There was only 18,000 people in Salthill. Galway did not have 14,500 of that crowd. There were about 24,000 in Thurles, Galway did not have 14,500 of that crowd
I don’t know mate, it was a friendly which started while most people were at work. Why are you so interested in friendlies? I presume you go to every Galway hurling challenge then?
Because the team were doing terribly. In any sport with any team attendances will drop if performances are poor for a sustained period
I try go to the majority of the ten or so most important matches they play every year at least. How many soccer games were in the aviva last year, and what were the attendances for them?
These aren’t casual fans, not ordinary run of the mill ones… These are the best fans in the wuddled, they had one chamce to watch their beloved team free to air, but you refuse to tell me how many watched it? How can i find this out seeing as you are shying from debate
Yes they did at both those
Why are you talking about important matches when we were discussing friendlies? Ireland had no important football matches in 2018
It pains me to say it but @the_man_himself has a stellar job done here today, standing up to the rugby sets arrogance, not giving an inch.
They’re kicking for touch, coming in from the side and shoeing like mad and he’s still rucking.
Fair play boss
Oh so they are glory supporters.
Here are the factors that apparently are required for the Best Fans in the World to go;
Or
Essentially glory supporters.
Lads in their 30s and 40s who still think they’re kids think it is what it was back then. You all grew up then, time moves on folks.
You and @maroonandwhite are the only ones here calling them the best fans in the world. Its very childish
So the fans dont feel the need to go to the handful they play in all year. And this makes them the best in the wuddled? If they dont bother going, and you’ve admitted as much, how is the republic of ireland (no such place) soccer team the most popular?? Especially in light of the fact the rugby team sells out a friendly against the USA fielding a b team
They had the Nation’s League.
That provides qualification for the Euros.
You have moved from “competitive” to “important” now.
i.e. you have reached the end of the road here.
@maroonandwhite read a few articles on joe.ie about the Irish fans at Euro 2012 being the best fans in the world and its still driving him absolutely demented 7 years later
The main difference is when the rugby team are down, which they have been for most of their history, the country generally wishes them well.
Now they’re having a bit of success, because they basically got a load of kiwis and South Africans involved in the provinces and national team, they’re the big kid on the top bunk, pissing on everyone.
Enjoy the rugby lads. When the arse falls out of it ye can join back in the green army
No it doesn’t
What… I have no idea what this nations league is, but you are saying there were actual matches of consequence, and he’s been lying through his teeth all day
The rugby team encompasses 2 populatuons kid.
No Tim lied/doesn’t know how the Nations League works
@Tim_Riggins referred to Irish sports supporters liking “glory” earlier on the thread.
That certainly isn’t wrong. Everybody loves glory, in every sport.
But it defeats his own argument.
In asssociation football, to get to “glory”, which in an Irish context, would probably mean qualifying for a major finals, involves a massive amount of unglamourous donkey work - a long and usually difficult qualification campaign against largely unglamorous teams, interspersed with the odd friendly match, which is a glorified training sesssion.
But when the Eire team does qualify or is coming close to qualification, especially for the World Cup, but also the Euros to a slightly lesser extent, the interest is on a different scale to anything else in sport here. It’s the main event bar none.
Rugby is played to a decent standard internationally in nine countries, of which Ireland is one, though in several of those countries, rugby is not a healthy state. It’s a shallow pool and it operates effectively as a cartel between those countries. “Glory” is, or should never be, far away, because there isn’t much competition. Ireland’s World Cup spot is always guaranteed.
The lack of mass popularity of club rugby everywhere means the international game is the undoubted kingpin in rugby in a way that it isn’t in association football. Leinster are not bigger than Ireland for most of the time in the way that Liverpool and Manchester United are bigger than England.
The cartel nature of international rugby means Ireland are guaranteed regular fixtures against the other eight “top” countries.
If rugby was a world game, Ireland would have to face long qualifying competitions against unglamourous teams and there would be no Six Nations. If it was a genuine world game, the club game would predominate, not internationals.
Irish rugby got a taste of what its crowds would be like should it ever be involved in qualifying competitions of thee sort that the association football team have to through, when Ireland had to play Georgia in 2002 in a qualifier for the 2003 World Cup. 8,000 turned up.
This from a soccer fan whos leadership openly admit they are actively looking for foreigners to staff the team
No it appears ireland were relegated or something this year… So definitely matches of consequence. Hows that search for tv rating of that one game coming along?
Unlike the rugby, Irish lads aren’t punished for going playing foreign. Also, these lads will have to have Irish lineage.
It’s sickening that Zebo can’t be picked for Ireland yet CJ Stander can