Dundee United v Linfield 7th or 8th October

[Jan Vojáček]

Not often I'd congratulate a Ray McKinnon team, but well done to your U20s tonight lads. Hope the local three asterisk fans who turned up have a thoroughly miserable evening.

[Chapelhall chap]

After the delights of seeing Belgium beat Bosnia to keep Scotland's second place chance a bit better , I switched to the Gaelic media and had great difficulty recognising any of United team as It looked like U20s but credit to them for some quick counter attacks and a Scotland style last minute goal. Can't stand these Non SPFL teams and the Colts in this competition so I cheered the winner. From what  I could hear there some familiar tunes from the Linfield end but was it that bad-the Gaelic commentary tended to blot it out.

[Shadwell Dog]

Watched the game from the glass box above the tunnel the day with my m8.  Thought the United kids played well but the big lump nkoi up front was well off the pace. Logan should've been on from the start.

[invergowrie arab]

Wish people would stop painting family friendly Linfield as horrible bigots.

 

[JakeSAFC]

I'm glad Dundee United's development side beat the **** wee cousins.

Northern Irish football

[Mark Connolly]

20 minutes ago, invergowrie arab said:

Wish people would stop painting family friendly Linfield as horrible bigots.

 

I don't believe this tbh.

As far as I am aware, they are still boycotting Tannadice due to the re-arranged game fiasco. And no other reason honest.

[JakeSAFC]

Looking forward to that AFJ telling everyone its just the Rangers fans that tag along.

 

The sooner he realises he supports a club thats just a wannabe Rangers, the better.

 

 

[GordonS]

Took in this game. Have to say, I was a bit disappointed at the small crowd - your team were playing a motivated, experienced, street-smart team backed by a loud and obnoxious support, and they could have done with some backing. There was a swell of noise with about 5 minutes to go and it definitely transferred to the players, some of whom had been playing with a distinct lack of intensity.

It was interesting to see the difference in skill level, which told in the end. That this is by far the biggest and the best team in a region of 1.5 million people, in a football-mad country, is an embarrassment. The laughable state of Northern Irish domestic football is yet another side-effect of the tribal-based twattery prevalent in the province. There's no way Linfield should be losing to a Scottish second-tier club's makeshift reserve team.

Other notable feature, as someone who grew up in the era of greatness of Dundee United, was sadness at how far they've fallen. When I think about the players who have worn that shirt... it's just sad. 

Oh, and apart from the most pleasing get-it-right-up-ye winner, the highlight of the night was when the Linfield fans sang "Steven Thomson, you're a w@nker, you're a w@nker", and the United fans applauded.

[invergowrie arab]

41 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Took in this game. Have to say, I was a bit disappointed at the small crowd - your team were playing a motivated, experienced, street-smart team backed by a loud and obnoxious support, and they could have done with some backing. There was a swell of noise with about 5 minutes to go and it definitely transferred to the players, some of whom had been playing with a distinct lack of intensity.

It was interesting to see the difference in skill level, which told in the end. That this is by far the biggest and the best team in a region of 1.5 million people, in a football-mad country, is an embarrassment. The laughable state of Northern Irish domestic football is yet another side-effect of the tribal-based twattery prevalent in the province. There's no way Linfield should be losing to a Scottish second-tier club's makeshift reserve team.

Other notable feature, as someone who grew up in the era of greatness of Dundee United, was sadness at how far they've fallen. When I think about the players who have worn that shirt... it's just sad. 

Oh, and apart from the most pleasing get-it-right-up-ye winner, the highlight of the night was when the Linfield fans sang "Steven Thomson, you're a w@nker, you're a w@nker", and the United fans applauded.

It was our u19s

[1320Lichtie]

If Northern Ireland never had Roy Carrol on international duty Linfield might've scraped penalties v the United youths.

 

 

 

[GordonS]

3 hours ago, invergowrie arab said:

It was our u19s

It wasn't an under 19 competition, it wasn't Linfield's u19s, and those young lads representing United could have done with the support. It doesn't get said often enough, but the noise from the front of the Eddie Thompson stand is usually very good. That would have helped them, especially in balancing out the 85 minutes bigotfest. I can understand fans skipping games against colt teams but not against a team like Linfield. 

But it's not a big deal, and nearly two thousand is not a bad crowd.

[Rizzo]

"...most successful club in Scotland..." 

[stumigoo]

2 hours ago, GordonS said:

It wasn't an under 19 competition, it wasn't Linfield's u19s, and those young lads representing United could have done with the support. It doesn't get said often enough, but the noise from the front of the Eddie Thompson stand is usually very good. That would have helped them, especially in balancing out the 85 minutes bigotfest. I can understand fans skipping games against colt teams but not against a team like Linfield. 

