Ireland

[Half Time Pies]

Was watching the usual report on the Irish football team on football focus this afternoon and couldnt help but wonder why we have an obsession with them doing well and why during major championships we give them so much air time.

They are are not part of the UK and frankly i couldnt give two hoots how their preperations for the qualifiers are going and im pretty sure that they feel the same way about us.

What do other people think?

 

[dougdeep]

Nor me.

 

[Citrus]

There are lots of Irish people in the UK. Lots and lots.

 

[dougdeep]

They are as foreign as the French though aren't they.

 

[Wardy]

There are lots of Irish people in the UK. Lots and lots.

When you consider that the majority of the cash at Sky / BBC comes from England (becasue we have a larger population). It makes sense to taylor the coverage to your views. As TC says there is a LOT of Irish live in England.

 

[El Presidente]

I was born in England but have Irish parents and an Irish passport. I want England to win tonight but I also support Ireland too.

The interest in Irish football has only really been since the 1990 World Cup, where there was an English manager in Big Jack. This continued in the 1994 World Cup where England did not qualify, so the Republic became the 'adopted' team of the BBC and ITV, mainly due to both the manager and many of the players being born and playing in England.

If you are not interested in the Irish, don't watch, the answer is simple. I feel the same about Formula One and horse racing,

 

[El Presidente]

They are as foreign as the French though aren't they.

Although this is true (and of course applies to the North as well), many Irish signed up for the British army in WW2 to fight against Hitler, unlike the French!!

 

[Half Time Pies]

If the reason that my TV licence money has to be used to follow the exploits of a foreign football team is that there are a lot of Irish People in this country then surely we should affrod the same type of coverage to the Pakistani, Jamaican, Indian (the list could go on) national teams?!

If it is because there are a lot of Irish players who ply their trade in this country and/or because Ireland is close to us then Surely the French national team should get a look in?!

Why should Licence payers money be spent on reporting on a foreign team when the time and money could be far better spent reporting on the home nations?

The Irish team is treated the same as the home nations, it is not part of the UK and should be treated as such

 

[SussexHoop]

The really strange thing is for a lot of people, the Republic Of Ireland is almost like our second team after England and yet I've been reliably informed by an Irish friend that they support 2 international teams ... their own country and whoever is playing against England!!!

 

[seagull in ireland]

when we were at our best in the 80's,have you any idea how many irish played for us.mark lawrenson,michael robinson,and club captain in the 83 cup final tony grealish,to mention just a few.when you talk about ireland not being in the uk,there happy not to be,and concider northern ireland,to be part of the whole island of ireland.i am london born of irish parents,hold an irish passport,live in ireland,but support an english team,us!.if you dont understand what has been happening over here,and the history between the two countries,i suggest you steer clear of this subject,and the grief it can cause.

 

[ManxSeagull]

They are as foreign as the French though aren't they.

Exactly what I have been saying for years !!

 

[The Large One]

1. Used to be part of the British Isles (if only until 1916).

2. Interest because it is the only other English as a first language nation in Europe. On a global scale, it's the reason why we get so much news about USA, and not the rest of Europe.

 

[SussexSpur]

1. Used to be part of the British Isles (if only until 1916).

2. Interest because it is the only other English as a first language nation in Europe. On a global scale, it's the reason why we get so much news about USA, and not the rest of Europe.

Never mind that, when are you doing the expanded BBC pop quiz on another thread?

I know my current NSC top score's going to be beaten, so, as some bloke from Stratford once put it: "If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly". . .

 

[Half Time Pies]

when we were at our best in the 80's,have you any idea how many irish played for us.mark lawrenson,michael robinson,and club captain in the 83 cup final tony grealish,to mention just a few.when you talk about ireland not being in the uk,there happy not to be,and concider northern ireland,to be part of the whole island of ireland.i am london born of irish parents,hold an irish passport,live in ireland,but support an english team,us!.if you dont understand what has been happening over here,and the history between the two countries,i suggest you steer clear of this subject,and the grief it can cause.

What difference does it make that we have had some irish players playing for us over the years?! Should I feel an affinity for Italy because Malango plays for us?

This is not a political thread its simply about the BBC using my Licence money to follow a foreign team. Please tell me why this should cause anyone any grief?!

Having done a degree in politics and a masters in International relations if you do want to talk about the situation in Ireland and anything else political for that matter then i can assure you that im more than well versed in most subjects to give you a well informed opinion!

This is however a football message board and this is a football related topic.

 

[Cian]

Theres more 'Irish' in the UK than there are here, and Ireland do extremely well proportionatly for a small country.

We get fairly long coverage of England matches on RTE and UTV (while being an ITV region and broadcasting from Belfast is an all-Ireland station, and is floated on the ISE and not the LSE). We don't generally moan about it.

 

[Cian]

They are as foreign as the French though aren't they.

No. Unlike France we were part of the same country for 800 years. Unlike France we speak the same language.

We also share a large amount of populace - theres millions of Irish in the UK and hundreds of thousands of British in Ireland.

The UK also still 'owns' land on this island. (in my opinion, you can keep it)

Think that makes Ireland somewhat less foreign than France.

 

[dougdeep]

I disagree, a fair bit of France was ours too, and a fair few French people live here. To say the Irish fought for us in the war unlike the French is stretching the truth a little too,some of the Irish helped the Nazis and some of the French fought for us. And there were other wars.

 

[Yorkie]

I don't have a problem with the tv covering the Irish matches. As said before there are a lot of Irish people living here. I have friends who have Irish passports.

A lot of the Irish players play in the Premiership/Championship so are well known to us.

Seems like just another moan to me. Live and let live.

 

[B.M.F]

I like the fact that we get Irish games and scotland, wales, spanish league, south american games and so on because I am a football fan and will watch it all day given half a chance. The more football the better in my book

 

[El Presidente]

Having done a degree in politics and a masters in International relations if you do want to talk about the situation in Ireland and anything else political for that matter

On the same basis do you therefore think that once England are knocked out of the World Cup or European Championships then the BBC and ITV should pack up and go home.