Why don't the Irish support their local teams?

What amazes me most about all of this is that Dublin has an Airport that is equally accessible time-wise from any single point in Ireland. Stunning.

How have you made this technology, why don't we know about it?
 
Hectic said:
What amazes me most about all of this is that Dublin has an Airport that is equally accessible time-wise from any single point in Ireland. Stunning.

How have you made this technology, why don't we know about it?
Click to expand...

you only have to watch Star Trek to find out how we do it!
 
fredthered said:
And that is different to anyone else in what way ? What makes that a sign that Ireland is "historically linked" to United in any way shape or form ?

What makes Irish fans believe they are any more connected to United than anyone else..

Thats what no one has been able to answer.
Click to expand...
Probably because they don't believe they are connected to United more than anyone else. That's just something that you have come up with.

We've had Irish fans coming in this thread telling us United was formed by Irish people, the colours were chosen to match the Irish flag, that because Sir Matt had irish roots Ireland is connected with United.
Click to expand...
Who's to say it wasn't formed by Irishmen then. Odds on that some of them were involved from the beginning.

I couldnt give a toss where fans come from. For some reason Irish fans seem to believe that they have links to United that should draw them close to United, and its bullshit. THere is nothing about United that should appeal to Irish fans any more than it would appeal to any other supporter.

Irish people support United for the same reasons everyone else does. No more no less, and it winds me up something rotten when Irish fans run about trying to make out that if you are Irish you should be a United supporter because thats what historically irish supporters do.
Click to expand...
You don't like this idea that the Irish have links to United to do. Ah well....they do.

After the famine many Irish migrants came over to England. Large numbers of them worked on the Liverpool/Manchester ship canal and the LYR. That accounts for why both Liverpool and United have so much Irish support. It's always been there.

Newton Heath was founded by the workers of the LYR, some of them could quite well have been Irish but even if they weren't it would account for their support of the team wouldn't it. It was after all their team, not predominantly a Manchester team but a Newton Heath and LYR team.

There was a post somewhere that asked why the Irish supported United and not City. The majority of the Irish migrants were Catholic (about 85% or more of Ireland at that time was Catholic). Manchester City was founded by a Protestant rector and his daughter. It's reasonable to assume then that the Catholic workers over here would have chosen to support a Catholic team over a Protestant one. It's long been known (at least in the NW) that United was the Catholic team and City the Protestant team.
 
What makes Irish fans believe they are any more connected to United than anyone else..

You've now said this Fred in about 12 seperate posts, but I've yet to see a single response with the posters you are arguing with who have supported that view, not a single one. Who are these fans? Where are they?
 
Wonder Pigeon said:
What about Dungannon Swifts?
Click to expand...

Believe it or not, ive never even been in Dungannon. Its the oposite side of the county to me, and most people from Strabane (my home town) support Derry City and a fair few Support Finn Harps because they are both much closer (and more successfull).

Actually a few years ago an Uncle of mine and some business coleagues tried to buy Finn Harps but the sale didnt go through because to much of the support were worried they would have brought the club from its home in Ballybofey to Letterkenny. He insists this wouldnt have been the case, but it probably would have been go for the club long term if they did!
 
irwinwastheking said:
Believe it or not, ive never even been in Dungannon. Its the oposite side of the county to me, and most people from Strabane (my home town) support Derry City and a fair few Support Finn Harps because they are both much closer (and more successfull).

Actually a few years ago an Uncle of mine and some business coleagues tried to buy Finn Harps but the sale didnt go through because to much of the support were worried they would have brought the club from its home in Ballybofey to Letterkenny. He insists this wouldnt have been the case, but it probably would have been go for the club long term if they did!
Click to expand...

Ah, Strabane, I get you. Thats just beside Lifford isn't it?
 
Wonder Pigeon said:
You know, the Irish have really strong links to clubs in Ireland.
Click to expand...

You made that up, historically the Irish have no more connection to the Irish clubs than anyone does. Regardless of the fact that its mostly Irish players and the clubs are in Ireland.

It really winds me up when you say this because you have no more historical conenction than anyone else. GB was moaning about having to travel to Derry too, pathetic!!!
 
Wonder Pigeon said:
I got this from a League of Ireland forum, its not set in stone but it should give you an idea, average attendence-wise:
Click to expand...

Ok so it looks like there has been a bit of drop off last year but nothing out of the ordinary when you look at the long term trend - correct me if I am wrong but it looks like some big clubs got relegated so that would explain the lower attendance for the most recent year.

However, match attendances only give part of the picture - I suppose TV viewing figures would give a good indication of general interest around Ireland.
 
Rood said:
Ok so it looks like there has been a bit of drop off last year but nothing out of the ordinary when you look at the long term trend - correct me if I am wrong but it looks like some big clubs got relegated so that would explain the lower attendance for the most recent year.

