Division: The Irish Soccer Split

Not just a 10000 word response, an unnecessary 10000 word response with several brackets, winkey faces, grandad jokes, often in unnecessary brackets, an unnecessary picture and possible attempts at mocking accents. 

Morning all. I haven't seen the film yet (doesn't seem to be on youtube), but I suppose could knock out 1,000 words while you wait for Terri to show...

...but there's little point. I'd just be repeating old stuff, which others above have already covered ;)

This isn't about 'blazers'. Partly because many/ most of them are unpaid volunteers who do it because they enjoy the game. More importantly, as mentioning them at all implies that the much larger mass of fans are either relaxed about ending the split, or would even welcome it. There isn't a shred of evidence among NI fans and wider Unionist public opinion of this happening in the foreseeable future.

What there is is widespread and mainstream public support in the South- so that for example, RTE's poll in November 2017 showed 73% in favor of an all-Ireland side (presumably it was close to 100% for the all-Ireland and beyond one you already have).  Such polls are based on a dishonesty- people claiming their support assumes similar backing from NI fans, although with any background knowledge at all they'll know that's absent. They are basically playing dumb in order to avoid admitting their own bias/ prejudice. Which is what trying to abolish another team is.

Afternoon O'Shea. Briefly,

1 Repeating the same point-missing a thousand times doesn't add much to the discussion. Throwing in jargon about hybridization is just pretentious

2 I'm pretty certain that what most of that 73% survey response wants is an all-Ireland side with no continuing NI side,  the former playing all its matches in Dublin under a tric while Miggledy or whoever sings along to the Soldier's Song. Which obviously is neither an amalgamation nor mutual abolition. You could claim a new entity but NI fans (who are the only people you really need to convince) don't and wouldn't take you seriously

3 I'm not scaremongering because I don't need to. A single UI side won't happen without an end to partition in wider politics. I've said Brexit particularly makes that much more likely than before, but can't see it for at least 20- 25 years during which time both teams will continue

4 Actually I'm suggesting that the widespread bias/ prejudice is pretty open, even if people play dumb about it

5 Spare us  the 'subsuming the Prods with green-tinted Popery' waffle. It obviously isn't coming from me- lifelong atheist, Green Party member and activist, moved to and readily lived in  Dublin as a student, all of which mentioned on here regularly. I'm merely stressing to you that your daydream has about as much credibility as a ManU title bid. It reinforces my point that the biggest problem on here isn't bantz from the usual semi-anonymous trolls and halfwits, but intelligent and otherwise reasoning people with an obsession...