And you's always wonder...

DSB

Xavi6 wrote: »

No but I wouldn't be surprised if you claimed to be a United or Liverpool fan. It's all about exposure.

Well I'm not doing it here, so I don't see why being Belgian would make that much difference. Most of us here are smart enough to look past what the Sky corporation feeds us.

Unearthly

DSB wrote: »

Not really. There are stadiums all over the world. Kinda brings it back to the decision of choosing your clubs doesn't it?

I didn't choose what club to have a feeling for

It just happened

how gay does that sound

DSB

Unearthly wrote: »

I didn't choose what club to have a feeling for

It just happened

how gay does that sound

Do you not think Irish culture shaped that though? You're a United fan right?

Unearthly

DSB wrote: »

Do you not think Irish culture shaped that though? You're a United fan right?

Yep

I fell in love because of the high quality football. When I played football as a kid(and remember I was going to Shel games at the time) it was always the likes of Cantona I wanted to be like. Love for the club has stuck

Mr Alan

i think probably the most important part of being a fan along with going to games is recognising wat a club is all about, its history and traditions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX2-zLi-xlI

i'll risk being abused for this, but the above is the Reclaim the Kop charter and to me this is vitally important as a Liverpool fan.

Although i would class myself as a liverpool fan, i would always recognise that the club belongs to the people of liverpool.

If i expect the honour being allowed to call myself a fan of that great club, it is vital that i follow the example set out by generations of great great fans.

The people of liverpool are the custodians of the club. i'm just glad they let me come along for the ride.

For example anyone who claims to be a Liverpool fan and reads the Sun is an embarrasment and is not a fan.

anyway i'm rambling now

DSB

Unearthly wrote: »

Yep

I fell in love because of the high quality football. When I played football as a kid(and remember I was going to Shel games at the time) it was always the likes of Cantona I wanted to be like. Love for the club has stuck

I can't help but think that if it was the done thing to support Irish clubs you'd be doing the same as your peers though.

Unearthly

DSB wrote: »

I can't help but think that if it was the done thing to support Irish clubs you'd be doing the same as your peers though.

Probably, but when do kids have minds of their own?

People say if the EL improved, then people would flock. Well I know I wouldn't suddenly just love a certain EL club. I can safely say Man Utd will be the only club I will feel a fan of

DSB

Unearthly wrote: »

Probably, but when do kids have minds of their own?

People say if the EL improved, then people would flock. Well I know I wouldn't suddenly just love a certain EL club. I can safely Man Utd will be the only club I will feel a fan of

I don't think people would flock either. It's a problem with peoples' attitudes, not a problem with the football on offer.

Unearthly

DSB wrote: »

I don't think people would flock either. It's a problem with peoples' attitudes, not a problem with the football on offer.

I think you are kidding yourself if you think the standard doesn't play a part.

Also this not supporting your local football team exists in nearly every country not just Ireland. How many people in England don't follow their local team but Man Utd? You will find Man Utd fans in every country

If the standard improved, I think it would help children start following it, eventually changing the culture.

estebancambias

As Keane said the LOI is full of players either with great talent, but not the right attitude, and non-talented people with lots of heart seems like a beutiful combination to me.

I'm going to start watching Bohs again this season.

DSB

I've already agreed the standard isn't as high. But people wouldn't flock even if the standard improved. We might get a few extra regulars but old attitudes die hard.

DSB

estebancambias wrote: »

As Keane said the LOI is full of players either with great talent, but not the right attitude, and non-talented people with lots of heart seems like a beutiful combination to me.

I'm going to start watching Bohs again this season.

Keane isn't very smart in fairness.

Unearthly

DSB wrote: »

I've already agreed the standard isn't as high. But people wouldn't flock even if the standard improved. We might get a few extra regulars but old attitudes die hard.

I said myself I wouldn't flock to go see, but I reckon a lot of people would. If the national team, that most people follow, started picking players from that league because they were good enough, then it would gain considerable interest imo

estebancambias

Perhaps, but with regards to his footballing knowledge, he has to know what he's on about.

DSB

estebancambias wrote: »

Perhaps, but with regards to his footballing knowledge, he has to know what he's on about.

I've genuinely often wondered, obviously he was a master of his own mind, and had an amazing workrate and great footballing ability, but I've always thought that he wasn't able to understand players that weren't of the same sort of mindframe as him. I mean the Sunderland team is mainly made up of players that have played for Man United, or Irish players, both of which he'd have tonnes of experience of. Don't think he has an eye for a player whatsoever.

