Ireland is a pretend football country

Feenix

Mad_maxx wrote: »

is the animosity between Hibs and Hearts as intense as that of the old firm ?

obviously two small sides by comparison with the Glasgow pairing so perhaps the rivalry is under reported ?

Great rivalry. You can tell it’s much more local than an OF game and can be edgier in a different way because they’ve more hooligans.
Hibs V Rangers is a great fixture for tension & atmosphere also.

EmmetSpiceland

dxhound2005 wrote: »

The average height of LoI supporters is 5'8". But nobody can compute their boring/interesting average. They are individual traits, which cannot be averaged. The ones I know are really interesting people.

The decline of Manchester United has been a real “boon” for the League of Ireland. The attendances at games, particularly those of Bohs and Rovers have been consistently high over the last few years.

With United now top of league, can’t see them winning it but credit where it’s due, it could spell disaster for LoI attendances once we’re back to “normal” live sports. All the ex-United fans will be dusting off their old jersey, stretching it over their protruding gut and saving their money for the pub on Sundays shouting at the TV.

Wouldn’t expect any less from such a fickle bunch. Hopefully they start to drop back down the table soon, for the League of Ireland’s sake.

thatsmighty

Soccer being played on every school playground in Ireland

Feenix

thatsmighty wrote: »

Soccer being played on every school playground in Ireland

That’s mighty

For Forks Sake

Omackeral wrote: »

Lee Chin played hurling, football and soccer for Wexford sure!

Sometimes in the same week

tastyt

[Deleted User] wrote: »

As a Kilkenny man, I had the same issue with regards to supporting Waterford. I've been to plenty of their games over the years but couldn't quite reconcile supporting Kilkenny in GAA and Waterford in soccer.

So while I keep the odd eye on how they're doing, I don't actively support them and my weekend mood doesn't teeter on a Waterford result.

This is such a bigger issue than people realise . Even if they don’t know it a lot of people have a county tribal feeling that they have been listening to since primary school, primarily thorough GAA.

There’s a lot of people who would love a league of Ireland team to support but as said above it doesn’t feel right supporting Waterford if from Kilkenny, Sligo or Galway if from Mayo , Limerick if you are from Tipp etc

Now you can call it stupid and say teams in these areas wouldn’t work , and they wouldn’t work overnight but it’s a long road to fix our football problem.

Our culture is a county colours/pride one in so many areas whether we like it or not. The majority of people will not support a team from a different county

Muahahaha

Mad_maxx wrote: »

i was at a bledisloe cup game between the all blacks and Australia over twenty years ago in Christchurch , atmosphere would be better at a junior B GAA club match

probably down to kiwi dourness

Funny that Ive seen the All Blacks play twice and the atmosphere was superb. First time was v Australia in Sydney at the new Olympic stadium in 2000, 110,000 people at it which is still a world record attendance for a rugby game. Will never forget Jonah Lomus performance, he was a beast. Second time was 2003 in Dunedins stadium 'the House of Pain' which is known as a fortress and the atmosphere was electric.

cms88 wrote: »

This is something i can never understand anf it's only said about GAA. You never hear someone who went to England to play soccer when they were young and it may not have worked out as being watsted to the GAA or anyone else

I think when people say playing GAA 'is a waste' what they are really referring to is a talented player putting all that dedication and hours in for little to no money when they might have went down the rugby or football route and made a proper living out of it. The GAA themselves have acknowledged they have lost players to rugby because of the money.

What a lot of people dont know as well is that there is a tax scheme for Irish rugby players whereby they can spend their career here and get a huge refund on a lot of the tax they pay at the end of it. Theres rugby lads who are earning 2-3 million euro over their career, pay half of it in tax but then at the end of it they get a whopping big cheque off Revenue as a refund which sets them up for the next stage of their life.

A GAA lad putting in similar hours has very little earning power in comparison, the top lads might get a few personal sponsorships but so do the top lads in rugby too anyway as well as a free car. Plus when a rugby career is over they can easily get parachuted into very well paying jobs with the companies who sponsor the teams (banking, insurance, Big 4 consultancies etc) whereas the GAA lad continues on as a teacher or Garda.

