Irish people supporting English football teams

Annd9

Trying to explain this to an Italian chap last week , he really couldn't understand why so many Irish people support English teams .

It's usually pawned off that's it only entertainment so why is it anybody's business ? Which is fair enough but if I go to a pub on a Monday evening I won't have group's shouting abuse at each other over the Starks and Lanister's because that would be ridiculous, It's only entertainment . This week has shown the idiotic behaviour of Liverpool and Mufc "fans" it's pathetic .

You then get the quality argument , yet they will support the National team or even some sub standard English club because some Irish bloke who played for them in the 70's fingered their aunt .
They do not hold the same principle towards other sports though , it's all local pride and "Hon the parish"

False Prophet

Annd9 wrote: »

They do not hold the same principle towards other sports though , it's all local pride and "Hon the parish"

Perhaps because in other sports they have local teams? Gaa have club and county. Rugby has provincial and international. Loi has mostly Dublin teams with a few town teams that disband and reform.
Also you never hear people asking why they go on foreign hols and dont stay in Ireland or why dont they always speak Irish instead of English or why they watch BBC or American shows over Irish TV. Why do they follow foreign music instead of local acts etc etc

Annd9

False Prophet wrote: »

Perhaps because in other sports they have local teams? Gaa have club and county. Rugby has provincial and international. Loi has mostly Dublin teams with a few town teams that disband and reform.
Also you never hear people asking why they go on foreign hols and dont stay in Ireland or why dont they always speak Irish instead of English or why they watch BBC or American shows over Irish TV. Why do they follow foreign music instead of local acts etc etc

We have no local Soccer clubs in Ireland ? Where have I been playing for 25 years ? I'm confused.
There are 20 Loi teams , 6 are from Dublin . Once again , if football was classed like all the other forms of entertainment you listed I would agree , I've just never seen verbal or online abuse being thrown about because of what band you listen to or your next holiday destination.

inforfun

Your Face wrote: »

I don't support any English teams but I always watch Barca play and I've been to a few of their matches.
I've gone to a load of LOI games and tbh it's boring stuff and of low quality.
If I'm paying, I want to be entertained so I can see why people would follow a premiership team.

There is a reason only a maximum of 6 PL matches (most of the time 5, sometimes only 4) are on live tv each week.
Cause the other matches are usually low quality, boring matches.

A couple of seasons ago i had to rinse my eyes with bleach after accidentally tuning in on Burnley - Hull.
I have seen Dutch 1st division matches played on a plastic pitch that were of higher quality and were more entertaining.
It was an insult, that PL match.
And all that for just £150 million tv money per team per season.

jr86

physioman wrote: »

I just don't get it. Why are Irish people so fanatical about English football teams. I particularly laugh at the way they talk about individual players being loyal to particular teams. Do they really care about the fans or the 100k they are getting a week. 😂

A lot of the social media chatter about Suarez last night was cringeworthy in the extreme

Grown adults upset at a player for celebrating a goal in a European semi, have you ever see the likes :pac:

Standman

I'll just say this: All you people who don't watch Game of Thrones but are subjected to annoyingly incessant GoT chatter online and in the real world, welcome to the life of someone who's not interested in soccer.

topper75

GBX wrote: »

Clan culture .. not a new thing. Same way women ****e themselves over the latest garb one of the Instargom fluencers spout on about or the D4 heads shouting for the Maori Fiachra playing for New Zealand . Not gonna stop or change any time soon!

Lowest common denominators can never be sophisticated or impressive I suppose by definition. That is why chats with work colleagues are often mundane and dull. The only thing you may have in common is that HR picked you both. Hence 'the match last night', 'awful dress' etc.

Your Face

NIMAN wrote: »

First off, if you go to LoI games expecting to see anywhere near the standard you are watching guys on €100,000 ---> €500,000 per week get, then you're deluded.

And secondly, the EPL is like most football leagues. Most games are average at best, a top class entertaining game is a rare thing. I have been watching football for several decades, and it can take you months to see a great game. I get more excited being at the Brandywell watching us beat one of the LoI top sides rather than watching a great football match like Barca v Liverpool tonight.

