Why do Irish people support English teams?

8-10 · 10-07-2019 7:58pm

The Moldy Gowl wrote: »

In the bar for the bohs and Chelsea game.

There is something inherently wrong with someone with a Dublin accent wearing a Chelsea Jersey to this.

Should all Dubliners support Bohs?

I know a good few Chelsea fans from here. There’s zero wrong with it

trashcan · 10-07-2019 8:18pm

Greyfox wrote: »

With myself anyway it's laziness but I'm going to go to an Airtricity league game soon.

I commend your honesty. A lot of the reason people won't give local football a try in my view is that it takes effort. I'll try to be equally honest, I'm lucky enough to live quite close to my team (10 minute bus ride) If it was further away would I still go ? I'd like to say yes, but I really dont know. What I can say with certainty is that I could never follow the fortunes of an English team again.

The other thing I'd say is that going to a game here and there probably won't get you hooked. However, if you start to go regularly I'd say you could surprise yourself.

Omackeral · 10-07-2019 10:07pm

8-10 wrote: »

Should all Dubliners support Bohs?

I know a good few Chelsea fans from here. There’s zero wrong with it

Chelsea is probably the one club an Irish man shouldn't gravitate to.

The Moldy Gowl · 10-07-2019 10:29pm

Exactly.

Anyway. Since it was a money spinner it was mostly Chelsea fans. They did not make a sound. Just polite claps.

Saw a lad who has his spot every week get kicked from his spot by a family all decked out in Chelsea gear. Even though that lad is a prick it just wasn't right.

The Moldy Gowl · 10-07-2019 10:29pm

Exactly.

Anyway. Since it was a money spinner it was mostly Chelsea fans. They did not make a sound. Just polite claps.

Saw a lad who has his spot every week get kicked from his spot by a family all decked out in Chelsea gear. Even though that lad is a prick it just wasn't right.

8-10 · 10-07-2019 10:51pm

Omackeral wrote: »

Chelsea is probably the one club an Irish man shouldn't gravitate to.

There's literally no rules about who anybody of any nationality can support or not.

Those Chelsea fans turned up at a LOI ground and paid their money towards that local club. And people still complain about it and say they shouldn't be supporting them

Omackeral · 10-07-2019 11:02pm

8-10 wrote: »

There's literally no rules about who anybody of any nationality can support or not.

Those Chelsea fans turned up at a LOI ground and paid their money towards that local club. And people still complain about it and say they shouldn't be supporting them

Well you've taken me up wrong for starters. I'm saying it's my opinion that an Irish person supporting Chelsea is not very palatable. It's grand if you're just watching telly or whatever but there's a very anti-Irish under current at that club throughout the years. Was many of their mob that wrecked Landsdowne Road in '95. They've been aligned to Rangers and Linfield in the past as a the lovely Blues Brothers. Your casual Match of the Day fan probably wouldn't be aware of that. A simple Google image of will show you more than enough.

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dd973 · 10-07-2019 11:26pm

Omackeral wrote: »

Chelsea is probably the one club an Irish man shouldn't gravitate to.

Agree, big wanker element in their support, a lot of right-wingers and another fringe who link themselves with Rangers and Linfield attracted by the macho image and posturing that Loyalism is steeped in, Arsenal are really the Irish club in London, loads of first and second generation Irish from Camden, Islington and Finsbury Park supported them, half of their team in the late 70's/early 80's were Irish.

The Moldy Gowl · 10-07-2019 11:48pm

These Chelsea fans will never have what we habe

After tonight's it's my main come away. Chelsea players walked off and said nothing while the bohs players clapped the fans.

pgj2015 · 10-07-2019 11:57pm

trashcan wrote: »

I commend your honesty. A lot of the reason people won't give local football a try in my view is that it takes effort. I'll try to be equally honest, I'm lucky enough to live quite close to my team (10 minute bus ride) If it was further away would I still go ? I'd like to say yes, but I really dont know. What I can say with certainty is that I could never follow the fortunes of an English team again.

The other thing I'd say is that going to a game here and there probably won't get you hooked. However, if you start to go regularly I'd say you could surprise yourself.

