What it means to be a LOI fan.

invincibleirish

pablomakaveli wrote: »

I've lost count of how many times people have looked at my like i've two heads when people ask me what team i support and i answer Cork City. And thats ampified when they ask "Well what english team do you support?" and i say "None".

I've also had a lot of people say "Cork City are ****" or "why would you support a crap team?". The derision is there believe me.

Also when i ask these people have they ever watched a LOI match the answer is more often than not a No.

Yup this, i love the Villa but frequent the cross & st. Colmans from time to time but mostly on my own. i've tried in vain for a long time to get my chums to come along but to a man they refuse. This might be because they have better things to do on a Friday night which is fair enough but the LoI and going to games just don't figure in most young Irish mens minds. I think if the EPL disappeared off the face of the earth tomorrow attendences in the LoI wouldn't change.

Don't support the league as a whole either, and specially not anything Shamrock rovers related.

stovelid

ShooterSF wrote: »

A club's geographical location has nothing to do with the feelings one has for it especially in today's modern era where I can watch practically all their matches from home..

Not having a go, but do you support Ireland?

Foxx92

stovelid wrote: »

Not having a go, but do you support Ireland?

Just to add something similar to this: I recently had a converstaion with somebody who is into most sports and is an avid Man U fan.

Who do you support in rugby?Connacht and Ireland
In Gaelic?Galway and (local gaa club)
In Hurling? " " " " " "
In Soccer? Man U and Ireland.

The last answer is the main line. He lives within 20 minutes of the stadiums of all the teams except one. Geography does have a role to play.

OPENROAD

ShooterSF wrote: »

Could you expand on why you think that though?The best line in that article was " Logic doesn't apply when you're talking about love. A man in love has no choice." I love Manchester United. Watching them win (like yesterday) has me jumping around the room like an idiot and watching them lose like against barca had me near tears.
How is it any different than say if I supported Dundalk (close enough to Navan). Other than I was born closer to their football pitch? It would still be silly for my to feel like I achieved anything because a group of other people who play their football on a pitch near me win a match. A club's geographical location has nothing to do with the feelings one has for it especially in today's modern era where I can watch practically all their matches from home..

+1

Eirebear

Sunset V wrote: »

That's not true at all. LoI fans, as a whole, enjoy seeing LoI teams do well, with the exception of Bohs, I think a huge amount of people are delighted to see Rovers back as a force in Ireland. Huge numbers got behind Pats in their UEFA cup run last year and this year, similarly with Bohs this year and when Shelbourne came so close to Champions League football.

I think there is a great sense of camaraderie among LoI fans, we support our team, naturally, but also like to see other teams, and the league as whole, do well also.

I do agree with some people who say that LoI fans have a chip on their shoulder but you also have to see their side of the argument too. The rich cousin gets richer and richer, more TV coverage, attendances staying strong while here it's a bleak future. When you love the LoI you love it with a passion and want it to succeed, not just your own team. I think that's what a LoI fan is to be honest.

I dont get it to be perfectly honest.

Supporting a scottish team leaves me with a lot of the same "rich cousin" problems as fans of League of ireland teams, and it is getting as bad, your every bit as likely to see a Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal top on a kid in scotland now as you are any of the SPL teams sadly.

When it comes down to defending scottish football, i will by all means extoll the virtues of clubs like Motherwell, Dundee Utd etc.
But as to wether they do well in europe or not...i cant say i really care, the only thing i want from them is to do well enough that it keeps the coefficient at a suitable level to make qualifying easier for Rangers.

Domestically they are my rivals, why should that suddenly change just because they are playing a team from Europe?

_blank_

Eirebear, in Dundee or Aberdeen or Alloa or Inverness, if a fella asked another fella who he supports, and the fella answered Dundee, Aberdeen, Alloa or Cally Thistle, would he get a look of disbelief, and a withering "What English team do you support"? And if he said "none", would he then get an "I wouldn't watch that SPL shíte" even though he'd never been to an SPL game in his life?

That's the experience of each and every LoI supporter in Ireland, ignorant arseholes with those responses. Fans of clubs from Ballybofey to Cork, from Dublin to Galway have all experienced this at one stage or another. And it kind of bonds us together.

We all know how it feels to be asked that question, we all know the "I want to punch the next idiot who says that to me" feeling. We can all see the looks of derision when a smart arse bastard is looking down his nose at us when a Rovers and a Shels fan are chatting about the league in the work canteen "What are you talking about that crap for :rolleyes:".

