Irish people supporting English football teams

odyssey06 wrote: »

Lots of Irish peoples favourite Tv show is from UK too.

That's essentially what football is to a lot of Irish people in fairness, a TV show.

dan1895 wrote: »

I know a lad, Irish born and raised, who supports Borussia Dortmund since he was a kid simply because he liked their kit. As legitimate a reason as most have for supporting English teams. Yet he still gets the "who do you really support?" and ""Why would you watch that crap?" questions.

He liked their kit? Interesting fashion sense!

For some people cheering for a team just cos they happen to be closest to you isnt a reason. I like Irish bands and being able to see them live more easily is a plus but if someone says their favourite band is english or american so what.
Plus historically many English teams had the best Irish players so there was a link there. Celtic have links back to Ireland too.

I guess for some it is less about the local or tribal aspect of it and more about imprinting on a particular team playing the sport at a far higher level of skill and in a more glamorous environment or for higher stakes to what is available locally.

Historically in Ireland that environment has been british soccer given the media coverage of it and our exposure to uk tv.

odyssey06 wrote: »

For some people cheering for a team just cos they happen to be closest to you isnt a reason.

For most across the world it is. The reason these teams are names Bolton and Hull are because that's where they're based. That's generally who is in the stands supporting them, the people of those towns.

odyssey06 wrote: »

I like Irish bands and being able to see them live more easily is a plus but if someone says their favourite band is english or american so what.

We differ greatly there because, to me, liking a band is a different animal to supporting a football team.

odyssey06 wrote: »

I guess for some it is less about the local or tribal aspect of it and more about imprinting on a particular team playing the sport at a far higher level of skill and in a more glamorous environment or for higher stakes to what is available locally.

Imagine applying that to GAA. Ah I'm not gonna support Longford any more, I'm a Kerryman now. Tribalism be damned. It wouldn't happen.[/quote]

odyssey06 wrote: »

Historically in Ireland that environment has been british soccer given the media coverage of it and our exposure to uk tv.

I agree with you there.

odyssey06 wrote: »

Standard or style plays a part in what team you imprint on or follow when you start gettimg into a sport.

Disagree. A 7 year old knows f*ck all about standard or style. More likely to like a colour of a jersey or a crest or your da telling you to like them.

odyssey06 wrote: »

But after a year you are married to that team and like pre divorce ireland you arenow stuck to them. You can separate but never again really follow another team.
Thems the rules. I dont make em.

I like Sheffield Wednesday when I was 8 because I got a shiny crest sticker of them back in the early 90's. Then I liked Man United because they always won. Then when I got older I noticed the scenes in the crowds when goals went in and thought to myself, I'd love to be in the middle of all that. You can have that every week at home... well unless you're Athlone or something :pac:

Omackeral wrote: »

Disagree. A 7 year old knows f*ck all about standard or style. More likely to like a colour of a jersey or a crest or your da telling you

I like Sheffield Wednesday when I was 8 because I got a shiny crest sticker of them back in the early 90's. Then I liked Man United because they always won. Then when I got older I noticed the scenes in the crowds when goals went in and thought to myself, I'd love to be in the middle of all that. You can have that every week at home... well unless you're Athlone or something :pac:

Yeah but why did the dad pick that team?
The imprinting is a mysterious process but not totally random or colour related eg Man Utd and Liverpool would have same number of fans as Charlton and ditto Yeovil and Celtic.

I have lost all respect for you now. How could you abandon Sheffield Wednesday and Chris Waddle?
You are allowed to like a succesful team but you have to stick with them when the inevitable happens.

Omackeral wrote: »

You must not be familiar with the concept of derby games. Tribalism at its core.

I can remember when Man Utd v Liverpool or Arsenal was a bigger deal than the local derby. You make your own rivalries to a certain extent.
But of course there is a local aspect to the game in england which feeds into those rivalries especially with fans living in same cities. But it is nothing like international games in its tribalism.

Omackeral wrote: »

Who's gonna support these teams?!!? I would certainly not get into bed with a Shamrock Rovers fan. They'd be the same I'm sure. Why would you support a Dublin United but not give Bohs or Rovers a shot?

Already been done. The mighty Dublin City. They even had the county colours! Got about 60 to their games.

It seemed to work for Leinster rugby but probably at soccer would need to be a Dublin team in a european league not LOI.

I'm a shareholder in a LOI club (co-op based one, not one of the few sort-of commercially owned ones). Substantial enough money pit between lotto, draws, tickets, travel and so on.

I still support and attend matches of a UK team, one which was exceptionally low-ranked at the time I started but had an Irish manager - no, not Sunderland; earlier and vastly lower. The standard of football is different; definitely wasn't better in the depths of League 1 vs LOI Premier but would be now; the atmosphere is different. I see no problems with it but maybe others do

The one thing I do hate, however, is people complaining about those who support UK teams while themselves supporting Celtic.

The standard arguement is a funny one as well. Is what those Liverpool and United fans are saying that if their beloved club got relegated to League One that they'd suddenly stop supporting them because the standard is crap?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Always remember my favourite pub football incident when Man United when 1-0 up against Rangers and someone shouted, "take that you Brittish bastards!"

Hah. If it was the 2003 game I could be generous and say they were probably confused by the presence of Roy Keane for Utd and the general lack of Brits on the pitch... but its a stretch.

