Linfield F.C. - Sectarianism and Violence

Sectarianism and Violence

Linfield have in the past been regarded as a 'Protestant' club" and still draw the vast majority of their support from one side of the community. However, the squad itself is one of the most diverse in the Irish League and Linfield manager David Jeffrey maintains that it is the players' desire to wear the famous blue shirt, not religious affiliation, which matters most.

The club has long been regarded as sectarian, both in respect of its employment policy and of the behaviour of its fans. This sectarian reputation is partly the result of the actions of fans who have a history of anti-Catholic behaviour ranging from sectarian chanting on the terraces to outright violence. It is also partly the result of a historical unofficial policy of not signing Catholic players, and an insignificant number of local Catholics playing for the club during the Troubles. The problem is further exacerbated by Windsor Park's location in a part of Belfast that is hostile to Catholics.

Sectarian tensions have long been a cause of conflict at football matches in Northern Ireland, and crowd trouble occasionally marred games involving Linfield throughout the twentieth century. In 1948, Belfast Celtic withdrew from the Irish League after years of sectarian crowd problems culminated in a Boxing Day match against Linfield at Windsor Park which ended in a pitch invasion and riot in which Belfast Celtic's Protestant centre forward, Jimmy Jones, suffered a broken leg.

A 1997 match against Coleraine was abandoned when Linfield fans hurled bottles onto the pitch after two Linfield players were sent off. In May 2005 there were disturbances in Dublin at the Setanta Cup final between Linfield and Shelbourne. In the same month, Linfield fans were banned from travelling to The Oval for a match against Glentoran because of disturbances involving both sets of fans the previous month. In 2008, three Linfield fans were charged in a Dublin court with public order offences at a Setanta Cup match against St Patrick's Athletic, but were released. In November of the same year, Linfield player Conor Hagan was struck by a rocket that was fired from Cliftonville supporters in the crowd following Linfield's 2–1 defeat at the hands of Cliftonville, and the following month riot police were called into Glentoran supporters in the Boxing Day match after Linfield had taken a 2-0 lead.

The management of Linfield has spent recent years attempting to reverse the stigma of negative press attached to the club. The club has moved forward in cooperation with the Irish Football Association (IFA) which has launched a campaign called "Give sectarianism the boot." It assisted a local Camogie team who needed space to train in 2005, and also built links with the Gaelic Athletic Association which has traditionally had little support from the Protestant community in Northern Ireland. In 2006 FIFA President Sepp Blatter commended Linfield for their anti-racism. A play dealing with the conflict between Linfield and Belfast Celtic, Lish and Gerry at the Shrine, was staged by the IFA at Windsor Park, with the co-operation of the Linfield management, in October 2010.