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I would assume so. A small nation, so they tend to take notice when one of their own makes it big.
George Best attracted lot of Northern Irish fans to United.
The former Spurs youth coach, Kieran McKenna, is also Northern Irish.
I'd imagine a lot of young Egyptians will now start to follow Liverpool because of Salah.
George Best attracted lot of Northern Irish fans to United.
The former Spurs youth coach, Kieran McKenna, is also Northern Irish.
I'd imagine a lot of young Egyptians will now start to follow Liverpool because of Salah.
There's always a fair contingent flying over every week...when you had Danny Blanchlower, then Big Pat and Gerry Armstrong there was always a following.
Woolwich has a big following as well, thanks to Pat Jennings, Pat Rice and Sammy Nelson, plus the Irish contingent of Brady, O'Leary and Stapleton back in the day.
Can't say I've noticed, but have definitely noticed the Korean presence has gone up a few notches, the Spurs store must be making a killing on Sonny shirts
I'm Irish myself. My grandad worked in England back in the day. My father was born there.
Ireland & Northern Ireland used to produce some cracking players for the big English sides:
- Giles at United and Leeds
- Sheedy at Liverpool and Everton
- Duff at Blackburn and Chelsea
- Gregg, Whelan, Best, Dunne, Brennan, Stapleton, McGrath, Whiteside, Irwin, Keane and O'Shea at United
- Highway, Whelan and Finnan at Liverpool
- Jennings, Hughton, Keane and Carr at Spurs
I remember back in the day seeing a few Ulster red hand flags . I think we attracted a higher proportion of loyalist support as many of the Irish Catholic community in London (not all ) followed Arse due to their many players from the republic. In the 87 league cup semi final at WHL l remember a group from Belfast with loyalist flags trying to get at the Arse fans .
Thankfully, things are much better now. A few nutters still remain, but now there's a general respect overall.
You had Northern lads mixing with the Republic fans at Euro 2016.
Generally it's the North West teams because of the lack of a decent infrastructure, but there's a real Catholic / Protestant rhetoric that still stands today. You'll see Dipper and Everton fans based on religion only. You can drive through the country and come across villages that today still have the curbstones painted Red,White and Blue if they are loyal to the crown. Kinda freaks me out when I go up North.
Then you have my Brother in Law who follows Coleraine home and away. Proper fan.
Then you have my Brother in Law who follows Coleraine home and away. Proper fan.
I went to see Portadown a few times in the mid 70s. Now that was a proper experience.
Fair play to you Sir. Followed Weymouth around for a season in the naughties and I'm still trying to remember why it was a good thing but the league in NI is an altogether different animal.
It was one eye on the game and one eye on the bricks coming our way.
Port were mainly Protestant so I assume the game I am thinking of must have been against a Catholic one.
It's very hard to articulate but the politics was described to me by my Father-In-Law as this:
Jim: "You've two fellas from the same political party who campaign for the same things but neither will get elected because they live 2 streets apart"
Me: "So why don't they combine their efforts?"
Jim:
I told you. They live two streets apart".
Jim: "You've two fellas from the same political party who campaign for the same things but neither will get elected because they live 2 streets apart"
Me: "So why don't they combine their efforts?"
Jim:
I told you. They live two streets apart".
Aye. It runs deep. Even today the Dublin-Belfast train gets the occasional brick when we cross the border (not often). We go through Portadown on that line and I will think of your moustache from this day forward.
That said you couldn't find a nicer bunch of people anywhere in the world but the politics is beyond reason.
We lived in the new town of Craigavon. My parents were Catholic (well my mum really) but we were army so had to go to a Protestant school.
I was only there two years but have a panoply of war stories.
Good times.
Stories that my fantastic in-laws told me as we drive down country lanes, past beautiful country pubs: Gunmen went in and shot 12 people in there. Not in the news in the UK. Always reminds me of the NTNC sketch: "BBC NEWS: An Englishman was slightly hurt when someone criticised the cut of his suit. Elsewhere 200 people of an undetermined colour were killed. And now the weather."
I have to say, having met people from the Republic and from both sides of the fence in the North and all were extremely warm and friendly people.
Loads of stories like that. Mate of my dad's took us all water skiing on Loch Neagh one day. A week or two later was killed by the IRA. He was a Protestant dj-ing at a Catholic pub and they killed him
Fucking pointless and mindless.
You can joke, I got three stitches on my temple after meeting one there and I was following Glenavon....Portadown are fair that way, they chuck bricks at whoever...got £1000 compo though, so it was all good...
Comparative to population size, Northern Ireland have punched well above their weight and produced arguably the most gifted player in his generation/ever(?) in the British Isles.
We are currently ranked 8th in the world per capita (LINK) and a significant part of the population's politics might see them choose to play for the Republic of Ireland if deemed talented enough, although that is starting to change and lower league professionals who would have no chance of playing international football otherwise are choosing to declare if their background allows. Maik Taylor was one of the first to do this and one of the absolute best, fantastic keeper (I miss him so), Matty Kennedy of St. Johnstone the most recent.
Having worked in international football and been heavily involved in youth football in Northern Ireland, there is a pool of exciting talent coming through coming from a football association led development initiative started years ago with smaller sided games and more technical emphasis, along with a kind of Clairefontaine set up (Club NI).
Funnily enough, there are big rumours that we're currently fighting with Chelsea over a player I've seen an awful lot of in Charlie Allen (15) of Linfield. He played in the same team as a relative coming up (playing a year up I think) and I've watched him multiple times.
Rangers got a couple of absolute belters from that team.
Have hopes for Ethan Galbraith (Manchester United), Gavin Whyte (Cardiff) and Jordan Thompson (Blackpool) plus the current squad has players like Lewis (Norwich...I think he's overrated FWIW), McNair (Middlesbrorough...Premier League quality IMHO), Johnny Evans (Leicester), Cathcart (Watford gave him 4 years in the Summer there).
Currently fucking dying for a natural goalscorer/a nuisance in the air of better quality than Josh Magennis IMO.
We are currently ranked 8th in the world per capita (LINK) and a significant part of the population's politics might see them choose to play for the Republic of Ireland if deemed talented enough, although that is starting to change and lower league professionals who would have no chance of playing international football otherwise are choosing to declare if their background allows. Maik Taylor was one of the first to do this and one of the absolute best, fantastic keeper (I miss him so), Matty Kennedy of St. Johnstone the most recent.
Having worked in international football and been heavily involved in youth football in Northern Ireland, there is a pool of exciting talent coming through coming from a football association led development initiative started years ago with smaller sided games and more technical emphasis, along with a kind of Clairefontaine set up (Club NI).
Funnily enough, there are big rumours that we're currently fighting with Chelsea over a player I've seen an awful lot of in Charlie Allen (15) of Linfield. He played in the same team as a relative coming up (playing a year up I think) and I've watched him multiple times.
Rangers got a couple of absolute belters from that team.
Have hopes for Ethan Galbraith (Manchester United), Gavin Whyte (Cardiff) and Jordan Thompson (Blackpool) plus the current squad has players like Lewis (Norwich...I think he's overrated FWIW), McNair (Middlesbrorough...Premier League quality IMHO), Johnny Evans (Leicester), Cathcart (Watford gave him 4 years in the Summer there).
Currently fucking dying for a natural goalscorer/a nuisance in the air of better quality than Josh Magennis IMO.