NO PYRO, NO party.
For a while it felt as though that was the unofficial tag line for the League of Ireland.
It was a sentiment those within the FAI – and the media – also seemed happy to tap into, regularly using photos or videos in promotional and marketing material to help sell the rawness of live football.
Real Football Real Fans was indeed one official slogan not so long ago. Unsurprisingly, that patronising gimmick didn’t catch on.
Over the last couple of years, there has been a more concerted effort by the FAI to crackdown on the promotion and use of pyrotechnics at games.
To give a recent example, ahead of the start of this season, one Premier Division club was contacted by the association’s league department and told to remove a social media post that focused on its players walking onto the pitch for kick-off.
The reason? A lit flare was visible for a matter of seconds in the background.
Such warnings became more regular last season.
Statement - Bohemian FC. https://t.co/YTAm3yhA0H#LOI | @bfcdublin pic.twitter.com/j49kpJuSyJ
— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) February 26, 2024
The incident last Friday during the Dublin derby between St Patrick’s Athletic and Bohemians, when defender Cian Byrne was lucky to escape serious injury after being struck by a flare thrown by one of his own supporters in the away end, resulted in a hefty fine for the club as well as a ban on supporters attending the away game with Drogheda United on Monday.
Bohs host Dundalk tomorrow, and in his programme notes for the game, club president Matt Devaney has explained how one of the culprits responsible has already admitted his part in throwing the flare and faced an indefinite ban from Dalymount Park.
“What happened was idiotic, shameful, and utterly disheartening for the vast majority of fans and for those of us who are striving to make this club better,” Devaney writes.
“I am hoping this is a watershed moment [and] we see an end to pyro and any other missiles being thrown onto the pitch.”
Devaney added that it was entirely justified, and predictable, that a fine and ban was handed down.
It followed the same punishment meted out to Drogheda United supporters for an away game at Shamrock Rovers last season after fans of the Louth club struck a match official with a flare during their derby with Dundalk.
Cork City also had sections of Turner’s Cross closed as a result of former St Pat’s winger Mark Doyle being struck by various objects during their FAI Cup semi-final last term.
The incident with Byrne last Friday feels like a turning point, though, with the Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland releasing a statement condemning what happened.
The 42 also understands that senior players have voiced their concerns to that point they would consider walking off the pitch during a game if something similar happens again.
The Byrne incident could have ended far worse and there have been other close calls, like one incident when a lit flare was thrown into the hood of a youngster and burned through. That was a matter the club in question dealt with after being contacted by a furious parent.
There are times when it’s hard not to feel sympathy for League of Ireland fans, turning up to certain games with the kind of police presence that seems wholly over the top.
As any match-going supporter knows – be it domestically or with the international team – self-policing and assessment of situations is a constant; it was a different situation, but the problems faced by Ireland fans in Athens last year is a prime example.
But in this instance there can be no sympathy.
Pyro has become part of the culture at grounds in the League of Ireland for fans who have always felt the need to fight just to be seen and heard.
In a league neglected for so long by those who should be nurturing it, and mocked on the outside, it’s not difficult to understand why those who love it use every opportunity to bring colour and a sense of occasion to even the most mundane fixture.
The league has witnessed a dramatic surge in attendances and popularity since the pandemic, the growth partly fueled by enthusiasm and passion throughout the country.
Pyro won’t disappear overnight and there are sure to be further incidents of its use – hopefully not of the same severity as last week – with punishments to follow.
In the meantime, self-policing on the terraces will remain the strongest deterrent and the one that has been most effective so far.