Sir, – I read, with bemusement, the report by your crime correspondent on the trouble in Ringsend prior to the FAI Cup Final on Sunday.
As a Bohs fan since 1969, and a member since 1974, I have attended many matches between Bohs and St Pats and have yet to see any trouble between the fans of the two clubs, so to declare that they have a long-standing rivalry is to besmirch both sets of fans.
Also, I am racking my brain to decide which UK team has a “long-standing relationship” with Bohemians. It is more likely that these were opportunistic hooligans, and not fans of either club.
It would be a shame if this hooliganism, and your report, would overshadow the wonderful attendance at the match; the biggest between two Irish clubs since the 1960s. I spoke to people on the Dart on the way home who had attended their first match and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great occasion, just a pity about the result.
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– Yours, etc,
MARK CROWTHER,
Marino,
Dublin 3.