I drive 2 and a half hours to watch my loi team, im not even from the town. got hooked after the first game i went to. i dont support my local loi team but at least i support an Irish team.

Fan of Netflix · 11-07-2019 8:22pm

Cork 2-0 down at home to a team from Luxembourg, embarrassing. Guess there will be no Rangers game.

Jimmy McGill · 11-07-2019 8:28pm

Fan of Netflix wrote: »

Cork 2-0 down at home to a team from Luxembourg, embarrassing. Guess there will be no Rangers game.

They're really falling apart this year, **** football and **** attendences compared to the last 5 years or so. The wheels have fallen off the langer bandwagon.

D14Rugby · 11-07-2019 8:30pm

Greyfox wrote: »

With myself anyway it's laziness but I'm going to go to an Airtricity league game soon.

I said ages ago people supported English teams because it was easy and it was denied but there it is from the horses mouth

Omackeral · 11-07-2019 8:38pm

Fan of Netflix wrote: »

Cork 2-0 down at home to a team from Luxembourg, embarrassing. Guess there will be no Rangers game.

Rovers with a very credible 2-2 away in Norway though. Cork are a shadow of themselves.

8-10 · 11-07-2019 9:05pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

I said ages ago people supported English teams because it was easy and it was denied but there it is from the horses mouth

Many people have said it. I said here multiple times it's because I can watch all games on TV. Home and away, whatever competition.

I'm sitting in my living room now watching Liverpool play a preseason game away from home on LFC TV

You don't have that with Irish teams

D14Rugby · 11-07-2019 9:16pm

8-10 wrote: »

Many people have said it. I said here multiple times it's because I can watch all games on TV. Home and away, whatever competition.

I'm sitting in my living room now watching Liverpool play a preseason game away from home on LFC TV

You don't have that with Irish teams

And as multiple people have said its sad that that's a condition people have to support a team. And if loi clubs got more support you'd be able to do the same.

8-10 · 11-07-2019 9:19pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

And as multiple people have said its sad that that's a condition people have to support a team. And if loi clubs got more support you'd be able to do the same.

No it wasn't a condition. There was no internet or streams of pre season games or even coverage of live league games when I became a fan.

But it doesn't half make it easier and it's brought me much closer to the team. These days I cant imagine supporting a team and not watching every single game.

It's sad that some fans don't get to see every game that their team plays live

Omackeral · 11-07-2019 10:10pm

8-10 wrote: »

It's sad that some fans don't get to see every game that their team plays live

It's sad that some people have never seen their team actually play. As in physically see them.

8-10 · 11-07-2019 10:13pm

Omackeral wrote: »

It's sad that some people have never seen their team actually play. As in physically see them.

Yep also sad. I guess we're the lucky ones who experience both

D14Rugby · 11-07-2019 10:23pm

8-10 wrote: »

No it wasn't a condition. There was no internet or streams of pre season games or even coverage of live league games when I became a fan.

But it doesn't half make it easier and it's brought me much closer to the team. These days I cant imagine supporting a team and not watching every single game.

It's sad that some fans don't get to see every game that their team plays live

8-10 wrote: »

I said here multiple times it's because I can watch all games on TV. Home and away, whatever competition.

You're saying two different things now.

I can 100% guarantee you that seeing the players in person every week, seeing them walk around town, knowing they're from around the same area as you trumps that closeness you feel by being able to watch them on a screen a thousand times over.

8-10 · 11-07-2019 10:31pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

You're saying two different things now.

I can 100% guarantee you that seeing the players in person every week, seeing them walk around town, knowing they're from around the same area as you trumps that closeness you feel by being able to watch them on a screen a thousand times over.

Initially it wasn't a condition. But it's the reason I'm still a fan. Had I not been able to watch every game I probably would have switched to watching a different team that it was easier to watch.

And you don't have to 100% guarantee that. I agree with you. Seeing your team in person week in week out trumps the closeness I feel watching on TV. That's obvious.

pgj2015 · 11-07-2019 11:18pm

8-10 wrote: »

Many people have said it. I said here multiple times it's because I can watch all games on TV. Home and away, whatever competition.

