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The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Derry City need to clamp down on yob violence which is a threat to fan safety along with League of Ireland growth
WHEN its most arresting image is of someone sitting on a fence holding what looks like a rocket launcher, it has not been a good weekend for the League of Ireland. The video doing the rounds with a clearly petrified young girl crying out to her daddy, from outside the ground, as 2 Local yobs attacked away fans in this instance Credit: X 2 Carl Winchester looks on after a flare was thrown onto the pitch It is bad enough when facilities in many grounds are not up to scratch without the inherent danger extending beyond rank toilets to the threat of getting caught up in violence. One view of what happened in Derry is a crowd of Dubliners came up looking for trouble, got it and the response that followed might make them think twice about trying that again. And there will not be a huge amount of sympathy for any Bohs supporter who got their comeuppance having decided the best way to spend their time before kick-off was to attack locals. It is difficult to see how they thought it was going to go well for them in an area where people are more accustomed to defending their turf than most. Read More On Irish Football Some reports suggested the fight was pre-arranged, with others claiming it was revenge for an attack on Bohs fans when the Phibsborough club played there earlier in the season. Of course, neither the protagonists on this occasion nor those who sought retribution gave too much thought to the innocent bystanders who could be Former Candystripes captain and manager Peter Hutton warned: 'These ultras or young boys are putting fear into the young supporters who simply want to enjoy the football. "There is no place for it in the game. Parents will now be thinking twice whether it is safe to let their children go to games. Most read in Football 'If these guys are planning trouble in advance and looking to get things into the ground, the club needs to ramp up its security and be aware of this.' Such scenes are, for the most part, rare in our League which is why the attack on St Pat's fans outside a pub in Irishtown prior to the 2021 FAI Cup final against Bohs got so much attention. Drake hints Cole Palmer is inspiration behind his new album name as he shares brilliant video of Chelsea star There was also an attack on a pub in Drumcondra prior to the league meeting between But Dublin derbies with the potential for trouble are generally well managed in the immediate vicinity of grounds through segregation and the staggered departure of home and away supporters. That is what happened in Derry on Friday night too, except there was no attempt made to contain the away contingent within the stand, where they had a level of protection, when pictures were already circulating on social media of masked youngsters armed with golf clubs and more lying in wait outside. When they drifted outside to the open area behind the stand and fireworks were propelled in their direction, there was some surprise that there was no obvious effort to get them to shelter and to make their way out safely towards their coaches via the pitch. Much of the local reaction has focused on the initial attack, which is understandable, but there is a wider issue here surrounding the safety of away supporters in Derry which nobody can afford to ignore. STRUGGLE FOR BUSES Some supporters' clubs for away teams no longer run buses for that fixture or, even if they want to, struggle to find companies willing to bring them based on past experience. In April of last year, as happened on Friday, a match against The sight of a young boy entering the pitch to pick it up during the game — which was being broadcast live on television — and running a significant distance with the flare in his hand was not a great advertisement for its stewarding which, uniquely and for obvious reasons, does not have a police presence inside the ground. Unlike on Friday, Rovers supporters were moved to the centre circle after the final whistle in an attempt to keep them out of harm's way. It prompted Derry to move away fans to a different part of the ground when St Pat's came to town 72 hours later. When the PSNI responded to the disturbances at the Rovers game, they were attacked with missiles. As a result of what happened, Derry City were fined €2,000 by an independent disciplinary committee, which also imposed a suspended partial stadium closure although that would only come into force if anything happened at their next home game after their ruling, against Shelbourne. That did not come to pass but Shels had already had their own problems there the previous October when a coach carrying its supporters was bricked as it left the area, with a gofundme page launched to pay the near-€4,000 bill to replace a smashed door window. ATTACK ON ROVERS FANS A month prior to that, Rovers fans had been attacked when coming out of the ground, again, not, it is believed, by anyone who had attended the game. That recurring theme does make it difficult for Derry City, as a club, to address it. After they were sanctioned last year, the club issued a statement accepting the ruling. It added: 'The club condemns the scenes in and around the ground on Friday night and has cooperated fully with the Disciplinary Control Unit of the FAI. 'Since the events of last Friday, representatives of the club have met with several statutory agencies to discuss enhanced crowd control measures. 'As a result of continued anti-social behaviour, the club need to take additional measures to ensure that all supporters attending games in the Ryan McBride stadium can enjoy a safe and enjoyable match night experience. "This is highly unfortunate and not a move the club takes lightly. It has, however been forced on the club due to those recent events.' A separate League of Ireland statement said that it 'and the FAI are committed to providing a safe environment for players, officials, staff and spectators at all our fixtures'. UNIQUE BACKDROP But crowd control within a stadium is tough enough without the remit extending beyond its perimeter walls. And the reality is that, no matter how well-intentioned, neither the club nor the FAI can guarantee the safety of away fans — and nor can the PSNI. Clearly, trying to police the area outside The Brandywell is not comparable to any other League of Ireland ground so it is up to those in the Bogside itself. If those with influence have any regard for a club which has made a significant contribution to both the community, and, in its 40 years as a member, the League, they will put an end to this carry-on before its name is tarnished any further. And those travelling north might wise up too and, in a phrase with which Bohs fans will be familiar, 'concentrate on the football'.