But hey, maybe thats just me.

Fascinating.

B_ecke_r

Follow Liverpool home and away and also 90% my LOI Team's Home games,

why does there need to be a distinction?

they're very rarely on at the same time

is_that_so

Farawayhome wrote: »

If you don't feel Irish soccer is good enough then why choose England? Surely a Spanish team or something would provide more enjoyment.

Some people watch all types of football. English teams are popular in many countries as are Spanish teams, Italian teams. German teams etc.

begbysback

Gonad wrote: »

Irish people are some of the most hypocritical in the world . We claim to be this special proud country that looks after our own. The truth is we hate to see our own do well and would rather pay out money to fly to the uk to watch football rather than spending a few quid a week supporting our nearest Irish team .

I’ve never heard anyone, other than a politician, claim this to be a special proud country. Other nationalities claim the Irish are hospitable and friendly, this is a myth, probably caused by emigration from our “proud country” to other worldly parts where the need to fit in makes us like lick arses.

I don’t mind anyone doing well, but watching Irish league football, or Irish national football is comparative to water boarding at Guantanamo bay - sounds great until you actually do it.

is_that_so

begbysback wrote: »

I’ve never heard anyone, other than a politician, claim this to be a special proud country. Other nationalities claim the Irish are hospitable and friendly, this is a myth, probably caused by emigration from our “proud country” to other worldly parts where the need to fit in makes us like lick arses.

I don’t mind anyone doing well, but watching Irish league football, or Irish national football is comparative to water boarding at Guantanamo bay - sounds great until you actually do it.

LOI has improved a lot and is more like top League 1 to middle Championship. Irish League I agree on.

Gwynplaine

I've seen lads who support a London team, jeer lads who support a Manchester team. Calling them "northern scum". Or "we won the league last year, shur yooze haven't won it for years"
A safe bet that none of them have never even been to England.
Cringe of the highest order, I was almost blushing listening to them.
Fat lads supping pints, who wouldn't run up a flight of stairs, giving their professional opinion on a game.

Edgware

Your Face wrote: »

I don't support any English teams but I always watch Barca play and I've been to a few of their matches.
I've gone to a load of LOI games and tbh it's boring stuff and of low quality.
If I'm paying, I want to be entertained so I can see why people would follow a premiership team.

Premiership clubs Huddersfield and Cardiff have played some classic stuff this season all right.

Deebles McBeebles

Edgware wrote: »

Premiership clubs Huddersfield and Cardiff have played some classic stuff this season all right.

The other 18 have been decent to be fair.

Don't see the issue with anyone supporting a foreign team. Football is entertainment so who cares. Once you don't get carried away and start smashing peoples heads in because they don't support your beloved 'fackin Millwall, bruv' I think you're alright.

I support teams from England, Germany, Spain and Italy because they entertain me. If I wasn't entertained I would just go do something else instead of watching football.

Edgware

Deebles McBeebles wrote: »

The other 18 have been decent to be fair.

Don't see the issue with anyone supporting a foreign team. Football is entertainment so who cares. Once you don't get carried away and start smashing peoples heads in because they don't support your beloved 'fackin Millwall, bruv' I think you're alright.

I support teams from England, Germany, Spain and Italy because they entertain me. If I wasn't entertained I would just go do something else instead of watching football.

You cant judge a premiership team on five minutes shown on MOTD. I dont think too many would sit down and watch 90 minutes of matches involving the bottom 8 in the Premiership on a continual basis

Deebles McBeebles

Edgware wrote: »

You cant judge a premiership team on five minutes shown on MOTD. I dont think too many would sit down and watch 90 minutes of matches involving the bottom 8 in the Premiership on a continual basis

No, probably not. Why would you if its not entertaining? I have seen a few good games involving lower half teams this season though, they aren't all bad.