Mr Alan

plus he has spent wat, 40 odd million and is still looking likely for relegation.

estebancambias

You may be right(in fact you probably are) but in theory his view on League of Ireland is correct.

Look at James Chambers for example, far better than Anthony Stokes from what I remember, but look who is playing for Ireland an in the Premier League.

Other talented players off the top of my head(I haven't watched Eircom League in a while) John Paul Kelly, Liam Kearney, Joe Gamble, McCourt(Don't know how he's doing now) Shane Robinson(Used to play for Shamrock Rovers)

DSB

estebancambias wrote: »

You may be right(in fact you probably are) but in theory his view on League of Ireland is correct.

Look at James Chambers for example, far better than Anthony Stokes from what I remember, but look who is playing for Ireland an in the Premier League.

Other talented players off the top of my head(I haven't watched Eircom League in a while) John Paul Kelly, Liam Kearney, Joe Gamble, McCourt(Don't know how he's doing now) Shane Robinson(Used to play for Shamrock Rovers)

This isn't any reflection on Chambers' attitude at all like. He seems happy at Shelbourne. He has had the chance to join Eircom Premier sides too. I know alot of Irish players do decide to go to England to ply their trade but it shouldn't be seen as a blotch on a player's character if they don't. I've every confidence Chambers would be a success if he moved to England. Hope he doesn't though.

Xavi6

DSB wrote: »

Keane is an idiot in fairness.

Careful now. I got banned for that

DSB

Seriously?

Unearthly

Yep, quick edit me thinks

Xavi6

DSB wrote: »

Seriously?

Yep seemingly it's 'needless namecalling' despite how true it may be. Trust me it's not a road you wanna go down.

DSB

Edited to save trouble. Definitely think he isn't the smartest though. A manager in the position his side is in shouldn't be criticising everyone else around him. Yet he never shuts up.

Xavi6

DSB wrote: »

Edited to save trouble. Definitely think he isn't the smartest though. A manager in the position his side is in shouldn't be criticising everyone else around him. Yet he never shuts up.

As much as I agree with you this is waaaaayyy OT.

Basically my whole idea is thst it's a sad state of a affairs when any team folds. I just don't understand why, like in England, people can't got to support their local club AND support a big team. So many people over there support the Rotherhams, Walsalls etc yet support a Prem team as well. There's no need to restrict yourself so much, especially if in the long run it benefits our national team.

DSB

Agreed.

Jazzy

Xavi6 wrote: »

Yep seemingly it's 'needless namecalling' despite how true it may be. Trust me it's not a road you wanna go down.

yeah, i said a retired player was a scumbag and got banned. rubber walls i reckon.

i dunno, it seems that a lot of ppl think its our duty to watch EL teams. i dont think so at all, it doesnt make me any worse or better a fan but i can only devote so much time towards football. if i dont have the time for the EL then i dont have the time. some need to get that into their heads instead of dieing on the cross

DSB

Jazzy wrote: »

yeah, i said a retired player was a scumbag and got banned. rubber walls i reckon.

i dunno, it seems that a lot of ppl think its our duty to watch EL teams. i dont think so at all, it doesnt make me any worse or better a fan but i can only devote so much time towards football. if i dont have the time for the EL then i dont have the time. some need to get that into their heads instead of dieing on the cross

Spending all your time over in England at the games are we? Or in front of the telly?

MrJoeSoap

Sigh, this whole thread depresses me.

There are two types of poster in this thread really.

1. There are people who are Eircom League fans, who go and watch games regularly and enjoy doing so. Said people are pissed off that so few people support their national league, and that clubs like Limerick and Kilkenny are struggling to make ends meet for whatever reason. It is a perfectly understandable viewpoint when you consider the sheer number of soccer fans in this country, the sheer number of Irish people who would be willing to pay top dollar to see our joke of a national team play the world champions from six years ago in a friendly, yet not even be arsed to head to Dalyer/Tolka/Richmond on a Friday to watch an Eircom League game.

2. There are the people with no interest in the Eircom League, who support Premiership clubs and don't really give a f*ck who wins the domestic title and gets knocked out in the qualifiers for next years CL. They have supported their side for a number of years, have never had any real affinity for a domestic side and would be happy to continue supporting their side as they do right now. They would love a national league with some really high quality sides, of a standard of football ready and willing to compete in the Premiership or European football but realise that such a dream is so far off that it isn't even worth believing in.

So which one are you?

To be honest, I'm both right now. I see no point in trying to promote my team, Shelbourne, to my mates, as the standard of football is so bloody poor that nobody in their right mind would pay the entrance fee to see it every two weeks were they not already a supporter.

