Tribune: FAI bans 30 in campdown on hooligans

[Lim till i die]

Go and do that on the Hill at a Dubs game and tell us how you get on.

So it appears crowd trouble in the GAA is specifically a Leinster problem.

Glad that has been cleared up

The Tribune is a terrible newspaper in all respects and that is where the criticism should be directed. They'll probably ignore th eelague again next season and run the story for a 3rd time this time next year.

I'd agree with that.

The part about Garda spotters in particular cracked me up.

Are the fans of some clubs expected to make room in their cars so the guards can travel with them??

[John83]

...The part about Garda spotters in particular cracked me up.

Are the fans of some clubs expected to make room in their cars so the guards can travel with them??

Well, I got my driving licence a little while ago, so as long as Angus, Pineapple Stu or Bald Student is going too, we could probably fit one. I'm not sure I'd advise letting a cop watch Pineapple Stu drive though. I figure he'd be doing well to get to the M50 before arresting him.

[Lim till i die]

Well, I got my driving licence a little while ago, so as long as Angus, Pineapple Stu or Bald Student is going too, we could probably fit one. I'm not sure I'd advise letting a cop watch Pineapple Stu drive though. I figure he'd be doing well to get to the M50 before arresting him.

The Green Party have so disillusioned society that even the UCD lads have ditched their bicycles for cars.

[John83]

The Green Party have so disillusioned society that even the UCD lads have ditched their bicycles for cars.

I'm in the US at the moment. When I put the foot down in the car, the needle on the petrol gauge visibly moves and I can feel a disturbance, as if millions of greens cried out in pain and were suddenly silenced.

[BohsPartisan]

This is very exaggerated i was at that game and bohs fans had flares and cork city fans had smoke and also a flare that didnt last long at the other end of the derrynane ( where ye were) and yes they might of pushed and shoved but certainly did not "knock lumps out of anyone"

Not exaggerated at all. If you were in the shed you were a fair bit away from what happened. There was on flare and a few smokes. One steward kicked things off by wading into the crowd knocking people aside and he was followed by 20 or so trainee gardaí and a few non trainee. At one stage a motor cycle cop was in the thick of it with no numbers. Challenged on this he said he wanted to get stuck into soccer fans.

[gspain]

I don't understand your last comparison, would you prefer Irish Football to develop a mental illness.
There is the McDonald's model of replying to ever negative point, article or letter published. But that was more manageable in the 'hardcopy' era. Nowadays, when Irish Football does reply and attempt to manage some aspects of the media they are hysterically accused of extreme behaviour.

Of course, it does not make sense to sue (even threathen to sue) unless the injury is obvious. Otherwise you gain a reputation like Robert Maxwell's.
(And I don't mean a nice trip on a yacht.)

I wouldn't like to have the GAA "pravda" style media coverage. However there does need to be a level of media management. The media can say what they like about the FAI or football in this country and get away with it.

[Mad Moose]

Cheech - your entire knowledge of English league football must revolve around Premier Soccer Saturday (or whatever it's called this week) because you're laughably way off the mark if you think that trouble in and around English football games is a thing of the past.

It doesn't happen so often in the sanitised Premiership any more - but outside of that there are certain teams and fixtures that almost always result in trouble. There's a conspiracy of silence over this in the national media, but the local media reports it all the time.

Take for example, the predictable violence that followed last night's Swansea v Cardiff match : a fixture that always results in trouble in, around or near the grounds. Look at the video footage on the URL link below - literally battalions of Police involved (over 500), on a scale you didn't even see at contentious IRA funerals during the Troubles :

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/ne...l/article.html

Google any recent Millwall and Leeds encounters for another fixture that always has trouble around it. Over 10 fans were arrested inside the stadium during the last encounter.

And that's just a start. Without even searching, I'll guarantee you there would've been trouble before or after the Birmingham City v Wolves game on the weekend.

Your confidence assertion that there is more trouble at EL games than there is in England shows that you just can't be taken anywhere near seriously on this issue.

Something else to chew over with your popcorn whilst watching Premier Soccer Saturday...

