Long Way Back For FAI

Just like a fine wine Baldie as i am a cork sort of person , where you will always be the screw type that's if you can ever understand how the screw thing works  Mid 50s is the place to be  just getting better with age .

The band wagon only fills up around periods of success.

Friendlies are a wast of time to watch. Even the players barley show up and if they do they dont bust a gut unless they maybe are making a debut and trying to prove a point. The opposition will have the same attitude, it makes for a dull game.

Rugby Freindlies are different in comparison cos largely the best team will be put out and will give it socks. Also the Irish Rubgy team has 5 competitive matches a year ( of which 2 or 3 are at home) in a tournament over a short period of time. Their is immediate excitment about it.

Football competitive games are sporadically spread out over a 18 month period... even the process is dragged out, no immediate buzz about it.

Rugby tends to be all action, Football not always. More instant gratification for the floating viewer. Plus the awards system for their tries and kicks... 7. In soccer just the one...

They are a couple of reasons I suggest that the floating viewer is more into rugby at times...

Personally speaking, sit me down for 90 mins of football any day.

Not sure what you mean by the "floating viewer" - is that not a bit derogatory? I`m a complete sportshound and follow everything from hurling to footie to rugby. I played all 3, along with gaelic football, snooker and golf, and hand on heart footie has always been my favourite game.

There are loads like me out there in this sportsmad nation and when it comes to international team sports, the Irish sports fan is looking for expressions of pride in wearing the green jersey. John "The Bull" Hayes, a Limerick farmer and Munster prop, wept during the national anthem when we played England in Croker a few years ago. This struck a huge chord with Irish sports fans, who were used to seeing some of our national footie team either tight-lipped or uncomfortably mouthing the words to the national anthem.

Shane Long recently signed with Hull and is on a wage of 40 grand a week - more than I earn in a year. Stephen Ireland spent 120 grand on building an aquarium (fish tank) in his mansion. I`m finding it very hard to relate to these guys and sometimes I feel that they can be barely arsed to show up for an international friendly.   

Growing up in Ireland, where the word "football" is synonymous with gaelic games, (which I once played), I`m not left with too many alternatives to describe association football.

The word footie isnt ideal but it`s easily better than the word soccer, imo. Soccer for me just conjures up images of the American Mom, calling up the stairs to her two young lads: "I`ll be waiting outside in the automobile, guys, you`ve got Soccer Camp in 45 minutes".

As for John Hayes being moved to tears during the national anthem, prior to a rugby international at Croker, my point is that our football/footie/soccer internationals have lost that emotional pride in playing for their country. Staunton, Quinny, Keane and Given gave it socks, but the current crop of molly-coddled millionaires seem to turn up for ROI games more out of a sense of duty than any real passion to wear the green jersey. I hope I`m wrong...