International or Club football?

Ferris_Bueller

If it came down to a choice, which would you choose to support, your club team or your country? Personally I would choose Ireland every day of the week, but I get the impression I would be in the minority on this forum. Would only consider myself a fairly casual Liverpool supporter, kind of grew out of it as I got older and felt no real attachment to the club.

Watching Ireland play, although difficult at times, gives me real pride and is something I really care about, John O'Sheas goal the other night was probably the best feeling I've had watching football since St.Ledgers equalizer against Croatia in the euros. I love the feeling of everyone being in it together, whereas Liverpool and United fans often have petty fights and arguments IMO.

Of course all these feelings will vary from person to person, so interested to hear what everyone else's opinion is, what do League of Ireland fans prefer? In terms of quality - club football is better to watch, but from a supporters point of view I would pick International football.

losthorizon

Has to be club football - going to the stadium every second week is just brilliant. It cant be replicated.

padd b1975

The relevance of international football has certainly taken a hit over the past 10/15 years, probably started when the Champions League established itself as the biggest competition around.

Choice of host countries for the World Cup and tinkering with the format of the Euros doesn't really help either.

Amirani

Has to be club football.

Paz-CCFC

Club every single time. I'm a lot more part of the community with City than I am for Ireland. The ground is only a twenty minute walk from where I grew up.

Ireland play three or four hours away from me. Hard to build an affinity when I only really get to watch them on the telly. I've never been to a senior international. It'd help if they played matches in Cork from time to time. It's a bit of a slap in the face when they play matches over in London, giving the reason to give some football to the expats abroad, when they don't really bother with people not living close to Lansdowne. They didn't really give Thomond a chance, when they tried to rip off fans with €50 tickets for a friendly. And Turner's Cross could easily accommodate a friendly like Oman.

I'd still go for Ireland and hope that they qualify for the Euros. But if I had the choice between three points for City any given week or qualification to the World Cup/Euros for Ireland, it'd be club all the way.

5starpool

Club for sure if a choice had to be made. I want Ireland to do well and cheer them on and go to the occasional game, but I go to far more Liverpool games and have a far greater attachment in football terms.

dreamers75

Split decision for me, in saying that I dont go to ireland games anymore but still see 90% of club matches.

think people should stick in their club/country.

Ireland/St Pats.

Richard Hillman

International Tournaments are fantastic but I think that is more down to how they are formatted. All the games are hugely important. What I dont really like about club football is that it doesnt really get that interesting until April/May or October in our case.

International qualifiers can be too drawn out. I would like if they did them over 2 or 3 blocks of fixtures. I like the way they format rugby in that they have the 6 nations in a block and then the Autumn games. It would be harder to get emotionally invested if they had 2 games every second month.

The Golden Miller

Country always comes first. But I can understand Irish fans putting Rovers, Cork, Cliftonville etc first. Any Irish fan putting an English club over Ireland needs a good slap (some exceptions apply)

dreamers75

The Golden Miller wrote: »

(some exceptions apply)

Nope.

5starpool

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Country always comes first. But I can understand Irish fans putting Rovers, Cork, Cliftonville etc first. Any Irish fan putting an English club over Ireland needs a good slap (some exceptions apply)

dreamers75 wrote: »

Nope.

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I think that's the only response to those posts.

Meglamonia

International all the way.

PTH2009

international football

Zebra3

Club > country.

61912.

CSF

Sitting at home bricking myself over a trip to Galway tomorrow night, so I'm gonna say club football by about a hundred miles.

The Golden Miller

5starpool wrote: »

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I think that's the only response to those posts.

You from Liverpool? Or move there when you were little? Or are your parents from there? If not, then don't give me any rubbish about any attachment to a foreign club, thats more important than an attachment to the place where you live and breathe

5starpool

The Golden Miller wrote: »

You from Liverpool? Or move there when you were little? Or are your parents from there? If not, then don't give me any rubbish about any attachment to a foreign club, thats more important than an attachment to the place where you live and breathe

Lol. Poor you, thinking people should only be allowed to support teams near where they are from. Just as well you don't make the rules. I have an interest in LOI and I have a team I follow but I wouldn't consider myself a fan.

