Shamrock Rovers fans cancel bus services to Derry

[MariborKev]

No one deserved to be attacked to or from a game. Period.

I have real problems with the "clearly pre-meditated" attacks phrase of that statements. The clear implication of that sentence if you didn't know the scenario is that Derry City fans are those carrying out the attacks. Having seen on the Ultras Forum who drafted the statement I am surprised he didn't have more sense.

As Brendy's says, yet more bolix about the Brandywell being a no-go area for cops. The PSNI are the police force, if they decided to be in the area, there is nothing the club or anyone else can do about it. In fact, myself and Brendy were in a car last Friday at around 1am on the way back from Drogheda passing through the Brandywell. What did we see? A police mondeo, covered in the stickers and logo. But here, I am sure the Rovers fans know better than us.

If the game was going to be tasty before this, this just added a bit to it.

[Aaron]

The club should liaise with the cops to stop scumbags pelting buses with bricks. There should be a PR offensive by the club too so that message gets out that that kind of carry on is not acceptable.
I agree, the Shams' comment about Derry's 'privileged' status is not helpful but you have to man up as a club and accept your responsibility in this matter. Saying that it's not your responsibility is wrong. It is your responsibility because what affects the league and its clubs is, by definition, your responsibility.

I agree that the club should liaise with the PSNI, BUT people forget that the scumbags doing this don't care about Derry City. Anything Derry City would say would simply be laughed off by them.

How can we "man up" over matters out of our control? The simple fact is if stewards from inside the ground came out and tried to deal with youths around the ground, they could so easily be accused of assaulting a minor.

The club can say all they like but until the PSNI take control of outside the ground, there is nothing the club can do

only you cant even do that with the goons you employ as stewards up there. The stories i heard directly from good friends of mine over the recent trip to Derry were pretty damning of Derry City FC. I didnt post any for fear of an infraction.

I have to say i am in full agreement with the Supporters Clubs right to cancel the trips for the reason outlined in their release. Damage to 3rd party property, injury to fans and others are all valid concerns given the history of Shams visits to Derry. I also feel that Derry have a responsibility to cooperate with the PSNI in this regard about these issues if and when possible. Would co-operation with the PSNI be out of the question for Derry fans?

Absolutely not. What people dont realise is that there is always undercover police inside the ground, there has to be for an event that size.

[Sam_Heggy]

This has to be the strangest thread ever.

Bohs fans backing up Rovers fans posts and now a Harps fan about to defend Derry (kind of anyway). Is there a full moon tonight?

We have rarely had a problem in or out of the Randywell in the past few years. In 2008 there was a huge crowd there, everyone mixed no segregation and no trouble whatsoever.
You do tend to run into the odd gobsheen standing outside shouting stupid things trying to get a rise but more fool to anyone who takes them on. They are muppets and nothing more.

[Finlay Harp]

Agree with Sam. We have had many a big game at Castle Greyskull and bar a few minor issues nothing much to write home about. I have to say Harps fans have probably encountered more bother at other grounds around the country. Does this refusal to travel apply to all grounds that Rovers have been 'attacked' at before? Dalymount, Oriel etc.

[Jicked]

You're missing the point. Its not just about people being attacked outside Dalyer or wherever. We don't bring 5+ buses to the Northside of Dublin. We do to Derry and a few other places. If they get continously or badly damaged, the third parties they're hired from wont allow Rovers fans use them. (That's before you get in to the safety concerns of individuals, and the potential liability the organiser of a SC bus might face if a kid gets glass in his face, which is the more serious though more unlikely issue, the other one is one which will come to pass)

[CSFShels]

We've had similar issues in Derry so I can't say I blame Rovers for this one.

[mypost]

....which ends the "songs" justification theories.

There is no reason to justify what does happen, it's simply local youths choosing easy targets to strike. When we were last there, the attacks were clearly co-ordinated. Every single bus, including the team bus, was attacked, with varying degrees of damage. Other clubs have the same travel issues up there. The concern for this and future visits is justified.

[Charlie Darwin]

I have real problems with the "clearly pre-meditated" attacks phrase of that statements. The clear implication of that sentence if you didn't know the scenario is that Derry City fans are those carrying out the attacks. Having seen on the Ultras Forum who drafted the statement I am surprised he didn't have more sense.

You're reading too much into it. "Clearly pre-meditated" means the people who stoned the bus last time clearly weren't just locals passing by who took the occasion to throw a rock or two. It was people who went out of their way to plan and attack and are therefore likely to do it again.

[A N Mouse]

There gob****es and toerags everywhere.

Visiting supporters have been 'attacked' or had their property damaged outside grounds up and down the country, irregularly, for as long as I remember.

