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Non GAA Discussion => General discussion => Topic started by: GalwayBayBoy on January 21, 2007, 08:37:44 PM

Title: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: GalwayBayBoy on January 21, 2007, 08:37:44 PM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/my_club/ulster/6285077.stm

Ulster protest over cup fighting 

Toulouse player Trevor Brennan clashed with Ulster fans
Ulster are to lodge a complaint with the organisers of the Heineken Cup following ugly scenes during their 28-13 defeat at Toulouse on Sunday.
Coach Mark McCall said the Irish province would be citing Toulouse player Trevor Brennan for allegedly striking Ulster lock Justin Harrison.

Both players were sin-binned but McCall insisted Brennan should have been given a straight red card.

Brennan could be in further trouble for clashing with Ulster fans.

Ulster chief executive Mike Reid is expected to make a statement on Sunday night.

Coach McCall confirmed: "We will be lodging a complaint against Trevor Brennan for what he did to our player.

"We are very lucky Justin has not got something seriously wrong with him."

Ulster lost the match 28-13, although both sides were already out of contention for a quarter-final place.

(http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/5996/730580868bd.jpg)
(http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/4417/730580839ls.jpg)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: stephenite on January 21, 2007, 09:11:14 PM
Jesus - professional player assaults spectator - he'll get the book thrown at him for this surely
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: dodo on January 21, 2007, 09:30:05 PM
Mrs Spock was just about to be beamed outta there
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: AZOffaly on January 21, 2007, 09:30:47 PM
I'd love to know what was said by the fan.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: youbetterbelieveit on January 21, 2007, 09:31:02 PM
haha good one dodo!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: deiseach on January 21, 2007, 09:32:04 PM
Outrageousdisgracefulshockingexamplekidsmightbewatchingsomeonemusttakeimmediateanddecisiveaction

(http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h93/angelwings3/laughing.gif)

Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Rufus T Firefly on January 21, 2007, 09:38:37 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on January 21, 2007, 09:30:47 PM
I'd love to know what was said by the fan.

Check out the munster fans forum, AZ - there's plenty of discussion on there, a lot of it it has to be said is contradictory!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: pintsofguinness on January 21, 2007, 09:45:24 PM
The fan will get no sympathy from me, bollocks probably deserved it.

whats the address to that rufus?
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Gaoth Dobhair Abu on January 21, 2007, 09:48:26 PM
Quote from: pintsofguinness on January 21, 2007, 09:45:24 PM
The fan will get no sympathy from me, bollocks probably deserved it.

whats the address to that rufus?

Bit harsh there!!!
By the looks of it he gave him some dig, will get canned for sure!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: pintsofguinness on January 21, 2007, 09:52:16 PM
I don't know what was said but I'm sure he didn't get it for sitting quietly. 
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Dubh driocht on January 21, 2007, 10:01:23 PM
Trevor obviously doesn't believe in Santa. Bit rough all the same- there he was (he's named on the BBC story as Patrick Bamford)impressing the babe with his wit when TB strikes. Hope the BBC and Noel Thompson give the same prominence as GAA fracas.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: muppet on January 21, 2007, 10:08:11 PM
 Brennan is clearly way out of order.

Saying that think of Cantona and to a lesser extent Zidane. There is usually a little fire involved. Shouting ' your poetry is crap' or ' you're a has been' wasn't what set off the first two.

Ulster fans claim the chant was 'who are you'. That seems unlikely given that Alfie Thomas had to be restrained by officials from going into the same crowd.   
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: GalwayBayBoy on January 21, 2007, 10:12:16 PM
Apparently he was giving Trevor Brennan the verbals (about his pub or mother or both) and Trevor took the law into his own hands and chinned him.

I imagine Trevor is deservedly going to get a long ban for this given that he's no spring chicken it might even be the end of his career. Can't condone what he did but I don't have much sympathy for the Ulster supporter either. I hate mouthy pricks like that who think they can abuse a sportsman like that just because they know they can get away with it.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Square Ball on January 21, 2007, 10:21:44 PM
Quote from: dodo on January 21, 2007, 09:30:05 PM
Mrs Spock was just about to be beamed outta there

class one. Your man with the pint diddnt spill a drop
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Josey Whales on January 21, 2007, 10:27:23 PM
allegedly - he called brennan's mother a whore and started chanting it repeatedly. In fairness he'd have to say something fairly bad for Brennan to do that. And if that is what transpired- fair play Trev i'd have done the same. Gareth thomas also had to be restrained.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: magickingdom on January 21, 2007, 11:14:37 PM
i'm a big tb fan but it looks like hes way out of order there. still love to know what was said....
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Rufus T Firefly on January 21, 2007, 11:34:40 PM
Quote from: pintsofguinness on January 21, 2007, 09:45:24 PM
The fan will get no sympathy from me, bollocks probably deserved it.

whats the address to that rufus?

I think this is the relevant thread Pint

http://www.munsterfans.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2004&PN=1
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: cavanmaniac on January 21, 2007, 11:57:37 PM
Quote from: dodo on January 21, 2007, 09:30:05 PM
Mrs Spock was just about to be beamed outta there

;D Top marks my good man!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: bigpaul on January 22, 2007, 12:59:32 AM
Anyone who's still wearing a santa hat on the 21st january deserves to have it taken off !!!!! Tell them you were just trying to do the honours Trevor !!!!!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: DrinkingHarp on January 22, 2007, 01:30:23 AM
looks like that fan might be the new owner of Brennan's pub although he will need it being on a liquid diet with the broken jaw.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Dinny Breen on January 22, 2007, 09:23:44 AM
Have met Trev a few times and he was always a sound lad and good craic. He has however always been a lose cannon and regardless of what was said he really needed to be the bigger man and walk away, he could have reported the muppet who allegedly called his mother a whore to the stewards and got him thrown out.

Sad day for Trevor as his career will quite rightly be over, you just can't cross that line.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: cavan4ever on January 22, 2007, 10:20:47 AM
He must have been fairly pissed off but as a profesional sportsman he should have being man enough to ignore the muppet.  If all players did what he did everytime they got abuse they spent more time in the stands than in the pitch.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Josey Whales on January 22, 2007, 10:30:48 AM
hang on a second lads- there is two sides to everything. Why isn't that supporter banned from attending a match again. There is far too much acceptance from people (you hear it in Croke Park too) that those sort of insults go unpunished. I doubt very much lads if one of your fans in Croke Park started chanting that sort of abuse to the opposition that you'd complain to the stewards. No of course you wouldn't you'd adopt the herd mentality and say - ah! sure it's only a bit of craic. It's very easy for people to take the moral high ground but professional sportspeople are human beings as well.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: SlimShady on January 22, 2007, 10:42:07 AM
can anyone post up a video clip?

I'd say yer man fairly filled his Y fronts when he seen Big Trev bounding over the wall to him  :D ;D

Done right, if he said what is alleged he should still be pounding the head off him!!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: youbetterbelieveit on January 22, 2007, 10:43:28 AM
i agree with josey, if tb gets a ban for this, so should the supporter.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Dinny Breen on January 22, 2007, 11:31:08 AM
I agree Josey, the supporter should be banned but Trevor had to walk away, that is his responsibility.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Mayo4Sam on January 22, 2007, 11:47:29 AM
Thought this was a humourous reason

eyewitness account from an Ulster supporter whu was there (lifted off the UAFC site)



Quote:
We were sitting beside the poor guy who got assaulted. Brennan came on to warm up and deliberately choose to come down to the Ulster fans who were gathered in the west stand. After running across the pitch towars his own fans he ran back towards the Ulster fans and did a couple of press ups. There was some general banter, "who are you", etc and then a chorus of "you're bar's a load of rubbish". One guy said "Youre bar's crap, it was the worst Friday night of my life" Following this Brennan stepped over the wall, climbed through 5 rows of supporters and proceeded to punch one supporter repeatedly. He was separated by other fans and stewards. There was no other comments that in any way could warrant this reaction.



Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: AZOffaly on January 22, 2007, 11:48:18 AM
If that's all that was said, the Trevor Brennan is psychotic. I have my doubts.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Bogball XV on January 22, 2007, 11:52:49 AM
It's like the Cantona incident - didn't the guy attacked say he'd said "That'll be an early shower for you old boy".
According to one 'eye-witness' report, the lad didn't want to press charges (maybe he said a bit more, than we're currently hearing).
French newspapers seem to be reporting that it was sectarian, all in all, it was incredibly stupid of Brennan - but I agree with Josey the fan should also be banned for life - but how do you enforce that??
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: full back on January 22, 2007, 11:56:27 AM
The fan should be banned, if he provoked Brennan i.e sectarian or calling his wife/partner something. But by the same token Brennan has to be banned for a long time. A professional sportsperson simply cannot do that type of thing.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: SlimShady on January 22, 2007, 12:16:12 PM
the fan will no doubt be banned but its unfortunate that it took a player to beat lumps out of him to get him banned, had Brennan not punched him then there would have been no banning for the supporter!

this goes on everywhere-GAA included.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Hardy on January 22, 2007, 12:17:38 PM
I decided to take a look at L'Equipe, expecting this to be on the front page. Nothing. So I did a search for 'Brennan' and this is all that's in today's paper:

QuoteBrennan cité par l'Ulster
Trevor Brennan va être cité par la province irlandaise de l'Ulster suite à l'incident ayant opposé le Toulousain à un adversaire lors du match de Coupe d'Europe dimanche. «Nous allons déposer une plainte contre Trevor Brennan pour ce qu'il a fait à notre joueur, le deuxième ligne Justin Harrison, a expliqué l'entraîneur Mark McCall. Nous avons beaucoup de chance que Justin n'ait rien de grave».     

Les deux joueurs se sont battus à la 55e minute et ont reçu un carton jaune. Mais l'Ulster rejette la faute sur le Toulousain, et compte également relever des coups que Brennan aurait portés à des supporters du club irlandais. Accusé de piétinement, Brennan avait déjà comparu devant la commission de discipline de l'ERC en novembre, mais il avait été blanchi.

Well, i could grasp the gist of that, but my French isn't that hot, so I ran it through Babelfish and it came out like this:

QuoteBrennan quoted by Ulster
Trevor Brennan will be quoted by the Irish province of Ulster following the incident having opposed the Toulouse one to an adversary at the time of the match of Cut of Europe Sunday. "We will deposit a complaint against Trevor Brennan for what it did to our player, the second line Justin Harrison, explained the trainer Mark McCall. We have much chance that Justin does not have anything low register ".

The two players fought with the 55e minute and received a yellow paperboard. But Ulster rejects the fault on the Toulouse one, and also hopes to raise of the blows that Brennan would have carried to supporters of the Irish club. Shown trampling, Brennan had already appeared before the commission of discipline of the ERC before November, but it had been bleached.

Is it any wonder I struggle to make sense of rugby?
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Mayo4Sam on January 22, 2007, 12:19:30 PM
I always hate getting a yellow paperboard
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: muppet on January 22, 2007, 01:10:58 PM
QuoteTrevor Brennan will be quoted by the Irish province of Ulster following the incident having opposed the Toulouse one to an adversary at the time of the match of Cut of Europe Sunday. "We will deposit a complaint against Trevor Brennan for what it did to our player, the second line Justin Harrison, explained the trainer Mark McCall. We have much chance that Justin does not have anything low register ".

The two players fought with the 55e minute and received a yellow paperboard. But Ulster rejects the fault on the Toulouse one, and also hopes to raise of the blows that Brennan would have carried to supporters of the Irish club. Shown trampling, Brennan had already appeared before the commission of discipline of the ERC before November, but it had been bleached.
[/size]

Good moaning, thank you for the much great postings.

QuoteWe have much chance that Justin does not have anything low register
[/size]

I big suggest he go to the Dictor to have check out his register.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Captain Scarlet on January 22, 2007, 01:18:59 PM
jaysus wouldnt mind only since he went to france brennan had clamed down.

i tells ya id much rather a lame kick eric than a box or two off trev.

thats him finished id say though.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Donagh on January 22, 2007, 01:48:33 PM
On Livewhinge now. Apparently the abuse went on for 15 minutes and included:

"You fenian bastard"

"Your mother's a whore"


James, an Ulster supporters is denying this and said the abuse was:

"Your pub is a load of bollix"


Sounds like the guy who made the "fenian" allegation is talking shite. Also told James the Ulster supporter, "you're a different breed up there".

Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: AZOffaly on January 22, 2007, 01:52:12 PM
Who does Brennan write his Diary for? Could be an interesting column this week :D
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Dinny Breen on January 22, 2007, 01:53:35 PM
He writes for the Irish Times and the ERC Rugby Website  :o

Should be interesting.....
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Josey Whales on January 22, 2007, 02:09:33 PM
He's right though a minority of the Ulster rugby supporters are a different breed. It's well known that that they have a few clowns following them at Ravenhill  that would abuse opposing players at lineout time for example. It really wouldn't surprise me if the allegations are true.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: cavan4ever on January 22, 2007, 02:12:01 PM
any footage of this anywhere???
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 02:23:17 PM
There are a lot of people jumping to conclusions here, but the "facts", so far, appear to be these.

1. Something is likely to have been said to wind up TB, but we can't be certain it was the victim said it (not always easy to identify one individual in a crowd);
2. Even assuming the victim did say something, it might have been innocuous, or misheard, by TB;
3. Even if what was said by the victim was offensive (personal, sectarian etc), the correct response is for TB would be to have him thrown out/arrested (shouldn't be too hard for s.o. as popular/well connected in Toulouse as TB);
4. In any circumstances (sports pitch or street), if "A" insults "B" verbally, no matter how grievously, and "B" responds with a serious physical assault, "B" will face prosecution and can only plead provocation as mitigation, not a defence;
5. We all know people who are quiet and inoffensive normally, but when they pull on a rugby/soccer/GAA shirt, their character changes. Doubtless TB is a true gent in "civilian" life, but when he crosses the line onto a rugby pitch, he has a track record of thuggery;
6. Never mind his altercation with the fan, he also got involved in a punch-up with another player during the match, for which he was sinbinned (some would say lucky not to have been red-carded)

Imo, TB will be lucky if he's not arrested and charged with ABH (even GBH?), or French equivalent. And unless French law is markedly different from here, it's hard to see how he'll get off.

As for the "victim", I have not yet seen any compelling evidence that he said something outrageous, but there is persuasive evidence emrging to the contrary (if the websites can be believed)

Of course, if he did insult TB's mother/religion etc, he should be banned from rugby for life. But under the "innocent until proven guilty" principle, it's too early to condemn him just yet.

P.S. Alfie Thomas appears to be no angel, either, having already gained a criminal record in France for assaulting a Frenchman and his girlfriend in a bar in Pau. Though seemingly not the worst culprit, Thomas was one of three rugby players found guilty of the attack on the couple:
http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200511/s1503286.htm


Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: realredhandfan on January 22, 2007, 02:32:49 PM
Last week Leinster were mad keen to get up to Ulster and play their matches at Ravenhill,  with supporters like that would this still be the case. Any Lenister Rugby men want to comment? :-*
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 02:35:36 PM
Brennan cité par l'Ulster
Trevor Brennan va être cité par la province irlandaise de l'Ulster suite à l'incident ayant opposé le Toulousain à un adversaire lors du match de Coupe d'Europe dimanche. «Nous allons déposer une plainte contre Trevor Brennan pour ce qu'il a fait à notre joueur, le deuxième ligne Justin Harrison, a expliqué l'entraîneur Mark McCall. Nous avons beaucoup de chance que Justin n'ait rien de grave».     

Les deux joueurs se sont battus à la 55e minute et ont reçu un carton jaune. Mais l'Ulster rejette la faute sur le Toulousain, et compte également relever des coups que Brennan aurait portés à des supporters du club irlandais. Accusé de piétinement, Brennan avait déjà comparu devant la commission de discipline de l'ERC en novembre, mais il avait été blanchi.


