Football Spotter

Players from both sides punched and kicked each other repeatedly in a three-minute spell that forced referee Raymond Crangle to abandon the match as all hell broke lose with just eight minutes to go in the JJB Sports Irish Cup tie.

At that stage, Newry were 2-1 in front after Matt Hazley’s sublime lob from 25 yards had added to Stephen Garrett’s early opener. Larne’s Anthony Lagan had levelled for the visitors before the break with a powerful header from Alan Reid’s corner, but those two players should hang their heads in shame after their part in the display of rampant thuggery witnessed by a shocked crowd at the border club.

A game that Newry had dominated began to spiral out of control in the 80th minute when City substitute Darren King and Larne captain Liam Hogan clashed just outside the away sides penalty area. Hogan then raised his hand to the Newry full-back.

Less than two minutes later, Reid and King went in for a 50-50 ball in front of the Newry bench with the Larne player lunging in with an x-rated two-footed tackle that saw him dismissed also.

That was when the mayhem began.

Larne boss — and former Newry manager — Paul Millar raced out of his technical area to confront assistant referee Gareth Eakin, a full 30 yards away. He had to be restrained by Newry assistant manager Harry Fay before, inexplicably, Larne substitutes Brian Neeson and Gary Rafferty got involved.

That sparked the mass brawl with practically everyone from both sides involved. Ross Black received a punch to the side of the head after trying to split things up, but as pictures show, the most brutal treatment was dished out by Lagan and Rafferty to the grounded Cullen Feeney after the stand-in City skipper had become involved in the bust-up and both rained kicks down on his head.

Eventually the affair was calmed down after referee Crangle called a halt to the match, something he had to do.

As someone who was standing 10 yards away from the majority of the fighting, it was the worst display of on the pitch violence I have ever had the misfortune to see in 24 years of watching Irish League football.

It’s a huge shame that the television cameras weren’t present to record what happened as, if there had been, certain players could find themselves banned for a long time — and rightly so.

It will be very interesting to see what the IFA decide to do now as these are scenes that could never warrant a place in normal society, never mind on a football pitch.

Perhaps they should take their lead from the world of rugby, who recently used photographic evidence to hand out bans to two Stade Francais players for their brutal treatment of Ulster’s Stephen Ferris.

Whatever means they use, all those responsible and all of us who love Irish League football, should be left in doubt as to the IFA’s seriousness in dealing with this blight on the game.