Club or Country

liamygunner29

A few years ago I used to love watching Ireland and wouldn't be disappointed that their was an international break coming up but now I hate watching Ireland and I'm rapidly losing interest.

Our best player doesn't play and then look at Liam Miller without a club and in the squad and Andy Reid on fire for a premiership team who is left out. I can safely say now I'd pick my club(Arsenal) to win the champions league before Ireland to qualify or do well in the world cup. What about you? would you pick your club to reach their everest(promotion,title,champions league spot,survival) or Ireland to qualify and do well?

Mr Alan

Liverpool to win league over Ireland to qualify & do well. Every day of the week.

I obviously still really like to see Ireland do well.

JPA

Well compare your club winning the champions league to Ireland winning the World cup, comparing it to Ireland "doing well" is not the same.

Your club winning would make you delighted and you'd celebrate with your fellow fans but if Ireland won the WC the country would go into meltdown with a 2 week party, everyone involved.

Warper

There was a thread about this previously but country first always. It is where I am from and live. Alright Ireland are brutal to watch, they are my country. After all we are Irish. To wish your club (foreign club btw) to win the CL rather than Ireland to win the World Cup is ludicrous and something I will never understand.

liamygunner29

JPA wrote: »

Well compare your club winning the champions league to Ireland winning the World cup, comparing it to Ireland "doing well" is not the same.

Your club winning would make you delighted and you'd celebrate with your fellow fans but if Ireland won the WC the country would go into meltdown with a 2 week party, everyone involved.

Obviously you would have to say Ireland winning the World cup but in reality thats never going to happen, and success would be qualifying and subsequently maybe a giant killing and qualification to the knock outs.

Gavin "shels"

Warper wrote: »

There was a thread about this previously but country first always. It is where I am from and live. Alright Ireland are brutal to watch, they are my country. After all we are Irish. To wish your club (foreign club btw) to win the CL rather than Ireland to win the World Cup is ludicrous and something I will never understand.

That's the mentality of the majority of Irish football supporters though, get used to it.;)


For me, it's club all the way, I have very little interest in that team that is known as our international team. Shels to win a match ahead of Ireland winning the WC tbh.

JPA

liamygunner29 wrote: »

Obviously you would have to say Ireland winning the World cup but in reality thats never going to happen, and success would be qualifying and subsequently maybe a giant killing and qualification to the knock outs.

Well it's fine for you to say that as it's really quite realistic, but it has to be about winning something.
I'd rather my team (Villa) win the league than see Ireland in the final of the WC and lose. But if they won it then it would be different.

JPA

Gavin shels wrote: »

That's the mentality of the majority of Irish football supporters though, get used to it.;)


For me, it's club all the way, I have very little interest in that team that is known as our international team. Shels to win a match ahead of Ireland winning the WC tbh.

:eek: That's mental IMO.

_blank_

Seeing as the Irish national team doesn't represent me, there is only one possible answer to this.

I have never, ever felt the same emotion about Ireland as I have about Shels. I have shed tears of joy and despair for Shels, never once have I felt like that about Ireland.

I'd prefer to see Shels beat a non-league team in the first round of the League Cup than Ireland beat Brazil in a 5-4 thriller in the world cup final.

Warper

Imagine Ireland going on to win the WC though. It would be amazing - the World Cup is still the most exciting and prestigious competition in the world. The entire world stops and watches it - it is everywhere. To have your country in it only heightens the excitement. To have your country win it, well the craic would be mighty.:eek: We can all get behind our country whereas only a portion of the population celebrate a club win. Trust me if we won it, you would change your mind about rathering your club winning the CL.

wexican

Definitely Ireland doing well would mean more to me.

I would dearly love to see Leeds win their way back to the Premier League, and without a shadow of a doubt I'd be crying with happiness if we managed it. But Ireland is where I was born, where I live and whom I have a closer affinity to.

Warper

Des wrote: »

Seeing as the Irish national team doesn't represent me, there is only one possible answer to this.

I have never, ever felt the same emotion about Ireland as I have about Shels. I have shed tears of joy and despair for Shels, never once have I felt like that about Ireland.

