Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers charged for crowd trouble

The FAI has confirmed that both Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians will face disciplinary charges over the violence between a small number of their fans at Dalymount Park on Friday night.

Both clubs face the prospect of substantial fines while the hosts, Bohemians, will also have to explain themselves to representatives of the association’s Stadia and Security Committee.

The charges follow incidents during and after the game which Rovers won 4-0. The problems started immediately after the fourth goal when a solitary Bohemians fan jumped over the perimeter fence and approached rival fans behind one of the goals.

A small number of Rovers fans attacked him just off the pitch and as the Gardai attempted to intervene, a number of additional Bohemians fans joined in. The trouble only last a few minutes and play quickly resumed but there were clearly heightened levels of tension between the two sets of supporters throughout the rest of the game and a small number of incidents when it finished.

“The FAI today reviewed the Referee’s and Match Delegate’s reports following a number of incidents during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division fixture,” said the association in a statement..

“It was decided that formal charges are to be brought against both clubs, who have been invited to a disciplinary hearing at FAI HQ in Abbotstown, on Wednesday, April 20th.”

The news, though, hardly surprising, is a blow to the two clubs both of whom regard the derby game as something of a money-spinner when things go well because of the larger than normal crowd it generally attracts.

Bohemians issued a statement immediately after Friday’s game making it clear that it would work closely with its stewards and the Gardai to establish who had been responsible for starting the trouble.