I'm sitting in my living room now watching Liverpool play a preseason game away from home on LFC TV

You don't have that with Irish teams

you cant beat being at a match live, its like comparing a meal in mcdonalds and a meal in a michelin star restaurant.

id rather watch a loi match live any day over a premier league game on tv.

The Moldy Gowl · 11-07-2019 11:28pm

pgj2015 wrote: »

you cant beat being at a match live, its like comparing a meal in mcdonalds and a meal in a michelin star restaurant.

id rather watch a loi match live any day over a premier league game on tv.

Like last night. I went to see bohs and not Chelsea.

I had to stay around for the fawning over lampard. People with the welcome home frank sign.

Bohs players thanked the fans, Chelsea went straight down the tunnel.

It was weird. Was a good game but those fans will never be back. Lasts nights game really turned me against them fans.
It's sad but is what it is.

Sephiroth_dude · 12-07-2019 12:29am

Omackeral wrote: »

Rovers with a very credible 2-2 away in Norway though. Cork are a shadow of themselves.

Maguire was never replaced.

8-10 · 12-07-2019 7:12am

pgj2015 wrote: »

id rather watch a loi match live any day over a premier league game on tv.

If I was a neutral fan I'd be in full agreement. I'd go see a LOI game over a random PL game on tv

But I'd rather watch the team I support on TV than a live match of teams I don't support which is the difference

D14Rugby · 12-07-2019 8:03am

8-10 wrote: »

If I was a neutral fan I'd be in full agreement. I'd go see a LOI game over a random PL game on tv

But I'd rather watch the team I support on TV than a live match of teams I don't support which is the difference

You've said that if you couldn't watch every game you'd support someone that you could watch every game of. That's not something a proper supporter would say in my opinion. If I could never watch another rovers game again and just had to go off match reports or online updates or whatever I'd still support rovers.

8-10 · 12-07-2019 8:13am

D14Rugby wrote: »

You've said that if you couldn't watch every game you'd support someone that you could watch every game of. That's not something a proper supporter would say in my opinion. If I could never watch another rovers game again and just had to go off match reports or online updates or whatever I'd still support rovers.

No I'll always support Liverpool no matter what nowadays, my point was about being a kid it could have worked out differently had I never seen my team play. I'm too invested at this stage to switch anymore. The team grows on you during those formative years, your first trip to the Stadium, pretending to be your favourite player on the playground etc etc. You wouldn't have become a Rovers fan and followed their results every week without ever seeing them kick a ball would you? If I had never gotten the opportunities to see them play I wouldn't personally just have followed blindly. The fact that TV coverage came in it the time it did facilitated me being a fan. If it didn't I'd probably follow a different team or sport right now or not be interested in soccer at all. TV made it easier and is the reason I'm still a fan today

But that's my personal position. If you want to change the team you support it's up to you, it's each to their own. I don't get the "proper" supporter or "real" supporter argument. You're right, as a supporter you are superior to me, fine for you to feel that way I just don't get it.

Doesn't stop me loving my team and getting a lot a joy out of following them and feeling pride right now being Champions of Europe

I hope you get the same joy watching your team

Edgware · 12-07-2019 9:48am

8-10 wrote: »

No I'll always support Liverpool no matter what nowadays, my point was about being a kid it could have worked out differently had I never seen my team play. I'm too invested at this stage to switch anymore. The team grows on you during those formative years, your first trip to the Stadium, pretending to be your favourite player on the playground etc etc. You wouldn't have become a Rovers fan and followed their results every week without ever seeing them kick a ball would you? If I had never gotten the opportunities to see them play I wouldn't personally just have followed blindly. The fact that TV coverage came in it the time it did facilitated me being a fan. If it didn't I'd probably follow a different team or sport right now or not be interested in soccer at all. TV made it easier and is the reason I'm still a fan today

But that's my personal position. If you want to change the team you support it's up to you, it's each to their own. I don't get the "proper" supporter or "real" supporter argument. You're right, as a supporter you are superior to me, fine for you to feel that way I just don't get it.