We all know how it feels, it's a shared experience we can all, to a man, relate to.

I'm a Shels fan first and foremost. But I also want to see this League grow and become more than a backwater that even it's own people don't want to be associated with.

Eirebear

Aye....but Shels are ****e...:p

Nah, i understand that point, i honestly do. As ive said, ive had to defend my support of an SPL team to Englishmen and Irishmen alike because "The SPL is pish".
Granted, not to scotsmen though.

However i simply cannot understand this idea of supporting the league as a whole, of course you want it to grow, it only serves Shel's well if it does.
But do you honestly in your heart of hearts care if Rovers, or Boh's win in europe?

_blank_

Eirebear wrote: »

But do you honestly in your heart of hearts care if Rovers, or Boh's win in europe?

In as much as you

the only thing i want from them is to do well enough that it keeps the coefficient at a suitable level to make qualifying easier for Rangers.

It's nice to see the Irish clubs currently competing to be keeping the co-efficient warm for when Shels are back there.

Quint

I'm a Shels fan, but ffs, support who you want! If it's finn harps or man-u, good luck to you. I also support Juventus. I support most LoI clubs in europe. Although if they get knocked out, I won't lose any sleep.
Although, I think if you support an English town/city it's a bit hypocritical to want england to get knocked out of the world cup.

pablomakaveli

Eirebear wrote: »

However i simply cannot understand this idea of supporting the league as a whole, of course you want it to grow, it only serves Shel's well if it does.
But do you honestly in your heart of hearts care if Rovers, or Boh's win in europe?

I definitely care. The co-efficient boost is always important as is the boost to the leagues reputation when a LOI team wins in europe.

It's also great to see an Irish team knock out a cocky foreign club like Pats did this season.

Quint

pablomakaveli wrote: »

It's also great to see an Irish team knock out a cocky foreign club like Pats did this season.

Derry against Gretna a few years ago was fantastic too.

DSB

ShooterSF wrote: »

Could you expand on why you think that though?
The best line in that article was " Logic doesn't apply when you're talking about love. A man in love has no choice." I love Manchester United. Watching them win (like yesterday) has me jumping around the room like an idiot and watching them lose like against barca had me near tears.
How is it any different than say if I supported Dundalk (close enough to Navan). Other than I was born closer to their football pitch? It would still be silly for my to feel like I achieved anything because a group of other people who play their football on a pitch near me win a match. A club's geographical location has nothing to do with the feelings one has for it especially in today's modern era where I can watch practically all their matches from home..

Well see I can expand on why I think that, but you've already informed me that you disagree with what would have been my counter argument. I'll do it, but I already know you're going to disagree, so we might be going down a slippery slope.

See in my world, geographical location means everything, and I'm going to use GAA as a reference point, if I went onto the GAA forum today, and told people I was a Kerry fan, or even not the full gloryhunting fan, maybe I said I was from Cork. Or Tyrone, theres a few good teams to choose from, like in the Premiership. If I was to go on there and say that I'd be laughed out of the forum, they'd probably assume I was a wum and ban me. Now I understand, in Dublin especially, that it might be that tiny bit harder to have that county pride, considering theres 5 football clubs to choose from and Sporting Fingal. But cmon nobody needs to be that pernickety. Also I'm sure not everyone has a LOI club in their county, but I don't understand why that should mean people shouldn't support their local club.

In England there is a pretty decent support for non-league clubs and my Football Manager playing exploits tell me that there are clubs in the Blue Square South and North who have higher attendances than some LOI Premier clubs. Obviously thats a culture thing, and I know people can give me a million reasons why the LOI is not worth supporting, but in the end in my opinion a fan is someone who supports their local club through thick and thin, whether its Manchester United or Tralee Dynamos. Supporting your chosen top Premiership side through thick and thin isn't really that tricky is it? Thin isn't really that thin like is it? Did your club not make the CL semifinals this year or something? Oh boohoo.

Eirebear

Des wrote: »

In as much as you



It's nice to see the Irish clubs currently competing to be keeping the co-efficient warm for when Shels are back there.

So, we're down to the nitty gritty really. You are just like me.

Its great if other clubs do well, as long as it benefits the club we support. We're football fans, tribal by nature.

