Ireland v England 1995

**Drumcondra 69er** · 07/09/2016, 2:32 PM

Interesting footage. Think I had it taped years back but not seen it in years.

I couldn't get a south terrace ticket that night so was on the north. Stutts touched on what happened in the north earlier in the thread (posted 11 years ago!) but it rarely gets reported as the main trouble was obviously down the other end. What happened was that the English had a limited number of terrace tickets and had been housed in the old schoolboy pen on the north terrace over to the right as you look out to the pitch. The place was hopping that night, we were flying at the time and England hadn't yet had a competitive game since 93 and hadn't really found their feet under Vemables. Atmosphere was a proper old school football atmosphere that might walking up to the ground, bit of an edge despite it being a friendly but really good, everyone well up for it and very confident. Anyway game started and we were right on it, dominating the game, McGrath absolutely bossing Shearer and we were well worth the lead, place erupted when Kelly scored. Then they broke and had a goal rightly disallowed for offside, think it was Platt. They'd been waiting for a spark in the East Upper and that was it, next thing all hell broke loose, seats ripped up etc. We'd seen scenes like that involving England over the years although never over here but still thought the Gardai would sort it out and the game would resume even after the players went off but they were woefully undermanned and ill prepared. People always talk about the English being put in the East Upper as being an idiotic idea but that oversimplifies it. They were there for the Euro qualifier in 90 as well and other than a shower of lighters and coins on us in the south Terrace after Cas's goal there was no trouble in the ground because that section had a ring of uniformed Guards around them and as soon as anyone acted up they either had a quiet word in their ear or were collared. Difference in 95 was that, due to the peace process and ongoing IRA ceasefire, a decision was made to have a lower key police presence so while I believe there were plenty of plain clothes Guards in there, that was no deterrent to anyone so things escalated very quickly beyond those who had come to start it.

Anyway, we were waiting on the North for the Guards to regain control but it soon became clear this wouldn't happen. Next thing there's an announcement for Ireland fans to leave the stadium as the game was being abandoned. When the stewards started unlocking gates one of them opened the gate to the schoolboy pen by mistake and the English in there burst out and ran around under the terrace to the exit people were leaving through that also led to the pitch. There were Irish lads on the top of the terrace could see over the wall and saw these English rushing through the crowd swinging boots and digs under the terrace and started shouting "Get back, get back!!" at us. We were close to the exit at the stage and next thing there's a huge surge back and a gang of English burst through screaming "ENGLAND, ENGLAND!" still swinging and kicking, they ran onto the pitch and straight down to where the trouble was. I was literally picked off my feet in the surge and moved back about 10 feet or more, hard to tell. Was lucky no one fell over in the surge or it could have been a lot worse.

Total buzz kill on the night though, reckon we'd have beaten them 2 or 3 that night.

90 was different, nothing in the ground but mayhem on O'Connell St after, ended up holed up in the Daniel O'Connell beside the bridge till closing, tried to leave between 6 and 7 and was stopped doing so by the bouncer so just settled in for the evening!

**SkStu** · 07/09/2016, 2:46 PM

Wow. Cant believe i havent commented on this thread. I was also at the game - right in the middle of the south terrace - with a couple of friends from school. I remember i got there early and was waiting for my mate to come through the stiles at the South. About 20 english fans jumped the stiles and milled through the concourse kind of area that was there, and knocked a whole load of kids on their arse. Luckily i escaped any issues. My mate took a couple of slaps from a few of them outside. You just knew that the security and Gardai were in way over their heads.

The vitriol and tension in the stadium before and during the game and during the anthems was unbelievable and then obviously when Kelly scored the English fans went completely crazy. We evacuated and i grabbed the dart home and was glued to the news that night when we got back. The footage of the English fans taking a hammering off the cops was something that gave me great pleasure at the time. Still does.

**jbyrne** · 07/09/2016, 3:11 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

The footage of the English fans taking a hammering off the cops was something that gave me great pleasure at the time. Still does.

was at the game myself. was in college in the city centre at the time and the atmosphere in the city that afternoon as I left college was dreadful.
is it just an urban myth that those English arrested were kept in portlaoise jail republican wing for a few days?!

**paul_oshea** · 07/09/2016, 3:28 PM

Originally Posted by DeLorean

Just came across this on my travels, the full RTÉ coverage on the infamous fixture at Lansdowne Road. I haven't even watched it fully myself but will do when I get a chance. They must have given Dunphy the night off as it's Giles and Joe Kinnear in studio. Some interviews with both Irish & English players afterwards also, as well as Bertie Ahern!

Edit- don't know why it keeps starting so far in!

You've put the milliseconds in again. I see you've edited it now though

**paul_oshea** · 07/09/2016, 3:34 PM

Don't worry lads, the London Irish got them back for O'Connell Street, after the game in Wembley.

They all thought they'd go up the kilburn High road sorting out the Irish, but got battered and bruised and sent back down the Low road.

**DeLorean** · 07/09/2016, 3:36 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

You've put the milliseconds in again. I see you've edited it now though

I didn't though, I just took the link from the normal address bar at the top of the page. First it started up on Shearer's interview after the game, then it started up at the team sheets. Weird.

**paul_oshea** · 07/09/2016, 3:37 PM

Well it doesn't start for me anywhere but the begining!

**IsMiseSean** · 18/11/2018, 11:14 AM

Digging this up again for a question.

Anyone know if the result stood and is counted in the official records?
The players were awarded caps for the game.