We’re not Brasil we’re Tuaisceart Éireann

People in the 26 counties need to take their heads out of their behinds regarding the 6 counties. Most have never set foot in the North so how could someone have an opinion on life there.  People in the 6 counties should do likewise as they never rarely set foot in the South. There is peace now thank heavens so lets build on the peace not the past.

JD & Coke wrote: Im sure some of their fans know a thing or 2 about it , or their fathers or uncles.

And that would stand up in any Court of Law you care to mention!

So you're right, it was me planted all those bombs and shot all those people. I did it at half time, when no-one else was looking.

Meanwhile, no ROI fan could so much as pick Gerry Adams out of an identity parade of one...

JD & Coke wrote: Territorial , would the North fan base consist of even 10% Nationalist ?

Well it all depends by what you mean by "support".

That is, there are supporters who never miss a game, ones who will go occasionally (maybe with a mate), ones who might go but can't (for whatever reason) and those who don't actually go to games but "support" on TV etc. [And there may be a few who supported us when we played England, though I believe rather more may actually have supported the hated oppressor over us, barmy as that seems!]

Obviously I have no way of knowing the breakdown, but there was an academic survey done a while back (turn of the century?) which revealed that 9% of the attendances at NI games were from the Nationalist community.

This roughly coincided with my own guess.

As for the present, with the political situation having eased somewhat since then, the demographics of the stadium environs having changed and the fortunes of the team taking an upturn etc, I suspect the present percentage must be at least as high. (The whole Darron Gibson/Eligibility row having cooled may also reduce tensions, whilst the Neil Lennon thing becomes more distant, too.)

As for the future, I am cautiously hopeful that the percentage can be improved upon. For one thing, the continued good work of the IFA's "Football For All" programme can only help, as does the involvement of Michael O'Neill and Jim Magilton etc.

And if younger people in NI should ever distance themselves from politics (both sides) the way they do elsewhere, then maybe fewer will automatically associate their politics with football the way many do in NI.

And without meaning to accuse people of being "band waggoners", it must have been easier for potential NI fans in the 90's and 00's to drop any affection they had for the team when we were crap, and transfer to ROI when you were flying (esp kids).

So that if the cycle should turn back in our favour, as it usually does, then we may be the ones picking up support from all quarters for a while, whilst ROI spends a period in the doldrums.

(Indulge me on that last one - to be a genuine NI fan, you've got to be a bit of an optimist!)

Edited by Territorial - 16 Jun 2015 at 7:17pm

irishmufc wrote: What?! First of all the name of the team is Northern Ireland, a British statelet in Ireland.This is a matter of fact not opinion. They are representing Northern Ireland.

They represent the IFA and are called "Northern Ireland", just as your team represents the FAI and are called "Republic of Ireland".

Trying to pin the ills of NI (political) upon the NI team (footballing) is simply not rational or reasonable.

You really should try to get out of that little bubble of yours whereby you seem to see everything through the prism of your political preferences and prejudices.

It's a football team we're talking about here, no more, no less.

irishmufc wrote: I've never really had any negative experiences if any anytime I've been in Northern Ireland.

Then why are you so hostile to the NI football team?
You don't have to support it, you don't have to play for it, and it doesn't impinge upon your team in any way (even though yours does so upon ours).

irishmufc wrote: I reserve my scorn for people like Tom Elliot, Jim Allistersauros, Gregory Campbell etc etc.

Tbh, I'm not too keen upon them myself (understatement!), but wtf have they got to do with the NI football team?

Why do you bring them into this thread?

I mean, the NI Sports Minister, Sinn Fein's Caral ni Chuilin, recently mentioned that she's rooting for the ROI team, but so what?

irishmufc wrote: I'm in no way anglophobic or anti British. My favourite music, club team,comedies,writers etc etc are mostly British. I'm anti British colonialism whether it's in this country or abroad.

