A COMPLAINT has been submitted by the Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland (PFA Ireland) to the FAI after Jack Byrne was allegedly spat at by a Derry City supporter during last Friday’s Premier Division game at the Brandywell.
A video clip emerged on social media in the aftermath of the dramatic 1-1 draw showing a fan confronting Byrne and some of his Shamrock Rovers teammates on the away team’s bench.
The incident occurred during celebrations after Pat Hoban scored a controversial injury-time equaliser for Derry from the penalty spot.
Byrne is seen squirting water from a bottle in the direction of the fan, after the fan had leaned over a railing just a couple of feet from the dugout. The fan then returns to the dugout and leans towards the bench again as the camera moves away.
The 42 understands that this is when the alleged spitting incident took place, with sources confirming that a key part of PFA Ireland’s complaint centres on ensuring extra security around the dugout area.
In this case, the complaint was made after the PFA was contacted by the FAI.
Derry confirmed that “the club has been made aware of an alleged incident” and “we have been asked to look into that and are currently doing so”, while the FAI are also currently reviewing footage and the match reports.
The Candystripes are tenants in the Ryan McBride Brandywell with Derry City Council owning the venue.
Byrne was back in action for Rovers last night as they beat Bohemians 1-0 in a Dublin derby to close the gap on Derry in second spot to just one point. Both sides are locked in a three-way title challenge along with Shelbourne, who have a three-point lead at the top of the Premier Division heading into the last month of the season.
