Airtricity 11 vs Man. Utd - **MOD NOTE POST 457**

CSF

flahavaj wrote: »

Not really. Its not the name as much as the premise. You actually expected people to go to a game and cheer on a one off team thrown together for a meaningless friendly, on the basis that they somehow represent them in some way? A team and a game that a lot of ardent fans of the very same league think is a waste of time? Moreover you're surprised that United fans who don't give a sh*te about the league would go to the game and support their team?

Edit: Those photos are amazing, everyone should thank them and make them post of the day.

I never said I was surprised, just appalled.

Mr.Nice Guy

Funny country. There was a time when supporting the 'foreign games' like soccer meant you had no national pride. Nowadays if you're not supporting an Irish soccer club side you have no national pride.

Maybe we should leave behind these silly notions and accept that people support the sports and teams that entertain them? Or would that ruin the fun of the pissing contests?

Anyways I'm off to iron my Dublin jersey and preparing for my Irish language class tomorrow. Hopefully I won't miss Fair City. Have to support these local actors after all.

frantic190

Alex Ferguson speaks to the press after the 7-1 win over the Airtricity XI. Filmed by Peter O'Doherty for extratime.ie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8T5cDY0jlQ

flahavaj

CSF wrote: »

I never said I was surprised, just appalled.

There's no need really. Just go watch some hurling next time, where everyone on the pitch truly represents their locality and doesn't even expect to get paid.;)

CSF

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Funny country. There was a time when supporting the 'foreign games' like soccer meant you had no national pride.

This is still the case among the most militant GAA fans, when was this ever the case outside of GAA lovers?

djpbarry

flahavaj wrote: »

Even though only a small percentage of Irish soccer fans, nevermind Irish people give a monkey's about the league? And from what I've heard from people I know that are ardent LOI fans, even supporters of LOI clubs thought this match was a bit of a joke, so it seems this team doesn't really represent too many people at all tbh.

Personally, it wasn’t so much the game was considered a bit of a joke, but rather the idea that it would in some way put the Airtricity League in the ‘shop window’ – that was a joke. There is simply no way the League of Ireland could possibly come out of this fixture with additional credibility – it was never going to happen. Now that they’ve been on the end of a pasting, the 40,000 people that paid, what, upwards of €40, to watch this spectacle will simply go away with their preconceptions about football in this country strongly reinforced. But of course, if those 40,000 people were to spend €40 attending fixtures at their local clubs every now and again, then maybe the quality of football on show, and grounds in which it is played, would be of a higher standard. As long as people continue to expect the same standard of football at Dalymount and Tallaght (for example) as they see at Old Trafford and The Emirates (for example), then football in this country will never, ever progress beyond what it is at the moment.

This game achieved absolutely nothing other than generating some funds for the FAI and was never likely to achieve anything more than that.

I’m told that Gilesy acknowledged that the standard of football in the domestic league has improved over the last 20-odd years? Reminded me of some videos on the Pat's website - a stark reminder of days gone by and incontrovertible evidence that things have certainly improved, on the facilities front if nothing else:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmE_MHOsM6Y

CSF

flahavaj wrote: »

There's no need really. Just go watch some hurling next time, where everyone on the pitch truly represents their locality and doesn't even expect to get paid.;)

I should probably support Kilkenny if I do. There might be a Wicklow man on the Dublin panel anyway, so they don't even represent Dublin as a county.

frantic190

djpbarry wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmE_MHOsM6Y

Jaysus, those were the dark days.

flahavaj

CSF wrote: »

I should probably support Kilkenny if I do. There might be a Wicklow man on the Dublin panel anyway, so they don't even represent Dublin as a county.

Exactly - so why be so pedantic about this or the meaningles friendly that was played tonight.

Mitch Connor

CSF wrote: »

The match WAS a bit of a joke, but that shouldn't have any influence on allegiance. Irish people sitting in a stadium cheering on an English team against an Irish 1 is definitely going to be 1 of those social phenomenon that people look back on in years to come and think 'ah jesus' like flares and mullets.

So true. You'd.never see American, asain or African fans cheering an epl side against a local one. Never. So Irish.

CSF

flahavaj wrote: »

Exactly - so why be so pedantic about this or the meaningles friendly that was played tonight.

