A Look Back At The Fan Violence In The Infamous Lansdowne Riot During A Friendly Between Ireland and England In 1995

On February 15, 1995, a friendly football match between Ireland and England at Lansdowne Road descended into a riot, becoming one of the darkest days in Irish football.

The fixture, already charged with political and sporting tensions, was marred by widespread fan violence that left a lasting stain on the game.

Let’s rewind to 1995 and take a look back at the infamous friendly match between Ireland and England at Lansdowne Road.

Ireland vs England: A Fiery Rivalry Ignites

In 1995, the Irish football team were at an all-time high, having qualified for back-to-back World Cups under manager Jack Charlton.

It was one of the few times in history that Ireland could arguably claim to be better at football than England.

Add to this the already difficult relationship between the two countries and the fact that 1995 was still during the Troubles, and you have a recipe for a fairly fiery fixture.

4,000 England fans made the trip to Dublin for the fixture, and even before the match, they could be heard singing anti-Republican songs in pubs around the Irish capital.

Clashes between Irish and English fans erupted in the streets too, foreshadowing the trouble to come.

Prior to the match, the English FA had sent warnings and lists of potential troublemakers to the FAI. According to FAI Chief Executive Bernard O’Byrne, the association had conducted three to four times the amount of meetings, preparations, and rehearsals than they would’ve for any other match.

Still, both organisations were later accused of failing to prepare properly for trouble.

Chaos Erupts: Seats Fly, Violence Engulfs the Stadium

Before kickoff, then-Irish president Mary Robinson was booed as she came onto the pitch – a sign of the trouble to come.

The game started off strong with both sides battling back and forth before, in the 22nd minute, David Kelly would find the back of the net for Ireland.

Trouble started to kick off in the west stand housing the English fans, but it truly let loose in the 27th minute, when a David Platt equaliser was chalked off for offside.

English fans had begun to rip up seats from the stand—which at the time were largely still wooden—and throw them onto the Irish fans below.

Why the Irish fans were allowed to be seated right below the English fans would later become a key point in the investigation.

The referee stopped the game at this point and led both teams off the pitch.

As the situation escalated and injuries mounted, Irish fans began to flood onto the pitch, away from the growing violence.

Amidst the chaos, English fans could be heard continuing to chant, while a small group of individuals were seen making Nazi salutes and directing “Judas” chants towards Jack Charlton, who had returned to the pitch in an attempt to quell the violence.

It was also later discovered that some Irish fans had inadvertently purchased tickets to the English section, placing them amidst the English supporters.

After 12 minutes, the match was abandoned. Irish fans began to be removed from the ground, while English fans were restrained by the Garda Public Order Unit. Despite the police presence, clashes between English fans and the gardaí continued to break out.

Lansdowne Riot: The Aftermath

The immediate reaction to the match was met with condemnation by both the English and Irish. Both Charlton and Terry Venables, the then-England manager, were shaken by the scenes in the stands.

The riot sparked widespread concerns about England’s readiness and suitability to host the upcoming EURO 1996 tournament.

The investigation afterwards had found that the gardaí had been slow to react to warnings of trouble, and the FAI were also questioned over fan positioning and ticket sales.

Investigations revealed that much of the violence had been instigated by a prominent Neo-Nazi terrorist group, Combat 18.

The Lansdowne Riot remains to this day one of the lowest points for Irish, and indeed English, football. The events of that day had a profound impact on both nations, leaving a legacy of shame and prompting urgent questions about the future of football safety.