This article originally appeared on Balls.ie in 2018
Man who slipped on the ice, the bat family and League of Ireland fan, all viral sensations in their own right. But if you break them down, do they have any real value beyond a good chuckle? Maybe not the first two, but upon deep reflection I believe that 'League Of Ireland fan' has wisdom beyond his years, and when you break down what 'League Of Ireland fan' actually says, he speaks nothing but sense. Let's break it down.
Video credit: Filmed by Peter O'Doherty. Interview by Louise Zayed. http://podproductions.ie/
Have you been a Pat's fan all your life? - "I have"
Straight off the bat, we know we're dealing with a truly loyal fan . No bandwagon jumpers here.
Do you go to all the matches? - "I used to but not as much as I used to"
It's good to support your team, but it's also good to make sure you have other interests to keep yourself occupied. Variety is the spice of life.
Who is your favourite Pat's player? - The fella in the green and white shirt
Now, bear with me here. If we disregard the fact that St. Patrick's Athletic traditionally turn out in red and white then League of Ireland fan (or Marlo as I have been led to believe is his name) actually makes a valid point. No one player is bigger than the team, it's a group effort. The 'fella in the green and white shirt' translates as player one to player eleven. A team has to work together if they want to achieve success and part of that is not having any man
Keep the good men on the bench and them BAM! Bob's your uncle, Mary's your auntie
Marlo is clearly way ahead of his time here, laying out the idea that squad rotation is a key factor in winning football matches. Following a hectic festive period in the Premier League, his words ring true now more than ever.
Then now I might be getting into politics...
In the post truth world in which we live in today, who's to say Marlo wouldn't have been able to make a splash in the political landscape if he so wished. He couldn't be anymore inflammatory than Trump, surely.
We should be following our own sides
Again 'League of Ireland fan' is bang on the money. If the Irish public focused more on the League of Ireland who's to say that the added revenue would not have led to a better quality of football in the league, as well as fostering a more successful youth setup. Maybe if John Delaney had followed Marlo's advice back in 2011 maybe we would have had a few up and coming stars to pull us out of the fire when we played Denmark last November. He goes on to call those that support the 'Queen's team's' hypocrites and with fans bemoaning the standard of football we play, while at the same time not doing anything to support our native league, who's to say he's wrong?
It should be League of Ireland all the way, and of course Celtic (makes vague gang sign)
To the untrained eye Marlo looks to be making a 'rock sign' with his hands:
But to the eye that has brains, it's a subtle reference to his beloved hoops (the actual fellas in the green and white shirts):
Ingenious.
