This tradition continues. One of the things that endeared me to our club in my early years supporting it was the experience of sitting at a dinner table, an Orangeman next to me, a strident Nationalist across the table. The conversation was pointed and witty. No subject including religion and politics was avoided. Above all, everyone remained friends.

These days the focus of the melting pot has changed somewhat. The English invasion continues apace. Since our move from Sunbury the growth in our supporter base has been spectacular. Our crowds have more than doubled in the four years we have been at the Madejski. This time last year in the ‘From Sunbury to Reading’ series of articles I wrote ‘It is also arguable that the majority of our supporters nowadays have little or no Irish connection’. Our most recent poll would seem to bear this out…..

Compare this to the same poll, slightly different question and smaller number of voters, last year…..

Various messageboard discussions have taken place over the years on the ‘Irishness’ of the club. The most recent, somewhat animated, one was James McIntyre’s ‘A Little Whinge’ back in November. In this thread Andy_Bhoy argued, ‘This is an Irish club so don't cause a rift with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation Irish who hold our traditions in the highest regard!’ If Andy voted in the above poll no doubt he would have, as I did, registered that he was supporting Ireland. So would all the 1^st, 2^nd and 3rd generation Irish who consider themselves to be Irish. The fact is that the majority of our supporter base now consider themselves not to be Irish. If current growth patterns continue the percentage who consider themselves Irish will further reduce.

There are those who would question the validity of such polls. The counter argument is that on an average weekday we have 1500-2000 different visitors to this site. Three times the total membership of the LISC. I would argue that a cross section of those people is as likely to be as representative of the London Irish support base as any other measure. Short of paying MORI or the like it’s as good as we are going to get.

If anything we are more English on field than off. We have no players in the Ireland six nations squad or, as far as I am aware, close to playing representative rugby for Ireland. Having cut us loose five years ago the IRFU do not seem inclined to build any bridges. With England, on the other hand, the picture appears very different. Whilst we have no players in the current senior squad there are several knocking on the door, not least the three we currently have in the under 21 squad. From sevens to junior levels London Irish is well represented in the England setup. It is surely only a matter of time before we see some of our players establishing themselves in the first team.

Nobody is denying the clubs Irish roots, heritage or continuing Irish association. The facts of life as a top flight club playing in the English Zurich Premiership however speak for themselves. English, Irish, whatever, there is no better club on the planet to be a part of.