Doesn't stop me loving my team and getting a lot a joy out of following them and feeling pride right now being Champions of Europe

I hope you get the same joy watching your team

"Little boys in the park , jumpers for goalposts, hmm football innit"

8-10 · 12-07-2019 10:43am

Edgware wrote: »

"Little boys in the park , jumpers for goalposts, hmm football innit"

Right, didn't you pretend to be your favourite players?

D14Rugby · 12-07-2019 12:15pm

8-10 wrote: »

No I'll always support Liverpool no matter what nowadays, my point was about being a kid it could have worked out differently had I never seen my team play. I'm too invested at this stage to switch anymore. The team grows on you during those formative years, your first trip to the Stadium, pretending to be your favourite player on the playground etc etc. You wouldn't have become a Rovers fan and followed their results every week without ever seeing them kick a ball would you? If I had never gotten the opportunities to see them play I wouldn't personally just have followed blindly. The fact that TV coverage came in it the time it did facilitated me being a fan. If it didn't I'd probably follow a different team or sport right now or not be interested in soccer at all. TV made it easier and is the reason I'm still a fan today

But that's my personal position. If you want to change the team you support it's up to you, it's each to their own. I don't get the "proper" supporter or "real" supporter argument. You're right, as a supporter you are superior to me, fine for you to feel that way I just don't get it.

Doesn't stop me loving my team and getting a lot a joy out of following them and feeling pride right now being Champions of Europe

I hope you get the same joy watching your team

So you're telling me that as a kid you consciously watched every single Liverpool game including every friendly and if you couldn't do that you would have just moved to another club?
Supporting a club is about having an actual connection to that club, feeling everything that happens, like it or not being able to watch them on TV isn't a connection.
If you can just change your team then you were never really a supporter of that club that's just how it is. If you have an actual connection to the club and not some fabricated one then that's just not something that is physically possible to do. That's why you get people that don't support anyone after their club goes bust and why you get phoenix clubs because people have actual connections to the club.

H3llR4iser · 12-07-2019 12:27pm

I guess it's the lack of major clubs locally that spurs the support for the "big and famous" ones; Being England close and sharing the same language most people here end up supporting Liverpool, United and whatnot. Also, while at an United match in Dublin two years ago I got to talk to a few people and all seemed to have some sort of connection to the team: their parents used to live in Manchester, moved back to Dublin and obviously kept supporting their team; so the children grew up in an Man UTD supporting environment.

You get a similar situation in other places; For example, a staggering amount of people from center and southern Italy support northern teams, especially Juventus FC and Inter Milan. With the exception of Rome and Naples, which have clubs competing at a high level (AS Roma, SS Lazio, SSC Napoli), basically all the other cities have minor clubs who hardly ever even make a dent in Serie A, so people go for the "big ones". Why don't they at least pick the closest big ones (e.g. Roma or Napoli) is due to history (no one in Italy won more than Juventus, Milan and Inter Milan) and petty local rivalries.

padzer220982 · 12-07-2019 12:55pm

I'm a Tipperary native who travels down to watch Waterford FC my local team.. absolutely love it nothing beats live football and I grew up supporting Liverpool as sadly the league isn't on any one's radar around me.. I'd urge anyone to at least try a league of Ireland game as the standard is a lot higher than people think.. we had a player in Bastien Hery who has sadly moved to Linfield but he was worth the admission price alone to watch on his day cracking player..

D14Rugby · 12-07-2019 12:58pm

H3llR4iser wrote: »

I guess it's the lack of major clubs locally that spurs the support for the "big and famous" ones; Being England close and sharing the same language most people here end up supporting Liverpool, United and whatnot. Also, while at an United match in Dublin two years ago I got to talk to a few people and all seemed to have some sort of connection to the team: their parents used to live in Manchester, moved back to Dublin and obviously kept supporting their team; so the children grew up in an Man UTD supporting environment.