Here goes:
Brennan cited by Ulster
TB is going to be cited by Irish Province Ulster, following an incident with an opponent in the European Cup game with Toulouse game on Sunday.
"We are going to to make a complaint against TB for what he did to our player, second rower Justin Harrison" explained Ulster trainer Mark McCall. "It was very lucky Justin wasn't seriously hurt"
The two players came to blows in the 55th minute and were yellow-carded. Ulster lay the blame on TB and want to raise at the same time (equally?) the punches TB threw against Ulster's supporters (plural). Accused of stamping, TB has already appeared before the ERC Disciplinary Commission in November, but was cleared.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Donagh on January 22, 2007, 02:36:37 PM
Quote from: realredhandfan on January 22, 2007, 02:32:49 PM
Last week Leinster were mad keen to get up to Ulster and play their matches at Ravenhill,  with supporters like that would this still be the case. Any Lenister Rugby men want to comment? :-*

I been to Ravenhill many times and have never witnessed anything other than good natured banter. I do also seem to remember a game in Croke Park were a former Tyrone player in the stands gave serious abuse to an Armagh player and threw a cup at him.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: realredhandfan on January 22, 2007, 02:43:42 PM
Donagh and your point is?
The only time I was ever at ravenhill, I can honestly suffered terribly, The chanting was frightening, the crowd a cesspit of humanity; and the police just sat back and done nothing ....... that was my last time ever watching meatloaf and the quo.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: An Fear Rua on January 22, 2007, 02:44:59 PM
Quote from: Donagh on January 22, 2007, 02:36:37 PM
Quote from: realredhandfan on January 22, 2007, 02:32:49 PM
Last week Leinster were mad keen to get up to Ulster and play their matches at Ravenhill,  with supporters like that would this still be the case. Any Lenister Rugby men want to comment? :-*

I been to Ravenhill many times and have never witnessed anything other than good natured banter. I do also seem to remember a game in Croke Park were a former Tyrone player in the stands gave serious abuse to an Armagh player and threw a cup at him.

Was it Sam Maguire?? ;D
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Donagh on January 22, 2007, 02:48:13 PM
Quote from: realredhandfan on January 22, 2007, 02:43:42 PM
Donagh and your point is?
We shouldn't be quick to demonise Ulster fans – we all have our loony supporters. Even if this guy did come out with some of those comments, Brennan should have more self control.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Over the Bar on January 22, 2007, 02:49:42 PM
QuoteI been to Ravenhill many times and have never witnessed anything other than good natured banter. I do also seem to remember a game in Croke Park were a former Tyrone player in the stands gave serious abuse to an Armagh player and threw a cup at him.

It was the Ulster Final replay where McKeever & Canaven were sent off.  The ex-Tyrone player gave McKeever a mouthful on the way past and McKeever squirted his water bottle at him, missed and hit his girlfriend, then there was a bit of handbags.  Nothing anywhere near as serious as the Brennan incident.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: ziggysego on January 22, 2007, 02:50:16 PM
He's just a very naughty boy

(http://www.greencastlegaa.com/gaabimages/LifeOfBrian.jpg)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: realredhandfan on January 22, 2007, 02:54:18 PM
It was the Ulster Final replay where McKeever & Canaven were sent off.  The ex-Tyrone player gave McKeever a mouthful on the way past and McKeever squirted his water bottle at him, missed and hit his girlfriend, then there was a bit of handbags.  Nothing anywhere near as serious as the Brennan incident.
One Year on was it the same water bottle from the Joe Kernan / Toal / Galvin incident
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Donagh on January 22, 2007, 02:55:40 PM
Quote from: realredhandfan on January 22, 2007, 02:54:18 PM
One Year on was it the same water bottle from the Joe Kernan / Toal / Galvin incident

Galvin is still a dirty **** though...  ;)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: ziggysego on January 22, 2007, 02:55:57 PM
Quote from: Over the Bar on January 22, 2007, 02:49:42 PM
The ex-Tyrone player gave McKeever a mouthful on the way past and McKeever squirted his water bottle at him

The ex-Tyrone player was provoked first
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: SlimShady on January 22, 2007, 02:56:21 PM
demonise them surely, I work with a squad of them and they the biggest bundle of tossers ever, even worse than Armagh fans.

one actually just said- ''he hit him just because he said his pub was crap'' in an attempt to make the rest of the office believe it!! Did he f**k, what a bunch of jabrones!!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Donagh on January 22, 2007, 02:56:47 PM
Quote from: ziggysego on January 22, 2007, 02:55:57 PM

The ex-Tyrone player was provoked first

How, by 'God' getting sent to the line?  :D
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: ziggysego on January 22, 2007, 02:57:29 PM
There was a lot of taunting going on
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Over the Bar on January 22, 2007, 03:00:46 PM
We'd best be careful or this thread will get moved to the GAA board!   :P

Anyway back to the subject at hand... Is ther any video footbage of the Brennan incident??
Title: Journalist's eyewitness account
Post by: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 05:05:20 PM
A named Journalist who was at the game has now published his eye-witness account on the BBC Website (below).

Underneath it, I have added another account from an Ulster fan who was at the match.

It's beginning to look as though those posters who rushed to judge the victim (and, by extension, all Ulster fans) with their "served him right" response, may have to eat their words...



Last Updated: Monday, 22 January 2007, 08:50 GMT 

Brennan faces ban after 'assault' 

Toulouse lock Trevor Brennan is facing a lengthy ban after he allegedly assaulted an Ulster supporter in Sunday's Heineken Cup game in France.

Brennan was warming up as a replacement when he left the playing enclosure before appearing to land a number of punches on the Ulster fan in the stand.

The ERC announced on Monday that it would investigate the incident.

Ulster will also cite Brennan for an incident which led to him and Justin Harrison being yellow carded.

The ERC statement said both clubs had been asked to supply full details of the incident and that reports had been requested from match officials and broadcasters.

However, a Toulouse Police spokesman described the incident "as a private matter between two people" adding that they did not know "what all the fuss is about".

The police spokesman refused to comment on whether the Ulster supporter Patrick Bamford had made an official complaint.

An earlier Ulster statement said that former Ireland international Brennan had "left the playing enclosure and physically assaulted a member of the Ulster travelling support".

Brennan runs a popular bar in Toulouse and eyewitness, BBC Northern Ireland journalist Julian Fowler said that a number of fans had made disparaging comments about the Irishman's premises.

"A number of the Ulster supporters started to chant, 'Your pub's a load of rubbish'. 'Rubbish' wasn't exactly the word they used but it wasn't that much more offensive that that," said the BBC journalist, who also spoke to the supporter after the game.

"He (Brennan) turned towards the crowd and climbed over a barrier and walked up the steps towards the eighth row where this fan was sitting.

"There was a sustained, repeated attack and I saw at least half a dozen if not more punches using both fists, being rained down on this Ulster supporter.

"The supporter was just a young fellow with a group of friends and I wouldn't have said that he was in any way drunk or aggressive."

The BBC reporter added that the incident had left Mr Bamford's face bloodied and swollen.

The fan told me that he had made a statement to police after the game but he wasn't sure last night what if any action he was going to take

"I also spoke to him at the airport six hours after the incident and he said that he was still in a state of shock.

"He didn't know why he had been singled out. He watched Brennan comes towards him and he actually thought he was going to shake his hand.

"The fan told me that he had made a statement to (French) police after the game but he wasn't sure last night what if any action he was going to take because he was still in a state of shock."

Thirty-three-year-old Brennan is in the final year of his contract at Toulouse and a length ban could result in his retirement.

After coming on a replacement, both the Toulouse player and Justin Harrison were sin-binned but Ulster coach Mark McCall insisted Brennan should have been given a straight red card.

Coach McCall confirmed: "We will be lodging a complaint against Trevor Brennan for what he did to our player.

"We are very lucky Justin has not got something seriously wrong with him."

Ulster lost the match 28-13, although both sides were already out of contention for a quarter-final place.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/ulster/6286055.stm



Ulster fan's eyewitness account (from website):
"Just back from the match. I'm just out of the picture on the gareth Thomas incident. Brennan slapped the boy six times before he was pushed back onto the pitch. Total madman. The guy was giving him sh*t about his bar he owns. Didn't take much. Everyone then threw beer on him as he walked back to the dugout. Thomas then comes running up giving the middle finger, so he gets lots of abuse back and next thing he trying to climb into the crowd and has to be stopped. The whole thing is unbeliveable. Brennan will hopefully be banned for life."


