Changing allegiances

AgileMyth

Skylinehead wrote: »

Funny, because a hell of a lot of United fans who grew up in the late 90s is a gloryhunter. My school had 20 people in our class, me (Arsenal fan), a mate (Celtic) and the rest United fans.

I went to primary school in the 90's so most of my class were United fans, except the ones with older brothers, they were Liverpool fans. Irish people are idiots when it comes to football.

Gavin "shels"

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Actually going to matches makes a big difference.

This!

I can bet you that the likes of myself, CSF, and the other lads who have a strong connection with their clubs e.g. volunteering, selling programmes, etc... who travel home and away wouldn't switch allegiance. Could you imagine myself suddenly going to Shamrock Rovers matches? God no, most Shels fans even back in 2006/2007 when we though Shels were done had void to try getting a new team set up and follow them whatever League or just support the AFL side. I know a few lads who have season tickets at English clubs, granted there's not the same connection but they wouldn't suddenly switch clubs.

Someone who watches the odd Man Utd/Liverpool/Celtic, etc... game on TV when it's live on ESPN or Sky has little or no connection thus making it easy to swatch.

bohsman

One Shels fan briefly switched to Bohs a few years ago, think he stopped following the league shortly after though. Then there's jump jump, got beaten up by Rovers fans while supporting Rovers so started going to Bohs games, went back to Rovers when they won the league.

GLaDOS

bohsman wrote: »

One Shels fan briefly switched to Bohs a few years ago, think he stopped following the league shortly after though. Then there's jump jump, got beaten up by Rovers fans while supporting Rovers so started going to Bohs games, went back to Rovers when they won the league.

He's back at Bohs matches now, he isn't the full shilling in fairness though.

Flincher

Used to support Blackburn in primary school. I remember some of my friends were supporting Man U because they were top of the table. I said I didn't like them. I asked my dad who won the previous year and he said Blackburn, so I started supporting them.

It was more rugby took over, I started going to Munster games and playing rugby when I started secondary school that saw my interest in football drop. I'm back playing a bit of soccer now and I tend to follow it a bit more, but I don't have a real passion for any team now. I keep an eye on Blackburn and develop soft spots for teams depending on their style of play, who they have playing for them, etc. This season I've more of an interest in Liverpool than usual, mainly because I'm fascinated to see how Rodgers will get on. I always like to see the newly promoted teams doing well. I've a soft spot for Everton and Norwich at the moment.

I don't really miss following it like I did, I can get to 15-20 Munster games a year, and knowing a couple of the lads on the team makes it very personal, so I get my live sports fix from that.

The point about a lot of Liverpool fans having older brothers is a good one. Of the 3 good friends I know who support Liverpool, 2 have older brothers who supported them, and one lads' father was a Liverpool supporter. I suppose in the 90s there wasn't the same attraction to follow teams other than United. I know a good few Arsenal supporters as well, but they would be a couple of years younger than me.

Zebra3

-Ade- wrote: »

Actually, I know a couple people who switched allegiances from other clubs to Chelsea when Roman came along.

That clown that used to do Soccer AM being one.

Watford were no longer good enough for him. :rolleyes:

Paul Tergat

Cant imagine supporting anyone other than United. Nobody can ever tell someone what a club means to them and its retarded when people try to do so

Gavin "shels"

Paul Tergat wrote: »

Cant imagine supporting anyone other than United. Nobody can ever tell someone what a club means to them and its retarded when people try to do so

What do they mean to you?

And what would happen if Man Utd suddenly dropped down a few divisions for whatever reason and weren't on TV or anything anymore, how would you and the rest of their foreign support continue to "follow" them?

Owryan

Zebra3 wrote: »

-Ade- wrote: »

Actually, I know a couple people who switched allegiances from other clubs to Chelsea when Roman came along.

That clown that used to do Soccer AM being one.

Watford were no longer good enough for him. :rolleyes:

Elton John??

The_Kew_Tour

Gavin shels wrote: »

What do they mean to you?

