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LAST UPDATE | 13 Apr 2019
CORK CITY FC has said there was “no breach of stadium regulations” after it reviewed CCTV footage of an incident which involved the seizure of an anti-John Delaney banner and the removal of a TD from a match in Turner’s Cross stadium last night.
Earlier today, Sinn Féin TD Jonathan O’Brien accused the gardaí of an “over-the-top” reaction to protesters who were holding a “Delaney Out” banner at a League of Ireland match between Cork City and St Patrick’s Athletic.
The Cork North Central TD was attending when he intervened in the incident.
Videos and eye-witness accounts indicate that protesters refused to hand the banner to stadium security personnel. When the situation escalated, O’Brien intervened. Gardaí then asked the TD to leave the football ground.
He was later allowed back into the grounds, Sinn Féin said in a statement.
O’Brien said that it was “an absurd situation that sees public order police attempt to take a banner from football fans, simply because it criticises the former CEO of the FAI”.
This evening’s tactics from the Gardaí were way over the top. Fans have to be allowed to express their opinion.
“I was ejected from the ground simply for intervening as an elected representative of many Cork City fans,” he added.
In an initial statement to TheJournal.ie, An Garda Síochána said that its members intervened “following a complaint of a minor assault” at the stadium. This was later updated to the following:
Following a minor incident where a flag was seized by staff at Turner’s Cross football stadium last evening, Gardaí on duty at the stadium assisted security staff in escorting a man out of the grounds. Following discussions with the man he was readmitted to the ground.
“No arrests were made and the situation was resolved. No injuries were reported,” they added.
Cork City FC released an updated statement this afternoon in which it says the club has since reviewed CCTV of the incident and spoken to all parties involved in the matter.
“At lunchtime, members of club staff and the Board of Management met with Mr Jonathan O’Brien TD, who was, for a short time, removed from the stadium last night.
Having spoken to Mr O’Brien and reviewed the CCTV footage, the club wishes to confirm that there was no breach of stadium regulations by him. This was a frank and positive discussion, and both parties are happy that the matter is now concluded to their mutual satisfaction.
The statement concluded that following its meeting with O’Brien, the club now plans to have further discussions with all key stakeholders involved in advance of its next home fixture “with the intention of ensuring the best match night experience possible for our supporters”.
John Delaney is the former CEO and current Executive Vice President of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). On Wednesday, he and other representatives of the association voluntarily appeared before the Oireachtas Sports Committee to answer questions about the suspended Sports Ireland funding due to financing and governance issues.
Delaney is now expected to leave the FAI, with an announcement confirming so being made as early as tonight.
With reporting from Adam Daly
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What’s wrong with having a sign saying Delaney out, they are not causing trouble or doing anything wrong ,are the fai and Delaney so bad that people cant protest against them
@Warren Mcdermott: Danish and Sebian security staff did similar in the past.of course John the Baptist knew nothing about it.
He must have something on the journal as well…. My last comment was deleted. Why is every one so afraid of this guy?
@Humphrey Harold Haddington:
Dear H H H , I have a feeling that your post was not nice or fair. You sound like one of the social media hit squads the world is talking about !!!
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: short and curlies?
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: I’ve heard stories about this monster. He is not a good man and those that support him will be ashamed when it comes to light
@Warren Mcdermott: simple answer……YES.
I wasn’t far from that stand at last night game and would have just been better for everyone if the lads were allowed unfurl and banner and probably put it away again a few mins after. Absolutely no trouble until the Gardai got involved, that actually resulted in all the pushing and dragging
@Zossima:
Apologies about spelling , walking and typing
@Zossima: I dropped my son and his friend to that game last night and picked them up afterwards, they are aged 14. When I heard about this I was furious. The security and Gardai should be ashamed looking at the footage online (if they have footage showing otherwise…like to see it). Will never bring my kids alone there again and may boycott FC until security is real security and not thugs
@Dan: AGS don’t have personal videos because shin Finn have complained thay it would impinge their human rights if far do could film what actually happened. They have blocked any requests for this technology
@peter crew: would like to see the report or link that says that. Just so that I know its correct and not say so
@peter crew: what’s that got to do with anything
The Gardai beginning to look like a private security firm protecting the corrupt in this country instead of upholding the law.
@Centerro: well said
@Centerro: I don’t often agree with Sinn Féin but there TD is totally right in this case. Displaying a banner is a legitimate form of protest; it is not like they were rioting or anything. What did the security guards / Gardaí think was going to happen? A retaliatory attack by irate Delaney supporters? I don’t think the latter even exist (except maybe for another TD in Kerry).