Em what?

Mr.Nice Guy

CSF wrote: »

This is still the case among the most militant GAA fans, when was this ever the case outside of GAA lovers?

Exactly. There's always something. The real social phenomenon of this country is this need to feel superior over other Irish people and be 'more Irish'. Once you had to be a good Catholic to be properly Irish. Some felt you needed to be of humble backgrounds. Some said you had to hate the British. Some said you needed to speak the language. Then sport came into it. There's always going to be something.

Personally I am comfortable enough with my own patriotism and don't feel the need to do things to prove my nationality to myself or anyone else. It's a pity we can't all adopt that attitude as we'd be a happier people if we did.

flahavaj

CSF wrote: »

Em what?

Stop getting your knickers in a twist over sh*t thats never gonna change and isn't that important at all mate. Let people support who they like.

djpbarry

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

The real social phenomenon of this country is this need to feel superior over other Irish people and be 'more Irish'.

Please don't tar all LOI fans with the same brush. It's not about being more Irish, it's just about supporting your local team - I did exactly the same thing when I lived in London (go Wombles). Because, without local support, local sides die, local leagues die, and the entire football pyramid becomes unsustainably top-heavy.

And apart from anything else, a stronger domestic league would provide a larger pool of talent to draw from for the national team - is that not something we all want?

CSF

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Exactly. There's always something. The real social phenomenon of this country is this need to feel superior over other Irish people and be 'more Irish'. Once you had to be a good Catholic to be properly Irish. Some felt you needed to be of humble backgrounds. Some said you had to hate the British. Some said you needed to speak the language. Then sport came into it. There's always going to be something.

Personally I am comfortable enough with my own patriotism and don't feel the need to do things to prove my nationality to myself or anyone else. It's a pity we can't all adopt that attitude as we'd be a happier people if we did.

This just comes off like one of those mock South Park ending speeches, get out of it.

roryc

Mitch Connor wrote: »

So true. You'd.never see American, asain or African fans cheering an epl side against a local one. Never. So Irish.

This is wrong... I've seen United play in Asia and 90% of the fans were local (or at least from the country), and yet there were a huge amount of United jerseys around.

Obv they could have come from different parts of the country to watch United play against a team that was not exactly their local team, but the point still stands

flahavaj

djpbarry wrote: »

Please don't tar all LOI fans with the same brush. It's not about being more Irish, it's just about supporting your local team - I did exactly the same thing when I lived in London (go Wombles). Because, without local support, local sides die, local leagues die, and the entire football pyramid becomes unsustainably top-heavy.

And apart from anything else, a stronger domestic league would provide a larger pool of talent to draw from for the national team - is that not something we all want?

I'm all for supporting your local team , I just think people need to accept that others may not want to do so and aren't going to change their minds because they're called an embarrassment or a barstooler. If anything such self-righteous nonsense just alienates LOI fans further.

colly54

Gavin shels wrote: »

They have a special kit for this match. http://www.sportsfile.com/id/448499/




The problem is that the FAI invited an English team over to open our new national football stadium. Ireland -v- LoI XI should have been done.

You don't support the irish team though gav...

eagle eye

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Exactly. There's always something. The real social phenomenon of this country is this need to feel superior over other Irish people and be 'more Irish'. Once you had to be a good Catholic to be properly Irish. Some felt you needed to be of humble backgrounds. Some said you had to hate the British. Some said you needed to speak the language. Then sport came into it. There's always going to be something.

Personally I am comfortable enough with my own patriotism and don't feel the need to do things to prove my nationality to myself or anyone else. It's a pity we can't all adopt that attitude as we'd be a happier people if we did.

You just don't get it at all do you?

I don't think of anybody as 'less Irish' than anybody else. I do think its embarrassing that Irish people would support an English Premier League team over an team representing the Irish league.

I know that personally if Blackburn were playing an Irish league selection that I'd probably like to see a draw. I certainly could not shout for Rovers against an Irish team of any sort. Sport has always had national pride involved in it, well for as long as I've been alive anyways.

You wouldn't get people supporting a club team over their country in Rugby, Basketball, Golf or any other sport that this country plays as a nation.

flahavaj

eagle eye wrote: »

You just don't get it at all do you?

