Sectarian violence erupts at Windsor Park

[der Berliner 3,263]

Sectarian violence erupts at Windsor Park during Linfield clash with Shamrock Rovers

 

 

BY CHRIS KILPATRICK â?? 12 March 2013

 

Football fans from the Republic ripped up seats and threw them onto the pitch as sectarian violence gripped Windsor Park last night.

 

Riot police moved into the away section housing Shamrock Rovers supporters at the Setanta Sports Cup quarter final against Linfield.

 

Bottles and other missiles were thrown by both sets of fans, and a number of flares were also flung onto the playing surface during the disorder which broke out midway through the first half.

 

Some Rovers fans broke through a barricade in the top deck of the North Stand and made their way towards Linfield fans. Police quickly contained the situation. Witnesses said sectarian chanting and goading could be heard from both sets of fans throughout the game.

 

After the match, a cordon of police vehicles blocked off Tates Avenue to keep fans apart.

 

They came under attack from youths throwing stones and bottles, although police said calm was restored quickly.

 

A loyalist flag protest was also said to be taking place in the area at the time.

 

It was not known last night if any arrests had been made.

 

"All I will say is that it was a sad night for football and if anything football was the loser," said Linfield manager David Jeffrey.

 

The trouble follows the arrests of two fans after disorder at the first leg between the two teams in Dublin last week.

 

Sectarian chanting reverberated around the Tallaght Stadium during the game and a Union flag was erected on a post inside the grounds.

 

Witnesses said a pocket of the Belfast club's fans clashed with gardai and security as they waited to go home.

 

There have been numerous clashes between fans of teams taking part in the all-Ireland Setanta Sports Cup since its inception in 2005.

 

Belfast Telegraph

 

And somewhere hidden in the Northern Ireland and not the sports section of the BBC you do find a short mentioning of events. But ware anyone singing TBB in Scotland ...

 

( ... that said, you have to dig deep to find the Northern Irish results at the BBC or Sky Sports anyway.)