Question for fans of smaller clubs

boopolo

A certain ammount would. Not sure if they would fill the stadium week in week out if they were there for a few years.

It would probably sort out the real fans from those on 'the bandwgon'

You never know; With the losses red football joint venture are suffering atm.

Ping Chow Chi

Love Forest, always supported them (from Nottingham and the whole family are red). I'm not too fussed that people tend to pick successfull teams rather than local one or ones that they have a connection to, it's their choice after all.

We may be back, we may not. I sometimes look on in envy to the clubs playing in europe and wish that I was old enough to have enjoyed forests european success, but at the end of the day who you support, you support for life. It doesnt make you a better or worse person if you had picked a successfull team to follow or your local non-league team.

boopolo

I think you will survive the Championship. This time last year yee put a great run together.....

DSB

grahamo wrote: »

They are not all on the bandwagon.

Yes they are, what other possible reason could there be for an Irish person?

boopolo

I don't think the topic of this thread is whether you support an English team or an Irish team (a lot of people support a team in both). Maybe some of you guys could make a new thread to discuss that.

DSB

boopolo wrote: »

I don't think the topic of this thread is whether you support an English team or an Irish team (a lot of people support a team in both). Maybe some of you guys could make a new thread to discuss that.

I didn't mention Irish teams.

Dun laoire

I have to say i find it refreshing when you meet someone and they tell you they are an Aston Villa fan or something. All the talk is about the top four clubs. So yeah it's good to see people following lesser teams. :pac:

DSB

Dun laoire wrote: »

I have to say i find it refreshing when you meet someone and they tell you they are an Aston Villa fan or something. All the talk is about the top four clubs. So yeah it's good to see people following lesser teams. :pac:

Seriously, whats the difference? If you're going to pick a team just at random, you may aswell pick the best like.

SectionF

boopolo wrote: »

I don't think the topic of this thread is whether you support an English team or an Irish team (a lot of people support a team in both). Maybe some of you guys could make a new thread to discuss that.

You made that distinction when you said a good football fan would have knowledge of clubs in the English fourth division, while pointedly omitting any reference to teams in this country.

A thread on supporting or following smaller football clubs is especially relevant in the Irish context, as many of the stock reasons/excuses for not supporting clubs in one's own country are taken out of the equation.

grahamo

I think the idea that someone who follows a smaller club must be some kind of superfan because they stuck with their team after being relegated is ridiculous. Of course any real fan will stick by their team through thick & thin. The fans that change the team they support every season are pathetic and are not real football fans.
In the same way the people making out that lifelong Liverpool or United fans are somehow lesser football fans are deluded.
I played football from schoolboy level and through to senior level and now help run a schoolboy team whose fortunes I follow through thick & thin. Does this make me a better football fan?:rolleyes:
Probably not because I'm also a lifelong fan of Man. United.:)

joe123

Gavin shels wrote: »

So you have an affiliation to Liverpool? But not the closest LoI team near your town? How does that work?

Pretty simple actually. Alot I feel has to do with the GAA infact. Im from mayo myself and the nearest club would be Galway United. But the rivalry instilled in different counties because of the Ga it doesnt really give you that sense of affiliation to the likes of a Galway or a Sligo.

There is NO mention of Galway United or Sligo Rovers in my town. There is NO LOI influence in my town at all.

Also when your 4 years old and the rest of your family supports Liverpool and your kinda brought into that you dont all of a sudden go when your older "hang on I want to support a LOI club....lets pick galway because there just over an hour away".

You pick your club and you stick with them for life.

boopolo

grahamo wrote: »

In the same way the people making out that lifelong Liverpool or United fans are somehow lesser football fans are deluded.

I agree. I don't think the OPs are saying that. What they are trying to say is will 'all' the present fans still support them still if they are out of the premier league/limelight for an extended period. Sure, a certain ammount will follow them to death, but not all.

Come On Leeds.... MOT

SectionF

joe123 wrote: »

when your 4 years old and the rest of your family supports Liverpool and your kinda brought into that you dont all of a sudden go when your older "hang on I want to support a LOI club....lets pick galway because there just over an hour away".

You pick your club and you stick with them for life.

Half the world supports Liverpool on that basis. Why does supporting them mean you wouldn't also support an Irish club?

joe123

SectionF wrote: »

Half the world supports Liverpool on that basis. Why does supporting them mean you wouldn't also support an Irish club?

This is pretty stupid question imo. Ive supported Liverpool since 4/5 years old. I love the club. At 21 I cant just go "oh lets now choose Galway". Its ridiculous to assume a team ive followed for 16 years passionately will now compare to me just picking a team now simply because they play in the Irish League.