And what would happen if Man Utd suddenly dropped down a few divisions for whatever reason and weren't on TV or anything anymore, how would you and the rest of their foreign support continue to "follow" them?

If you were as good as to tell your own Supporters to go to Tolka every week rather then showing up at Cup finals maybe you could have a decent crowd now and then

Fenian Army

Theres a difference between supporting a team and folowing one -

I support Celtic and that wont change, but over the years I've followed teams in various leagues, mainly utd and spurs but that could change

Lawrence1895

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

If you were as good as to tell your own Supporters to go to Tolka every week rather then showing up at Cup finals maybe you could have a decent crowd now and then

Not everyone can go to every match, neither at Shels, nor at United. Some people might have to go to work, for example

And I rather go to a club, which has a smaller fan base, but dedicated supporters, rather than to a club, which is only supported by fans, jumping on the 'success bandwagon'

The_Kew_Tour

Lars1916 wrote: »

Not everyone can go to every match, neither at Shels, nor at United. Some people might have to go to work, for example

And I rather go to a club, which has a smaller fan base, but dedicated supporters, rather than to a club, which is only supported by fans, jumping on the 'success bandwagon'

True, anytime I cant make game in Ireland is due to work.

Dont have problem with small fan base, but for a Shels supporter to be telling people that they should be going to games is beyond funny when they all showed up in there numbers once they reached Cup Final last year.

FutureGuy

Supported United since around 87 or so and suffered massively. My Liverpool supporting cousins used to call every Sunday and I would usually be on the end of a slagging.

Then one day around 1990, I decided that enough was enough and maybe I might start supporting Liverpool. That lasted about 2 seconds lol. Sucked the defeats up even as United were dicing with relegation in 1990.

Then it all started to go right. FA cup, Cup Winners Cup and the League in a few years.

I've spent the last 20 years getting back on my cousins

tim_holsters

Gavin shels wrote: »

What do they mean to you?

And what would happen if Man Utd suddenly dropped down a few divisions for whatever reason and weren't on TV or anything anymore, how would you and the rest of their foreign support continue to "follow" them?

You seem to be implying that fans who support a team from a country other than their own may not be as passionate as the supporters from the country where their team is situated. If this is so you are wrong.

Zebra3

Owryan wrote: »

Elton John??

Yeah, Elton John used to do Soccer AM. :rolleyes:

token101

Skylinehead wrote: »

Funny, because a hell of a lot of United fans who grew up in the late 90s is a gloryhunter. My school had 20 people in our class, me (Arsenal fan), a mate (Celtic) and the rest United fans.

That's why I hated them originally. It'd be interesting to see how many United fans would switch if they had a decline like Liverpool have had in the last few years.

tim_holsters

So Lovejoy was a Watford fan? Is this really true?

willowthewisp

Back in the early nineties there was a host of 11 to 13 year olds who dumped Liverpool for man u, arsenal or villa.
None of them would ever dare to admit it now.
In fact I remember a lad leaving school on a Friday evening in may 1989 with a red cany jersey and returning on the following Monday with a brand new Red JVC shirt........go figure.
Make a decision and stick with it.

Augmerson

Used to support United as a kid, probably because my big sister did. Then later on, one of my friends in our estate kept trying to convince me to support Liverpool, saying they were way cooler because they had Ian Rush. I just wanted to be cool like my mate so I started supported Liverpool. I've stuck with it though and I'm glad.

I reckon supporting a club is a bit like being born into a religion. My sister was a big influence on me and I was only following United because of her, but having had some sense, I converted to Liverpoolism

willowthewisp

FutureGuy wrote: »

Supported United since around 87 or so and suffered massively. My Liverpool supporting cousins used to call every Sunday and I would usually be on the end of a slagging.

Then one day around 1990, I decided that enough was enough and maybe I might start supporting Liverpool. That lasted about 2 seconds lol. Sucked the defeats up even as United were dicing with relegation in 1990.

Then it all started to go right. FA cup, Cup Winners Cup and the League in a few years.

