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Sectarian thuggery against Dublin players turns Milk Cup sour
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Crumlin United players Shane Byrne and Niall Lanigan move out of their apartments with their team-mates yesterday
enlargeYoung players taking part in one of Europe's top international youth football tournaments were left terrified after they were targeted in a shameful drink-fuelled sectarian attack.
Yobs hurled abuse and threw missiles at the two Dublin-based teams taking part in the Milk Cup before they threatened to burn them out and threatened to kneecap tournament staff.
Crumlin United and Cherry Orchard players bravely returned to the playing field last night after they were moved from the accommodation on the north coast where they came under attack.
Tournament spokesman Jim Sandford said the behaviour of those who threatened the young players was disgraceful and said he had never witnessed such behaviour in more than a quarter of a century of Milk Cup action.
He said a crowd of young people gathered at Cromore Court in Coleraine — where the Crumlin United and Cherry Orchard teams were staying — shortly before 10pm on Monday night and began shouting abuse at players, some of whom were as young as 14.
“The abuse then developed into sectarian remarks and they then threatened they would be back later to burn them out,” Mr Sandford said.
“Our staff then went down and when they got there the yobs started squaring up to them and our staff were threatened with kneecapping.
“We waited for the police then as soon as the sirens began getting closer, the yobs took off.
“We tried to reassure the teams but then 20 minutes later a few of the guys came back and started throwing stones at the house.
“We have gone through difficult times here over the last 26 years and in all those 26 years of the cup, we have never seen anything like this.”
Paul Hammond from Crumlin United said sectarian remarks were shouted.
“There were bottles, cans of beer, bricks and all sorts coming over towards the kids. The kids were terrified. Some of them are 14, others are 15,” he said.
Both teams were back in action last night after their matches were rescheduled from earlier in the day.
A PSNI spokesman said they had received a report of a disturbance at Cromore Court in Coleraine shortly before 10:30pm on Monday. A 19-year-old man who had been arrested was last night released on bail pending inquiries.
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Comments
35 Comments
Northern Ireland is still riddled with sectarianism. Yes the killings and bombings are over but the underlying problems are still there. Northern Ireland is not a "normal" society and anyone who doesn't recognise this needs to wake up and smell the coffee. This rubbish about our great wee "province" is nauseating. I am originally from Belfast and went to live in the Republic in 1995. It was one of the best things I ever did. It was only when I got out of the place that I realised how dysfunctional the place really is. When I go home I enjoy meeting family and friends, but am really glad I don't live in the place anymore. This story is only the tip of the iceberg.
Posted by JP | 31.07.08, 18:35 GMT
Steve Millar-
What a stupid comment. To generalise Northern Ireland because of the actions of a few yobs makes you just as ignorant as them. If you make a judgement about a country based soley on media coverage, then I could be forgiven for thinking that it's impossible to visit England without being stabbed to death.
Northern Ireland isn't a bad place - you get antisocial elements like this in any country. Far from withering on the vine, Northern Ireland has changed immensely for the better over the last few years. There's no need to blow an unsavoury but relatively minor incident out of all proportion. It pales in comparison to the full scale riots in Mullingar this week, or the knife crime plaguing England at the minute. Anyone condemning the whole provence on the basis of this should get off their high horses and take a closer look at their own back yards.
Posted by Pete | 31.07.08, 15:01 GMT
I agree that it is a disgrace and these young thugs should be ashamed of themselves. Hopefully as they get older they will get wiser and realize that those who have influenced them to think this way are wrong.
I have only been up north once, to Belfast, and what I saw was a beautiful city and I met kind and helpful people. I don't think it is fair to label N. I. as a bad place. There is just a bad element as there is in any country.
Posted by Al, Japan | 31.07.08, 07:57 GMT
My late father was from Banbridge, my mother is from Mayo and I have Irish and Australian passports. I always remember my trips to Northern Ireland fondly but shake my head and throw up my hands when I read stories like these. Not to mention stories of tourists who are threatened by people like this. I hope it has more to do with their socio-economic position than ignorant sectarianism. I suspect so. Maybe it is the July silly season? And threatening children too... Just stupid and pointless given how far the country seems to have come. One step forward two steps back.
Posted by Niall in Sydney | 31.07.08, 02:37 GMT
Visit sunny N.Ireland. Marvel at the "culture"!
Posted by Bill | 31.07.08, 02:30 GMT
Eamonn regardingyour comment .The remarks that were said were true and what has been written is true. I have followed the milk cup since it started and never heard of anything like this before. There have been southern teams staying there before and nothing has happened so why now.