B_ecke_r

Gwynplaine wrote: »

I've seen lads who support a London team, jeer lads who support a Manchester team. Calling them "northern scum". Or "we won the league last year, shur yooze haven't won it for years"
A safe bet that none of them have never even been to England.
Cringe of the highest order, I was almost blushing listening to them.
Fat lads supping pints, who wouldn't run up a flight of stairs, giving their professional opinion on a game.

I am sure all sports has its fair share of barstoolers,

Maybe football is just amplified due to it being the most popular.

plenty of Horse Racing Experts come out the woodwork @ Cheltenham time or same whent the SIx Nations is on in the Egg Chasing

Gbear

Why do Irish people follow Judean religions?

topper75

Gbear wrote: »

Why do Irish people follow Judean religions?

'cos Crom Dubh is a corrupt bastard and is on a huge salary while the local lad who looks after the wishing tree might be doing it on a voluntary basis and doesn't even get expensed for the white rags he ties to the branches.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Gbear wrote: »

Why do Irish people follow Judean religions?

SPLITTERS!!!

blanch152

garyskeepers wrote: »

I once had a friend of 20 years stop talking to me, COMPLETELY beause I didnt have a problem with the queen coming over here, becase he "hated the English" .

He was a huge Leeds fan, bought the jerseys, went to matches, etc. Then moved to Australia for a while.

Still hasnt talked to me since.


go Figure

What is funnier are the rabid republicans who support Liverpool. They will splutter about Protestants and the Orange Order one minutes and the next be on a Liverpool thread defending their team. If only they knew some history.....

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/question-of-religion-as-basis-for-support-still-contentious-1.1655070

"Liverpool FC’s founder, John Houlding, eight of its early board members and many others associated with it were deeply involved with the Conservative Party and also, in many cases, both the Freemasons and the city’s deeply-sectarian Working Men’s Conservative Association which, in turn, had strong links to the local Orange Order."

Dr. Bre

I’m sure Irish people support American football teams. Watch foreign films. Listen to musicians from outside Ireland . Don’t see the problem supporting foreign soccer teams .

partyguinness

Actually I find the whole love in Irish football supporters have for English football teams just downright embarrassing. I really do.

My wife is English and I really do cringe when I am back home in a pub/bar etc its just wall to wall English football. I mean if I was her I'd be thinking what's the effing difference between here and England? And if it is not football it's effing Coronation Street or Eastenders or at Christmas bloody darts from London.

Drumpot

Farawayhome wrote: »

Oh yeah, but would you get so upset and into fights with somebody over a tennis player? People who've never set foot in either Liverpool or Manchester get in huge arguments with each other, call each other scouse scum or manc scum etc. Obviously, that's not everyone but it's a bit pathetic isn't it?

I think a huge part of this is down to culture but I do find soccer can bring out the worst in me when I’m playing and watching.

I’m actually playing tennis tonight after only going back to it in the last week or two after 30 years of soccer and GAA. They are just chalk and cheese sports in terms of fans and playing. Tennis is way more relaxing to play and watch and there is a far more respectful competivess. Even chilling out and watching others play tennis surprised me at how relaxed I felt.

Soccer unashamedly excuses, encourages and rewards bully tactics, cheating (strategic cheating) and at its highest levels is corrupt through and through. There is no respect in the game between players, fans, officials and even team mates in many cases. That is the accepted norm of the sport so it’s no surprise you get warped support where quite crazy/toxic relationships/rivalries are born.

There are two different 5 aside groups I can play on. One of them is aggressive and brings out the worst in me. I get way more physical cause it’s full of players who kick the legs off you and get thick if you give it back. I sometimes even target people who need to be given a bit of the rough stuff they have been dishing out. I’m not big or strong or a hard man it just makes me angry and I get very aggressive which I hate.

And then there is another 5 aside that’s more relaxed and fun. I play this and enjoy it more because generally everybody playing it is on the same page. No sliding tackles etc. you only need one twat to ruin that and it actually happened where some lads ended up having a fight.

Soccer can just bring out the worst in people.

