Post by Harry on Sept 5, 2007 15:06:00 GMT
Its disgraceful that football can't be played in the town without all this hassle. Its been going on for a long time now with both sides responsible for making the situation worse. I know the Homers team very very well and i know for a fact none of the players would have been involved and they have one or two boys from the top of the town that even play for them. I would dare say it's the same for broadway celtic and their players. Its the street crowd who would seek to use local soccer as a way of venting sectarian anger.
This is from a few years back....
NAKED sectarian mob violence swept through Ballymena North on Monday night, leaving a Protestant teenager with a broken ankle and broken jaw, an abandoned football match, and a community in turmoil.
Police were pelted with stones and bottles as the 20-strong gang armed with hurling sticks and waving tricolours roamed from Dunfane to Dunclug.
Earlier in the evening a football match between Demesne Star and Woodside FC at Dunfane playing fields was abandoned at 7.20pm, after the same mob turned up shouting abuse at some players and attempting to attack them with iron bars and hurling sticks.
Secretary of the Saturday Morning League Brian Montgomery who was at the game, said the players escaped injury during the confrontation. Police were called to the football pitch and the gang moved off in the direction of the Dunlcug area.
About two hours later around 9.30pm, the Protestant teenager was set upon in the Dunlclug estate and had his ankle and jaw broken in a vicious attack.
The trouble continued to rage, with passing cars and police coming under fire from stones and bottles.
Running battles between the mob and the police broke out on the Cushendall Road and Grove Road. Police say that several major traffic collisions were narrowly avoided as missiles rained down on the roads.
Ald PJ McAvoy warned that this riot could be the start of a "long hot summer" and called for more police.
"We have elections coming up, the start of the marching season, and now we have already had a major riot like this. And the excuse seems to be a football match, where a few of the players have come up from the bottom of the town.
"This could be the beginning of a long hot summer, and it’s only April There needs to be a much stronger police presence to deal with these situations, which are threatening out town and communities.
"What will be the outcome of this? Retaliations? Will they meet on Broughshane Street on Saturday nights to continue this war? This could quickly develop into even more serious confrontations, and the police need to have the numbers to stop this spreading.
"I would extend my sympathy to the young man who was viciously attacked and wish him a speedy recovery."
Condemning the shameful scenes of anarchy as "a deplorable sectarian attack", Supt. Terry Shevlin said this was part of a spiralling number of incidents involving groups of youths from both sides of the community.
He said that it was believed republican youths were involved in last night's disorder and assault and appealed to those with influence in the communities to calm the situation.
"Over the past few weeks we have had an escalating number of incidents of disorder in the town involving groups form both sides, and these must stop before someone else is seriously injured.
"The vast majority of people in Ballymena are appalled by these incidents.
even youth football isn't safe, this was also a while ago..
BALLYMENA'S top police officer has voiced fears for the future of organised sport in the borough after a third instance of violence at a football match within a month.
Superintendent Terry Shevlin painted a bleak picture for both sport and community relations if the incidents – which police believe to be sectarian - continue at sporting fixtures.
In the latest incident on Saturday, four members of Carnlough United's under-16 team were slightly injured when their minibus was attacked following a Ballymena and District Youth League under-16 match at Ballykeel.
The injured parties sustained cuts and bruises when a side window of the bus was smashed by a stone when the bas came under attack as the team attempted to leave the venue.
Condemning the attack, District Commander, Superintendent Shevlin said: "This is the latest incident in Ballymena where young people playing junior soccer have been subjected to sectarian thuggery.
"The young footballers, who were perceived to be Roman Catholics, were subjected to a frightening experience as the crowd proceeded to smash a window in the mini bus, injuring four young boys who received cuts and bruises.
"I utterly condemn and deplore this type of sectarian aggression, which seems to be focussing on junior soccer where teams are being targeted by the perceived religious affiliation of their young players.
"This is a most disturbing trend and if it is not stamped out it will have serious consequences for the future of the sport in the area, and for overall community relations.
It is shameful and disgusting.
This is from a few years back....
NAKED sectarian mob violence swept through Ballymena North on Monday night, leaving a Protestant teenager with a broken ankle and broken jaw, an abandoned football match, and a community in turmoil.
Police were pelted with stones and bottles as the 20-strong gang armed with hurling sticks and waving tricolours roamed from Dunfane to Dunclug.
Earlier in the evening a football match between Demesne Star and Woodside FC at Dunfane playing fields was abandoned at 7.20pm, after the same mob turned up shouting abuse at some players and attempting to attack them with iron bars and hurling sticks.
Secretary of the Saturday Morning League Brian Montgomery who was at the game, said the players escaped injury during the confrontation. Police were called to the football pitch and the gang moved off in the direction of the Dunlcug area.
About two hours later around 9.30pm, the Protestant teenager was set upon in the Dunlclug estate and had his ankle and jaw broken in a vicious attack.
The trouble continued to rage, with passing cars and police coming under fire from stones and bottles.
Running battles between the mob and the police broke out on the Cushendall Road and Grove Road. Police say that several major traffic collisions were narrowly avoided as missiles rained down on the roads.
Ald PJ McAvoy warned that this riot could be the start of a "long hot summer" and called for more police.
"We have elections coming up, the start of the marching season, and now we have already had a major riot like this. And the excuse seems to be a football match, where a few of the players have come up from the bottom of the town.
"This could be the beginning of a long hot summer, and it’s only April There needs to be a much stronger police presence to deal with these situations, which are threatening out town and communities.
"What will be the outcome of this? Retaliations? Will they meet on Broughshane Street on Saturday nights to continue this war? This could quickly develop into even more serious confrontations, and the police need to have the numbers to stop this spreading.
"I would extend my sympathy to the young man who was viciously attacked and wish him a speedy recovery."
Condemning the shameful scenes of anarchy as "a deplorable sectarian attack", Supt. Terry Shevlin said this was part of a spiralling number of incidents involving groups of youths from both sides of the community.
He said that it was believed republican youths were involved in last night's disorder and assault and appealed to those with influence in the communities to calm the situation.
"Over the past few weeks we have had an escalating number of incidents of disorder in the town involving groups form both sides, and these must stop before someone else is seriously injured.
"The vast majority of people in Ballymena are appalled by these incidents.
even youth football isn't safe, this was also a while ago..
BALLYMENA'S top police officer has voiced fears for the future of organised sport in the borough after a third instance of violence at a football match within a month.
Superintendent Terry Shevlin painted a bleak picture for both sport and community relations if the incidents – which police believe to be sectarian - continue at sporting fixtures.
In the latest incident on Saturday, four members of Carnlough United's under-16 team were slightly injured when their minibus was attacked following a Ballymena and District Youth League under-16 match at Ballykeel.
The injured parties sustained cuts and bruises when a side window of the bus was smashed by a stone when the bas came under attack as the team attempted to leave the venue.
Condemning the attack, District Commander, Superintendent Shevlin said: "This is the latest incident in Ballymena where young people playing junior soccer have been subjected to sectarian thuggery.
"The young footballers, who were perceived to be Roman Catholics, were subjected to a frightening experience as the crowd proceeded to smash a window in the mini bus, injuring four young boys who received cuts and bruises.
"I utterly condemn and deplore this type of sectarian aggression, which seems to be focussing on junior soccer where teams are being targeted by the perceived religious affiliation of their young players.
"This is a most disturbing trend and if it is not stamped out it will have serious consequences for the future of the sport in the area, and for overall community relations.
It is shameful and disgusting.
