Atmosphere At Ireland Home Games

The Volt

Sitting here switching between the international games and I can't help but notice how much noise the Northen Irish and Scottish fans make at their home games. I for one find the whole Croke Park experience to be somewhat an anti-climax, maybe it's a mixture of what happens on the pitch, ticket prices etc but having been to all of our home qualifiers so far I just feel like the atmosphere is terrible.

Does anyone agree? Furthermore is there anything that can be done to improve this?

ANTIFA!

I was gonna say Irish people don't know how to support teams(look at the Liverpool 'fans' who hardly made a sound when Bohs played them in a friendly here) but Northern Irish people hardly support their teams either.

With the North it can be explained because Windsor Park is so compact as well as them taking on the underdog tag which creates a really intimate intense atmosphere.

keano_afc

I go to every home game and most of the time the atmosphere is terrible. I've no idea how they can spice it up. Half time paintball with Stan and John Delaney as the targets?

SantryRed

For people at Irish home games it's probably only one of five games they'll be at all year. Give them a break.

Tom65

Maybe it's my rose-tinted glasses, but I remember the atmosphere at Lansdowne Road being as good as either of the matches you mentioned. Not every match, obviously, but it was there for the important matches. I think the fact the pitch at Croker is further away from the stand takes a lot from the atmosphere.

The Volt

The whole Wolfetones thing before games is terrible too. Maybe it's too far gone but perhaps an organized section of fans who could work on trying to get everyone involved would work but they'd all need to be sectioned together. For this to happen the ticket prices would have to come down as well as having an unreserved section for fans to be allowed to stand for the entire game should they wish to do so, no chance though

ANTIFA!

At Lansdowne didn't they have all LOI fans behind the goal at the railway end?

They already have a standing section, I went to the match against Georgia and it was fairly good but then for the Bulgaria game it wasn't as good for me as I was meant to be in the 'singing section' but a group a few rows back complained and we had to sit.

Pighead

Tom65 wrote: »

Maybe it's my rose-tinted glasses, but I remember the atmosphere at Lansdowne Road being as good as either of the matches you mentioned. Not every match, obviously, but it was there for the important matches. I think the fact the pitch at Croker is further away from the stand takes a lot from the atmosphere.

I don't really buy that whole "pitch is further from the stand theory. I've been in Croker for plenty of GAA matches where the atmosphere has been top notch.

The move to Croke Park coincided with a downturn in the Irish teams fortunes. We've been pretty shite for the past two years and there hasn't really been much to cheer about in fairness. Next months game with Italy is a genuine big time game and a guaranteed sell out. Pretty sure the atmosphere will be electric that night.

Fuhrer

Pighead wrote: »

I don't really buy that whole "pitch is further from the stand theory. I've been in Croker for plenty of GAA matches where the atmosphere has been top notch.

The GAA pitch is much bigger Pighead

*Slaps*


Bad Pighead

Pighead

Fuhrer wrote: »

The GAA pitch is much bigger Pighead

*Slaps*


Bad Pighead

Decent enough point I suppose. Not great, but decent. Anyway my point still stands. If you have 80 odd thousand people in a stadium they should be able to create an atmosphere regardless of the fact they aren't breathing down the players necks at the side of the pitch.
There will be atmosphere for the Italy match.

_blank_

Pighead wrote: »

I don't really buy that whole "pitch is further from the stand theory. I've been in Croker for plenty of GAA matches where the atmosphere has been top notch.

when tf have Louth been in Croke Park recently?

Fuhrer

Pighead wrote: »

Decent enough point I suppose. Not great, but decent. Anyway my point still stands. If you have 80 odd thousand people in a stadium they should be able to create an atmosphere regardless of the fact they aren't breathing down the players necks at the side of the pitch.
There will be atmosphere for the Italy match.

Its hard to get into a game when you know the kinda of area your car is parked in and thats its probably getting broken in to.

Pighead

Des wrote: »

when tf have Louth been in Croke Park recently?

Pighead has Monaghan connections as well.

Latchy

Dalymount park in it's heyday used to be famous for it's 'Roar ' as the supporters like for example at Anfield , were quite close to the pitch .There is no doubting the crowd noise in a home game can and does affect players performance but perhaps early expectations over the years by Irish fans causes them to clam up and become shy .It's not every week or month that their are high profiles games , either at league or internationl level in Ireland so their is no real culture of vocal support ( GAA games aside ) at soccer matches ,as there is in other countries .But it only takes a dozen or more people to get one up and running .

