A Question for Non-LoI Fans

OhNoYouDidn't · 03-09-2008 05:08PM #1

I was having a conversation with a fan of a smaller LoI club, Cork, about why Irish people ignore their own professional league and follow teams from overseas. I'm not talking here about the irregular visitor to live domestic football or even the watcher of MNS.

I do not want to open up a 'my right to chose' debate again, lets assume you are right in your choice etc. For those who stoically ignore the LoI I have one simple question. Why?

Is it the product? The perception? Are you not that big a fan and don't need the hassle of cost, travel etc? Or is it simply because all your brothers were Liverpool fans?

Explain yersleves.

ntlbell · 03-09-2008 05:10PM

This has been done to death.

Mostly it's because the standard of the LOI is often worse than school boy league sunday football...

there's not much of a mystery

OhNoYouDidn't · 03-09-2008 05:12PM

ntlbell wrote: »

This has been done to death.

Mostly it's because the standard of the LOI is often worse than school boy league sunday football...

there's not much of a mystery

Not properly it hasn't.

Your answer is the standard? At what point did you decide it was worse than pub standard and have you checked it out since to see if it had improved? There is no dispute that it has recently.

Who is your foreign team if you don't mind me asking?

ntlbell · 03-09-2008 05:17PM

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Not properly it hasn't.

Your answer is the standard? At what point did you decide it was worse than pub standard and have you checked it out since to see if it had improved?

Who is your foreign team if you don't mind me asking?

Well I'm a boh's fan and although not die hard i try to get to every home game.

I enjoy it as I love football but the standard is awful and it often tests me on a wintery rainy friday night to go watch what's often a very low standard of football but I live in cabra and like to support local sports.

I also follow man u as my "foreign team" and a spot for luton town

I understand why most irish people don't support there local teams, rightly or wrongly it usually boils down to the standard of football.

CHD · 03-09-2008 05:18PM

In Before The Lock

eagle eye · 03-09-2008 05:18PM

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Not properly it hasn't.

Your answer is the standard? At what point did you decide it was worse than pub standard and have you checked it out since to see if it had improved?

Who is your foreign team if you don't mind me asking?

You see, here we go, you seem to be attacking the first poster that comes in and makes a comment. Just let people say their bit and discuss a solid post with someone.

This 'foreign' in your post makes me feel like you are just horrified by those who support teams abroad.

If I see this thread going somewhere and that you are not ready to jump down everyones throat I will post an answer to your question.

I supported LOI for a couple of years but have not done so for over 15 years.

OhNoYouDidn't · 03-09-2008 05:18PM

ntlbell wrote: »

Well I'm a boh's fan and although not die hard i try to get to every home game.

I enjoy it as I love football but the standard is awful and it often tests me on a wintery rainy friday night to go watch what's often a very low standard of football but I live in cabra and like to support local sports.

I also follow man u as my "foreign team" and a spot for luton town

I understand why most irish people don't support there local teams, rightly or wrongly it usually boils down to the standard of football.

So in other words you didn't actually read the OP and are exactly the person whose opinion I amn't looking for. Thanks anyway!

ntlbell · 03-09-2008 05:21PM

eagle eye wrote: »

You see, here we go, you seem to be attacking the first poster that comes in and makes a comment. Just let people say their bit and discuss a solid post with someone.

This 'foreign' in your post makes me feel like you are just horrified by those who support teams abroad.

And this is the second biggest reason

OhNoYouDidn't · 03-09-2008 05:22PM

eagle eye wrote: »

You see, here we go, you seem to be attacking the first poster that comes in and makes a comment. Just let people say their bit and discuss a solid post with someone.

This 'foreign' in your post makes me feel like you are just horrified by those who support teams abroad.

If I see this thread going somewhere and that you are not ready to jump down everyones throat I will post an answer to your question.

I supported LOI for a couple of years but have not done so for over 15 years.

Who jumped down whose throat? I asked another question, he answered it. No problem.

I am also a Celtic season ticket holder, I'm hardly horrified with myself?

Back in the real world, why did you stop going to LoI games? Do you still keep an eye out for your teams scores?

Dave! · 03-09-2008 05:27PM

LISTEN - IF you can't say something worthwhile, don't post

If you or anyone else is having trouble with this concept, I'll be happy to help

-Guan Yin

_blank_ · 03-09-2008 05:28PM

Dave! wrote: »

Because LOI is sh*te

Good answer.

But what is shíte about it?

