Changing allegiances

Fromthetrees

Come on now, heading down the pub at the weekend for drinkies and watching football and even going on trips across the water for a fun little mini break will never mean the same as a local fan supporting his local team week in week out, regardless of how well they're doing or how cold and wet it is.
People can get passionate as much as they want, that's their prerogative, everyone likes a bit of craic but it's simply not the same.
A lot of Irish football fans love the way Spain play and supported them in the Euros, now, imagine the feeling they would have experienced if Ireland had won the Euros, it's head exploding stuff. That's the difference to me.
It matters more because there's an ownership, a tangible connection, if they're first or last their your team, there is always zero discussion about why or how you support them because you know without thinking your whole life that you're apart of them, and, they're a part of you.

# Wipes away tear#

Omackeral

I just think that it's ridiculous for an Irish United fan to hate Leeds or an Irish Arsenal fan to despise Spurs, yet some will still pretend I'm sure. This is where lads on this island fall short I think. They'll never 'feel' the city-wide bragging rights of a Manchester derby after the big game and I'm betting Liverpool fans here aren't any more up for an Everton game than a Villa game.

GT_TDI_150

I was born in and lived in Belgium till i was 17.

I support Club Brugge - didnt get to a game as i was 16 when we moved and brugge was 150km from our place (and parents hated thought of me going to games on my tod.

When Phillipe Albert moved to Newcastle i started following them as my 'foreign team'. 16yrs ago my parents moved to Ireland and with all the premier league coverage Newcastle became my team and Brugge became my 'Foreign team. Been to SJP a good few times.
a bit akward now when they've drawn each other in the europa league :eek:

Oh, and my wife has family who live in swindon and follow swindon fc, so i look for their results too, havent been to a swindon game yet but thats changing in december

Will I Amnt

AgileMyth wrote: »

The team you're supposed to be passionate about are about to kick off and you're on boards.ie

Actually I was working tonight,watched it on the laptop.
You should have been there,what an atmosphere

Will I Amnt

srfc19 wrote: »

I don't know you so I won't pretend to know how passionate you are about Utd.

But if you are anything like most Utd. fans, you picked them because an older brother/your dad/the rest of your class "supported" them. So your "passion" for them, is an invented passion. You have absolutely no reason to be passionate about them.

Picking a team at random and deciding to support them can not even begin to compare with supporting the team from your local area, a team that represents you.

But enjoy calling your workmates scouse bastards on Monday!!

Define local team?
The nearest LOI team to me is Drogheda United and that's in a different county.

If you want to call it an invented passion that's your opinion and you're entitled to it.
But that's all it is...an opinion,not fact.

Threads like this are just so predictable at this stage.
Once the word fans or support is mentioned the self-righteous LOI brigade will be in to tell us how much better they are than all the rest of us.

monkey9

If you've changed from supporting one team to another, you're a fraud!! Forget about it. It's like Irish people in the nineties going round wearing Blackburn jerseys and they're nowhere to be seen now!

There is no 'decision' to change. You don't change. How can you? What's the point? You stick with a team no matter what!!

Bob the Seducer

Fromthetrees wrote: »

...a local fan supporting his local team week in week out, regardless of how well they're doing or how cold and wet it is.

It matters more because there's an ownership, a tangible connection, if they're first or last their your team, there is always zero discussion about why or how you support them because you know without thinking your whole life that you're apart of them, and, they're a part of you.

Ah, but that's the GAA isn't it? You're born into a county, it's where you're from and who you are from cradle to grave. Even if you move to another part of the country or overseas it's still your county. No matter how badly they play it doesn't change.
You pass the players and coaches in the street, shop in their families' businesses maybe even have relatives in the minor or u21 set up.

Less than half of the counties in Ireland have a League of Ireland team. It's difficult enough to get a Cork person to support their team, It's a much harder sell to get a Kerryman to support Cork City or to convince someone from Clare or Tipp that no matter how much of a rivalry they feel with Limerick that's who they should be following in football.
That's one of the primary reasons why I have no problem with people supporting whoever they want to support.

