' THAT NIGHT ENGLAND FANS WERE EMBARRASSING "

This Sunday marks the 20th anniversary of the Lansdowne Road riots. Ireland's largest selling newspaper, The Independent, have a feature on Annis Abraham.

The Independent

Friday 13th 2015

Video : http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/ ... 89592.html

"Embarrassing" says Abraham, reflecting on events from that night when England fans brought shame on their country.


Annis Abraham has been to 351 football grounds throughout the world and as a former member of Cardiff City's infamous firm - the Soul Crew - he has seen enough action off the pitch to publish seven books about his days of fighting football firms throughout England, Wales and the rest of Europe.http://www.annisabraham.co.uk/books/buy-books/



" I deplored it, totally against it. It was against the tradition of a casual. Football tops should never get touched, people with scarves should never get touched, people who aren’t looking for it shouldn’t get touched."


http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/ ... 89592.html


" The hospitality we received in Ireland from the very start was second to none. I have to say that. The hospitality by the Irish people was second to none. "



“The night before, there was Birmingham fighting clubs, there was Shrewbury and Oxford like I said. There were teams out looking for each other, they were never going to pick on the Irish. No intention. It was never about going to Ireland and teach them a lesson, never, no interest. Because the top dogs weren’t there, the West Hams, the Millwalls, the Chelseas, all the smaller clubs wanted to make a name for themselves.

“The night before was actually quite nasty on the streets. Some clubs were out for us because we were Cardiff but some clubs welcomed us as well."


http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/ ... 89592.html

Now the proud father of three girls, his hooligan days are well and truly in the past and admits the actions of the English that night may have left ever-lasting scars for some Ireland fans.

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Interesting.

You could pick hundreds of nights that this headline could refer to.

They've embarrassed themselves plenty of times but they don't embarrass me as I'm a Welshman and support wales, which is the category most City fans fall into IMO

What actually happened? Never heard of this?

What actually happened? Never heard of this?

I was in Dublin that night.

The Rep of Ireland had risen up the rankings thanks to the management of Jackie Charlton. Before then the thought of England playing a friendly in Dublin was laughable. However due to Eire rise it was considered a great opportunity to build bridges between the two footballing countries just like the rugby lot had been doing for the last couple of decades. Well this game prevented any brick being laid for future relationships.

I was in O'Connor Street in one of the High Street pubs watching the game. Ireland scored after 20 minutes and the pub was in jubilation as you can imagine. Within minutes the place was like a library as we watched the violence happen on the screen. Pictures of seats being thrown from the England fans up in the stands to the Irish supporters below was unbelievable. I thought any English fan in Dublin tonight was not going to be safe. How wrong I was.

It must have been a few hours after the game was stopped I walked back to my hotel when I saw an English fan lying in a doorway out of his head, obviously too drunk to stand. Next thing there were 2 Irishmen lifting him up, calling for a taxi and making sure he was on his way back to were he was staying. I've been to Ireland a lot by then and I should have known better about the Irish welcome people receive when they visit.

Indeed English fans embarrassed their nation that night.

They've embarrassed themselves plenty of times but they don't embarrass me as I'm a Welshman and support wales, which is the category most City fans fall into IMO

I must know you as we prob must bump in to each other at all the Wales away games?

They've embarrassed themselves plenty of times but they don't embarrass me as I'm a Welshman and support wales, which is the category most City fans fall into IMO

I must know you as we prob must bump in to each other at all the Wales away games?

Never felt any affinity for the English football team and in fact been brought up viewing them as wales main rivals in all sports tbh. Nothing wrong with a bit of sporting rivalry after all.

Don't go to all Wales always or even all Wales homes and don't think we've met neither mate, but being welsh I'm a fan nonetheless ..cheers

Friendly June 7th - should be interesting

Within the last six years Russia German and Croatia fans have had a pop ant England including scarfers and shirters. Annis posts this should never happen - it does and countries like these live in dark ages

You can't always blame England

Friendly June 7th - should be interesting

Within the last six years Russia German and Croatia fans have had a pop ant England including scarfers and shirters. Annis posts this should never happen - it does and countries like these live in dark ages

You can't always blame England

Dobbin, Ive heard and I have been told many England fans nowadays get picked on by foreign Countries. I dont agree with anybody being attacked if they dont want trouble.

Friendly June 7th - should be interesting

Within the last six years Russia German and Croatia fans have had a pop ant England including scarfers and shirters. Annis posts this should never happen - it does and countries like these live in dark ages

You can't always blame England

Dobbin, Ive heard and I have been told many England fans nowadays get picked on by foreign Countries. I dont agree with anybody being attacked if they dont want trouble.