ANTIFA!

There is a culture of vocal support much better than in England or Spain but its from a minority of people here.

parker kent

The last game in Lansdowne Road against the Czech Republic had a great atmosphere. That was a "proper" big game so I think that is what makes the difference. The combination of nothing really important to shout for with the fickleness of the average Irish sports fan (the rugby team at the world cup or Kerry fans over the summer are 2 examples) makes the Croke Park atmospheres a bit eery.

Latchy

I suppose Inhibitions /self conciousness can stop some people from ' letting go ' which is why every English club will have a hard core group of fans between 50, 100 who's job is to crank up the atmosphere at game although some fans dont need much to get them shouting , singing roaring at games .

iregk

Someone said earlier that irish fans don't know how to cheer. Ridiculous point. I'll take you to a Rovers game and you will see an atmosphere. Its not a croker thing. Lansdowne Road was a shocking place for atmosphere. In recent years its been like a hoover has sucked the life out of the place. Personally I blame the economic boom. Yes I know sounds ridiculous but stay with it.

Back in the 80's and 90's lansdowne had a cracking athmosphere as did Dalymount. The height of this was 90-94. The good times allowed us to forget the recession and brush it off and enjoy ourselves again. But then Irish people were a level headed vocal bunch not oversed to singing a song down the local after a few black ones. Cut 10 years later to the good times and Ireland turned into a country of Ross O'Carroll Kelly wanna bes and women with orange skin. Gone was the pint of plain and in was the blue WKD or orange mocha frappacino. Most peoples heads went up their own arses and the hightened sense of self worth took over. I realised this whilst standing in the south terrace at an Ireland match surrounded by suits who looked over in disgust at 3 of us who were actually singing. The shock!

As the recession takes over something magical is happening. Ireland is seeing the error of its ways and Irish people are returing to their roots. No I don't need to change the perfectly good ford focus for a BMW that I can't afford just to show off to everyone and sure whats wrong with Guinness? I don't need to be stylish anymore, I can be happy. The new lansdowne road will roar once again as long as we want it to.

Paparazzo

For the quality of football on show, we must have the most expensive tickets in the world!
Quality of football is key. The crowd react to it. A few shots and a bit of attacking pressure and the crowd at croker are great. But that's just too rare these days, we can easily go 30 minutes without anything happening.
There's still the LoI section in the canal end, but doesn't seem to be too big. Why would a cork fan travel all the way up to dublin midweek for a friendly against Poland that's costing him €50 for the ticket alone? And if he doesn't go, he won't get a ticket for the next qualfying game? I'd just give up. It's bad enough living in Dublin and doing that. If the ticket prices were halfed they'd still be too expensive.
But having said that, I think there'll be good atmosphere at the next 2 games. Italy is a late kick off on saturday, so everyone will be locked. And last qualfier is always good as long as we at least have a play off.

everdead.ie

The problem with croak park is that it's so big there aren't enough hardcore fans to create such an atmosphere especially when a lot of people can't afford to pay crazy ticket prices so you end up with a lot of supporters who maybe aren't as vocal thats why with the new revamped 'aviva stadium' it should help that everyone is packed in and there aren't as many seats.

I explained that really badly but i hope i got my point across.

CHD

Wat

Atmosphere is fine at games. Lansdowne is great and always will be for ''big games''.

Paparazzo

CHD wrote: »

Wat

Atmosphere is fine at games. Lansdowne is great and always will be for ''big games''.

That's the problem with football. There's only 1 big game for us every 2 years. So, who wants to pay €32 grand for a 10 year ticket?

cournioni

iregk wrote: »

Someone said earlier that irish fans don't know how to cheer. Ridiculous point. I'll take you to a Rovers game and you will see an atmosphere. Its not a croker thing. Lansdowne Road was a shocking place for atmosphere. In recent years its been like a hoover has sucked the life out of the place. Personally I blame the economic boom. Yes I know sounds ridiculous but stay with it.