There's a certain sanctimonious attitude prevalent within a section of LoI support that they are somehow better or "understand" football more than those who don't follow a local team (regardless of whether those people have a local team or not). This attitude does nothing to promote the league or advance the cause of their clubs, in fact I'd say it does more to put people off than anything else.
The day to day experience of someone from Offaly who supports a Dublin team isn't much different to that of someone from Offaly who supports Liverpool (except the Liverpool supporter is more likely to encounter supporters of rival clubs on a day to day basis).

Anyway, regardless of what team you support once you've committed there's no changing. A bit like a marriage in 1950s Ireland, for better or worse, it's for life!

monkey9

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

Ah, but that's the GAA isn't it? You're born into a county, it's where you're from and who you are from cradle to grave. Even if you move to another part of the country or overseas it's still your county. No matter how badly they play it doesn't change.
You pass the players and coaches in the street, shop in their families' businesses maybe even have relatives in the minor or u21 set up.

Less than half of the counties in Ireland have a League of Ireland team. It's difficult enough to get a Cork person to support their team, It's a much harder sell to get a Kerryman to support Cork City or to convince someone from Clare or Tipp that no matter how much of a rivalry they feel with Limerick that's who they should be following in football.
That's one of the primary reasons why I have no problem with people supporting whoever they want to support.

There's a certain sanctimonious attitude prevalent within a section of LoI support that they are somehow better or "understand" football more than those who don't follow a local team (regardless of whether those people have a local team or not). This attitude does nothing to promote the league or advance the cause of their clubs, in fact I'd say it does more to put people off than anything else.
The day to day experience of someone from Offaly who supports a Dublin team isn't much different to that of someone from Offaly who supports Liverpool (except the Liverpool supporter is more likely to encounter supporters of rival clubs on a day to day basis).

Anyway, regardless of what team you support once you've committed there's no changing. A bit like a marriage in 1950s Ireland, for better or worse, it's for life!

Read this a couple of times, still not sure. What's the basic point your making??

Omackeral

monkey9 wrote: »

Read this a couple of times, still not sure. What's the basic point your making??

He's asking (and it's a fair enough point IMO) who a lad from Offaly should support. What do you reckon Monkey?

wonderfullife

I think there is only 1 opportunity in life to switch teams. It's that transitional summer where you go from primary school to secondary school. Likely going to be making lots of new friends as 12 year olds, trying to fit in etc, certainly remember when i went into 1st year a few of the lads i knew to be Liverpool fans would be wearing United tops in p.e. (1993/1994) and stuck with them ever since.

It's tougher to switch and maintain any credibility as a late-teen/adult. Especially nowadays with facebook and the like.

I got a bit disillusioned with football support in secondary school as i got a lot of grief/bullying for sticking with Liverpool, in the end it just put me off following an English team passionately. Heart wasn't in switching so just started wearing in Barca tops to avoid grief. I still have my soft spots now as an adult for my 'team' but i'm more of a passionate sports fan.

I have soft spots for foreign teams usually based on some random variables. Borussia Dortmund as i went to see them in Germany, Fiorentina because i did a school project on the history of football in Florence, Barcelona been to Camp Nou and love the city, Nice in France as used to holiday there, Sparta Prague went to a game in Prague, Shels domestically not from Dublin but they were the team a friend of mine played for when i was younger.

Fromthetrees

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

Ah, but that's the GAA isn't it? You're born into a county, it's where you're from and who you are from cradle to grave. Even if you move to another part of the country or overseas it's still your county. No matter how badly they play it doesn't change.
You pass the players and coaches in the street, shop in their families' businesses maybe even have relatives in the minor or u21 set up.

Less than half of the counties in Ireland have a League of Ireland team. It's difficult enough to get a Cork person to support their team, It's a much harder sell to get a Kerryman to support Cork City or to convince someone from Clare or Tipp that no matter how much of a rivalry they feel with Limerick that's who they should be following in football.
That's one of the primary reasons why I have no problem with people supporting whoever they want to support.

