Bray Wanderers back Pat Devlin after angry confrontation with fans

Bray have given their backing to manager Pat Devlin. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Bray Wanderers have announced their support for under-fire manager Pat Devlin following angry clashes between the manager and fans after Monday’s draw with Wexford.

The 1-1 draw left Bray third from bottom in the First Division table. An ugly incident saw stewards having to intervene after Wanderers manager Devlin and a fan had an angry exchange at the end the game at Ferrycarrig Park on Monday evening.

The Seagulls had missed a penalty three minutes from the end when Darragh Levingston had his spot kick saved by keeper Alex Moody.

On the final whistle, Bray Wanderers supporters had made their way towards the clubhouse from the stand at which time they tried to confront Devlin.

As Devlin moved towards the supporters, he was removed by stewards in an effort to prevent an escalation of what was developing into an unruly scene. 

While Devlin was being led towards the clubhouse an object from a section of the travelling fans appeared to be thrown in his direction.

On Thursday Bray released a statement condemning the actions of the fans and said they are working with gardaí to ensure there is no repeat of the incident.

"Bray FC wishes to convey its disappointment at the behaviour of a small group of fans at our game in Wexford on Monday," the statement read.

"The club wishes to communicate that it has identified the principal perpetrators and in conjunction with the gardaí will implement steps to eliminate this behaviour. We are committed to delivering a safe and welcoming environment in which every Bray Wanderers supporter can enjoy the game and support the team.

"The club is fully supportive of Pat Devlin, his management team and players and acknowledges the great progress that has been made in recent months, across all areas of the club, including academy, community outreach, integration of girls/women's football and significant improvements to the playing surface at the Carlisle Grounds.

"We acknowledge that results during the 2022 season have been frustrating, but we urge supporters to continue to get behind the team as we look to push towards the play-off spots in the second half of the season. We are committed to developing our fan base with a particular emphasis on making families feel welcome and safe.

"We are appointing a Fan Liaison Officer and plan to launch a membership program through which match tickets will be acquired. Our door is always open for dialogue with fans who wish to make their point. However, this must be conducted in an adult fashion with mutual respect, openness and above all, the interests of the club at heart."