Where do you draw the line? If someone has no league of Ireland club within 50 miles of them are they allowed to support an English club? Why do you care anyhow? Should no Irish person support an NBA team if they like basketball or should they follow their nearest Irish team only in your eyes?

Quit being so parochial, it's a big world.

dreamers75

The Golden Miller wrote: »

You from Liverpool? Or move there when you were little? Or are your parents from there? If not, then don't give me any rubbish about any attachment to a foreign club, thats more important than an attachment to the place where you live and breathe

Clearly new here, hes from ireland he calls his irish mates mancs and any attempt to try and get him or any other person on this forum to support your local team is futile.

Just stop now, they dont go to their own teams games in the premier league they certianly aint gonna go your ****ing league of ireland teams.

This thread will die and be locked and somehow I will be ****ing banned again if you continue.

Welcome to Boards.ie Soccer Forum

5starpool

dreamers75 wrote: »

Clearly new here, hes from ireland he calls his irish mates mancs and any attempt to try and get him or any other person on this forum to support your local team is futile.

Just stop now, they dont go to their own teams games in the premier league they certianly aint gonna go your ****ing league of ireland teams.

This thread will die and be locked and somehow I will be ****ing banned again if you continue.

Welcome to Boards.ie Soccer Forum

Wow you know me so well. Having only attended about 40% of home games
in the last 6 or so years alone I'm obviously a barstooler. Good luck with your obsession.

:rolleyes:

The Golden Miller

5starpool wrote: »

Lol. Poor you, thinking people should only be allowed to support teams near where they are from. Just as well you don't make the rules. I have an interest in LOI and I have a team I follow but I wouldn't consider myself a fan.

Where do you draw the line? If someone has no league of Ireland club within 50 miles of them are they allowed to support an English club? Why do you care anyhow? Should no Irish person support an NBA team if they like basketball or should they follow their nearest Irish team only in your eyes?

Quit being so parochial, it's a big world.

No, and it's not the same analogy. Let them follow away. I took issue with you putting that attachment above IRELAND. You get it now?

Ferris_Bueller

I expected most to choose club football over international, but I just find it strange. Using the Germany match the other night for example, the whole country was boosted the next day, everybody talking about it, so many people in better moods because of it, I'd be fairly certain that no matter where you were watching the Ireland match (in Ireland at least) there was someone there to celebrate with you, even if they aren't too interested in football. I don't think this is the case with club football, although there are probably more cross overs of this if you live where the club you support is from, but I don't think the whole LoI vs barstoolers argument should be brought up in this thread.

The Golden Miller

dreamers75 wrote: »

Clearly new here, hes from ireland he calls his irish mates mancs and any attempt to try and get him or any other person on this forum to support your local team is futile.

Just stop now, they dont go to their own teams games in the premier league they certianly aint gonna go your ****ing league of ireland teams.

This thread will die and be locked and somehow I will be ****ing banned again if you continue.

Welcome to Boards.ie Soccer Forum

Thanks, I'll bear that in mind, although I have posted a few times ha

5starpool

The Golden Miller wrote: »

No, and it's not the same analogy. Let them follow away. I took issue with you putting that attachment above IRELAND. You get it now?

No. I'll support who I want, how I want.

The Golden Miller

5starpool wrote: »

No. I'll support who I want, how I want.

No? Maybe you don't agree, but you don't understand what I'm saying? Really?

larchielads

Can people not follow who they want when they want be it ireland man utd liverpool or a team from timbuktu. Who are we to criticise? If thats the case city fans shouldnt shout for the team man utd are playin cos apparently hour only allowed support one team accordin to some.
Im irish and if i want ireland to lose ill dam well shout for the opposin team if i like. Not that i would but if i wanted to no one will tell me otherwise.
Look people its a free world choose who ye want and to hell wit the rest.

CSF

larchielads wrote: »

Can people not follow who they want when they want be it ireland man utd liverpool or a team from timbuktu. Who are we to criticise? If thats the case city fans shouldnt shout for the team man utd are playin cos apparently hour only allowed support one team accordin to some.
Im irish and if i want ireland to lose ill dam well shout for the opposin team if i like. Not that i would but if i wanted to no one will tell me otherwise.
Look people its a free world choose who ye want and to hell wit the rest.