The way the LOI needs to improve is put its influence out there when kids actually pick teams. Not 20 years down the line when fans already have chosen their allegiance years ago.

Its like yeah I love when Irish clubs beat teams in Europe. But what do I care if Galway beat Bohs or Sligo beat Longford. Ive no affiliation to them.


Its like the whole celtic thing. Yeah I like them doing well in Scotland and like when they do well in europe. But Its Liverpool I care about.

I find it funny that people find it easy to support two teams. Ive my team and there it. Through thick and thin.

SectionF

joe123 wrote: »

This is pretty stupid question imo. Ive supported Liverpool since 4/5 years old. I love the club. At 21 I cant just go "oh lets now choose Galway". Its ridiculous to assume a team ive followed for 16 years passionately will now compare to me just picking a team now simply because they play in the Irish League.

The way the LOI needs to improve is put its influence out there when kids actually pick teams. Not 20 years down the line when fans already have chosen their allegiance years ago.

Its like yeah I love when Irish clubs beat teams in Europe. But what do I care if Galway beat Bohs or Sligo beat Longford. Ive no affiliation to them.


Its like the whole celtic thing. Yeah I like them doing well in Scotland and like when they do well in europe. But Its Liverpool I care about.

I find it funny that people find it easy to support two teams. Ive my team and there it. Through thick and thin.

Don't take this personally, but it's a bit depressing to think that an intelligent person would be locked into an unbreakable affiliation with whatever image was placed before him/her, via lines or pixels on a tv screen, at 48 months. It reminds me of the bond that ducklings are supposed make with whatever is on hand -- duck, swan, or dog -- when they hatch.

I don't imagine LoI is going to be able to compete on that level anyway, against the combined might of Sky, Setanta, BBC, ITV and RTE. Better to try to engage with people when they are, in fact, more grown up and capable of making an informed decision. Maybe that is LoI's problem in a nutshell: it is trying to get people to engage in football in Ireland in a real way, beyond television, but that demands more from people.

No one, I'm sure, is suggesting that you or anyone else should suddenly decide to choose a particular club. Many people have become LoI fans just by going along to see what it's like.

PS: good luck tonight. I'm rooting for Liverpool, this time.

Jazzy

SectionF wrote: »

Don't take this personally, but it's a bit depressing to think that an intelligent person would be locked into an unbreakable affiliation with whatever image was placed before him/her, via lines or pixels on a tv screen, at 48 months.

do u intentionally deduce a persons enjoyment and passion to the lowest common denominator?
you show an amazing lack of depth in an effort to promote your interests

SectionF

Jazzy wrote: »

do u intentionally deduce a persons enjoyment and passion to the lowest common denominator?

I do intentionally try to write sentences that make sense. What does that mean?

Jazzy

SectionF wrote: »

I do intentionally try to write sentences that make sense. What does that mean?

have a look at the second line in my post above for hints on how to answer that question yourself

SectionF

Jazzy wrote: »

have a look at the second line in my post above for hints on how to answer that question yourself

I saw that, but I don't share your faux amazement, so I'm none the wiser as to your 'deductions'.

Jazzy

some journalist

Rockee

Ok, 'The Big 4' are deemed to be Man United
Liverpool
Chelsea
Arsenal

Do you support a team outside of 'The Big 4'? As you can see from my sig Im a Liverpool fan myself. Just curious to know if you get funny or puzzled looks just cos you are a Wigan, Hull, Middlesboro fan. No offence intended to those teams, just picking names!

I myself have a friend who loves Blackburn and anytime he walks into a pub for a footie match with his jersey on hes just met with endless questions as to why he supports them cos 'they're sh**e' etc.

super_furry

I'm sure they weren't ****e when he started supporting them - they were probably champions. Irish people generally only support teams that are winning.

dreamers75

super_furry wrote: »

I'm sure they weren't ****e when he started supporting them - they were probably champions. Irish people generally only support teams that are winning.

Shamrock rovers fan?

A Dub in Glasgo

Support a team out of 'The Big 4?'

Yeah, I support Celtic

Random

I guess the reason why it's strange is that most of us would have picked up teams we support from watching them on TV or whatever as kids. You don't see the likes of Wigan etc plastered all over the TV and the sports shops.

I support Liverpool because it's the first match I went to as a kid. They were playing Forest .. I think .. so I guess I could be a Forest fan if they'd lost lol

thusspakeblixa

I get funny looks for supporting Shels (and VfB Stuttgart)

anonymous_joe

Rockee wrote: »

Ok, 'The Big 4' are deemed to be Man United
Liverpool
Chelsea
Arsenal

Do you support a team outside of 'The Big 4'? As you can see from my sig Im a Liverpool fan myself. Just curious to know if you get funny or puzzled looks just cos you are a Wigan, Hull, Middlesboro fan. No offence intended to those teams, just picking names!