Cheech I am going to back up dcfc Steve on this one and I'm not sure you are particularly well informed at all before making statements you clearly know nothing about and to weigh that up against League of Ireland troubles is simply nonsense. I get to a hell of a lot of games here and all the talk last night here regarding the Stoke City v Derby County league cup tie revolved around the clash off the pitch between Derby's Lunatic Fringe and Stoke City's Naughty Forty. I remember been caught up in after match violence between Birmingham City and Cardiff City. As I was caught up in it it didn't matter to police whether I was involved or not and we were charged, battoned and the dogs were used. I managed to escape down a side street and it was the worst case of violence I was ever caught up in. But its part of the football experience. And it simply never got any mention whatsoever in the media here. Likewise at Molinyeaux for Wolves v Stoke. Its another nasty derby game with huge focus on off the pitch activities. We had to get off the train from Stoke and get a later train such was the danger to us on that train. It never got a mention. I can't imagine what it was like when there was a problem worth reporting on.

To even mention football violence in Ireland in the same breath is simply ridiculous. I agree also that the Premier Lague is sanitised football. Current Chelsea support is utterly unrecognisable to its support in the 1970's and 1980's.

As for the tribune article. Absolutely and utterly pathetic stuff. I have no problem with people been banned, in fact I welcome it. I have no problem with that been reported either if its fact. But to report it as part of sch a sensational declaration as this is irresponsible.

[Jinxy]

By and large there isn't a hooligan problem in any sport in this country.

I'm sure we can all find instances in other sports. We have issues in football too but they are pretty minor. The Tribune is a terrible newspaper in all respects and that is where the criticism should be directed. They'll probably ignore th eelague again next season and run the story for a 3rd time this time next year.

As for general media coverage this is one area where the FAI could do much better. The GAA get good press because they are paranoid about their image. They will threaten to sue any paper that dares to utter criticism. The FAI have failed to sue in every case despite blatant libel.

And out come the tin-foil hats again.

[bennocelt]

Not exaggerated at all. If you were in the shed you were a fair bit away from what happened. There was on flare and a few smokes. One steward kicked things off by wading into the crowd knocking people aside and he was followed by 20 or so trainee gardaí and a few non trainee. At one stage a motor cycle cop was in the thick of it with no numbers. Challenged on this he said he wanted to get stuck into soccer fans.

i honestly dont see any problem here - i mean you give it and then you take it -whats the problem - unless you actually expect the police to be fair minded

[cheech]

Cheech I am going to back up dcfc Steve on this one and I'm not sure you are particularly well informed at all before making statements you clearly know nothing about and to weigh that up against League of Ireland troubles is simply nonsense. I get to a hell of a lot of games here and all the talk last night here regarding the Stoke City v Derby County league cup tie revolved around the clash off the pitch between Derby's Lunatic Fringe and Stoke City's Naughty Forty. I remember been caught up in after match violence between Birmingham City and Cardiff City. As I was caught up in it it didn't matter to police whether I was involved or not and we were charged, battoned and the dogs were used. I managed to escape down a side street and it was the worst case of violence I was ever caught up in. But its part of the football experience. And it simply never got any mention whatsoever in the media here. Likewise at Molinyeaux for Wolves v Stoke. Its another nasty derby game with huge focus on off the pitch activities. We had to get off the train from Stoke and get a later train such was the danger to us on that train. It never got a mention. I can't imagine what it was like when there was a problem worth reporting on.

To even mention football violence in Ireland in the same breath is simply ridiculous. I agree also that the Premier Lague is sanitised football. Current Chelsea support is utterly unrecognisable to its support in the 1970's and 1980's.

As for the tribune article. Absolutely and utterly pathetic stuff. I have no problem with people been banned, in fact I welcome it. I have no problem with that been reported either if its fact. But to report it as part of sch a sensational declaration as this is irresponsible.

HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY THIS?

I know there is football violence in England!!

I didn't say there wasn't!! I was using the point that it normally happens away from the ground (Steve was arguing that it happens in the grounds too but that wasn't relevant to my point) yet everyone accepts that there is a serious hooligan problem there. I was using that as an example as people on this thread don't associate young Bohs hooligans smashing up buses going down O'Connell St because there are Rovers fans on it as been an LOI problem.

If you would read the entire thread you would see that I was debating with a Bohs lad that trouble involving football fans here on match night in my opinion, IS connected with the LOI. He said it wasn't. My point was that there is trouble away from the ground in England and we all know this to be a football hooligan problem. But if it happens in Ireland - then it is not. I wasn't "weighing" up hooliganism in Ireland against England!

Hope that explains things for you.

Now hopefully you will answer me a question. How long have you been in England?

[Mad Moose]

Well I can now see where you were going actually with that with regard to away from the ground but having said that the scale of the matter between both countries is incomparable. Your right football is accepted here, its swept under the carpet and just not given any profile whatsoever.