However, match attendances only give part of the picture - I suppose TV viewing figures would give a good indication of general interest around Ireland.
Click to expand...

We have a highlights package that shows the goals from the weekends Premier Division games, called Monday Night Soccer. I'm not that sure of the viewing figures, but the FAI have to pay RTE to show MNS. No, really.
 
Rood said:
Ok so it looks like there has been a bit of drop off last year but nothing out of the ordinary when you look at the long term trend - correct me if I am wrong but it looks like some big clubs got relegated so that would explain the lower attendance for the most recent year.

However, match attendances only give part of the picture - I suppose TV viewing figures would give a good indication of general interest around Ireland.
Click to expand...

Up to recently TV coverage has been sparse, it does seem to be getting better.

The Irish league has suffered from years of mismanagement, that in and of itself drove people away but it will always be hamstrung by having the premier league so close and losing its best players to England.
 
fredthered said:
Right, so you accept that its nothing special that 2000 Irish fans make the trip each home game.

So why have we got Irish fans making out like its a big issue that 2000 irish fans make the journey ?

If you accept its nothing more than anyone else does, then shut the feck up about it.
Click to expand...

We're not the ones bragging & looking for attention about it though. So how about you shut the feck up about it.

fredthered said:
Oh quit the bleeding heart shit.

Half the nobheads that claim to support United could go to watch them play. They come up with crap excuses why they don't

I've slept on Railway stations and hitch hiked to games. I've jibbed trains. I've sneaked onto supporters coaches. I've travelled to Spain without even having a ticket... Does that make me a better red ? No it doesnt, but it shows I'll make the effort which is more than can be said for alot of people.

You should also remember that it hurts people who've been going for over 30 years being told they are the same as someone who cannot be arsed, and thinks posting on an internet forum makes you the next in line for title of Red Army General...

Any numpty can post on an internet forum. Not everyone is prepared to travel half way across Europe as some overseas fans do, to go watch their team. Anyone can type "I LOVE Man Utd". It means feck all...

Words are cheap..... Actions aren't
Click to expand...

It hurts you does it? Either you go for the love of it or you go for the recognition & i think its the latter with you.
 
fecking Sligo.
 
Hectic said:
What makes Irish fans believe they are any more connected to United than anyone else..

You've now said this Fred in about 12 seperate posts, but I've yet to see a single response with the posters you are arguing with who have supported that view, not a single one. Who are these fans? Where are they?
Click to expand...

Everything i've said is in this thread

"
Manchester has strong irish links ( yeah alongside every other industrial city in the UK )

Irish people formed United ( really.. where is the evidence to support that )

They chose the colours to show the Irish connection ( No they didnt )

They wanted to call United Manchester Celtic to show the Irish connection ( no they didnt.. quite the opposite )

Irish people and United are historically linked ( so are scottish and welsh.. so what. You don't see scotsmen on here making an issue out of it and feeling hte need to highlight those links )

Irish players have signed for United ( Do I show you a list of where every player that played for United has come from. I dont see Danes on here making an issue of Peter Schmeichel )

The club has catholic roots ( really ? }

More Irish go to OT than any from any other country ( could be because you are the closest )

We have to travel all that way to support the team ( whoopeee.. 200 miles or so.. hardly half way across the planet )


No one understands the hardships we go through to get to OT but we dont complain about it... ( so why mention it then )


All of those points are things that have been said in this thread.

OK it may be one or two that are the main instigators, but its something I've come across on many United forums. THere was a similar thread over on RI not long ago and the same things were being trotted out on there as well.
 
The Black Pearl said:
We're not the ones bragging & looking for attention about it though. So how about you shut the feck up about it.



It hurts you does it? No one is putting a fecking gun to your head forcing you to go to games. Either you go for the love of it or you go for the recognition & i think its the latter with you.
Click to expand...

I dont go to OT anymore you dopey twat..

I stopped going in 2005.

And its so ironic you say "go for the love of it".. Thats what I am telling you. Go because you love it, not because you are Irish and you think its what all Irishmen are destined to do due to the non existent historical links that you think exist but actually dont.

You even admit you only started watching United because an Irishman was playing for them... thats the most pathetic excuse for supporting a team I've ever heard.

If you seriously follow a club because one player was Irish, then let me answer your previous question.. Yes you are a cretin.
 
Where is anyone saying that makes Irish supporters more connected than other fans?

They're just the factors people will list when asked about Irish support for Utd, and they're different the factors someone from another country might list.

Why dont the Scots mention the same? Who knows, who cares. Maybe because you dont see threads every 5 minutes asking them about it, or maybe less Scots follow United because they have a reasonable quality league of their own.