You get a similar situation in other places; For example, a staggering amount of people from center and southern Italy support northern teams, especially Juventus FC and Inter Milan. With the exception of Rome and Naples, which have clubs competing at a high level (AS Roma, SS Lazio, SSC Napoli), basically all the other cities have minor clubs who hardly ever even make a dent in Serie A, so people go for the "big ones". Why don't they at least pick the closest big ones (e.g. Roma or Napoli) is due to history (no one in Italy won more than Juventus, Milan and Inter Milan) and petty local rivalries.

There are tonnes of major clubs locally, at different periods of time the likes of Rovers, Dundalk, Athlone, Cork (insert version here), Waterford have all been big clubs. People just tend to think of the English clubs as historically being more major because since the 80s at the latest the public (and FAI) have just ignored the national league but before then the big clubs here weren't far off their English counterparts, even in the 80s the likes of Rovers were a match for the likes of Manchester United and there's some great stories from players from that time about when they played them.

I tend to find if you dig deeper to the old "oh I've family from there" one a lot of the time, not all, it doesn't carry. "oh your dads from Manchester what part? I've family from there myself" is quickly followed by "oh I don't know exactly where" or some sort of backtracking.

8-10 · 12-07-2019 1:37pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

So you're telling me that as a kid you consciously watched every single Liverpool game including every friendly and if you couldn't do that you would have just moved to another club?

Nope, didn't say that at all.

Same as I never said that wanting the EPL to be successful doesn't mean I want the LOI to not be successful.

D14Rugby · 12-07-2019 2:04pm

8-10 wrote: »

Many people have said it. I said here multiple times it's because I can watch all games on TV. Home and away, whatever competition.

I'm sitting in my living room now watching Liverpool play a preseason game away from home on LFC TV

You don't have that with Irish teams

8-10 wrote: »

Initially it wasn't a condition. But it's the reason I'm still a fan. Had I not been able to watch every game I probably would have switched to watching a different team that it was easier to watch.

And you don't have to 100% guarantee that. I agree with you. Seeing your team in person week in week out trumps the closeness I feel watching on TV. That's obvious.

8-10 wrote: »

No I'll always support Liverpool no matter what nowadays, my point was about being a kid it could have worked out differently had I never seen my team play. I'm too invested at this stage to switch anymore. The team grows on you during those formative years, your first trip to the Stadium, pretending to be your favourite player on the playground etc etc. You wouldn't have become a Rovers fan and followed their results every week without ever seeing them kick a ball would you? If I had never gotten the opportunities to see them play I wouldn't personally just have followed blindly. The fact that TV coverage came in it the time it did facilitated me being a fan. If it didn't I'd probably follow a different team or sport right now or not be interested in soccer at all. TV made it easier and is the reason I'm still a fan today

But that's my personal position. If you want to change the team you support it's up to you, it's each to their own. I don't get the "proper" supporter or "real" supporter argument. You're right, as a supporter you are superior to me, fine for you to feel that way I just don't get it.

Doesn't stop me loving my team and getting a lot a joy out of following them and feeling pride right now being Champions of Europe

I hope you get the same joy watching your team

8-10 wrote: »

Nope, didn't say that at all.

Same as I never said that wanting the EPL to be successful doesn't mean I want the LOI to not be successful.

"I'm a fan because I can watch everything on tv"
"Being able to watch every game is why I'm still a fan, If I couldn't do that I'd support someone else"
"no I wouldn't swith now I was talking about as a kid"
"As a kid being able to watch every game on tv wasn't important"

So being able to watch every game is so important that if you couldn't do it you'd switch clubs but not now, but when you were a kid, but when you were a kid it wasn't important? Am I getting that right?

You said you'd rather the EPL be successful than the LOI. So given the choice of one or the other being successful you'd pick a foreign league over your own domestic one. That is what you said and it says a lot about you.

Greyfox · 12-07-2019 2:31pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

Supporting a club is about having an actual connection to that club, feeling everything that happens, like it or not being able to watch them on TV isn't a connection.

Supporting a club is about FEELING a connection for a club. You can feel a connection to a foreign club, feel everything that happens and this is perfectly normal and happens with most football fans in Ireland. Yes the club doesnt represent where you were born but there's other factors that make you feel connected e.g when you talk about your clubs success or failure with your family and friends

8-10 · 12-07-2019 2:37pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

So being able to watch every game is so important that if you couldn't do it you'd switch clubs but not now, but when you were a kid, but when you were a kid it wasn't important? Am I getting that right?

