Why don't the Irish support their local teams?

Can I raise a better question?

Why do the Irish only drink Guiness and are all called Patrick, Also why is the phone book 90% names that begin with O'.
 
I used to go to watch my local team as a kid fairly regularly, although I'd always have considered myself a Utd fan first and foremost. Completely lost interest in Irish domestic football after my hometown team went bust, but if the club was still up and running I'm sure I'd still go and see them play when I was back home. I don't see any contradiction or conflict between supporting Utd and maintaining an interest in an Irish club to whatever level as well. Its a completely different level of football we're talking about.
 
Was this not locked a minute ago? Lock it again imo. It's going nowhere.
 
MikeUpNorth said:
Compare it to Scotland then, both countries have around 5 million people give or take.
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More people are involvd in 'soccer' in Ireland at all levels than in Scotland. The DDSL (dublin district schoolboy league) is the largest - or was - amatuer league in the world. So although Celtic and Rangers skew the appearance the overall is not much differnence. And I said that was the simple answer, the complicated one invlolves the GAA and the lack of any success in the early days, which also involves the GAA.
 
fadas said:
Was this not locked a minute ago? Lock it again imo. It's going nowhere.
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Yeah I locked it because the question has been answered and its now going to go round in circles but Brad wanted it reopened so here we are.
 
moses said:
As Irish people of a certain age, being referred to as a paddy and asked 'politley' why you don't support a 'local' team has been a veiled attempt at something a bit more sinister than merely OOT support. We went through the 70's and 80's to grounds around England and endured heavy racist abuse, so that legacy has implications that might have filtered down. Asking a paddy why he doesn't stay at home and support Shamrock Rovers has had a heavier backdrop than suggesting Brad should support Rochale or Mockney Fulham.

That might exlain the reaction somewhat.
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You surely had to take people at face value rather than assume the ills or previous on them?

Just on the popularity of the Irish league, I find it a shame that even Irish United supporters, who obviously can't go to every game or many at all... don't attend live football at home where it's much easier to do. For me that's the best thing about football, watching it live. Even if it's not your own team. I find it surprising that a country that loves football as much as it does doesn't give the sport the lift it needs in its homeland
 
Couldn't give a fiddlers feck either way, Moses.

Work away. I may even interject with the odd "bon mots" from time to time if you're lucky.

Just thought I saw the "locked" symbol... although that may just be all the micks off their heads in here.
 
moses said:
More people are involvd in 'soccer' in Ireland at all levels than in Scotland. The DDSL (dublin district schoolboy league) is the largest - or was - amatuer league in the world. So although Celtic and Rangers skew the appearance the overall is not much differnence. And I said that was the simple answer, the complicated one invlolves the GAA and the lack of any success in the early days, which also involves the GAA.
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That's the answer then isn't it. Irish people prefer to watch games with sticks and weird football-rugby hybrids than football.
 
Eyepopper said:
Yeah I locked it because the question has been answered and its now going to go round in circles but Brad wanted it reopened so here we are.
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I just didn't see any reason for it to be closed, no one had said anything untoward, and its a topic people want to comment on

Why not step out for a bit and see how it develops? I think you'll be surprised, not everyone is a closet 'paddy basher'
 
I could recommend an array of books for the o.p if he likes?

I often head out to the youths for a gander but they've only been up and running for a few years.
 
B Cantona said:
You surely had to take people at face value rather than assume the ills or previous on them?

Just on the popularity of the Irish league, I find it a shame that even Irish United supporters, who obviously can't go to every game or many at all... don't attend live football at home where it's much easier to do. For me that's the best thing about football, watching it live. Even if it's not your own team. I find it surprising that a country that loves football as much as it does doesn't give the sport the lift it needs in its homeland
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If anything that should give you an indication of the level we're talking about.

Plus, crowds at GAA matches are huge, I guess thats where a lot get their fix for live sport. Personally I'm not into GAA at all and as I said, the club in my town only started 3 years ago.
 
Eyepopper said:
Once you're a fan of a particular team you (or I at least) wont stop supporting them simply because they're not successful..... thats what makes someone a glory hunter.
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Its pretty easy to say that when the reality is that you're watching one of the biggest teams in the world, hypothetically if United imploded tomorrow and eventually found themselves playing hoofball in League 2, how are you sure you wouldn't feel differently?
 
B Cantona said:
I just didn't see any reason for it to be closed, no one had said anything untoward, and its a topic people want to comment on
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I felt it had run its course, and I still do. I dont think anything new will be added from this point on.
 