Bottom line is I dont see anyone claiming to be 'more connected' than any other group of fans, I see people listing some of the factors that influence Irish support, not make it better. As usual Fred the only one coming across as being interested in whose the bestest fan is you.
 
But the point is, it might be one or two posters, or another forum, but no-one on here is arguing that point, but you are still trying to ram it down our throats?

No-one is arguing that case anymore, so stop repeating it.
 
aha..

dont bring the RI tripe here Fred

according to them you're not good enough unless you are from Manchester
 
I think the Welsh bloke that made this thread needs to ask himself why does he even bother supporting Utd aswell if he already has Swansea to support!

And also he needs to realise that Man Utd would be lining out against Torquay Utd in the 4th division if they didnt have fans from outside of Manchester!
 
golden_blunder said:
aha..

dont bring the RI tripe here Fred

according to them you're not good enough unless you are from Manchester
Click to expand...

Actually,being fair, it was 50/50 with mainly OOTs saying pretty much what I've been saying over the two threads on here.

Mancs hate the fact the irish support United, which is laughable in itself, but then you get the opposing side going out their way to try and prove they are equally entitled to support United, then using the shit excuses I've highlighted above.

Personally I think both sides are completely talking bollocks..

If there were mancunians on here saying you shouldnt be supporting United I'd be defending your right to support the team completely.

As it is no mancunians have done that, so its just the one side that are putting their ill informed and incorrect little stories across.
 
fredthered said:
Actually,being fair, it was 50/50 with mainly OOTs saying pretty much what I've been saying over the two threads on here.

Mancs hate the fact the irish support United, which is laughable in itself, but then you get the opposing side going out their way to try and prove they are equally entitled to support United, then using the shit excuses I've highlighted above.

Personally I think both sides are completely talking bollocks..

If there were mancunians on here saying you shouldnt be supporting United I'd be defending your right to support the team completely.

As it is no mancunians have done that, so its just the one side that are putting their ill informed and incorrect little stories across.
Click to expand...

Okay, but since almost no-one here is taking up either of those views, you should probably stop trying to beat all Irish fans with that stick right?

Since you yourself said the majority is from RI, or match-gooers, you can stop saying that all Irish posters here think they are better then normal United fans. I can't see anyone arguing Manchester fans over Irish, and I can see no-one arguing Irish fans over Manchester.

Now we have that cleared up.
 
fredthered said:
I dont go to OT anymore you dopey twat..

I stopped going in 2005.

And its so ironic you say "go for the love of it".. Thats what I am telling you. Go because you love it, not because you are Irish and you think its what all Irishmen are destined to do due to the non existent historical links that you think exist but actually dont.

You even admit you only started watching United because an Irishman was playing for them... thats the most pathetic excuse for supporting a team I've ever heard.

If you seriously follow a club because one player was Irish, then let me answer your previous question.. Yes you are a cretin.
Click to expand...

Your some can a piss allright.

And yeah i did start supporting Utd because of a player i admired & looked up to as a 5 year old young lad, 26 years ago now. Again through your ignorance you have decided to take that post of mine out of context.

I wonder why the Cockney Reds that you admire, have no problems with & look up too, started supporting Utd?
 
Decotron said:
ha ha couldnt resist.

Did you hear about the Brazilian winger seen around Dalymount this week?
Called Nama apparently :(
Click to expand...

:lol:

63314_10150268447205367_821055366_15038882_4988728_n.jpg


It's a shame really.
 
fredthered said:
I dont go to OT anymore you dopey twat..

I stopped going in 2005.

And its so ironic you say "go for the love of it".. Thats what I am telling you. Go because you love it, not because you are Irish and you think its what all Irishmen are destined to do due to the non existent historical links that you think exist but actually dont.

You even admit you only started watching United because an Irishman was playing for them... thats the most pathetic excuse for supporting a team I've ever heard.
If you seriously follow a club because one player was Irish, then let me answer your previous question.. Yes you are a cretin.
Click to expand...

I think that's pure shit TBH Fred. My father has supported the club 40+ years. Do you know why he became interested in Manchester United? Because at that time, a young man from Northern Ireland by the name of George Best was playing for Manchester United and my father happened to love George Best (like many other supporters). He started liking Manchester United because his favourite player, also from the same city as him, started to play for them. I think you'll find that's the case with a lot of people out there. Even after George left, my father still stuck with the club, through relegation and everything. He just didn't stop following the team because Best suddenly didn't play for them anymore. By that point, Manchester United was in him.
 
Who cares what they think, all they are tyring to point out is how much more they love United, I'm not as big a fan as them, wow, I'd rather be like that then a total retard like say Utd Heap. Who has time to go to every game anyways? Being the best fan of a football team doesn't seem to be something you should aspire to.