Title: Re: Journalist's eyewitness account
Post by: Donagh on January 22, 2007, 05:08:19 PM
Genius, thought you were going away for a day or two? I'd have thought someone who was so eager to defend the reputation of the RUC last week would have been chomping at the bit to get onto the collusion thread...
Title: Re: Journalist's eyewitness account
Post by: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 05:11:24 PM
Quote from: Donagh on January 22, 2007, 05:08:19 PM
Genius, thought you were going away for a day or two? I'd have thought someone who was so eager to defend the reputation of the RUC last week would have been chomping at the bit to get onto the collusion thread...

Didn't mean away, just other things intruding. Besides, I'd prefer to hear properly what O'Loan has found before commenting.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Josey Whales on January 22, 2007, 05:39:55 PM
i think i'll believe it when i hear a neutral voice on the matter. i don't think George brennan, Ulster rugby fans or BBC Northern Ireland reporters qualify under that heading in my book. Apparently the Toulouse forum seems to support Brennan's claims - i would say we'll never find out exactly what happened. And again i'd ask why isn't he pressing charges?
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Carmen Stateside on January 22, 2007, 05:48:33 PM
Mr Bamford will be a quiet boy the next time hes at a game  :D
I would have been out of there aswell before he reached the eigth row ffs!!!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: pintsofguinness on January 22, 2007, 06:10:11 PM
Eg there is as many eye witness reports that say that section of the crowd were chanting "your mother's a whore" and "you fenian bastard" at Brennan for a good 10-15 minutes.
Do you, or anyone else,  really believe some story about his pub? Brennan's teammate must be as crazy as him. 
The w**ker deserved what he got.  If the same was said to any of us in a pub we'd react the same way.

Quote2. Even assuming the victim did say something, it might have been innocuous, or misheard, by TB;
Misheard chanting for 15 minutes?
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 06:31:20 PM
Quote from: Josey Whales on January 22, 2007, 05:39:55 PM
i think i'll believe it when i hear a neutral voice on the matter. i don't think George brennan, Ulster rugby fans or BBC Northern Ireland reporters qualify under that heading in my book. Apparently the Toulouse forum seems to support Brennan's claims - i would say we'll never find out exactly what happened. And again i'd ask why isn't he pressing charges?

I wasn't there (and neither were you, apparently), which is why I didn't rush to judge before presented with some decent evidence.
Imo, Fowler's account has credibility, since:
1. It is on the BBC's website - they are hardly likely to allow someone to use that forum merely to satisfy a private agenda (e.g. defending Ulster fans willy-nilly);
2. Fowler has put his name to the piece i.e. his own journalistic credibility (and job) may be on the line if he were subsequently found to have made it up;
3. If TB is wholly innocent, he is liable to bring a case against Fowler, should Fowler turn out to be lying.

As for why the victim is not pressing charges, I can think of a number of reasons - he was in shock, he may not speak French, we do know that he was flying back that evening (and may have had pressing reasons for being back in NI), he might have been told that he could do so after the French police had investigated, or it could even be that the French cops might not have welcomed charges against a popular local sportsman? Or simply that he just wanted to get the hell home and forget about the whole thing - people don't always want to take things further, even when they've been wronged. 
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Josey Whales on January 22, 2007, 06:43:53 PM
"It is on the BBC's website - they are hardly likely to allow someone to use that forum merely to satisfy a private agenda (e.g. defending Ulster fans willy-nilly);".

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that.

"or it could even be that the French cops might not have welcomed charges against a popular local sportsman"

No offence but that statement is taking the piss.

"Or simply that he just wanted to get the hell home and forget about the whole thing "

Funny that photos of him posing his sporting his damaged jaw after the incident appeared everywhere.(hardly wanting to forget about it)

If Brennan went up there because someone called his pub shite then good enough for him he's  abigger clown than i though he was. I still find it hard to believe that any person with even half a braincell would climb 8 rows through the Ulster fans to pick out one individual who called his pub shite. And until i hear from a neutral i don't believe it.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 06:51:19 PM
Quote from: pintsofguinness on January 22, 2007, 06:10:11 PM
Eg there is as many eye witness reports that say that section of the crowd were chanting "your mother's a whore" and "you fenian bastard" at Brennan for a good 10-15 minutes.
Do you, or anyone else,  really believe some story about his pub? Brennan's teammate must be as crazy as him. 
The w**ker deserved what he got.  If the same was said to any of us in a pub we'd react the same way.

Quote2. Even assuming the victim did say something, it might have been innocuous, or misheard, by TB;
Misheard chanting for 15 minutes?

I have provided a credible eye-witness Statement that indicates TB's reaction to some moderate sledging was wholly over-the-top.

You are claiming that his mother was insulted and he was subjected to sectarian abuse (both?), for a full 15 minutes. Where is your source for this? And by "source", I don't mean something beginning with "I heard...", or "it's on a website...", try being specifi, you know, names, web addresses, newspapers etc.

As for your final comment "Misheard chanting for 15 minutes?" - that is risible, even by your standards. The possibility of TB having misheard was only one of four possible scenarios I outlined, one of which was that the victim may, indeed, have abused him severely.
Not only did you ignore the other three in your (seeming) determination to have a pop at me, but you even added in your own "15 minutes".
That alone shows what a stupid point you are trying to make, since there is no way that TB will have been warming up for 15 minutes to have been abused.
And even if there was concerted, obscene abuse, all he had to do was continue his warm-up in front of the home fans. Instead, it is reported that he actually came off the bench and ran over to the away fans and started doing press-ups.

This is increasing looking like the actions of a headcase; if you actually knew anything about rugby, you might not be too surprised at such a charge being levelled against Brennan, since he has considerable "form" in that respect.
Whereas, the Ulster fans have no reputation for the sort of abuse you are alleging - quite the contrary, in fact.
Of course, I don't expect you to take my word for this, despite my having watched Ulster play home and away on a few occasions; however, I might refer you to Donagh's post on the matter (unless he's too much of a sectarian Protestant bigot for you to believe, either)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Bogball XV on January 22, 2007, 06:56:56 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 06:31:20 PM
[2. Fowler has put his name to the piece i.e. his own journalistic credibility (and job) may be on the line if he were subsequently found to have made it up;
An oxymoron if ever there was one!!
Bottom line EG, we don't know what was said, you don't know what was said - I didn't actually see anyone on here tarring all Ulster fans with the same brush, the consensus seems to be that, there are w**ker supporters at grounds all over the world (usually tanked up. but not neccessarily), it's not that surprising that every now and then players react to their taunts - yes, they should have the sense not to, but they're pysched up anyway, and Brennan gets more pysched than most.  There's a limit to the slagging supporters should give, and tbh chants for 15 mins even if it were only 'your pub is a poor drinking establishment' would get on your nerves a bit, i mean the monotony and lack of ingenuity would nearly be enough to drive anyone mad!!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Donagh on January 22, 2007, 07:01:08 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 06:51:19 PM
You are claiming that his mother was insulted and he was subjected to sectarian abuse (both?), for a full 15 minutes. Where is your source for this? And by "source", I don't mean something beginning with "I heard...", or "it's on a website...", try being specifi, you know, names, web addresses, newspapers etc.

I had already posted the source for this earlier. The allegations were made by callers to Liveline this afternoon. It can be downloaded from the RTE website.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: ONeill on January 22, 2007, 07:01:57 PM
Quote from: Hardy on January 22, 2007, 12:17:38 PM
I decided to take a look at L'Equipe, expecting this to be on the front page. Nothing. So I did a search for 'Brennan' and this is all that's in today's paper:

QuoteBrennan cité par l'Ulster
Trevor Brennan va être cité par la province irlandaise de l'Ulster suite à l'incident ayant opposé le Toulousain à un adversaire lors du match de Coupe d'Europe dimanche. «Nous allons déposer une plainte contre Trevor Brennan pour ce qu'il a fait à notre joueur, le deuxième ligne Justin Harrison, a expliqué l'entraîneur Mark McCall. Nous avons beaucoup de chance que Justin n'ait rien de grave».     

Les deux joueurs se sont battus à la 55e minute et ont reçu un carton jaune. Mais l'Ulster rejette la faute sur le Toulousain, et compte également relever des coups que Brennan aurait portés à des supporters du club irlandais. Accusé de piétinement, Brennan avait déjà comparu devant la commission de discipline de l'ERC en novembre, mais il avait été blanchi.