@Centerro: ask the people from Mayo where the pipe came ashore. Cops acted for Shell allegedly
@Centerro: my understanding was that these free state mercenaries were always the private security firm of the corrupt and powerful.
@Centerro: not looking like, they are. Rent a cop
If it was michael Martin or Simon Coveney they wouldn’t dare throw him out.
@Bungee Aky: what makes you think they would have got involved. It was none of O’Brien’s business and no one invited him to get involved.
When he was part of the City board why didn’t he try to get the Munster FA to change the name of that stand. He should remember Meriongate and Joe Delaney’s major involvement in it.
@Fergal O’Leary: and they wouldn’t attend a cork city match either.
@Bungee Aky: Martin would, he’s a turners cross boy.
@Bungee Aky: I see my comment was deleted. Political commentary isn’t allowed on sports sites I suppose.
@John Buckley: None of O’Briens business?, He’s a former chairman of the club and has been involved behind the scenes for years. It’s 100% his business.
@Bungee Aky: you’d never see Coveney outside his den unless it was financially profitable for him.
@Cormac Ó Braonáin: the word from cork is that Coveney is under big pressure to keep his seat in the next GE, he has been hidden away and there are a lot of issues not getting any attention in his area
@James O’Donovan: Why does that give him a right to get involved. It was an altercation between a protesting group of fans and stewards & Gardai. It had nothing to do with him so is none of his business. All he say was the opportunity for political points. He has done absolutely nothing to get rid of the FAI board or get the Munster FA to change the name of that stand.
@John Buckley: so your complaining he got involved in the protest and your complaining he was involved in the protest. Nice.
@John Buckley: Because he was part of that group. No political point scoring involved. He’s one of those people who does things rather than complains about it on forums. How do you know what he’s said or done regarding the name of the stand.? Were you present at MFA meetings or have access to communications that aren’t in the public domain?
@Bungee Aky: if you actually looked up articles on the subject you would see that he was not part of the protest. So where am I complaining about him being involved in the protest when he certainly was not part of it. I am criticising him for getting involved in an altercation that had nothing to do with him. It is obvious he saw the free press and scoring political point.
@James O’Donovan: no he was not part of the group – try reading more thorough articles on the subject. I an a city fan and know plenty of members of Foras. He has never said anything to them about the name of the stand. If he tried to get the name changed, he has a responsibility to tell the clubs owners.
@Fergal O’Leary:
Why would you post a political commentary on a sports site ///
1. Was the game good ??
2. Who was the MOTM ??
3. Did your team win ??
Those are the questions for a sports site …………
@John Buckley: And I’m a City fan and a Foras member and I can te you’re talking absolute ****
@James O’Donovan: if you were you would know he was not part of the protest. Stop spreading fake news.
@Bungee Aky: wouldn’t surprise. He was the 4th and last to get elected here…and now he is the 2nd most powerful man in the country.
This is not a first . Fans who have displayed the same banner at Ireland games have been removed or even banned form entering the stadium . It’s a ridiculous situation that one person has this much control and influence .
@Darren moore: you have control. don’t go to the games.
@Renton Burke: So the clubs suffer damage to their already shoe string budgets?
Sinn Fein at it again knocking the Guards and trying to gain political points. I go to matches to enjoy the game and I don’t want to be disrupted by protesters. There is a place for everything.
@Tim Oleary: dead right Tim, a football match is no place to be protesting something football related. You shouldn’t have to sit at the other side of the stadium and ignore what’s going on just in case it affects your delicate sensibilities. People should keep their protesting to their downstairs toilet.
@Bungee Aky:
Might be an idea if the club offers people buckets of sand they can put their heads in should some god awful protest kick off
@Zossima: what about those standing behind the protesters who just wanted to watch the match and couldn’t because someone had just unfurled a big banner in front of them?
@Vocal Outrage: research a bit will ya. Everyone in that part of the stand boycotted the Delaney stand and we’re protesting there. I’m sure the we’re aware of the big banner coming as they part of the group..
@Tim Oleary: move along Tim
@Vocal Outrage: thank god it was only a banner they unfurled
@Yorkie1892: were you there?
@Vocal Outrage: no I wasn’t. But if you follow certain loi social media platforms it will back me up.
@Yorkie1892: you sound backed up already
@Yorkie1892: I was
@Tim Oleary: The same guards who falsified a million breathalyser tests? The same same guards who stood by and watched an elderly couple beaten by loyalist thugs? The same guards who accused an innocent man of being a pedophile? I could go on. Screw the guards. Nothing but lazy wasters.