RTÉ News
18-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Liam Boyce bags quickfire treble to send Derry on their way past Treaty United
Liam Boyce bagged a hat-trick off the bench in just 25 minutes to put Derry City through to the next round of the Sports Direct FAI Cup. With the game in Markets Field at a stalemate and fast approaching the hour mark, Boyce was summoned and ended up being the difference. Derry City would likely have welcomed a cup tie after their most disappointing result of the season last week. Their 2-0 defeat to Sligo Rovers really put a dampener on what had already been a mixed league campaign to date, but the allure of at least €650,000 in European money for winning this tournament might have been enough to merit its own independent focus. The Candystripes were hardly blessed with an easy run in last year's renewal, so in a sense, a trip down to Limerick was probably a turn in their favour. Although their cup history against teams from the third city is mixed at best. Perhaps their most famous meeting in cup competition came in the League Cup final in 2002, when a Brendan Hughes-captained Limerick FC, who had finished bottom of the second tier that year, lifted the trophy at the Brandywell, after winning 3-2 on penalties. Now, the gap isn't quite as big as it was back then – and the fact that Derry City had to wait until 40 minutes into the game for an effort of note was more reflective of their pedestrian pace than the evolution of football on Shannonside. But as the clock ticked towards 60 minutes with little joy, Tiernan Lynch was forced to act. He called out for the services of Boyce and, within two minutes, the former Northern Ireland international repaid in kind. Michael Duffy lined up a corner from the right-hand side and his lofted cross found Boyce right on the penalty spot. The contact wasn't perfect, but it looped over Corey Chambers into the Treaty net. Ten minutes later, the tie was over. For all the good the hosts might have done in open play, they were undone once more from a set piece, as Michael Duffy's corner found Alex Bannon at the back post to nod into the bottom corner. And the trifecta was completed five minutes later as another Duffy corner found Boyce, who'd barely been on the pitch a quarter of an hour. The vocal home crowd at least had their moment to celebrate as their undisputed talisman Lee Devitt pulled one back with just over ten minutes to go. But that would soon be ruled out when Boyce completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot, and Danny Mullen completed a rout that had looked highly unlikely only ten minutes beforehand. Treaty United: Corey Chambers; Evan O'Connor, Robbie Lynch, Mark Walsh )eoing Martin, Ben Lynch; Steven Healy (Fionn Doherty, 89), Connor Wilson (Brian Cunningham, 65); Colin Conroy (Mark Byrne, Lee Devitt, Mark Murphy; Trpimir Vrljičak (Patrick Ferry, 77). Derry City: Brian Maher; Alex Bannon, Mark Connolly, Sam Todd; Ronan Boyce (Robbie Benson, 77), Sadou Diallo, Adam O'Reilly, Shane Ferguson (Hayden Cann, 57); Gavin Whyte (Liam Boyce, 57), Dipo Akinyemi (Danny Mullen, 69), Michael Duffy (Adam Frizell, 77).