No, not right. You're not getting it at all, that doesn't make sense.

D14Rugby wrote: »

You said you'd rather the EPL be successful than the LOI.

I said I'm more interested in the EPL being successful than I have an interest in the LOI being successful.

What you keep trying to argue over and over is that this means that I want the EPL to be more successful than the LOI. I have never said that here, or anywhere.

Wanting the English league to be successful does not mean it has to be at the expense of the LOI. The LOI is free to become the biggest league in the world. All I'm saying is that I have more of an interest in the EPL being a success regardless of what the LOI does. It doesn't interest me as much what they do because I don't support a LOI club. I do not specifically want it to be unsuccessful or less successful or whatever you're trying to argue.

It's honestly astounding that you don't get the difference here and maintain that I want the English league to be more successful than the LOI. Drop it, I'm not saying that and never have.

8-10 · 12-07-2019 2:41pm

Greyfox wrote: »

Supporting a club is about FEELING a connection for a club. You can feel a connection to a foreign club, feel everything that happens and this is perfectly normal and happens with most football fans in Ireland. Yes the club doesnt represent where you were born but there's other factors that make you feel connected e.g when you talk about your clubs success or failure with your family and friends

I was born very far away from where I grew up same as a lot of people. There's loads of reasons why physical proximity as the sole factor in who you support doesn't work as the definitive factor. If it was the closest team to where I live I'd have had about 10 different supported clubs in my life.

Omackeral · 12-07-2019 2:51pm

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Also, while at an United match in Dublin two years ago I got to talk to a few people and all seemed to have some sort of connection to the team: their parents used to live in Manchester, moved back to Dublin and obviously kept supporting their team; so the children grew up in an Man UTD supporting environment.

And yet there's a shocking lack of Birmingham City fans, Crystal Palace fans, Everton fans over here.

8-10 · 12-07-2019 2:52pm

Omackeral wrote: »

And yet there's a shocking lack of Birmingham City fans, Crystal Palace fans, Everton fans over here.

Nothing's stopping you from supporting them if you think there's a lack

Go to Birmingham and London and you'll see United and Liverpool fans, same as here

D14Rugby · 12-07-2019 2:53pm

8-10 wrote: »

No, not right. You're not getting it at all, that doesn't make sense.

I said I'm more interested in the EPL being successful than I have an interest in the LOI being successful.

What you keep trying to argue over and over is that this means that I want the EPL to be more successful than the LOI. I have never said that here, or anywhere.

Wanting the English league to be successful does not mean it has to be at the expense of the LOI. The LOI is free to become the biggest league in the world. All I'm saying is that I have more of an interest in the EPL being a success regardless of what the LOI does. It doesn't interest me as much what they do because I don't support a LOI club. I do not specifically want it to be unsuccessful or less successful or whatever you're trying to argue.

It's honestly astounding that you don't get the difference here and maintain that I want the English league to be more successful than the LOI. Drop it, I'm not saying that and never have.

Glad you acknowledge what youre saying doesn't make sense.

So answer me this. You have the chance to save one league system, the LOI or the EPL and FL. Which do you save since you have more interest in the EPL being successful than the LOI.

8-10 · 12-07-2019 2:59pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

So answer me this. You have the chance to save one league system, the LOI or the EPL and FL. Which do you save since you have more interest in the EPL being successful than the LOI.

What happens to the league that isn't saved, those clubs and those players?

D14Rugby · 12-07-2019 2:59pm

Greyfox wrote: »

Supporting a club is about FEELING a connection for a club. You can feel a connection to a foreign club, feel everything that happens and this is perfectly normal and happens with most football fans in Ireland. Yes the club doesnt represent where you were born but there's other factors that make you feel connected e.g when you talk about your clubs success or failure with your family and friends

And do you know what, every single one of those factors applies to me just as much as someone that claims to support that club. I can talk about Man City winning the EPL with anyone thats not a connection, in fact talking about your own local clubs success with someone that doesn't know about it is far far more of a connection than talking about Liverpool winning the Champions league where everyone talking about it has the same "opinion" on it that they've got 2nd or 3rd hand whereas if you're explaining the significance of say Dundalk being where they are now considering where they were a few years ago is a far more interesting conversation.