There's a certain sanctimonious attitude prevalent within a section of LoI support that they are somehow better or "understand" football more than those who don't follow a local team (regardless of whether those people have a local team or not). This attitude does nothing to promote the league or advance the cause of their clubs, in fact I'd say it does more to put people off than anything else.
The day to day experience of someone from Offaly who supports a Dublin team isn't much different to that of someone from Offaly who supports Liverpool (except the Liverpool supporter is more likely to encounter supporters of rival clubs on a day to day basis).

Anyway, regardless of what team you support once you've committed there's no changing. A bit like a marriage in 1950s Ireland, for better or worse, it's for life!

I certainly didn't mean to come across as sanctimonious at all. I don't buy into this LoI vrs. EPL 'debate', I just like football. I've been over to Anfield several times over the years, saw Michael Owen score his first home goal of his career against Spurs on my first trip. Whenever I'm abroad I do my best to go to a game, I'm not a dyed in the wool LoI nut just to try and be clear. MOTDs my favourite show okay.
I'd like to say there's a real snobbish attitude towards Irish football by many Irish football fans, it's strange.
Like I said, it's easy and always fun to go drinking on a Sunday afternoon in the pub with a jersey on compared to freezing your balls off on a misty december night and your teams losing 3 nil. All I'll say is when your team does win the victory is so much sweeter, that's my experience anyway. Liverpool winning the EPL will never be the same as my local team winning the LoI, that's how I feel, I've explained above why I personally do.

Fromthetrees

Omackeral wrote: »

He's asking (and it's a fair enough point IMO) who a lad from Offaly should support. What do you reckon Monkey?

Someone from Offaly can support whoever they want in football, it's a free country, that's not the point though, the point is that people actually think he will experience Liverpool winning the EPL on the last day of the season from his local pub in Birr in the same way a Scouser in Anfield will experience it as if they are the same thing, which is ridiculous.

Would any other team winning even come near to the feeling of Ireland winning the Euros for practically everyone on this forum?

kryogen

If Ireland were to win the Euros 2012 I'd have been curled up in a ball crying, surely that would signal the End of Days

Bob the Seducer

monkey9 wrote: »

Read this a couple of times, still not sure. What's the basic point your making??

I'll try and boil it down as best I can.

For a lot of the country your primary commitment is to your county. If there's no local football team, it doesn't matter where the team you chose to support comes from (as you're looking in from outside regardless).

In terms of daily experiences there's not much difference between being a Shamrock Rovers fan from Offaly and being a Liverpool fan from Offaly.
While neither live in or have a connection to the places those clubs are based both are still football fans.

Football is the world game, it's not geographically limiting in who you can support. Love of the game rather than city bragging rights motivates many people to support a team.

Fromthetrees wrote: »

I certainly didn't mean to come across as sanctimonious at all. I don't buy into this LoI vrs. EPL 'debate', I just like football.

Oh God! :eek: I honestly didn't intend for it to be interpreted like that!

That wasn't aimed at you, purely at those who propagate the whole us vs them mentality. I understand why some people feel that way, but an aggressive 'support local only' stance does no-one any favours, particularly when the person it's aimed at has no local team to support.

Omackeral

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

I'll try and boil it down as best I can.

For a lot of the country your primary commitment is to your county. If there's no local football team, it doesn't matter where the team you chose to support comes from (as you're looking in from outside regardless).

In terms of daily experiences there's not much difference between being a Shamrock Rovers fan from Offaly and being a Liverpool fan from Offaly.
While neither live in or have a connection to the places those clubs are based both are still football fans.

Football is the world game, it's not geographically limiting in who you can support. Love of the game rather than city bragging rights motivates many people to support a team.





Oh God! :eek: I honestly didn't intend for it to be interpreted like that!

That wasn't aimed at you, purely at those who propagate the whole us vs them mentality. I understand why some people feel that way, but an aggressive 'support local only' stance does no-one any favours , particularly when the person it's aimed at has no local team to support.

You raise some very good points but I cant help but disagree with the part in bold to be honest. If more supported local......

