Tonights Game

**Conor H** · 21/09/2006, 9:09 PM

Wait for the officiall attendance.The lads were good but biased too.Still id say there was 3000-4500

**Mr A** · 21/09/2006, 9:10 PM

From the text I've just got from a lad at the game there's been a bit of hassle anyway....

**Aaron** · 21/09/2006, 9:22 PM

Crowd is around 5-6,000 apparently

Thats a gr8 crowd if true, even if they reach the 2,000 mark its still a gr8 attendance. Looks like since Dundalk are doin well this season their fans are starting to come back. Pity cant say the same for Harps. Also Shels struggle to get that sort of attendance so it shows how well both teams are doin at the min. Hope it continues!!

**Louth4sam** · 21/09/2006, 9:42 PM

There was over 3000 anyway but not sure if it was as high as 5000 or 6000. The rovers fans were asked to stay behind after the game for a few mins. They didnt and got out at the same time as the dundalk fans and all hell broke loose. Riot police involved. Fair play to the gardai as they handled the trouble very well but why is it everywhere rovers go they cause trouble?

**geezer** · 21/09/2006, 9:43 PM

i use is usually take the guesstimates and divide by 2 and it works out sometimes 3 with some mad guessers like you find in sligo. id estimate about 1800-2000 based on what i have read so far. Its still a very positive sign and shows if the games and competition are interesting people will come out to watch. I dont see this happening in the new premiership which again will try to restrict promotion and playoffs. keep everyone involved as long as possible with very open promotion/relegation and playoff situations and the league will generate interest. 3 up 3 down and with 3rd 4th 5th and 6th in the first in playoffs. it gives all teams a chance and gives club like rovers a chance to re establish itself

**BohsFans** · 21/09/2006, 9:50 PM

Originally Posted by Louth4sam

There was over 3000 anyway but not sure if it was as high as 5000 or 6000. The rovers fans were asked to stay behind after the game for a few mins. They didnt and got out at the same time as the dundalk fans and all hell broke loose. Riot police involved. Fair play to the gardai as they handled the trouble very well but why is it everywhere rovers go they cause trouble?

How did they manage to get out?

Can't say I'm surprised!

**Louth4sam** · 21/09/2006, 9:55 PM

I have no idea as it was in the far corner from where i was. Its sad as there was a lot of people with kids at the game and that will put them off going to another match

**eamoss** · 21/09/2006, 10:29 PM

Thank god for that black out cos I was able to make the game then!! Dam college

Ah I wud have said about 3000+ not 6000 tho

I wasnt with my mates who I norm stand and watch the game wit so I was out of the ground just a few secs after the full time whistle so I didnt see any rovers fans but I did walk passed the Gradai van parked around the corner with the door open and the riot police in it. And then I heard all the sirens going off and the fans shouting and the funniest was seeing the owner of Dundalk FC run down the street then started to walk after about 30secs cos he was out of breath

**JC_GUFC** · 21/09/2006, 11:30 PM

Just back from the game myself - not sure how many the stand holds but I'd have estimated about 2500 at the game. It wasn't the best game as the wind ruined it, Dundalk were well in control before the lights went out. Shocking marking for their lead goal. Once the teams came back on Rovers were more composed but and were getting on top towards the end of the half.
Rovers equalised with about 20 mins to go, a screamer from Chris Breen, he looked about 30 yards offside but it was a long ball forward so was probably on when it was played as the linesman was in line and would've had a perfect view. There didn't seem to be any complaints from Dundalk either. Rovers looked more likely to grab a winner but with the wind Dundalk were playing into it was very tough for them to create any chances.

With 5 minutes to go about 200 of the teen drinkers from Dundalk left the terrace to wait for the Rovers fans outside, obviously not too concerned whether there was a late goal or not, or perhaps it was bed time because of the delay. In any case when I came out I saw a few bottles being thrown at the Rovers fans from the Dundalk kids in the garage. The Gardai then held back to Rovers fans and sent the kids home to bed.

The game wasn't the best but a good result for United - a win tomorrow and the top 3 all have 50 points to make for a fascinating run-in!

**Billy Lord** · 21/09/2006, 11:51 PM

Louth4sam: go get a job in the Evening Herald. Unless the Rovers' fans armed and organised the local toe-rags who attacked us, I can't see how we can be blamed for the crap that occured. Just like last time at Oriel, a gang congregated to have a go at Rovers as we came out of the ground. If the cops had a clue it all could've been prevented by simply moving on the local gang (who left the game early), but of course that would've required a modicum of intelligence.