To answer your question I'm here a year and a half at this stage. Thankfully I wasn't around for the violence of the 70's and 80's but from what I've seen and what hasn't actually been reported I can only imagine the scale of the problem.

[Jinxy]

Lads, the fact that a lot of you completely misintrepeted Cheech's post (when it seemed pretty obvious the point he was trying to make) and started having a go at him would suggest you need to calm down and take your finger off the trigger.

[passerrby]

Lads, the fact that a lot of you completely misintrepeted Cheech's post (when it seemed pretty obvious the point he was trying to make) and started having a go at him would suggest you need to calm down and take your finger off the trigger.

was just about tomake the same point were people purposely misreading his posts because I thougt his point was clear, most voilence, hooligans etc takes place outside of grounds in england subways city centers etc that does not mean it has nothing to do with football

[corkboy360]

Not exaggerated at all. If you were in the shed you were a fair bit away from what happened. There was on flare and a few smokes. One steward kicked things off by wading into the crowd knocking people aside and he was followed by 20 or so trainee gardaí and a few non trainee. At one stage a motor cycle cop was in the thick of it with no numbers. Challenged on this he said he wanted to get stuck into soccer fans.

Who mentioned the shed
Were you actually there "the shed" died November 18th 2005

[BohsPartisan]

Who mentioned the shed
Were you actually there "the shed" died November 18th 2005

Aren't you still calling it that? Shed end, whatever.

i honestly dont see any problem here - i mean you give it and then you take it -whats the problem - unless you actually expect the police to be fair minded

Don't expect it at all, but I'll always have a problem with someone with the power to arrest me laying it on like that.

[Jinxy]

For Jaysus sake man get off your ratio mantra.

As regards football there is the EL teams right down to Sunday mroning kickarounds going on in the country all the time every weekend.

Believe me, you know and I know if there was hassle at those games e.g. EL Reserve / 'A' games, Leinster or other provincial Senior or Junior games, Junior Cup games etc. it would be reported in the papers - especially the herald!!

It doesn't happen at those levels in football, it does happen at those levels, as well as right down to U-12 games in the GAA world - get over it!!

I'm posting this article from todays Indo just in response to the above post and not to start a tit-for-tat GAA v soccer row. I know there are violent incidents at club level in the GAA but to say there are none in soccer is just daft.


Jail for footballer who punched ref

By Conor Gallagher

Friday December 05 2008

A soccer player who punched a referee after he was sent off for violent contact was jailed yesterday.

Shane Brennan (20), of Cromcastle Drive, Kilmore, Dublin, was playing for an under-18 side in a north Dublin League when he hit referee Mark Davidson in the mouth. Mr Davidson said since the incident he had spent over €3,000 on dental work and expected to spend another €60,000. Judge Katherine Delahunt dismissed this figure as excessive and sentenced Brennan to two years, suspending the final 12 months on condition he engage with the probation service and seek treatment for his bipolar depression.

She noted he showed a "lack of empathy" with the victim because he tried to justify his assault by saying, "I had never been sent off in my life."

Assault

Brennan had pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at Portmarnock Sports and Leisure Centre on May 15 2007.

The court was told how the accused was sent off during a game between Portmarnock FC and Donaghmede Celtic. Mr Davidson said Brennan, who played for Portmarnock, was ordered off after he pushed an opposition player to the ground.

Prosecutor Garnett Orange said: "The accused saw more than red and punched the referee in the face."

Defence counsel Ray Colgan said Brennan suffered from serious bipolar depression and has had several psychotic incidents.

Mr Colgan said his client had recently spent three months in a residential care home because of his illness.

[pete]

A soccer player who punched a referee after he was sent off for violent contact was jailed yesterday.

Seems to show a bias in the laws of the land. When do GAA players & fans get jailed for punching officials?

[Lim till i die]

Seems to show a bias in the laws of the land. When do GAA players & fans get jailed for punching officials?

Now the judiciary are out to get us aswell?!?!?!

[BohsPartisan]

Now the judiciary are out to get us aswell?!?!?!

For once I agree with Pete. Actually I think thats twice in five years but you get the idea.

[cheech]

Lads, the fact that a lot of you completely misintrepeted Cheech's post (when it seemed pretty obvious the point he was trying to make) and started having a go at him would suggest you need to calm down and take your finger off the trigger.

Thank you man.

You voice an opinion and you are ridiculed. People think you are saying something else, put you down and dance all over your grave.

Even on the internet people don't like getting things wrong.