IRELAND SUPPORTERS’ GROUP YBIG are unhappy with how fans staging a protest against the FAI were treated at last night’s international friendly.
The peaceful demonstration was arranged to take place in South Stand of the Aviva Stadium during the 12th minute of Ireland’s meeting with the US when supporters expressed their frustration towards the association’s chief executive John Delaney.
YBIG’s discontent stems from Delaney’s handling of the distribution of tickets for last week’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland, with many regular travelling supporters unable to buy tickets for the away section.
A number of banners were removed by stadium personnel during the protest last night and YBIG have released the following statement:
Republic of Ireland fans have been left shocked and angered by the heavy handed treatment of stadium personnel at last night’s game. This included the removal of banners as well the intimidation and manhandling of supporters resulting a completely unnecessary escalation of tension.
A number of supporters had organised a protest at the game in the light of recent ticketing issues, which had brought many of the long running frustrations with the FAI to the surface once again.
YBIG, as a online community, did not take a stated position on a protest. We are aware of other fans who boycotted the game, and several hundred supporters have threatened not to renew season tickets until the FAI engage in a process of real change.
Supporters were stunned to be welcomed upon arrival at the game by such a heavy security presence in the South Stand Lower. This included a number of uniformed members of An Garda Síochána. It must be noted that the section had never been involved in any behaviour that attracted Garda presence in the past. This level of security was specifically targeted at this section, and was not replicated around the ground.
The FAI confiscated banners before and during the game, despite these being fully compliant with all ground rules and regulations. In addition, in an attempt to remove banners being displayed in Section 114, stewards manhandled supporters. In no way do banners such as “#supportdoesntwork” and “Fans After Income” create any risk to crowd safety.
Supporters presented copies of the ground regulations to stadium personnel and asked for clarification on which regulations were being breached. The response was either silence or tearing up of the regulations in the faces of supporters. Supporters are currently collecting video and photographic evidence of these events and are considering formal complaints over the behaviour of stadium personnel and Gardai in this matter.
It was interesting to note that the CEO felt able to mention the ticketing fiasco in passing in his programme notes last night, but has yet to respond to the ten questions posed to him. What have the FAI got to hide, and why did they feel the need to spectacularly over react to a peaceful and good natured protest?
Supporters have posed specific and reasonable questions for the Chief Executive to answer. The response? Silence and an attempt to crush any public form of protest. This is not the first time that the FAI have attempted to stop fans protesting at games, either at League of Ireland level or international games.”
A Garda spokesperson told The Score that no arrests were made at the stadium last night but that two men were removed as a result of drunk and disorderly behaviour contrary to the Public Order acts in a separate incident. The FAI were unavailable to comment.
This video has also been released (warning, strong language):
Are people ever going to wake up to John Delaney? 360k a year? Jesus Christ. He can’t stand our own LOI yet it’s alright because he buys the lads a few pints when he’s away at International games. Time to wake up.
Everyone’s awake Simon but there’s nothing that can be done. He’s not going to resign and nobody is going to sack him, even if they do they’ll have to pay him a fortune but ultimately it may allow them to get someone more competent into the role and someone that cares about the domestic league but I get the feeling that nobody in the Government or FAI could give a toss about the domestic league anyway so they probably feel he’s doing an incredible job.
That’s it in a nutshell, Ted. He’s surrounded himself with cronies and clingers on that wouldn’t make a move against him in a million years and does anyone seriously think he’s going to resign from such a cushy number just because a few people (in his mind) aren’t fans of him? The whole thing is a farce but there’s more or less nothing we can do about it.
Gross public embarrassment with international coverage displaying the intellectual depth of these football warriors. For a moment I was transported to the worst football grounds of England.
Well done guys you did us proud!
Do you know anything about John Delaney, Hugh? These people have parted with their hard-earned money to attend Ireland games and have a right to express their disgruntlement at the way the FAI has been run. I can’t see a thing wrong with what they’re doing; Delaney should go, he’s a joke.
the FAI are an embarrasment. They are ruining football in this country. There was a time when I used to attend 90% of Irish home games and some away games but I havent gone to a match in over 7 years.
i cant for the life of me understand how the salary is as high as it is considering we are a relatively poor (both financially and in terms of quality) footballing nation.
ive no idea about this protest yesterday in the stands but cannot understand why they were treated the way they say they were.
it pains me to say this as i love football, but it might be time for a boycott of 1 or more future international matches.
Spot on, Miguel. To put things in context, this Delaney character presided over the Staunton and Trappatoni eras and refers to the League of Ireland as “a problem child”, essentially admitting that he has neither the drive, skill nor inclination to do a thing about the problems facing the League. He is paid obscenely well, often outstripping the team that wins the League by up to three times. You’d have to wonder, what exactly would this chancer have to do to lose his job? I mean I’ve associated John Delaney with the FAI since I was in primary school, near 20 years ago. The only way we’ll get rid of the parasite if through boycotting the games. I’m looking forward to trying to attend the Ireland v Poland game in the summer but I’m loath to give this clown and his joke of an organisation my money.
Delaney needs to be evicted from this land of ours.
A lot in common with Enda. Incompetent, overpaid fool who got his Dad’s job and is oblivious to the fact that the majority of the population despise him.
