Sectarian thugs threatened junior soccer tournament officials

Sectarian thugs who attacked children at an international soccer tournament in the North also threatened to kneecap officials, it was revealed today.

Police arrested one man after the junior footballers from Dublin – some as young as 13 – had to flee their accommodation during the night.

A match in the prestigious Milk Cup tournament, one of Europe’s premier youth football tournaments, had to be postponed to allow the children to get over their ordeal.

The attack happened at around 10.30pm last night at Cromore Court, near the loyalist Ballyfally estate, where Crumlin United’s Under-14 and Cherry Orchard’s Under-16 youth teams were staying.

Jim Sandford, spokesman for the Milk Cup, said a drunken mob gathered outside to throw stones at the windows and intimidate the children playing for the two Dublin clubs.

“They were shouting sectarian chants of fenian bastards and so on,” he said.

“We have been going for 25 years now and Northern Ireland has seen some dark days in those 25 years. But this is the first time anything like this has ever happened.

“There is obviously still yobs out there who decided they wanted to show the ugly face of Northern Ireland.”

Mr Sandford said they had to put back Crumlin United’s Under-14 match with Brondby, of Denmark, scheduled for 3.30pm today to 7pm so the boys could get some sleep.

“They were certainly shaken up,” he said.

“A couple of the gang also squared up nose-to-nose with our staff who were trying to deal with the situation and threatened to have them knee-capped.

“One said their father was a big man in Belfast. But I think when they heard the sirens they took to their heels.”

The teams said they would stay after police arrested a 19-year-old man but Crumlin United later decided to leave in the middle of the night when another group of thugs turned up.

They had to stay at a hostel being used for homeless people in Portrush, said Paul Hammond of Crumlin, the club where Liverpool’s new star signing Robbie Keane began his career.

A Police Service spokeswoman said the arrested man was released on bail this afternoon pending further inquiries.

“It is understood a number of stones were thrown at a property and sectarian abuse shouted at a number of people staying in the area,” she said.

“Inquiries into the incident are continuing.”

Paul Clare, manager of Cherry Orchard, said the incident has upset some of the children.

“There was one lad who is under 15 and he was a little bit worried, he couldn’t really sleep,” he said.

“So I just had a chat with them today and told them it was only a silly drunk.”

Mr Clare said one man who was drunk was singing sectarian songs while their accommodation came under attack from stones.

Both youth teams were being moved today for their own protection.

“I don’t know where we are going at the moment, but it’s just for safety reasons,” said Mr Clare.

The Milk Cup, which is one of the biggest sports events held in the North, was launched on Sunday night by Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.