OhNoYouDidn't · 03-09-2008 05:30PM

Des wrote: »

Good answer.

But what is shíte about it?

Exactly. Football? Facilities?

And compared to what?

_blank_ · 03-09-2008 05:30PM

Can I answer?

matrim · 03-09-2008 05:31PM

Well for me when I was growing up there were no LOI teams near me, so I never got to see it \ follow a team.

When I moved to Dublin I went to a couple of Bohs games but the quality wasn't good enough to keep me interested. I'll still occasionally watch a match on TV to see what the quality is like but wouldn't watch it regularly.

PHB · 03-09-2008 05:33PM

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

I was having a conversation with a fan of a smaller LoI club, Cork, about why Irish people ignore their own professional league and follow teams from overseas. I'm not talking here about the irregular visitor to live domestic football or even the watcher of MNS.

I do not want to open up a 'my right to chose' debate again, lets assume you are right in your choice etc. For those who stoically ignore the LoI I have one simple question. Why?

Is it the product? The perception? Are you not that big a fan and don't need the hassle of cost, travel etc? Or is it simply because all your brothers were Liverpool fans?

Explain yersleves.

I've never really gotten involved because there was no club in my area as a child getting me involved. As such, I watched the only football I had an interaction with, which was MOTD

That said, once Rovers open up their new stadium in Tallaght I intend to buy a season ticket.

GuanYin · 03-09-2008 05:34PM

LISTEN - IF you can't say something worthwhile, don't post

If anyone is having trouble with this concept, I'll be happy to help.

-Guan Yin

OhNoYouDidn't · 03-09-2008 05:36PM

PHB wrote: »

I've never really gotten involved because there was no club in my area as a child getting me involved. As such, I watched the only football I had an interaction with, which was MOTD

That said, once Rovers open up their new stadium in Tallaght I intend to buy a season ticket.

Welcome aboard, I'll buy you a beer in March.

Heads up - join Rovers now. €50 per month, season ticket comes with. Could be the only way to guarantee tickets next season.

CHD · 03-09-2008 05:36PM

Club nearest me is Bray. Used to go alot. Fed up of watching them yoyo between divisions.They were going well finishing 4th in the league AFAIR b4 and things were looking good but they kept selling there best players and none of that money seemed to go back into the club.Consistently play crap long ball football.Could go watch the local U-11 matches if i wanted to watch that shoite. Crap setup altogether.Was only good when the teams from Town and Derry came out to Bray.Prefer to watch good football and that happens to be on TV so i prefer to watch that.

Me going to support them regularly isn't going to make a difference.When LOI clubs do things right i will gladly go back but paying to watch long ball isn't for me

joe123 · 03-09-2008 05:37PM

Well I am huge liverpool fan.Supported them since I was about 4/5. Im 21 now. I love football not the ga type.I quit ga to just play soccer and anyone who knows me usually gives me the usual slagging "you follow the foreign sport" simply because i have way bigger interest in soccer than I do in gaa. Rural areas for ya :rolleyes:

Anyways im kinda getting off topic but when you slagged the poster asking him what foreign team he supported it brings up that divide that shouldnt be there. I would love to follow the loi as much as I do the premiership but the fact remains the loi standard is terrible.You dont need to be the most talented footballer in the world to play loi soccer and some matches can be as good as sunday league match id play in.

I know its bad when I know more about the likes of hull city than I do galway utd but to be honest its alot more entertaining watching great skill and technique you will never find in the loi yes even at hull city.

Also the fact I was handed my liverpool jersey at aged 4 kind of set in stone what way I was going to go. It would be hard for me to just follow a random loi team now with the same love ive got for Liverpool. Guess the fai should go round to schools and hand out loi jerseys and tickets and target the kids when there young....

OhNoYouDidn't · 03-09-2008 05:37PM

Des wrote: »

Can I answer?

No.

ntlbell · 03-09-2008 05:37PM

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Could be the only way to guarantee tickets next season.

/o/z

OhNoYouDidn't · 03-09-2008 05:39PM

ntlbell wrote: »

/o/z

We will be restricted to between 6,000 and 8,000 next season. Trust me, there will be slaughter getting tickets at the beginning at least.

