Evening Herald article on Bohs-Rovers
IRISH SOCCER HOOLIGANS PLAN RIOTS ON THE NET
Irish soccer hooligans are using the net to organise pre-match violence and forge links with European neo-nazi groups
Am Evening Herald investigation folowing recent shocking scenes involving shamrock rovers fans, has found the problem of of football holiganism is spiralling out of control.
Last weekend Rovers fans clashed with Bohemians supporters in broad daylight ina pre-arranged mellee outside Dalymount Park in Dublin
A group of around 80 supporters from Bohs and Shamrock Rovers were involved in Fridays riot at Doyles corner before their teams eircom league fixture
Bottels, coins and rockswere thrown during the incident which lasted 10 minutes
Gardai eventually seperated both parties but a number of innocent families and children were caught up in the ugly scenes
During the match members of the notorious Shamrock Rovers Ultras a hooligan wing linked to the club , produced a pig's head and pig's feet and threw them onto the pitch, in scenes that shocked football observers
the evening herald has learned that the ugly pre-match riot was a planned event with holligan elements from both clubs using the internet to arrange a time and venue for the arranged fight
so called Bohemians "casuals" were based ina phibsboro pub while Rovers "ultras" drank ina pub close to the city centre.
sources have confirmed to the EH thatat around 7pm leaders from both groups made contact using mobile fones to confirm that violence would take place. as shamrock rovers fans made tehir way to Dalymount bohemians "potters" watched them and phoned ahead to warn the casuals of their approach.
gardai appeared unprepared for the street violence with most of the 50 uniformed officers on duty, aswell as a team of riot police, based inside teh stadium. As punches and missiles were exchanged between rival fans 4 helpless gardai looked on phoned for back-up.
police reinforcements eventually seperated the young thugs but a number of frightened children were caught up in the violence.
pre-planned violence is now common place in the eircom leage. there is a hardcore hooligan element attached toa number of mainly dublin teams , whose sole aim is to cause viuolence.
last september shamrock rovers were evicted from richmond parkfollowing violent scens before and after amatch with bohemians.
mindless thugs associated with the shamrock rovers ultras have been bragging about fridays violence outside dalymount on a website dedicated to the group
the homepage of the site declares "just f**k them all. Everyone is the enemy, we are on our own lads"
One ultra declares, "we weren't hiding, we stood and didnt run, youse were let down big toime when onlya quarter of the lads you had went for it big time. Fair play to the rovers lads. i enjoyed it".
Another thug taunts bohemians fans saying "bottom line is bohs got slapped on their own patch, we backed off even before teh cops got it sorted. hope there's no CCTV on that corner" while another jeeringly claims"you were all rolled over on your own patch you s****bags"
tovers ultras have forged links with right wing neo-nazis from other europena countries including Greece, Sweden and Germany.
Links to other hooligan websites dedicated to violence show football supporters rioting all over europe.
the ultras call these groups"green and white brothers" nd they include europs most fanatical and dangerous hooligans
in a sinister development hooligans have downloaded pictures of gardai and stewards who were on duty at dalymount asking if anyoneknows who they are. identification numbers of some gardaiand stewards are published on the website, alongside the photo of a garda filming supporters is the caption "you've been framed Pig"
one source close to the ultras told the evening herald "these lds model themselves on English hooligans in the 1980s"
a spokesman for the FAI said that the association was "awaiting a number of reports on teh game" before deciding what action, if any, it will take.
these scenes were localised incidents and are not common in the league. We do not condon any public disorder activity and it has no place in the game, he said
the association stressed that it was not responsible for what fans do poutside football stadiums, saying it was amatter for the gardai. if the clubs are found to have not controlled their fans they could be forced to adopt earlier kick off times or have to play their fixtures behind closed dorrs.
gardai have confirmed that they are aware of Fridays incident "we are also concerned about pictures of members of the force appearing on these websites which is illegal"