WesternZulu wrote: »

I love soccer but can't for the life of me understand how people can get so invested in teams that they have no links to.

If the people of Bournemouth and Huddersfield adopted the same attitude towards their teams as Irish people and supported Liverpool or Man United instead of the club in their own city where would they be?
More than likely they'd be in the Conference rather than the Premier League.

People complain about the standard of the LOI but without support it can never progress.

Agree with this. I know lads heading over to Liverpool next weekend on the off chance that they win the league so they can see them parade the trophy around the city. It's a bit sad when you think about it.

False Prophet wrote: »

Do you feel the same sadness if they were going to watch formula 1 race? Or going to watch American football game? Or say a UFC match or boxing match with no Irish fighters? Or hell a wwe match.

No cos those are actual sporting events, apart from wwe obviously. If you've a ticket for a game fair enough but I'm talking about going over to a city in another country to watch a match in a pub and maybe get to see an open top bus parade by a team that you've no actual connection with.


If you were going over to Boston to watch the Patriots parade the Vince Lombardi trophy through the streets of Boston I'd say the same.

Happened in my home town back in the mid 90s i.e. a rural backwater.

The fledgling soccer club decided to start up an u-12 team. The local GAA Taliban did everything they could to stop it even telling the U-12s that they would never play for the GAA again if they turned up for the soccer team.

"foreign game rabble rabble". Now the main GAA gob****es were fanatical ManU fans and went over the Old Trafford a few times a year. You couldn't make it up.

WesternZulu wrote: »

The standard arguement is a funny one as well. Is what those Liverpool and United fans are saying that if their beloved club got relegated to League One that they'd suddenly stop supporting them because the standard is crap?

No you just wont hear so much from them

I couldnt believe the number of people who I had known for a long time and discovered were Liverpool supporters after the 2005 Champions league win.

Also you'll find that for any generation its generally the successful English clubs of their era who are the best supported , and I include myself in that group
e.g All my Leeds supporting friends are well into their 40s and older.

odyssey06 wrote: »

The 'standards' argument works both ways, why even support a League of Ireland team, and not just your even more local district team e.g. Fairview CY versus Shelbourne.

For some people the standard is set by the League of Ireland as the highest league of the domestic game, for others their horizon is the standard they see week in week out on Match of the Day, and the leagues in which the 99% of Irish international players of the last 40 years have played in and aspire to play in, the First Division\Premier League\SPL\Championship.

What's the range for "local" anyway? If you live in a city that has no team, are you oblighed so support the nearest geographically? I know a couple of people grew up close to Renelagh, live in Tallaght, but support Bray (no idea why)?

Looks like sense has prevailed on this thread!

partyguinness wrote: »

Is there anything more pathetic than the sight of grown men in football shirts.

Watching a LOI game :pac:

Annd9 wrote: »

Why is it such an Irish phenomenon though ? It comes across as so hypocritical when the general feeling in the country is one of slight distain for England (people argue different ,but sit in a pub when any English national side are playing) . Yet these same players they hate one week are legends the next .
Add to that 80% of the country have a soft spot for Celtic , a club who embrace anti Britishness.
Saturday -Love Celtic - Hate the Brits
Sunday - Love Chelsea - Hate the Mancs ,scousers, Irish ?

If you have paid any attention to the plight of Irish kids trying to make it in England you would see the need for people supporting the game here . Hence why we continue to hold out the begging bowl for players with minimal Irish connections , it's embarrassing.

If you can randomly pick a foreign team to support I find it hard why you can't pick an Irish one . That's if you love football of course as opposed to the entertainment value , if you are the latter fair enough , just don't get so emotional over a TV show .

The following an English club but hating the English team (not just when playing Ireland) is a whole other topic. It's not a phenomenon I'm a part of, but yep it's there.

It's based on personal whim. I guess the reason why they don't pick an Irish team has something to do with the fact that when they pick a non-Irish team it is Man Utd, Liverpool, Celtic, Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan rather than Plymouth Argyle or Stenhousemuir or Real Betis or Foggia.

Why pick Shelbourne and not an even more local team if all that matters is the sport? Why watch adults and not just U12s in your local park?
When Shelbourne were challenging for the LOI title, were their attendances higher or lower than versus when they were languishing in the second tier?
What does that say about domestic fans?

Given that virtually all Irish internationals for last 40 years play in British leagues, there is a sense that there is where the action is, that's where the games that matter are being played. It's why people show more interest in crunch games and competitive games than in friendlies or secondary cup competitions. That's my reasoning at least as to why the LOI doesn't grab the attention the way the British leagues have done.
For some people, what they love about the game is a Friday night LOI game, couple of thousands, being there in person.
For others, it's watching the best players of the sport, yes on TV, but with the atmosphere of a full 50,000 stadium behind it.
I'm not trashing the Friday night fans, but when they start slagging off the other fans, I don't like the bitterness or negativity behind it.

You can love a TV show, you can love a sport you can love a band, nowhere is it written you can only do so if you have seen it 'live'. It's the difference between a play and a film.

partyguinness wrote: »

I think if you are an adult with more than a passing interest in English/French/Spanish football (follow it by all means) then I think you are a bit sad and really need to grow up. You are not 16 anymore.

This post shows a lack of understanding of what football is, real football fans dont just take a passing interest in football..its simply not possible