It is not easy being “Ireland’s most progressive football club” as FAI League of Ireland club Bohemians proclaim themselves to be. Especially not when some of their own crowd appear about as progressive as any other gang of anti-social wrong ‘uns.
Last Friday evening, this element of the “football community” were involved in dangerous incidents at a match between Bohemians and St. Patrick’s Athletic at the latter’s home ground, Richmond Park, in Inchicore. For reasons best known to themselves, someone fired a flare “from a Bohs section” – which were either aimed at the opposition team or supporters, one would assume.
As it happened, and predictably enough when idiots get up to such larks, one of the flares hit one of Bohemians own players, Cian Byrne, who was perhaps fortunate to have only suffered burns to his arm. The FAI met on Monday and immediately imposed a ban on all Bohemians supporters travelling to their next away game against Drogheda United.
It is not the first time thugs associated with Bohemians have been involved in violence. Their clashes with Shamrock Rovers over the years have required considerable Garda resources in attempting to prevent, not always successfully, violence from breaking out between the two groups.
In November 2021 there was a serious incident when Bohemians supporters launched an unprovoked attack on supporters of St. Pats who had arranged to meet in family groups at a pub close to the Aviva Stadium before the FAI Cup final.
Footage of some of those involved clearly showed that not only was the attack orchestrated but that the thugs were wearing similar clothing and masks. Which caused some people to note that the “style” was not dissimilar to that favoured by the far-left Anti-Fascist Action.
Bohemians make much of their “anti fascist” credentials. These have been ludicrously incorporated into a history of the club which was far from being republican, never mind any of the more recent appendages attached to that political position. The club was in fact founded by members of the British Army Royal Hibernian military school.
Serious fine on the way for Bohemians, game delayed as flares thrown onto the field, one flare from Bohs end struck their own player, Cian Byrne, on the arm, he needed medical attention. pic.twitter.com/O9srYYJeW3
— Aidan Fitzmaurice (@fitzmaidan) February 23, 2024
The bold boys down the back added their own tuppence worth. One speculated that perhaps it had all kicked off because someone had misgendered someone on the pitch. Another empathised with the Bohs Climate Justice and Sustainability Czar Seán McCabe who must have been very disappointed with the carbon emissions that have set back their Zero target by some cubic metres.
It was particularly embarrassing as, just the day before, Bohemians – in cooperation with Friends of the Earth- had participated in a briefing in Leinster House hosted by Senator Alice-Mary Higgins. The Bohs shared their in-depth wisdom in “engaging communities on measures to enhance energy efficiency in their locality.” It would be amusing were it not for the fact that all of these people get tax funding for their latest nonsense.
Mind you the timing of the rocket attack might actually have been worse. Perhaps it might even have caused rather more interrogation of the reasons why Dublin City Council decided earlier this month to grant the club €40 million in order to increase the capacity of Dalymount Park.
Others have noted the hypocrisy of the club who make much of their support for “women’s rights” and yet allowed Ismaheel Akinade, who had been convicted in 2014 for the sexual assault, along with two others, of a 14-year-old girl to play for them.
In fact he continued to play for them after he had been issued with a deportation order in April 2017. He appealed that decision but left voluntarily in 2019.
The main public face of the club is Daniel Lambert, who is the owner along with his sister of the Bang Bang deli close to Dalymount. Lambert became a director of Bohemians in July 2012 and is now Chief Operating Officer. Since then the Bohs have failed to win any competition of significance. Their much vaunted “Dublin Derby” rivalry with Shamrock Rovers has about the same significance these days as Kilkenny and Laois in hurling. So it could safely be said that in common with all left-wing takeovers, that this one too has been an abysmal failure.
Not quite Go Woke, Go Broke – far from it indeed when the state is sending funds your way. More Go Woke, Go Mediocre at what you are supposed to be about: playing soccer rather than trying to turn a sports club into a leftist NGO or pseudo political outfit.