Bob the Seducer

Omackeral wrote: »

You raise some very good points but I cant help but disagree with the part in bold to be honest. If more supported local......

I'm all for supporting and promoting your local team.

There's nothing I'd love more than a successful, full time professional League of Ireland but the geographic distribution of teams means that even if every father (or mother) with a local team brought their kids along and got them into the habit of attending live football, large swathes of the country would still be the domain of the more passive 'football through television' fan due to the lack of a local side.

With a local team it's an uphill struggle to counteract the ingrained attitude that football's primary method of consumption is through tv, without one the task becomes ten times greater.

I think the future of the league is probably not in making people chose one over the other, but convincing them to do both - Friday: attend a League of Ireland game, Saturday/Sunday: watch Man Utd/Arsenal/Liverpool/Barcelona on tv.

Bodhisopha

Omackeral wrote: »

He's asking (and it's a fair enough point IMO) who a lad from Offaly should support. What do you reckon Monkey?

Athlone Town tbh.

Will I Amnt

AgileMyth wrote: »

And theres the difference between you and an actual fan of a football club. I'm down to work every single Friday and Saturday evening and yet have managed to get through our entire season only missing four games in all competitions. Swapping shifts, working double shifts and split shifts just to get the time off. Because I can't sit in work while Rovers are playing, I have to be there.

Same as the real fans of Manchester United get time off every week to actually go to their games. Whilst idiots like you watch an internet stream and buy a jersey once a year and consider that to be the same thing.

Big bualadh bos for you.

Optimalprimerib

I used to "support" Wimbledon and Leeds for some period until I was about 10 or 11 but never had much interest in watching football then. One day at the start of a season, I went "shopping" watching match of the day. Juergen klinsmann scored a hattrick in a 4-3 thriller against crystal palace and from that day to this I have been a spurs fan.

Not the most noble of stories but who cares?

bohsman

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

Fromthetrees wrote: »

...a local fan supporting his local team week in week out, regardless of how well they're doing or how cold and wet it is.

It matters more because there's an ownership, a tangible connection, if they're first or last their your team, there is always zero discussion about why or how you support them because you know without thinking your whole life that you're apart of them, and, they're a part of you.

Ah, but that's the GAA isn't it? You're born into a county, it's where you're from and who you are from cradle to grave. Even if you move to another part of the country or overseas it's still your county. No matter how badly they play it doesn't change.
You pass the players and coaches in the street, shop in their families' businesses maybe even have relatives in the minor or u21 set up.

Less than half of the counties in Ireland have a League of Ireland team. It's difficult enough to get a Cork person to support their team, It's a much harder sell to get a Kerryman to support Cork City or to convince someone from Clare or Tipp that no matter how much of a rivalry they feel with Limerick that's who they should be following in football.
That's one of the primary reasons why I have no problem with people supporting whoever they want to support.

There's a certain sanctimonious attitude prevalent within a section of LoI support that they are somehow better or "understand" football more than those who don't follow a local team (regardless of whether those people have a local team or not). This attitude does nothing to promote the league or advance the cause of their clubs, in fact I'd say it does more to put people off than anything else.
The day to day experience of someone from Offaly who supports a Dublin team isn't much different to that of someone from Offaly who supports Liverpool (except the Liverpool supporter is more likely to encounter supporters of rival clubs on a day to day basis).

Anyway, regardless of what team you support once you've committed there's no changing. A bit like a marriage in 1950s Ireland, for better or worse, it's for life!

Think of it as a gaa fan if everyone in your county supported Dublin or kilkenny, is it ok for people to support kk if their county doesnt do hurling? If there was enough support for football in Ireland every county would have a team or enough people happy to support a successful neighbouring county team.

The vast vast majority of Loi fans do follow foreign football as well btw.

The_Kew_Tour

Some people need to take one long deep breath and look into the mirror.

Renn

Probably 'supported' 4 or 5 different teams in the past. Couple of those in the same league too. Back then I realised it doesn't matter one bit, not like this suddenly hit home as an adult. Though now I've made the sensible move in not supporting any team. Interested in a few but could not give a sh*t if they lost a game.

