and Kerry they were actually fairly frequent.

I don't mind lads following their team and winning the league was massive, but flying flags of a football team from a different country is actually incomprehensible to me.

They convince themselves that Dave from two doors down is Manc scum despite never having being to Lancashire in his life.

Shakey_jake

IAMAMORON wrote: »

I doubt building a cricket ground is really what we need. Having lived in London I get it. I mean the Brits have a cricket culture, we have a team etc, but we don't have a big enough culture to warrant building an international stadium.

Actually its exactly what we need. It costs cricket ireland a million euro each time to put in place the temporary infrastructure at Malahide and now that Ireland has test status part of the requirements of that is that it has some sort of permanent infrastructure in place. So it will happen soon either in malahide or elsewhere and most likely with little or no government funding

[Deleted User]

doublejobbing 2 wrote: »

Actual Liverpudlans are no doubt glad of the money their global reach brings in, but they must scratch their heads wondering WTF the Irish are on when they see this type of thing.

I'd say they're fuming that a generation ago the tickets were probably handy to afford and now they're not. Probably feels a lot less Scouse there too.

breezy1985

trashcan wrote: »

Neil Finn, one of the best songwriters of the last 50 years, is a Kiwi. Not saying it disproves the point, but I just thought he deserved a mention.

With regard to the original question, it’s been asked for as long as I can remember, and I’m not sure there is an answer. It is what it is really. I’m a season ticket holder at St Pats, and it’s brilliant. I’ve seen a few league titles, plus the elusive cup win after 50 odd years. Nothing an English team could do could top that for me. Pats are my team, in a way that Man U or Liverpool could never be. I “followed” Man City as a kid, cos that’s what you did, you picked your English team. I slowly came to realise, they had nothing to do with me. When I started going regularly to Richmond it all fell into place.

The League of Ireland doesn’t have the money, the glamour, or the standard of play of the Premier League in England, but you can still see highly entertaining matches, and above all, it’s your team. After all, how many people would watch Ireland matches as a neutral. Or if it’s all about the standard, wh6 don’t people support Spain or Germany instead of Ireland. I don’t really feel qualified to comment on the GAA. Growing up in Dublin it meant nothing to me, and I actually find it almost unwatchable as a game.

One problem the LoI has in this regard is a lot of Irish people are multi sport fans so can get their live kick down the GAA stadium with crowds in the 10s of 1000s and then laze around and watch the soccer the rest of the week.

Look at Limerick for example soccer is big here but when it comes to where you are going to spend your money they can't compete with the hurling or rugby team. And thats just the multi sports fans but the town has plenty soccer fans who only follow the glamour of TV football too. I worked steward in Jackman the night we played a Liverpool legends side and the man next to me kept saying "we" to his kids when talking about Liverpool rather than Limerick

IAMAMORON

Shakey_jake wrote: »

Actually its exactly what we need. It costs cricket ireland a million euro each time to put in place the temporary infrastructure at Malahide and now that Ireland has test status part of the requirements of that is that it has some sort of permanent infrastructure in place. So it will happen soon either in malahide or elsewhere and most likely with little or no government funding

I don't know enough to argue tbh.

Where do you think they should build a permanent stadium?

[Deleted User]

landofthetree wrote: »

It's not a fluke. Only 4 teams can ever win the PL when you look at what they spend. Torypool,UAE funded team, rotten meat fc* and Chelski. So they are bound to come back.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Edwards#Meat_contracts_corruption_and_malpractice

Just like Rangers coming back in Scotland.

Hartlepool?

pgj2015

I was in an Irish pub in Dublin once, there was a cup final on, flags of this premier league team draped all over the pub, grown men in their 50's walking around in jerseys, cheering on an english football team, shouting at bad decisions. I honestly thought they were from england at first but they were Irish. total embarrassment.

[Deleted User]

IAMAMORON wrote: »

I don't know enough to argue tbh.

Where do you think they should build a permanent stadium?

Belfast:)

It would not have to be that big really.

A couple of thousand capacity is all it would really need.

landofthetree

Deleted User wrote: »

Hartlepool?

Liverpool were founded by Tories.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Houlding

Their 70s/80s owner,chairman and players were all mouthpiece for the Tories. The city itself was Tory till it fell on hard times.

breezy1985

Shakey_jake wrote: »

Actually its exactly what we need. It costs cricket ireland a million euro each time to put in place the temporary infrastructure at Malahide and now that Ireland has test status part of the requirements of that is that it has some sort of permanent infrastructure in place. So it will happen soon either in malahide or elsewhere and most likely with little or no government funding

Ye will get the same government funding other small sports get. I love cycling but I don't expect massive public funding any time soon.

Could be wrong on this but the last time I saw government funding for sport boxing was the only one stood out as possibly being unfairly underfunded compared to the rest

IAMAMORON

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Belfast:)

It would not have to be that big really.

