Lansdowne Road Riots - 20 years ago today

DenMan

Hard to believe it's 20 years ago now! I remember seeing it on TV as a teenager!

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/lansdowne-riots-20-years-on-here-are-24-pictures-from-that-night-30993732.html

Loved seeing lads getting their heads cracked with batons

Dozen Wicked Words

Quite tame when you see some of the violence around football worldwide these days.

:pac:

Collie D

rarnes1 wrote: »

:pac:

Lol I've never seen that before

kfallon

Jaysus I'm getting awful ould

thebaz

I was there - there really was a poisonous atmosphere around Lansdowne that evening

Fr Tod Umptious

thebaz wrote: »

I was there - there really was a poisonous atmosphere around Lansdowne that evening

I was not at the game but was in the area that afternoon.

And your right the atmosphere was poisonous.

smileyj1987

thebaz wrote: »

I was there - there really was a poisonous atmosphere around Lansdowne that evening

My grandfather says the same he said you knew something was going to kick off at some stage during the game. I was 7 at the time and he wanted to bring me but I had school and wasn't allowed go by my mother. I guess I was kinda lucky not to go to that game.

fuzzydunlop85

Remember being at the game but was only a young fella so my memory is a bit hazy, remember my father seemed very uneasy before and during the early parts of the game and I couldn't understand why.David Kelly scored the goal if I remember correctly !

LuckyLloyd

Wasn't the story that groups of Neo Nazi groups with a tenuous interest in football (more an interest in fighting at football grounds) targeted the game, many of whom would have been banned from football clubs in the UK? That's what I remember of it anyway.

EDIT: yep, Combat 18. Good refresher on the incident here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lansdowne_Road_football_riot

cj maxx

Ah i remember it well,
Was in co cork watching it, the local new age travellers ( crusties) had also made the trip to town
Was good craic, mostly because we were winning

rob316

I was there with my dad I was 8. I don't remember much only crying because my dad said we are leaving after Ireland first scored. I didn't understand why until I saw the news later.
I asked him about a few years back actually and he just said he knew something was gunna happen there was a real violent feel to the atmosphere.

Strumms

rob316 wrote: »

I was there with my dad I was 8. I don't remember much only crying because my dad said we are leaving after Ireland first scored. I didn't understand why until I saw the news later.
I asked him about a few years back actually and he just said he knew something was gunna happen there was a real violent feel to the atmosphere.

yep you just knew... it was a matter of time. We were in the schoolboy terrace and from what i recall there was plenty of goading of the English also after we scored.. we were far the better team and then they had a goal chalked off for offside and then the billiard balls started being aimed at Eddie McGoldrick down our left wing and it only got worse after that. Anyone remember the two English fans who were either brave or totally stupid who managed to infiltrate our terrace pleading for us not to goad the English as it would be carnage and they were here for just the game.. yadda yadda ?

The_Kew_Tour

Chelsea Headhunter Jason Marriner was one of the big trouble makers that night

NIMAN

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Chelsea Headhunter Jason Marriner was one of the big trouble makers that night

Hopefully many a Gardai baton connected with his thick skull that night.

keeponhurling

It begs the question , are England really suitable opposition for the friendly scheduled for this summer

Pacing Mule

keeponhurling wrote: »

It begs the question , are England really suitable opposition for the friendly scheduled for this summer

It's this summer. Not summer 20 years ago.

Charlie19

keeponhurling wrote: »

It begs the question , are England really suitable opposition for the friendly scheduled for this summer

I don't think there was any trouble last year at Wembley. Anyway times gave changed from 20 years ago. Well I hope so.

keeponhurling

Pacing Mule wrote: »

It's this summer. Not summer 20 years ago.

Wonder will the Guards view it that way, or will they consider it high risk and need more bodies on stand-by than usual
i.e. Extra hassle

NIMAN

IT will definitely be regarded as high risk.

I am sure England will have a few scumbags over with them, whether they cause any trouble or not we'll have to wait and see. I think it'll be fine.

iDave

I doubt there will be problems this year. FA and FAI have well learned their lessons now. I don't think there was any trouble at the Scotland England game apart from some IRA chants.
Its amazing just how bad things were in football. Lansdowne was a decade after Heysel which you would of thought would of been a catalyst for better change. I remember English targeting Germans after the Euro 96 defeat, fighting Tunisians on a beach in France 98 and water cannons being used on them in Euro 2000. WC 2002 was the first tournament I remember the English not causing too much trouble.
Were they always the worst for this or were the Germans, Italians etc just as bad just not as well reported?

bullvine

I was there, I was in the stand under neath the trouble, we could see all the timber been ripped up and thrown on the pitch. I was only 20 at the time and I remember been pretty scared have to say. My wife then my girlfriend was with me, as you can imagine she was terrified. I remember a Irish Fan, grabbing the union jack from somewhere and start dancing on it on the pitch, made things even worse.

It was funny being on pitch, member thinking how bizarre it felt, nothing like your average football pitch.

obriendj

I was in the south terrace. I was 14 with my schoolboy £2 ticket.
I remember we were shouting SCUM SCUM at them. Then there was a rush and we were squashed up against a fence. We were ok tho.

It started when we scored but then it calmed down again. But Matt Le Tisser had a goal disallowed and then it really kicked off. David Platt who was captain tried to calm them down but they threw a seat at him.

Omackeral

Think it was Platt that had the goal disallowed. It was offside in fairness. Relations between the countries are a lot better now. On TV shows ,and maybe in general, I think they root for us in matches that they're not involved in. Farcical planning putting them in the upper tier obviously. A gang of animals. While I don't buy into the whole "Best Fans In The World" carry on, I am hard presses to think of examples where our national team's fans have caused any hassle. Long may it continue.

