Why do Irish people support English teams?

8-10 wrote: »

It's not unique to Ireland.

What is unique though is the absolute vitriol and dislike for England but attaching ourselves to their clubs to the point where the default is calling them 'us'. There's an irony or hypocrisy there most certainly.

8-10 wrote: »

The main issue is this argument "you should support it because it's your area and it's your responsibility to ensure the league gets the support to succeed instead of following an English team"

As well as, would be my argument. You can do both. Most do have a team they like across the water contrary to belief.

8-10 wrote: »

Why would I go to a game now at my age knowing that the guy beside me looks down on me for not going all my life and because I support Liverpool? Why even bother if I’m being judged before going to the turnstiles?

You wouldn't be. New fans are always welcome. Nobody would even know that you're new anyway, how would they? You see EPL jerseys being worn at games all the time. Nobody cares. It's a non issue.

I think you should give it a lash if you get the chance. Genuinely. EPL season is over. No WC or Euro tournament on. Why not? You might like it. Worst thing that could happen is that you'll get fresh air and see an alright game of ball.

Jim Gazebo wrote: »

Come off it. Support your own league and make it better, you'll enjoy it more. Like give me a break, if it was OK then there'd be a bigger spread of teams followed in England other than Chelsea, arsenal, Liverpool, united and the odd Leeds fan. Its a bandwagon similar to Ireland when they get to a tournament.

People get on the bandwagon from a very young age. Because of our culture. You want to blame kids for supporting Man United when it’s what their friends are doing and it’s a big talking point in school. That’s how it starts and are you suggesting it’s something people should grow out of or something?

Fair enough if someone is constantly changing the team they support year on year to match who is the best team or whatever but if you start supporting an English team from a very age and still to do this day, anyone who looks down on you for it, is very pathetic in my eyes.

The “support a LOI team” someone mentioned to me in response, is a very easy argument to make. If I had a local soccer team in the LOI I would 100% support them and attend as much games as possible.

Greyfox wrote: »

My league is the EPL, but as I'm Irish I think I should support the Irish league too. There's nothing to be gained from a EPL v LOI argument. There's no rule that says you can't support both.

The fact you dont know the name of the league in the country you live in speaks volumes.

Greyfox wrote: »

Utter nonsense, absolutely nothing artificial about it which is why most Irish people will always prefer the EPL

If the Rovers fans use to live in Tallaght I admire them and if there not from Tallaght then there the same as Irish fans flying over to Old Trafford/Anfield

And where is this rulebook that defines a real fan?.. Oh you just made it up yourself.. making up rules it something children do, next you'll be saying a real Irish person should only buy food produced in Ireland and that were not allowed to support sports stars who are not Irish

It is 100% artificial. Shouting at a tv screen is not supporting a team.

A real fan, just so you know, is somebody who supports a team from their own city or country. Who knows the game, the culture and what it is like to have a real connection. Something a barstooler will never ever understand.

Go to any other country and take in a game. Those people at that game are real fans.

And I know from taking in games in other countries and talking to other real fans their bemusement at oirish wearing english jersies.

It is your loss. You "support" that club simply because everyone else does and they won a trophy.

SHOVELLER wrote: »

A real fan, just so you know, is somebody who supports a team from their own city or country. Who knows the game, the culture and what it is like to have a real connection. Something a barstooler will never ever understand.

Perfectly happy never understanding that then. Sounds like elitist rubbish. Unwritten rules designed to exclude others

Happy supporting my team who are welcoming to all supporters regardless of what country they come from, no matter what their reasons why, and which is enjoyable to watch whether on TV or live

8-10 wrote: »

Perfectly happy never understanding that then. Sounds like elitist rubbish. Unwritten rules designed to exclude others

Happy supporting my team who are welcoming to all supporters regardless of what country they come from, no matter what their reasons why, and which is enjoyable to watch whether on TV or live

It is the reality in every country. Until you go to a game in a different country and watch how locals support their team you will never understand.

Of course they are happy taking your money. But your money would be better spent supporting your own.

SHOVELLER wrote: »

A real fan, just so you know, is somebody who supports a team from their own city or country. Who knows the game, the culture and what it is like to have a real connection. Something a barstooler will never ever understand.

Go to any other country and take in a game. Those people at that game are real fans.

And I know from taking in games in other countries and talking to other real fans their bemusement at oirish wearing english jersies.

It is your loss. You "support" that club simply because everyone else does and they won a trophy.

Hahaha.. and sure soccer is a foreign game and if your really Irish you should only play Irish games, your post shows a lack of understanding of what football is. Football is a global game where connections are so much more than simple geography. A real fan is anybody who continues to support a team when there going through a bad patch. Where is this rule written that you have to pick a team from your own city/country? I know the game very well and I have a real connection with my club, a connection that's just as real and deep as what you have with your club.