@Tim Oleary: he was superb on the committee the other day, asking the question why the 100,000 loan wasn’t presented on the monthly accounts (as usual the dopes on the board couldn’t give him an answer). Not a Sinn Fein voter by any stretch but he’s one of the good TDs. Football without fans is nothing and I don’t think there’s a football fan in the country who doesn’t want the FAI overhauled.
@SidNolan: no, different gardai but members of the same organisation. There are bad gardai out there, you’ve mentioned a few but the vast majority do a very difficult job very well.
@Tim Oleary: people like you are tampons for the corrupt.
Keeping everything in and pretending everything is rosy.
@Thomas Bohan:
“” @Tim Oleary: move along Tim”"
You used to say that when you lot had a an army behind you. Tim has a very good point !!
So Move Along Tommy boy…………….
@Tim Oleary: Ah bless.
@SidNolan: Hardly all the same ones, most likely all different ones
We can only hope that his ex wife fleeces him. That would be Karma.
@Jonny: I wouldn’t be so pessimistic, but there really needs to be questions asked when Gardai are being asked to intervene in event security. I’m guessing the guards are there to maintain public order, and when they get involved with this they need to be impartial. they should release a statement, but these are private paid functions where they can enforce any rules they want. as always, the only way to protest is not support and buy tickets for clubs that support Delaney. they are not *your* clubs, they are theirs.
@Renton Burke: if a guard directs you to hand something over and you refuse you can be done for not following directions of an officer of the peace. Do as you are told and there is no pushing or fighting.
@peter crew: What law was broken?
Meanwhile, the sick, weak and the elderly are on trollies all over the country.
@George McCarthy: They are. And we show just as much outrage about that on the threads about it.
@George McCarthy:
And if you had the power, you would clear all the problems !! If you gave Half of the money you lot smuggle across the border it would help a lot but you would have a lot less in your pocket and less arms ??
@Martin Quinn: jasus , you seem to have a lot of Intel on people posting here
Just another chapter in the omnishambles that is Cork sports this decade. Where to start with the GAA? Munster Rugby becoming a Limerick team and now this from Cork City. It’s a pity since City have been the one shinning light but between bottling the Caulfield decision in the off season and now this they seem to be following suit
@Graham Sullivan: go back to bed boy will ya
@Graham Sullivan: is limerick not in Munster? That’s the problem with cork they reckon they are entitled to be centre of the universe
@Graham Sullivan: you left Keano out as well
Same story in the Aviva. Intimidation by staff escalating a legitimate protest results in an excuse for the guards to get involved in something that has nothing to do with them. Sooner or later somebody will remind the guards and the security goons at these games that we live in a free country and we have the right to express our opinions as football fans. It’s just as well delaney is going because with the default behaviour of so called security in the singing section sonner or later there was going to be a confrontation. Clear out the board and lets begin again with people like Brian Kerr and Niall Quinn.
Everyone queing up to score political points off the John Delaney debacle. They were happy enough to text him for tickets not so long ago.
Were the Guards being supervised. We know what happens when they are not.
All clubs are duty bound to keep the peace within the grounds. The inside of a club grounds is no place for a protest, any kind of protest, take it out to the public street and they can protest to their hearts content!
@Paul: there is nothing unpeacefull about a protest.
@Bungee Aky: that’s my point lol
Until these eejits stop pretending that they’re protesting and actually hit the FAI where it hurts, nothing will change.
Stop the silly banners and tennis balls and stay away until they change they want happens
@Paul Lanigan: absolutely agree hit them where it is going to hurt. I reckon the €100.000 is only tip of the iceberg.
@Paul Lanigan: Stay away from their local club? Do you think the FAI would give a shit?
This highlights a lot of what is wrong in this country.
Why did he get involved in the first place publicity machine is going rapid
I wouldn’t mind but the old shinners hate publicity ahhhhh
I saw then try to take RED AND WHITE Palestinian flags from Tyrone supporters and made a no situation into a dangerous situation for a lot of people
DELANEY OUT AND THE BOARD
Anyone remember the days when soccer was the “Garrison game” and so un Sinn Fein? All depends on how the wind is blowing I suppose.
Why was my comment deleted ?
Was at a match before at the cross were the national flag was removed at the behest of Portadown supporters. Ask the cops at Portadown to take down the union Jack and you would get hammered.
Disgraceful
Are we about to see the demise of another soccer club in Cork.
Gardai & fans of shite boring game discommoded by equally idle people unfurling a tricolour with crayola writing on it….Sinn Fein obviously don’t recognise the laws regarding defacing the tri-colour
@Colm Moylette: you sir are not a football fan .. so it’s unlikely that your opinion is burdened by actual knowledge of the game and thereby irrelevant
Hey Jonathan, welcome to the club. Any sign of Fitxy?
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