Quotethey had to riot. imagine if regulation time was played and we beat them!! shock shock horror!!
Its the 10th anniversary of the Ireland v England abandoned match tomorrow so I felt I'd open this thread to see if anyone has any stories to tell (and to remind any journalists reading this forum).
LONDON Ireland's February 15 soccer fixture with England at the Lansdowne Road stadium in Dublin was abandoned after rioting organised by fascist groups. When Ireland scored the first goal after 22 minutes, English fans chanting “No surrender to the IRA” unleashed a hail of missiles on Irish fans and invaded the pitch.
As running battles developed with Gardai riot police, English rioters waved Ulster Loyalist flags and gave Nazi salutes.
The “No surrender to the IRA” chant was more than the Ulster Loyalists' ritual “No surrender” slogan -- it was a specific reference to the current Northern Ireland peace process, which according to right-wing Unionist politicians involves capitulation to Sinn F‚in and the IRA.
After 20 minutes of disturbances, the match was abandoned and the ground cleared of Irish fans. A hard core of English supporters stayed in the stadium fighting riot police for a further 90 minutes, leading to 40 arrests and 20 serious injuries.Wednesday, February 15th, 1995 - England's night of shame
Friendly
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Republic of Ireland 1 (D Kelly)
England 0
Match abandoned after 27 mins
Ireland: Alan Kelly (Sheffield Utd), Denis Irwin (Manchester Utd), Terry Phelan (Manchester City), Alan Kernaghan (Manchester City), Paul McGrath (Aston Villa), Eddie McGoldrick (Arsenal), Andy Townsend (Aston Villa) capt, David Kelly (Wolves), Niall Quinn (Manchester City), John Sheridan (Sheffield Wednesday), Steve Staunton (Aston Villa)
Manager: Jack Charlton
England: Seaman, Barton, Le Saux, Platt, Adams, Pallister, Beardsley, Ince, Shearer, Le Tissier, Anderton
Referee: Jol (Holland)
they had to riot. imagine if regulation time was played and we beat them!! shock shock horror!!
Why do they sterilize the needles for lethal injections?
Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?
If you're cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?
I remember the whole atmosphere in town that day being one of threat & menace. I can't rembember which pub it was, but one of the pubs on Baggot St had a Union Jack draped over the bar and the fans accompanying it certainly weren't there to exchange banter.
I was on the Nth Terrace and it's not commonly remembered but there was a small pocket of English fans in the corner. I was actually so close to them that the stuff they started throwing went over my head rather than on it.
My mate had a "Visiting Association" ticket for the West Upper. He complained to a steward that he wasn't comfortable and asked if he could move further to the north end of the stand. The clueless steward didn't stand for it and glibly replied that there'd be no trouble. I think that said it all from the organisational point of view. Any experienced football attender could tell that the atmosphere was full of menace, much more so than any previous encounter against England. The November 1990 game had a poisonous atmoshphere but that was a walk in the park compared to the 1995 game. Anyway, when Kelly scored my mate pulled his hood over his head and ran. He met an upsurging group of English fans running up the same stairs he was running down and it's only because he hid his colours and his accent does he think he escaped harm.
It's only by chance that the FAI & Gardai didn't have blood on their hands that day.
The very sight of modern day Nazis saluting their own anthem the way they did was a sight I'll never forget.
On the pitch I feel we'd have gone on to win by 3 if the game had continued, such was our dominance. I always cite the paucity of England's play in that game to those over here who continue to heap praise on Venables' "superior " coaching skills.
First game I attended in LR. In the South Terrace and there was definitley a bad atmosphere coming into the game. Queueing up to get into the Terrace and about 80 skinheads came down the road flanked by the Gardai, and that was 80 of the scariest faces I have ever seen, singing anti pope tunes as they went by. Heard some commotion as they went around the corner and apparently they all jumped the turnstiles into the ground.
Funniest bit was when we were leaving the ground and an English "fan" was thrown out of the ground by two Gardai. Some Irish bloke walked straight up to him and hit him a sweet right hook across the jaw and shouted "Thanks for ruining the match" and walked off. The "fan" went legging back to the Gardai for protection and they just laughed at him
UCD sha-la-la
Whilst for once agreeing with Davros, the urban myths such as the rioters crying when they were told they would be put in with Provo Prisoners are a pleasure to hear, I think it'd be wrong to let this thread pass without the role of the Guards in the lead up to the match.
They refused to enlist the help of the UK police in stopping people travelling, and refused to enlist the UK police spotters at the airports and ferry terminals. Also the positioning of the England fans in a top teir was just stupid, and the Guards/FAI should've copped on to that. It's only in recent seasons that even in English Domestic soccer that away fans have been let in above home fans.
