Celtic, Rangers, Ireland, etc.

[RedRalph]

For those non-Europeans who dont know, the biggest rivalry in British football is between two teams form Glasgow, Celtic and Rangers. Celtic were formed in 1888 by a Catholic priest, and have a large (if not majority) Catholic following. the Irish flag flies at their ground (uniqu in Brit football), their supporters fly the Irish flag rather than the Scottish one, sing Amhrain na bhian, the Fields of Athenry and other Irish songs. A lot of people consider them 'an Irish club based in scotland'. Rangers are stanuchly Protestant, and didnt hire their first Catholic player until the 80s.

My questions is, is there any other analogous situations where fans of a team are essentially loyal to another country? (Discounting examples like Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Transdneistr, etc)

 

[I'm Cleo!]

The closest thing I can think of in my country is a basketball team called the Boston Celtics (pronounced Sell-tix). They wear green and embrace the Irish heritage of many Boston inhabitants, but it's nowhere near the level of Celtic in Scotland. No Irish flags or anything, to my knowledge.

Cleo

 

[RedRalph]

Yeah, I've heard of them. Celtic FC are pronounced Selltik too BTW. I'm not just looking for Irish examples though, say, is there a big Cuban fanbase at the Miami Dolphins type thing?

 

[downtown]

What about Chivas USA? Thats a soccer club in the United States that prob. has stronger ties to Mexico.

 

[RedRalph]

where are they based?

 

[Hitti-Litti]

IFK Mariehamn is a Finnish football club that has strong ties to Sweden, for example they've got lots of Swedish players. That is of course obvious, as MIFK plays in Åland, where almost everyone speaks Swedish.

Someone Swedish could tell about Assyriska's relations to Middle Eastern countries(assyriska = Assyrian?). Assyriska is a team that has mostly immigrants playing in it.

 

[I'm Cleo!]

RRW,

You know, I actually thought about Miami when I read your post, but I don't think the Dolphins, Heat, Marlins, or Hurricanes (the local college sports powerhouse) really identify with the Cuban community. I'm sure all the Cubans root for the 'Canes, but they don't fly Cuban flags or anything, and the team itself isn't considered "Cuban."

Chivas, as downtown points out, might be an interesting example, but I don't know that much about Major League Soccer. I wouldn't be surprised if they developed a Mexican / Latin American thing.

Cleo

 

[downtown]

where are they based?

I believe they're in LA, along with another US team, the LA Galaxy (where Beckham plays now). Chivas is also a Mexican club, and I think the same guy owns both teams. Chivas USA, to me, gave the impression of being more of the team for the latin community.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

where are they based?

Los Angeles, I think.

Which makes sense, given how many Mexicans in LA are from Guadalajara (my informal study of asking people where they were from when I met them, on my mission, suggests an enormous population).

 

[Rossiya]

For those non-Europeans who dont know, the biggest rivalry in British football is between two teams form Glasgow, Celtic and Rangers.

Wrong. Scottish football is crap, and therefore the rivalry between Glasgow and Celtic is not as big as others'.

 

[Hitti-Litti]

Even if Scottish football is crap, it's still the biggest rivalry in Britain. And crappiness doesn't crush rivalry, I bet that the biggest rivalries you have experienced in your life have been in the football matches in school's playground.

 

[Rossiya]

Even if Scottish football is crap, it's still the biggest rivalry in Britain. And crappiness doesn't crush rivalry, I bet that the biggest rivalries you have experienced in your life have been in the football matches in school's playground.

Yes, from a religious point of view the Glasgow-Celtic rivalry is the greatest. From a football point of view it is not. Although I take the religious point.

 

[Masquerouge]

What about FC Barcelona and the whole Catalunia thing?

 

[Rossiya]

What about FC Barcelona and the whole Catalunia thing?

I would say that is the biggest rivalry in the world.

 

[really]

The entire Arsenal team and management arrives by Eurostar from Paris before each match.

 

[Rossiya]

The entire Arsenal team and management arrives by Eurostar from Paris before each match.

After having their birth certificate filed somewhere in Africa.

 

[jessiecat]

I would say that is the biggest rivalry in the world.

I've been to a Barca vs. Espanol match in the Nou Camp stadium. Amazing! Two groups of nutters, about 50,000 each, screaming at each other in two languages all through the match. Luckily it was a 1-1 draw so everybody was happy. I later spotted some of them in a bar, still screaming at each other. No violence though, just crazy!

 

[Rossiya]

I've been to a Barca vs. Espanol match in the Nou Camp stadium. Amazing! Two groups of nutters, about 50,000 each, screaming at each other in two languages all through the match. Luckily it was a 1-1 draw so everybody was happy. I later spotted some of them in a bar, still screaming at each other. No violence though, just crazy!

I would like to go to: Manchester Derby, Barca-R. Madrid, Sicily Derby and Milan Derby, and the Italy Derby. Probably others too, such as the Glasgow Derby.

 

[Masquerouge]

The entire Arsenal team and management arrives by Eurostar from Paris before each match.

I thought Wenger lived in London?

Anyway, feel free to fire them. Arsenal has indeed had such crappy results under French management.

 

[Masquerouge]

I would like to go to: Manchester Derby, Barca-R. Madrid, Sicily Derby and Milan Derby, and the Italy Derby. Probably others too, such as the Glasgow Derby.

In terms of football quality, it might not be the greatest event on Earth, but PSG-OM is a pretty fierce rivalry. Every game has a heavy police presence, and fights and riots are common.