Thelonious Monk

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

usually mixed with tedious republican politics

Never seen anything remotely republican at LOI games, I hate all that stuff

IAMAMORON

I think a bit much is made of the competition from Rugby and GAA. I mean players will play whatever game they prefer at the time.

I remember when Dublin couldn't win an All Ireland. Lots of Dubs bemoaning the fact that soccer and rugby had robbed them of their best players. Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, Brian O'Driscoll, Denis Hickey even dudes like Johnny Sexton were all being blamed for Dublin not being able to win an All Ireland. Fast forward 10 years and all of a sudden the Dubs can't lose one. Seemingly soccer is now the big victim.

Cards on the table here, I know I quite enjoy bashing soccer, primarily Irish people who support the premiership. But I can live with it. Despite the fact that they are wasting their time both physically and emotionally. I actually miss having mammoth, hours long kick arounds on the playing fields during summer evenings. I enjoyed playing the game.

But watching tulips with Liverpool or Man U jerseys shouting at a television down the local really winds me up bigtime. What are you phucking doing , I mean really, please cop the phuck on?

IAMAMORON

I think the League of Arlan also suffers from an innate inverse snobbery which has it rotten to the core. It has almost developed into a form of unhealthy smugness. It lingers like an aura around its' disgruntled begrudging fans.

They are hell bent on supporting the game with a distinct chip on their shoulder, like it is some sort of a penance they have to serve for a few hours on their Friday night. I mean social distance is actually something that is not all that uncommon at your average LOI match.

If you ever get talking to a Pats, Hoops or Shels fan it is almost as if you are not worthy to talk to them about their relinquished plight? They kind of wallow in their pain and implore your sympathy. " Ah shore, we could gomplain yeknow but nowanna phuggin listen " .... your dam right I won't listen, that jersey didn't get a wash from last week either the bang of Bo off it ye smelly chunt,

Good luck.

Mad_maxx

thatsmighty wrote: »

Soccer being played on every school playground in Ireland

of course , we always played soccer at breaktime in both primary and secondary , never GAA , same story with us playing indoor soccer in my twenties every Wednesday after work , different story when it came to official organised matches , GAA dominated

participation numbers doesnt taken into account that fact that a kick around with your mates isnt organised sport

EmmetSpiceland

IAMAMORON wrote: »

If you ever get talking to a Pats, Hoops or Shels fan it is almost as if you are not worthy to talk to them about their relinquished plight? They kind of wallow in their pain and implore your sympathy. " Ah shore, we could gomplain yeknow but nowanna phuggin listen " .... your dam right I won't listen, that jersey didn't get a wash from last week either the bang of Bo off it ye smelly chunt.

Fair point(s), I, but if I’m honest, I’ve always found the Pats and, in particular, Shels fans to be fairly sound.

Contrast that with Rovers and, in particular, Bohs fans, though. Insufferable, and aggressive, would be the most accurate “terms” I’d apply to them. Best avoided, especially at the bar.

Omackeral

IAMAMORON wrote: »

If you ever get talking to a Pats, Hoops or Shels fan it is almost as if you are not worthy to talk to them about their relinquished plight? They kind of wallow in their pain and implore your sympathy. " Ah shore, we could gomplain yeknow but nowanna phuggin listen " .... your dam right I won't listen, that jersey didn't get a wash from last week either the bang of Bo off it ye smelly chunt,

Are they Jamaican?

Strumms

Mad_maxx wrote: »

huge number of Aston Villa fans or at least used to be , West Ham to a lesser extent , both very big clubs admittedly from a supporter standpoint

I know two Villa fans here, first guy 41 or 42 now...He starting supporting them in the 92/93 season as he was an ABU and Villa were vying with United for the title.... used to have nice bit of banter with him that season he was convinced until villa fell about 7 points behind that the title would be theirs, it almost killed him.

Second guy is about 65 now and lived in Birmingham for a couple of years in his 20’s.

