Club v Country

[PauloPerth]

29 minutes ago, RedRob72 said:

The Home International games were huge, but the focus was on US. (The Wembley 81 trip forever etched in the memory) I don’t remember fans really giving a shite how England fared against Wales or Northern Ireland though.

Yes. And in World Cup's where Scotland were taking part, the focus was obviously far more about upcoming Scotland matches, and much less about backing England's opponents or being so bothered about their results. The ABE thing has grown stronger the shiter Scotland have become.

[Jan Vojáček]

I couldn't really care less about how Scotland get on to be quite honest. The World Cup and Euros are great, but the qualifiers tend to be predictable and tedious affairs.

Give me the option of Sons putting on a strong promotion charge but ultimately finishing second in the league, or Scotland qualifying for the next Euros and I wouldn't even have to think about my answer.

[Ya Bezzer!]

Our international team is rank with limited prospects but don't tell me you didn't feel true elation when Leigh Griffiths banged in those two free kicks or we beat France in Paris or going back further when we beat Sweden at Italia 90.

International football is just bigger.  It brings the whole country together when there is something at stake.  There is nothing else like it.  Remember being out in the town when we won the first leg against the Netherlands when McFadden scored and the atmosphere across the whole of Glasgow was electric.  Same with the build up to the Italy match at Hampden.  Nothing else in life replicates that.

Of course club football is the bread and butter but the truth is if Scotland were doing well in a World Cup, we'd all be much more excited about Scotland than the upcoming League Cup group matches.

Believe me I'm looking forward to going to Stranraer to see a puffed up pre-season friendly more than a sane man ought to but if Scotland were in England's shoes right now....

[Dindeleux]

 
The Club Vs Country debate in Scotland isn’t comparable at present I’m afraid.
The desperate desire to see another country fail, so overwhelmingly powerful amongst the TA/ABE brigade (and self evident amongst these pages) is a sorry indictment of where our National side is (or isn’t) at present.
It isn’t any great wonder that most football fans in Scotland have a stronger allegiance to their club side when the National set up at Hampden is so hopelessly weak from top to bottom. It wasn’t always so.
The rivalry has always been there yes, but the Scotland support of 35-40 years ago (even up to the 90’s) didn’t pay much attention to our neighbours as we had a decent side of our own to follow and who regularly punched above its weight. We suffered a number of ‘shock’ results in return (it became part of our make up), but we showed a quality on the park sometimes that the support yearned to see in numbers. The rollercoaster was addictive and the away trips were fantastic back then, when we regularly qualified for tournaments.
Our conveyor belt of talent has long since shuddered to a halt sadly, the reasons why, make for a separate debate I guess. But a generation of fans have drifted away proportionally.
Rose tinted spectacles perhaps, but I think it’s easy to see why Club football takes precedence over the general interest in the fortunes of the National side in Scotland, certainly over the last 20 years.
 

That post pretty much just sums up every old firm fan - if the team isn’t winning just don’t bother with them.

[RedRob72]

That post pretty much just sums up every old firm fan - if the team isn’t winning just don’t bother with them.

Fair enough, but I’m sure that you can see that there are a whole host of other reasons why a swathe of Gers fans have drifted away from regularly attending Scotland games. The anti-Rangers/Unionist hostility amongst the hardcore TA being one of them. Why put up with that shite following the National side. I haven’t been since a 2008 ‘friendly’ against Northern Ireland at Hampden. The bitter, spew and bile was palpable. Would you get that at a game against Wales? I don’t think so. I’m also pretty sure that the same treatment isn’t meted out to the other half of the OF, despite the allegiance of many of their support to another country and indifference to the fortunes of Scottish International football. I wish them well whoever they are playing, but that’s about it these days.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Club.

 

Gave up on Scotland a long time ago.

 

Too many shite managers and an SFA that does SFA

 

I've never given up on Dundee - and got they've given me reasons to do so!!

[Ludo*1]

I'm absolutely detesting this time of year and I'm thankful for the WC as it is seeing me through, but I'd rather watch Dundee in a friendly than Scotland at the WC if honest. It does nothing for me. I'd give it laldi like the rest, but club wins every single day of the week.

