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Why do some people pretend to support certain football teams?

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Comments

  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,907 ✭✭✭Stevieluvsye


    With the greatest due respect to the LOI, the ground infrastructures are not appealing for families. It's alright for your jonny 10 pints but unless the government/FAI (or anyone) pumps significant amounts of cash in to the game it will continue to suffer.

    Make it more appealing and the game will grow here


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 491 ✭✭B_ecke_r


    plenty of Celtic "fans" in Ireland.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,366 ✭✭✭✭8-10


    pgj2015 wrote: »
    what about following your LOI team? they arent foreign.

    You are implying that everyone has a LOI team. Many of us don't. We started watching English clubs on TV first. Many people also choose to follow both. I try to get to a couple of games myself but I don't consider my local team as 'my team'

    My team is Liverpool


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,907 ✭✭✭Stevieluvsye


    B_ecke_r wrote: »
    plenty of Celtic "fans" in Ireland.

    Takes me back to circa 1999 when i saw a lad in a local pub wearing a celtic jersey with "Popes 11" on the back.

    Same establishment few years later, another lad "Eire 32"


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,460 ✭✭✭pgj2015


    8-10 wrote: »
    You are implying that everyone has a LOI team. Many of us don't. We started watching English clubs on TV first. Many people also choose to follow both. I try to get to a couple of games myself but I don't consider my local team as 'my team'

    My team is Liverpool



    well if you live in Ireland its not hard to have a LOI team. I got into the LOI only a few years ago, I dont support my local team but at least I support an Irish team. what gets me is the Irish people who run down LOI and say its $hit, well if more Irish people supported the league it would only get better. The quality of LOI has improved a huge amount over the last few years btw.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,366 ✭✭✭✭8-10


    B_ecke_r wrote: »
    plenty of Celtic "fans" in Ireland.

    Football being a global sport with global fans seems to have passed many people by. It's no longer the 1960's.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,366 ✭✭✭✭8-10


    pgj2015 wrote: »
    well if you live in Ireland its not hard to have a LOI team. I got into the LOI only a few years ago, I dont support my local team but at least I support an Irish team. what gets me is the Irish people who run down LOI and say its $hit, well if more Irish people supported the league it would only get better. The quality of LOI has improved a huge amount over the last few years btw.

    I'm not running it down, I just don't support a team. I don't say it's $hit, and I'll take your word that it's improved a huge amount.

    Just because I like Liverpool doesn't mean I actively dislike the LOI. I'm very happy for it to do well.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,016 ✭✭✭✭EmmetSpiceland


    With the greatest due respect to the LOI, the ground infrastructures are not appealing for families. It's alright for your jonny 10 pints but unless the government/FAI (or anyone) pumps significant amounts of cash in to the game it will continue to suffer.

    Make it more appealing and the game will grow here

    The FAI are a disgrace. Blazers pulling in massive salaries while the teams are scraping by. Doesn’t look like much is going to change either.
    pgj2015 wrote: »
    I got into the LOI only a few years ago, I dont support my local team but at least I support an Irish team.

    Did you ever support an English premiership team at all?

    “It is not blood that makes you Irish but a willingness to be part of the Irish nation” - Thomas Davis



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,460 ✭✭✭pgj2015


    The FAI are a disgrace. Blazers pulling in massive salaries while the teams are scraping by. Doesn’t look like much is going to change either.



    Did you ever support an English premiership team at all?



    yes, i still do but i dont pretend to support them while knowing nothing about them. you can support a loi team and english prem team at the same time, im sure many people do.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭CrankyHaus


    IAMAMORON wrote: »
    It is not unlike Munsterwegians in pubs telling other punters to shush during conversions at Rugby matches.


    This is infinitely worse than anything else described in this thread.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,016 ✭✭✭✭EmmetSpiceland


    pgj2015 wrote: »
    yes, i still do but i dont pretend to support them while knowing nothing about them. you can support a loi team and english prem team at the same time, im sure many people do.