A couple of thousand capacity is all it would really need.

I think that is why Malahide works so well though?

Any Ulster fans can grab the train down in an hour?

[Deleted User]

landofthetree wrote: »

Liverpool were founded by Tories.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Houlding

Their 70s/80s owner,chairman and players were all mouthpiece for the Tories. The city itself was Tory till it fell on hard times.

Even more bizarre than Irish people obsessing over English soccer teams is Irish people obsessing over the perceived politics of the founders and/or owners and/or followers of English soccer teams.

Feenix

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

[/b]
The guy who organized it is off the charts Liverpool fanatic thought.

I've meet my share of Irish fans of English clubs but this guy is in a league of his own.

The gates to his house are replicas of the Shankley Gates in Liverpool.

He lead the u10s from the soccer club he trains up the main street of the town in the St Patrick's day parade a few years ago shouting something like "Up the reds boo Man U'.

I was talking to another parent outside the fence at the kids soccer training one morning about some match or other were a team came from behind in a game.
And he (the Liverpool fanatic) turns to us and says something like "that was like what we did in 2005".
I thought he was talking about the local soccer team, but it turns out he was referring to Liverpool when he meant we.

Of course only the most hardcore Liverpool fan would chant "Up the Reds boo Man U". I bet the locals were ****ting themselves.

[Deleted User]

Feenix wrote: »

Of course only the most hardcore Liverpool fan would chant "Up the Reds boo Man U". I bet the locals were ****ting themselves.

He was leading a bunch of 8 years old's up the main street of the town on St Patrick's Day.
He was tempering his chanting to suit the audience, which is good if you ask me.

But the point is , what is he doing using the local teams St Patrick's Day participation to display his Liverpool fandom ?

Hector Savage

Shame the power Bogball has over real sports like Football ..

ShyMets

Hector Savage wrote: »

Shame the power Bogball has over real sports like Football ..

Edgy

Hector Savage

ShyMets wrote: »

Edgy

Come on, GAA is shyte, well Hurling you can get a good game, but football ... jaysus utter utter muck

cms88

Hector Savage wrote: »

Shame the power Bogball has over real sports like Football ..

Hector Savage wrote: »

Come on, GAA is shyte, well Hurling you can get a good game, but football ... jaysus utter utter muck

This again :rolleyes:

505_

There’s no reason soccer can’t prosper alongside the Gaa. Obviously in person of Ireland Gaa is all that matters and the kids have no interest in soccer so it does reduce the potential talent pool. But the main issue for soccer has been how poorly the FAI has been run for a long time and the absence of quality facilities in kids and amateur game. A lot of clubs play in parks etc whereas every Gaa club has their own facilities and a lot have top class Astro turf pitches and everything. The difference in facilities is massive and down to the ineptitude of those in charge of soccer in this country.

partyguinness

I grew up by local GAA Taliban types who did everything in their power to hobble to start up of the local soccer club. Even making the U12s choose between GAA and playing soccer...no issue playing both. They wouldnt be caught dead near a LOI game.

"No foreign sports...rabblle rabble"

You couldn't make this up but at the same time the same fcukers were over in Old Trafford and Anfield several times a year.

cms88

partyguinness wrote: »

I grew up by local GAA Taliban types who did everything in their power to hobble to start up of the local soccer club. Even making the U12s choose between GAA and playing soccer...no issue playing both. They wouldnt be caught dead near a LOI game.

"No foreign sports...rabblle rabble"

You couldn't make this up but at the same time the same fcukers were over in Old Trafford and Anfield several times a year.

Well published that this also happens the other way around. Kilkenny/Carlow LOI team had told players they had to pick between the two

IAMAMORON

You would want to hear what proper English soccer fans think about the cosy Irish brigade of Liverpool and Man U junckies. They think they are a laughing stock.

You average Walsall or QPR fan at least can identify with their team. They can wear their club jersey ( or tie ) with a bit of parochial pride. That is their team, they actually feel the pain when they get thumped 3 nil away to Notts County and they have to sit on the bus skulling warm cans of Tennants all the way home.

They think Irish lads singing chants from cities which they might visit twice a year are a joke, they reckon it is a bit odd.

I can understand why Chelsea are so popular in the Ivory Coast - Didier Drogba. But it a long time since Kevin Moran, Ronnie Whelan or Frank Stapleton were doing their stuff - with respect to Mark Lawrenson and Kevin Doyle.

In Italy they won't cap you unless you are playing domestically - look it up.

doublejobbing 2

breezy1985 wrote: »

The amount of Irish people you see wearing jerseys heading out to the pub is heartbreaking and I don't just mean soccer ones and I am talking about days when there was no match on.

I can't think of another country that does it

Is it really still a thing though? Maybe it is down the country, but wearing a jersey as casual wear around the streets or to the pub on a non match day seems to have died out in Dublin in the last decade.

