Longford Town 1-0 Shamrock Rovers

**De Town** · 29/05/2004, 10:04 PM

Great win nd always nice 2 beat the scum. Eric Lavine Scored about 60 seconds after comin off the bench. Digger didnt hav to make a save all match. First time i have seen a bit of football 4 ages at flansiro and look at the result when we did play. Obviously when Rovers come to town theres gonna be trouble and yes, the inevetible happened. At half time, a fight broke out between about 7 or 8 town fans nd 30-40 SRFC "fans". ended up wit a town fan with blood running from his face and rovers "fans" wantin more. also heard that a bottle was thrown through a passing car out in tarmon beford the match. u would have to feel sorry for the good element of rovers fans because the bad element really bring the club down. well anyway, ROLL ON FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

**boots** · 29/05/2004, 10:44 PM

when are the FAI going to take action against SRFC. They HAVE to be banned from travelling to away games(which is all their games). How many riots are they going to start before adequate sanctions are imposed.. Are the FAI waiting for someone to be kicked to death at a match before doing anything because this could easily have happened tonight.
This element of rovers are the scum of the eircom league and need to be eliminated. FAir enough there were decent rovers fans there as well tonight but if SRFC cant control their own fans the they have to be punished bigtime!! For fcuk sake i though they were going to assault some of town players(digger, dillon) they were so far accross the wall at stages.
Absolutly disgraceful!!

I dunno what the cops were at either. I could only see 3 or 4 when the violence broke out not a baton between them. What dreamland were they living in. They ve seen the previous crowd trouble involving rovers "fans". They were just being thrown and pushed out of the way.. A Joke!!

On the match, some spells of scintilating football from the town.. they kept playing football all the time and eventually got the reward. Francis and lavine gave that extra bit of spark when introduced. The new lad looked very strong and he can play ball aswell. This team are well capable of a 2nd place league finish, and if the goals start flowing...

**Maz** · 29/05/2004, 11:15 PM

excellent result! rovers fans are trouble wit a capital T!! new midfielder Fitzgerald very impressive! overall value for money once you escaped witout injury

**johno** · 30/05/2004, 10:22 AM

Great result after the introduction of Levine and Francis who added some flair up front which was sadly lacking up to that.Town play good flowing football ON THE GROUND,please stop hoofing it into the clouds, it's a complete waste of hard earned possesion.Is it necessary to insist on sending long high ball into Kirby who isn't blessed with height and also to Baker who can't time his jumps especially against a tall defence like Rovers have.Baker,Francis and Levine are a winning combination.No doubt.Sl�n.

**ccfcman** · 30/05/2004, 3:06 PM

Originally Posted by boots

rovers are the scum of the eircom league and need to be eliminated.

cork city and longford town,united in hatred

**nesovic** · 30/05/2004, 3:51 PM

last night was an absaloute disgrace, fair enough it's not fair on the decent rovers fans but something is going to have to be done about them travelling to away matches, whats it going to take? someone to be kicked to death because that could have easily happened last night! for a start the rovers fans were looking to cause trouble from the word go! they had already been thrown outa a pub in town and they wrecked 2 cars in tarmon!!

**Maz** · 30/05/2004, 3:59 PM

dont think they will be back in flancare! it was so disgraceful!!

**Longfordian** · 30/05/2004, 4:09 PM

We knew there was potential trouble, thats why we brought the FAI head of security and a number of his stewards down, interesting to see what their report back will be. Our own head of security was getting the tar kicked out of him by about four Rovers "fans" so others had to jump in to help him, all because they weren't being let go behind the other goals. They were asked to stay in their section before the game but they have to insist on going down anyway, try to stop them and they get violent. The Gardai were a joke as well, did absolutely nothing to help and ended up giving in to the scumbags. Of course Rovers fans will probably say it was all our fault..In fairness the majority of them are decent fans as shown by the fact that they stayed where they were asked to stay and caused no trouble, they'll have to do something about the 30 or so that are ruining the club's reputation.
Two were arrested for the damage they caused in Tarmon and are going to be charged. The other Rovers fans only gave them up after the Gardai said they were going to detain the whole bus overnight unless they were given up

**Maz** · 30/05/2004, 4:21 PM

seemly all Gardai from Longford Athlone and Mullingar that were on were in Flancare last night. I do feel sorry for rovers decent fans but its a risk we can't really take. the amount of kids in flancare last night that could have been injured was unreal.

**Enda M** · 30/05/2004, 5:05 PM

sitting right behind me was a very confused and destraught young child asking his dad what those men were fighting about and at that the father stood up and left the game.it is so sad that these and the only word for them is SCUMBAGS are allowed to get away with this crap week in week out and if all gardai were there only six or seven seemed bothered about it.

