Sir, – Alan Quinlan’s rant about Irish rugby fans (Sport, February13th) struck an odd note coming, as it did, from a man who, until recently, was one of that cohort of very highly paid Irish professional rugby players. He was an outstanding player, and losing out on a Lions tour must have been one of the greatest disappointments of his sporting life.
However, just because not everyone who went to the Aviva Stadium last Sunday felt the same about the occasion as Quinlan did, does not make them culpable. His piece reminded me of the old saying, “They’re all out of step except our Johnny.” Quinlan railed against improved facilities and modern technology.
It is in the nature of things that sports fans react with gusto to successful and exciting performances by their teams. If players want their followers to to be enthusiastic and loud in their support, the players have to perform excitingly, with skill and verve, and an acceptable level of success. When these attributes are missing, the fans’ enthusiasm tails off. The players, as well as the fans, have responsibilities.
Finally, it should be remembered that whether or not fans flock to the sports arenas, the players still get paid. If they let the fans down, they shouldn’t cavil if the fans react accordingly. – Yours, etc,