I had an Irish swimming coach in my teens, Tony that professed to support Barnet. Think it was a windup but he used to know pre internet days some mad barnet facts and statistics... or at least he’d tell us they were facts.

NewbridgeIR

Omackeral wrote: »

Always interested in the outliers. What made you support them?

I know a couple who started following Southampton in 1983-1984 season - when they were league runners-up.

Quite a few Nottingham Forest fans who were 8 - 10 years old when they had the great success in 1978-1980.

Plenty Leeds fans in Ireland who are hitting 60 now and still talk about the team of the early 70s.

FA Cup finals were much bigger then and got people interested / following teams. My cousin's interest in Manchester City began with the 1969 FA Cup final. Because he was into them, I got interested a few years later in the Malcolm Allison era.

Spurs picked up a few in 1981/82 etc. And my next door neighbour became a Wimbledon fan in 1988 and never looked back

Stihl waters

Hamsterchops wrote: »

You wish.

GAA heads call it soccer so that Garlic Football (basically handball) gets the football moniker

You'll find in countries with their own brand of football such as America, Australia and countries like New Zealand who have rugby they'll call it soccer, I've never heard any irish person call it football, they may call football Gaa but will always refer to soccer as soccer

Lost Ormond

Muahahaha wrote: »

I think when people say playing GAA 'is a waste' what they are really referring to is a talented player putting all that dedication and hours in for little to no money when they might have went down the rugby or football route and made a proper living out of it. The GAA themselves have acknowledged they have lost players to rugby because of the money.

What a lot of people dont know as well is that there is a tax scheme for Irish rugby players whereby they can spend their career here and get a huge refund on a lot of the tax they pay at the end of it. Theres rugby lads who are earning 2-3 million euro over their career, pay half of it in tax but then at the end of it they get a whopping big cheque off Revenue as a refund which sets them up for the next stage of their life.

A GAA lad putting in similar hours has very little earning power in comparison, the top lads might get a few personal sponsorships but so do the top lads in rugby too anyway as well as a free car. Plus when a rugby career is over they can easily get parachuted into very well paying jobs with the companies who sponsor the teams (banking, insurance, Big 4 consultancies etc) whereas the GAA lad continues on as a teacher or Garda.

I wouldnt say its about all the hours that the GAA players put in for no monetary return as a waste but the waste of talent for so many other sports because there isnt the facilties and more importantly the opportunity to try most sports.
There isnt that many irish rugby players earning near 2-3 million in their career. Most earn far less than that. The average pro rugby career is only about 7 years and for most of that 7 years you will be in academy or on very small development or full contracts

IAMAMORON wrote: »

I think the League of Arlan also suffers from an innate inverse snobbery which has it rotten to the core. It has almost developed into a form of unhealthy smugness. It lingers like an aura around its' disgruntled begrudging fans.

They are hell bent on supporting the game with a distinct chip on their shoulder, like it is some sort of a penance they have to serve for a few hours on their Friday night. I mean social distance is actually something that is not all that uncommon at your average LOI match.

If you ever get talking to a Pats, Hoops or Shels fan it is almost as if you are not worthy to talk to them about their relinquished plight? They kind of wallow in their pain and implore your sympathy. " Ah shore, we could gomplain yeknow but nowanna phuggin listen " .... your dam right I won't listen, that jersey didn't get a wash from last week either the bang of Bo off it ye smelly chunt,

Good luck.

Quite a few do have a chip on the shoulder but would you blame them?

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

I know a couple who started following Southampton in 1983-1984 season - when they were league runners-up.

Quite a few Nottingham Forest fans who were 8 - 10 years old when they had the great success in 1978-1980.

Plenty Leeds fans in Ireland who are hitting 60 now and still talk about the team of the early 70s.

FA Cup finals were much bigger then and got people interested / following teams. My cousin's interest in Manchester City began with the 1969 FA Cup final. Because he was into them, I got interested a few years later in the Malcolm Allison era.

Spurs picked up a few in 1981/82 etc. And my next door neighbour became a Wimbledon fan in 1988 and never looked back

Would agree with that. Nearly all friends i have who support Leeds do because their parents did in the 70s...

