Ireland vs England has always been an intense rivalry in football, largely due to the two nations' close proximity and complicated relationship throughout their history.
Those tensions have perhaps never been quite as intense as they were during the 1995 Lansdowne Road Riot, with terrible scenes resulting in the match being abandoned early in the first half.
But what exactly are the Lansdowne Road Riot? Read on as this article will explain everything you need to know.
What were the Lansdowne Road Riot?
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15th February 1995 a News thread. #LansdowneRiot pic.twitter.com/TmWTBi0R9O
— KM2 TV Archive (@KillianM2) February 14, 2024
The Lansdowne Road Riot were an appalling tragedy and one of the lowest points of the sport's long history. They occurred during a friendly match between the Republic of Ireland and England in 1995 – when tensions were extremely high between citizens of the two countries.
22 minutes into the match, David Kelly, an English-born player representing Ireland, scored to put the home side a goal up in the fixture. This led to an extremely violent reaction from the England fans, and when the Three Lions had a goal ruled out for offside just four minutes later, the situation escalated even further.
Debris, including metal pipes and parts of ripped-out seats, were thrown into the lower tiers of the stadium, resulting in the players, coaches and referees leaving the pitch before the game was abandoned altogether 12 minutes later.
Why did the Lansdowne Road Riot happen?
As is often the case with such events, the ‘why' is incredibly complex and is affected by many factors. The first, and perhaps most influential, was the ongoing conflict in Northern Ireland, which had carried over into England and the Republic of Ireland regarding the country's status as a member of the United Kingdom.
Whilst the political landscape of the time was undoubtedly the key factor in the riot occurring, it wasn't the only cause. It is widely reported that members of the neo-nazi group Combat 18 were present within the stadium, and it was those fans who were the first to instigate the violent scenes that eventually spiralled out of control.
Finally, the security details of the match have been heavily questioned ever since the riot, with several shortcomings in this area also contributing to the event. From an incredibly disorganised and slow reaction by the Irish Garda service to seating the England fans in the upper tier, a place from which they could hurl objects at the Irish supporters below, there were failings across the board from a security perspective.
Ultimately though, it was the English fans who were the culprits and it was another case of Three Lions supporters being involved in extreme football hooliganism.
Investigation into the Lansdowne Road Riot
After the Lansdowne Road Riot, an investigation into the event took place, which, while finding that England fans acted without provocation from the Irish supporters, also condemned the failings of the Irish Garda.
It was concluded that the Irish police service refused help from external security services in stewarding the match and also found that the Garda failed to act on reports that several Combat 18 members were travelling to the game.
What happened to Lansdowne Road after the riot?
🇮🇪 Lansdowne Road
The dearly beloved and sorely missed former home of Ireland's National Team 🫶
It opened in 1872, the brainchild of Henry Dunlop. It was demolished in 2007 🪦
What are your memories of Lansdowne Road? 👇 pic.twitter.com/vh4rhR2aVc
— Forgotten Football Clubs (@_forgottenfooty) November 7, 2023
The stadium was never quite the same again and after the riot, its legacy and reputation were forever tarnished, albeit through no fault of its own.
Ireland and England would not meet again on the pitch until 2013, a game contested at Wembley Stadium, by which point Lansdowne Road had already been demolished in 2007 and replaced by Aviva Stadium.