Then again, as a Southampton fan for the last 15+ seasons, I feel no more or less affiliated to the side regardless of their Premier League/Championship status. I've actually been to see them in the Championship more times than in the Premiership, if truth be told.

I couldn't care less who most people in this thread support, but when people write our national league off without a care for what they are saying (i.e. - Tusky, to whom I replied but have not yet heard back from) it just pisses me off. The standard of football is lower than the Premier League, lower than the Championship, and possibly lower than League One, but that doesn't automatically mean the level of entertainment should drop. My favourite years as a soccer fan were not whilst Le Tissier took the piss out of the Premiership, but whilst Wes Hoolahan dominated the left wing for Shels. That guy was just dynamite.

Whatever, nobody probably cares,
Mark.

estebancambias

Mark...Joe? It just doesn't add up.


Eh to be honest I'm neither.

MrJoeSoap

estebancambias wrote: »

Mark...Joe? It just doesn't add up.


Eh to be honest I'm neither.

Believe it or not my real name isn't Joe Soap, just as your probably isn't Esteban Cambiasso.

Strange but true!

estebancambias

Oh good post........

Yeah sadly its Conor(lover of hounds)

Jazzy

DSB wrote: »

Spending all your time over in England at the games are we? Or in front of the telly?

telly.

sometimes i watch the kids down my road play. i drew a line from my house and they were the closest team to me so i HAD to support them. their parents think im weird but they just dont understand that im so football that i have to watch them. how football are you ?

Helix

Gavin shels wrote: »

...why us Eircom league fans are so bitter towards you foreign club supporting "fans".


http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2008/0118/kilkennycity.html



So thats make it two teams out of existence in two years and two of the most successful Irish clubs on the edge of non-excistence.:rolleyes: And you wonder why we're so bitter.

in fairness, from an eircom league fan, thats a bloody ridiculous attempt at a point

how can you blame johnny united fan from dublin for kilkenny going under?

and shels was as much my fault as the fault of some random liverpool fan whos never actually seen a match live in his life

this whole thread is pretty much like me coming on and saying "i broke my leg today by slipping in the icy street! this is the fault of english premier league fans"... well no, no its not. its my fault, because i didnt watch where i was going, and i didnt take the necessary precautions to a) make sure i didnt slip, and b) make sure i didnt break something if i did slip

its points like this that makes me bloody well hate eL fans

get a grip ffs and support whatever you want to support and stop trying to make other people do what you do, and then stop blaming other people for the shortcomings of mismanaged clubs

Xavi6

Helix wrote: »

in fairness, from an eircom league fan, thats a bloody ridiculous attempt at a point

how can you blame johnny united fan from dublin for kilkenny going under?

and shels was as much my fault as the fault of some random liverpool fan whos never actually seen a match live in his life

this whole thread is pretty much like me coming on and saying "i broke my leg today by slipping in the icy street! this is the fault of english premier league fans"... well no, no its not. its my fault, because i didnt watch where i was going, and i didnt take the necessary precautions to a) make sure i didnt slip, and b) make sure i didnt break something if i did slip

its points like this that makes me bloody well hate eL fans

get a grip ffs and support whatever you want to support and stop trying to make other people do what you do, and then stop blaming other people for the shortcomings of mismanaged clubs

While you make some very good points the issue for me is that the same fans who say f*ck the eL are the very ones who bitch and moan about the poor state of our national team. You can't have one without the other and people don't realise that.

Call Me Jimmy

I think if RTE put their top panelists on for the live irish games and highlights like they do with the premier league it would be the single best thing for the sport. Get Dunphy and Giles talkin about Pats and Bohs and it would really take off. Of course this won't happen but if it did I think there'd be a dramatic increase of interest in the league.

If they put Kenny Cunningham anywhere near the eircom league coverage then the whole world is doomed.

EDIT: Speaking of Kenny Cunningham... wtf is he doing on television at all? He has the charisma of a dried out turd in the desert, ye know the ones where there's hairs growing out of the sh!t 'cause it's so old and dry.

Sometimes I am almost certain that he is a piece of cardboard and his mouth moving is just my imagination.

Benedict XVI

Blisterman wrote: »

Maybe it's time for the FAI to start thinking about following rugby's lead and create 4 provincial teams, which would have enough money in the coffers, to attract a caliber of player rivaling the premiership, keep good players in Ireland, and possibly having a shot at the Champion's League.

There are of course many problems with this idea, but it's worth considering.

I agrre with some sort of restructuring.