OhNoYouDidn't · 03-09-2008 05:41PM

joe123 wrote: »

Well I am huge liverpool fan.Supported them since I was about 4/5. Im 21 now. I love football not the ga type.I quit ga to just play soccer and anyone who knows me usually gives me the usual slagging "you follow the foreign sport" simply because i have way bigger interest in soccer than I do in gaa. Rural areas for ya :rolleyes:

Anyways im kinda getting off topic but when you slagged the poster asking him what foreign team he supported it brings up that divide that shouldnt be there. I would love to follow the loi as much as I do the premiership but the fact remains the loi standard is terrible.You dont need to be the most talented footballer in the world to play loi soccer and some matches can be as good as sunday league match id play in.
I know its bad when I know more about the likes of hull city than I do galway utd but to be honest its alot more entertaining watching great skill and technique you will never find in the loi yes even at hull city.

Also the fact I was handed my liverpool jersey at aged 4 kind of set in stone what way I was going to go. It would be hard for me to just follow a random loi team now with the same love ive got for Liverpool. Guess the fai should go round to schools and hand out loi jerseys and tickets and target the kids when there young....

Thats kind of the point I want to challenge? Do you really believe that?

And kudos on the Gah hatred. Good for you.

djpbarry · 03-09-2008 05:44PM

I find it somewhat strange that people dismiss the LOI as being "****e", "pub team standard", etc., when Pats just knocked a team out of the UEFA cup that contained several Swedish internationals, such as Anders Svensson, Teddy Lučić and Stefan Ishizaki.

I'm wondering what it will take to convince people that it's pretty decent, not to mention Pats (among others) play excellent football.

PHB · 03-09-2008 05:47PM

I'm wondering what it will take to convince people that it's pretty decent, not to mention Pats (among others) play excellent football.

Champions League qualification or UEFA cup success.

Roar · 03-09-2008 05:48PM

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Welcome aboard, I'll buy you a beer in March.

Heads up - join Rovers now. €50 per month, season ticket comes with. Could be the only way to guarantee tickets next season.

of course it will!

the thing is with league of ireland football is that the actual football itself is only secondary.

what your average TV fan isn't aware of is the friendships that evolve from watching your team and standing in the same spot every second week, the sense of pride in an atmosphere that you helped to create, the craic before the game in the bar, the craic after the game in the bar (sometimes the craic at half time in the bar), meeting fans of other teams and having a beer with them whether you're home or away and meeting up with them for the return fixture

it's about waving flags and beating drums on match days, writing fanzines, having a jar with the manager after the game.. there's a lot more, i could go on and on, but my general point is you don't get that from watching sky sports on a sunday afternoon at home or in the pub.

now i'm not getting at any non eircom league fan, i'm a man united fan myself and have been since i was a kid, and i watch football on tv all the time no matter what it is.

it's just there's a lot more to the eircom League than just football - a lot more.

Jazzy · 03-09-2008 05:49PM

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Is it the product? The perception? Are you not that big a fan and don't need the hassle of cost, travel etc? Or is it simply because all your brothers were Liverpool fans?

why settle for Burger Bites when there is a bag of walkers spicey thai chilli right beside you?

just have no interest in it.

OhNoYouDidn't · 03-09-2008 05:49PM

djpbarry wrote: »

I find it somewhat strange that people dismiss the LOI as being "****e", "pub team standard", etc., when Pats just knocked a team out of the UEFA cup that contained several Swedish internationals, such as Anders Svensson, Teddy Lučić and Stefan Ishizaki.

I'm wondering what it will take to convince people that it's pretty decent, not to mention Pats (among others) play excellent football.

Exactly. The object of this is to get people to ask why they have come to the conclusions they have about Irish football and catch a game, either in the flesh or on the box and see if their opinion does not change.

Either that or bring the rest of us to the pub league games you are watching.

DSB · 03-09-2008 05:50PM

Jazzy wrote: »

why settle for Burger Bites when there is a bag of walkers spicey thai chilli right beside you?

But the pack of walkers spicey thai chilly isn't right beside you in this case.

OhNoYouDidn't · 03-09-2008 05:51PM

Jazzy wrote: »

why settle for Burger Bites when there is a bag of walkers spicey thai chilli right beside you?

just have no interest in it.

Nice edit. :rolleyes:

Why not have the patas bravas they serve in spain? best in the world and only slightly further away....

Its the logical conclusion to the 'quality' argument.

KdjaCL · 03-09-2008 05:52PM

Point 1. Quality of football.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XGTuzqxvyQ

Point 2. Atmosphere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhC4nHA3GLg

That is all.

kdjac

A Question for Non-LoI Fans

Comments