**Louth4sam** · 22/09/2006, 2:59 AM

Billy let me ask you this, were the rovers fans asked to wait for a few minutes to let the Dundalk fans leave? Why didn’t they? I'll tell you why they didn’t as they were looking for trouble. Don’t get me wrong im not defending the little scumbags that were trying to start on the rovers fans I would of been happy to see them get a good kicking from the guards but i was just coming out of the ground when the rovers fans were approaching and there is no way they were totally innocent. A young girl a few feet in front of me nearly got her head split open with a bottle.
No matter what trouble ever happens with rovers its always someone else's fault.

**hoopy** · 22/09/2006, 5:54 AM

You're just as bad as the toerags who were at the game you muppet. Why did Dundalk fans stream out with about 5 mins to go? If we were to stay back why was our exit wide open with no garda presence? Why were Dundalk fans given carte blanche to take pot shots with bottles at any Rovers fan who walked by the garage? I made it my business to say to a cop that they couldn't pin this on us, his reply was "no, it was the local scumbags". Filth

**Billy Lord** · 22/09/2006, 7:27 AM

Louth4sam: we weren't asked to stay back for a few minutes, but we did. Unlike the so-called Dundalk fans who left in numbers with about five minutes to go, we remained to applaud our team off the pitch, and then left peacefully to head home, only to be met by hundreds of locals.
At this stage I don't know why we even bother talking to other clubs/fans/EL and FAI officials anymore. It's a complete waste of time.

**seand** · 22/09/2006, 8:05 AM

Rovers were asked to stay back for "six minutes" over the PA, which is inaudible at the best of times never mind during a hurricane. Rovers fans were not prevented from leaving, nor was there ANY Garda presence at that end. This despite the club requesting that the Gardai keep the away fans back for 15-20 minutes at the end. The vast majority of Rovers fans were unaware that they were even asked to wait a few minutes.
A good crowd of local teenage ********s gathered at the garage (where the 2 sets of fans would meet) and were not moved on by the Gardai. A couple of bottles were throw by the local scum, while the stewards/gardai stood around. the Garda response was f��knig pathetic, the organisation was f��knig pathetic, specially after last time.

**manic da hoop** · 22/09/2006, 8:34 AM

Thank you Seand. At no point were we made aware of being held back. In fact, at one point all the talk among us was that we would be allowed to get out first in order to get us on the road asap while the much larger home support would remain inside - this would have been a logical decsision as it wasn't as though any of us were likely to hang around and take in an impromtu walking tour of town before we set off home. The trouble itself was entirely the work of a handful of lkocal scumbags, and Rovers fans (whether people here and elsewhere like it or not) deserve great credit for standing their ground and waiting patiently for the Guards to do their job despite the risk of sustaining injury. Firewroks and miisiles rained down indiscriminatly into the group of 300 or so people. We did NOT respond in kind, and we had no choice but to head in THE SAME DIRECTION as the home support thanks the Gardai instructions to pack our cars at the town end of the road.

**green-blood** · 22/09/2006, 8:41 AM

well I certainly didnt hear any request to stay back

I did see 3-400 little knackers stood on the forecourt of the garage waiting.... 6 minutes later they'd still have been there - why?.

**Irish Fan** · 22/09/2006, 8:56 AM

I attended this game as I would alot of games around the country. It was a poor game due to the conditions and a draw was probley a fair result even tho the Rovers goal was miles offside! I seen alot of what happened outside the ground. Firstly the Rovers or Dundalk fans should have been kept back which did NOT happen. Then a large section of the Dundalk crowd as at the garage waiting on the Rovers lads. Even tho they had all sorts of missiles thrown at them the Rovers fans were mostly well behaved and fair play to the Rovers lads for sticking together and protecting eachother at the garage. Then the guards pushed the Dundalk fans down the road��But that was the road were the Rovers fans cars were! I seen cars smashed and all the Dundalk lads down beside there cars across from the Garda station. The Dundalk fans were armed to the teeth with bricks until about 80-100 Rovers fans ran across the road to greet them which seen the Dundalk fans sprint down the road. All in all it was a disappointing night for Dundalk FC and a few of the Rovers lads who let there club down.

**Up The Town** · 22/09/2006, 9:17 AM

I didnt see what happened outside as i left the ground just after the full time whistle.But i did see a crowd of stupid ##### outside at the garage waiting to cause trouble and what i cant understand is why the gardai didnt try to stop them did stood across the road watching these scumbags and did nothing to prevent this **** from starting. Not a great game but a fair result.
Great crowd and athmosphere pity about these little ****s destroying the night they r only causing the club to get into trouble and stopping younger children and there parents coming to these games.
From what is been said here i would like to say fair play to most of the rovers support for staying calm although i thought youse would of brought more fans.

UP THE TOWN