Fine [bold]

But why do you appear to think the NI football team is some sort of instrument of British colonialism?

irishmufc wrote: Being anti Unionist is a pitiful disagreement, it's not personal or sectarian as you are deliberately trying to paint me as. I'm neither Catholic or Protestant and I'm no less Irish for it. It's the usual tunnel vision Unionists like yourself employ in arguments such as this.

I'm not in the least bit interested in your politics. (and you really have no idea about mine, btw).

But I have to wonder about the thought processes that cause you to jump from a mere mention of the NI football team to this diatribe, with scarcely pause to draw breath:
"My take on the whole Northern Ireland football team. It's nothing personal against the fans, players and the manager.
I wouldn't support any Irishman that wants to play for a supplanted British statelet on this Island. What good has the statelet of Northern Ireland brought apart from the turmoil of the civil war and the later troubles. Thousands of people killed.
The problem with our Irish Unionist chums is they'll always be prepared condemn murderous acts committed by the IRA without trying to address the root causes behind them.
Northern Ireland as a British statelet should be consigned to the history book. Sadly it won't be in our lifetime and we've to live with partition."

Bizarre.

irishmufc wrote: It's the usual tunnel vision Unionists like yourself employ in arguments such as this.

Er, you are the one posting history lessons and expressing political opinions.

All I've done is stand up for my football team, and its right to compete in the European Championships....

Oh well.

Don't bother JD&C..most don't reply to his look at me posts anymore. 

JD & Coke wrote: Landon maybe you should watch that programe that was on RTE 1 last night and see if you will cheer them on then next summer.

The Northern Ireland football team were involved in collusion?

Newryrep wrote: irishmufc wrote: Why do you think there was a civil war in this country if not for the creation of Northern Ireland? Eh ? there was civil war over the treaty specifically the oath of allegiance and the lack of a republic, the north was an afterthought though to be fair both sides thought it was only a matter of time that the 6 were returned

The issue of partitionism was part of the Treaty NR and not as much an afterthought as you're trying to imply. I do agree that both sides as in the British Government and Irish probably thought it was a matter of time.

Territorial , would the North fan base consist of even 10% Nationalist ?

Territorial wrote: irishmufc wrote: My take on the whole Northern Ireland football team. It's nothing personal against the fans, players and the manager. I wouldn't support any Irishman that wants to play for a supplanted British statelet on this Island. What good has the statelet of Northern Ireland brought apart from the turmoil of the civil war and the later troubles. Thousands of people killed. The problem with our Irish Unionist chums is they'll always be prepared condemn murderous acts committed by the IRA without trying to address the root causes behind them. Northern Ireland as a British statelet should be consigned to the history book. Sadly it won't be in our lifetime and we've to live with partition. Two points. First of all, you don't have to "support" anyone - there are no Eligibility criteria for fans, just players. And second, those of your fellow Irishmen whom you scorn (though not "personally", aye, like f**k), are not playing for "a supplanted British statelet etc", they're representing the Irish Football Association. As for the rest of your post, it is just another anti-Prod, anti-Unionist, anti-Brit rant, which has nothing to do with the NI football team and adds nothing to the debate. So seeing as this is a football forum, why don't you get back to supporting your British footballing favourites in Manchester....

What?!

First of all the name of the team is Northern Ireland, a British statelet in Ireland.This is a matter of fact not opinion. They are representing Northern Ireland.

I've never really had any negative experiences if any anytime I've been in Northern Ireland. I reserve my scorn for people like Tom Elliot, Jim Allistersauros, Gregory Campbell etc etc.

I'm in no way anglophobic or anti British. My favourite music, club team,comedies,writers etc etc are mostly British. I'm anti British colonialism whether it's in this country or abroad.

Being anti Unionist is a pitiful disagreement, it's not personal or sectarian as you are deliberately trying to paint me as. I'm neither Catholic or Protestant and I'm no less Irish for it.

It's the usual tunnel vision Unionists like yourself employ in arguments such as this.

Edited by irishmufc - 16 Jun 2015 at 5:15pm