**Pauro 76** · 30/05/2004, 5:22 PM

Didnt see a lot of the ruckus at half time, but those "fans" were a total disgrace. Doesnt seem fair to throw them out of the league and punish their genuine fans, but something has to be done about this. Theres talk about Rovers fans being banned from Flancare, and after last night thats not such a bad idea. Also a few coins were thrown at Barry Ferguson in the second half, cowardly behaviour from the scum involved. The gardai seemed to do feck all, even leaving us exposed in Section O in case they decided to run to our end and cause havoc. aside from that, great win!

**Martinho II** · 30/05/2004, 6:20 PM

Myself and Massop 10 were about to go to the chipper so we were very close to the scuffles.What happened was myself and Adrian were about to walk by their section when just feet from me,the Stewards were trying to prevent the shams supporters from going through. All of a sudden, all hell broke loose and the soliatry shams "supporter" hammers the steward . All the sham thugs started to back him up and a few Town supporters that were there retilated in defence of the steward. The Guards were a bunch of ****in *****s and just stood off .They caved in and allowed the scum to go to the other side. One of our supporters had a deep wound on his forehead.
Thanks to be God, none of us were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A very reliable source in the club told me that that this is the last time the scum will ever be allowed. None of Shams chief stewards were there to be seen or the board members of the club.

And to top it off, the ****s of guards gave the feckers an escort to Mullingar .
I also heard that the Tullamore cops were told to go home just before the half time whistle.

God I ****in hate those *****s with a passion! Intetresting to go onto their message board and find out their views on this incident.Should be interesting"

**TommyT** · 30/05/2004, 9:02 PM

Originally Posted by Various Eejits

also heard that a bottle was thrown through a passing car out in tarmon beford the match.

whats it going to take? someone to be kicked to death because that could have easily happened last night! for a start the rovers fans were looking to cause trouble from the word go! they had already been thrown outa a pub in town and they wrecked 2 cars in tarmon!!

Two were arrested for the damage they caused in Tarmon and are going to be charged. The other Rovers fans only gave them up after the Gardai said they were going to detain the whole bus overnight unless they were given up

seemly all Gardai from Longford Athlone and Mullingar that were on were in Flancare last night

All the sham thugs started to back him up and a few Town supporters that were there retilated in defence of the steward. The Guards were a bunch of ****in *****s and just stood off .They caved in and allowed the scum to go to the other side. One of our supporters had a deep wound on his forehead.

Lads no matter what age you are cop on. You all admit to Longford fans getting involved, and make excuses for them yet say all the Rovers fans should be banned etc. Maybe the guards are less confrontational than your club's stewards because they're TRAINED eh ?

The guy with the deep wound should be banned from EL football for a considerable period of time and charged with assault (he's not the only one but certainly the worst of a bad bunch).

No one was arrested in Tarmonbarry and the owner of the Shannon Bar told the Gardai that the Rovers fans were blameless.

BTW anyone know when a brawl becomes a mini-riot, I've seen worse trouble at the Keshcarrigan barn dance.

**Gary** · 30/05/2004, 9:10 PM

Funny how Shams are always completely blameless. We should all take a leaf of their book, they are so well behaved.

**Longfordian** · 30/05/2004, 9:39 PM

Originally Posted by TommyT

No one was arrested in Tarmonbarry and the owner of the Shannon Bar told the Gardai that the Rovers fans were blameless.
.

So who threw bottles at passing cars and broke car windscreens then? Longford fans? A Longford guard said in my presence before the game that Rovers fans had been damaging car windows and throwing bottles from their bus at passing cars in Tarmonbarry so there could be trouble. Longford fans should not have got involved because our stewards should have been over quicker but the fact remains that our head of security was getting the tar kicked out of him on the ground by four Rovers fans. What did you expect Longford fans to do? We've not exactly got a fighting reputation have we? Why couldnt your supporters have done what they were asked to do and stay in their section.

The majority of your fans had no problem doing this why couldn't the minority do what they were asked to do. Even after the situation had calmed down a little they still wouldnt do what they were being asked to do and had to show how tough they were by forcing their way down to the end. Come up with all the excuses you like, the trouble was started by your fans. As I said already there should have been no involvement from our fans but they did not start the trouble. Your Directors admitted themselves that your fans actions were disgraceful. Its always someone else's fault though..

