4 Bohs fans jailed in Derry

**swano** · 11/10/2007, 6:07 AM

I just hope that their time in prison is tough enough so they don't come out and look at it as a badge of honour. Fair play to the pub owner, PSNI and the justice system in the north.

**ForzaHoop** · 11/10/2007, 7:46 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK7XukpsU0w

**lofty9** · 11/10/2007, 7:55 AM

Will they not be in Magilligan, rather than Maghaberry?

**Mr A** · 11/10/2007, 8:00 AM

The reason these guys were crying in court was almost certainly through relief- because the magistrate had just explained to them what would have happened if Pineapple Stu had happened to witness their shenanigans, and compared to that 3 months inside seemed like a holiday.

**aido_b** · 11/10/2007, 8:38 AM

As a life long Bohs fan I'm absolutely disgusted at what these lads have done in Derry. I would however like to point out one thing,

One of the lads who has been jailed attended the games with myself and a few friends up until he moved away from us and into the "casual" crowd. Up until this point he was a grand young lad and used to love coming to the games purely to watch a match. This young lad was very easily led so was obviously taken in by all of this absolute casual b*llix which seems to be what these younger kids look up to at Bohs games.

Now I do nothing but condemn what happened in Derry but I think it's time for the older lads who have obviously filled the three youngest lads heads full of crap to take a long hard look at themselves and realise that it's a game of football and nothing else.

Any casuals who read this and wish to comment etc .... please do.

Aidan

**OneRedArmy** · 11/10/2007, 9:12 AM

Gerry Conways comments seem to jar with what the Bohs fans are saying on here. I can understand that he's trying to do a PR spin job but it just makes him look like an apologist on behalf of these scumbags by trying to brush it under the carpet.

He'd be better acknowledging there is an ongoing problem with a small minority of "fans" (can't think of a more appropriate word) and asking why the Gardai can't deal with it in a similar way to the PSNI.

**Tir Oilean** · 11/10/2007, 9:21 AM

Interesting point that the incident has been branded football related on the news while it was anti sectarian laws/criminal damage laws that were used to convict.

**Lim till i die** · 11/10/2007, 9:24 AM

Stoopid Republicanism??

Fellas acting the Maggot??

It's become obvious to me that this was infact the work of renegade Shamrock Rovers fans and has nothing to do with Bohs.

I know this for a FACT. Some fella told me and the fella that told him knows one of the convicts brothers cousins.......

Besides Bohs are the Loyalist club

**MyTown** · 11/10/2007, 9:34 AM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

Bohs are the Loyalist club

Took a few pages for this to make it into the mix..... the one club with a supposed protestant heritage in the Republic has so-called supporters sent down for wrecking a pub in a predominantly protestant location.

The swift action of the PSNI & the judicial system "up north" has so much to recommend itself. Unfortunately, we are all too slow "down here" to learn the lesssons.

**swano** · 11/10/2007, 9:35 AM

Well Gerry Conway did mention Rovers quite a few times in the interview I heard, obviously trying to deflect attention away from his club.

**sonofstan** · 11/10/2007, 9:43 AM

Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

Gerry Conways comments seem to jar with what the Bohs fans are saying on here. I can understand that he's trying to do a PR spin job but it just makes him look like an apologist on behalf of these scumbags by trying to brush it under the carpet.

He'd be better acknowledging there is an ongoing problem with a small minority of "fans" (can't think of a more appropriate word) and asking why the Gardai can't deal with it in a similar way to the PSNI.

I don't know what Gc was up to. At two away games this season where there's been bother between BSC and other Bohs fans, i was sitting within a few seats of the two Gerrys (Cuffe and Conway) so if i saw it, he saw it.

He'd have been better off acknowledging we have a problem, explaining the limits of what we can do - police Dalymount - and what we can't do - police the BSC miles from any football ground - commend the PSNI, offer the sympathy of the club to the bar owner, and ask that the gardai and the dept. of Justice consider the situation carefully and work with football clubs to eradicate this in the republic.

**btid1** · 11/10/2007, 9:47 AM

Originally Posted by aido_b

As a life long Bohs fan I'm absolutely disgusted at what these lads have done in Derry. I would however like to point out one thing,

One of the lads who has been jailed attended the games with myself and a few friends up until he moved away from us and into the "casual" crowd. Up until this point he was a grand young lad and used to love coming to the games purely to watch a match. This young lad was very easily led so was obviously taken in by all of this absolute casual b*llix which seems to be what these younger kids look up to at Bohs games.

Now I do nothing but condemn what happened in Derry but I think it's time for the older lads who have obviously filled the three youngest lads heads full of crap to take a long hard look at themselves and realise that it's a game of football and nothing else.

Any casuals who read this and wish to comment etc .... please do.

Aidan

I just want to echo what Aido has said above.While not knowing this guy he speaks of too well I have met him in the past at a number of games and know him to say hello to.When he started supporting Bohs he was just like anyother young fella who enjoyed watching the matches much as I did.But soon he fell into the trap of following the casual element within the club.i think the tears in the dock may show that this guy really is not as much of a scumbag as his actions suggest.The only thing I regret from this incident is that they didnt get the root of the problem and that is a number of individuals who need to be weeded out NOW!!