[Dons_1988]

It’s just another nonsense debate. You can enjoy both. There’s a reason they’re on at separate times.

Many people have drifted away purely because the team are so uninspiring. If we cobbled together a decent team everyone would come back.

All this club vs country, rangers fans not liking the anti unionist ‘agenda’, aberdonians who don’t like it being so Glasgow-centric would all come flooding back if we actually did something on the pitch.

[Jmothecat2]

It’s just another nonsense debate. You can enjoy both. There’s a reason they’re on at separate times.

Many people have drifted away purely because the team are so uninspiring. If we cobbled together a decent team everyone would come back.

All this club vs country, rangers fans not liking the anti unionist ‘agenda’, aberdonians who don’t like it being so Glasgow-centric would all come flooding back if we actually did something on the pitch.

Thing for me is when Aberdeen aren't very good I still support them as much as when they are doing well (due to personal circumstances I attended more games when McGhee was manager than I have over the last couple of far more successful years) but when Scotland aren't doing well I drift away remarkably easily.

[Dons_1988]

Thing for me is when Aberdeen aren't very good I still support them as much as when they are doing well (due to personal circumstances I attended more games when McGhee was manager than I have over the last couple of far more successful years) but when Scotland aren't doing well I drift away remarkably easily.

Yeah I get that but it’s a bit different isn’t it. Scotland games are all about qualifying. Once the prospect of that looks bleak (most of the time) then it all becomes a bit pointless. I have to admit I got caught up in everything towards the end of he qualifying campaign when we might actually do something.

With the dons there usually multiple targets. League position, top 6/bottom 6, Europe, cups etc. And god forbid the occasional relegation battle. The Craig brown era for me was when I became disillusioned. Horrible to watch and just finishing 9th constantly. Just apathy.

[Peppino Impastato]

11 hours ago, RedRob72 said:

 

The Club Vs Country debate in Scotland isn’t comparable at present I’m afraid.

The desperate desire to see another country fail, so overwhelmingly powerful amongst the TA/ABE brigade (and self evident amongst these pages) is a sorry indictment of where our National side is (or isn’t) at present.

It isn’t any great wonder that most football fans in Scotland have a stronger allegiance to their club side when the National set up at Hampden is so hopelessly weak from top to bottom. It wasn’t always so.

The rivalry has always been there yes, but the Scotland support of 35-40 years ago (even up to the 90’s) didn’t pay much attention to our neighbours as we had a decent side of our own to follow and who regularly punched above its weight. We suffered a number of ‘shock’ results in return (it became part of our make up), but we showed a quality on the park sometimes that the support yearned to see in numbers. The rollercoaster was addictive and the away trips were fantastic back then, when we regularly qualified for tournaments.

Our conveyor belt of talent has long since shuddered to a halt sadly, the reasons why, make for a separate debate I guess. But a generation of fans have drifted away proportionally.

Rose tinted spectacles perhaps, but I think it’s easy to see why Club football takes precedence over the general interest in the fortunes of the National side in Scotland, certainly over the last 20 years.

 

Utter shite every word.  It's not like we invaded the pitch at Wembley Forty years ago.  You really are one of the most pathetic creatures I've ever encountered and utterly craven.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

Club over country obviously, I'm not a weirdo.

There's some massive attention seeking in this thread though, aye I'd rather Motherwell won the league than Scotland winning anything, but saying you'd care more about a Dundee friendly than Scotland in the world cup is clearly a lie.

[Peppino Impastato]

12 hours ago, RedRob72 said:

 

The Club Vs Country debate in Scotland isn’t comparable at present I’m afraid.

The desperate desire to see another country fail, so overwhelmingly powerful amongst the TA/ABE brigade (and self evident amongst these pages) is a sorry indictment of where our National side is (or isn’t) at present.

It isn’t any great wonder that most football fans in Scotland have a stronger allegiance to their club side when the National set up at Hampden is so hopelessly weak from top to bottom. It wasn’t always so.