This tribal nature means that we only care about our own, outwith that we will create alliances, and lend our support to those who might be good for us in the long term. But when it comes down to it we will want to see them finish behind us in everything.
I can understand this tribalism comes into play when the majority of your own people dont seem to even register the fact that you exist, giving cause to this LOI Fan malarkey. At the end of the day however, i dont believe there is any such thing.

You can only truly support 1 club, one team, one tribe.

stovelid

Eirebear wrote: »

However i simply cannot understand this idea of supporting the league as a whole, of course you want it to grow, it only serves Shel's well if it does.
But do you honestly in your heart of hearts care if Rovers, or Boh's win in europe?

Outside of the fact that we live in the same country, and some of us the same city. I think it's just common ground, as Des said, rather than loving other teams in the league.

Thing is, with other leagues like the SPL and the EPL, they're in good health. Our league is in bits. LOI supporters, whether for reasons of altruism and self-interest, have to take an interest in factors that other supporters take for granted.

It's like buying far more club merchandise (to help the club) than you need when supporters of other clubs can afford to buy knock-off ones. Or trying to persuade randomers to go to matches.

It's not a case of trying to be better than other people. Or be a real supporter. It's because you're afraid that, at worst, the club will go tits up; at best, that you can make your wages.

Can you imagine Rangers going kaput? There will probably always be a Rangers for your (hypothetical) kids, if they don't support the EPL.

That common feeling of despair, disgust, worry and resignation and you can't help but feel that you're in the same boat as other LOI supporters.

Add the contempt you sometimes sense from other supporters and it does breed a bit of an esprit de corps. How could it not?

_blank_

Eirebear wrote: »

You can only truly support 1 club, one team, one tribe.

You are right.

The Irish clubs doing well will benefit Shels if and when we get back to Europe, I don't deny it.

But we are all part of a bigger tribe with the same enemies. Whoever is against my enemy is my friend.

John Delaney, The FAI, ignorant people who look down their noses at the LoI, horrible club owners out to line their own pockets, the list goes on.

While inter-club rivalries are at the heart of any football league, we can also see the bigger picture here. We have a common direction too, and we know we have to pull together against our common enemies, it's the only way we'll overcome them. Or even feel like we are chipping away at them.

Put it this way. On a Friday evening I wouldn't be friends with a rival club fan, those ninety minutes, I want them to fail.

but on every other day of the week, they are the only other people who understand exactly what it means to be a supporter of a LoI club. They feel the same pain as I do, only they can truly understand what it means to support a team in this league.

I can see where the lads are coming from, even today I nicked a picture from Gav's sig for my own. F.T.A. Fúck Them All.

I stad against them and sing that on a Friday night, but I stand shoulder to shoulder with them when it comes to the bigger issues that affect us all the same.

The night Cork City were going to the wall I was texting my friends in Cork with supportive messages, people I've had pints with and bitched with about the failings we put up with, the same people I've had arguments with on Friday nights.

While we may not be a part of the same tribe, we are cousins.

The Sioux and the Comanches had their wars, but they stood together against the white man.

Mr Alan

Des wrote: »

The Sioux and the Comanches had their wars, but they stood together against the white man.

LOL you're some tulip!

_blank_

Mr Alan wrote: »

LOL you're some tulip!

The FAI can be described as nothing other than cowboys tbh.

Quint

Des wrote: »

The Sioux and the Comanches had their wars, but they stood together against the white man.

Fantastic!

stovelid

Des wrote: »

The Sioux and the Comanches

Was always a Sex Pistols man myself tbh.

Eirebear

Very elequantly put Des and Stove Lid.

I suppose i can't really understand as i support a team that happens to be one of two teams who are despised by everyone else in their own league.
Although that in itself creates a weird fractured brotherhood between us.

Personally i couldnt care less if ten out of the 12 teams in Scotland went bust (from a footballing point of view, i'd be gutted for my mates who support these teams).
But i would very much mourn the loss of Celtic if that was ever to happen.

Broxi_Bear_Eire

stovelid wrote: »

Outside of the fact that we live in the same country, and some of us the same city. I think it's just common ground, as Des said, rather than loving other teams in the league.

Thing is, with other leagues like the SPL and the EPL, they're in good health. Our league is in bits. LOI supporters, whether for reasons of altruism and self-interest, have to take an interest in factors that other supporters take for granted.

It's like buying far more club merchandise (to help the club) than you need when supporters of other clubs can afford to buy knock-off ones. Or trying to persuade randomers to go to matches.