Posted by a | 31.07.08, 00:05 GMT
I do not think this was really about sectarianism. This was anti-social behaviour, and these hoodlums were out to cause trouble plain and simple. Because these hoodlums feel they have nothing to contribute to society, the only thing they can to achieve is destruction and mayhem. It is facile to say this antisocial behaviour is f caused by Northern Ireland sectarianism, the problem of antisocial behaviour is the problem throughout Western Society. The hoods use the language of sectarianism but the real cause of their antisocial behaviour is this isolation from society and lack of respect for the community they live.
Posted by Jonathan Taylor | 30.07.08, 23:34 GMT
Northern Ireland parents, look at your children through Bebo or any of the many teenage social networking sites: you will see bigotry, intolerance and sectarianism.
Then again, with leaders like Iris Robinson and the rest of the Bible thumping so-called Christians you have as leaders, it is no wonder your children are no-hope losers.
Posted by Keith | 30.07.08, 20:32 GMT
Disgusting bunch of small minded idiots. Another reason why i moved. Wake up North Antrim.
Posted by Robert, Frankfurt | 30.07.08, 19:16 GMT
Why are people so surprised ? Does any one actually think that we have moved on that much ? Can anyone tell me that when they drive through and area regardless of the flag that hangs or the mural they see that they dont get a small bit apprehensive ? I would love nothing more than to think that this is an isolated incident and that this sort of thing wont happen again, but im more realistic than that, i know that it wont be my generation that gets the pleasure of thinking that. Knowing what was said or why it was said wont matter, what matters is that something was said, these are kids, this will only go to instill the thought that WE are all the same, im embarrassed that when i sit in my office here in manchester and that people think i could understand why the kids where targetted, every time this sort of thing happens im finding myself defending the north, after this lastest episode im finding that i cant, ive ran out of excuses. Will it stop and be realistic when you think ?
Posted by Surprise | 30.07.08, 19:01 GMT
Hopefully they will continue to work this incident and make appropriate arrests. This was Coleraine's chance to show that their community had evolved.
Posted by Eddie | 30.07.08, 18:39 GMT
Pretty sad bunch of good for nothing losers who would turn any decent person's stomach with this verbal abuse of young soccer players.
I hope they are found and dealt with accordingly.
Posted by Robert | 30.07.08, 17:32 GMT
I have nothing but utter contempt for Northern Ireland now.
I wasted the best years of my life in the place and am sorry I did not have the gumption to leave it years before I finally did.
I live in East Anglia now, as far away as I could get in these Isles, and life is infinately better in every way.
Leave the place to wither on the vine.
No jobs, no hope, no future - the highest rate of young male suicide in Europe! Need I say more.
Posted by Steve Millar | 30.07.08, 16:38 GMT
an absolute disgrace, I thought we were suposed to be moving on; Eamonn, how about you focus on the issue and not just trying to fix blame on one side or the other, comments like yours just show how far Northern Ireland has yet to go, I'm assuming your an adult, shouldn't you know better?
Posted by Robert Scott | 30.07.08, 15:45 GMT
I am so glad I no longer live in Northern Ireland.
Posted by Jon | 30.07.08, 15:45 GMT
North Antrim, that bastion of Libertarianism, certainly lives up to it's reputation. Move the Milk Cup to Belfast as a punishment for such an outrageous act.
Posted by G | 30.07.08, 15:39 GMT
During all the years of "The Troubles", sporting organisations were the threads that tied people together, whether it was Bowls, Football, Pigeons, Fishing or whatever. It makes it all the more disappointing when entering a new era that such thugs exist. This football competition has a wonderful reputation that has been hard earned and it will be a disgrace if clubs in the future have to think twice about entering it. Sad that the organisers, who put the effort in, may in the future be penalised by non participation of some clubs.
Posted by Henry C | 30.07.08, 15:37 GMT
What losers! Do these feral youths have nothing better to do with there time. They're such an embarrassment.
Posted by Andy | 30.07.08, 15:28 GMT
It is my belief that it will always be the same as in years past,I can not ever see a change when you see the scum .that has done this sort of trouble down through the years. we only hope that some day the scum gets their reward lots of jail time.
Posted by Sam.Reid | 30.07.08, 14:59 GMT
This is a terrible shame and hopefully the morons will be rounded up and treated appropriately. Unfortunately there are people like this everywhere and this incident has been given high profile because of the high profile of the Milk Cup. Southern teams have taken part in pretty much every year of the tournament's history without a problem, just as it should be. If this tournament was in Dublin, there's the same chance of this sort of thing could happening to Northern teams if they were staying in dodgy areas!
Posted by Will M | 30.07.08, 13:51 GMT
35 Comments