    Was it Man Utd?

    “It is not blood that makes you Irish but a willingness to be part of the Irish nation” - Thomas Davis



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,460 ✭✭✭pgj2015


    8-10 wrote: »
    I'm not running it down, I just don't support a team. I don't say it's $hit, and I'll take your word that it's improved a huge amount.

    Just because I like Liverpool doesn't mean I actively dislike the LOI. I'm very happy for it to do well.



    a lot of paddy premierships run the loi down while never having been to a game.

    what i dont really get is if someone has a genuine interest in soccer, how they can get more satisfaction from watching liverpool on tv than watching live soccer, loi live beats champions league football on tv for me but look everyone is different i suppose.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,460 ✭✭✭pgj2015


    Was it Man Utd?




    No,iv never seen any man united fans who stopped following man united and now follow loi. most man u fans i know, you wouldnt be able to pay them to go to a loi match.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,366 ✭✭✭✭8-10


    pgj2015 wrote: »
    a lot of paddy premierships run the loi down while never having been to a game.

    what i dont really get is if someone has a genuine interest in soccer, how they can get more satisfaction from watching liverpool on tv than watching live soccer, loi live beats champions league football on tv for me but look everyone is different i suppose.

    Exactly. And try taking a flight to Liverpool, Manchester or Birmingham at a weekend or midweek between now and May. You'll see that plenty do go to see live soccer. But even those who don't still enjoy it.

    And as you say, you can do both. It's not like you can go see a LOI game this weekend so why not watch the EPL on tv?

    You can also have plenty of knowledge about a team purely from watching them on tv. There's also plenty of information online, podcasts etc. Moreso than LOI who might have some local coverage, a twitter and FB account to follow.

    Liverpool are one of the best teams around right now, even many non-Liverpool fans get satisfaction by watching them on tv these days. Try it this weekend, Crystal Palace away. You might like it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭Greyfox


    pgj2015 wrote: »
    what about following your LOI team? they arent foreign.

    I support them too. Unfortunately for them I idolised Eric Cantona before I discovered that their was such a thing as the LOI. Ultimately when I was a kid everyone who played football had an EPL team and it was a few years later when I learned that we also had a professional league in Ireland


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,078 ✭✭✭IAMAMORON


    bnt wrote: »
    When I lived in London I tried to pretend to like football teams, to see if it made a difference to how I fit in there. But how to choose which team? I had no family history with English teams, so I started by looking at location. I lived in Earl's Court, so who's the local team? Chelsea, since Stamford Bridge was just down the road? Maybe, but what about Fulham is closer than Chelsea (the suburb)?

    Then I moved to Muswell Hill in North London, and there are two famous rival North London teams. So I got out the map and a ruler: which team's ground was closer? White Hart Lane (Spurs) or Highbury (Arsenal)? They were both an equal distance away from me. At that point I thought I might as well pick one and go to the match, but when I looked in to getting a ticket, it was instant sticker shock.

    Turns out I wasn't that interested after all, and have still never been to a football match in the UK. I've been to an ice hockey match in Denver and a baseball game in Houston, that'll do me.

    London is a tricky one BNT, thanks for adding this contribution, it is a very relevant one.

    London is massive, quite literally. I often see it as an entirely different country to the rest of the UK. It is a bit like a little principality subsumed within the island itself. No other city in the UK can really identify with this. The population is diverse. For example a lot of Jamaican Yardies are more likely to be found attending the Oval for a game of cricket in June, as they are to be found at the Den in Millwall, even though they all live in Peckham. It is a cultural thing underneath it all.

    I can remember attending Upton Park when Paul Ince made his first appearance there after selling out to Castle Greyskull, in I think 1989. I will never forget the tension in that stadium that day. The entire first half was essentially a chorus of boos from the Hammers fans. Ince rarely left the circle, he was terrified. They were hurling half filled plastic soft drink bottles, coins, flares, west ham jerseys, dirty condoms and you name it at the poor guy. Every time he tried to touch the ball the booos and the wanker gesticulation was everywhere. I was an independent observer, but for fear of getting lynched I even faked a cockney accent and joined in.