If it's a free world, then surely people have the free will to tell you otherwise.

Not that I care about this debate at all, I'm just a stickler for pointing out when someone's logic is terrible.

Oat23

It used to be country for me, but now it is club by a country mile (pun intended...)

Injury time in the game vs Germany on Tuesday was the first time I'd watched Ireland in 2+ years. I don't care about the international team anymore. I find it impossible to support the team because of my dislike for the FAI.

Son Of A Vidic

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

If it came down to a choice, which would you choose to support, your club team or your country?

Club. However, once we qualify for a major tournament that changes. But since these are rare occurrences, it means it's usually always Club for me.

ArmaniJeanss

Getting up violently hungover at 8am on a freezing winter Sunday to play in Division 27 of the LFL trumps both obviously.

larchielads

CSF wrote: »

If it's a free world, then surely people have the free will to tell you otherwise.

Not that I care about this debate at all, I'm just a stickler for pointing out when someone's logic is terrible.

They sure are but i dont care

sReq | uTeK

Oat23 wrote: »

It used to be country for me, but now it is club by a country mile (pun intended...)

Injury time in the game vs Germany on Tuesday was the first time I'd watched Ireland in 2+ years. I don't care about the international team anymore. I find it impossible to support the team because of my dislike for the FAI.

Yea agree, sure I don't leave the bed because I hate the government............

ManofStraw

Nothing matches the excitement of International football, but I would pick club simply because its shown more times during the year.

Fr Tod Umptious

Since there was no LoI club close to me when I was growing up it has always been country for me.
I tried to get "attached" to clubs but never stuck.

The only two teams I get passionate about are the Republic of Ireland soccer team and the Mayo football teams.
That's cos they are from the two places I am from.

By the way one of the best soccer games I was ever at was Castlebar Celtic v Athenry in a FAI Junior cup SF.
Again the team from the place I am from was involved and that's what was exciting about it.

miroslavklose

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Since there was no LoI club close to me when I was growing up it has always been country for me.
I tried to get "attached" to clubs but never stuck.

The only two teams I get passionate about are the Republic of Ireland soccer team and the Mayo football teams.
That's cos they are from the two places I am from.

By the way one of the best soccer games I was ever at was Castlebar Celtic v Athenry in a FAI Junior cup SF.
Again the team from the place I am from was involved and that's what was exciting about it.

The Connacht Cup isn't a bad standard and Castlebar are a very good junior side. They don't have to be LOI for you to follow them. I always thought they'd be one of the obvious clubs that would look at applying for the LOI, given they're already in the WNL and have a good history.

The Golden Miller

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Country always comes first. But I can understand Irish fans putting Rovers, Cork, Cliftonville etc first. Any Irish fan putting an English club over Ireland needs a good slap (some exceptions apply)

Slaps ott...but pretty jaw dropping.

I could never hope to understand someone preferring a foreign club to their native land. And I say that having gone to many games in England and enjoyed them...but never forgetting that they were games in another country with no real connection with me. It's like saying you prefer the neighbours family to your own.

Fr Tod Umptious

miroslavklose wrote: »

The Connacht Cup isn't a bad standard and Castlebar are a very good junior side. They don't have to be LOI for you to follow them. I always thought they'd be one of the obvious clubs that would look at applying for the LOI, given they're already in the WNL and have a good history.

I'm talking mid 80s here.
Castlebar Celtic's profile was much lower then, as was everyone's

iDave

Yeah I love the international breaks when they come along. Its a great escape from the pantomime that club football has become.
If I grew up in a LOI culture I might say club football for the week to week attachment but as it is I'll go for Ireland over club.
To be honest as I get older the more I see the folly of supporting foreign teams. Its a shame the norm in Ireland isn't to support irish teams.

anncoates

I'd rather my club won a league cup than country win the world Cup.

That's not to say I don't support my country and like them doing well but I see it more as a break from the more serious everyday matter of supporting a club.

anncoates

anncoates wrote: »

I'd rather my club won a league cup than country win the world Cup.

That's not to say I don't support my country and like them doing well but I see it more as a break from the more serious everyday matter of supporting a club.

But your club is Shamrock Rovers?

Which I can completely understand.