It's not a case of trying to be better than other people. Or be a real supporter. It's because you're afraid that, at worst, the club will go tits up; at best, that you can make your wages.

Can you imagine Rangers going kaput? There will probably always be a Rangers for your (hypothetical) kids, if they don't support the EPL.

That common feeling of despair, disgust, worry and resignation and you can't help but feel that you're in the same boat as other LOI supporters.

Add the contempt you sometimes sense from other supporters and it does breed a bit of an esprit de corps. How could it not?

I can assure you the SPL is not in good health
As for his Hypothetical kids I think I did a fairly good job with him and my other two boys considering where I am from no Celtic fans or fans of an EPL club amongst them I think they will do as good a job if at any time they have kids

To be honest I have a lot of respect for LOI fans but I must admit I get fed up being told that because I follow an SPL side I am not a real fan

Tusky

DSB wrote: »

Well yes, there are real fans who support Liverpool, and Manchester United, but these people are from or reside in these areas. There are no real Liverpool fans from Ireland, living in Ireland. Absolutely none. Thats not to say they shouldn't enjoy the higher standard of football or anything. I'm not trying to tell people what to do with their time. Sorry in advance for the hullabaloo and offence some people will take to such a statement.

What if someone lives in Liverpool and watches all of Liverpools games on television...maybe going to one or two games a year. Are they a real fan ? Are they more of a fan than an Irish person who goes to 10 games a year, at much greater cost financially and in regards to time ? What is a fan anyway ?

Definition : an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime

The club is owned by Americans, managed by a Spaniard and consists of players from all over the globe. Theres are more Spanish coaching staff than English. So whats the problem with having a few Irish fans ? We are, after all, geographically as close to Liverpool as you can get without entering the country.

Regretfully, I wasn't exposed to Irish football as a kid. I wish I was. And I wish I felt something for a Dublin team, but I just dont. Ive gone to many games and I dont enjoy them...not just because the standard is low, but mainly because I dont care about the result. You cant just start caring out of the blue. If and when I have kids however, I will try bring them to League or Ireland games when they are young, to encourage an interest.

DSB

Tusky wrote: »

What if someone lives in Liverpool and watches all of Liverpools games on television...maybe going to one or two games a year. Are they a real fan ? Are they more of a fan than an Irish person who goes to 10 games a year, at much greater cost financially and in regards to time ?

No they aren't. And I don't think there is a such thing as being more of a fan, you just are one or you aren't. In the same way that a Liverpudlian couldn't become more Irish than you if he donned a leprechaun suit and ran around proclaiming how Irish he was. Not everything has to be measured by how much of something you are, sometimes its as simple as you are or you aren't.

ANTIFA!

Tusky wrote: »

What if someone lives in Liverpool and watches all of Liverpools games on television...maybe going to one or two games a year. Are they a real fan ? Are they more of a fan than an Irish person who goes to 10 games a year, at much greater cost financially and in regards to time ? What is a fan anyway ?

Definition : an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime

The club is owned by Americans, managed by a Spaniard and consists of players from all over the globe. Theres are more Spanish coaching staff than English. So whats the problem with having a few Irish fans ? We are, after all, geographically as close to Liverpool as you can get without entering the country.

Regretfully, I wasn't exposed to Irish football as a kid. I wish I was. And I wish I felt something for a Dublin team, but I just dont. Ive gone to many games and I dont enjoy them...not just because the standard is low, but mainly because I dont care about the result. You cant just start caring out of the blue. If and when I have kids however, I will try bring them to League or Ireland games when they are young, to encourage an interest.

Good post. Unfortunately LOI clubs for a lot of people are completely off the radar. Playing an English team once a season isn't going to get people back at games, this just creates the scenario where people see Irish clubs as yearly opponents for English teams.

The ammount of people that didn't even know a league existed here is quite astounding!!! How did that actually happen?

dor83

DSB wrote: »

See in my world, geographical location means everything

DSB wrote: »

Also I'm sure not everyone has a LOI club in their county, but I don't understand why that should mean people shouldn't support their local club.

DSB wrote: »

but in the end in my opinion a fan is someone who supports their local club through thick and thin, whether its Manchester United or Tralee Dynamos.

I live in Kells in Meath and have no LOI club in my area and the highest level would be amateur level, who am I supposed to support by your definition? or does your definition mean that I shouldn't support any professional football team?