But the question of how somebody who doesn’t live in Liverpool or Manchester can be so emotional about their teams is just born out of ignorance. It doesn’t matter why I have a strong affinity or love for Manchester United , particularly if a person is pig ignorant and self absorbed (I don’t understand it therefore it’s stupid) enough to think that it shouldn’t matter to me because I don’t live there. I don’t live in Westeros and get excited about GOT!

Edgware

partyguinness wrote: »

Actually I find the whole love in Irish football supporters have for English football teams just downright embarrassing. I really do.

My wife is English and I really do cringe when I am back home in a pub/bar etc its just wall to wall English football. I mean if I was her I'd be thinking what's the effing difference between here and England? And if it is not football it's effing Coronation Street or Eastenders or at Christmas bloody darts from London.

You can always stay in England if you find it so embarassing or let us know when you are on the way and we will organise some ceili dancers to welcome you.
Do you like buttermilk with your spuds?

magic_murph

Woodsie1 wrote: »

Jesus!!
OP here since 2011 and this is the best they can come up with.
1/10.
Hack of this thread.
Use the search function FFS!

Guessing Woodsie is a Man Utd fan. classic instant rage is a give away

DEFTLEFTHAND

is_that_so wrote: »

LOI has improved a lot and is more like top League 1 to middle Championship. Irish League I agree on.

Lets not get carried away now. It's League 2 to bottom of League 1 at a push. (Which is still a high standard in relative terms)

It's certainly going in the right direction though. I'm noticing bigger crowds every season, lets hope the trend continues. Nothing beats live football.

Smashmouth

And then when they die they have a Liverpool jersey on top of the coffin at the church. Bizarre.

is_that_so

Smashmouth wrote: »

And then when they die they have a Liverpool jersey on top of the coffin at the church. Bizarre.

Not really. They do ask people to bring things the deceased loved. Some things may not make sense to anyone outside of the family. Bit of a dumpster dive if you're going after dead people to prove a point.

Drumpot

Smashmouth wrote: »

And then when they die they have a Liverpool jersey on top of the coffin at the church. Bizarre.

Funnily enough I was at a funeral only yesterday (my neighbors father) and YNWA played in the church along with some Liverpool stuff on coffin. To his family the music meant something as it did to him, there was nothing bizarre about it then if any other song had been played.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

blanch152 wrote: »

garyskeepers wrote: »

I once had a friend of 20 years stop talking to me, COMPLETELY beause I didnt have a problem with the queen coming over here, becase he "hated the English" .

He was a huge Leeds fan, bought the jerseys, went to matches, etc. Then moved to Australia for a while.

Still hasnt talked to me since.


go Figure

What is funnier are the rabid republicans who support Liverpool. They will splutter about Protestants and the Orange Order one minutes and the next be on a Liverpool thread defending their team. If only they knew some history.....

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/question-of-religion-as-basis-for-support-still-contentious-1.1655070

"Liverpool FC’s founder, John Houlding, eight of its early board members and many others associated with it were deeply involved with the Conservative Party and also, in many cases, both the Freemasons and the city’s deeply-sectarian Working Men’s Conservative Association which, in turn, had strong links to the local Orange Order."

Ok, now that's just... Surreal...

Rabid republicans? Orange order??

ogsjw

physioman wrote: »

I just don't get it. Why are Irish people so fanatical about English football teams. I particularly laugh at the way they talk about individual players being loyal to particular teams. Do they really care about the fans or the 100k they are getting a week. ��

Also how they say 'we' like they're on the team :pac:

Hamsterchops

Ridiculous, what's this thread really about?

So what if somebody from this island supports a football team on the neighbouring island?

Specially seeing as the English premiership attracts so much footballing talent from all over the world (and with so much money). I would expect exactly the same if we were located alongside Spain, Italy, or Germany.

Is it wrong for an Irish person to support Real Madrid, or is it just the English Premiership that's wrong

SEPT 23 1989

Television killed Irish football

Before TV we had attendances in Dublin up there with the smaller premier league clubs today

FFred

1998 called. They want their thread back.

