Mexicans

[promenader]

Enjoyed a bit of banter with the Leinster fans around us, to the extent that I ended up swapping my 5 x 3 ulster flag for a postage stamp sized blue one. They had a huge support there, so like ourselves in the semi, you're always going to get a handful of clampits in amongst them.

[ulsterfryer]

Met nothing but good people on Saturday. Special props to the Leinster fan beside me who was an absolute gent throughout. I could not have asked for better company.
I felt it was slightly subdued compared to other games (probably the early scores caused that) but still wonderful.
As has been said, not much celebrating at the end, but everyone was very gracious.
Met some wonderful people. Some great Northampton fans who we had a great chat to. Some superb drunk Clermont and Toulouse fans afterwards who we had great craic with. They tried to lift the sombre atmosphere with a round of SUFTUM. When not many joined in, one of the Clermont fans started shouting 'I am from Clermont, I am French and I am in a wheelchair but I still Stand up for the Ulstermen - C'mon Ulstermen!!!'
I see the attraction of going to a final now, regardless of the teams. It really is a brilliant celebration of European rugby.

[Bart S]

So basically those of us at the game met some great Ulster/Leinster/Munster/Other fans, but there were also some boorish Ulster/Leinster/Munster/Other fans.....

Quelle surprise....

[Shan]

the only thing that really annoyed me (though I was a bit oblivious to most of the fans) were a bunch of lads who, immediately after a try, turned round to a small group of SUFTUM'ers in our predominantly Mexican area and started bellowing "You're not singing....anymore" for a good 4 bars. It's the kind of crassness that's recently turned me against live football and I just don't see how it's necessary to demean another set of supporters like that. of course they weren't singing at that exact second, we'd just conceded a try. In fairness to those being sung at they gave back stacks.

Indeed we have seen more and more of this type of stuff in the last few years. I've seen it in AIL games even with Dublin clubs and Clontarf in particular with this and other refrains which were never a part of rugby. Sky Sports with their Soccer AM have normalised this type of stuff. For some winning isn't enough. You have to rub people's noses in it as well.

Of course this isn't all new stuff. If sport is the modern form of the spectator-friendly wars and battles it is just carrying on the tradition of triumphalism of the victors. Despite the vicarious nature of sports spectating some fans appear to believe they actually have an input to what happens on the field, or they desperately wish that were the case. That said some supporters do have input as they are involved in the game in coaching schools and lower level teams etc. Most of these types wouldn't be found boasting about somebody else's efforts.

[big mervyn]

So basically those of us at the game met some great Ulster/Leinster/Munster/Other fans, but there were also some boorish Ulster/Leinster/Munster/Other fans.....

Quelle surprise....

A very small minority of boorish fans far as I could see. Mercifully, most of the a***holes who travelled to Dublin to "support" Ulster seemed to be absent at the w/e. All very civilized - what a great w/e to burgle BT9 and Cherrvelley

Met some great English fans who were very supportive. They're always great tbh - the English media does them no favours.

I agree. The celebrations were muted. Can only imagine what they would have been like if we'd won

[Shan]

So basically those of us at the game met some great Ulster/Leinster/Munster/Other fans, but there were also some boorish Ulster/Leinster/Munster/Other fans.....

Quelle surprise....

Nice one Bart. You have managed to cut through it all and put in simple terms. Just to add my bit on "In society generally some people are kn-bheads, most people are decent"

[Shan]

Met some great English fans who were very supportive. They're always great tbh - the English media does them no favours.

Shhh Mervyn. Baggy won't like that despite the fact it is true. The English rugby supporters have always been my favourites, after the Irish of course. It is one of the main reasons I would support England usually unless they are playing us or France. The only time this didn't hold true was when Martin Johnson was the head coach. He is a guy who is hard to like despite my respect for him as a player. His England team resembled him too much for my liking.

[big mervyn]

Shhhh! Don't tell Baggy but me granda was a Scouser.

Still can't bring myself to support their national side though but tis true - their fans are invariably gents (and ladies).