Breezin

Festive Life wrote: »

Would agree with that. Nearly all friends i have who support Leeds do because their parents did in the 70s...

I support follow Leeds because I supported followed them in the 70s! Marching on together -- forever!


I support Bohemians, which stands accused above of inverse snobbery. What a load of stinky codswallop. :rolleyes:


We've multiplied our attendances by a factor of 3 or 4 over the last few seasons, with many sellout games. I've seen no one objecting. We even let in people from Meath! :eek::pac:

Did you smash it

I would say about Dalymount and 6k being adequate... people don’t seem to understand that is you have a new stadium with good facilities that that becomes an attraction bigger than the football for a lot of people.

Does everyone who goes dog racing be enchanted by the spectacle of dogs chasing a mechanic hare.

weldoninhio

FTA69 wrote: »

I remember reading an article before that laid the problem facing us. Irish soccer is still geared toward the English leagues, and we send over umpteen teenagers every year for trials. These teenagers are often far behind their counterparts in other countries in terms of training hours and physical development. Something ridiculous like 95% of these teenagers wash out after a year and the vast majority of them never play soccer again. On top of that the Premier League can now draw players from all over the world, Africa and the like, which just wasn’t the case in the 1990s to the same degree.

Where we should be cultivating our young papers in a domestic league we end up scrapheaping them in England at a very young age. On top of that the domestic league is poorly managed by the FAI and unfortunately poorly supported by the majority of Irish soccer “fans”.

I’m not an expert on soccer by any means but it’s an analysis that made a lot of sense to me.

Brexit has brought the PL back to where it was in the 90s. Massive red tape to bring players in from abroad.

Bobblehats

Did you smash it wrote: »

I would say about Dalymount and 6k being adequate... people don’t seem to understand that is you have a new stadium with good facilities that that becomes an attraction bigger than the football for a lot of people.

Does everyone who goes dog racing be enchanted by the spectacle of dogs chasing a mechanic hare.

I only went to the dogs for the scampi & chips. Better be good tucker is all I can say! Fancy crappers, etc. Pints that pull themselves? Can’t see them flocking to the library...

weldoninhio

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I remember hearing about this bloody stadium upgrade in the 90s, it will never happen.

Hopefully. It’s great to see Woke FC play in a crumbling stadium.

EmmetSpiceland

Breezin wrote: »

We've multiplied our attendances by a factor of 3 or 4 over the last few seasons, with many sellout games. I've seen no one objecting. We even let in people from Meath! :eek::pac:

Do you fear for these attendances now that United are top of the English league?

I know there was a sort of “hipster” crowd that started going to LoI awhile back but it really seemed to take off, particularly with Bohs and Rovers, once Man United went shíte.

That all could change now. Hopefully it won’t but we’ll only see if United keep up their recent “form” and crowds are allowed back into the grounds next year.

weldoninhio

Omackeral wrote: »

About 15 years too late there friend. They died.

In fairness, Cork have died 3/4 times too

Omackeral

Omackeral wrote: »

About 15 years too late there friend. They died.

Sadly so.

Shakey_jake

Not to get too off topic but if any organisation deserves to have a permanent stadium built its cricket ireland

Yes cricket something we are relatively decent at and would be on par with soccer in terms of global interest.

Ill also add that its ran extremely well compared to the fai

Breezin

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Do you fear for these attendances now that United are top of the English league?

I know there was a sort of “hipster” crowd that started going to LoI awhile back but it really seemed to take off, particularly with Bohs and Rovers, once Man United went shíte.

That all could change now. Hopefully it won’t but we’ll only see if United keep up their recent “form” and crowds are allowed back into the grounds next year.

Hmm. I can't see that link. I wouldn't equate ManU people with hipsters anyway. Also, I don't see why following domestic and English/global football are mutually exclusive. I think the opposition and hostility is a minority sentiment that gets magnified because it's seen as entertaining, but there's no reason why someone who mostly follows ManU on the box can't enjoy the utterly distinct appeal of live football at Dalymount.

