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Officers injured in fan trouble Calm appeal following fan trouble
(about 2 hours later)
Police officers were injured in disturbances surrounding Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifier against Poland in Belfast. Police and politicians have appealed for calm over trouble between rival fans after Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifier against Poland in Belfast.
Up to 60 NI fans clashed with police at the bottom of Tates Avenue, outside Windsor Park after Saturday's game, with fireworks being thrown. The violence, before and after the match, saw 11 officers injured. Police blamed a hard-core of ticketless Polish fans "intent on trouble".
Nine people, the majority Polish, were earlier arrested after trouble at a city pub. Five have been released. They said later attacks on homes were being treated as "racially motivated".
Police blamed a hard core of ticketless Polish fans who were intent on trouble. Assembly member Jimmy Spratt said reports of "up to 12 houses" being targeted were "very disturbing".
"It is important that those responsible for this unacceptable behaviour, the injury of police officers and the wanton destruction of property should be brought to justice at the earliest opportunity," Superintendent Chris Noble said. "Police have confirmed to me that Poles involved in earlier trouble are not resident in Northern Ireland and as such these attacks on the homes of foreign nationals in the Donegall Road area are totally illogical," the South Belfast DUP MLA said.
"My team will be collating and analysing CCTV footage to identify the perpetrators and bring them before the courts. "Such attacks can never be justified, they are to be utterly condemned and I would appeal for calm."
"My officers came under attack from bottles, bricks, fireworks and other missiles. At this stage we have reports of 11 officers injured. A number of fans both Northern Ireland and Polish supporters also received a number of injuries some of these required hospital treatment." Nine people, the majority Polish, were arrested after trouble at a city pub before the match. Five have been released.
Superintendent Noble said a number of homes had been attacked and these were "being treated as racially motivated incidents". Police in riot gear were pelted with fireworks and bottles at the bottom of Tate's Avenue outside Windsor Park.
He also condemned the behaviour of "so-called supporters of football who have destroyed what should have been an enjoyable evening for all supporters and have tarnished the reputation of genuine law abiding football supporters". The Polish fans were kept inside the ground for nearly an hour after the match, which kicked-off at 1715 GMT.
Clashes broke out between fans along the route to the match
Superintendent Chris Noble said officers would be examining CCTV footage to identify those involved in the trouble.
"My officers came under attack from bottles, bricks, fireworks and other missiles," he said.
"At this stage we have reports of 11 officers injured. A number of fans both Northern Ireland and Polish supporters also received a number of injuries some of these required hospital treatment."
Superintendent Noble said attacks on a number of homes were "being treated as racially motivated incidents".
"We believe there was a hard core of Polish nationals who came to the game without tickets but with a very clear intent to cause trouble and disruption to genuine supporters and local residents," he added."We believe there was a hard core of Polish nationals who came to the game without tickets but with a very clear intent to cause trouble and disruption to genuine supporters and local residents," he added.
"We believe these troublemakers are not local; they have travelled to Northern Ireland with the express purpose of causing trouble."We believe these troublemakers are not local; they have travelled to Northern Ireland with the express purpose of causing trouble.
"Unfortunately their actions may well have put the safety of law abiding and local Polish residents in jeopardy. I would appeal to all right minded people to assist these neighbours and unite with them to condemn this type of behaviour and isolate the perpetrators of this type of criminality.""Unfortunately their actions may well have put the safety of law abiding and local Polish residents in jeopardy. I would appeal to all right minded people to assist these neighbours and unite with them to condemn this type of behaviour and isolate the perpetrators of this type of criminality."
Riot police
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Clashes broke out between fans along the route to the match
Riot police in armoured Land Rovers were deployed on Saturday as fans made their way to the ground, and residents were advised by police to stay indoors.
During the game play was suspended for five minutes after a linesman was hit on the head with a small object thrown from the crowd.
Northern Ireland Sports Minister Gregory Campbell, who was at the game, told BBC News one confrontation began after some Polish supporters unfurled a republican flag.Northern Ireland Sports Minister Gregory Campbell, who was at the game, told BBC News one confrontation began after some Polish supporters unfurled a republican flag.
He said: "There were some Polish fans who introduced one of the Irish republican flags, that are supportive of the group that killed the soldiers and the policeman a few weeks ago, which obviously then led to even more tension. He said: "There were some Polish fans who introduced one of the Irish republican flags, that are supportive of the group that killed the soldiers and the policeman a few weeks ago, which obviously then led to even more tension."
"I suspect and heard that there were further scenes of violence then immediately after the game."
Premises closed
Trouble started in the city centre shortly before 1500 GMT when Northern Ireland and Poland fans gathered in the same Wetherspoons pub on Bedford Street.
A Wetherspoons spokesman said he understood it began following an "altercation between a Polish fan and a local".
The spokesman estimated damage which could run into thousands of pounds was caused, and the premises was closed.
The Polish fans were kept inside the ground for nearly an hour after the match, which kicked-off at 1715 GMT.
DUP South Belfast MLA Jimmy Spratt condemned the violence and said reports of "up to 12 houses" being targeted in the Village area were "very disturbing".
"Police have confirmed to me that Poles involved in earlier trouble are not resident in Northern Ireland and as such these attacks on the homes of foreign nationals in the Donegall Road area are totally illogical," he said.
"Such attacks can never be justified, they are to be utterly condemned and I would appeal for calm."