Sports minister slams 'hooliganism' after flares thrown at League of Ireland match

SPORTS MINISTER PATRICK O’Donovan has said he wants to pause “all” astroturf funding after flares thrown in the crowd of a League of Ireland game resulted in an injury to a 12-year-old supporter.

O’Donovan slammed scenes of “gougerism and thuggery” at Oriel Park between Dundalk and Drogheda on Friday, demanding that the league and the FAI get to grips with “hooliganism” among fans.

The comments about funding have been described as unhelpful and “knee jerk” by Sinn Féin.

O’Donovan was in attendance with the new pitch and floodlights at Oriel Park funded by a €500,000 government grant when the pitch was scorched by flares thrown by some in the crowd.

Speaking this morning to David McCullagh on RTÉ Radio One, O’Donovan said people witnessed “taxpayers’ money literally going up in smoke” as he called on the crowd issues to be resolved by the sport’s authorities.

“Any and all astroturf funding going into League of Ireland clubs are to be stopped until I’m satisfied that the FAI and League of Ireland will take this seriously,” the Limerick County deputy added.

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Flares thrown in the crowd resulted in an injury to a 12-year-old supporter, who sustained burns to his face, while damage was also caused to Dundalk’s new pitch.

O’Donovan said he accepted that the approach amounted to a “plague on all your houses” by punishing every club, but the Fine Gael TD insisted it was necessary.

He said this would protect the investment made by the State and innocent people who attend the games, and that he has contacted the Justice Minister over the ongoing crowd trouble issues.

O’Donovan said he didn’t want “shoulder shrugging” to his appeal as he added that the league needed to “root out these gougers” who bring flares into games.

Both Drogheda and Dundalk condemned the actions over the weekend of a “minority of individuals” following the crowd trouble during their match at Oriel Park.

Sinn Féin criticise ‘knee-jerk’ response

Sinn Féin TD for Louth Ruairí Ó Murchú described O’Donovan’s “plague on all your houses” threat today to cut funding as an unhelpful reaction, adding that the priority of the Department of Sport should be to work collaboratively with the FAI and clubs to ensure the safety of all who attend League of Ireland games.

“Everyone is quite rightly united in our condemnation of the shameful scenes we witnessed but the threats that followed today from the Minister of Sport to withdraw funding are a knee-jerk reaction, and deeply unhelpful,” Ó Murchú said.

He added that what was needed from the minister today was a “willingness to play an active role in engagement between League of Ireland clubs, the FAI, the Gardaí and all relevant authorities” to ensure that the scenes witnessed on Friday night are never repeated.

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