Every time a EL debate come up I say the same thing and I'll say it again.

The EL in it's present form has to be disbanded and new 'franchise' teams created with a wider geographical spread.

Below that you would have a second division of feeder teams .

I always get replies like
'You can't merge or disband teams, for thousands of years Shelbourne have hated Rovers etc etc, how can you now have a team called 'Shelrock United'.

That's fair enough but it might have to happen if the league is to survive.

And as I said bvefore on this thread replacing Kilkenny with another Dublin team makes no sense if you want to market the league around the country.

Kerry or Mayo should be the location of a new team not Fingal.

DSB

Jazzy wrote: »

telly.

sometimes i watch the kids down my road play. i drew a line from my house and they were the closest team to me so i HAD to support them. their parents think im weird but they just dont understand that im so football that i have to watch them. how football are you ?

OMGZYOU'RESOWITTY.

themont85

Agree with last poster on 'franchises' coming into use in the league of Ireland. In America this is done in the NFL, NBA ect and the IRFU, for all their faults, run this kind of system in Ireland. It gives guranteed markets and a potential fanbase. At the moment we have to many clubs chasing to small a market. The product is seriousely diluted and the holier than thou EL fans expect people to fork out money each week when they have no tradition with their 'local club'. There should definately be an all-Ireland league with maybe a playoff system to gain intrest. While increased TV money from Setanta and the likes would help the quality, a bigger fanbase is needed in the long term to sustain this so a hookup with RTE with massive coverage for a lower price would help promote the league, much like the BBC years ago. The resources of current clubs plus the FAI could be pooled together to help build up the leagues infastructure.

We are a small country and if EL league fans want more supporters with CL football they need to bite the bullet.

Otherwise we can keep going with the half assed efforts at a pro league in Ireland wasting money on a few good players who will have no effect cos the league's is so diluted. The alternative go ameteur, keep the cosy traditions among a few, try and boost the fanbase through investing in facilities to export our brightest talents accross the water.

Draupnir

This whole argument is totally crazy, the reason football is so great is because there will always be different types of supporter. Just because you like to watch Bohs or Shels religiously and would love everyone too doesnt mean that will ever happen or that it should.

If we break down the argument of all the Eircom League fans in this thread, then it would mean that we should all follow our most local club? In that case, every club in the world would have about 50 fans because, and this may come as a shock, there are a lot more than just Eircom League Premier and First Division clubs in this country.

There are also more than just the Football League clubs in England and certainly more than Serie A to Serie C1 in Italy etc.

So, I'll see you Shels fans at more Tolka Rovers games? Or will it be Ballymun United? Maybe we should head up to the 15 acres on a Saturday or Sunday and watch one of the even smaller clubs (there are about 50 in the LFL to watch alone).

So when does the Eircom League season start? I know Bohs have Monaghan at home in a friendly in a couple of weeks.

homerjay2005

The fact of the matter is that this club is in a GAA heartland and simply cant attract the interest of the public cos of this. starting threads like this is not doing EL fans any favours either. the origianl post is away off the mark, saying this is a reason to hate followers of the English League. is just total rubbish to be honest. The english league is the most attractive in the world, people all over the world support it, we are the nearest country to it, is not that difficult to see why its so big over here.

im from kerry and i would love to be able to go watch the likes of Shels, Cork, Bohs etc play there when im at home, in Tralee. likewise, i would love to be able to see a Kerry team play in Dublin every few weeks as i live in dublin. However, this is getting more and more unlikely.

its not my fault that i grew up with no local team to support. My parents lived in Manchester before they moved back home and were season ticket holders, my older brother was born there. so, i grew up in a house where united was a part of life. Im sure alot of lads on here, are in exactly the same boat. im also sure that if i was from cork (god forbid) or dublin etc, then i would be an EL fan, as would most others on ere.

This country cannot support a full time professional soccer league. Gaa is number 1 and will always be. Even they cannot sustain professionalism. Maybe EL fans should be out promoting the EL and the benifits of going to watch the games, rather than posting threads like this. I support the EL and watch games as regulary as i can. I also intend to see a few live games this year.

One thing i will say is that while alot of lads on here have issues with EL fans like DesF and more, i admire their dedication for the league. Its not easy when clubs are struggling financially. However, as i have already said, bashing people for not supportings teams they have no allegiance with, just makes people hate the league.

Tusky

Noticed you mentioned that you had replied to me in a post and I hadn't replied. Apologies, missed your reply.

MrJoeSoap wrote: »

So, by deduction, you are saying that the Eircom League is in no way entertaining.