**nesovic** · 30/05/2004, 10:16 PM

in answer to tommyT what a load of b*****ks ye were a disgrace last night there is no other words to describe ye, im even insulting the word disgrace!! why should the man with the deepo wound on his forehead be charged with assult?? do you not think he was the one assulted? wha about the man who im not going to mention names but had a very bad black eye and a gash underneath it which needed stitches? its unbelievable to think men who are going to matches as long as there on and end up being attacked!!
have ye no consideration for children who had to see that behaviour!! children watching their fathers, grandfathers etc being hit and kicked by drunken yobs!!
and to say ye are blameless i really don't know where ye get that idea from! the only other incident of trouble i recall in flancare park was the last time when ye came down and ripped out the seats! but i suppose we just wait for ye to come down for us to cause trouble!! come on get real!
as for tarmon my sister lives there and was talking to a publican who said it was unreal the carry on that went on and he was constantly going outside his pub making sure they weren't coming back!!
face it ye need to do something about yer "fans" who just go out to make trouble!! granted these people are giving all yer supporters a bad name, it's up to ye to sort them out from the real supporters or else ye are all going to have to suffer the consequences!!

**TommyT** · 31/05/2004, 12:23 AM

[QUOTE=nesovic] why should the man with the deepo wound on his forehead be charged with assult?? do you not think he was the one assulted?

and to say ye are blameless i really don't know where ye get that idea from! the only other incident of trouble i recall in flancare park was the last time when ye came down and ripped out the seats!

as for tarmon my sister lives there and was talking to a publican who said it was unreal the carry on that went on and he was constantly going outside his pub making sure they weren't coming back!!
[QUOTE]

He should be charged with assault for restarting the whole incident by charging about six yards from behind the cops through to the police and punching a Rovers fan in the face. This after everything had calmed down.

I can't recall any seats being ripped out on our last trip to Mullollogher (a 3-1 win in October) or any time previously. I at no stage said Rovers fans were blameless for last nights incidents, though I didn't see what started it.

The Publican did indeed keep checking that ''they'' were not coming back, ''they'' being the builders who were staying locally who started the row.

Longfordian why would I suggest Longford fans were involved in Tarmonbarry ??? That bit of your post suggests it's more about petty points scoring for you rather than anything else. You've already been proved wrong about the two arrests, anything else you'd like to make up.

**the 12 th man** · 31/05/2004, 7:13 AM

on the pitch

i think longford were deserving winners on the night.i thought brian mc govern had a great game in his comeback game.alan murphy was everywhere and never stopped running.dessie bakers shimmie to get by the rovers defender and his deft cross onto lavines head was pure class.shane barrett gave the rovers right side of defence a torrid time and went around the back of them several times especially in the first half.

i though barry was lucky not to walk for that second foul on the edge of the area as he could have easily picked up a second yellow.dean fitzgerald looked like he belonged there as he made a very bright debut which augurs well for the future.

overall i thought we looked a serious team there last night and with most players back fit we are going to get great competition for a place on the team.

Keep. Rovers. Away. Please.

**Longfordian** · 31/05/2004, 8:32 AM

Originally Posted by TommyT

Longfordian why would I suggest Longford fans were involved in Tarmonbarry ??? That bit of your post suggests it's more about petty points scoring for you rather than anything else. You've already been proved wrong about the two arrests, anything else you'd like to make up.

OK. i didnt make it up I was going on what i was told by people not normally prone to making things up, i.e club officials. If they had it wrong then fair enough but considering everyone had the same story it sounded plausible to me. I wasnt in Tarmon so again im going on what Gardai and club officails said before the game. I had no reason to disbelieve them. At the end of the day we weren't balmeless but there would have been no trouble if your supporters had done what they were asked to do.

**Macy** · 31/05/2004, 8:56 AM

On the trouble... I was right down in the corner when the trouble started and from what I could see through my quick nip tainted shades was that it was as much Longford's fault as Rovers. The first punch I saw thrown was from a Longford fella, and like Tommy said there were persons on the pitch intent of continuing it after it had calmed down. I was only 10 yards away.

Why were they stopped from going down that end anyway, and if they were going to be held in the one area, then why not the corner that they went to second half? It was totally illogical. Not let them swap ends presumably to avoid confrontations at half time, and then put them where anyone in the ground has to walk past!?!?!

After all the mither about not letting them go down there, then they're let down there anyway? And then the stewards and guards protect the closed off bit of the ground*

*btw is that closed as safety precaution? As that would've been the place to put them in the first place.

Yet again Rovers in the headlines for the wrong reasons, yet again it all could've been avoided with proper stewarding. Fair enough they must take full responsibilty for the stuff late on in the second half, but if people are trying to pin all the half time stuff on them they should take the blinker's off.

On the game - decent ball played, even if it wasn't the best actual match. Not a lot of long ball rubbish. And it's a pleasure to be shut up by people scoring goals