B Cantona said:
You surely had to take people at face value rather than assume the ills or previous on them?

Just on the popularity of the Irish league, I find it a shame that even Irish United supporters, who obviously can't go to every game or many at all... don't attend live football at home where it's much easier to do. For me that's the best thing about football, watching it live. Even if it's not your own team. I find it surprising that a country that loves football as much as it does doesn't give the sport the lift it needs in its homeland
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re the bold bit - Of course, but not everyone does, and that works both ways. Things being residual.

The live fix is essential, but I'd rather watch a kids game in a park than a League of Ireland game. It's not great value and the admin history is shocking in terms of mismanagement and finacial nonsense, basically the bad outweighs the good.

That an the fact that dublin GAA team draws more that United at some home games, that is not to be underestimated on such a small island.
 
A few mediocre results, a lil well-deserved criticism and suddenly the 'Greatest Fans of All Time' have broken rank and we've got two simultanous threads consisting of 'fans' outdoing each other .. and questioning other peoples rights to be a 'fan' of their team.

Just shut the feck up, realise that at the end of the day.. this is a game of football we're talking about, being a better fan by going to the game doesn't give you a badge to go around acting like you know better than someone else especially if that person has watched the same game as you albeit on TV and might even have more footballing knowledge than some of the thick pricks that have the means to possess a season ticket to Old Trafford.

Its pathetic, childish and I wish the Cafe goes back to discussing genuine football matters rather than taking potshots at fellow supporters and beating their chest in the name of superior display of Fandomship.

You're blessed those who happen to live in Manchester.. some fella might be born in Australia and under some of your opinions be limited to the extent where he should just go out and watch a fat Robbie Fowler week in week out and be deprived of the joy of watching a top class team in action, a team which happens to reflect the ideals and style he associates or appreciates in a game of football.. why shouldn't he be allowed to watch and support that team or should he be limited to the circumstances in which he was born in?
 
Wonder Pigeon said:
Its pretty easy to say that when the reality is that you're watching one of the biggest teams in the world, hypothetically if United imploded tomorrow and eventually found themselves playing hoofball in League 2, how are you sure you wouldn't feel differently?
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I'm not, but I'm sure the quality of LoI football at this stage isn't of a level to attract audiences which is what I thought we were discussing.
 
MikeUpNorth said:
That's the answer then isn't it. Irish people prefer to watch games with sticks and weird football-rugby hybrids than football.
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In a way, and I know people are reluctant to see this matter as anything other than about the actual game and people attending ... the ban on 'soccer' as path towards cultural independence had a huge effect on the place soccer took in Irish society.
 
Wonder Pigeon said:
Its pretty easy to say that when the reality is that you're watching one of the biggest teams in the world, hypothetically if United imploded tomorrow and eventually found themselves playing hoofball in League 2, how are you sure you wouldn't feel differently?
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Popper is a self loating Paddy, he's anti GAA and pro Brussels and supports United. He's ashamed of us.
 
moses said:
In a way, and I know people are reluctant to see this matter as anything other than about the actual game and people attending ... the ban on 'soccer' as path towards cultural independence had a huge effect on the place soccer took in Irish society.
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Exactly, and that's why the Irish have little choice but to follow an English team if they want to watch proper football.

That's why I compared the question to asking 'why don't the English support their local American Football teams?' The fact is watching London Blitz is not proper American Football and there isn't a choice other than supporting a US team if you actually like the sport.
 
Just like us yanks, I figure the Irish don't have much to choose from so they have to find a foreign team. Fortunately, I found Manchester United in the mid-90s after the World Cup hit the US.
 
MikeUpNorth said:
Exactly, and that's why the Irish have little choice but to follow an English team if they want to watch proper football.

That's why I compared the question to asking 'why don't the English support their local American Football teams?' The fact is watching London Blitz is not proper American Football and there isn't a choice other than supporting a US team if you actually like the sport.
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What exactly do you mean by 'proper football'?
 
MikeUpNorth said:
Exactly, and that's why the Irish have little choice but to follow an English team if they want to watch proper football.