Zebra3

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

Football is the world game, it's not geographically limiting in who you can support. Love of the game rather than city bragging rights motivates many people to support a team.

Very true, but a Spanish person will rejoice when Spain win a major tournament and their feelings could not be compared with a foreigner who likes them because the way they play.

Anyway, changing allegiances is imo, football's equivalent of committing war crimes.

I'd sooner have a sex change than a team change.

Gavin "shels"

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

I'm all for supporting and promoting your local team.

There's nothing I'd love more than a successful, full time professional League of Ireland but the geographic distribution of teams means that even if every father (or mother) with a local team brought their kids along and got them into the habit of attending live football, large swathes of the country would still be the domain of the more passive 'football through television' fan due to the lack of a local side.

With a local team it's an uphill struggle to counteract the ingrained attitude that football's primary method of consumption is through tv, without one the task becomes ten times greater.

I think the future of the league is probably not in making people chose one over the other, but convincing them to do both - Friday: attend a League of Ireland game, Saturday/Sunday: watch Man Utd/Arsenal/Liverpool/Barcelona on tv.

On your geographic distribution point, take a look at Kilkenny City and Kildare County, I unfortunately visited both of these clubs on match days during Shels 1st Division journey, at the Kilkenny match I'd say their was about 30 home fans there max, but that's not the scary part, we couldn't find the group so asked a group of local kids who were playing ball, they didn't know what or where Buckley Park was. Same goes for Kildare, although they probably stretched to about 80 home fans.

The reason imo people won't do the whole LoI on a Friday, then watch their Saturday/Sunday matches on TV is because Irish people, in general, are just lazy.

Joekers

Gavin shels wrote: »

On your geographic distribution point, take a look at Kilkenny City and Kildare County, I unfortunately visited both of these clubs on match days during Shels 1st Division journey, at the Kilkenny match I'd say their was about 30 home fans there max, but that's not the scary part, we couldn't find the group so asked a group of local kids who were playing ball, they didn't know what or where Buckley Park was. Same goes for Kildare, although they probably stretched to about 80 home fans.

The reason imo people won't do the whole LoI on a Friday, then watch their Saturday/Sunday matches on TV is because Irish people, in general, are just lazy.

Maybe more could have been done to entice the local kids into going to the game, they could have been given out free tickets for local school kids or the odd evening open training session where the kids can join in etc

summerskin

Was taken to my first Oldham Athletic match aged two and have followed them ever since. As a teenager, whenever Oldham were playing an away match that I couldn't get to I went watching Man City with a friend and his dad who were big City fans (Oldham borders directly on to manchester, it's only 6 miles between the grounds. never used to hear of many Utd fans in the 70s and 80s, funny that...).

Nothing would ever make me change my allegiance from Oldham though. 37 years later I am still a latics fan and that will never change. Sure, I keep an eye out for City's results etc and was delighted to see them win the league, but nowhere near as delighted as I was that Oldham didn't get relegated.

Watching matches on TV in irish pubs is hilarious though, I've had United fans and Liverpool fans trying to convince me that they have the same passion for their team as i do for Oldham, despite only going to a handful of games ever. I don't get to as many matches as i'd like now, maybe 15 a year, but none of these irish fans have a real connection to their teams, it's all madey-uppy really.

Always find it amusing that they don't believe that United don't even play in the city of Manchester. I've had dozens of them try to convince me otherwise, but that just shows that they have no tangible connection to the team or the area.

The_Kew_Tour

Fromthetrees wrote: »

Like I said, it's easy and always fun to go drinking on a Sunday afternoon in the pub with a jersey on compared to freezing your balls off on a misty december night and your teams losing 3 nil. All I'll say is when your team does win the victory is so much sweeter, that's my experience anyway. Liverpool winning the EPL will never be the same as my local team winning the LoI, that's how I feel, I've explained above why I personally do.

