THERE WAS blood on the toilet walls, the wash-hand basin, the floor, the ceiling and the doors after a weekly Wednesday fourball at Lucan Golf Club, a court has been told.
“It was like a scene from The Sopranos,” Judge Joseph Matthews said when boisterous banter between Manchester United fans and rival supporters had got out of hand in the Co Dublin golf club.
Barrister Louis McEntagart told the Circuit Civil Court that Leeds fan Alan Holmes claimed he had been head-butted in the toilets by fellow member Martin Curtis after a dispute about a €100 bet on the outcome of a football game.
Mr Holmes, a paint supplier, of Rathdown Drive, Terenure, Dublin, said in March 2003, about 40 members had been watching Manchester United play Burnley on television in the bar.
He said he had taken a couple of €5 bets from his friends in his fourball against United winning when Mr Curtis waved two €50 notes and asked him several times whether he wanted to cover a €100 bet against United.
Mr Holmes said he had declined the bet and when Mr Curtis had later approached his table he had told him to “f**k off”. Mr Holmes said he was in the toilet later washing his hands when Mr Curtis head-butted him in the nose.
He also received injuries to his jaw, chest and groin, but could not remember getting them.
The court heard there had been no witnesses to the incident in the toilet, and each member had sued the other for €38,000 damages for assault. The incident had split the club.
Conor Bowman, for Mr Curtis, Brooklodge, Curryhills, Prosperous, Co Kildare, said his client would give evidence that Mr Holmes had made no attempt to use the facilities in the toilet but had obstructed him with his chest before grabbing him and punching him. Mr Curtis had punched Mr Holmes back in the face with his right hand.
The case continues today.