Northern Ireland Community Relations Council - About Us - News - Cross community match targeted by 40 strong gang

08 March 2011

North Belfast News 8th of March 2011 by Gemma Burns Teenagers taking part in a cross community football tournament have been attacked by a 40 strong gang who threw fireworks onto the pitch, attacked players with sticks and then attempted to gain access to a bus attempting to take the kids to safety

Social networking sites were used to alert Protestant teenagers around the Seaview football ground that kids from Bawnmore, Longlands and Whitewell were going to be at the venue as part of a cross community match against Rathcoole.

The group of young men, who are all aged between 15 and 18 years old, may now not return to play at Seaview after Sunday night’s incident.

The father of one of the teenagers - who has had professional trials for teams across the water - said he would not send his child back to the cross community events for fear of his son’s safety.

Around 12 local teenagers were playing the match against Rathcoole when the trouble started. It is believed teenagers from the Shore Road were advertising through Facebook that “fenians” would be in the area and arrived at the pitch, trying to throw fireworks and disrupting the game.

As the teenagers tried to make their escape to their bus a group of around 40 gathered around them. One teenager was hit on the back of the head with a plank of wood and later required hospital treatment for stitches to his head.The gang also tried to attack other young players before they managed to get on their mini bus.

Promising young footballer Gerard Reynolds, who has had trials for Premiership teams aross the water, was one of the Catholic teenagers there.

“During the match, play kept having to be stopped because they were trying to get on the pitch and throwing fireworks,” said the Longlands teen.

“We were walking to the bus after and there were about 40 of them standing there and they hit my mate with plank of wood. They were kicking footballs and hitting people on the face. We got on the bus and they surrounded it trying to get on and were shaking it and throwing things at it and shouting abuse.”

The 16-year old’s father Gerry said his son will not be going back to play football at the pitch.

“”I don’t want him back near Seaview because it is just too dangerous. They could play at the Valley pitches but I wonder would it be too dangerous now there too,” he said.

“Where can they go to play now?”

A PSNi spokesman said: "Police in North Belfast are investigating an incident where a bus was attacked by a number of youths throwing stones. Police are appealing for anyone in the area at the time to contact them and are appealing for all witnesses to get in contact."