I've spent the last 20 years getting back on my cousins

Do you ever think that worm will turn again?

Owryan

Zebra3 wrote: »

Owryan wrote: »

Elton John??

Yeah, Elton John used to do Soccer AM. :rolleyes:

Sense of humour gone missing ?

tim_holsters

Augmerson wrote: »

Used to support United as a kid, probably because my big sister did. Then later on, one of my friends in our estate kept trying to convince me to support Liverpool, saying they were way cooler because they had Ian Rush. I just wanted to be cool like my mate so I started supported Liverpool. I've stuck with it though and I'm glad.

I reckon supporting a club is a bit like being born into a religion. My sister was a big influence on me and I was only following United because of her, but having had some sense, I converted to Liverpoolism

Nah not really, well not for me anyway I renounced my religion when I was about 12 but renounce my football club, never.

niallo27

Who was the fella here that was a utd fan and he changed to liverpool because he didn't like the utd fans or am I dreaming.

Where To

I've been going to six or seven Newcastle matches a season since I was knee high, I'm a club member but yet have never considered myself to be a Newcastle supporter. I'm just as happy watching Finn Harps v Athlone or Coleraine v Linfield (that was an interesting night:pac:) as going to SJP. Some people have strong allegiances, some just like soccer.

niallo27

Gavin shels wrote: »

What do they mean to you?

And what would happen if Man Utd suddenly dropped down a few divisions for whatever reason and weren't on TV or anything anymore, how would you and the rest of their foreign support continue to "follow" them?

Well I presume if they were passionate like you seem to be about shels, they would continue to get to as many games as they can, it's only 30 mins flight over.

The_Kew_Tour

willowthewisp wrote: »

Back in the early nineties there was a host of 11 to 13 year olds who dumped Liverpool for man u, arsenal or villa.
None of them would ever dare to admit it now.
In fact I remember a lad leaving school on a Friday evening in may 1989 with a red cany jersey and returning on the following Monday with a brand new Red JVC shirt........go figure.
Make a decision and stick with it.

1989?

Well then he was not GloryHunter then

Red Crow

Supported United since I was 5 and my da supported them since the 1970's.

I know one guy who switched from Spurs to Chelsea to Man City towards the end of last year.

Most people I know support Liverpool because their dads did or they did because they were the most successful club during the 70's and 80's. Then loads of people started supporting Manchester United and now it's Chelsea.

There was one guy who supported Man City and now I know loads of people who are 'life long' Noel Gallaghers.

Lot's of people have switched from Manchester United or Liverpool to Barcelona but you can't really take any of those guys seriously.

KaiserGunner

I asked one of my mates last year who did he support/follow in football? His answer was winners! So basically whoever won a League last season is the team/s he supports.

Washington Irving

KaiserGunner wrote: »

I asked one of my mates last year who did he support/follow in football? His answer was winners! So basically whoever won a League last season is the team/s he supports.

He must get burned every year with the CL so


I've always supported Liverpool because of both family and spending a lot of time there, especially when I was younger. Have a soft spot for Leeds, maybe it's just pity though :P

Have a 'favourite' team in most of the big European leagues (particularly OGC Nice) but wouldn't feel nearly as strongly about them as I would Liverpool and wouldn't consider ever switching teams. I know a few Arsenal and Blackbun fans who started supporting Chelsea around 2005/06

LiamoSail

tim_holsters wrote: »

You seem to be implying that fans who support a team from a country other than their own may not be as passionate as the supporters from the country where their team is situated. If this is so you are wrong.

I'm a Liverpool fan, but I disagree strongly. How can someone not from an area, with little or no connection to that area, who goes to a handful of games a season be a more passionate supporter then some who's community the club represents, who goes regularly and who has grown up in the city right in the middle of the local atmosphere

As I said, I'm a Liverpool fan but I'm from Ireland. I've cousins and friends in Liverpool an go over a few times a year, but Liverpool is just that, somewhere I go a few times a year, it's not home.