To me that's like club or county in GAA...but couldn't understand someone picking a club from a neighbouring county.

WesternZulu

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Since there was no LoI club close to me when I was growing up it has always been country for me.
I tried to get "attached" to clubs but never stuck.

The only two teams I get passionate about are the Republic of Ireland soccer team and the Mayo football teams.
That's cos they are from the two places I am from.
.

This is pretty much exactly the same way I feel as well. Ireland and Mayo footballers and that's it.

I am a huge fan of the premier league and supported United and Spurs at various times but after a while realised that because I had no attachment to these places it was very superficial and gave me little joy.

anncoates

In most European countries with a decent football culture, I would assume that club tops country as well. Here, it's probably a bit more extreme because of the public disconnect between the national team and the domestic league.

I would have been a more active supporter of Ireland (started going to games in the mid 80s) year ago but it's very hard for a lot of domestic football supporters to care deeply about Ireland when the FAI don't care about the league or when you have people that spend serious time and money propping up the league here being lectured on patriotism and "getting behind Ireland" (by people that spend the rest of the time ignoring or actively denigrating Irish football) when Ireland qualify for a tournament.

Osmosis Jones

Pretty sure the answers to this question would change depending on Ireland's last result. Seems to have just opened a gateway for LOI fans to look down on fans of the leagues across the water.

I try to support the LOI by getting to a few games but I dont really have a team to support, since Fingal went bust anyway. Don't feel any sort of connection to any of the teams.

dfx-

International Football is the highest level of the game, but I don't have a stake in it.

Omackeral

I love the comeradarie of results like the other night against Germany. Loads of people celebrating a common happiness. You get the same with Dublin GAA or Kerry GAA in that your countymen share your joy. I'd wager on Merseyside that everyone gets behind the either the blues or the reds and feels the highs and lows when their team does. I'd love to have that with my club at times to be honest. I'd love if my neighbours hung out bunting and such when we got to a cup final. But it doesnt really happen in Dublin for LOI teams. Maybe it happens in Sligo/Dundalk etc?

Anyway, it's club for me as I invest a lot more in them but I do enjoy the International team also as there's more joy to share.

Iused2likebusts

Would have to be country for me. Ireland's equaliser against Germany in 02 is probably the biggest high I've had watching football.

Nalz

I love Manchester United. Since a child of 5 I've been massively passionate about them.

I moved to Dublin and watched Bohs for 6 years. Love seeing them do well, pity the circumstances they're in now.

Nothing would please me better than my country winning a tournament though... Nothing.

DvB

Club comes first, last & always.

Nothing Ireland has ever done at international level has had the same emotional impact on me that I've experienced in my 35 years supporting Rovers.

I freely admit that I didn't even watch the game during the week as I lost interest in the national team a long long time ago.

Will I Amnt

The Golden Miller wrote: »

Country always comes first. But I can understand Irish fans putting Rovers, Cork, Cliftonville etc first. Any Irish fan putting an English club over Ireland needs a good slap (some exceptions apply)

Why Cliftonville? What's the difference in supporting Cliftonville and Celtic?

Iang87

Club for me without doubt.

I'd take liverpool or limerick doing well more than Ireland. Maybe i'd care more if I didnt despise th FAI as an organisation. I still like to see Ireland do well but i'm far less bothered when Ireland dont do well than I am when its either of the other 2.

As for this you cant choose club if your pickinga n english team please dismount from your high horse, not everyone was born in Dublin or near somewhere that has a team that play LoI. If you're from Tipp for example are you not allowed be more passionate about your club team than if your from Dublin.

Its human nature to care more about something you invest more time in and I invest more time in Club. I find international football a hinderance that has too many meaningless friendlies

Lamper.sffc

The national side for me. I never understand how an Irish person would prefer an English side over his national side. Baffles me. I support Leeds and have done for over 20 yrs, but if the two teams Ireland and Leeds played then Id want Ireland to win everytime. No question.

Mars Bar

I love the assumption that everyone loves and feels for the country they grew up in. Some people hate the ****ing place so why would they feel attached to it?
Personally, I get more satisfaction out of Manchester United than Ireland. The Galway women's team had me on the edge of my seat last season more than the irish team ever will. I still enjoy seeing them do well though.