Well, i could grasp the gist of that, but my French isn't that hot, so I ran it through Babelfish and it came out like this:

QuoteBrennan quoted by Ulster
Trevor Brennan will be quoted by the Irish province of Ulster following the incident having opposed the Toulouse one to an adversary at the time of the match of Cut of Europe Sunday. "We will deposit a complaint against Trevor Brennan for what it did to our player, the second line Justin Harrison, explained the trainer Mark McCall. We have much chance that Justin does not have anything low register ".

The two players fought with the 55e minute and received a yellow paperboard. But Ulster rejects the fault on the Toulouse one, and also hopes to raise of the blows that Brennan would have carried to supporters of the Irish club. Shown trampling, Brennan had already appeared before the commission of discipline of the ERC before November, but it had been bleached.

Is it any wonder I struggle to make sense of rugby?

The funniest thing I've read in ages. Must get a few more articles translated.
Title: Re: Journalist's eyewitness account
Post by: ONeill on January 22, 2007, 07:04:11 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 05:05:20 PM


"He didn't know why he had been singled out. He watched Brennan comes towards him and he actually thought he was going to shake his hand.


Although this rivals it for hilarity.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: pintsofguinness on January 22, 2007, 07:05:53 PM
QuoteOf course, I don't expect you to take my word for this, despite my having watched Ulster play home and away on a few occasions; however, I might refer you to Donagh's post on the matter (unless he's too much of a sectarian Protestant bigot for you to believe, either)
You see that's it right there! All you're interested in is protecting ulster fans. I don't give a flying f**k what ulster fans do or what reputation they have. And where the f**k is this "sectarian prtestant bigot for you to believe" coming from? What the hell are you talking about?  That says a lot to, you're trying to turn this into a political argument.

As for sources, I read it in the paper, I read it on the website rufus put up and I'm listening to reports on it on the radio all day, sorry I didn't get the names and addresses of those who rang in.

And I picked your number 2 point because I thought it was so ridiculous, nearly as ridiculous as your claims about what happened.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: SammyG on January 22, 2007, 07:07:19 PM
I've just spoken to a lad, who was there, and he confirmed the BBC account, virtually word for word, even though he's still in France and hasn't seen the BBC news.

Couple of questions:

1) What is the source for the stories about Brennans mother/sectarian abuse?
2)  Brennan came out to warm up and was doing press-ups (while the Ulster fans counted). He was laughing and joking with the fans. There was then some chanting about his pub and he waded in. This whole procedure lasted 3 or 4 minutes, so how can there have been 15 minutes of abuse?
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 07:08:43 PM
Quote from: Josey Whales on January 22, 2007, 06:43:53 PM
"It is on the BBC's website - they are hardly likely to allow someone to use that forum merely to satisfy a private agenda (e.g. defending Ulster fans willy-nilly);".

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that.

"or it could even be that the French cops might not have welcomed charges against a popular local sportsman"

No offence but that statement is taking the piss.

"Or simply that he just wanted to get the hell home and forget about the whole thing "

Funny that photos of him posing his sporting his damaged jaw after the incident appeared everywhere.(hardly wanting to forget about it)

If Brennan went up there because someone called his pub shite then good enough for him he's  abigger clown than i though he was. I still find it hard to believe that any person with even half a braincell would climb 8 rows through the Ulster fans to pick out one individual who called his pub shite. And until i hear from a neutral i don't believe it.

You have taken two possible explanations for why no charges have been pressed (yet), but ignored the others.
As for the photograph, that will have taken all of two minutes of his time - perhaps whilst waiting in hospital, or at the airport? It's not as if he did a two-page spread and "My Toulouse Hell" story for The Sun, after all. Any half-arsed journalist in the vicinity will have seen the state of his face and asked for a snap, it could even have been one of the victim's mates, with a camera-phone.

The fact is, neither you nor anyone else have produced any credible evidence that the victim said or did anything outrageous, whereas there is now clear evidence of nothing more than mild sledging from him (if that).
As for Brennan, we do know that he, a massive guy in a very physical sport, repeatedly punched the fan, for what cannot have been more than verbal abuse (or do you not believe he actually did hit him, either?)
Your "half a braincell" comment, however, may be much more apposite than you think, since TB has long had a clearly established reputation for violence, often unprovoked, over many years.

I am afraid a trend is emerging from several posters on this thread: "Southern Irish rugby player hits Ulster fan - fan must have deserved it".

Why do I feel that if it had been "Ulster player hits Southern Irish fan" the reaction from those self-same posters would have been to hang the Ulster player from the highest gallows?  >:(
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 07:13:32 PM
Quote from: Bogball XV on January 22, 2007, 06:56:56 PM
tbh chants for 15 mins

The "15 minutes" line seems to have come from Pints of G. He has not been able to substantiate it, other than "I heard it on the radio" etc
I'm almost disappointed it wasn't "A bloke down the pub"  ???
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: pintsofguinness on January 22, 2007, 07:17:13 PM
QuoteI've just spoken to a lad, who was there, and he confirmed the BBC account, virtually word for word, even though he's still in France and hasn't seen the BBC news.
::)

Quote
Why do I feel that if it had been "Ulster player hits Southern Irish fan" the reaction from those self-same posters would have been to hang the Ulster player from the highest gallows?
Because you're a bigoted p***k that can't see past politics? Just a question.
Btw you do know there's a lot of those who posted on this thread from ulster or are we not allowed to support them?

Quote
The "15 minutes" line seems to have come from Pints of G. He has not been able to substantiate it, other than "I heard it on the radio" etc
I'm almost disappointed it wasn't "A bloke down the pub"
Someone rang into the radio and said the chanting went on for 10-15 minutes.  Excuse me for not writing down his  name and address.

Btw why is sammy's "I've just spoken to a lad" ok??
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 07:21:28 PM
Quote from: Donagh on January 22, 2007, 07:01:08 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 06:51:19 PM
You are claiming that his mother was insulted and he was subjected to sectarian abuse (both?), for a full 15 minutes. Where is your source for this? And by "source", I don't mean something beginning with "I heard...", or "it's on a website...", try being specifi, you know, names, web addresses, newspapers etc.

I had already posted the source for this earlier. The allegations were made by callers to Liveline this afternoon. It can be downloaded from the RTE website.

So we're supposed to take your recall, of a radio phone-in programme, no doubt fuelled by the  usual bunch of tossers who make up most of those audiences, as a "source"?

Why don't you download it and post it here, so that we can all judge it? After all, it's your source.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: SammyG on January 22, 2007, 07:24:30 PM
QuoteSomeone rang into the radio and said the chanting went on for 10-15 minutes.  Excuse me for not writing down his  name and address.

How can they have chanted for 15 minutes when Brennan was only out for 3 or 4 minutes and was then dragged back to the changing room.

QuoteBtw why is sammy's "I've just spoken to a lad" ok??
Not on it's own, but when he was actually there and his account matches the accounts of others who were there, then it adds to the evidence. The only evidence for the alledged sectarian/mother abuse is some callers to an RTE phone-in, who weren't at the match.
Quote
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: pintsofguinness on January 22, 2007, 07:26:28 PM
QuoteHow can they have chanted for 15 minutes when Brennan was only out for 3 or 4 minutes and was then dragged back to the changing room.
Ask the person who rang into the radio!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 07:31:02 PM
Quote from: pintsofguinness on January 22, 2007, 07:17:13 PM
Someone rang into the radio and said the chanting went on for 10-15 minutes.  Excuse me for not writing down his  name and address.

Btw why is sammy's "I've just spoken to a lad" ok??

So it's your "Someone" who "rang into the radio and said the chanting went on for 10-15 minutes" against a named journalist, who provided an eye-witness account on the website of one of the world's best known and authoritative newsrooms?

Pathetic.

Btw, if you wish to challenge SammyG on his post, why don't you, er, challenge Sammy? I made no reference to it (in fact, I hadn't even read it, since I was posting at the time!)...
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: pintsofguinness on January 22, 2007, 07:36:06 PM
QuoteSo it's your "Someone" who "rang into the radio and said the chanting went on for 10-15 minutes" against a named journalist, who provided an eye-witness account on the website of one of the world's best known and authoritative newsrooms?
:D  :D  :D
The BBC has never told a lie  :D  :D  :D
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 07:41:37 PM
Quote from: pintsofguinness on January 22, 2007, 07:36:06 PM
QuoteSo it's your "Someone" who "rang into the radio and said the chanting went on for 10-15 minutes" against a named journalist, who provided an eye-witness account on the website of one of the world's best known and authoritative newsrooms?
:D  :D  :D
The BBC has never told a lie  :D  :D  :D

I'm sure it has, just as do callers to phone-in radio stations, or even posters on websites.