Not go at you, but at people who refer to "local" team in general are you just very lucky to be right next to league of Ireland ground because you dont hear of any "local" fans in here supporting your Home Farms, Cabra Celtic, Drumcondra, Mayfields etc?

nbar12

summerskin wrote: »

Always find it amusing that they don't believe that United don't even play in the city of Manchester. I've had dozens of them try to convince me otherwise, but that just shows that they have no tangible connection to the team or the area.

huh I never even knew this, I can't wait to use this against my brother and other Man Utd fans!

Donnielighto

monkey9 wrote: »

If you've changed from supporting one team to another, you're a fraud!! Forget about it. It's like Irish people in the nineties going round wearing Blackburn jerseys and they're nowhere to be seen now!

There is no 'decision' to change. You don't change. How can you? What's the point? You stick with a team no matter what!!

Cheating, fraud, racism, plenty if reasons ti abandon a club ti its fate.

markesmith

Bodhisopha wrote: »

Athlone Town tbh.

Give over. An Offaly man support Athlone town? What planet are you on?

The Internet

markesmith wrote: »

Give over. An Offaly man support Athlone town? What planet are you on?

Same could be said for an Irish person supporting Liverpool

Donnielighto

Tbh I used ti follow Galway united and go to some games but the whole loi lost pretty much all if its credibility over the years through poor financial controls centrally, messing around with new clubs and the like. Also used to play for a local team and go to senior matches, never felt anything though outside of my own team within the club. If a club is full of **** I don't care if they are next door I wont support them.

For those sayin you have to attend to have a real passion that's horsecock. I support Dublin more than mayo though I've been to many more mayo games. I support united more than clubs ive represented because I like what the club espouses.

I think that the top level of passion requires a personal involvement in a team, as in training, playing with or coaching the team. Other than that you are just a fan in an arbitrary location. Attending may have a better atmosphere but there are plenty of people that go to matches simply because they get tickets handy, doesn't make them more of a fan than the lad watching at home.

Passion also so builds over time through following and caring about a club. Though time can also lead to it waning depending on the person.

E&oe I'm on the phone

Donnielighto

The Internet wrote: »

markesmith wrote: »

Give over. An Offaly man support Athlone town? What planet are you on?

Same could be said for an Irish person supporting Liverpool

Ever heard of local rivalries?

SantryRed

Can't believe anyone can think that supporting through your tv or going a couple times a season is the same as having a season ticket and going to away games too. Not even close.

SantryRed

Donnielighto wrote: »

Ever heard of local rivalries?

Ever heard of the 1916 rising?

Bodhisopha

Donnielighto wrote: »

Ever heard of local rivalries?

What significant local rivalries exist between the towns of Offaly and Athlone that would render the notion of an Offaly man supporting his nearest football team ridiculous?

markesmith

The Internet wrote: »

Same could be said for an Irish person supporting Liverpool

Ah stop will you? Don't know what mood I'm in today, but it's not one for suffering this type of stuff.

I've supported Spurs since I was eight. Growing up in Athlone, I went 'De Town' games. When I moved to Offaly, most of the people I knew had no time for Athlone Town. Part parochialism, part GAA rivalry.

Anyway, I've been a Spurs fan for over 25 years now. Your pigeonholing of all Irish fans of the EPL is just not right, and the elitism shown on this forum by some posters is mental - there are far more important things in life than whether you support an English team.

I live in Galway now, and I'll go watch SD Galway of a Friday evening. But when I'm dead, the eulogy will probably mention something about my love of the Lilywhites. I'm not at all embarrassed of my love of Spurs, and if you hold opinions like the one above, then your opinion is of no matter to me.

markesmith

I mean, it's like getting stick for liking De Niro's work over Cillian Murphy.

"How can you like De Niro, sitting there watching Raging Bull on TV? Get yourself down the theatre and watch Cillian Murphy."

Bodhisopha

markesmith wrote: »

I mean, it's like getting stick for liking De Niro's work over Cillian Murphy.

"How can you like De Niro, sitting there watching Raging Bull on TV? Get yourself down the theatre and watch Cillian Murphy."