Its all down to the reputation in the past and the other countries still living in the past.

Mind you I thought better of the Germans. It was mental we were on a train and the first stop going towards the stadium when the doors opened there were german lads there with baseball bats, gum shields and gloves with metal protectors over there fingers. a pre planned attack.

The train was full of commuters, England fans and woman and children.

They came on just smashing and swinging at anyone and everything. A couple of us ook a few swipes to the body and head just protecting some german and england woman and children. Eventually after five or so minutes they were forced back up the station !

Russia was worse

More recently at England games it England on England club stuff

Friendly June 7th - should be interesting

Within the last six years Russia German and Croatia fans have had a pop ant England including scarfers and shirters. Annis posts this should never happen - it does and countries like these live in dark ages

You can't always blame England

Dobbin, Ive heard and I have been told many England fans nowadays get picked on by foreign Countries. I dont agree with anybody being attacked if they dont want trouble.

Its all down to the reputation in the past and the other countries still living in the past.

Mind you I thought better of the Germans. It was mental we were on a train and the first stop going towards the stadium when the doors opened there were german lads there with baseball bats, gum shields and gloves with metal protectors over there fingers. a pre planned attack.

The train was full of commuters, England fans and woman and children.

They came on just smashing and swinging at anyone and everything. A couple of us ook a few swipes to the body and head just protecting some german and england woman and children. Eventually after five or so minutes they were forced back up the station !

Russia was worse

More recently at England games it England on England club stuff

Dobbins,
I am shocked at the Germans, I thought more of them. Expected of the Russians and Croatians.

Didn't a German fan come to watch Cardiff years ago ?

Didn't a German fan come to watch Cardiff years ago ?

Yes he did, Ronald from FC Cologne.

Didn't a German fan come to watch Cardiff years ago ?

Yes he did, Ronald from FC Cologne.

That's him

Didn't a German fan come to watch Cardiff years ago ?

Yes he did, Ronald from FC Cologne.

That's him

We were all friends with him, till he started watching the Jacks as well

Didn't a German fan come to watch Cardiff years ago ?

Yes he did, Ronald from FC Cologne.

That's him

We were all friends with him, till he started watching the Jacks as well

I'm sure there was a story going around that Ronald took a good hiding in Cardiff when Wales v Germany ?

Didn't a German fan come to watch Cardiff years ago ?

Yes he did, Ronald from FC Cologne.

That's him

We were all friends with him, till he started watching the Jacks as well

I'm sure there was a story going around that Ronald took a good hiding in Cardiff when Wales v Germany ?

Not sure on that one?

I remember seeing that German bloke Ronald with Millwall outside the city arms the day they played man utd in the fa cup final at the millennium stadium.

What actually happened? Never heard of this?

I was in Dublin that night.

The Rep of Ireland had risen up the rankings thanks to the management of Jackie Charlton. Before then the thought of England playing a friendly in Dublin was laughable. However due to Eire rise it was considered a great opportunity to build bridges between the two footballing countries just like the rugby lot had been doing for the last couple of decades. Well this game prevented any brick being laid for future relationships.

I was in O'Connor Street in one of the High Street pubs watching the game. Ireland scored after 20 minutes and the pub was in jubilation as you can imagine. Within minutes the place was like a library as we watched the violence happen on the screen. Pictures of seats being thrown from the England fans up in the stands to the Irish supporters below was unbelievable. I thought any English fan in Dublin tonight was not going to be safe. How wrong I was.

It must have been a few hours after the game was stopped I walked back to my hotel when I saw an English fan lying in a doorway out of his head, obviously too drunk to stand. Next thing there were 2 Irishmen lifting him up, calling for a taxi and making sure he was on his way back to were he was staying. I've been to Ireland a lot by then and I should have known better about the Irish welcome people receive when they visit.

Indeed English fans embarrassed their nation that night.

I was working on a huge site in london then Ian and working on the job was a guy called charlie seargant who was the strong arm of combat 18.
they had been planning the trip for weeks and told everyone on the site that they had every intention of getting the game stopped.
the combat 18 members out of millwall west ham and chelsea called a truce amongst themselves purely for that trip.
they were all pleased with themselves when they came back to work a few days later

Remember watching that documentary on world in action when I was a kid ,Charlie Sargent was on there and loads of the Chelsea lot.