    The fans were constantly chanting " you'll never make the station, you will never make the staaaaayyytion , oh you will never the staaaayyytion.....

    never make the station , oh you'll never make the station , you little xxxxxxxx, you never make the phucking staaaaaaaytion " etc etc.

    Ferguson took him off after 50 minutes, he was in tears.

    I went home, quite shell shocked myself let me tell you, Upton Park is one of the scariest places I have ever been to. I was living in Islington at the time. The tube was tense and there was a lot of scraps and violence going on, I was terrified at times.

    That night when I at home watching the highlights I distinctly remember that the crowd interference had been muted from the game. You could not hear any of the bile that the crowd were shouting at him, I mean some really racist stuff including aping etc. They managed to avoid showing most of the missile throwing, but the pitch looked like a halting site on a bad day with the amount of litter and shight all over it.

    The real point I am making here is that if you are living in London, but your not from London... your never really from there at all. I got lucky travelling with a work colleague who was a Hammers fan. But I never returned to Upton Park again. No thanks.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,078 ✭✭✭IAMAMORON


    CrankyHaus wrote: »
    This is infinitely worse than anything else described in this thread.

    Very off topic in fairness Cranky, and in hindsight your probably right.

    Put don't forget there that a lot of Munsterwegians are also Cork City and Limerick City fans. Fair play to them.

    Anyone with half a brain cell knows that Waterford is really in Leinster. Waterfordwegians are not really Munsterwegians, they are the wrong side of the river Suir for that. Don't let them forget it either.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,907 ✭✭✭Stevieluvsye


    IAMAMORON wrote: »
    But I never returned to Upton Park again. No thanks.

    I'm a West Ham fan. Spent years living in Plaistow. Back in them days it was proper east end. Mad shop. I remember scraps up and down the barking road (It's a long road)

    These days (obviously they are gone now) it has changed. Huge bangladeshi/pakistani population in the area.

    I miss the Boleyn and it's namesake pub.

    Anyway, to your point, that was a proper football ground with real fans and that is why i still follow them today. Although i only get to them maybe 4/5 times a year i would class myself as a proper supporter even though i don't attend every game


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭Greyfox


    pgj2015 wrote: »
    a lot of paddy premierships run the loi down while never having been to a game.

    what i dont really get is if someone has a genuine interest in soccer, how they can get more satisfaction from watching liverpool on tv than watching live soccer, loi live beats champions league football on tv for me but look everyone is different i suppose.

    True lots of EPL fans talk down the LOI, sadly in life lots of people talk down things before they give it a fair chance. The really sad thing is if they gave the LOI a fair change they would more than likely love it.

    Because the fan is emotionally invested in Liverpool but there not invested in a LOI team yet and it takes time to get invested.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,956 ✭✭✭✭Omackeral


    With the greatest due respect to the LOI, the ground infrastructures are not appealing for families. It's alright for your jonny 10 pints but unless the government/FAI (or anyone) pumps significant amounts of cash in to the game it will continue to suffer.

    Make it more appealing and the game will grow here

    Tallaght Stadium, Turners Cross and Sligo's Showground are all great stadiums. Not a thing wrong with any of them. All very modern.

    I've seen people turn their nose up at Europa League football in Tallaght against Bundesliga opposition because "the swimming is on". Not always a case of build it and they'll come.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,907 ✭✭✭Stevieluvsye


    Omackeral wrote: »
    Tallaght Stadium, Turners Cross and Sligo's Showground are all great stadiums. Not a thing wrong with any of them. All very modern.

    I've seen people turn their nose up at Europa League football in Tallaght against Bundesliga opposition because "the swimming is on". Not always a case of build it and they'll come.

    They are good, not great. SDCC have given the green light for the remaining stand to be built in Tallaght which helps.

