Four charged over Belfast soccer violence

Four men are due to appear at Laganside Magistrates Court in the morning charged with disorderly behaviour following trouble …

Four men are due to appear at Laganside Magistrates Court in the morning charged with disorderly behaviour following trouble before Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifier against Poland in Belfast yesterday.

One of the four is also charged with possessing fireworks without a licence.

The four, aged between 22 and 30, were among nine people arrested in the disturbances that marred the build-up and aftermath of Northern Ireland's crucial 3-2 victory over Poland at Windsor Park. Five people were subsequently released without charge. Eleven police officers were injured in the clashes.

Rival fans fought with each other and clashed with riot police in sporadic confrontations across Belfast throughout yesterday.

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A city centre bar was badly damaged when chairs were thrown through the window and the Tates Avenue area close to the ground was sealed off as police came under attack from fireworks, traffic cones, bricks, bottles and other missiles. Eleven PSNI officers were injured during the violence, none seriously. Several rioters were also injured, some requiring hospital treatment.

A number of homes were also targeted in what police described as racially motivated incidents.

While Northern Ireland has a sizeable resident Polish population, police believe the troublemakers on the Poland side were a "hard core" element who did not live in the country and travelled for the game without tickets.

Northern Ireland sports minister Gregory Campbell, who was at the game, said some Polish fans displayed banners supporting the dissident republicans who killed a PSNI officer and two British Army sappers earlier this month.

"There were some Polish fans who introduced one of the Irish republican flags, that are supportive of the group that killed the soldiers and the policeman a few weeks ago, which obviously then led to even more tension," he told the BBC.

Local police commander superintendent Chris Noble said he was concerned about reprisal attacks against the local Polish community. "We believe there was a hard core of Polish nationals who came to the game without tickets but with a very clear intent to cause trouble and disruption to genuine supporters and local residents," he said.

"We believe these troublemakers are not local; they have travelled to Northern Ireland with the express purpose of causing trouble. Unfortunately their actions may well have put the safety of law abiding and local Polish residents in jeopardy.

"I would appeal to all right-minded people to assist these neighbours and unite with them to condemn this type of behaviour and isolate the perpetrators of this type of criminality."

Of the nine arrested yesterday, four remain in custody.

There was also trouble inside Windsor Park, with the match held up during the first half when a linesman was hit by missile thrown from a crowd of Northern Ireland supporters in the North Stand just after Poland scored.

Polish fans were also involved in disturbances in the closing stages of the match.

Several tried to climb the perimeter fence after leaving the South Stand to reach the terracing. But again police moved in to stop them.