Comparing "I was at the game yesterday, unreal atmosphere, nobody left the ground for an hour after the trophy was lifted" to "I watched the game on tv yesterday, sounded like a good atmosphere" is absolute night and day.

Omackeral · 12-07-2019 3:00pm

Greyfox wrote: »

Supporting a club is about FEELING a connection for a club. You can feel a connection to a foreign club, feel everything that happens and this is perfectly normal and happens with most football fans in Ireland. Yes the club doesnt represent where you were born but there's other factors that make you feel connected e.g when you talk about your clubs success or failure with your family and friends

Read this last night with regard to Wimbledon being moved to Milton Keynes.

"The nature of the relationship between clubs and their fans is based on the fact that the local football club is regarded by most English football supporters as part of the local identity and social fabric"

Wonder would any English club moving to another area bother any Irish fan in the way it did the Dons supporters. They didn't have a bar of it. They protested, boycotted and eventually formed the ultimate Phoenix club. Meanwhile, Paddy flicks on Chelsea TV for a pre-season friendly and he's the mutts nuts.

D14Rugby · 12-07-2019 3:04pm

8-10 wrote: »

What happens to the league that isn't saved, those clubs and those players?

Gone wiped from history players (read mercenaries) go to clubs in other countries, clubs don't exist, sunday league only in those countries

Omackeral · 12-07-2019 3:05pm

8-10 wrote: »

Go to Birmingham and London and you'll see United and Liverpool fans, same as here

It goes against the idea that the Irish follow United and Arsenal because of their parents and uncles and whoever else is my point. Why don't you address that instead of coming with things like this;

8-10 wrote: »

Nothing's stopping you from supporting them if you think there's a lack

padzer220982 · 12-07-2019 3:15pm

Omackeral wrote: »

Chelsea is probably the one club an Irish man shouldn't gravitate to.

I always find it funny when people here say they support Chelsea.. a big section of their fan base are well in with the Linfield and Rangers crowd.. they'd be big admirers of the UVF/UDA boys up north.. always cracks me up when I hear people I know shouting about Chelsea

pavb2 · 12-07-2019 3:15pm

8-10 wrote: »

Go to Birmingham and London and you'll see United and Liverpool fans, same as here

Not too many Utd or Liverpool fans in Birmingham, it's quite polarised Villa or Blues with very little in between.

Omackeral · 12-07-2019 3:26pm

pavb2 wrote: »

Not too many Utd or Liverpool fans in Birmingham, it's quite polarised Villa or Blues with very little in between.

Proper football people IMO

8-10 · 12-07-2019 3:47pm

D14Rugby wrote: »

Gone wiped from history players (read mercenaries) go to clubs in other countries, clubs don't exist, sunday league only in those countries

Yeah honestly that scenario leads into economic and social issues in the respective countries, I think you're talking about a scenario that would go above soccer and the nature of support. I would definitely not be happy to see the LOI or EPL completely cease to exist as you mention, hopefully that never comes to pass.

Omackeral wrote: »

It goes against the idea that the Irish follow United and Arsenal because of their parents and uncles and whoever else is my point. Why don't you address that instead of coming with things like this;

As I've said many times, there's loads and loads of valid reasons why, quote from earlier in the thread -

being born there and moving, Irish players playing there, advertisements and promotion of the league and teams in Irish and English media, success and historical success, ease of watching games on TV, liking the colour of the jersey, fancying the attractive players....whatever.

Nobody is saying it's only because of parents and uncles. There's loads of valid reasons for supporting an English team.

pavb2 wrote: »

Not too many Utd or Liverpool fans in Birmingham, it's quite polarised Villa or Blues with very little in between.

I regularly fly into Birmingham for Liverpool games and see plenty on the train up. Maybe it just looks that way on game days. You're probably right.

Why do Irish people support English teams?

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