    As i mentioned earlier, serious money needs to be pumped in to the LOI. When was the last time you heard an advertisement of any sort for an upcoming fixture? I can't recall. RTE needs to up there game also. Get more games live on air.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,055 ✭✭✭JohnnyFlash


    In fairness to the League of Ireland, the quality of football has improved from disastrous to poor. And the improved attendances are good to see.

    The worst thing about League of Ireland is the 'die hard local football man' sort. The sort who would have been involved in fanzines when they were younger. The sort who get very tetchy about people supporting Liverpool and not Limerick FC. They usually hate the GAA as well, and use its success as an excuse for the failures of grassroots soccer in Ireland. These lads are always a massive pain in the hoop and should be actively avoided at all times.

    They are between the ages of 35 and 55. Wear Adidas original runners, tend to be either bald or have that spikey grey hair, bit overweight, have a collection of plastic parka football jackets, usually move in packs. The worst thing about them is their complete lack of self-awareness - they see themselves as decent 'salt of the earth' football men, when in reality they are tedious arséholes who bore the bejaysus out of everyone they talk to about their precious LoI.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,366 ✭✭✭✭8-10


    They are good, not great. SDCC have given the green light for the remaining stand to be built in Tallaght which helps.

    As i mentioned earlier, serious money needs to be pumped in to the LOI. When was the last time you heard an advertisement of any sort for an upcoming fixture? I can't recall. RTE needs to up there game also. Get more games live on air.

    Would more live games discourage people from going? Just asking as I think that's why EPL don't have 3pm Saturday games on TV and you have NFL not playing on a Friday night to encourage people to go to high school games.

    I'd love more live games on TV but I do think if there's a game on TV on a Friday evening it would feed into my decision to go to see my local team that night or not


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 642 ✭✭✭Lyle Lanley



    A lot of the ones I knew are now League of Ireland fans. Claiming they enjoy going to “live” football and that it’s a “purer” form of the game.

    Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see the LoI getting numbers at the games but, as I’ve said previously on this site, I’d be worried about those numbers dropping if United sort them sort themselves out. Don’t see it happening for a few years yet though.

    All very disingenuous, from where I’m standing.
    Think you're wrong on that one. Once people start going to games and get properly attached to a club they won't go back to "supporting" a team from abroad, regardless of how they're doing. Fan retention isn't an issue for the league, it's convincing the people to come in the first place that's difficult.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 642 ✭✭✭Lyle Lanley


    Edgware wrote: »
    A fiver!! When were you last at a match?
    As with most people deriding out national League, I'm going to guess the answer is never.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,907 ✭✭✭Stevieluvsye


    8-10 wrote: »
    Would more live games discourage people from going? Just asking as I think that's why EPL don't have 3pm Saturday games on TV and you have NFL not playing on a Friday night to encourage people to go to high school games.

    I'd love more live games on TV but I do think if there's a game on TV on a Friday evening it would feed into my decision to go to see my local team that night or not

    Out of sight, out of mind springs to mind. More regular coverage will bring it to more people's attention.

    The standard has improved over the last 10 years, thanks mainly to Dundalk/Cork and at times Rovers. The ticket prices are more than fair so that is not what is keeping attendances low.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,907 ✭✭✭Stevieluvsye


    I can think of one quick fix anyway for the LOI.

    Scrap Friday night fixtures. Move them to a saturday or even sunday. You want to attract more families & kids then you need to make this change.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,366 ✭✭✭✭8-10


    I can think of one quick fix anyway for the LOI.

    Scrap Friday night fixtures. Move them to a saturday or even sunday. You want to attract more families & kids then you need to make this change.

    Why scrap altogether? Why not spread them out and have a fixture everyday of the weekend?

    EPL has Friday night games, Saturday at 3 different times back to back, Sunday games generally at 2 different times back to back, Monday nights and also midweek when there’s no cup or European games. Even Stephens Day and New Years Day have games when people are going to be around locally and less likely to have work.