That's why I compared the question to asking 'why don't the English support their local American Football teams?' The fact is watching London Blitz is not proper American Football and there isn't a choice other than supporting a US team if you actually like the sport.
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In short yes, but to those who have always loved a club and whose familys supported it through generations you can see how that analogy might hurt? They put as much into their clubs as anyone around the world and are hamstrung by circumstance.
 
moses said:
Then the simple answer is there's more people in England.
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It's not really about the numbers. The situation in Ireland is (relatively) unique in this regard. Most people in England who like football don't support (or also support) a foreign club. There are lots of reasons though that I think have been well answered in here a few times. You just did so in the post above that for one.

Despite Pogue's unironic defensiveness about defensiveness, it was pretty clear (to many of us) that the OP was asking for these reasons to - in his own words ...

Plan M said:
.. explain why many Irish people do not follow Irish footy...
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The fact he was then greeted by the general assumption that he was top reddingly asking the Irish lads how they dared to support a foreign team, some quite odd hostility from geebs and - in a zenith of weirdness - a poster making up a connection between Newton Heath's colours and the Irish flag to use as a credential as to why it's ok for the Irish to support United, just struck many of us as weird and OTT (....not OOT).

But both the reasons themselves and those for the defensiveness have both been explained and well and aren't particularly controversial anyway. Most people would support the closest 'big' League in the same position, Especially if most of their home grown talent was playing over there. You only need to see the rise in interest in La Liga when Becks went over there to see we English are just as culpable of that attitude. He was on the front pages of the tabloids whenever he scored. But it's also a normal attitude to have.


Wonder Pigeon said:
Scotland doesn't have the GAA.
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Yeah but they've got log throwing and shit.
 
moses said:
In short yes, but to those who have always loved a club and whose familys supported it through generations you can see how that analogy might hurt? They put as much into their clubs as anyone around the world and are hamstrung by circumstance.
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Why would the analogy hurt? I've supported the San Francisco 49ers in American Football since I was a kid because my dad is a massive 9ers fan. When they came over a couple of weeks ago to play at Wembley it was a huge thing for us and we both went to the game together. I don't see how that's a bad analogy?
 
MikeUpNorth said:
Of a good standard. No one wants to watch shite amateur players hoofing the ball, not if you actually like the game of football anyway.
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For the majority of football supporters on the planet, the reality of watching football isn't the glitz of football at the highest level. I would say all those supporters of clubs in Ireland and Peru and the Italian 3rd division and so on and so forth clearly like the game of football, and I think that thats pretty patronising of you.
 
Mockney said:
It's not really about the numbers. The situation in Ireland is (relatively) unique in this regard. Most people in England who like football don't support (or also support) a foreign club. There are lots of reasons though that I think have been well answered in here a few times. You just did so in the post above that one.

Despite Pogue's unironic defensiveness about defensiveness, it was pretty clear (to many of us) that the OP was asking for these reasons to - in his own words ...



The fact he was then greeted by the general assumption that he was top reddingly asking the Irish lads how they dared to support a foreign team, some quite odd hostility from geebs and - in a zenith of weirdness - a poster making up a connection between Newton Heath's colours and the Irish flag to use as a credential as to why it's ok for the Irish to support United, just struck many of us as weird and OTT (....not OOT).

But both the reasons themselves and those for the defensiveness have both been explained and well and aren't particularly controversial anyway. Most people would support the closest 'big' League in the same position, Especially if most of their home grown talent was playing over there. You only need to see the rise in interest in La Liga when Becks went over there to see we English are just as culpable of it. He was on the front pages of the tabloids whenever he scored.




Yeah but they've got log throwing and shit.
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You assume things with an annoying air of authority Mockney.

One numbers do matter, and as I said, at ALL levels the number of people involved in Irealnd and Scotland is similar.

Secondly the defensiveness is that the question has in the pre arab baiting era been asked with heavy racist overtones. Well im my experience, yes experience, anyway.
 
Wonder Pigeon said:
For the majority of football supporters on the planet, the reality of watching football isn't the glitz of football at the highest level. I would say all those supporters of clubs in Ireland and Peru and the Italian 3rd division and so on and so forth clearly like the game of football, and I think that thats pretty patronising of you.
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I'd wager those fans of the lower level clubs also root for a top level club, maybe not as passionate but still.
 
moses said:
The fairly newness of the British american football teams. The Irish football clubs individually have bundles of history.
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Oh right, you mean it would hurt Cork City fans to be compared to London Blitz? Fair enough, yeah.

I thought you meant the comparison would hurt Irish United fans, which I don't think it should. That was what the analogy was meant to be about.
 
It great the way the Irish posters are not actually the main authority on themsleves. The eejits.
 
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