20 years ago today

My name is URL · 15-02-2015 05:21PM #1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOhQp8ENmzs

http://www.the42.ie/lansdowne-roads-riots-921125-Feb2015/

Fair play to how the Gardai reacted to it. They sure as fcuk didn't hold back when it came to giving those BNP supporting, Neo-Nazi retards what they deserved.

anncoates · 15-02-2015 05:23PM

To be fair, I think anybody coming out of that away end just got bashed that day, not just the lads that wrecked the stand.

You could just picture police forces all over Europe looking with disbelief at where the Gardai and FAI situated English away supporters at an Ireland natch.

corner of hells · 15-02-2015 05:26PM

I had two cousins in that stadium that night, neither of them would of the shy retiring type , both earned their wages that night as young Gardai.

My name is URL · 15-02-2015 05:27PM

anncoates wrote: »

You could just picture police forces all over Europe looking with disbelief at where the Gardai and FAI situated English away supporters at an Ireland natch.

Also the fact that they turned down assistance from the UK's NCIS, and failed to act on intel handed to them.

I still think they reacted to trouble on the night well though

anncoates · 15-02-2015 05:30PM

My name is URL wrote: »

I still think they reacted to trouble on the night well though

Id be more of the intelligent containment school of football policing rather than breaking the heads of anybody trying to come out of the away end.

Not that I care about the NF and C18 types that got a hiding, mind you.

Ruu · 15-02-2015 05:31PM

Love that Network 2 logo!

Good summary of events at the link, could have been much worse had the Garda not stepped in.

A friend of mine and his son were there that night as well, thankfully unharmed.

SEPT 23 1989 · 15-02-2015 05:32PM

Did they actually arrest the handfull who started it?

Tugboats · 15-02-2015 05:32PM

Come along away since those scenes. In May we will have half n half scarves and selfies

My name is URL · 15-02-2015 05:34PM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Did they actually arrest the handfull who started it?

Gardai arrested 40 people and dozens more were arrested and charged when they arrived back in England. Some were banned from attending football matches for life.

The_Valeyard · 15-02-2015 05:34PM

Remember as a young lad watching it on tv. Also remembering my dad saying there will be trouble as the fans coming over had no intention of watching a match, out to cause mayhem.

English soccer fans had a terrible reputation back then.

Gardai did what had to be done.

Donkey Oaty · 15-02-2015 05:36PM

I reckon that video is a hoax.

For a start, what is this "Lansdowne Road" stadium that they speak of? Any international would be played at Croke Park or the Aviva.

Also, there is no ferry service from Dun Laoghaire.

Thirdly, there's a disgracefully rude word audible at around 3.40-3.45 which RTE would not allow in a news bulletin.

Menas · 15-02-2015 05:37PM

That was my first ever international match. We were in the stand opposite so not in danger, but it was a mad evening all together.

Tugboats · 15-02-2015 05:40PM

Trigger Happy wrote: »

That was my first ever international match. We were in the stand opposite so not in danger, but it was a mad evening all together.

Are you still waiting for a refund from the FAI?

Menas · 15-02-2015 05:44PM

Tugboats wrote: »

Are you still waiting for a refund from the FAI?

There was none offered from what I remember. Still have the ticket stub.

pipelaser · 15-02-2015 05:58PM

I love Paul McGraths reaction, typical Paul..

Frynge · 15-02-2015 06:03PM

Jack charlton grabbing your man by the scruff of the neck.

Ahhh classic jack.

eh i dunno · 15-02-2015 06:14PM

Was at the game and sitting below the English that night. Was only 15 and remember the coins coming down first, then the metal bars from under the seats. I ended up on the pitch to get away from them. Still remember looking up at them and the look of pure hatred in their eyes. Shameful stuff

Son Of A Vidic · 15-02-2015 06:16PM

corner of hells wrote: »

I had two cousins in that stadium that night, neither of them would of the shy retiring type , both earned their wages that night as young Gardai.

There was a news clip of a Garda sitting on his motorbike, watching some scumbags make their way towards the ferry. Three/four guys had passed him by and one of them shouted something back at him. The Garda hops of his bike, pulls out a baton, chases him down and cracks him over the head. Brought tears of joy to my eyes it did.

Venus In Furs · 15-02-2015 06:24PM

Jesus, 20 years ago - I remember it being a very stormy night too. How symbolic.

The guards' reaction was haphazard and frenzied. As said, it got to the point where innocent people who got in the way got a clobbering across the head.
Eventually it just looked like a bunch of guards going on a rampage with their batons because they *could*, not like an organised, carefully orchestrated operation, which is what riot police intervention should be, no matter how vile the scummers were (and they were damn vile).

If I, a 16-year-old girl at the time with a vague knowledge of football culture, predicted there would be a lot of trouble, how in the blazes did An Garda Siochána/FAI not?

A vocal minority of England away supporters were notorious at that very time for hooliganism, sometimes politically motivated. It was known that some of them had connections to the National Front/Combat 18, which in turn had connections to loyalist paramilitaries. It wasn't six months after the IRA ceasefire, and not two years since the Warrington bombing.
It was a no-brainer that there was going to be trouble from a collection of scumbags, and it was utterly stupid and reckless for this not to be prepared for.