But it's not a big deal, and nearly two thousand is not a bad crowd.

Personally I would have liked another 1000 or so at the game but I would imagine with it being 5:15 on a Saturday, on TV, against a team with that kind of support it would put some people off. In a few years time when my son starts going to the games I would have avoided a game like last night for those reasons, as it is I went along with a couple of pals and sat in the ET Lower for the first time in years. 

[stumigoo]

Footballing thoughts from the game - It was dreadfully dull and we don't have too much to be excited about in the next couple of years with any youngsters breaking through. Two or three of them did okay but no real standouts on show (despite the last ten minutes being much more encouraging). I thought both goalkeepers had good games and the Linfield goalie's distribution was excellent. 

Fan thoughts - I genuinely cannot understand why grown men would go to the football to stand and sing some of that nonsense that was sung yesterday. It is something that I will never be able to explain and although it got me angry to begin with by the end I felt sorry for those pathetic individuals who were still standing belting out that complete and utter nonsense. Some life they must have if that is all they care about when going to watch football. 

[Sergeant Wilson]

9 hours ago, GordonS said:

Took in this game. Have to say, I was a bit disappointed at the small crowd - your team were playing a motivated, experienced, street-smart team backed by a loud and obnoxious support, and they could have done with some backing. There was a swell of noise with about 5 minutes to go and it definitely transferred to the players, some of whom had been playing with a distinct lack of intensity.

It was interesting to see the difference in skill level, which told in the end. That this is by far the biggest and the best team in a region of 1.5 million people, in a football-mad country, is an embarrassment. The laughable state of Northern Irish domestic football is yet another side-effect of the tribal-based twattery prevalent in the province. There's no way Linfield should be losing to a Scottish second-tier club's makeshift reserve team.

Other notable feature, as someone who grew up in the era of greatness of Dundee United, was sadness at how far they've fallen. When I think about the players who have worn that shirt... it's just sad. 

Oh, and apart from the most pleasing get-it-right-up-ye winner, the highlight of the night was when the Linfield fans sang "Steven Thomson, you're a w@nker, you're a w@nker", and the United fans applauded.

I would've thought the best NI players leave for England. I've no idea if some might play in the South for better money. Linfield are still the biggest, but they're coming out of a spell where they haven't been dominant. Crusaders have been able to attract players quite successfully recently.

[invergowrie arab]

You say that but I had my forms filled our to join the real ira.

However after the persuasive arguments of linfields fans I'm not going to.

[GordonS]

54 minutes ago, invergowrie arab said:

You say that but I had my forms filled our to join the real ira.

However after the persuasive arguments of linfields fans I'm not going to.

Well something good came of their songs after all!

[Granny Danger]

It all went tits up when the club shop stopped selling tangerine and black balaclavas.

 

[GordonS]

56 minutes ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

I would've thought the best NI players leave for England. I've no idea if some might play in the South for better money. Linfield are still the biggest, but they're coming out of a spell where they haven't been dominant. Crusaders have been able to attract players quite successfully recently.

Ah true, but still, if half of what should be their fan base weren't getting on a ferry to Scotland every week, and most of the rest watching English clubs on TV, they ought to have similar revenues to a club like Aberdeen.

3 hours ago, stumigoo said:

Footballing thoughts from the game - It was dreadfully dull and we don't have too much to be excited about in the next couple of years with any youngsters breaking through. Two or three of them did okay but no real standouts on show (despite the last ten minutes being much more encouraging). I thought both goalkeepers had good games and the Linfield goalie's distribution was excellent. 

I thought United were terrible, but I didn't realise until after the game just how much of a youth team it was. I thought at the time they were just resting some of the better players. I'd give them the benefit of the doubt in that their game management is still very undeveloped, but I agree it didn't look good. 

[Sergeant Wilson]

36 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Ah true, but still, if half of what should be their fan base weren't getting on a ferry to Scotland every week, and most of the rest watching English clubs on TV, they ought to have similar revenues to a club like Aberdeen.

I've only been to Linfield and Crusaders once each and facilities etc will have improved since then, but league football over there has been in decline for years. I'm not excusing the behaviour of the supporters, but I think most clubs struggle a bit for a variety of reasons. Similar ones to here and then people that go to watch Liverpool, Man Utd etc.

I don't think even in their prime any NI club could've been on a par with Aberdeen or most of the rest of the "top" Scottish clubs.