Club vs Country

cjm

There have been a couple of threads regarding the issue of booing rangers fans and celtic/ireland connections etc... It seems to me that the club vs country row which is fairly rampant in the english premier league (especially for certain arsenal players going to friendlies!) is just as much an issue for fans as for players.

I have witnessed 'supporters' celebrating in a Dublin pubs when teams have scored against England in friendly games, in fact cheering louder than when Ireland score. Personally I think this is ridiculous, the players that are followed by the majority of football fans here week in week out suddenly become scum when wearing a different shirt. Any real football follower would acknowledge that a player being successful for their country is bound to have benefits for their club and vice versa and so I would like England and all the home nations to do well (within reason of course!).

The word supporter is a positive one, meaning to help someone along. It's time we got rid of the negative aspect of supporting which is exactly what booing and the like is. Irish supporters should be concentrating on encouraging Irish players, not acting on grudges against opposition ones. I doubt Colin Healy was inspired by the booing of Arveladze last night, so why bother? People should support their club players, but draw the line at negative booing or jeering club rivals, that's just petty.

Sposs

It's petty and it also lowers the opinion of the rest of the world towards Ireland and its Supporters.

p.pete

As a Liverpool fan I cheered when Owen scored his second last night (admittedly I had bet with my friend that Owen would score more than Robbie Keane!).

Also as a Liverpool fan I cheered when England beat Germany 5 - 1 (admittedly I was in Germany at the time and I saw it more as Liverpool 5 - 1 Germany!).

Whats the point to all this?, I like stories:)

talla

in fairness I don't have a problem with the english team, the only reason i'd be up for another team against England is because of their jingoistic press and television media. They build themselves up as the best in the world every single time and belittle evry single team they play against until they they lose when all of a sudden the same team they've been putting down for weeks before a match are now suddenly one of the best teams in the world. The actual team themselves never come out and make stupid statements, its the Rule Britania brigade in Fleet street and TV. The best part of every international football competition is to see them fall flat on their faces every single time and the fallout from the media afterwards. Its the exact same with the rugby team(although I fear they are actually going to win this years Rugby World Cup). One of the funniest things I read on the internet were the aussies fans emails on Football 365 when they beat Englan in that friendly a while back. They media were and fans were sick.lol

growler

I love it when england lose , always have done ...and i'm a card carrying chelsea fan, so if frank lampard does something good then i'll be mildly pleased but as i couldn't care less about england's international football success i'm not too bothered , i usually claim that i'm quarter whatever nation they happend to be struggling against at the time. PArt of this is coz i live in england and have to put up with them celebrating victories over australia , oops, other no hoper teams like they just won the world cup.

being anti-english has done as much for the image of the irish abroad as guinness and denny suasages , i watched the 1990 world cup in sicily and when the locals realised i wasn't an 'ooligan brit they insisted on giving me free beer for the rest of the week, had a similar experience watching the eng 5 germany 1 game a few years back in barcelona when the spaniards were delighted to see an english speaking non-england fan.

you think "supporter" has only positive connotations, but rivalry implies a rival, if you can put another team / individual off their game by singing at them , thats fair enuff , as the team you support benefit.

I doubt colin healy gave a second thought to the booing of a rangers player last night, fans take these things a lot more seriously than the players ever do, thankfully.

Waylander

Jesus lads all it is is a bit of freindly rivalry. It is the same thing as United fans like to see Liverpool mess up, Brazil fans like to see Argentina mess up. It is not an intense hatred of all things English it is a rivalry and is healthy for the sport as each team is encouraged to try to outdo their neighbours. I must admit I giggled when England went behind last night. There was no malice in it, it is just like a derby rivalry and I found it amusing and looked forward to the English press this morning. The vast majority of Irish people cheered for the same reason. The ones who were malicous had their own reasons and I find it unlikely that this thread will prevent them from doing it in the future. They are the closest big team to us, up till the emergence of Wales in this qualifying campaign. Also their expectations are ridiculously high and their media hype them up for every game. I am sure you model citizens and politically correct people abhor such behaviour, but then I abhor sanctimonious feckers lecturing me about how I should carry on my support of a team and behave towards our rivals.

KdjaCL

Football fans are entitled to be hypocritical ie when your "god" scores a hatrick and you worship him next week he signs for your rivals and you start digging his grave.
Or when one of your team gets hacked down you scream for a red card but cheer when one of your players hacks down the opposition.

But to see Irish fans booing a foreign player because he plays for a foreign team in a foreign country is sick.

That would be why i was pissed off about it.

kdjac

cournioni

I wouldn't go as far to say that I would "cheer" when a United player scores for England. I'm happy for them, yes. But delighted for them, no. I'm only ever delighted when my team scores. And that is when Man Utd or Ireland score.

Steve_o

Amen to that!

Bateman

Club over country, no question. Especially when the club is actually representing yoru own country.