I myself have a friend who loves Blackburn and anytime he walks into a pub for a footie match with his jersey on hes just met with endless questions as to why he supports them cos 'they're sh**e' etc.

I started supporting United around 94/95.

The next year in school a fair few lads had Blackburn jerseys. Quel surprise.

Diabhal Beag

Juventus and Espanyol. Went to see both teams play in Serie A and La Liga

Duff

I'm a Toon fan all my life and you can imagine the comments I get when I'm in a pub for a game..

Fratton Fred

When people see me wearing a blue shirt, but can't see the badge, they usually start talking to me about Lampard and Terry!! Actually, no one has ever asked me why I support Pompey, but they are usually quite interested in talking to me about them. I think people just see it as a nice change.

ctrl-alt-delete

anonymous_joe wrote: »

I started supporting United around 94/95.

The next year in school a fair few lads had Blackburn jerseys. Quel surprise.

To be honest you picked a good time to start supporting United yourself.

anonymous_joe

ctrl-alt-delete wrote: »

To be honest you picked a good time to start supporting United yourself.

Yeah, it was great.

carlop

Little Shyte wrote: »

Juventus and Espanyol. Went to see both teams play in Serie A and La Liga

I'd say being an Espanyol fan is horrible. They have to be the ultimate case of a team being overshadowed by their neighbours, who not only are very successful, but also play great football, were a symbol of the resistance to Franco and actually pay money to Unicef to be their shirt sponsors. It would be like having the ultimate high-achieving sibling!

thusspakeblixa

carlop wrote: »

I'd say being an Espanyol fan is horrible. They have to be the ultimate case of a team being overshadowed by their neighbours, who not only are very successful, but also play great football, were a symbol of the resistance to Franco and actually pay money to Unicef to be their shirt sponsors. It would be like having the ultimate high-achieving sibling!

A guy I know is an 1860 Munich fan. I'd say that's worse as at least Espanyol have been in the top flight. Also It's not like Barca are completely dominant in Spanish football. Bayern have been sweeping all before them aside in the last two decades in Germany. So yeah, being an 1860 munich fan must suck.

Also- Just as Barca were a symbol of resistance to Franco and a symbol of Catalan nationalism, Espanyol had a lot of links with the Falange and stood against Catalan Nationalism. They used the Castilian version of their name until recently. I doubt many Espanyol fans care about how Barca were a symbol of the resistance tbh.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

I'm a Man United supporter, and proud of it. United will always be my team. I live in Laois so there are no teams close to me.. Kildare County would be the closest team to me and i dispise Kildare so much.. I put all the LOI and 1st division teams in a hat and picked out Bohs so since then i have been trying to see as many Bohs games as i can on tele.. I cant go to Dalymount cos im only 15 and none of me mates support Bohs, or any LOI team.

bigstar

Simon Most Usher wrote: »

I'm a Man United supporter, and proud of it. United will always be my team. I live in Laois so there are no teams close to me.. Kildare County would be the closest team to me and i dispise Kildare so much.. I put all the LOI and 1st division teams in a hat and picked out Bohs so since then i have been trying to see as many Bohs games as i can on tele.. I cant go to Dalymount cos im only 15 and none of me mates support Bohs, or any LOI team.

see this threadhttp://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055563847 im sure des will bring you along

bigstar

Rockee wrote: »

Ok, 'The Big 4' are deemed to be Man United
Liverpool
Chelsea
Arsenal

Do you support a team outside of 'The Big 4'? As you can see from my sig Im a Liverpool fan myself. Just curious to know if you get funny or puzzled looks just cos you are a Wigan, Hull, Middlesboro fan. No offence intended to those teams, just picking names!

I myself have a friend who loves Blackburn and anytime he walks into a pub for a footie match with his jersey on hes just met with endless questions as to why he supports them cos 'they're sh**e' etc.

Well hopefully in a few years ill be able to say "why do you support liverpool? theyre only a small club" when stevie ireland captains us to an unprecedented quadruple and the sheikh gives him piece of abu dahbi as a bonus.

thusspakeblixa

Simon Most Usher wrote: »

I live in Laois so there are no teams close to me.. Kildare County would be the closest team to me and i dispise Kildare so much.. .

FC Carlow?
http://www.fc-carlow.com/

They play in the A Championship (basically a 2nd division/"league one") these days