Hooligan ‘supporters’ of Derry and Bohs had pre-arranged ‘fight’ to coincide with game

The Sunday World understands the disturbances, which included a firework being thrown onto Derry’s pitch, were planned in advance.

Violent scenes unfolded outside the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium before and after the League of Ireland fixture against Dublin side Bohemians Videos circulating online show people, some of them with their faces covered, fighting in the street.

Videos circulating online show people, some of them with their faces covered, fighting in the street.

Videos circulating online show people, some of them with their faces covered, fighting in the street.

Rival hooligan gangs clashed in an organised fight in Derry on Friday night.

Two people were injured after rival fans clashed with sticks, bats and iron bars outside the Brandywell as Derry City took on fellow League of Ireland side Bohemians.

The Sunday World understands the disturbances, which included a firework being thrown onto Derry’s 5G pitch, were planned in advance.

A group of self-styled ‘Ultras’ attached to Derry were denied entry to the ground on Friday but had an arranged ‘rumble’ with a similar mob attached to the Bohs.

It is also understood the majority of those involved on the Derry side were aged between eight and 18, say witnesses who attended the match.

Videos circulating online show people, some of them with their faces covered, fighting in the street.

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Sources also claim the rioters had been guarding the Meenan Square bonfire which has drawn criticism for bearing sectarian and anti-Israel images.

“The riot was arranged,” a source told the Sunday World.

“These idiots are just spoiling for a fight but they have to take on, so when the Bohs come to town there’s an opportunity for a dust-up.”

He said the Ultras are routinely refused access to the Brandywell.

“There’s never any trouble at the Brandywell, these people aren’t football fans,” one witness said.

Social media posts linking to the trouble to dissident groups have been discounted, but a war of words has broken out between Bohs fans and those from Derry.

Violent scenes unfolded outside the Ryan McBride Brandywell.

Bohs Ultras have taunted their counterparts, claiming they were beaten on their own patch.

A statement posted online by the Derry IRSP claimed a mob of “100 drugged-up Bohs fans’’ set about invading the Bogside armed with hatchets and knives.

“We commend the resilience of the Bogside, for 50 years they have fought off invasion from the Crown forces so it was obvious a mob of jumped-up junkies wouldn’t have had a chance.”

Videos circulating online show people, some of them with their faces covered, fighting in the street on Friday.

SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan was at the game and said he was left frightened by what he had witnessed.

And Sinn Féin MLA Padraig Delargy said “so-called football supporters from Dublin” attacked local people.

The PSNI said disorder was focused in the Lecky Road and Lone Moor Road areas.

Videos circulating online show people, some of them with their faces covered, fighting in the street.

“Shortly after 7pm on Friday evening, police were made aware of two large groups of rival football supporters in the area attacking each other near the Lecky Road flyover with sticks, bats and iron bars and causing damage to buildings and cars parked in the area.

“A teenage boy and a man aged in his 20s sustained injuries as a result of this incident and were taken to hospital for treatment.

“Further disorder then occurred in the vicinity of the Brandywell stadium during and after a football match which was taking place.

“There were people gathered with sticks, golf clubs and fireworks.

“They were roaming the perimeter prior to the match ending, and they were masked-up as well,” he said.

“So while I have pointed the finger, accurately I believe, at the people who came on the bus for starting the bother, the stuff afterwards was retaliatory.”

The match was also briefly suspended after a flare was thrown from outside the ground onto the pitch.

Mr Delargy, an MLA for Foyle, also condemned the trouble.

He said many people in the area had felt frightened.

“The sight of masked youths armed with an array of weapons and fighting in the streets before turning on the PSNI was terrifying for local residents, including children, who witnessed this appalling violence,” he said.

“In what seems to have been a pre-arranged attack connected to a football match at the Brandywell, the violence erupted when so-called football supporters from Dublin attacked local youths as well as cars and property belonging to residents.

“That is disgraceful and the violence that took place on our streets needs to be condemned.

“It threatened the safety and wellbeing of local residents and stands in stark contrast to the fantastic work that is going on in the area through the Féile and the redevelopment of Meenan Square.”

The match finished in a 1-1 draw. Afolabi Akinyemi’s first goal for the Candystripes broke the deadlock, before Ross Tierney levelled things for Bohemians.

Superintendent William Calderwood said: “We believe that the disorder we witnessed on Friday evening was pre-arranged and we will be reviewing all available footage to identify those involved.

“I would ask anyone with information or footage which could assist us with our enquiries to contact officers at Strand Road on 101, quoting reference number 1637 25/07/25.

“A report can be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or you can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crime stoppers-uk.org/.”

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