Fans who ran on to pitch and started fighting face Bohs ban

Two men were arrested for public order offences during the derby game against Shamrock Rovers on Friday evening when fans ran on to the pitch and began fighting.

Violence

The garda Public Order Unit was forced to step in and deal with the violence, which erupted just after Rovers scored the fourth goal in their 4-0 defeat of Bohs.

As Gavin Brennan and his teammates celebrated, spectators said two Bohs fans ran on to the pitch and approached the away supporters in the Shed End.

This sparked a reaction from visiting fans and a brawl began.

Bohemians is now working with gardai to identify the perpetrators and ban them.

"The club are working with gardai and any of those who ran on to the pitch or started fighting will be banned," a Bohs spokesman said.

"The chief steward will, in the future, be given names and photographs of those that are banned and we will work with gardai to ensure they can't access matches.

"We've already been able to identify some of the worst offenders involved in the fighting."

The club expressed its disappointment at the behaviour of fans in a statement following the game, and said the two men arrested are likely to be handed warnings.

While Irish football has generally been free of scenes of hooliganism more common in other countries, Bohs versus Rovers encounters have been an exception.

It has become so predictable that before Friday's match, Insp Tony Gallagher of Mountjoy Garda Station said the same number of officers are on duty at that fixture, which attracts around 3,600 fans, as the All-Ireland final, which attracts 83,000.

Bohs and Rovers have had to pay thousands of euro each season for the extra policing costs.