I’m sure Denis O’Brien would be happy to give him a job given how highly he speaks of him
Er doesn’t Dinny O’Brien already give him a job considering how much he subsidises the FAI. Combined with fawning features from Communicorp’s Minister Of Prodaganda, Brendan O’Connor you can be sure delaneys going nowhere
The Garda, Between supervising water protest taking banners away from supporters , following the ministers around , the criminals must be having a field day what a country
I couldn’t believe the amount of cops around Lansdowne rd last I thought Obama and Lizzie were in town again ,there is hardly ever any trouble at an Irl match so no need for a quarter of them ,I agree with everything said about that clown Delaney at one stage he was better paid than the fa chief executives in Spain,France and England ,meanwhile the domestic league is in financial meltdown tks to this incompetent idiot.
Who pays this clown? Who drew up this contract? I don’t blame that eejit accepting those wages. But who is actually offering them? 360,000 to some clown who can’t organize a correct ticketing policy for the most loyal fans. This annoys me alot more than water charges being honest. 360,000 ???? An insult to every working man and woman of this country.
Honestly you would say something if this country was producing players. It is probably in its worst period of homegrown players coming through. The infrastructure from what I have seen at junior level etc is still as crap as it used to be. The Aviva is half empty most of the time. Delaney keeps quoting that he was offered more wages elsewhere. He would say that? Prove it? No other organization could be as stupid as the FAI. Bottom line, this clown is on a bigger salary than the combined salary’s of the Italian and Spanish FA.
Irish Water is the only possibility I can think of.
50 Glasgow tickets to Mullingar ..no wonder Der Fuhrur isn’t responding .Bad enough he’s pissed all over Irish fans ,and further belittled the LOI but he’s now stupidly destroying any relationship with the SFA ,he won’t respond because he can’t stand over the numbers.Only way to hurt JD is in the pocket ,its the only way to get rid of him and the rest of his gang of overpaid suits..No more Season ticket for me, I refuse to renew ,and im not going to purchase any new products ..enough is enough ,time for real change all through irish football ,and it needs to start with him going
its time to start protesting john delaney at every event he’s at,
I was there last night in 114 and the bald guy that was ejected in the he video was causing an argument with another supporter, not because of the banners. The other one I did not see. The banners were unfurled multiple times but the stewards gave up after a few attempts in the first half. The tall steward shown in the video seemed to be the worst offender but there was defiantly a heavy security presence in the south stand last night throughout the game. In fairness the apart a few people being mouthy and shouting some abuse at the tall steward, the fans were fairly ok. They were chanting and unfurling anti-FAI banners, thats it.
Police state we are now living in, illegal to protest anything these days
Probably thought they were water protesters…
Fair play to the Irish supporters who have to scrounge and put their money where their mouths are to get tickets while the apallingly overpaid bufoon John Delaney sits in an Ivory tower.He makes the FAI the laughting stock it is
Protests for everything these days…….
Ah lads… cop on! You want to make a point? Turning up at friendlies doesn’t do it. Just pays Delaneys salary. BOYCOTT all friendlies. Then you will have made your point.
Just as corrupt as UEFA. Just like the political class
The apple never falls far from the tree…………remember Italia 90.
We should all boycott & protest about the IRISH national team flooded with staff & players from NI, Scotland & England. It’s beyond a farce.
Yeah sure mate we’ll meet you there
Score staff surely you block people with fake accounts like this nauseating teenager above ?
That’s Darren
Was at the game last night, have been at most home games this year but couldn’t afford the away game last Friday. I understand the issue with last Friday, real fans not getting tickets but I will continue to keep attending as many games as I can afford as it’s the team I support. They have given me so many great days and nights. I see last night that England Scotland and Poland games €120 which is brilliant value
Pack of baby’s throwing their toys out of the pram when they did not get tickets. Why did nt they just get tickets for the Scottish home section like the rest of us loyal supporters had to do. People were going to be disappointed with10,000 applicants for just over 3,000 tickets and plenty of us are not members of ybig.
Any chance they apologise to john o Shea in regard to what they called him from the south stand
Set of tools pretending to support Ireland
John Delaney… FAI’s answer to RTE’S MARTY MORRISSEY.When i saw him on the Brendan O Connor show dressed like Brendan Boyer and Martys hair plus his ” New Girlfriend” i nearly got sick..as they say in Cork…A Langer..
Unless you pay your hard earned money to follow this team around like ybig do then your not justified to comment on what they chant…a w*nker is an understatement for what he is!!!the man is a crook and a slimeball and his fathers son….his cronies will never get rid of him….
Someone should just unleash a rabid tapir on him.
Support the league but boycott all games in Lansdowne Road
If these were the vulgar chants of the “most loyal supporter” it is just as well they did not attend Ireland-Scotland. Quite disgusting exhibition of bad language!
Yeah so what’s new
Maybe it was thought they were protesting against the water charges.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=840947009270130
https://www.facebook.com/louise.callo/posts/10152871869334162
40 years going to games so I know all about getting tickets for games.Once the team starts doing well fans come out of the woodwork.We all know what the F.A.I. are like but stage a protest come on what a farce.Calling Delaney a wa–e-r for most of the game what a joke.I am a season ticket holder and all I SEEN WAS KIDS LOOKING FOR A ROW.I had to actually leave the section because the game was disrupted for me.Support your team regardless remember that CYBIG.