    Why is the mentality to scrap a whole day altogether? Spread it out, it’s worked well with the international break with a game on tv most evenings over the 2 week period.

    More options would be good.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,907 ✭✭✭Stevieluvsye


    8-10 wrote: »
    Why scrap altogether? Why not spread them out and have a fixture everyday of the weekend?

    EPL has Friday night games, Saturday at 3 different times back to back, Sunday games generally at 2 different times back to back, Monday nights and also midweek when there’s no cup or European games. Even Stephens Day and New Years Day have games when people are going to be around locally and less likely to have work.

    Why is the mentality to scrap a whole day altogether? Spread it out, it’s worked well with the international break with a game on tv most evenings over the 2 week period.

    More options would be good.

    Apologies, my idea was hap-hazard. Yes, that is a much better idea. You could keep the games that attract strong crowds on a friday night (for the majority) and split throughout the weekend.

    All it would take is some surveys around each club as to when people would most likely to attend that would also attract a new audience


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,366 ✭✭✭✭8-10


    Apologies, my idea was hap-hazard. Yes, that is a much better idea. You could keep the games that attract strong crowds on a friday night (for the majority) and split throughout the weekend.

    All it would take is some surveys around each club as to when people would most likely to attend that would also attract a new audience

    I get to a paltry 2 or 3 games a season, I'd definitely go on a Monday night to more local games, or a weekend game if it doesn't clash with Liverpool which over the summer would be fine


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,956 ✭✭✭✭Omackeral


    They are good, not great.

    Don't get this at all. What do you want, heated seats and a happy ending? They have anything any other stadium has, they're just smaller. No need for a 30,000 seater of people won't fill a 10,000 one.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,907 ✭✭✭Stevieluvsye


    Omackeral wrote: »
    Don't get this at all. What do you want, heated seats and a happy ending? They have anything any other stadium has, they're just smaller. No need for a 30,000 seater of people won't fill a 10,000 one.

    Very true. I wouldn't class them as great though. Like people who refer to every second player as a legend.

    For the three stadiums which you mentioned, and indeed they are good, look below and tell me investment isn't required for the below clubs

    Shels
    Pat's
    Galway
    Waterford
    Dundalk (And them ****ebags have plenty of money)
    Bray

    and a few other obvious one's in lower league


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,117 ✭✭✭✭Junkyard Tom


    Love playing it but couldn't be bothered watching millionaires feigning injury. I wonder how much money leaves Ireland every year from people heading over to England and Scotland? Must be in the hundreds-of-millions of euro/pounds.

    There's no good reason why Ireland couldn't have a better league than Scotland.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,016 ✭✭✭✭EmmetSpiceland


    Very true. I wouldn't class them as great though. Like people who refer to every second player as a legend.

    For the three stadiums which you mentioned, and indeed they are good, look below and tell me investment isn't required for the below clubs

    Shels
    Pat's
    Galway
    Waterford
    Dundalk (And them ****ebags have plenty of money)
    Bray

    and a few other obvious one's in lower league

    Considering the paltry prize money, zero advertising and very little television coverage what can we expect?

    The FAI let the grass grow on the terraces. Fattening their own wallets on the nation team’s, varied, success forcing the clubs to “farm out” any potential talent to the UK.

    If those, so called, “football men” cared about the game at all they’d stop the back slapping and ridiculous salaries and put proper money into the leagues here.

    They’re worse than bankers.

    “It is not blood that makes you Irish but a willingness to be part of the Irish nation” - Thomas Davis



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,547 ✭✭✭Agricola


    It's true that English football supporters who grow up in English cities have a very different relationship to their clubs than Irish people who simply pick a team to support in the premier league when they're in school. But that doesn't mean that it's silly to follow an English premier league team from Ireland. Surely fandom can accommodate more than just one type of fan.