Ruraldweller56

thingsthatdidnthappen.com

blanch152 wrote: »

What is funnier are the rabid republicans who support Liverpool. They will splutter about Protestants and the Orange Order one minutes and the next be on a Liverpool thread defending their team. If only they knew some history.....

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/question-of-religion-as-basis-for-support-still-contentious-1.1655070

"Liverpool FC’s founder, John Houlding, eight of its early board members and many others associated with it were deeply involved with the Conservative Party and also, in many cases, both the Freemasons and the city’s deeply-sectarian Working Men’s Conservative Association which, in turn, had strong links to the local Orange Order."

Have we mentioned full kit **** yet?

sitkaspruce

And of course... zelllltykkkh

Edgware

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Television killed Irish football

Before TV we had attendances in Dublin up there with the smaller premier league clubs today

Those were the days. And Bang Bang entertaining everyone on the tram in from Milltown
back to our tenements

SEPT 23 1989

Ruraldweller56 wrote: »

thingsthatdidnthappen.com

The Moores family were big donators to Thatchers Conservative party

Edgware

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

The Moores family were big donators to Thatchers Conservative party

And?

Ruraldweller56

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

The Moores family were big donators to Thatchers Conservative party

Go on?

salmocab

It’s down to accessibility, we had match of the day and occasional matches up to the early 90s when there was little Irish football on the tv then when the premiership came along we had no end of English football shown. It has probably reached saturation point but it’s not irrational we have for a long time had access to British tv and by extension their culture. We didn’t have much acres to other cultures for a long time after.

micar

physioman wrote: »

I just don't get it. Why are Irish people so fanatical about English football teams. I particularly laugh at the way they talk about individual players being loyal to particular teams. Do they really care about the fans or the 100k they are getting a week. ��

Been a fan of Liverpool since late 1980s when it had a number of Irish internationals........Staunton Whelan Aldridge Haughton .....


Add to that Rush Barnes Grobbelaar Molby Beardsley......and do on.

All those lads weren't on anything close to €100k a week.....maybe a month

odyssey06

From the most recent Republic of Ireland squad for the game v Gibraltar, 20 players are with English clubs, 1 with Wales and a single one with a League of Ireland side.

Growing up in the 80s you have very little live soccer on TV, what you did have was Match of the Day.
The top English teams regularly featured Irish players - Moran, McGrath, Stapleton, Whelan, etc.

Omackeral

I don't have an issue with people supporting English teams really but there's a few things that irk me when this type of discussion comes up.

-''You don't shop at exclusively Irish shops do ya?''

Yeah that's not the same as supporting a football team though is it? You're hardly buzzing for Tesco away next weekend. It's a stupid argument. If you can equate grocery shopping to following a team, then you probably don't really get the concept of fandom.

-''Yeah but who do you really support?'' when you answer that you support Shels.

The thing is, the chap supporting Shels is probably literally supporting them financially and vocally every other week. He really is there really supporting them.

-''All them LOI heads are up snobs and up their own holes.''

Nah, in my experience any new fella or girl that's expressed an interest has been welcomed with open arms. Bohs have sold out every home fixture this season so far and will sell out vs Cork City tomorrow night too. This is due in part to a welcoming vibe at the club. The amount of new season ticket holders this season has been amazing. Besides, if you're new it's not as if anybody is gonna know and slate you for it. We're always delighted to have more people on board. Oh yeah, and 9/10 LOI fans follow the English League too

RollieFingers

What about all the English players who have played for the Irish national team down the years? Are Irish people allowed to support them or is it just English clubs they are not supposed to support?

dan1895

Omackeral wrote: »

-''Yeah but who do you really support?'' when you answer that you support Shels.

I know a lad, Irish born and raised, who supports Borussia Dortmund since he was a kid simply because he liked their kit. As legitimate a reason as most have for supporting English teams. Yet he still gets the "who do you really support?" and ""Why would you watch that crap?" questions.

odyssey06

Lots of Irish peoples favourite Tv show is from UK too.