RTÉ football pundit Richie Sadlier had admitted he does not agree with the idea that the Irish fans are the best in the world, and even went as far as to say that he cringes every time he hears the Irish fans spoken of in such a manner.
Sadlier was speaking on RTÉ 2FM show 'Game On' after Ireland's 1-0 win over Georgia, which was played in front of just 27,000 supporters. The low attendance was one of the main talking points as the former Millwall striker explained that while it was disappointing, it wasn't unexpected.
It's not totally unexpected. There is a lot of talk that the section behind the goal is getting heavily searched and there is sensitivity from the FAI for the banners and various different things that have been expressed from that side of the crowd.
All of those things don't help and the quality of the opposition, but we keep hearing this is a sports mad country.
We often hear the phrase 'best fans in the world', I often hear that and I cringe every time I hear it. There is no sign of them here tonight.
While it certainly is disheartening to see the stadium half-full for a Euro 2016 qualifier, the issues that Sadlier suggested are only a few of the reasons why Irish football fans are not attending matches.
Also worth noting is that while home attendances are far from strong, the away supporters always travel in good numbers and we would argue are the main reason behind the "best in the World" tag is the stunning support that caught the attention of the footballing World during Euro 2012, or any major tournament that Ireland have qualified for. The contrast between the home and away support of Ireland's football team is night and day, so clearly there is something wrong with the way things are being run, as the policies do not seem to be changing despite continued under-performance. And yet, what Sadlier has said is far from out of order.
When the boys in green play in Dublin on a weeknight, typically the stadium is half-full and you can hear the managers shouting instructions at their players. Something needs to be done to offer more of an incentive for football fans to part with their cash and make the effort to get to the game.
via RTÉ.ie