The rivalry has always been there yes, but the Scotland support of 35-40 years ago (even up to the 90’s) didn’t pay much attention to our neighbours as we had a decent side of our own to follow and who regularly punched above its weight. We suffered a number of ‘shock’ results in return (it became part of our make up), but we showed a quality on the park sometimes that the support yearned to see in numbers. The rollercoaster was addictive and the away trips were fantastic back then, when we regularly qualified for tournaments.

Our conveyor belt of talent has long since shuddered to a halt sadly, the reasons why, make for a separate debate I guess. But a generation of fans have drifted away proportionally.

Rose tinted spectacles perhaps, but I think it’s easy to see why Club football takes precedence over the general interest in the fortunes of the National side in Scotland, certainly over the last 20 years.

 

Didn't see you make similar comments about the reaction in England to Germany going out.  Front page of several national newspapers taunting them.  You were awfully quiet.  

[RedRob72]

Utter shite every word.  It's not like we invaded the pitch at Wembley Forty years ago.  You really are one of the most pathetic creatures I've ever encountered and utterly craven.

I don’t know how old you are Pep, but I can remember the days when we had a competitive side to get excited about, a little over exuberant perhaps, but it was a much more preferable and positive experience to following the National side than in the current set up, when the most you have to look forward to is sniping over the garden fence.
It isn’t any real surprise that Club football takes priority for most in Scotland.

[Peppino Impastato]

2 minutes ago, RedRob72 said:

I don’t know how old you are Pep, but I can remember the days when we had a competitive side to get excited about, a little over exuberant perhaps, but it was a much more preferable and positive experience to following the National side than in the current set up, when the most you have to look forward to is sniping over the garden fence.
It isn’t any real surprise that Club football takes priority for most in Scotland.

Wes I don't speak to bigots.  Your lot disgraced Scotland today.

[Peppino Impastato]

Just a wee aside.  Everybody reading this, your club, whoever they are, don't matter in the slightest.   They are completely and utterly irrelevant and pointless and unimportant.  They also don't give the slightest f**k about you, and are simply private businesses who want to get as much of your money as possible.

The only possible exception to this is Barcelona if you're Catalan.

If you think club first you're simply wrong and a bit of a weirdo.  International football actually matters.

[Miguel Sanchez]

3 minutes ago, Peppino Impastato said:

 They also don't give the slightest f**k about you, and are simply private businesses who want to get as much of your money as possible.

The only possible exception to this is Barcelona if you're Catalan.

[Scary Bear]

Club everytime.
Given the choice between St Johnstone winning the Premiership or Scotland winning the World Cup, its the title for Saints all day.
The World Cup is great because it's a four-yearly festival of football. You get to see players and countries you wouldn't normally. It's a feast for a month.
But then picture the qualifiers for major tournaments. Many of us resent losing Saturday fixtures to this, they should be bumped back to Wednesday nights out the way.
We've all been where you are right now, your team is a forgotten championship outfit and domestic football holds little attraction for you. 

Choice between Rovers winning the Scottish Cup / Premiership or Scotland winning the World Cup? It would have to be the World Cup. Gives the whole country a lift rather than just one town.

Which of these events would the bookies rate most likely?

[RedRob72]

Wes I don't speak to bigots.  Your lot disgraced Scotland today.

You know what to do Pep, just stick me on ignore, it might just calm you down a wee bit. Jeez are you always in such a state of distress, I can’t be good for you?

[Dons_1988]

Just a wee aside.  Everybody reading this, your club, whoever they are, don't matter in the slightest.   They are completely and utterly irrelevant and pointless and unimportant.  They also don't give the slightest f**k about you, and are simply private businesses who want to get as much of your money as possible.
The only possible exception to this is Barcelona if you're Catalan.
If you think club first you're simply wrong and a bit of a weirdo.  International football actually matters.

You’ve articulated it in quite a deranged way but there some valid points in there. It wasn’t always the case with clubs but you’re right they are far more about business these days than being a cornerstone of a local community, albeit I think that side of it is better here than down south where they have lost all of that.

I do also enjoy the romance of international football and the fact you can’t spend millions on new players if you don’t win things. There’s countless examples of seeing just how much it means to an entire country at even the smallest success at a major tournament.

I still love the dons though, sorry.