I'd prefer to see Shels beat a non-league team in the first round of the League Cup than Ireland beat Brazil in a 5-4 thriller in the world cup final.

.............

_blank_

Warper wrote: »

well the craic would be mighty.

exactly.

The "craic".

tools in leprechaun hats, inflatable bananas and half-and-half shirts.

People with no clue about football going on and on about it, as if they are experts.

Frankly, you can keep it.

Mr Alan

Des wrote: »

I'd prefer to see Shels beat a non-league team in the first round of the League Cup than Ireland beat Brazil in a 5-4 thriller in the world cup final.

i appreciate the sentiment, and agree with it. but we both know the above is a lie!

Benedict XVI

I can never understand how people put a 'foreign' club before their country

I think it quiet obvious that someone who is an avid supporter of their LOI club would prefer to see them win a title before Ireland 'advance to or at a major tournament' .
The same way Manchester Man Utd fans prefer Utd over England.

I do not follow local, LOI or a 'Foreign' club but so the only soccer team I could have any passion for wining anything is the team from my country 'Republic of Ireland'

Gavin "shels"

JPA wrote: »

:eek: That's mental IMO.

It's called passion my friend, Shels are up there 3rd in line after Family and Friends. Sad it may seem, but my life basically revoles around Shels.

Des wrote: »

Seeing as the Irish national team doesn't represent me, there is only one possible answer to this.

I have never, ever felt the same emotion about Ireland as I have about Shels. I have shed tears of joy and despair for Shels, never once have I felt like that about Ireland.

I'd prefer to see Shels beat a non-league team in the first round of the League Cup than Ireland beat Brazil in a 5-4 thriller in the world cup final.

+1

AthAnRi

I would much prefer to see Ireland win the world cup or even qualify. I've been to many a Man Utd match and it doesn't come close to the craic of an Away Ireland match.

_blank_

Mr Alan wrote: »

i appreciate the sentiment, and agree with it. but we both know the above is a lie!

No it isn't.

I don't even watch the Irish national team any more.

I have absolutely no passion for them.

International football holds no attraction to me, especially not the world cup.

Gavin "shels"

*pictures wouldn't work*

Deedsie

Ireland every time. Couldnt care less about the EPL. Its boringly predictable. Only a couple of teams could win it.

stovelid

This topic comes up a fair bit, and while parts of the hypocritical Irish support (and their lectures about 'loyalty' - wtf?) do my head in, I still go and watch the national team and support them.

That said, I'm old enough to well remember 1990 as a football supporter, and Ireland progressing in a major tournament means an unleashing of imbecility, bandwagon activity and with-us-or-not-with us public rage about 'dissent' (cf: Dunphy in 1990) which really puts you off too.

I would rather my club won a domestic cup than the national team to win the World Cup, and I mean that.

Xavi6

Older thread and poll here

And my stance is still the same.

For me it boils down to this -

If City don't win a trophy in my lifetime I'll be devastated but if Ireland don't win one it'll be "Ah well sure".


(Shels have won plenty so that's why I've excluded them)

Warper

Des wrote: »

exactly.

The "craic".

tools in leprechaun hats, inflatable bananas and half-and-half shirts.

People with no clue about football going on and on about it, as if they are experts.

Frankly, you can keep it.

That sounds like great craic. I love those inflatable bananas. Ole Ole Ole Ole.

stovelid

Warper wrote: »

I love those inflatable bananas.

Them hammer ones are the best, but.

Zebra3

Reds first, second, and third for me.

While I've no time for people who go to football matches in fancy dress like a lot of the clowns that go watch our national team, there is benefits to the game across the whole country if Ireland were to win (or even do well again) in a major tournie.

The upturn in numbers playing the game in Gah strongholds post-1990 is proof of that. Also it would bring a financial windfall for the FAI which would see some improvement in LoI stadia.

Hopefully any success for Ireland comes after Delaney has been gotten rid off though.

_blank_

Zebra3 wrote: »

Also it would bring a financial windfall for the FAI which would see some improvement in LoI stadia.

Are you taking the piss?

Zebra3 wrote: »

Hopefully any success for Ireland comes after Delaney has been gotten rid off though.

agreed.