Most barstoolers fall in love with a foreign team before they get a chance to go to a LOI match, it's not there fault that the EPL is everywhere, we live in a world where were free to choose and if some choose a foreign league there not breaking any rules. The bemused people you met are just eejits who don't understand football. It's no loss to me, I chose my club wisely, if a club can't give you happiness what's the point of picking them in the first place.

If you want more people to follow the Airtricity league this real fans nonsense needs to end as it puts potential fans off, luckily the vast majority of LOI fans are not like you. Instead you need to be talking up the Airtricity league

atilladehun wrote: »

I'm still baffled at this conversation. People from Africa, the middle east, Asia, Australia, the Americas, Scandinavia and most of the rest of the world have famously supported the top European teams for decades. Its not an irish thing. Some support their local teams, others don't. There really is no should in this conversation. You can be just not into it.

What about all those irish people who just don't support any irish sport?!?! How dare they.

All that commercialism argument and branding has been well covered on this thread.
There are always going to be a percentage who just pick it for the brand - Roliex-BMW-Apple syndromes.
Many of those type of fans would actually change club depending on thier PL teams success or failure.
They are more consumers first and soccer fans second.

But those who really love the sport would support thier local team.
As it represents thier area, they can attend live games on a regular basis etc.
The majority of the Irish soccer fans do not do that.

Because they are so blinded by marketing/commercialism/branding with an inbuilt complex about how -
All things English = superior
All things Irish = inferior.
(years of successful colonialism may be a cause for this)

But then when it comes to the Irish national team this logic disappears for some strange reason.

Even though they are not that good and few play for PL sides never mind top 6 - maybe the fact the players play in England is enough of a reason for the Irish PL fan? They make an exception quality wise.

Yet they do not realise that a reasonably strong domestic league, will lead to a stronger international team - given time.
They are not willing to support a football team regardless of quality at club level, like they do at International level
That is the Irish PL soccer fans mental dichotomy.

They are actually keeping Irish soccer down rather than helping it.
And it will probably get much worse.
Ir won't be long before most of the Irish national side are plying thier trade in the second/third tier of English soccer.

For European countries attendance stats see below:

http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn.htm


I have been very fair and picked countries of similar population who also have an interest in the English PL football.
I excluded Wales because thier main teams play in the English league. Population smaller only 3.1m.

8-10 wrote: »

You're answering the question anyway as to why Irish people support English clubs

What do you think those attendance numbers tell you about the quality of product on offer?

Seriously? That is what you got from it! Wow. Product? Consumer?
Not the fact that proportionally Ireland is shattered by other countries support.
If is about quality why do Irish international fans follow the team?

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Seriously? That is what you got from it! Wow. Product? Consumer?
Not the fact that proportionally Ireland is shattered by other countries support.
If is about quality why do Irish international fans follow the team?

I say it over and over again, there's loads of valid reasons to support an English team. Quality is one of them for sure. Inclusiveness is another, they're particularly welcoming to foreign fans.

But is shouldn't matter why someone supports a team, it can differ person to person and as long as they enjoy it what's the harm?

Greyfox wrote: »

I get the sense of identity.

It's probably a bigger social thing, especially in Dublin. The overall sense of community is dissipating I find - even if I am in my Victor Meldrew stage!


Even with the Dublin footballers, while well supported, you could easily spend the day in a Dublin suburb and not know they were playing in a big game.


Same applies even to national teams. Flags come out when Irish soccer team are in finals, but I would safely say not that many were interested in the match the other day.


And for all the sh1te talk about rugby being the heartbeat of the nation there are vast swathes of Dublin where no-one cares. Only thing that brings attention is TV.

8-10 wrote: »

Right. So are we done with this thread then? Did we answer the question adequately?

I'd say so.
I have at least some sense of why, even though the logic seems a bit mad to me.
As I now will be off to Croke Park early to see a newly promoted div2 team (Laois) take on a newly promoted div1 team (Meath)

It is not much of a product or might not be high quality.
But it should be entertaining.

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

It is not for the love of the sport of soccer that Irish PL 'fans' of support a club in EPL soccer.
Like you implied they are more interested in the product and brand.
That's the truth of it.

Little 12 year old Johnny wouldn't understand what brands and marketing are and might have nobody to bring him to a local match. Instead he plays football every day, he sees the cool kids playing football are wearing EPL jerseys, everyone he talks to talks about EPL and everyone talks about the EPL players, everybody in school watches the matches or match of the day. It's easy for Johnny to grow up thinking that everyone who loves football follows a EPL team, he picks his team and his favourite players as it feels part of loving football. Little Johnny spends years talking about his team every day and enjoys watching his team on tv and develops an emotional connection to the club. Little Johnny didn't decide to pick a global brand over his local team, the decision was made without him ever getting the chance to think about it.