DSB

dor83 wrote: »

I live in Kells in Meath and have no LOI club in my area and the highest level would be amateur level, who am I supposed to support by your definition? or does your definition mean that I shouldn't support any professional football team?

Well I don't really see a problem supporting Kells, I mean if it was GAA you'd have no problem doing it. But even still Shels, Drogheda, Bohs, Sporting Fingal. They're all alot closer than what Premiership club you support, or is live football not that important to you?

Again, my 'definition' doesn't say that you shouldn't support any professional football team, its saying that you don't.

Dub13

ANTIFA! wrote: »

The ammount of people that didn't even know a league existed here is quite astounding!!! How did that actually happen?

This is the case with me,I had been to maybe 4/5 Liverpool games before I even knew there was a LOI.And by that stage I was well hooked by the LFC bug.

I had zero exposure to a LOI club,some people on here seem to suggest that because I grew up maybe 5/6 miles from a LOI club that I should support them even if I did not even know they existed on till I was maybe 14/15.I am not going to all of a sudden start supporting a club I have no links two.

flahavaj

Des wrote: »

The Sioux and the Comanches had their wars, but they stood together against the white man.

Is it 'cos I is Black!?

dor83

DSB wrote: »

Well I don't really see a problem supporting Kells, I mean if it was GAA you'd have no problem doing it. But even still Shels, Drogheda, Bohs, Sporting Fingal. They're all alot closer than what Premiership club you support, or is live football not that important to you?

Again, my 'definition' doesn't say that you shouldn't support any professional football team, its saying that you don't.

The only club there that is in my local area are Kells teams and they are amateur teams but you said that someone can only be a real fan of their local team, so you are saying that someone from my area can not be a real fan of any professional club.

Live football is very important to me, I have attended football matches in every country I have been to including LOI games and going to see games in the womens U-17 World Cup while I was in NZ. This is because first and foremost I would say I am a football fan and would watch any live game I can afford to go to, but I would also say I am an Inter fan because they are the club I actually get emotional about. I just feel that for you to say that someone can only be a fan of a team from their local area is incorrect, imo a true fan is not defined so easily.

Anto McC

Des wrote: »

You are right.

The Irish clubs doing well will benefit Shels if and when we get back to Europe, I don't deny it.

But we are all part of a bigger tribe with the same enemies. Whoever is against my enemy is my friend.

John Delaney, The FAI, ignorant people who look down their noses at the LoI, horrible club owners out to line their own pockets, the list goes on.

While inter-club rivalries are at the heart of any football league, we can also see the bigger picture here. We have a common direction too, and we know we have to pull together against our common enemies, it's the only way we'll overcome them. Or even feel like we are chipping away at them.

Put it this way. On a Friday evening I wouldn't be friends with a rival club fan, those ninety minutes, I want them to fail.

but on every other day of the week, they are the only other people who understand exactly what it means to be a supporter of a LoI club. They feel the same pain as I do, only they can truly understand what it means to support a team in this league.

I can see where the lads are coming from, even today I nicked a picture from Gav's sig for my own. F.T.A. Fúck Them All.

I stad against them and sing that on a Friday night, but I stand shoulder to shoulder with them when it comes to the bigger issues that affect us all the same.

The night Cork City were going to the wall I was texting my friends in Cork with supportive messages, people I've had pints with and bitched with about the failings we put up with, the same people I've had arguments with on Friday nights.

While we may not be a part of the same tribe, we are cousins.

The Sioux and the Comanches had their wars, but they stood together against the white man.

I've known you a long time Des, you're a friend but my word i think thats a load of nonsense. Personally, I wouldn't have batted 2 eyelids if Cork had gone to the wall. I would have been upset if Bohs or Pats had done well in Europe. I see a bigger picture, i always have done but i don't like it anymore. I genuinely don't care if one club doing well in Europe will help Shels further down the line, to be honest i don't want their help. I feel no affinity with any other LOI fan anymore, no more than i would a Liverpool fan anyway.

I wrote an article recently for the RI fanzine and in it, i inserted a quote from a mutual friends of ours which was refering to Pats and Bohs Euorpean games, the quote was "a win for them (Pats and Bohs) is a win for the FAI and John Delany" and it's spot on too. Personally (paranoid and perverse as it is) i don't look at it as having a common enemy, i believe we are the common enemy.