My name is URL · 15-02-2015 06:27PM

Trigger Happy wrote: »

There was none offered from what I remember. Still have the ticket stub.

I'm not sure if this is the reason that no refunds were offered but the FAI were pressing hard for an apology from the English FA citing that they shouldn't have supplied tickets to known hooligans and political groups, which they did.

The FA never did accept responsibility for that, but perhaps if the FAI had offered refunds it would have been seen as them accepting responsibility for what happened.

My name is URL · 15-02-2015 06:38PM

Venus In Furs wrote: »

The guards' reaction was haphazard and frenzied.

In your opinion. Gardai and stewards had warned supporters to stay in their section, which they didn't. If Gardai hadn't mounted a baton charge then the trouble makers would have dispersed into the wider crowd and god knows how many more people would have got caught up in it.

If so many innocents were targeted then how come there were never any complaints made or charges pressed against Gardai?

Haphazard my bollix tbh. Look at the London riots a few years ago when police sat on their hands and done nothing to tackle rioters for 3 days, and the amount of people injured and killed, and property damaged as a result of their failure to deal with it effectively.

Hitchens · 15-02-2015 06:59PM

Garda bashing is alive and well then

Venus In Furs · 15-02-2015 07:02PM

Hitchens wrote: »

Garda bashing is alive and well then

Wrong thread I'd say, seeing as people are defending the garda on this one.

Venus In Furs · 15-02-2015 07:02PM

My name is URL wrote: »

In your opinion. Gardai and stewards had warned supporters to stay in their section, which they didn't. If Gardai hadn't mounted a baton charge then the trouble makers would have dispersed into the wider crowd and god knows how many more people would have got caught up in it.

If so many innocents were targeted then how come there were never any complaints made or charges pressed against Gardai?

Haphazard my bollix tbh. Look at the London riots a few years ago when police sat on their hands and done nothing to tackle rioters for 3 days, and the amount of people injured and killed, and property damaged as a result of their failure to deal with it effectively.

Fair points, if a little unnecessarily hostile.

My name is URL · 15-02-2015 07:10PM

Venus In Furs wrote: »

Fair points, if a little unnecessarily hostile.

Sorry if it appeared hostile. That wasn't my intention. I need to choose my words more carefully!

coopdog85 · 15-02-2015 07:21PM

I was there with my dad & brother that night. I was 10 & didn't really understand what was happening at the time as we were right up the back of the lower stand, directly below the English. I can vividly remember the hatred in the English voices before & after the national anthems. I can remember the coins & missiles hitting people about 50 feet in front of us & I will always remember the roar that went up & the noise of their feet as they jumped up & down like animals above us. My dad still maintains that if any of the English had ventured down the stairs into our section there would have been deaths. The stairs leading from the upper west stand to our section was completely free of any police/stewarding. They could have just waded into a full section of irish that was full of men & children.

A horrible evening & one that thankfully didn't result in more serious injuries or deaths. Although, one man died of a heart attack in the seats behind the goal.

tomwaterford · 15-02-2015 07:25PM

Hitchens wrote: »

Garda bashing is alive and well then

from a famil which has its own issues with gaurdsd going back generations....nothing serious as such (have cousins gaurds etc..just wary of em)

the grandmother said at the time....it was the first time she was ever really proud of the gaurds in her life....they got a lot of respect that day

Super-Rush · 15-02-2015 07:31PM

It was the first game i ever went to and it was fairly terrifying that night.

We never realised what was going on until a piece of a seat cracked a guys head 3 or 4 rows in front of us. Stewards were urging us out of the area telling us we needed to give the Gardai room to get a good swing at them.

A lot of the blame was laid at the feet of Combat 18 that night, but several firms from England traveled over for the game as well to cause trouble.

Berserker · 15-02-2015 08:02PM

The_Valeyard wrote: »

English soccer fans had a terrible reputation back then.

Going to games in England was a nightmare back in those days and the national team was an extension of that. To their credit, the English FA and police have done an excellent job cleaning things up and football in England is a far more pleasant experience nowadays. Passports are checked at ports and fans have to collect their tickets when they reach their destination.

My name is URL wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is the reason that no refunds were offered but the FAI were pressing hard for an apology from the English FA citing that they shouldn't have supplied tickets to known hooligans and political groups, which they did.

Bit cheeky of the FAI to point the finger of blame at another association regarding ticketing. Tickets were not sold to any political group. They were sold on a first come, first served basis from the club ticket offices. I know a West Ham fan who was present that day and he got his via his club. That was the fashion in which tickets were distributed in those days.

Menas · 15-02-2015 08:07PM

My name is URL wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is the reason that no refunds were offered but the FAI were pressing hard for an apology from the English FA citing that they shouldn't have supplied tickets to known hooligans and political groups, which they did.

The FA never did accept responsibility for that, but perhaps if the FAI had offered refunds it would have been seen as them accepting responsibility for what happened.

I always thought that the reason there were no refunds was that the match was not cancelled until after 60 minutes....and there was some 60 minute rule in place.... But I am not 100% sure.

saintsaltynuts · 15-02-2015 08:08PM

Me Da still has his ticket wanting a refund.He's a miserable fecker altogether.

20 years ago today

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