Maybe to add to that, maybe teenagers just aren't as enamored with the PL as their dads were. After all a current 13 to 18 year old will have grown up in an era where the old big 2 of Liverpool and Utd have been consistent comedy clubs for 8 to 10 years of their lives.

The crowds at LOI in Dublin are generally very youthful which can only be a good thing.

Mad_maxx

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Never thought of that.

So you can support a team in a different country, Liverpool or Watford or whatever.

But not a team 20 miles down the road.

Having said that:
A lot of Leinster people supported Munster in the rugby
In the UK, a lot of London people support Man U (supposedly).

Its notable that many of the LOIs best regional teams historically are in large towns in weak GAA counties. Longford, Sligo, Dundalk, Bray, Athlone.

Another notable is Monaghan Town - I wonder is its demise related to that county's enormous improvement in the GAA.

were Monaghan Town ever that strong in soccer ?

Monaghan is an extremely hardcore republican County , probably the leading republican county , this might leave it more hostile to soccer

partyguinness

I live in England and I can go to a game every weekend if I want (when Covid is not around)- from PL down to non league and everything in between all within a 45 min drive

I don't bother anymore because :-

1. I am not really that interested anymore
2. The football is ****e
3. It is not worth the expense
4. I don't like freezing my ass off sititng in the stand.

A few years back I was at Leicester V ManU. I am not a fan of either just went along to kill a few hours on a Sunday. Anyway, there was this utter gob****e sitting next to me (by coincidence) hurling abuse at Wayne Rooney.

This guy was well into his 50s....the reason I just sat there cringing was because he was Irish...he had driven over in the ferry that morning all the way from Roscommon. I was thinking "You sad little man." He just hurled all sorts of crap about Rooney and apparently Rooney has cousins in Roscommon. All sorts of references to Travellers etc. He was the only one in a quiet section of the stand shouting his turnip munching mouth off.

doublejobbing 2

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Even more bizarre than Irish people obsessing over English soccer teams is Irish people obsessing over the perceived politics of the founders and/or owners and/or followers of English soccer teams.

Doesn't quite rank as high as people trying to somehow claim you can follow Utd/ Liverpool in a WC but despise England in a tournament because Liverpool and Utd aren't "real England".:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Last world cup I knew plenty of LOI fans, myself included, who gave England at least tacit backing. It was only a bit of craic but most of us thought it was more sensible than hoping Trent Alexander Arnold is at fault for a 7-0 demolition, then going home to sleep in your Liverpool duvet.

In the bar at Dalyer at half time the crowds would be giving it socks as World In Motion was played, shouting the Eng- er- land bit :pac: All tongue in cheek, all to wind up the holier than thou Premier League fan who would think it was high treason (probably the type of lad who starts watching Ireland matches towards the business end/ play off bits of the qualifiers, then is off to France with hi inflatable shamrock like his whole life has led up to this)

In saying all of that, it does pre date Declan Rice defecting and it was in the days when it looked like Jack Grealish might never be capped, so you might not see it happen again :pac: At least while they're still playing.

weldoninhio

IAMAMORON wrote: »

You would want to hear what proper English soccer fans think about the cosy Irish brigade of Liverpool and Man U junckies. They think they are a laughing stock.

You average Walsall or QPR fan at least can identify with their team. They can wear their club jersey ( or tie ) with a bit of parochial pride. That is their team, they actually feel the pain when they get thumped 3 nil away to Notts County and they have to sit on the bus skulling warm cans of Tennants all the way home.

They think Irish lads singing chants from cities which they might visit twice a year are a joke, they reckon it is a bit odd.

I can understand why Chelsea are so popular in the Ivory Coast - Didier Drogba. But it a long time since Kevin Moran, Ronnie Whelan or Frank Stapleton were doing their stuff - with respect to Mark Lawrenson and Kevin Doyle.

In Italy they won't cap you unless you are playing domestically - look it up.

Jorginhio doesn’t play in Italy, Kean doesn’t play in Italy. Veratti is another.

Took about 2 minutes to blow that nonsense out of the water.

[Deleted User]

weldoninhio wrote: »

Jorginhio doesn’t play in Italy, Kean doesn’t play in Italy. Veratti is another.

Took about 2 minutes to blow that nonsense out of the water.

Initially won’t cap you unless you play in Italy was what I’d take from that statement. It’s news to me but Kean and Jorginho did start off in Italy so maybe?

IAMAMORON

weldoninhio wrote: »

Jorginhio doesn’t play in Italy, Kean doesn’t play in Italy. Veratti is another.

Took about 2 minutes to blow that nonsense out of the water.

They don't get picked and fans laugh at them for turning their backs on their domestic league.

Playing in Serie A is Gladiator stuff - it is a great honour.