Back in the 80's and 90's lansdowne had a cracking athmosphere as did Dalymount. The height of this was 90-94. The good times allowed us to forget the recession and brush it off and enjoy ourselves again. But then Irish people were a level headed vocal bunch not oversed to singing a song down the local after a few black ones. Cut 10 years later to the good times and Ireland turned into a country of Ross O'Carroll Kelly wanna bes and women with orange skin. Gone was the pint of plain and in was the blue WKD or orange mocha frappacino. Most peoples heads went up their own arses and the hightened sense of self worth took over. I realised this whilst standing in the south terrace at an Ireland match surrounded by suits who looked over in disgust at 3 of us who were actually singing. The shock!

As the recession takes over something magical is happening. Ireland is seeing the error of its ways and Irish people are returing to their roots. No I don't need to change the perfectly good ford focus for a BMW that I can't afford just to show off to everyone and sure whats wrong with Guinness? I don't need to be stylish anymore, I can be happy. The new lansdowne road will roar once again as long as we want it to.

I totally agree, if you lower the prices to let the proper fans in you will get a good atmosphere. As someone rightly pointed out before, the so called middle classes in Ireland are event junkies and they get the tickets that the average Joe can't afford or doesn't want to spend money on. These RO'C-K types are uptight tossers and are afraid to lose face by belting out any songs at matches.

Another thing is, we have hardly any songs. What do we have? Fields of Athenry, Come on you Boys in Green, Ole Ole (yawn), Stand up for the boys in Green (yawn)? You can hardly get any songs going in the pub beforehand if that is all you have to work with...

Gavin "shels"

PORNAPSTER wrote: »

Another thing is, we have hardly any songs. What do we have? Fields of Athenry, Come on you Boys in Green, Ole Ole (yawn), Stand up for the boys in Green (yawn)? You can hardly get any songs going in the pub beforehand if that is all you have to work with...

Could possibly start getting "United, United, United" going and then get all the Liverpools or Celtics going with "You'll Never Walk Alone".:pac:

cournioni

Gavin shels wrote: »

Could possibly start getting "United, United, United" going and then get all the Liverpools or Celtics going with "You'll Never Walk Alone".:pac:

Just as relevant as "We are Shels", "B-O-H-S" etc.. :pac:

Gavin "shels"

PORNAPSTER wrote: »

Just as relevant as "We are Shels", "B-O-H-S" etc.. :pac:

For Irish clubs though!:pac: And well I know Shels songs aren't oversung and usually.

I'd say atmosphere will get worse could the new Lansdowne, very high roof, and just general modern"ness".

Benedict XVI

Gavin shels wrote: »

Could possibly start getting "United, United, United" going and then get all the Liverpools or Celtics going with "You'll Never Walk Alone".:pac:

They tried that, back in the Fran Rooney era.

In some games (against Georgia or Albania I think) they brought some goon over from Celtic to get the crowed revved up, pretty pathetic really

ANTIFA!

lol no way.

Benedict XVI

PORNAPSTER wrote: »

I totally agree, if you lower the prices to let the proper fans in you will get a good atmosphere.

Well if you want the proper fans to generate a good atmosphere they play the games in a 15K odd capacity stadium.

That should be plenty of space for the 13k odd 'proper fans' that showed up in Limerick a few days ago plus a few corporates and event junkies

cournioni

Benedict XVI wrote: »

Well if you want the proper fans to generate a good atmosphere they play the games in a 15K odd capacity stadium.

That should be plenty of space for the 13k odd 'proper fans' that showed up in Limerick a few days ago plus a few corporates and event junkies

If that was the only reason why the atmosphere is **** at Ireland games then tell me why the Scots can create a good atmosphere at Hampden Park, the Turks in Istanbul etc.?

super_furry

I'm a Rovers season ticket holder but I can't remember the last Ireland game I was at, and at €70 a ticket, it'll be a long, long time before I'm at another one. I think the main problem is that regular match goers don't go to Ireland games and those that do go pretty much only go to Ireland games and don't know any different.

The LoI section was a step in the right direction in terms of atmosphere, but with ticket prices that high, it'll always be a crap atmosphere.

Gavin "shels"

super_furry wrote: »

I'm a Rovers season ticket holder but I can't remember the last Ireland game I was at, and at €70 a ticket, it'll be a long, long time before I'm at another one. I think the main problem is that regular match goers don't go to Ireland games and those that do go pretty much only go to Ireland games and don't know any different.