[MACKTHEKNIFE]

I have to agree with a lot of sentiment on the thread. I was in a section of mainly Ulsterfans and thought they were great fans and everyone I met over the weekend was sound as a pound.
I was talking to a couple of Ulster lads outside the stand when some idiots in a Leinster jersey decided to come over and give it loads to the both me in my Munster Jacket and the lads in their Ulster shirts,
The Ulster lads were saying they couldn't believe what the Leinster fans were like but sadly for me it comes as no surprise.
Big shout to Kenny and the boys from Larne and to Barry "the bar steward" ( his name for himself) and his bunch of merry men, thanks for the all the craic in Wetherspoons in Feltham on Saturday morning.
Hope to see you all in Thomond against next year.

[BaggyTrousers]

Speak as you find of course, but apart from a couple of Mexicans having a traditional "spilt pint" arguement amongst the mayhem in the Orange Tree during the Champions League Final I found them grand.

Travelled back on the late tube with a bunch of them and the crack was good. The cheeky barstewards were handing out wee gold stars to stick on their shirts Still, they gave us one each and we even swapped a fleg.

Good crack on the way to the ground with a London Welsh fan and a bunch of diamond geezers going to see the 'ammers.

Good laff outside Twickers with some Leeds fans and a bunch of Asturians. I even talked to them in my pi$h poor Spanish - I think I convinced them to SUFTUM. Did anybody else see the bloke climbing the statue and getting arrested when he peeled off his boxers?

The only numpties where I was sitting in the ground were a couple of miserable turnips who objected to the Stand Ups. Quite a few English fans near us including some Cornish Pirates who were all Standing Up.

Great day bar the result.

Funny how you can be in the same place and have such a different experience Merv, I was at the Orange Tree also for part of teh CL final - stood outside of course - and when I went to siphon the phyton, I heard my 2nd all-Mexican row of the day, much of it around whether all Germans were/are Nazi Barstewards or just most of them, very heated and not an ounce of irony or any other type of humour involved.

I did meet a tiny young lady who claimed to be 8 stone but I'd place at 6 tops who had 3 stick on stars, she was one of the few Mexicans I met who wanted to chat. They may be the group that disproves my theory of "Only good Mexican, dead Mexican"

Glad so many appear to have enjoyed the craic, it remains my least fun HC final of teh 5 attended & not one ounce of that for rugby reasons, just a dearth of craic.

Did meet and have as best a conversation as we could with 6 or 7 Clermont fans who were more like the thing and what I'm used to with HC finals.

[Snipe Watson]

[BuckRogers]

I think, as has been said, that with all fans you will get a mix off the good, bad and the ugly and indeed peoples perceptions of what is 'good bad and ugly' will also be subjective.

For my part I had a great day out, was absolutely blind drunk and hopefully didn't offend anyone though given I had accumulated a Leinster, Cermont and a different Ulster scarf to the one i started the day with, I presume i didn't. More generally I thought the carry-on between the fans was great from the trains to and from the ground through to the match and festivities after.

[stickinout]

Have to say i think Sexton is a classy operator, he had a few words of respect for Paddy Jackson a few days before the game and handles himself like a gentleman whether he's winning or losing - see photo above. Mind you, he does keep something special for ROG when he plays against him, i remember one incident after a Leinster try where he rubbed it in Rog's face in something akin to a sibling rivalry. I think he's matured since then though......

[HwoodMike2umate]

My considered guess is it's probably some dodgy Mexicans in our "Ulster" section (L31) who now have our 2 hipflasks.

[bazzaj]

I must say I have been to five finals and I thought the Leinster fans were brilliant.
I have great friends through rugby in Dublin and they are some of the best banter best partying people I have ever met.
Never have anything bad to say about them quite the opposite.
Stayed in Twickenham till closing time (9pm?)and never experienced one word from all the Leinster fans I mixed with that was anything other than encouragement and positive about UR.
Do not think they feel the same way about Munster or vise versa for that matter.
No loved lost there.
For reference the Barmy Arms is definately the best pub I went to, though bring a hip flask as you tend to sober up between rounds.
Great singing and top spot.