However, what cause would Fowler have to make it up? After all, "TB lays into Bigoted Hooligan after Prolonged Abuse" makes just as good a headline. Or must Fowler inevitably be biased, as well?
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Donagh on January 22, 2007, 07:42:48 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 07:21:28 PM
Quote from: Donagh on January 22, 2007, 07:01:08 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 22, 2007, 06:51:19 PM
You are claiming that his mother was insulted and he was subjected to sectarian abuse (both?), for a full 15 minutes. Where is your source for this? And by "source", I don't mean something beginning with "I heard...", or "it's on a website...", try being specifi, you know, names, web addresses, newspapers etc.

I had already posted the source for this earlier. The allegations were made by callers to Liveline this afternoon. It can be downloaded from the RTE website.

So we're supposed to take your recall, of a radio phone-in programme, no doubt fuelled by the  usual bunch of tossers who make up most of those audiences, as a "source"?

Why don't you download it and post it here, so that we can all judge it? After all, it's your source.

Go fcuk yourself. You asked for the source and I told you where it was.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Josey Whales on January 22, 2007, 07:48:03 PM
Toulouse Rugby also issued a statement on Monday, defending Brennan and claiming that he acted in response to "repeated provocation" by Ulster supporters.

The French club claimed that fans had made repeated references to the forward's mother and added that "such supporters have no place in any sporting arena and even less so in rugby".

The statement also alleged that Brennan had been "sprinkled with beer" before punching the Ulster fan and described the former Irish international as "a generous player who always respects his opponents and their supporters".

They described Brennan's actions as "inexcusable but humanly understandable" and said they would ask the ERC to launch an investigation into the behaviour of some of the Ulster supporters.

I suppose they are liars too and all Ulster rugby fans are as pure as snow. Two very differing accounts which suggests to me we'll never find out.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Josey Whales on January 22, 2007, 07:50:54 PM
The below is another alleged version of the events that transpired. Just posting it to prove ther eis more thna one account out there. This appeared on the Ulster rugby website- could be taking the piss but so could many of the ulster fans.




I had the unfortunate experience of witnessing the ugly scenes at the Ulster game in Toulouse with my own eyes. I have to say that after reading the posts here there seems to be a lot of bulls**tters, firstly Brennan is not arrested, secondly the guys jaw is not broken, thirdly the Ulster fans behaved in a most obnoxious manner that I have never EVER scene at a match. It was very acidic comments that were full of vitrolic anger for some reason (considering Brennan played host for the weekend in his bar this seems bizarre).

The fella who got punched sang at Brennan 'Your mother is a whore' repeatedly, now I dont know about you but that is pretty appaling and some of the Ulster fans should have told him to shut up and did say at the top of my voice 'God is this a Rugby game or a football game', I didnt want to intervene because firstly I am not an Ulster fan and secondly it would have been a pain in the ar$e to get over to where he was sitting.

Anyway I do not excuse Brennans behaviour in fact I condem it but the way the fans acted was appailing and I think Ulster rugby must hang its head in shame once again especially since the London Irish game where it is common knowledge racist remarks were made.

With regards to the Alfie situation, I am not sure but I heard that bigotted remarks were aimed at him and that he had told a few people he would never et anyone get away with what was said (what was said I do not know to be honest).

Anyway I thought I would give the real version oof what happened, it is a shame because I always enjoyed a game up in Ravenhill but I will think twice about coming over for a game now,

Many thanks for reading this,

Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Over the Bar on January 22, 2007, 09:07:14 PM
That account sounds a bit more plausible.   To think that a player would do anything other than laugh at a dickhead shouting "Your bar is rubbish" is difficult to believe and for Santa to claim this is all he did to warrant the thumping is preposterous.  Get real people!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: slow corner back on January 22, 2007, 09:37:37 PM
This all appears to be a bit bizarre, what was Thomas at to say nothing of Brennan. I have to say what really amazes me is Brennan was only warming up, he beats the head off a fan and then is quite happily introduced into the game as a substitute by the toulouse management. Why did the cops at the ground not arrest or at least question Brennan after a very public assault and what were the match officials and toulouse management doing by letting him onto the field of play to assault someone else. I do not know how PROFESSIONAL!!!!! rugby works but I am sure that if this happened in a GAA match Noel Thompson et all would have a field day about the organisation, security etc etc.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Hardy on January 22, 2007, 09:57:32 PM
As regards Brennan being arrested by les flics, that lad on BBC NI sport announced with some exasperation this evening that when he contacted Toulouse police to ask when they'd be locking Trevor up, they replied to the effect that this was a private matter between two people and they didn't know what all the fuss was about!.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: mick999 on January 23, 2007, 03:41:52 AM
This might be why The french police don't care ...
From Trevor's diary for the erc ...

http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/32_6210.php



On Tuesday I set off to work, came round the corner and came to a police checkpoint. Thankfully I had my mobile phone on speaker when talking to a friend and I also had my seatbelt on, something I've been caught for a few times. I knew that the first policeman recognised me as he told me to pull my jeep in.

I pulled down my window and about five police came over and got me out of the jeep. "What's the problem lads?"

"Ah nothing. Everything's okay. We just want to know what happened on Saturday?"

"I wish I knew," I tell them, and everybody else who has been asking me for the last few days.

They asked me: "Did you think you got that try?"

"Well, I think so," I say.

  There was no anger or animosity, just pure shock everywhere. No-one can believe it, understand it, or explain it.

"We just stopped you to let you down that all the police in Toulouse are behind you and we hope you go on and win the Bouclier." They had been stopping every second car but now everybody else was being let through. The other drivers must have been delighted.

Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Declan on January 23, 2007, 07:10:30 AM
Brennan regrets altercation

Johnny Watterson and Gerry Thornley

RUGBY: Former Irish international and current Toulouse secondrow Trevor Brennan issued a statement last night saying that he regretted the altercation with an Ulster fan that occurred during his side's final Heineken European Cup pool game against Ulster on Sunday.

Brennan, who stepped over the divide that separates the pitch from the team supporters and became involved in a physical dispute, now faces a lengthy ban if he is found to have assaulted the spectator.

The incident has led to the European Rugby Cup (ERC) launching an official investigation into the controversy at Stade Ernest Wallon.

Brennan said that some Ulster fans were being abusive and that beer was thrown at him, but that there was no sectarian element involved prior to the altercation.

The former Leinster player also said that he had the highest regard for Ulster supporters.

"After the problem that occurred during the match that we played against Ulster on Sunday, I would like to give my version of events.

"For this match I was a substitute. Just after half-time, my coach Guy Noves asked me to warm up, which I started to do behind the try line of Ulster," says Brennan.

"Almost as soon, I saw and heard a group of Ulster supporters, arms up, singing 'Brennan your mother is a whore lalalala'. At this stage, I approached this group, who threw beer at me. Some supporters told me not to pay attention to what they were saying. One said: 'I'm sure your mother is not like that'.

"I regret this incident happened, I didn't initiate or provoke it, it was the last thing I would have wished for. I've always respected and I have always been respected by supporters from all teams that I've played against. I've played many times against Ulster before and I've never had any problems with supporters. I would like all supporters to understand my reaction.

"I have the highest regard for all supporters, they are the life blood behind every sport. I met numerous Ulster supporters in the days leading to the match and they were an absolute pleasure to be around.

"I love playing rugby, I love playing for Toulouse and I love the fans. But what I love more, is my family and my mother."

The 33-year-old, capped 13 times for Ireland, said that he felt it was important to give his version of events after it had been suggested in newspapers and on radio discussions that his actions had been prompted by chants and shouts regarding his pub in Toulouse, De Danu.

Brennan has now been advised by club officials in Toulouse not to add any further comment pending the ERC investigation into the incident.

Ulster Rugby also issued a statement calling the whole episode "a disgrace" and claimed that the Toulouse secondrow "physically assaulted a member of the Ulster travelling support".