The Guards were out of their depth - don't think things have improved in recent years (witness the mayday "riots" a few years ago, or their inability to police Doyles Corner for Bohs v Rovers).
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Typical! If they had done more they'd criticised for going over the top as they were at the EU Accession ceremony last year.Originally Posted by Macy
I know a garda who was at the game and they were well able to deal with the numbers but the tiered seating in a football ground makes confrontation difficult.
If they had put the English in the lower stand and they invaded the pitch en-mass, attacking players etc. then you'd be complaining as well.
There's no excuse for what the thugs did that day and I'm glad the Gardai aren't experienced in these situations because if they were, sport in Ireland would be in a sorry state.
Have Boot Disk, will travel
Watched it on tv & main memories are that clip of young kid (where is he now?) crying as he standing on the pitch in front of West Stand.
Was also very embarishing to watch clearly unorganised Gardai. Nothing against the individual guards but there was no coordination & looked like hadn't a clue how to deal with a riot. In fact they beg=haved very similar during those Mayday "riots" i.e. wading into rioters instead of trying to pick them off one by one.
Well there would'nt have been stuff coming down from a height - easy to cordone off an area at pitch level then 30(?) foot up?
Regardless of the guards reactions in the ground, if they'd listened to the advice on who to let in/ who not to let in the likely hood is that a major incident would have been avoided.
The Guards can't even police a few hippy's on Dame Street without wading in.
And just to clarify, I'm not making excuses for the thugs - tbh kinda torn whether they should've got a kicking of the guards like they did, and the fact that it is plain wrong for police to take that sort of action.
Last edited by Macy; 14/02/2005 at 10:46 AM.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
They got off lghtly as far as I'm concerned.
If they'd been nationalists in Northern Ireland they'd have been shot at with plastic/rubber bullets.
I would like to see England play Ireland someday where there's a load of banter but only football fans get access to the game.
The only way to organise that would be to sell the tickets through supporters clubs and then check passports and tickets at the turnstiles.
Have Boot Disk, will travel
But that's my point, the UK police wanted to have spotters at the ground (and airports/ports) and the (in your opinion) do no wrong guards went it alone rather than take the help/ accept the intelligence. The dicks wouldn't have got in the ground to cause the problems.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Next possible game will probably be held in the UK anyway....
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Maybe someone felt it was about time someone gave them a good kicking and that's why they were allowed into the ground.
To be honest, I don't think there's much point dragging it all back up again so long as we've learned something from it. It was 10 years ago, lets move on.
Have Boot Disk, will travel
It was actually my first international. I was in the West Upper (very close to the England fans) with my Dad and I was fairly scared when the trouble broke out and wanted to leave immediately but my Dad was having none of it! I think he thought that there was a possibility that the game might restart at some stage and was kind of having the attitude that we were not going to be driven out of the ground by the behaviour of the Eng fans. Eventually he gave in and we left via the emergency exits.
I always remember being outside the ground and a group of about 7 or 8 Eng fans came towards us chanting and throwing shapes and there was only one solitary Guard around and he did nothing then all of a sudden a few Dubs in Ireland shirts came over and said a few words to the England boys and they swiftly shut up and moved along. I was never so glad to see a few barstooler Dubs!!
Champions!
that match was one of 3 home internationals ive messied since i was 4 unfortunately- dont know why, maybe my dad thought something was gona happen
agree re: the preday policing but on the day having to clean up their mess, I was never so proud of irelands finest that day. The guads did well!
Well done to the Guards then eh? Especially given the potential for someone innocent and/or Irish to be seriously injured/killed
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
The only reason trouble at grounds in the Uk has deccreased over the years is because the Police spend a huge amount of resources pre & during matchday.
There was a documentary on football hooliganism on during the summer. They had some thug saying that it was the Irish that started everything with IRA chanting etc. That nearly made my blood boil I can tell you.
Based on what?
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
Macy is correct, the dozy guards actually turned down UK police spotters - which would have prevented any trouble that day.
Anyone who has been at a "Category A" game in the UK will know that the police usually have it all tied down with nothing more than groups of lads in Aquascutum posturing at each other. Here, on the other hand, the cops have a completely ad hoc approach to policing crowds - whether it be hippies or football fans - which usually leads to preventible trouble.
KOH
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
There's only trouble when Rovers are in town.
Lets face it, we never see trouble any other time.
Rovers seem to bring out a bad element in every club.
"Firms" are nowhere near as organised in Ireland as they are elsewhere and therefore the policing doesn't need to be on the same scale.
It would cause a national outcry if we spent a fraction of the money the police in the UK spend on football. It's multi-millions each year.
Have Boot Disk, will travel
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