Everything is relative, and your expectations and sense of achievement are determined by your position relative to your competitors. Although every county intends on winning All Ireland every year I can imagine that winning a Leinster Championship for a county like Louth or Westmeath would feel the same as an All Ireland win for Dublin or Meath!

seany16 (Dublin) - Posts: 1663 - 28/03/2012 15:56:41    1138932

To be fair I much rather support the fans that we have now (where we are middle of league). They are committed and are real fans, you see them at most every game. Last year when we got to the Ulster final for the first time in like a decade there was 20+ buses going down from Derry City to the final. Every Sunday theres a match in Derry City and there are just about a thousand spectators there from the whole of Derry and the opposition fans. When the match is at their own door step they ignore it. Also fast forward that to the 2011 Ulster Semi final when Armagh out numbered us easily to about 4/1. The majority of the ones who came to the final were simply there for the day out, Simply fair weather fans. Which I generally have no problem with, But the excessive alcohol and loutish behavior behavior for me ruined the day. One example which embarrassed me to even witness was when there were a handful of youths shouting abuse at an over weight Donegal fan, This isnt the GAA at all. That man was humiliated in front of the crowd walking to the ground, Sickening to watch these people coming down who obviously have no clear knowledge of the sport coming down and ruining the day for the rest of the people who are there from the 2nd week in January right through. During the match A man turned to me from Derry and asked 'How much is a goal worth, Is it 6 points?' he asked. Don't get me wrong its good to have support but why just start going for one big game, Why not all the games?. The week after we played Kildare in Croke Park and there were about 10 times less people in the crowd supporting Derry. I find it harder to be a Derry fan when we are in big finals if I'm honest. I couldn't imagine it if we were successful and reaching an AI final! I'd have to go down to croke park with blinkers on or something.
Anyways rant over. Tiocfaidh Orlaith.

Orlaith (Derry) - Posts: 4282 - 30/03/2012 17:53:54    1140265

i have been following carlow all my life, i would go to pretty much every game challenge matches to if i hear about them, it's fair to say that there has been many more downs than ups, in my lifetime i have seen us promoted just once and i have only vague memories of that as i was 5, still there is always the day where the surprise you and win and that trip home is filled with optimism and the faint hope that finally we are going somewhere, that usually doesn't last long and the next trip home could be one of silence, im always crushed when we lose and swear il never go again but next sunday comes and you dare to hope again and off you go, losing is made a bit easier when the team have done there best and you try take what positives you can from it, then there are other days like a trip i had up north a few year back when i arrived 5 mins late to see we were already 7 points down and then the fecking car broke down on the way home, in my life we have won 7 games in the leinster and 3 in the qualifiers and i have savored them like all irelands

Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1714 - 30/03/2012 21:10:57    1140381

i have been following carlow all my life, i would go to pretty much every game challenge matches to if i hear about them, it's fair to say that there has been many more downs than ups, in my lifetime i have seen us promoted just once and i have only vague memories of that as i was 5, still there is always the day where the surprise you and win and that trip home is filled with optimism and the faint hope that finally we are going somewhere, that usually doesn't last long and the next trip home could be one of silence, im always crushed when we lose and swear il never go again but next sunday comes and you dare to hope again and off you go, losing is made a bit easier when the team have done there best and you try take what positives you can from it, then there are other days like a trip i had up north a few year back when i arrived 5 mins late to see we were already 7 points down and then the fecking car broke down on the way home, in my life we have won 7 games in the leinster and 3 in the qualifiers and i have savored them like all irelands

Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1714 - 30/03/2012 21:39:52    1140401