Fans see red after officials seize flag

MUNSTER fans were left seeing red on Saturday after officials from the European Rugby Cup confiscated a massive banner minutes before kick-off in the province’s Pool Four clash with Neath-Swansea Ospreys at Thomond Park in Limerick.

The chairman of the Munster Supporters Club has written to the ERC to complain in the “strongest possible terms” about the removal of the giant “Red Army” flag.

The flag, which bore the Munster crest and the words “Red Army” was removed by the officials as it surfed the crowd in the east terrace.

Munster Supporters Club chairman Tony McGrath, in a letter to the ERC, has complained about the actions of their agents.

The letter said: “Approximately 15 minutes before kick-off, supporters launched our giant flag to surf the crowd on the east terrace. When this flag reached the northern end of the terrace, it was taken down by officials acting on behalf of your agents.

“Upon approaching a steward at half-time, I was informed that the flag could be collected after the match but that the instructions from the event managers were that it could not be raised during the match.

“It took some time to recover the flag after the match and the actions of the ERC representatives were not consistent with the policy of the owners of the ground.

"I was informed by Ger Carmody, IRFU facilities officer and match manager on the day, that the IRFU policy with regard to any banners/flags that are inappropriate or not permitted is to ‘take down but never remove’ the offending objects,” said Mr McGrath.

The Munster Supporters Club has accused ERC agents of “removing property not belonging to them or the ERC and depriving supporters, the owners of the flag, from the use and enjoyment of the flag.”

The supporters club had received a request from Munster Rugby earlier in the week not to launch a second giant flag in the shape of a Munster jersey because of the presence of the team sponsor’s branding on the jersey.

The request is understood to have emanated from discussions between the ERC and Munster Rugby. Mr McGrath in his letter added: “The supporters fully intended to comply with this request until your agents took possession of our “Red Army” flag.