There is no way I could genuinely feel as passionately about the club as someone who grew up in the area does. Locals support the club because its their club, in their city, it makes sense. Most people over here choose their english club on the basis of who everyone else in their school, or their da's school or older brothers school was supporting

To suggest that someone with no tangible connection to an area can support a club that represents that area as passionately as someone who's community is represented by that club is neglecting the sense of tribalism in football and the extent of the sentiment of the club representing the city, a city that isn't your own.

I'm not saying you can't support a club from a different city, I do it myself. Just that you can never have the connection to the club that locals do

willowthewisp

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

1989?

Well then he was not GloryHunter then

Well that weekend in May just happened to be one when Michael Thomas scored the last minute goal to clinch the title for arsenal at Anfield, more glory hunting than that you could not get.

ROCKMAN

Eli Manning wrote: »

Supported United since I was 5 and my da supported them since the 1970's.

God now i feel old :mad::)

The_Kew_Tour

willowthewisp wrote: »

Well that weekend in May just happened to be one when Michael Thomas scored the last minute goal to clinch the title for arsenal at Anfield, more glory hunting than that you could not get.

Then he would have supported Arsenal. United were rock bottom then.

CSF

I changed my allegiances at 13 of sorts. Went from a Villa fan to a Shelbourne fan who likes Villa.

tim_holsters

LiamoSail wrote: »

I'm a Liverpool fan, but I disagree strongly. How can someone not from an area, with little or no connection to that area, who goes to a handful of games a season be a more passionate supporter then some who's community the club represents, who goes regularly and who has grown up in the city right in the middle of the local atmosphere

As I said, I'm a Liverpool fan but I'm from Ireland. I've cousins and friends in Liverpool an go over a few times a year, but Liverpool is just that, somewhere I go a few times a year, it's not home.

There is no way I could genuinely feel as passionately about the club as someone who grew up in the area does. Locals support the club because its their club, in their city, it makes sense. Most people over here choose their english club on the basis of who everyone else in their school, or their da's school or older brothers school was supporting

To suggest that someone with no tangible connection to an area can support a club that represents that area as passionately as someone who's community is represented by that club is neglecting the sense of tribalism in football and the extent of the sentiment of the club representing the city, a city that isn't your own.

I'm not saying you can't support a club from a different city, I do it myself. Just that you can never have the connection to the club that locals do

So you’ve an issue with passion, or the reasons for it. You’ll note that I was simply talking about equalities of passion. The source of the passion is immaterial to me there really was no need for you to go off on a tangent. Everybody has their own story and yours is interesting. It’s just that though, your own story.

I know fans of my own club who are from Ireland who are a lot more fanatical about their club than some supporters from England who live in the same city. This is simple fact and is obviously replicated at other clubs.

Frankly I just don’t think you’re passionate enough. Too much sanctimony in what you say.

I do hear what you’re saying though but there was just no need to say it to me.

srfc19

frankled wrote: »

Old friend of mine supported Leeds (had jersey and all), he was a teenager and they went downhill, thus he converted to Man Utd.

So a real fan then you mean?

Thats the problem with Irish football "fans".

Buying a jersey a year and going to a game every three years does not a fan make.

bullvine

I turned my closest Nephew to the darkside when he was 7, his Dad rang me up to tell me that he wanted to support Man United instead of Liverpool and that I had to buy him the jerseys cause he wouldnt. I think anything older than that is pushing it.

Sure arent all the Chelsea fans now Man City fans.....

tony1kenobi

KaiserGunner wrote: »

I asked one of my mates last year who did he support/follow in football? His answer was winners! So basically whoever won a League last season is the team/s he supports.

You're mates with John Terry?

Will I Amnt

srfc19 wrote: »

frankled wrote: »

Old friend of mine supported Leeds (had jersey and all), he was a teenager and they went downhill, thus he converted to Man Utd.

So a real fan then you mean?

Thats the problem with Irish football "fans".

Buying a jersey a year and going to a game every three years does not a fan make.

