Cliftonville: we’ll ban any fan involved in attack on memorial

CLIFTONVILLE Football Club has said it will not hesitate to ban fans if it is proven they were involved in the desecration of the Narrow Water memorial.

Poppy wreaths, crosses and written tributes were vandalised at the site near Warrenpoint in Co Down where 18 soldiers died when an Army convoy was ambushed by the IRA in August 1979 and two roadside bombs detonated.

It is believed Cliftonville fans travelling home from an Irish Premiership game against Warrenpoint Town may have been responsible for the vandalism. The bus the fans were travelling in has been seized by the PSNI, which is treating the incident as a hate crime.

In a statement the club, which has already condemned the incident, said it had received several enquiries since the vandalism on Saturday in regards to whether it planned to issue bans to supporters if they are found to have been involved.

“The club wish to state that should confirmation be received of the identity of those convicted, then we would have no hesitation in banning them from our stadium,” the statement read. “Cliftonville have previously banned individuals from Solitude on several occasions.

“While this is effective in preventing entry to games at our ground, we would call on all Irish League clubs, the Northern Ireland Football League and the Irish Football Association to help and support us in preventing all banned persons from entering all football grounds.

“We also ask that the existing legislation in regards to Football Banning Orders is more readily applied.”

Independent councillor Jarlath Tinnelly, who witnessed the vandalism (left), described men kicking poppy wreaths around “like a football”.

Recently, a video was posted on social media of 1st South Belfast Linfield Supporters Club laying a wreath in memory of the soldiers killed at Narrow Water. Other wreaths were laid last month on the anniversary.

Sixteen members of the Parachute Regiment and two Queen’s Own Highlanders died in the attack. A civilian also died after being shot by soldiers.