No, it's not like that at all. It would be very strange to hear any man declare his unconditional love for De Niro.

CSF

markesmith wrote: »

I mean, it's like getting stick for liking De Niro's work over Cillian Murphy.

"How can you like De Niro, sitting there watching Raging Bull on TV? Get yourself down the theatre and watch Cillian Murphy."

Its absolutely nothing like that, what are you talking about?

Paz-CCFC

A friend of mine supports/used to support Arsenal, but his interest in them has waned somewhat over the years. He started pretending to support Man City last year, as a wind up. He puts up on his Facebook from time to time of how he loves them, "we're gonna win the league" "MCFC champions" and all that.

He really managed to get to some people. People telling him "you can't do that", "it's not right" etc. Some of his work mates who support Man Utd refuse to speak to him over it.

A pretty successful wind up, it has to be said!

markesmith

CSF wrote: »

Its absolutely nothing like that, what are you talking about?

Well, why can't we do both? Why can't I go and watch Salthill Devon or Mervue United, and then go abroad and watch Spurs, and look for their results, and watch their games on TV?

I really don't see the issue here. It's this type of elitism that stops a lot of casual fans from engaging in the LOI. That and the often-appalling standard of football.

markesmith

Bodhisopha wrote: »

No, it's not like that at all. It would be very strange to hear any man declare his unconditional love for De Niro.

You haven't met some of my mates so :pac:

_blank_

markesmith wrote: »

Well, why can't we do both? Why can't I go and watch Salthill Devon or Mervue United, and then go abroad and watch Spurs, and look for their results, and watch their games on TV?

I really don't see the issue here. It's this type of elitism that stops a lot of casual fans from engaging in the LOI. That and the often-appalling standard of football.

I reckon only a tiny, tiny % of LoI fans don't also watch other football.

Donnielighto

SantryRed wrote: »

Donnielighto wrote: »

Ever heard of local rivalries?

Ever heard of the 1916 rising?

Ya, lacked popular support, members lied to, lead by a paedo, I've heard of it. Were you there personally, do you dislike all English sporting teams due to the action of four generations ago (in the main)

The Internet

markesmith wrote: »

Ah stop will you? Don't know what mood I'm in today, but it's not one for suffering this type of stuff.

I've supported Spurs since I was eight. Growing up in Athlone, I went 'De Town' games. When I moved to Offaly, most of the people I knew had no time for Athlone Town. Part parochialism, part GAA rivalry.

Anyway, I've been a Spurs fan for over 25 years now. Your pigeonholing of all Irish fans of the EPL is just not right, and the elitism shown on this forum by some posters is mental - there are far more important things in life than whether you support an English team.

I live in Galway now, and I'll go watch SD Galway of a Friday evening. But when I'm dead, the eulogy will probably mention something about my love of the Lilywhites. I'm not at all embarrassed of my love of Spurs, and if you hold opinions like the one above, then your opinion is of no matter to me.

I'd like to point out to you that I did not say anything bad about people supporting English clubs all I did was use an extension of your logic and say that if people can't support a team in a different county I'm not sure how a different country is alright

Donnielighto

Bodhisopha wrote: »

markesmith wrote: »

I mean, it's like getting stick for liking De Niro's work over Cillian Murphy.

"How can you like De Niro, sitting there watching Raging Bull on TV? Get yourself down the theatre and watch Cillian Murphy."

No, it's not like that at all. It would be very strange to hear any man declare his unconditional love for De Niro.

It's odd to hear it for a sports team too.

CSF

markesmith wrote: »

Well, why can't we do both? Why can't I go and watch Salthill Devon or Mervue United, and then go abroad and watch Spurs, and look for their results, and watch their games on TV?

I really don't see the issue here. It's this type of elitism that stops a lot of casual fans from engaging in the LOI. That and the often-appalling standard of football.

Who said you can't do both? Doing both is great.

Bodhisopha

Donnielighto wrote: »

It's odd to hear it for a sports team too.

No argument from me there.