An Irishman's reaction............

[London Irish]

It's hard watching them win.

Every true Irishman has something in his genetic make-up that rebels against the thought. Anyone but them.

Anyone but those arrogant bastards.

It's not that we actively hate them. Most of us would be hard pressed to even dislike them.

Truth be told, we quite like them. They are after all
our neighbours, and in recent years, we've even seen them buying houses in the Irish countryside, living among us.

And let's face it, even before they started moving here, most of us lived among them.

We've all worked there at some point in our lives, though of
course the entire time we dreamed of the day when we'd have enough money saved to move back home.

Some of us returned with husbands and wives we found there, a few even married among them and settled there.

Your heart goes out to them, knowing their kids will grow up with *that* accent.

So its not that we dislike them. Most of them are the salt of the Earth, as decent a collection of human beings as you could hope to find anywhere on the planet. How can you dislike an ordinary fan, whose only sin is shouting for his team. Sure don't we do the same ourselves?

But it's the arrogance that gets you.

Every team goes through good patches and bad, but the rest of us don't have that same imperial swagger.

Something about it just sticks in the craw.

I mean there they are, still three tough games away from taking the cup home, and already they're talking like they're unstoppable, when let's face it, they're far from the best team in the competition.........................











But will Dublin really win the All Ireland ?

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

Just cos we're better than you an always will be. It's natural selecton.

 

[Les Biehn]

Now London Irish I have an inkling you won't answer this question because it's me asking but how Irish are you? I mean do you have an Irish accent?

 

[Cian]

But will Dublin really win the All Ireland ?

We made sure they didn't in 1992 anyway

 

[Commander]

Now London Irish I have an inkling you won't answer this question because it's me asking but how Irish are you? I mean do you have an Irish accent?

I'll ask it then LI, you're usually happy to answer my questions for me. Do you have an Irish accent?

 

[London Irish]

I'll ask it then LI, you're usually happy to answer my questions for me. Do you have an Irish accent?

Of course not, I was born and raised in London, hence pretty Lunnon-ish. Why do you ask?

 

[bhaexpress]

Spent Wednesday evening in the company of my firm's very Irish HR manager (it's an Irish Company). He couldn't give a toss one way or the other about the English or anybody else for that matter, quite likes us actually.

 

[Cian]

Spent Wednesday evening in the company of my firm's very Irish HR manager (it's an Irish Company). He couldn't give a toss one way or the other about the English or anybody else for that matter, quite likes us actually.

The vast majority of us here couldn't give a toss one way or another, until you're playing us or are in the same qualifying group.

In which case its KILL

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I sort of find it quite sweet the way the world Cup brings the entire English community together, irrespective of race, creed or colour in the way that nothing else short of a terrorist atrocity can. I'm particularly impressed that you can leave your flag on your car overnight and it'll usually still be there in the morning. And there's old dears discussing Sven's tactics on the 5B, which makes me chuckle. Sven's tactics, that is.

Then England get knocked out and the good citizens of Croydon burn their own town down, thereby causing millions of pounds worth of improvements. WELL worth waiting four years for

 

[Tom Bombadil]

If a nuclear bomb landed on Croydon scientists estimate the cheers could be heard 500 miles away.

 

[larus]

It's all very strange to me.

My allegiance is of course to England. However, when the other teams from the British Isles/Ireland play, I always want them to do well.

I remember cheering when Ray Houghton scored that great goal in the world cup to beat Italy (I think).

I don't understand the hate mentality that seems to emminate from a lot of the other 'home nations' towards the English. I suppose I can understand the Irish position more than the Welsh/Scottish. Any conflicts with them do back such a long way.

I can understand friendly rivalry, but with so many of them it seems to be more than that. Such a shame to have that vitriol towards your neighbour.

Saying that, I do take great joy when the Germans/French lose (but that's different ).

 

[London Irish]

I don't understand the hate mentality that seems to emminate from a lot of the other 'home nations' towards the English

Is it "hate" though?

The purpose of my first post, of course, was to poke a bit of fun exactly at that over-reaction - the England v Ireland thing is now very similar to very many sporting rivalries, in the case of my first post, the big city (Dublin/Jackeens) v rest of Ireland (rural Ireland/culchies/bogmen/MYOB)

It's really a bit like someone coming along to a Brighton game and saying "I don't really understand the hate mentality that seems to eminate from a lot of the Albion fans towards Croydon residents"

 

[Les Biehn]

Of course not, I was born and raised in London, hence pretty Lunnon-ish. Why do you ask?

So you're English then?

 

[John Dorian]

Yes. I would assume from his post to commander, seeing as he doesnt talk to you, that yes he is english, but maybe he has an irish family

 

[Les Biehn]

Yes. I would assume from his post to commander, seeing as he doesnt talk to you, that yes he is english, but maybe he has an irish family

He doesn't talk to me, that is true. However if you are born in England then surely you are English?

 

[NMH]

We are not arrogant, we are just better than them.

 

[Les Biehn]

I am just confused as to why an Englishman is pretending to be Irish and then baiting England fans. All very odd.

 

[Roger Mellie]

When have ireland seriously challenged us at football? league 2 v prem. As to being rivals its like acrington stanley and liverpool - dream on. You need to carry on playing weird games that nobody else gives a toss about.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

He doesn't talk to me, that is true. However if you are born in England then surely you are English?

Are now you are getting on a very sticky wicket. I'm with you and believe that if you are born and raised in a country then you are of that country's nationality. You may have mixed blood but you are still of that countries nationality. Others disagree. For example Ryan Giggs to me isn't really Welsh, he was born and bred in Manchester.

 

[London Irish]

Are now you are getting on a very sticky wicket. I'm with you and believe that if you are born and raised in a country then you are of that country's nationality. You may have mixed blood but you are still of that countries nationality. Others disagree. For example Ryan Giggs to me isn't really Welsh, he was born and bred in Manchester.

On that rationale, should Owen Hargreaves be playing for England, yes or no?