Omackeral

weldoninhio wrote: »

Hopefully. It’s great to see Woke FC play in a crumbling stadium.

Main stand is fine with 3 bars underneath. It’s only the away team’s fans that have to deal with crumbling bits. Sad.

Omackeral

Breezin wrote: »

Hmm. I can't see that link.

Ah stop, he’s been beating that drum for years and it’s based on nothing except a scenario that’s played out in his head. It’s aggressive marketing from the club in the community that’s done the trick mostly. It’s selling the experience of a night out with the lads, a family evening or a groundhopper destination. Any given week there’s a stag from the UK over or some German or Dutch tourists. They love the old school feel of the place.

Seve OB

Stihl waters wrote: »

England = football
Ireland = soccer

Hamsterchops wrote: »

You wish.

GAA heads call it soccer so that Garlic Football (basically handball) gets the football moniker

GAA = Bogball

Football = Football............. well because you play it with your feet I guess!!!

American Football = ......... well the yanks are a strange breed, a good game, but it sure as hell ain't football

fryup

Stihl waters wrote: »

England = football
Ireland = soccer

or more to the point....

UK its football

Gaelic Ireland its Soccer

Omackeral

fryup wrote: »

or more to the point....

UK its football

Gaelic Ireland its Soccer

Or another way to look at it. 99% of the countries on earth call it football.

Bobblehats

Seve OB wrote: »

American Football = ......... well the yanks are a strange breed, a good game, but it sure as hell ain't football

Grid Iron would be a more suitable title for that game. But, they just have to insist they had their their own version of whatever and thus soccer was born in the process! Yea, sock to me momma!

fryup

Omackeral wrote: »

Or another way to look at it. 99% of the countries on earth call it football.

Well apart from North America, Australia and gaelic catholic Ireland...so about 92%

Omackeral

fryup wrote: »

Well North America, Australia and gaelic catholic Ireland...so about 92%

Gaelic catholic Ireland haha! Oh and that’s just a tad under 98% if you wanna get pedantic!

WesternZulu

Omackeral wrote: »

Or another way to look at it. 99% of the countries on earth call it football.

Or another way to look at it is that 100% of countries on earth who have their own indigenous code of football call it soccer.

Omackeral

WesternZulu wrote: »

Or another way to look at it is that 100% of countries on earth who have their own indigenous code of football call it soccer.

I just emailed the Football Association of Ireland to tell them they’ve got it wrong.

Tbf, I think soccer and football can be used interchangeably. I wouldn’t get all that hung up on it. You can tell by context what people are talking about. But going as of one is superior to the other from a naming point of view is daft.

Feenix

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Do you fear for these attendances now that United are top of the English league?

I know there was a sort of “hipster” crowd that started going to LoI awhile back but it really seemed to take off, particularly with Bohs and Rovers, once Man United went shíte.

That all could change now. Hopefully it won’t but we’ll only see if United keep up their recent “form” and crowds are allowed back into the grounds next year.

You've mentioned this twice now and I still dont know if you're taking the piss or not.

Omackeral

Feenix wrote: »

You've mentioned this twice now and I still dont know if you're taking the piss or not.

He’s been saying it “ad nauseum” for about 2 years. He just “spams” these ideas he gets in his head much like he “spams” the famous “quotation marks”.

EmmetSpiceland

Breezin wrote: »

Hmm. I can't see that link. I wouldn't equate ManU people with hipsters anyway. Also, I don't see why following domestic and English/global football are mutually exclusive..

Sorry, B. I meant the hipsters had started attending before United flopped. But then the attendances really took off during the post-Ferguson years.

You’re right, it’s not mutually exclusive. Not at all. It’s just that the majority of ex-Man United fans I’ve seen have simply dropped their English club stating they don’t like how commercialised the EPL is, live soccer is “purer” and they want to support local. While supporting Bohs even if they’d be closer to UCD or Pats.

Feenix wrote: »

You've mentioned this twice now and I still dont know if you're taking the piss or not.