I don't think of anybody as 'less Irish' than anybody else. I do think its embarrassing that Irish people would support an English Premier League team over an team representing the Irish league.

I know that personally if Blackburn were playing an Irish league selection that I'd probably like to see a draw. I certainly could not shout for Rovers against an Irish team of any sort. Sport has always had national pride involved in it, well for as long as I've been alive anyways.

You wouldn't get people supporting a club team over their country in Rugby, Basketball, Golf or any other sport that this country plays as a nation.

So you don't follow the LOI (nevermind support a LOI team), but would support a thrown together team of LOI players over the team you support regularly (and presumably have done all your life)?

This makes no sense.

CSF

flahavaj wrote: »

So you don't follow the LOI (nevermind support a LOI team), but would support a thrown together team of LOI players over the team you support regularly (and presumably have done all your life)?

This makes no sense.

Makes perfect sense to me.

Mr.Nice Guy

djpbarry wrote: »

Please don't tar all LOI fans with the same brush. It's not about being more Irish, it's just about supporting your local team - I did exactly the same thing when I lived in London (go Wombles). Because, without local support, local sides die, local leagues die, and the entire football pyramid becomes unsustainably top-heavy.

And apart from anything else, a stronger domestic league would provide a larger pool of talent to draw from for the national team - is that not something we all want?

That's a fair point. I can understand and respect that point of view. When it crosses over into a smug sense of superiority is where I have a problem.

CSF wrote:

This just comes off like one of those mock South Park ending speeches, get out of it.

You watch South Park? Not going to support local cartoons?

eagle eye wrote:

You just don't get it at all do you?

I don't think of anybody as 'less Irish' than anybody else. I do think its embarrassing that Irish people would support an English Premier League team over an team representing the Irish league.

I know that personally if Blackburn were playing an Irish league selection that I'd probably like to see a draw. I certainly could not shout for Rovers against an Irish team of any sort. Sport has always had national pride involved in it, well for as long as I've been alive anyways.

You wouldn't get people supporting a club team over their country in Rugby, Basketball, Golf or any other sport that this country plays as a nation.

I do get it. Do you? You say you don't think of someone as less Irish for supporting a club side yet you go on to say you feel embarrassed that someone would support a PL side over a LOI side. The inference is that those like myself who cheered on United tonight ought to feel bad and in some way ashamed because we cheered on a side we have grown up with and feel an attachment to. Well sorry but I don't feel bad or ashamed.

Frankly eagle eye I'm very surprised you call yourself a Blackburn fan and yet you say you'd support another club side over them. Are you a LOI fan and if not why not, considering this view? The only time I'd feel conflicted watching United play is if they played the Irish national side as they are my two teams and I express my national pride watching them play.

curry-muff

eagle eye wrote: »

This team was not representing a club, its representing the Irish football league so its representing the Irish people. How on earth could you shout for an EPL club against them? I'm a Blackburn fan but I would never support them against any team that represented the Irish league or Ireland.

I don't follow the League of Ireland anymore but its embarrassing imo when you hear Irish people in an Irish stadium shouting for an EPL team against a team representing the Irish league.

Sorry but thats complete bull****, why should we feel obliged to support a team of players we couldn't give two ****s about, I don't watch LOI and don't really care for it, maybe this is down to the failings of my local club Finn Harps who I used to attend regularly even despite a quite long journey from where I live to Ballybofey.

Maybe if a harps player such as Mc Hugh or Mailey made the team would I take a feint interest in supporting them. United I have been raised to support side by side with Finn Harps and I take preference to watching united, because they are the team I like to watch more and I get to watch more because of terrestrial coverage, for this reason I will support United in matches like these.

Supporting Ireland is a completely different thing to supporting a LOI XI, the ROI players play with pride and commitment every time they put on the shirt, the LOI players didn't, why should I take pride in them if they wont play under our countrys name with a bit of pride or spirit.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

eagle_eye, I think you're just trying to lick all the LOI fan's holes, tbh.

Gavin "shels"

curry-muff wrote: »

my local club Finn Harps who I used to attend regularly even despite a quite long journey from where I live to Ballybofey.

Getting from your house to Manchester is closer?