    I was a young teenager in the early to mid 90's and began following Man Utd because a) my best friend growing up had family connections in Manchester and was big into Utd, this meant I got to go to a couple of games at OT when I was 13/14 and that's an experience that's going to be formative and b) they were successful, with good players who played an attractive brand of football. The whole mystique around the club's history, the strong Irish association and the glamorization of english football with the advent of Sky, all played a big part in it. For years and years I followed them religiously, and their achievements and failures affected me as deeply as anything that's ever happened to the Irish team, with the exception of Saipan maybe!

    But I never understood or tried to replicate the typical banter that rival team's supporters go on with.
    I went through school, college and the workplace with Irish people who supported Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea etc and while most of them liked to do a bit of the old, "Oh, we were so great last night, we really hammered you lot!" - I always found this faintly ridiculous as I could always separate myself from supporters who were actually FROM England! I didn't enjoy watching the team because I wanted to beat "Citay" or "the Scouse cnuts!" - I enjoyed watching them because they were great to watch and had a never say die attitude of giving 110% to win every game. When I began following them their first forays into European cup football in years were extremely ropey and very much a learning curve. 6/7 years later and with a team of young local players at their core, they won the Champions league. That kind of romantic story is what attracted me to them, not savouring beating Leeds United away!

    Why have I lost interest in them now? Nothing to do with the retirement of Ferguson or the plummet down the table since. I've lost interest in Premier league football completely because whatever scintilla there was of the old game that lingered on through the 90's and 2000's, of players who were grateful to be professionals, who still identified with fans and who played like their lives depended on it, that's all long gone now. Obscene money, modern narcissistic culture and the cancer of cheating/diving twinned with woefully inadequate refereeing has destroyed what was once a great game. (At the top level at least)


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,719 ✭✭✭dundalkfc10


    8-10 wrote: »
    I get to a paltry 2 or 3 games a season, I'd definitely go on a Monday night to more local games, or a weekend game if it doesn't clash with Liverpool which over the summer would be fine

    My own club Dundalk played once this season at same time as Liverpool, and id imagine most clubs be the same.

    LOI rarely if ever clash with Prem league games


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,719 ✭✭✭dundalkfc10


    Very true. I wouldn't class them as great though. Like people who refer to every second player as a legend.

    For the three stadiums which you mentioned, and indeed they are good, look below and tell me investment isn't required for the below clubs

    Shels
    Pat's
    Galway
    Waterford
    Dundalk (And them ****ebags have plenty of money)
    Bray

    and a few other obvious one's in lower league

    Do you know why Dundalk havn't upgraded or done anything to their stadium? As the owners have said, why would they build real estate on land they do not own. Makes no sense.

    Shels are moving to the new Dalymount (if its ever done)

    Pats wanted a new stadium which included shops etc, had plans in and all and council rejected them

    Galway have a fine stadium, as with Waterford

    Bray, I cant say why its never been done up


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,366 ✭✭✭✭8-10


    My own club Dundalk played once this season at same time as Liverpool, and id imagine most clubs be the same.

    LOI rarely if ever clash with Prem league games

    I'm saying if LOI moved to the same weekend slots as the EPL


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,304 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    pgj2015 wrote: »
    anyone any idea why people would do this?
    It's their way of secretly supporting the UK.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,635 ✭✭✭✭Arghus


    I support Arsenal. I'm not from London and I've only been to a handful of matches over there down through the years. My relationship with the team is mainly through the medium of TV and talk on the internet and/or work. Nevertheless, I feel like I have an emotional connection to the team. Is it properly authentic in the sense that I can vividly remember people pissing on my leg in the North Bank back in the day? Well, no - it isn't. I don't know if I really care though or even if that's important. If they win the league - which currently sounds like something from the realms of science fiction - will it mean more to some guy from Islington? Yeah, probably. But, it'll mean something to me too - and that's enough.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,639 ✭✭✭andekwarhola


    8-10 wrote: »
    I'm saying if LOI moved to the same weekend slots as the EPL

    Friday isn't ideal, especially for urban clubs because of traffic, but it's probably the day least likely to clash with GAA matches and football (EPL, SPL, European games etc).