Do you not see a connection? I noticed it first in work when a couple of Liverpool fans were looking to “gloat” over the United fans in the office after their champions league win. These people had suddenly stopped “following” EPL.

Knew a few, very “vocal”, United fans myself, outside of work, who were the same. They were LoI now, rugby only, one now is into NFL and another, get this, “follows” cricket. Very fickle, if you ask me.

As someone who’s followed a team through highs and lows I found it very disappointing. These guys got more “enjoyment” from their team than any others but once the team start to play terribly they just “ditch” them.

Anyway, as someone who would like to see more “support” for the LoI, I do hope that these record attendances continue and if that means United falling further from grace so be it. I would still have fears that if such a fickle group flocked “en masse” so easily that they could, just as easily, go the other way.

Iscreamkone

Did you smash it wrote: »

It’s a huge factor in Ireland squad selection. Hence Ireland effectively has a much bigger population than the 4.9 Irish residents within the country. It’s non existent in Denmark.

That was the point.

Kasper Schmeichal is English I think

beachhead

Did you smash it wrote: »

Reading on RTE.ie that the public purse will be used to fund a white water rafting complex in the ifsc to the tune of 25 million.

This while “the home of Irish football” Dalymount park is a half condemned ruin.

It amuses me that people think Ireland is a football country because it has the highest participation rate of any sport.

Truth is we have no football economy really beyond a really small time one and no matter what the FAI do they’ll never have the ability to upgrade it as there is no financial investment or wealth in football in the country.

The public’s investment in football amounts to sky sports subscriptions and trips cross channel.

We live in a gaga country.Sorry that's Gaelic and Hurling.The government recognises that by pouring money into the GAA coffers without being asked for it

Hamsterchops

WesternZulu wrote: »

Or another way to look at it is that 100% of countries on earth who have their own indigenous code of football call it soccer.

Or football, as we call it here.

GAA "football" involves a lot of handball

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Omackeral wrote: »

Or another way to look at it. 99% of the countries on earth call it football.

Koreans call it "kick ball".

Did you smash it

fryup wrote: »

Well apart from North America, Australia and gaelic catholic Ireland...so about 92%

beachhead wrote: »

We live in a gaga country.Sorry that's Gaelic and Hurling.The government recognises that by pouring money into the GAA coffers without being asked for it

They do but that’s because GAA raise a **** load for the exchequer because of the massive crowds that attend matches.

The GAA economy is worth a pretty penny for tax man.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Bobblehats wrote: »

Grid Iron would be a more suitable title for that game. But, they just have to insist they had their their own version of whatever and thus soccer was born in the process! Yea, sock to me momma!

The term "soccer" originated in the UK and was once commonly used there, although they hate to admit this.

Fr Tod Umptious

Bobblehats wrote: »

Grid Iron would be a more suitable title for that game. But, they just have to insist they had their their own version of whatever and thus soccer was born in the process! Yea, sock to me momma!

No it wasn't

The use of the word soccer goes back over 100 years
It come from Association, and was used to distinguish Association (soccer) football from Rugby (rugger) football seeing as both had their origins in roughly the same.

Incidentally the use of the word soccer was widespread in the UK up to the mid 20th century as described in this piece

https://time.com/5335799/soccer-word-origin-england/

moslo

Seve OB wrote: »

GAA = Bogball

Football = Football............. well because you play it with your feet I guess!!!

American Football = ......... well the yanks are a strange breed, a good game, but it sure as hell ain't football

Except when the ball is thrown into play, is headed, chested or caught. Not sure if there's any game that's played solely with the feet but I'm happy to be corrected.

fryup

fryup wrote: »

Well apart from North America, Australia and gaelic catholic Ireland...so about 92%

Omackeral wrote: »

Gaelic catholic Ireland haha!

well you know what i mean, up north for instance Proddy Unionists call it football and catholic nationalists call it soccer

Hamsterchops

moslo wrote: »

Except when the ball is thrown into play, is headed, chested or caught. Not sure if there's any game that's played solely with the feet but I'm happy to be corrected.

Well football is mostly played with the feet, hence football.

+ the odd header . . .

'GOAL'