Belfast Telegraph
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Tiernan Lynch at loss to explain flat Derry City display in defeat to Sligo Rovers: ‘Why? I don't have the answer to that'
With leaders Shamrock Rovers not playing a League game until August, the Candystripes have the opportunity to close the nine-point gap considerably on their rivals, but they wasted one of their two games in hand with a loss at The Showgrounds. It was a difficult weekend for Lynch, who watched his players fail to perform as they fell to a first defeat in six League games. First-half goals from Patrick McClean and Wilson Waweru condemned City to a 2-0 defeat, with both goals coming from poor Derry defending. 'We probably lost the game in the first-half with the goals that we conceded, which has been very unlike us of late,' Lynch reflected afterwards. 'We were very disappointed because we gave ourselves a mountain to climb in the second-half. 'I felt we huffed and puffed a bit more in the second-half, but we didn't work their goalkeeper enough, we didn't work their back-four enough and, ultimately, we got nothing from the game.' Lynch was unable to put his finger on how his team went from scoring seven goals against Waterford to failing to provide much threat at all against Sligo. 'It's extremely disappointing,' he acknowledged. 'I had been praising the players all week because they were superb in training. 'They worked so hard and there was a real buzz around the place, but we just never got going, and I think the two goals that we conceded were proper sucker punches. 'Why? I don't have the answer to that. We've got to go away and look at this game back, and we have got to look at the areas where we fell short and we have got to look at the areas where we have been doing well and work out why we didn't do them well here. 'Everything we do will always be internal. It's hard to knock the boys and, albeit we're hugely disappointed right now, the last four or five weeks, they have been outstanding and I can't ask for any more of them in terms of their work-rate. But this wasn't good enough from us. 'They know that more than anybody, and there's no one more disappointed than them, so it's important that we dust ourselves off and we go again.' City are next in action in the FAI Cup as they head to First Division Treaty United on Friday night, the first step on what they hope will end with a third FAI Cup Final appearance in four years.
The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Tiernan Lynch insists Derry City fans ‘will enjoy watching' new signing whose goals ‘is only part of what he gives you'
DERRY CITY boss Tiernan Lynch says there is more to Dipo Akinyemi than just goals. The English striker has joined the Candystripes on a multi-year deal from York City. Most of his career has been spent in non-league football where he has been a regular scorer. And in the 2022-23 season, he was named the Scottish Championship's Players' Player of the Year after netting 20 league goals for City boss Lynch said; 'We've been very keen on Dipo for a while and I'm delighted he wanted to come here. 'His goalscoring record speaks for itself, but that's only a part of what he gives you. Read More on Derry City 'He has excellent numbers when it comes to assists and has a very strong work ethic. 'When you're looking at players to strengthen the group, you're also very much looking at character as well. 'I have no doubt that next number of seasons.' 1 Tiernan Lynch has welcomed the signing of Dipo Akinyemi Credit: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
Irish Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Derry City winger completes move to Scottish Championship side
Paul McMullan has completed his move to Raith Rovers after leaving Derry City. The winger left the Candystripes at the start of the week and signed a two-year deal with the Scottish Championship side yesterday. McMullan, 29, has won the Scottish Championship twice with Dundee United and derby rivals Dundee. The Scot joined Derry City in 2023 and made 80 appearances in all competitions for the Candystripes, scoring three goals and providing 18 assists. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. On social media, McMullan posted: Thank you Derry City for the last 2 years! Met so many incredible people that made our time over in Ireland so great! All the best and will be back over to take in some games when I can.' Raith Rovers said: 'A former Scotland youth international at U16, U17, U19, and U21 levels, Paul is known for his blistering pace, direct style, and ability to create chances These qualities made him a perfect addition for the squad Barry Robson is building.' Derry City boss Tiernan Lynch last week bolstered his midfield with the signing of another Scottish player, Adam Frizzell. The attacking midfielder has signed an 18-month deal and said: 'It was time for me to come over and challenge myself and I'm looking forward to doing that.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email.