The statement went on to say that it "condemns Brennan for his actions which have tarnished the game of rugby football".

In what was the second and most robustly worded of their statements since Sunday evening, Ulster confirmed that they will lodge an official report with the ERC today regarding what they refer to as "an unacceptable off-field incident".

"The disgraceful incident occurred when Brennan, who was warming up in front of a section of the Ulster travelling support, which included women and young families, left the playing enclosure, climbed over the pitch hoarding and physically assaulted a member of the Ulster travelling support, Patrick Bamford, aged 25, an accountant originally from Belfast, now living in London," said the statement.

"Following the final whistle Mr Bamford was examined by the Ulster team doctor and Ulster Rugby has since been in contact with Mr Bamford, who has received medical treatment upon his return to London.

"While Ulster Rugby's immediate concern was for the well-being of Mr Bamford, it would now urge the tournament organisers, the ERC, and Stade Toulousain, to take immediate action to resolve this matter and Ulster Rugby condemns Brennan for his actions which have tarnished the game of rugby football.

"Ulster Rugby is entirely confident that the dialogue directed at Brennan was never of a sectarian nature and will be furnishing witness statements to that effect."

The ERC's Disciplinary Officer, Roger O'Connor, has contacted both clubs asking them to supply full details of the incident and has also requested reports from the match officials and broadcasters at the game.

A decision on any misconduct complaints to be brought against players or the clubs involved will be made following this investigation.

Other reports, including that on the BBC website from BBC Northern Ireland journalist Julian Fowler, also claims that there was little provocation from the Ulster fans prior to the fracas.

Fowler says that the man assaulted made a statement to the French police before leaving to fly back to his home in London.

The eyewitness account from the journalist said that a number of Ulster fans had made disparaging comments about the Irishman's premises.

"A number of the Ulster supporters started to chant, 'Your pub's a load of rubbish'. Rubbish wasn't exactly the word they used but it wasn't that much more offensive that that," he said on the BBC website.

"He (Brennan) turned towards the crowd and climbed over a barrier and walked up the steps towards the eighth row where this fan was sitting. There was a sustained, repeated attack and I saw at least half a dozen, if not more, punches. The supporter was just a young fellow with a group of friends and I wouldn't have said that he was in any way drunk or aggressive."

The BBC reporter added that the incident had left the supporter's face bloodied and swollen.

"I also spoke to him at the airport six hours after the incident and he said that he was still in a state of shock. He didn't know why he had been singled out. He watched Brennan come towards him and he actually thought he was going to shake his hand.

"The fan told me that he had made a statement to (French) police after the game but he wasn't sure last night what if any action he was going to take because he was still in a state of shock."

The statement from the Toulouse club said that the club found Brennan's reaction unacceptable but also understandable.

"We're very sorry for the incident that took place during the match, but we've got to say that the staff didn't know about it and was informed of it at the end of the game," said Toulouse.

"It is the first time ever that such an incident has taken place in our stadium. Trevor Brennan is a very generous player, who has always been respected by his opponents and supporters.

"It needed a provocation to make him react in such a way, which is not acceptable but humanly understandable. There are words and behaviour that can hurt people deeply and we ask anyone to take that into account so that such an incident should not happen again in a sport that the virtues of friendship and conviviality are essential.

"Everyone will have to take their responsibilities. There are rules in the ERC regulations and we ask the ERC to conduct their inquiry, especially on the behaviour of a small minority of Ulster supporters. We shall be very careful that the rules of the ERC are implemented with understanding and equity for everybody."

In other recent incidents involving rugby players, Welsh centre Gavin Henson received a 10-week ban for elbowing Alejandro Moreno last December and breaking his nose, while in November South Africa's Jon Smit got a six-week ban for striking France skipper Jerome Thion.

French captain Fabien Pelous was also banned for nine weeks for elbowing Australia's Brendan Cannon, while Munster's Alan Quinlan recently received a six-week ban for a stamping incident.

Ireland's most notorious incident involved former Munster and Irish prop Peter Clohessy, who was banned for 26 weeks in 1996 for stamping on Frenchman Olivier Roumat in Pari
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Dinny Breen on January 23, 2007, 09:30:00 AM
Quote"Almost as soon, I saw and heard a group of Ulster supporters, arms up, singing 'Brennan your mother is a whore lalalala'. At this stage, I approached this group, who threw beer at me. Some supporters told me not to pay attention to what they were saying. One said: 'I'm sure your mother is not like that'.

Understandable Trevors reaction, at least he knows he crossed the line. Would like to see sanctions imposed on those Ulster supporters chanting such vile. Reading the Leinster, Munster and Gwlad (Welsh Rugby) boards it looks like Ulster supporters are getting quite a bad rep, probably a minority but it seems to be growing.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: AZOffaly on January 23, 2007, 09:37:46 AM
I was driving up to Dublin this morning, careful on the M7 lads!, and Ger Gilroy gave the Ulster fans an awful doing on Newstalk's morning show at about 7 am. He basically said they were the worst supporters for abuse he'd ever sat in with.

Now, having said that he *is* a Leinster nancy boy ( ;D Dinny), but even so ....
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: SlimShady on January 23, 2007, 09:40:47 AM
yeah, probably a minority. i bet that idiot with a 20p is one of them too  :D ;D
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: sureyouwill on January 23, 2007, 10:21:27 AM
A colleague who was at the match is just back in the office, he said he was sitting 10 rows behind where the incident occurred and heard only shouting about the crap beer in Brennan's pub, he said when he climbled into the stand, he thought he recognised someone and was going over to say hello!!!  :o
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Over the Bar on January 23, 2007, 10:34:37 AM
Maybe, just maybe the fella in the Santa hat was shouting "HO-HO-HO!" and Trev thought he was insulting his mum!   ;D
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: realredhandfan on January 23, 2007, 10:42:13 AM
Extreme reactions in fairness are generall provoked by extreme provocation.  Remmeber the infidels case for defence in the Cantona incident he shouted
'Off you go Cantona it looks like its an early shower for you'  wheras it was proven to be racist abuse.  I think we all know Metarazzi wasnt admiring Zidanes hairdo.  In the light of this I think we can safely assume that the fan was either racist or personal and he should be like Cantona / Zidane and obviously Brennan and face charges.  Lots of sports need to clean up their act.  The moral of the story is if you have any influence over the idiot beside ye tell him to shut the feck up.   
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Declan on January 23, 2007, 10:44:49 AM
QuoteGer Gilroy gave the Ulster fans an awful doing on Newstalk's morning show at about 7 am. He basically said they were the worst supporters for abuse he'd ever sat in with.

Heard that as well AZ. I was interested to hear that given the emphasis eveyone gives to the fairness and camaradarie amongst the rugger types
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 11:08:47 AM
Here is the Radio Interview given by the BBC reporter, Jeremy Fowler:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/ulster/6286055.stm

Some more eyewitness accounts taken from the Ulster fans website - www.uafc.co.uk, or from www.ulsterrugby.com, including some with names/contact details etc:

Posted by "Le Paul", resident in Vienne (France): Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:01 pm   

Just back home and exhausted from what has been a cracking weekend.

I cannot say with any authority, although I was 4 rows behind the incident, but there was a lot of banter directed towards Brennan which he had encouraged from the off. There were loads of comments about his bar (which to be honest are true it is a doss house) and then it happened. When he started to walk towards the supporters I said to the girl sitting next to me "brad pitt - he's going to whack someone". Over the wall he came looking like the psycho that he preoved once again he was, and all hell broke loose.

One of our party is a translator and she went to communicate between the stewards (who were at a loss as to what to do not surprisingly) and the supporters who were all very fired up and very upset. She also translated for the guy who was hit and the ambulance crew. She was certain that they had diagnosed a fracture to the upper jaw. I understand that there is a conection between Brennan and the guy who was hit. I'm not certain what but there seems to be some sort of history.

Either way it is the behaviour of an animal and not welcomed in rugby. There were nearly 100 kids who had put on a mini rugby show prior to the match and were in an enclosure watching this. Good God what signals does that send out. The atmosphere had been amongst the best I had ever known between the twp sets of supporters and the craic getween everyone was excellent. At that point we were right in there and had a serious chance of taking the win. This incident affected the team even before the Harrison incident.

