Didn't think there was much hassle in Stuttgart. The footballs booted around the Schlossplatz were the only vaguely dodgy thing I remember and that was all good-natured. Did anything worse happen?
I wasn't in Prague or Cardiff.
Lads ahead of our WC qualifiers(well about 9 months away)...im worrying about the bad element slowly creepin into the irish away games..The worst for me was in prague and cardiff, full of little toerags with no interest in football, out to cause craaap. I seen it in stuttgart aswell, only for the german police were ery tolerant there would have been more arrests id say..
My mate got his cheekbone cracked for nothing off an irish knacker in prague for nowt, other than ur man was probably off his tits on coke...
'How can I hate women, my Mums one!!!' Chris Finch
Didn't think there was much hassle in Stuttgart. The footballs booted around the Schlossplatz were the only vaguely dodgy thing I remember and that was all good-natured. Did anything worse happen?
I wasn't in Prague or Cardiff.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
Does anyone recall a group of irish fans trying to over turn cars outside o sullivans bar in paris...
Messy stuff
I can just see the headlines in the Star now.
In Trap we trust
after the "trouble" caused by the daytrippers in paris i suggested here that some sort of fans liason / supervision service be set up in prominant spots at away matches like england and scotland have. the trouble creeping in has to be nipped in the bud by i very much doubt the FAI / Gardai are even remotely awake to the possible threat that there is to our great reputation
This is something that will only build up as time goes on.
Outside O' Sullivans in Paris was a sign of thigs to come, I know it was not bad but myself and my wife had to head for cover afer a few bottles started to be thrown.
the problem is the Saturday night fighting crowd are going to the glamor away game, Italy tghis time round, and doing what they do on the streets of Castlebar or Tralee on the street of foregin cities with Irish shirts on, it will only get worst.
we can only afford to go to one away game this time round, we think 'will go to Georgia, to avoid that hassle if noting else.
Missed out on the Georgia trip last time. I was within a whisker of organising a charter flight out there with a travel agent friend of mine before it all fell through.
I remember doing a lot of research about the place for a website I ran and saw loads of stories ok kidnappings and guns etc, but by all accounts it was one of the best trips had by all in attendance.
Paris got messy outside O'Sullivans, although there was provocation from the local hoods.It's still something that hasn't been seen on Irish trips and luckily nothing similar has occurred since(to the best of my knowledge).
Given the recent violence in italy, it would be a stupid young fella who goes out there and starts throwing shapes. I remember a lot of fans were attacked by skin head gangs in Moscow.Not a nice experience.
[QUOTE=p_o_r;849353]This is something that will only build up as time goes on.
Outside O' Sullivans in Paris was a sign of thigs to come, I know it was not bad but myself and my wife had to head for cover afer a few bottles started to be thrown.
i believe it was a group of algerian fella's that started with the bottle throwing. There was an irish kid id say no more than 7 or 8 with blood running down his face that i saw. These animals are nothing but scum
outside biddy earleys on the friday night there was a few knackers throwing bottles and starting fights...a foockin knacker started on me in rimini aswell the night before the game ... dirt birds...i can feel something happeing in the next campaign, all it takes is one incident for 30 years of a good rep to crumbled....we need to have liason officers at the big games...
'How can I hate women, my Mums one!!!' Chris Finch
I didn't notice any Irish trouble makers at all in Bratislava, Prague or Cardiff. The worst thing I probably saw was someone taking a bottle from a tray which a barmaid was carrying on her shoulder. She caught him and he gave it back. I honestly can't think of anything else other than the usual drunken shenanigans.
Yeh I heard about the bouncer being threatened. I forgot about that. Thankfully these things never seem to happen when I'm around.![]()
unfortunately eirbhoy, i have witnessed alot of these incidents on away trips and they seem to be gettin worse...also in O'Neills, lads just trowing epty bottles smashing them on the ground in the middle of the floor...galls me..
'How can I hate women, my Mums one!!!' Chris Finch
Probably best to stay away from Irish bars tbh. I kept away from O'Neills.
The Gardai have liaison officers at all the away matches. I met one of them, who is based in Fitzgibbon Street (local station for Croker) in the Square in Prague. He was "assisting" the local police to take away the heavier footballs being kicked around in the square. He told me that they had been in Bratislava also and the other away games. I expressed to him my disquiet at the behaviour of the police in the square in Bratislava but he said that they do not interfere in local policing matter.
I don't think the FAI or the Department of Foreign Affairs let it be known that members of the Gardai travel to away matches. Perhaps this is something that the Department of Foreign Affairs could set out in their travel advice for fans travelling to away matches. In Rimini it was only after the Department of Foreign Affairs liaising with the local authorities that public transport was provided for fans travelling to San Marino (except those on the GT Buses); the FAI did not play any part in making these arrangements.
Liaison Officers from the FAI might be a different matter. Do the FAI give a s**t about the fans. The Dept of Foreign Affairs usually have an embassy or consulate where matches are held (they set up a temporary consulate in Rimini) and it should not be impossible for the FAI to install a representative in these places for the days around the game(s). Given all the info required about fans travelling to away matches it would be possible for the FAI to set out details of their liaison person to those receiving the tickets as well as publish it on their website. The problem may be that someone probably needs to tell them this as they probably aren't capable of putting it together themselves.
I am concerned that the element as described above has arrived on the scene particularly for the away games and sadly I fear that our reputation as being the best travelling fans might be put in jeopardy in the future, not to mention the actual safety of our fans.
AidoM
Starting on the long pilgrimage to South Africa
didnt see too much badness in Stuttgart, apart from a guy from Kerry that was kicked out of a bar for annoying a few couples
that and a few supporters singing Irelands Call, now thats shocking![]()
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