While nearly 30 years has passed since English soccer hooligans forced a friendly clash with Ireland to be abandoned, the memories of the chaos that unfolded at Lansdowne Road are still fresh.
Thousands of Ireland fans cheered on the Boys In Green during the clash on February 15, 1995, with underdogs Ireland taking an early 1-0 lead thanks to a 22nd minute strike by David Kelly.
The atmosphere had already turned sour, with hordes of English fans chanting slogans such as ‘No surrender to the IRA’ and ‘F**k the Pope’, against a backdrop of ongoing violence in the North.
Soon after England midfielder David Platt had a goal ruled out for offside in the 27th minute, the crowd became out of control, forcing the game to a stop.
Seats and benches from the upper West Stand were ripped up and used as missiles to attack the Irish fans who were unfortunate enough to be assigned seats among them.
Dozens of gardaà responded by baton-charging the rioters in a desperate attempt to bring the disorder under control.
Thousands of fans spilled onto the pitch in an attempt to escape, including seven-year-old James Eager from Co Wicklow, whose distraught face was broadcast across the nation.
Following the match, the England fans were taken from Lansdowne under heavy Garda escort and shepherded onto Dart trains to the city centre and to Dun Laoghaire, where they boarded ferries back to the UK.
A total of 24 people were injured on the night, while one man died of a heart attack outside the stadium.
Ireland manager Jack Charlton said at the time: ‘I’ve seen a lot in football but I’ve never seen anything like that. Every Englishman should be ashamed.’
His England counterpart Terry Venables added: ‘There is no word to describe what I feel about people like that. It’s sickening.’
The BBC’s Des Lynam also lamented ‘this wretched hooligan business’, while commentator Jimmy Hill described the trouble as an ‘avalanche’ and insisted David Kelly’s 21st minute goal was not the catalyst for a group of thugs.
Some 40 England supporters were also arrested, with an inquiry into the night ruling that the trouble was ‘targeted, planned and intended’.
The inquiry’s judge also said that matters were made worse by poor preparation by the authorities.
In addition, it was concluded that the violence was caused solely by England fans.
Ireland and England did not play each other again for another 18 years following the abandoned friendly.