Roddy Doyle says the GAA is a bit of a con

[Itchy]

What's acceptable bandwagoning and not acceptable bandwagoning?

I live in Galway but will be supporting Waterford in the All-Ireland hurling final, despite having no Waterford connection whatsoever.

I'm a native of Dublin but will be supporting Mayo in the All-Ireland football final, despite having no Mayo connection whatsoever.

I follow Down in inter-county Gaelic football and have done since 1991 despite having no connection to the county.

I wanted Tyrone to beat my native Dublin last Sunday despite having no connection to that county.

Sid, you are a wierdo and are whats known as an outlier.

Down are an Irish team. Liverpool are an English team.

Many Irish people follow Liverpool, such as myself, and nobody says that's in any way weird.

So what's weird about following Down if you're not from there?

Is it weird to follow the San Francisco 49ers?

In GAA terms it is weird or are you claiming that Ireland is full of people following counties they have no connection to. It's a separate thing but I never got why some Irish people get so worked up about soccer teams in the uk. I enjoy a good game of soccer as much as anyone but I wouldn't be too bothered about who wins between two teams I've no connection to.

[sid waddell]

If that was all it was Jinxy you wold be correct but it wasn't just that. He said people only watch a GAA while there's no soccer on and it was a con job. I think that deserves to be challenged as it's clearly rubbish. If he just said he wasn't a fan then fair enough.

But that is the case with a lot of people.

And so fooking what?

No it's not. I've lived in a few different counties and I can't recall anyone who watched GAA as a stop gap until the soccer returned. Some were bigger soccer fans than GAA fans but none just watched GAA because   there was no soccer.

You haven't met many people, so.

There are even quite a lot of people nowadays who watch sport mainly as a vehicle for betting.

[RedHand88]

Does he have a point though, how do we have a following of about 12k max for the league and then.40k for semi.final of championship. I dont get it, how can jim.pat tom or mick from ballina or castlebar justify not going to league games but is there for the big games in croker.

Because it's more about the occasion, not the football, for them. And the drink. And because everyone else seems to be going. And it's about the drink.

It's the reason why there were scores of "party buses" going down from Tyrone last weekend but there won't be any for the McKenna cup first week of January. They can't resist the sun, the beer and the occasion. Half of them would have stayed in Quinn's all day and never went to the match itself.

[sid waddell]

What's acceptable bandwagoning and not acceptable bandwagoning?

I live in Galway but will be supporting Waterford in the All-Ireland hurling final, despite having no Waterford connection whatsoever.

I'm a native of Dublin but will be supporting Mayo in the All-Ireland football final, despite having no Mayo connection whatsoever.

I follow Down in inter-county Gaelic football and have done since 1991 despite having no connection to the county.

I wanted Tyrone to beat my native Dublin last Sunday despite having no connection to that county.

Sid, you are a wierdo and are whats known as an outlier.

Down are an Irish team. Liverpool are an English team.

Many Irish people follow Liverpool, such as myself, and nobody says that's in any way weird.

So what's weird about following Down if you're not from there?

Is it weird to follow the San Francisco 49ers?

In GAA terms it is weird or are you claiming that Ireland is full of people following counties they have no connection to. It's a separate thing but I never got why some Irish people get so worked up about soccer teams in the uk. I enjoy a good game of soccer as much as anyone but I wouldn't be too bothered about who wins between two teams I've no connection to.

Irish people have been getting "worked up" about UK association football teams since at least the 1950s. Partly because of Irish players, sometimes, due to links through emigration, but in latter decades mainly because they see them week in, week out on the television. And because it's one of the top leagues in the world.

There's nothing weird about it, and there's nothing weird about being emotionally invested in the outcome of a sporting event with which you have no direct connection.

Sport would be very dull and pointless if people didn't do so. In that case there'd be no point in watching the hurling final today, for instance.

If it's not weird to follow Liverpool, and it isn't, I don't see why it's weird to follow a county you don't come from.

Is it weird to want Connacht or Munster to beat Leinster in rugby if you come from Leinster? I do that too.

[Zulu]

If that was all it was Jinxy you wold be correct but it wasn't just that. He said people only watch a GAA while there's no soccer on and it was a con job. I think that deserves to be challenged as it's clearly rubbish. If he just said he wasn't a fan then fair enough.

But that is the case with a lot of people.

And so fooking what?

No it's not. I've lived in a few different counties and I can't recall anyone who watched GAA as a stop gap until the soccer returned. Some were bigger soccer fans than GAA fans but none just watched GAA because   there was no soccer.

You haven't met many people, so.

There are even quite a lot of people nowadays who watch sport mainly as a vehicle for betting.

I'm not saying there are none but Doyle claimed most people are just killing time in the summer watching GAA until the soccer is back, that's patently rubbish.

[RedHand88]

Yis realise Roddy has a new book out?

Father Dougal: I said I wouldn't know Ted, you big b0llocks! Father Ted: Have you been reading those Roddy Doyle books again, Dougal!?

[Main Street]

Is it not obvious that Roddy knows feck all about the GAA and doesn't know enough not to make stupid comments about it.

Btw, what soccer club in Dublin does Roddy support?

[moysider]

If that was all it was Jinxy you wold be correct but it wasn't just that. He said people only watch a GAA while there's no soccer on and it was a con job. I think that deserves to be challenged as it's clearly rubbish. If he just said he wasn't a fan then fair enough.

But that is the case with a lot of people.

And so fooking what?

No it's not. I've lived in a few different counties and I can't recall anyone who watched GAA as a stop gap until the soccer returned. Some were bigger soccer fans than GAA fans but none just watched GAA because   there was no soccer.

It is what it is. There are those that enjoy many sports but have a leaning towards one. I'd be like that with a lean to Gaelic Football. Other people are more insular.
A friend of mine lived in Cork City a while and played with a local soccer team. The club organised a friendly the afternoon of the '89 AI final, such was their hatred of Gaelic football.
I also know Mayo lads (mature adults) who would rather Liverpool beat Burnley or Manchester United beat Everton in 2 weeks time than Mayo win the AI.

[Avondhu star]

Does he have a point though, how do we have a following of about 12k max for the league and then.40k for semi.final of championship. I dont get it, how can jim.pat tom or mick from ballina or castlebar justify not going to league games but is there for the big games in croker.

Because it's more about the occasion, not the football, for them. And the drink. And because everyone else seems to be going. And it's about the drink.

It's the reason why there were scores of "party buses" going down from Tyrone last weekend but there won't be any for the McKenna cup first week of January. They can't resist the sun, the beer and the occasion. Half of them would have stayed in Quinn's all day and never went to the match itself.

I have seen full houses for some Armagh Tyrone games in the Mckenna cup.
Doyle from Kilbarrack is a Chelsea 'supporter"
Parnell, Naomi Barrog, Raheny. Inishfails. O Tools are all clubs within one mile of Kilbarrack where good sound Dubs keep the games going throughout the year providing sporting and social facilities for kids.
It's so easy for him to knock to get the cheap headline. What have Chelsea ever given to North Dublin?