Walsh

curry-muff wrote: »

Supporting Ireland is a completely different thing to supporting a LOI XI, the ROI players play with pride and commitment every time they put on the shirt, the LOI players didn't, why should I take pride in them if they wont play under our countrys name with a bit of pride or spirit.

Thats questionable to say the least...

SantryRed

The FAI killed any chance of attracting new people to the LOI tonight with that. I couldn't be arsed getting into the facts or an argument. Just like to make a point:

1. A team thrown together like that was always going to struggle. I guarantee you if one team had of played them instead of a selection the result would have been 2 or 3 nil at most. If the top 4 sides in England were to have a selection of them put together and play against Barcelona lets say. This Premiership XI would struggle like the LOI team did tonight. Obviously the score wouldn't be as big but the frailties would be obvious.

CSF

baz2009 wrote: »

eagle_eye, I think you're just trying to lick all the LOI fan's holes, tbh.

How does that even make sense? If he idolised LOI fans so much, he could just......be one. It isn't that tricky.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

According to one of the lads the atmosphere was "savg, al d mexican waves wer unreal haa..it was quiet b4 d 1st goal but den evr1 wnt mad!"

curry-muff

Gavin shels wrote: »

Getting from your house to Manchester is closer?

Did you even read the rest of my post or did you stop there?

I went on to say:

curry-muff wrote: »

United I have been raised to support side by side with Finn Harps and I take preference to watching united, because they are the team I like to watch more and I get to watch more because of terrestrial coverage

I see United more often because they are better covered on television, are you trying to say that I can't support a team because I can't afford to go see them week in week out? Back to this stupid argument again are we?

dreamers75

And finally LOI Unites in the rest of the UK wide hatred of man utd.


Tbh i didnt think it would ever happen but there ya go. Even we hate man united fans!!!

Le King

dreamers75 wrote: »

And finally LOI Unites in the rest of the UK wide hatred of man utd.


Tbh i didnt think it would ever happen but there ya go. Even we hate man united fans!!!

Ye hate everybody.


What a shambles of a match.

Le King

curry-muff wrote: »

I see United more often because they are better covered on television, are you trying to say that I can't support a team because I can't afford to go see them week in week out? Back to this stupid argument again are we?

Of course you can't support a foreign team. After all soccer is an Irish sport.

CSF

Le King wrote: »

Of course you can't support a foreign team. After all soccer is an Irish sport.

This man has wit.

curry-muff

Le King wrote: »

Of course you can't support a foreign team. After all soccer is an Irish sport.

Thats the thing that bothers me about this argument, I haven't missed a Donegal match in about 4 years, in an actual Irish sport, I wonder is their support for their county as strong as it is for their clubs?

Being judged for not wanting to watch Irish league football is pointless to be fair and I'm surprised that I care enough to reply, Ill be United first, always and unless they did something grossly offensive to the Irish, that wouldn't change.

dreamers75

curry-muff wrote: »

Sorry but thats complete bull****, why should we feel obliged to support a team of players we couldn't give two ****s about, I don't watch LOI and don't really care for it, maybe this is down to the failings of my local club Finn Harps who I used to attend regularly even despite a quite long journey from where I live to Ballybofey.

Maybe if a harps player such as Mc Hugh or Mailey made the team would I take a feint interest in supporting them. United I have been raised to support side by side with Finn Harps and I take preference to watching united, because they are the team I like to watch more and I get to watch more because of terrestrial coverage, for this reason I will support United in matches like these.

Supporting Ireland is a completely different thing to supporting a LOI XI, the ROI players play with pride and commitment every time they put on the shirt, the LOI players didn't, why should I take pride in them if they wont play under our countrys name with a bit of pride or spirit.

Shame that post couldnt make it to the Aviva, fairly sure they were short of the required 50,000 retards in the one place at the same time.

Record books are gutted.

brayblue24

There were a lot of kids at the match last night decked out top to toe in Man Utd. gear and as a parent I can see why people forked out the money to bring their kids to see their idols (and I say that as a Man. City supporter). After all with wall to wall EPL coverage it's what they're programmed to do-I reckon kids made up a more than usual portion of the crowd.