    LOI clubs have (and do) had Saturday and Sunday game with little effect on attendances.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,717 ✭✭✭YFlyer


    Tottenham supporter since 1982. COYS


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,956 ✭✭✭✭Omackeral


    Friday isn't ideal, especially for urban clubs because of traffic, but it's probably the day least likely to clash with GAA matches and football (EPL, SPL, European games etc).

    Friday night is savage IMO. Get off work and head straight to the game. Most people finish around 5 or 5:30. There's nowhere in the city you can't be within 2 hours. Friday nights are football nights here. It's a proper sub-culture. That's one really good selling point the clubs ought to promote more. Sell it as a night out the way going to the dogs is sold. The amount of people I've had come with me that were somewhat indifferent to football that ended up having a ball because there's craic to be had in the bars before, at HT and after is unreal. Loads of returning punters.

    If they're already die-hards for United, Liverpool etc they can still check out EPL the Saturday or the Sunday. Following both doesn't have to be mutually exclusive. 95% of LOI fans enjoy the EPL just as much as non LOI people btw, despite what some would have you think.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,366 ✭✭✭✭8-10


    Omackeral wrote: »
    Friday night is savage IMO. Get off work and head straight to the game. Most people finish around 5 or 5:30. There's nowhere in the city you can't be within 2 hours. Friday nights are football nights here. It's a proper sub-culture. That's one really good selling point the clubs ought to promote more. Sell it as a night out the way going to the dogs is sold. The amount of people I've had come with me that were somewhat indifferent to football that ended up having a ball because there's craic to be had in the bars before, at HT and after is unreal. Loads of returning punters.

    If they're already die-hards for United, Liverpool etc they can still check out EPL the Saturday or the Sunday. Following both doesn't have to be mutually exclusive. 95% of LOI fans enjoy the EPL just as much as non LOI people btw, despite what some would have you think.

    Only issue is when it clashes with the Pro 14 but in general I agree with you. Doesn't really suit my schedule but I do get to the occasional game and I think Liverpool have played only 1 or 2 Friday night EPL games ever so it's a good slot. I'd still say you could change it up every few weeks and have alternatives


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,719 ✭✭✭dundalkfc10


    8-10 wrote: »
    Only issue is when it clashes with the Pro 14 but in general I agree with you. Doesn't really suit my schedule but I do get to the occasional game and I think Liverpool have played only 1 or 2 Friday night EPL games ever so it's a good slot. I'd still say you could change it up every few weeks and have alternatives

    Disagree, games have to be the same every week. You wont get new fans by saying in march we have games

    1 March on a Friday
    10 March on a Sunday
    17 March on a Saturday
    23 March on a Friday
    31 March on a Saturday


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,956 ✭✭✭✭Omackeral


    8-10 wrote: »
    Only issue is when it clashes with the Pro 14 but in general I agree with you. Doesn't really suit my schedule but I do get to the occasional game and I think Liverpool have played only 1 or 2 Friday night EPL games ever so it's a good slot. I'd still say you could change it up every few weeks and have alternatives

    With all due respect, if it's not the PRO 14 it'll just be something else. Changing it up every weekend isn't a goer either IMO, the structure is what makes it. Friday night floodlights, pre match pints or sweets if a family evening (or if ya don't drink!), passable bit of grub and watch the game. If you do have the kids with you they can maybe get a couple of selfies with the players afterwards too.

    Sunday games are quite dull over here unless they're cup semi finals or finals. Again, it's just not the culture. It's been tried and doesn't translate into numbers. Fact is, you are giving football fans a conundrum going against Sky's Super Sundays. Friday is the perfect spot.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,460 ✭✭✭pgj2015


    i love monday night games, its easier to get mates to go to matches monday nights and im busiest with work weekends so friday and sat nights arent good for me.


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