The LoI section was a step in the right direction in terms of atmosphere, but with ticket prices that high, it'll always be a crap atmosphere.

Nail on the noggin.

eirebhoy

Have a look at the lower Davin stand for a thousand or so people singing non stop at the next Ireland match.

Gavin "shels"

eirebhoy wrote: »

Have a look at the lower Davin stand for a thousand or so people singing non stop at the next Ireland match.

You mean the 15 or so hired drummers, etc... Last Ireland match I was at I was in the lower Davin Stand and well apart from "Fields of Athenry " and "Ole, Ole, Ole" there wasn't much of an atmosphere.

ANTIFA!

Ah I was there for the Ireland vs Georgia game and the atmosphere was good. You're never gonna have it like the briogáid Dearg(;)) or other LOI grounds(having said that dalymount has been bit of a library recently) but it was good.

Bubs101

ANTIFA! wrote: »

Ah I was there for the Ireland vs Georgia game and the atmosphere was good. You're never gonna have it like the briogáid Dearg(;)) or other LOI grounds(having said that dalymount has been bit of a library recently) but it was good.

All this nonsense about LOI crowds being great. Wasn't there a pig's head tossed onto the pitch or something a few years back in a Boh's match? Try that ****e against Israel and we'd be banned

Töpher

*facepalm*

super_furry

Bubs101 wrote: »

All this nonsense about LOI crowds being great. Wasn't there a pig's head tossed onto the pitch or something a few years back in a Boh's match? Try that ****e against Israel and we'd be banned

Yeah, you'd never see that at the likes of a Real Madrid match.

ANTIFA!

Bubs101 wrote: »

All this nonsense about LOI crowds being great. Wasn't there a pig's head tossed onto the pitch or something a few years back in a Boh's match? Try that ****e against Israel and we'd be banned

oh dear.

A_Fitz

Bubs101 wrote: »

Try that ****e against Israel and we'd be banned

**** that, just lynch one of the big-nosed ****ers instead!



Atmosphere at home games, in general, is ****ing dire, and the majority of the fans should be ashamed of themselves. Too many women/kid/suits at football games these days, most of the hardcore fans must stay in the pub or something. We really do 'only sing when we're winning'

eirebhoy

Gavin shels wrote: »

You mean the 15 or so hired drummers, etc... Last Ireland match I was at I was in the lower Davin Stand and well apart from "Fields of Athenry " and "Ole, Ole, Ole" there wasn't much of an atmosphere.

Not the drummers. Behind them. The only section in the stadium that stands and sings for the 90 minutes. I was in the middle of it at the Georgia match and to be honest you can't even hear the drummers. All they're told to do now is try to join in with any songs that are being sang in this section. Barely 30 seconds goes by without a song. I couldn't make the Bulgaria match but I could hear the singing constantly throughout the match on TV.

Anyway, keep an ear out for it against Italy. Should be brilliant. I'd recommend anyone to just give the FAI an email and join the section. It's very surprising how loud it is in that section considering people across the other side of the stadium can hardly hear it. I guess that's Croker for you.

Gavin "shels"

eirebhoy wrote: »

Anyway, keep an ear out for it against Italy. Should be brilliant.

I'll be moreso keeping an ear out for the Italians, flares galore on there part I'll say, probably even more trouble than when the Polish lit up the flares a few months back at a friendly.:D

_blank_

who's the blonde chick?

carlop

Gavin shels wrote: »

I'll be moreso keeping an ear out for the Italians, flares galore on there part I'll say, probably even more trouble than when the Polish lit up the flares a few months back at a friendly.:D

The Italian national team doesn't really have that kind of ultras following and I'd say most of the Italians at the match will be those who live here.

There have been exceptions to this recently though, a group of Italian fascists went to the away match in Bulgaria and set fire to a Bulgarian flag in the stadium.

Gavin "shels"

carlop wrote: »

The Italian national team doesn't really have that kind of ultras following and I'd say most of the Italians at the match will be those who live here.

There have been exceptions to this recently though, a group of Italian fascists went to the away match in Bulgaria and set fire to a Bulgarian flag in the stadium.

I'm aware of that, but they'll do something I'd say, be it a few flares or a bit of a card display like what Poland did.