Futher point I don;t see many fans shaking hands after matches either I always make it a point to shake the hand of opposition supporters near me at a match especially if my team looses.... I've had a "fan" spit in my face wonce.... also from a thread a fe w weeks ago which i outlined an encounter with an antrim "fan" (who later came on the site to debate the issue) when i refused to shake hands with him mainly do the bad sportsmanship and lack of respect he showed during the game to tipperary fans seated around him!

I think what goes on on the field of play have a tendancy to be mirror in the supporters watching the game (and supporting the team evident from some posters on HS too) . Could this then explain the crowd troubles that have become more frequent in recent times.... I suppose this is very subjective but my view is yes.

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 29/06/2010 18:29:33    691362

dont think sportsmanship is dead but a lot of the good sportsmen with no medals are.

reddoctor (Tyrone) - Posts: 1241 - 29/06/2010 21:44:33    691559

I always shake hands with opposite supporters as well once they have been sound during the game (which most of them are in fairness). If they constantly abuse or anything during the game I dont.
Dont worry Hag, if I see ya in Thurles on Saturday I will shake yer hand win lose or draw!!! Hope it's a good game, although I cant see us winning it.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 29/06/2010 21:46:37    691565

I'd be on your side on this one Hag. You shake hands and get on with it. Nothing to do with fear or weakness. Fear or weakness to me is proven by someone who hits you a sneaky belt before the ball is thrown in and we've seen examples of that at the highest levels over recent years. Only time I've not shaken hands is if I've been playing against a thug for whom I've no respect, and in that case they are unlikely to be offering their hand to you anyway! Have to say in fairness that has only happened a few times.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 30/06/2010 10:01:04    691646

lads
sportsmanship is not dead
i played a game there last year and i was full back
myself and the full forward were at each others throats for the whole match, heck even before the ball was thrown in!
i hit him!he hit me! we buried each other going for every ball.
at one stage in the second half, i fell on the ground and he ran for the ball and accidently stepped on my ankle when he started running
Now i started roaring and eventually the play was stopped and the full forward was the first one over making sure i was ok!
eventually i got up and kept playing and we eventually won and the full forward scored nothing
and at the end of the game we turned to each other with smiles on our faces and walkd into the dressing rooms talking about all the digs we got on each other

lads my philosphy is that you can do what you like, to who you like to win a game
but an idiot confuses a person on a pitch to a calm and peaceful man off the pitch

flame09 (Longford) - Posts: 246 - 30/06/2010 10:35:24    691669

In my opinion there is a big difference between tough hard even dirty play and bad sportsmanship. Unsporting behaviour is the refusal to shake hands, the verbal goading and the art of trying to con the officials. In all walks of life man has confronted his enemy and inevitably it has come to blows.

Diego (Meath) - Posts: 1205 - 30/06/2010 10:54:27    691695

I still remember few years back in catlebar with donegal playing galway. Very tight intense game with all supporters enjoying the game (even if i have no nails after it) and when we eventually held on for the win the man beside me said well done great game and wished the team the best of luck in croker. there are alot of supporters like that who just love football and are happy to watch a good game even if their team loses. The point was that some players arent very sporting - they seem to think they are getting into their oppositions heads. Iv seen it plenty of times are sure enough it works sometimes but its not sporting at all. Football is a game played for the enjoyment. The best game iv ever played in we lost by a point but it was really hard hitting game but myself and my marker shook hand before and after the game. I feel that shouldnt be lost within the game

dstuction (Donegal) - Posts: 1209 - 30/06/2010 10:58:10    691704

Sportsmanship is not dead howwever throughtout the history of both codes there have always been players who have acted in an unsportsman like manner. This is not to say that sportsmanship as a whole is dead

LohansRedHelmet (Clare) - Posts: 2697 - 30/06/2010 11:01:14    691711

Alan Brogan is a prime example. During the game on Sunday he hit Kevin Reilly with a late elbow to the face and preceeded to verbally goad Reilly while he lay injured on the ground. Why wasn't this highlighted on the Sunday Game????

meathman0000 (Meath) - Posts: 2 - 30/06/2010 11:21:51    691745