Denning attacks section of Dundalk fanbase

[Éanna]

FROM WWW.ELEVEN-A-SIDE.COM

May 6, 2004

Former Dundalk chairman Des Denning has spoken out against a section of the club’s support, which subjected manager Trevor Anderson to sectarian abuse and spat at players as they left the field following last week’s defeat to Galway United.

Denning resigned from his position at the helm of the Oriel Park club at the weekend, a decision which prompted fellow directors Frank Mullen and Frank Keating and manager Anderson also to sever their ties with the border town club.

Speaking to the Dundalk Democrat, Denning cited the fact that he would have been unable to give the necessary commitment to the club for the next three years as the main reason behind his resignation – but revealed that the actions of a minority of the Dundalk fans made his decision inevitable.

He said: “I would be up for re-election to the Board in November at the AGM and I would have [had] to decide whether I was going to go ahead with the job at that point anyway ... the reaction from certain quarters merely expedited my decision to go.

“The language and abuse that was hurled at me, the players and the manager was despicable. The sectarian chants that our manager got and the spitting on players as they left the field made my decision to quit all the easier. I would be delighted if someone could tell me how we class these people as fans of our club. I have a lot of dignity and I cannot condone these type of people. Oriel Park needs to get rid of them immediately.”

[Éanna]

bloody hell. this kind of stuff is ridiculous. there was some unacceptable behaviour by Dundalk fans down in Cobh, but this is another level altogether

[pete]

Very surprised to hear of sectarianism in Dundalk...

[ramblers]

I remember being up at Dundalk last season when Ramblers beat them and they were screaming or Andersons head that time I cannot understand how he stayed there.

The fans know how to show hate they booded the team off the field that night and it was disgraceful.

[speedking]

Very surprised to hear of sectarianism in Dundalk...

Well you don't know until you live there. There's a good bit of it around.

Some of these fans have no knowledge of football, and are only there to cause trouble.

[eamoss]

I heard off someone who was in the stand that night he said that there was about 3 people shouting abuse but there was no way that one of the players got spited at cos of that fence around the tunnel would have stoped it!