If so, that is among the most ridiculous comments I've ever read on these boards. If you had mentioned the standard of football I might have ignored it, but no, it just isn't entertaining...

Funny that, because I actually find it more entertaining than most leagues.

I can honestly say that I didn't find it entertaining. The problem is, I have no affiliation with any LOI club so it would take good football to draw me in. Even you have admitted that the standard is piss poor. It would be different if I was brought up supporting a team or if my dad had brought me to LOI games. If that happened I may have developed an affiliation with a club who I would no doubt go on to support.

The fact is

-I dont know anyone that goes to LOI games
-The football isnt attractive enough to draw me in
-I live in D15 so there are no clubs in the locality
-I can think of better things to spend the entrance fee on.

Having read this thread Ive decided to give it another chance. I'm gonna try get a couple of mates to go to a few games and if I enjoy it, I'll continue to go. If I don't, I wont. I wouldn't be interested in going purely to support Irish football.

Xavi6

Tusky wrote: »

Noticed you mentioned that you had replied to me in a post and I hadn't replied. Apologies, missed your reply.



I can honestly say that I didn't find it entertaining. The problem is, I have no affiliation with any LOI club so it would take good football to draw me in. Even you have admitted that the standard is piss poor. It would be different if I was brought up supporting a team or if my dad had brought me to LOI games. If that happened I may have developed an affiliation with a club who I would no doubt go on to support.

The fact is

-I dont know anyone that goes to LOI games
-The football isnt attractive enough to draw me in
-I live in D15 so there are no clubs in the locality
-I can think of better things to spend the entrance fee on.

Having read this thread Ive decided to give it another chance. I'm gonna try get a couple of mates to go to a few games and if I enjoy it, I'll continue to go. If I don't, I wont. I wouldn't be interested in going purely to support Irish football.

Ok that is not an excuse. Myself and MrJoeSoap are both from D15 and the train from either Coolmine or Clonsilla drops you right in Drumcondra, a ten minute walk from Tolka.

Tusky

Xavi6 wrote: »

Ok that is not an excuse. Myself and MrJoeSoap are both from D15 and the train from either Coolmine or Clonsilla drops you right in Drumcondra, a ten minute walk from Tolka.

I put that down as a reason for not having any affiliation with a club. I dont actually live near the train station and it would take a bus journey + a 10 minute walk to get there.

Dont get me wrong, if I enjoy going I will continue going regardless of the commute.

estebancambias

Who has the biggest fanbase in the league?

I would have thought Shamrock Rovers, but I always thought Bray had a chance of good attendances.

Seriously Eircom League clubs are crap at promotion. They should have people going around with flyers.

PHB

What I've never understood is why they don't just give all the leftover tickets to local school kids for free.

Xavi6

PHB wrote: »

What I've never understood is why they don't just give all the leftover tickets to local school kids for free.

They do. Bohs go around the schools in the Cabra and dish them out. It can lead to more trouble than it's worth at some games though.

bohsman

PHB wrote: »

What I've never understood is why they don't just give all the leftover tickets to local school kids for free.

Bohs have had this scheme in the past and may be bringing it back in this season.

Jazzy

DSB wrote: »

OMGZYOU'RESOWITTY.

pretty much. last time i had a discussion about the EL with the the leader (DesF, hes got a football rating of 10) he wasnt really able to answer so any point anyone really makes here wont be a good enough "excuse" not to watch the EL.
its like talking to the smuggest wall on the planet who at the same time thinks they are a down-trodden martyr trying to convert the world to a better way of life.

AckwelFoley

.. athlone town are next down the toilet i fear

Savman

Saying the LOI is crap while bigging up the Premiership is hogwash, some games in England's top tier can be god awful. Even the hardcore footy fans would rather chew off their own arm than watch Wigan V Derby or some other less than attractive fixture.

The main reason people support english teams, aside from the family connection, is that during childhood "Grandstand" and "Match Of The Day" were pretty much the only football on the box so they were kinda a big deal. I could be wrong, but I don't remember the LOI getting the same kind of attention paid to it by our national broadcasters.

I actually went to some LOI games in my youth and believe it or not I'd be very easily convinced to go again for the craic, I don't know what's stopping me from going but I do think I'm there for the taking if any club was arsed to try and make it sound appealing enough. I'd probably fall down on the Bohs side of the fence (again, family orientated) and I've been to Dalymount a few times, its not near as bad as people make out. Good craic, matchday burger and chips and game of footy.

Why is the LOI in such a state? No idea, but it's certainly not my fault.

Change is needed....