The only thing I hope is that the other younger guys who idolise these older morons now see exactly what trouble their actions can get them into and desist from following them like sheep.

Maybe some good can come out of this situation.

My question now falls to the Gardai as to why it has taken the PSNI to begin to solve this problem which has been growing for the last 5 years or so.The first signs of it appeared in Cobh in our playoff a number of years ago.Since then numbers in this group have continued to grow.

**a.a.d** · 11/10/2007, 9:52 AM

Originally Posted by Rogue Trader

How did they want pub to hit Stevo ? Would there have local collusion of any kind ?

RT They were outside the pub down from the Oakgrove for a long time and then at round seven o'clock they started walking towards the town in the direction of the Bishop Street gate, the Fountain area is right beside this gate and there is a dedicated walkway into the area as part of the gate. They just walked in and the first pub you come across is the Tavern Bar.

So I would suggest that as there were more Derry Fans around the oakgrove they decided not to cause trouble there so took advantage of being so close to the fountain and went in there looking for a fight.

So the pub was unfortunatly the first one they came across and decided to attack that

And the Fountain area is not hard to miss so local collusion is also out.

reder · 11/10/2007, 10:14 AM

This incident has quite probably the most reported incident relating to the EL I have ever seen. "Chunky" media slots on the irish channels have been devoted to it. Pity they didnt put the same amount of emphasis on the match itself.

**John83** · 11/10/2007, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Scentence isn't lean at all for criminal damage, nor was it "football related".

My understanding is they got done under anti-sectarianism laws, which meant a stiffer scentence than they'd otherwise have faced.

The report on Aertel explicitly said that they weren't done on anti-sectarianism laws.

On the other hand, it is Aertel.

**dcfcsteve** · 11/10/2007, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by Rogue Trader

How did they want pub to hit Stevo ? Would there have local collusion of any kind ?

Can I have this in English please.....?

"Local collusion"...?

Stop trying to spread the blame or let them off the hook. Shameful.....

**Magicme** · 11/10/2007, 10:49 AM

Less use of the word "Proddy" please.

**dcfcsteve** · 11/10/2007, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Rogue Trader

Sorry about that Stevo how did they know what pub to hit ?

It would be amazing if they just came on it aqnd straight away decked it for a Proddy Bar ? Just seems very sus to me thats all !

It's in a very recognisable Protestant area. The fact that the Fountain is fenced/caged off makes it stand out a mile. It is also the only Protestant enclave on the city side, and is on the edge of the city centre, so it's not like they were spoilt for choice.

To get to the Oakgrove from the city centre, you would have to go down Bishop St Without. One side of that street is almost entirely taken up by a c. 100 metre long section of wall with high-netting/fencing on top that hems in one side of the Fountain. Walking past it, it would be blindingly obvious that there was something different about an area caged in like that. There is also an old jail tower along that section of wall (where Wolfe Tone was incarcerated when captured off Lough Swilly en route back from France) that almost always has the Union Flag fluttering from the top of it. So take your wildest guess as to how they clocked that the Fountain was a protestant area....

As AAD pointed out - the Tavern would be the first pub you would come across when you walked into the Fountain through an unimpeeded/obvious route form the direction of the Oakgrove.

As for local collusion - they may or may not have got into conversation with a few locals asking what that fenced off area was, or where the protestant areas were etc. That wouldn't be the same as having local supporters who willingly teed-up the pub for attack. Again - stop trying to spread the blame and implicate the people of Derry in an incident that they were clearly the victims of.

Anyways - I'm surprised you needed to ask the above, as I thought you were the expert on Derry, from your in-depth knowledge of tourist movements within the city....?

**paul_oshea** · 11/10/2007, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

This would be a sensible starting point. It's ridiculous that the club lets a known hooligan group that has attached itself to the club openly and proudly anounce it's presence at every single game unhindered. By tolerating these fools the club has created the problem for itself.

Stopping any BSC banners at games from now on would start to send out the message that those pr!cks aren't welcome. The next home game would be a good time to do it, as their morale will probably be low with 4 of their fellow muppets in the cells.

I doubt they'd have the balls to do it, but will be interesting to see if any 'Free the Bohs 4' type banners make an appearance - especially at the Brandywell on Friday week. Will be interesting to see what Bohemians FC did to any such banners that appeared.

Bottom line is that this is the opportunity for Bohemians FC to show if they are serious about this issue, or whether they will continue to just hope it'll go away. Every ordinary Bohs fan can play a part in forcing the club's hand here - you are anything but powerless.

Great post steve.

**paul_oshea** · 11/10/2007, 11:23 AM

So the pub was unfortunatly the first one they came across and decided to attack that

And the Fountain area is not hard to miss so local collusion is also out.

Steve, I am still not sure, if these lads or some of them are thick like has been pointed out earlier that they would be able differentiate between pubs. I am not suggesting collusion, but they must have found out somehow....