I went in to see the stadium and to support the LOI (I say that as a Bray supporter-not as an ABU) but I must admit I cringed to high heaven when I saw grown men (in full Utd. regalia) giving Nani a standing ovation-when he ran over to take a corner:eek:

I've travelled the length and breath of this country in the past watching City play pre season friendlies and never once cheered a goal they scored-I just couldn't do it (mind you if it was in Tallaght.......)

Also enjoyed English people underestimating the strength of Irish beer:p

OPENROAD

brayblue24 wrote: »

but I must admit I cringed to high heaven when I saw grown men (in full Utd. regalia) giving Nani a standing ovation-when he ran over to take a corner:eek:

Also enjoyed English people underestimating the strength of Irish beer:p

Have to disagree.

How much is it for a pint?

newballsplease

brayblue24 wrote: »

There were a lot of kids at the match last night decked out top to toe in Man Utd. gear and as a parent I can see why people forked out the money to bring their kids to see their idols (and I say that as a Man. City supporter). After all with wall to wall EPL coverage it's what they're programmed to do-I reckon kids made up a more than usual portion of the crowd.

I went in to see the stadium and to support the LOI (I say that as a Bray supporter-not as an ABU) but I must admit I cringed to high heaven when I saw grown men (in full Utd. regalia) giving Nani a standing ovation-when he ran over to take a corner:eek:

I've travelled the length and breath of this country in the past watching City play pre season friendlies and never once cheered a goal they scored-I just couldn't do it (mind you if it was in Tallaght.......)

Also enjoyed English people underestimating the strength of Irish beer

what Irish beer?

CorkMan

Le King wrote: »

Of course you can't support a foreign team. After all soccer is an Irish sport.

What the hell are you talking about? Soccer isn't from Ireland.

That's like saying golf is from mars.

Xavi6

So a game that was meant to give the league a boost has, surprise surprise, done the opposite.

Well done John and co for taking the LOI backwards.

Gavin "shels"

Xavi6 wrote: »

Well done John and co for taking the LOI backwards.

That's been the case for years tbh.

Xavi6

Gavin shels wrote: »

That's been the case for years tbh.

Indeed, but unfortunately this was in front of a much bigger market who, in the main, wouldn't have a clue about the shambles that is the FAI when it comes to the league.

WesternZulu

Only in Ireland could this happen.

The people who say that the league is no good/crap facilities/poor standard as a reason to support the man uniteds/liverpools/ect of the world just does not make sense.

If the people of Manchester did not support their local team initially do you honestly think Man United would have gotten anywhere?
Man United did not start off with teams who played magical football.
They did not start with supporters from all over the globe.
They built on the support of the people from the local people who followed THEIR team.

This is the reason why the league in Ireland will never grow.
Irish people love the glamor and all that comes with supporting a epl team.

Paul Tergat

genuine question here to the LOI lads then.

You are made chairman of FAI tomorrow. What changes will you make to help the league? I really struggle to see any workable solutions and would be interested to hear what you think

Xavi6

p_larkin99 wrote: »

genuine question here to the LOI lads then.

You are made chairman of FAI tomorrow. What changes will you make to help the league? I really struggle to see any workable solutions and would be interested to hear what you think

Just a suggestion, but maybe start a new thread on it? Interesting thoughts to be had I'm sure!

brayblue24

My post was not to do with the price of alcohol but the fact that the strength of draught beer in the UK is around 1% lower than here-hence the earlier effects of inebriation-that's all. No offence was intended, just an observation. The main point of the post was football related after all

Wolfe Tone

Xavi6 wrote: »

Just a suggestion, but maybe start a new thread on it? Interesting thoughts to be had I'm sure!

That thread will end well

Paul Tergat

Xavi6 wrote: »

Just a suggestion, but maybe start a new thread on it? Interesting thoughts to be had I'm sure!

yeah i wasnt sure whether to leave in here or do a new thread, will fire one up then.

actually f it. itll end in tears

OPENROAD

brayblue24 wrote: »

My post was not to do with the price of alcohol but the fact that the strength of draught beer in the UK is around 1% lower than here-hence the earlier effects of inebriation-that's all. No offence was intended, just an observation. The main point of the post was football related after all

Just curious though, how much is it for a pint?