Soups123

bullvine wrote: »

I was there, I was in the stand under neath the trouble, we could see all the timber been ripped up and thrown on the pitch. I was only 20 at the time and I remember been pretty scared have to say. My wife then my girlfriend was with me, as you can imagine she was terrified. I remember a Irish Fan, grabbing the union jack from somewhere and start dancing on it on the pitch, made things even worse.

It was funny being on pitch, member thinking how bizarre it felt, nothing like your average football pitch.

You brought them both to the game, you deserved a smack of baton:pac:

Was there myself in the schoolboy section, we were in the corner behind the goal to the right of the uptier the England 'fans', was a mad atmosphere.

Remember being pushed out of the way by a few Irish older lads looking to get closer to the action and lecturing us 10 yr olds about following English club football!

eagle eye

I wasn't at the game but I remember watching it in shock. I was very proud at the way the majority of the Irish fans acted that day. It could have been a disaster if this had happened in the wrong part of the world but for the Irish fans to act as they did at a game against the 'auld enemy' made me proud.

JB81

Wasn't at game but remember doing an essay on it for English class on current events.
My grasp of English language and word meanings obviously wasn't up to scratch as i remember i titled it - The Lansdowne Road Massacre!!

chopperbyrne

Was the day of my confirmation and when we next played them it was my birthday.

When is the next friendly planned for?

Lovely Bloke

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Was the day of my confirmation and when we next played them it was my birthday.

When is the next friendly planned for?

your funeral!

Dickerty

kfallon wrote: »

Jaysus I'm getting awful ould

I remember seeing that kid's face and saying to those around me "There is the front cover of the Irish Times tomorrow..."

We were watcing it in a pub in Blackrock, most of the group jumped in a van and went up the ferry in Dun Laoghaire to "see the English off". They had a lot of fun, by the sounds of it!

gosplan

iDave wrote: »

I doubt there will be problems this year. FA and FAI have well learned their lessons now. I don't think there was any trouble at the Scotland England game apart from some IRA chants.
Its amazing just how bad things were in football. Lansdowne was a decade after Heysel which you would of thought would of been a catalyst for better change. I remember English targeting Germans after the Euro 96 defeat, fighting Tunisians on a beach in France 98 and water cannons being used on them in Euro 2000. WC 2002 was the first tournament I remember the English not causing too much trouble.
Were they always the worst for this or were the Germans, Italians etc just as bad just not as well reported?

Wherever has a lot of unemployed disenfranchised young men.

dfx-

How I remembered it was that not a whole lot happened, other than Gardaí perhaps settling the score as they can do once the game was abandoned.

The night before and the atmosphere during the run up to kick off outside the ground I remember being 'nastier'

thebaz

dfx- wrote: »

How I remembered it was that not a whole lot happened, other than Gardaí perhaps settling the score as they can do once the game was abandoned.

The night before and the atmosphere during the run up to kick off outside the ground I remember being 'nastier'

thats how i remember it - i remember walking down the canal to meet my friends and about 10 typical middle aged , fat bellied oafs trying to surround me - calling me Paddy blah blah - fat middle aged bullies - somehow I don't think they would have behaved so in Poland or Russia - in fairness relations with England were not like now , the IRA ceasefire had just begun , I think they were expecting an Irish/Celtic firm to take them on.

Strongbow10

remember going to this game and being in the schoolboy section up behind the goal to the right of where the trouble kicked off in the stand.

the 10 year old in me was disappointed no Liverpool players were involved due to the league cup semi final against Palace, but it certainly all did kick off after David Kelly scored.

major bill

Remember watching it on the telly thinking my god the garda are animals was only about 8 at the time :pac:

Biggest mob that day the Garda, the English that caused trouble won't forget them anyway.

BMJD

I remember watching it in one of my friend's house in Coolock, we headed outside to see if there was any craic happening, the Gardai had to stop buses going into town because all the heads were trying to get into town to join in the fun and games. I remember seeing a gang of 40 or 50 lads attempting to walk from the Blacker towards town, they got tired after a few minutes and went back inside. Good times.

bullvine

I don't remember it but apparently in 1991 when we played them, there was a full on battle on O'Connell street, always sounded like it was something like the battle of helms deep.

ricero

BMJD wrote: »

I remember watching it in one of my friend's house in Coolock, we headed outside to see if there was any craic happening, the Gardai had to stop buses going into town because all the heads were trying to get into town to join in the fun and games. I remember seeing a gang of 40 or 50 lads attempting to walk from the Blacker towards town, they got tired after a few minutes and went back inside. Good times.

How vile. Reeks of poverty and thuggery

adox

ricero wrote: »

How vile. Reeks of poverty and thuggery

:pac:

iDave

iDave wrote: »

I doubt there will be problems this year. FA and FAI have well learned their lessons now. I don't think there was any trouble at the Scotland England game apart from some IRA chants.
Its amazing just how bad things were in football. Lansdowne was a decade after Heysel which you would of thought would of been a catalyst for better change. I remember English targeting Germans after the Euro 96 defeat, fighting Tunisians on a beach in France 98 and water cannons being used on them in Euro 2000. WC 2002 was the first tournament I remember the English not causing too much trouble.
Were they always the worst for this or were the Germans, Italians etc just as bad just not as well reported?

I wouldn't see Lansdowne as part of the same stuff as happened in the 70s and 80s, when pitched battles were serious and deadly. By the 90s things had changed, when this match came around we were a few years into the glitz and glamour of the sky era, and stadiums were being rebuilt, football was becoming a family oriented event. That's partially why this came as such a surprise, but clearly it was the last sting of a dying wasp. By 2000 plastic chairs being thrown around Charleroi was seen as outrageous.