Seeing him taking plaudits would absolutely sicken me.

stovelid

Zebra3 wrote: »

Also it would bring a financial windfall for the FAI which would see some improvement in LoI stadia.

Unfortunately the proceeds of a good World Cup next summer will probably just go into the hole they are not doubt digging for themselves with the new stadium.

CHD

Des wrote: »

People with no clue about football going on and on about it, as if they are experts.

Zebra3

Des wrote: »

Are you taking the piss?

Nope, Shels have received plenty of grants in the past from the FAI especially during the upgrading of Tolka Park during the early nineties. I'm no fan of the FAI, but it's a fact.

stovelid wrote: »

Unfortunately the proceeds of a good World Cup next summer will probably just go into the hole they are not doubt digging for themselves with the new stadium.

Well I know one club who got grant money towards a stadium in the past and spent it on players' wages. and no action was taken against that club by the FAI.

Wonder which club that was?

stovelid

Zebra3 wrote: »

Wonder which club that was?

Heard about them alright. Didn't the supporters fuck the board out in the end?

pwd

Supporting the national side is supporting a team that represents you, and is from your culture.
Supporting a club is a bit like being loyal to one brand of toilet paper instead of another. Supporting one can make it more fun to watch matches or follow a league, but they're just businesses at the end of the day.
Supporting a local club has some merit, but supporting a non-local club over country seems a bit delusional really. Unless you hate your country I suppose.

Zebra3

stovelid wrote: »

Heard about them alright. Didn't the supporters fuck the board out in the end?

No. Despite what their fans think that's not what happened. It was a judge that decided that.

Anyway, if my memory serves me correctly it was actually the board before the one that had control of the club taken off it by a judge.

jethro081

pwd wrote: »

Supporting the national side is supporting a team that represents you, and is from your culture.
Supporting a club is a bit like being loyal to one brand of toilet paper instead of another. Supporting one can make it more fun to watch matches or follow a league, but they're just businesses at the end of the day.
Supporting a local club has some merit, but supporting a non-local club over country seems a bit delusional really. Unless you hate your country I suppose.

thats just not true imo. The Irish national team in no way represents me and the idea that they are from my culture when some of them had never spent a night in Ireland prior to declaring for Ireland is frankly ridiculous. Players like clinton morrison who had never heard of the Gaa before 2002. say what you like about the GAA but i think you'd have to look long and hard to find an Irishman who was in touch with his cultural background who hadn't heard of it.

I have no alliegance to tha national team and even though i follow their fortunes i just cant bring myself to get excited about them at all. maybe if they won something then i'd change my tune and jump on the bandwagon (i seriously doubt this) but for me Club over country all the way.

CHD

jethro081 wrote: »

thats just not true imo. The Irish national team in no way represents me and the idea that they are from my culture when some of them had never spent a night in Ireland prior to declaring for Ireland is frankly ridiculous. Players like clinton morrison who had never heard of the Gaa before 2002. say what you like about the GAA but i think you'd have to look long and hard to find an Irishman who was in touch with his cultural background who hadn't heard of it.

I have no alliegance to tha national team and even though i follow their fortunes i just cant bring myself to get excited about them at all. maybe if they won something then i'd change my tune and jump on the bandwagon (i seriously doubt this) but for me Club over country all the way.

Can you confirm if you are Irish?

stovelid

Zebra3 wrote: »

No. Despite what their fans think that's not what happened. It was a judge that decided that.

Anyway, if my memory serves me correctly it was actually the board before the one that had control of the club taken off it by a judge.

You omitted the bit of only 4% of the debts.

In the statistically remote event of most of the people in here chatting about club versus country being bothered, that is.

IRISHSPORTSGUY

Country over club (Sunderland) for me. English people would probably feel different though as they live near their favourite clubs and their top football players are far more overpaid nancyboys then ours.

Small country mentality as well etc.

Paparazzo

Gavin shels wrote: »

That's the mentality of the majority of Irish football supporters though, get used to it.;)


For me, it's club all the way, I have very little interest in that team that is known as our international team. Shels to win a match ahead of Ireland winning the WC tbh.