Like that guy who had the moustache who went to every game for like 50 years, missed his brothers wedding to keep his run going? People were saying 'respect to him' etc all I was thinking was what a sad cnut ffs. A perfect example was the thread about marking the City bar with graffiti. An intelligent five year old wouldn't think writing on walls was funny or clever but the 'hardcore' group seemed to think it was some kind of genius masterstroke and that's without even mentioning the Foe part.

This :
A certain City pub
Has been re-decorated over night
They're not too happy about it over on Blue moon.
34 years.
Manchester is Red.
I couldn't sleep - c'mon United
Click to expand...

Equals:
DSC00055.jpg


:lol::wenger: If that kind of stuff means being a proper United supporter I do not want in.
 
I started supporting Man Utd as a kid because of a player too. I loved Paul McGrath, and my first ever football shirt was an Ireland one. Then McGrath was playing for ManUtd, so I got interested there and liked what I saw and learned. This to me is the main reason why 1 picked united as my team. My father has no interest in football, my brothers support Liverpool and Villa, and if it wern't for that innitial interest in McGrath I could well be a scouse supporter (perish the thought).

This to me is a much more genuine reason for supporting a club than just deciding I'll support them with no rythme or reason. Or worse again, glory hunters who only support a club because its successful. I would say the majority of Irish fans of English clubs do it because they feel the club has some connection to them. Be it either a family link that parents or siblings supported the club or they like one player or the other. I know for example that there was a surge of interest in Sunderland when Roy Keane took over as manager and an Irish consortium bought the club. There was tour buses going over that time by the dozen.
 
fredthered said:
I dont go to OT anymore you dopey twat..

I stopped going in 2005.

And its so ironic you say "go for the love of it".. Thats what I am telling you. Go because you love it, not because you are Irish and you think its what all Irishmen are destined to do due to the non existent historical links that you think exist but actually dont.

You even admit you only started watching United because an Irishman was playing for them... thats the most pathetic excuse for supporting a team I've ever heard.

If you seriously follow a club because one player was Irish, then let me answer your previous question.. Yes you are a cretin.
Click to expand...

But in fairness an absolute shitload of fans will support a team because one player plays for them, as long as they stick around as proper fans after who gives a shit?

Lots of fans will support a team because they like one player which in a 5 or 6 year olds mind is more than a good enough reason to be supporting a team.
 
rop red /anti irish thread? charming....for those wondering about the railway men who formed the club I would say there was more than a good chance many of them were irish as infact many labourers were in industrial england..especially in the north. As for supporting local teams my local team has only amateur status and whilst I played for them I didnt exactly grow up wanting to support them. This is a stupid fecking thread and Plan M is obviously on a wum
 
fredthered said:
My problem is the condescending manner in which certain Irish fans seem to believe that they are "historically linked" to United and use that as a means to justify their support.

Its not that they love the club, its not that they believe in what the clubs about. Nope.. its because "we are Irish and United is part of our culture"

United wasnt formed for the Irish, it wasnt formed for the scottish. It wasnt formed for the Welsh. It was formed for the workers of a railway yard.

There have been players from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Denmark, Russia, South Korea...

I get really annoyed when Irish fans harp on about the players from Ireland that have played for United, and thats the reason why there are so many Irish fans.

The moment they put on a United shirt, it doesnt matter where the feck they come from, whether it be England, Ireland, Scotland or bloody Timbuktu...

If the only reason people support a team is because a handful of players from their country have put on the red shirt, then thats a pretty shit reason for supporting a club.

Sorry, but it winds me up something chronic.

If you are Irish and you support United because you love the team, the club and what it stand for great. If you are Irish and you think that because George Best was Irish so therefore you have to support the clubm to show solidarity for all irishmen, then you're a cretin...
Click to expand...

yep on all those things. Just that I like many on here probably started supporting the club because of an irish player or a cup final seen on telly as a kid or as I mentioned before being exposed to united through a relative. to suggest peoples reasons to start supporting a team when they were kids are not valid is just stupid.

so if you can say yes to supporting cos you love the team, the club and what it stands for then who gives a fiddlers how it started. why you gettting so wound up cos some kids in ireland maybe saw another irishman in the red of united and it sparked an interest that became a lifelong love affair with the club? its as good a reason as any. and at a very young age who's thinking about what the club stands for. more likely you saw norman whiteside on telly kicking the shite out of steve macmahon and thinking he's the business, and guess what he's from just up the road. thats what kids love Fred, seeing something so glamorous and feeling like they can identify with it through a connection to where they are from. Why is that so objectionable?
 
OH Christ who cares, Support whoever you want and for whatever reason, as long as your still there in the bad times as well as the good I really could not give a feck why you support the club.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.