And who made you an authority on what makes a real fan??
I can guarantee you I'm as passionate if not more about Manchester United as you are about Rovers.
It dominates my topics of conversation in work,with friends etc.
Results can affect my mood for days.
I'm excited as f**k about Sunday and I could be like a demon for the following week or in top form and slagging off my mates and workmates.
I've only ever been to Old Trafford a handful of times and have not been at all in years.

So anyone that wants to preach about what makes a real fan can f**k right off as far as I'm concerned.

Maximus Alexander

cambo2008 wrote: »

And who made you an authority on what makes a real fan??
I can guarantee you I'm as passionate if not more about Manchester United as you are about Rovers.
It dominates my topics of conversation in work,with friends etc.
Results can affect my mood for days.
I'm excited as f**k about Sunday and I could be like a demon for the following week or in top form and slagging off my mates and workmates.
I've only ever been to Old Trafford a handful of times and have not been at all in years.

So anyone that wants to preach about what makes a real fan can f**k right off as far as I'm concerned.

Yeah I find this "real fan" mentality bizarre. I've never heard anyone accused of not being a "real" Michael Jackson fan because they didn't grow up in Gary, Indiana.

- bo -

Man United (bought the jerseys, one trip to OT in 1998) until the age of 11 or so and slightly beyond..

Then got brought along by my Dad to Dalymount in the 99/00 season and that changed everything - European nights, awkward trips from Navan/Athlone to the arse-end of the country, several trips abroad, to eventually volunteering a good bit of time to do some work each week for the club.

It is different when you're properly involved. If we were to go to the wall I'd either have to follow whatever reincarnation there was of the club (if there was one), painful as that would be. Or else just be a fan of the league and head along to the odd match in Dublin/Drogheda every so often. But I'll never support another club from Ireland.

froog

i enjoy watching english football but i find the irish fans of teams a bit insufferable tbh. when an irish man u fan gets into a raging argument with an irish liverpool fan it's beyond ridiculous.

imagine two english lads with no connection to ireland fighting over cork and dublin in the GAA. you'd laugh wouldn't you? exact same thing.

willowthewisp

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Then he would have supported Arsenal. United were rock bottom then.

Who said anything about him supporting man u??
Is it not obvious that he was a gloryhunter because he chose to defect from Liverpool to Arsenal because they pipped them to the title in 1989.
Or do you just familiar with the Premier League era?

The_Kew_Tour

willowthewisp wrote: »

Who said anything about him supporting man u??
Is it not obvious that he was a gloryhunter because he chose to defect from Liverpool to Arsenal because they pipped them to the title in 1989.
Or do you just familiar with the Premier League era?

Yep hand up I got it wrong.

Pierce_1991

My younger brother, who is 10 now, started out like myself and my dad as a big Arsenal fan. When he was about 7 or 8 he got really into it, had posters on the wall, constantly looking up news and stats etc. But last season he lost interest and decided to support Liverpool, even got a jersey. Liverpool are probably my least favorite club apart from Spurs so this really hurt me I must say. He says he's an Arsenal fan again but I fear he'll never be a football fan in any real sense. Shame, he had a lot of potential.

Also knew a guy who was a huge Fulham fan till he was about 14 or 15 and just switched to Liverpool.

Kirby

I just like football. I have no real allegiance. I follow and support all the teams. It's great....I always win

kryogen

My own personal view is that you don't just decide to support a team, something in you draws you to the team, whether its a geographical connection or something else. Being an Everton fan one year and deciding to support Spurs the next year is pathetic in my eyes.

I do have a cousin who was an Alan Shearer fan, plain and simple, he had a Shearer Southampton jersey, Blackburn jersey and Newcastle jersey

Will I Amnt

froog wrote: »

imagine two english lads with no connection to ireland fighting over cork and dublin in the GAA. you'd laugh wouldn't you? exact same thing.

No it's not even remotely like the exact same thing.
Is every town in England crammed with supporters of different county GAA teams??
No.
If GAA was as popular in England as EPL is here then it would be the exact same thing.

Does he wear a match of the day t shirt now?