How to attract Polish to go to Ireland games.

A very hard task, and it will take time. The parents themselves obviously have their loyalty to their own national side and clubteam. They may very well be somewhat sympathetic to our national side, but not enough to be supporting it in any similar manner than how they support their own.

The passion will have to come from their children growing up here who will perhaps have the same passion as we have. In a similar way to myself, also having 2 national teams to support passionately.

Even then, the reality is that only a minority of immigrants and their offspring support the national team of the land they live in/were born in.
Look at examples in the UK, Germany, France and Holland, where immigration has been around for much longer than in Ireland. Speaking from experience here, the percentage of 1st/2nd or even 3rd generation non-nationals attending international games is very low. Teams like Turkey, Morocco etc are hugely supported here by the Turkish and Moroccan ethnic groups, even though their children and even grandchildren have been born here since the 50's and 60's. They still proudly support their 'native' land even though they themselves and sometimes even their parents were born here in The Netherlands. This is of course similar in a way to that of our own diaspora, that still passionately support Ireland even though they themselves or even their parents were born in Ireland. And not all of those proudly support the land where they were born or raised. 

DeclanDaly wrote: That's definitely an issue, but there is a slightly different dynamic with Ireland. There is no colonial legacy for starters. Foreign parentage never stopped Noe Baba, Carel Tiofack, kwame Ampadu, or others playing for us. Eamon Zayed would probably have chosen us before Libya if we had chosen him/he had progressed. In general we have a good record for keeping these lads in green, it's just that none have made the breakthrough to the senior side so there has not been much attention on the matter.

The Poles only started coming here just over ten years ago. IMO this generation still has very strong patriotic feeling towards Poland itself, as seen by the huge turnout on sunday. I think we can encourage the next generation to follow Ireland as im sure having grown up here a higher proportion of them will consider themselves to be 'irish'. The fact i think remains that they are Poland supporters first and foremost and if Poland are on the box at the same time we're playing in the Aviva theyll be watching the tv.

Similar religon, culture (drink) (family) are also positives for Eastern Europeans integrating in Ireland more so than Muslims, Hindus etc in the UK, France and Germany.

And without being racist - colour.

Edited by Gary McKay - 31 Mar 2015 at 2:18pm

MayoMark wrote: Add Thierry Baba to that list as well, named, again, in the Irish u15 side

Great name.
Would love him to score with his hand against France in 8/10 years time.

Edited by Gary McKay - 31 Mar 2015 at 2:22pm

Gary McKay wrote: MayoMark wrote: Add Thierry Baba to that list as well, named, again, in the Irish u15 side Great name. Would love him to score with his hand against France in 8/10 years time.

d13dave wrote: i think folks who have come to Ireland by in large have bought into Ireland and we in turn have welcomed them and made them feel at home. I genuinely think we will see lots of immigrants first and second generation turn out in the green jersey in the years to come. Already lots of african and polish kids with foreign names but Irish accents in Dublin. This will have a positive impact on us on the pitch i am sure of it. I do think it is unlikely that their parents will go to Irish international games regularly and passionately support the team though. We will be there 2nd team behind Ghana, Poland etc I reckon their is an age cut off here. If i moved to England when i was under 10 i reckon there would be a chance i would class myself as English of Irish heritage and support England. If i moved to England when i was 15 i would very much class myself as Irish living in England and it would not be up for debate no way i would support England.

Nope Dave not a chance as my family moved over the Englnad when i was 3 and a half and i have only ever been Irish, 100% sure i was never English

Edited by Claret Murph - 31 Mar 2015 at 3:20pm

I'v bought 3 season tickets.And go support Ireland with my kids.I don't go mad like when I'm watching Slovakia playing but can give them shout here and there.Kids are half Irish,they were born here and want to play for Ireland.And the thing is that here in Roscommon there are 40+ kids at  gaelic (u8) and hardly 15 at soccer (u8).And majority of those playing soccer are not Irish...polish,brazilians.There isn't even a football team in Roscommon Town anymore (used to be 2) except one made of brazilians !!And the infrastructure is very poor compare to gaelic.

kevincronin2000 wrote: Often wondered would it be worth a shout for some of the bigger league of ireland clubs to sign a polish player from their league, not sure what kind of money some squad / fringe player from lech poznan or leigia Warsaw would command even if they could get someone in on loan.

Remember Alex Ludzic playing for Cark in the past...