I'm a shels fan too, but that's going a bit too far! There's a lot of eejits at ireland games, but the same goes for every club/team. Look at all the bangwagon jumpers that have stopped going to shels games? Are we left with hardcore football experts? Far from it. The group of idiot shels fans I sat beside in the home stand were worse than any irish fan i've heard. Think they were related to anto flood, they commented badly on everything he did.
Going to meanless ireland friendlies can grind down the moast loyal fan though. I wish everyone boycotted the next one.

Des wrote: »

Seeing him taking plaudits would absolutely sicken me.

+100

joe123

The World cup is the most important tournament in my eyes so Country.

pablomakaveli

I've lost interest in the Irish team over the last few years. Mainly due to the Staunton era. The only time ive looked forward to seeing an Irish match in the last 3-4 years was when i knew Joe Gamble would be playing in that US tour a couple of years ago.

I'd be much more excited about Cork City winning a match than Ireland winning one.

gustavo

IRISHSPORTSGUY wrote: »

Country over club (Sunderland) for me. English people would probably feel different though as they live near their favourite clubs and their top football players are far more overpaid nancyboys then ours.

Small country mentality as well etc.

English people would feel the same as those Irish people who do like they do and support teams from their own country so they're not different at all .

Gelio

I really want to say country but I struggle to watch a full Irish match without falling asleep

Pro. F

Country is more important for me. If i supported an loi club it might be different.

I don't have any real complaints about non-serious football fans getting behind the national team at big tournaments. Sure it can be tedious when they try to engage you in talk about the football but it doesn't get to me that much. And i don't think that i have any divine right to support the team that they don't have because they don't know that much about football.

All the criticism of what people choose to wear when they are supporting the national team is just a ridiculous snobbery imo. I think international tournaments are great , with people from all over the world sharing great football and having fun as well. Personally i don't see any problems with that.

Helix

club, i simply dont like the international game

apoch632

Club every time - Manchester United (My mam is from Manchester (well Salford) so they aren't really "foreign" to me)

The only thing I hope for when an international tournament is on is that A: No United players come back injured B: No united player is being "blamed" for England's inevitable exit.

I can't turn around tomorrow and dislike Wayne Rooney and like Robbie Keane just like that. The way some Irish football fans have this schizophrenic attitude towards players from their club I will never understand

wandatowell

Nearly all International football is utter rubbish but i would have a passing interest in the World Cup. Cant stand watching Ireland play.
Club football all the way for me.

GLaDOS

The main difference for is, if Ireland lose I'm slightly annoyed

If Bohs lose I'm fairly depressed

Sure it would be awesome if Ireland won something, I'd be quite happy to jump on the Bandwagon on that one. I do follow Ireland but I wouldn't make an extra special effort to get to see them on tv and I've never been to an Ireland match.

Gavin "shels"

Paparazzo wrote: »

I'm a shels fan too, but that's going a bit too far! There's a lot of eejits at ireland games, but the same goes for every club/team. Look at all the bangwagon jumpers that have stopped going to shels games? Are we left with hardcore football experts? Far from it. The group of idiot shels fans I sat beside in the home stand were worse than any irish fan i've heard. Think they were related to anto flood, they commented badly on everything he did.
Going to meanless ireland friendlies can grind down the moast loyal fan though. I wish everyone boycotted the next one.

I don't care about the group of idiot Shels fans tbh, I don't care who supports Shels, all I know is I do, they're in my blood and they mean alot to me that's why I travel around the country for meaningless friendlies against Letterkenny, that's why I help out as much as I can around the club, that's why I hold a season ticket, that's why Shels mean a billion times more to me that "our" international team. God forbid, but if Shels ever went out of existence I'd feel like I've lost part of myself and my identity.

Kev_ps3

eh Ireland every time. If you asked me whether I would like Man Utd to win every cup this year or see Ireland qualify for the World Cup then I'd choose Ireland every day of the week.

jethro081

CHD wrote: »

Can you confirm if you are Irish?

i am.

noodler

Ireland to qualify for the WC.

Theres nothing else like it. 2002 - best summer ever.

Gavin "shels"

For now on can people post which club they support aswell, generally I think the majority of LoI fans have their clubs first and then the foriegners have Ireland first, 9 times out of 10.