People made their minds up on whether or not to travel based on past experiences.

But you either go or don't go. This press release malarkey is nothing but stupidity.

Apart from the questionable rhetoric employed. Giving the cretins, who cause enough trouble without excuse of a high profile football match, this kind of publicity becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Or was the intent to paint a bigger target on any rovers fan now still fool enough to travel?

[MariborKev]

You're reading too much into it. "Clearly pre-meditated" means the people who stoned the bus last time clearly weren't just locals passing by who took the occasion to throw a rock or two. It was people who went out of their way to plan and attack and are therefore likely to do it again.

And I'm telling you that if they want to premeditate an attack on you lot, there would have been fireworks and everything else up.

"People who went out of their way to plan and attack". Obviously the "Art of War" that the dissies are distributing round the door is being avidly read by the tween and disillusioned teen market......

[hoopy]

Sorry to have to miss the game as it has all the hallmarks of a cracker. I'd be very surprised if any of the yahoos who have been attacking our buses actually go to the games so it's unfortunate for Derry to miss out on a few grand at the gate. But it's hard to convince bus drivers that this won't happen again anywhere else when you're driving back to Dublin with no windows in the freezing cold. These buses/drivers are needed for other away venues. Also some of the guys doing security in the ground seem to be itching for a row at the best of times. Anyhow Radio Foyle between 8-8.30am tomorrow is doing a piece about it with contributions from one of our guys and a Derry City councillor.

[Jicked]

There gob****es and toerags everywhere.

Visiting supporters have been 'attacked' or had their property damaged outside grounds up and down the country, irregularly, for as long as I remember.

People made their minds up on whether or not to travel based on past experiences.

But you either go or don't go. This press release malarkey is nothing but stupidity.

Apart from the questionable rhetoric employed. Giving the cretins, who cause enough trouble without excuse of a high profile football match, this kind of publicity becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Or was the intent to paint a bigger target on any rovers fan now still fool enough to travel?

I think pretty obviously its done to shine a bit of light on the problem, and hope that the PSNI and/or Derry City could give a bit more assistance in getting our fans out of Derry safely.

[Charlie Darwin]

And I'm telling you that if they want to premeditate an attack on you lot, there would have been fireworks and everything else up.

"People who went out of their way to plan and attack". Obviously the "Art of War" that the dissies are distributing round the door is being avidly read by the tween and disillusioned teen market......

It sounds like you know who "they" are. Maybe you can fill us in.

[Aaron]

It sounds like you know who "they" are. Maybe you can fill us in.

Of course we know, its local hoods from the Brandywell/Bogside area.

[Dodge]

Wonder how many will travel independently?

[Charlie Darwin]

Of course we know, its local hoods from the Brandywell/Bogside area.

He seemed to be implying they were some sort of organised crime syndicate who are incapable of premeditating anything less than a complete bloodbath.

[MariborKev]

CD,

Fact of life up here. If you grow up with it, you can fairly quickly evaluate whether something is organised by "elements" or if it is recreational rioting(that's the term, I kid you not).

Hence my reference to the tween and disillusioned teen market.

These are literally people who go "There's a bus, here grab some stones and we'll have a go at it". You are dealing with the same mentality of people who burn out tourist buses, burn out musicians vans when they are in town for the jazz festival and then complain that there is "nothing to do in Derry".

It would do yer head in.

[Aaron]

He seemed to be implying they were some sort of organised crime syndicate who are incapable of premeditating anything less than a complete bloodbath.

"You're reading too much into it"

[MariborKev]

I think pretty obviously its done to shine a bit of light on the problem, and hope that the PSNI and/or Derry City could give a bit more assistance in getting our fans out of Derry safely.

And the same couldn't have been achieved by contacting the club directly and expressing the concerns that way?

[Charlie Darwin]

CD,

Fact of life up here. If you grow up with it, you can fairly quickly evaluate whether something is organised by "elements" or if it is recreational rioting(that's the term, I kid you not).

Hence my reference to the tween and disillusioned teen market.

These are literally people who go "There's a bus, here grab some stones and we'll have a go at it". You are dealing with the same mentality of people who burn out tourist buses, burn out musicians vans when they are in town for the jazz festival and then complain that there is "nothing to do in Derry".

It would do yer head in.

Perhaps your experiences have led you to exaggerate the word premeditated then

My point is that you can premeditate something five minutes before it happens. That's all the time it takes to get organised and from what I've been told it sounds like the kids involved were at least organised enough that they were able to ambush all the buses more or less at once. We Tallaght folk are quite innocent and naive you see.