Also should mention that everyone, French and Ulster and whoever else was there shouted things like scum and the French equivalent of AR*EHOL* at Brennan for quite a time. Many many Toulousian supporters came to us after the match apologising. They knew we were in the match well and that this changed all that.

Oh and one final point, Gareth Thomas was held back from the opposite end from jumping into the crowd to have a go at some or 1 supporter. That was after the Brennan incident.

Gotta say that the atmosphere after the Brennan incident disappeared for everyone and it was a shambles. Made worse by the fact that the Toulouse bench went ahead and put Brennan on. When he was si-binned they didnt let him go back on after the 10 mins were over.

(Later point by Le Paul):
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 7:15 am   
The water, and beer, were thrown at Brennan after he had whacked the supporter and was walking back down the touchline. I saw nothing thrown prior to the incident.

To ensure you understand - all drink containers (ie plastic cups and bottles) have ALL lids removed on entering the ground and by Toulousian staff. The worst he was hit by was thin streams of beer or water.

Account by "Flattop"
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 10:53 am   
Glad you got home safelly Jamesie, I thought I would wait until this morning before posting, you will see below I agree exactly with your account. Tony Spreadbury was on our flight and I can confirm from a conversation with him that no match officials were aware of the incident and that explains why TB was allowed to play in the first instance.

At the Stade Ernest Walloon the Toulouse support occupied both ends and one side of the stadium placing us Ulster fans in one corner directly in line with the try line. Shortly after the second half restart the TB came down to the in-goal area alone to begin his warm-up, he was laughing and encourgaging the crowd with gestures to sing-up and cheer, etc...the Ulster section began some friendly banter directed at him, you know the sort of usual "who are you, who are you", he was still laughing back toward us and appeared to get the joke, the atmosphere was superb and very friendly amongst both sets of fans who continued to try and outsing each other.

One lad about 8 rows behind me and about three or four places to my left (I was on the very front row behind a very low concrete wall) could be heard over the crowd directing a specific chant/volley at TB. The chant went along the lines of "your bar is sh**e", "your beer is flat", "its so bad it ruined my friday night", now as I was closer to TB than most I can say that he could likely only hear what I could hear, and that did not include any religious references or to his mother or any other member of his family...TB could hear this and came closer to the side of the pitch now looking directly at the lad, he repeated this with the crowd of course finding it all hillarious (TB was at this point staring straight at him and appeared to be smiling), then in a split second he took about two steps and was over the wall and moving up through the crowd of Ulster fans until he reached the fan in as I say about row 8 or 9, with one hand he pinned the guy to his seat and then unleashed his own volley of about 5 or 6 unanswered blows directly to the face. You have to imagine the shock of all around, we couldn't beleive what was happening, everyone assumed he was about to playfully hug the guy or maybe grab his silly hat or something along those lines, the assualt appeared to happen in slow motion and then quite quickly (unfortunately not quick enough for the Ulster lads jaw!) some crowd marshalls dragged the player out of the crowd and returned him to the pitch. I did not see the Alfie incident as i was now more concerned about what was happening behind me, and I can confirm it was beer and water after the incident because I ended up wearing most of it, but once again I agree with Jamesie as we talked to him at the airport later to find that he had over-reacted and once he saw a photo of the incident on a guys phone he was clearly shocked over what TB had actually done.

The crowd are now in disbelief with what we just witnessed, people are calling for the officials to get medical help and police, of course the game is still taking place during all of this with non of the match officials or players aware of the incident. The crowd continue to ask for action to be taken only then to see this player enter the field of play as he has been brought on as a substitute!

Security and marshalls then swamp the Ulster end of the crowd, who are angry, but be clear never likely to storm the pitch or cause trouble, and minutes after his introduction the player is involved in an on-field incident that I understand will see him sited but at the time earned him a yellow card. We all beleive no officials or coaches from Toulouse knew about this crowd incident when he was allowed onto the pitch the first time but by the end of his sin-bin if was clear that the Toulouse coach would not let the player return, and he was substituted and played no further part in the game...in many peoples view the last time he will play in any game!

The second half just didn't happen for the Ulster support or it appeared for the team, we felt that by half way through that half they sensed what was going on and the play was clearly affected ending in a dismal 28 -13 defeat. This incident will be likened to the infamous cantana affair but I can tell you this was more thought out and definately much more of a sustained assault...I am sure if it was capured on French TV it will play on what happened next programs for ever.

Some more from "Flattop" on the French Officials' lack of reaction at the time:
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:17 pm   
...the play was at the opposite end of the ground at the time which was obviously where all officials were looking and that of course how TB was able to be warming up in the in-goal area at the "ulster end". The incident was really quick and although the attention of everyone on the benches would have been quickly directed our way by then they could only have seen lots of people shouting angrily at each other without being able to determine what had just happened. TB's introduction to the field was pretty quick after that so I would like to think the Toulouse coach had already planned that move before the fracas and of course in hindsight I bet he wished he hadn't.

Comment by Red Hand PD:
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 7:59 pm   
Just to clarify, I was at the match, 4 or 5 seats across from where Paddy B was sitting and in the row in front of Jamsie. There were NO sectarian chants or comments, NOTHING was said about TB mother. I cannot think of anyway that what was said, as documented my original post, could be taken as sectarian of offensive towards TB's mother. The poor guy who was assaulted did not bring this upon himself. Look at the pics, Paddy B did not attempt to defend himself because he, nor those sitting in that part of the ground, expected this extremely violent attack from a so called professional. There is absoultely no excuse for TB actions. 

From "Missed Touch":
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 10:21 pm   
I am a regular reader of this forum though rarely post but how this incident is being reported really fecks me off so I thought I would add my tuppence worth!

I was also at the game and was situated two seats to the right of Red Hand PD and just in front of Jamesie (some may not believe me but I have the ticket to prove it). I actually sat beside Patrick Bamford for the first half and chatted to him. He was merry for sure but not in any kind of unpleasant way and was actually complimenting Toulouse on some of their play. He moved a couple of seats away at halftime and down one row to the seat at the steps in row 6.

I don't want to re-hash all that has been discussed other than to add my support to the original account provided (for clarity, RHPD is a friend, I don't know any other posters) and subsequently backed up by Jamesie, LePaul and others. Brennan received banter about his pub and the quality of his beer. There were no racist, sectarian or personal insults (unless insulting his bar is personal) as has been reported here and elsewhere. Others will wish to drag Ulster through the mud but I know what I heard and saw.

I will be contacting the branch in the morning to see if they want me to make a written statement which can be submitted to ERC on the matter. I did give my name and number to whoever was collecting them at the time. I'm not sure if it was someone from the branch or one of Patrick's mates.

I am still quite shocked by the incident - afterwards Ulster fans were just looking at each other in amazement. It was an unreal moment.

The only possible explanation is that TB thought he heard something sectarian or personal - it does seem strange that someone would lose the plot over what I heard, even if they are a known hothead. He will obviously give his side of the story in due course and may be doing so already through his Uncle. 

From "Wee Bunz":
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 6:06 pm 
For what it's worth, here's my account. I was sitting about 6 rows behind Jamsie.

TB came down to the Ulster corner to warm up for the second half, and there was a general "Wehhheyy Trevor" went up from the Ulster fans.

He knelt down to stretch out his hamstrings and got a few wolf whistles for his efforts. On starting to do his press ups we all started to count (a few counts behind what he had actually done)

He got up (to more wolf whistles) and he gestured to the crowd "bring it on" and at this stage he was smiling.

I did hear shouting at this stage and it was something about his pub (but a bit unclear what over the noise) I assumed someone commented on the smell of the toilets that was evident from the minute you walk through the door.

I did not hear anything regarding Trevor's mother, and as for the claims in the French press that the chants were sectarian, that in itself is as offensive as it is untrue.

There was nothing, and I mean NOTHING, that makes TB's actions "understandable in the circumstances" Everyone is totally shaken by it because it was bl**dy scary and I'm not easily spooked. I can only sympathise with the Toulousian family sat beside us with young children, who looked horrified at what was happening.

Personally, given the similarity in circumstances between both TB's and Alfi's outbursts, it would probably be useful to rule out information that would come from a blood test or two - but I doubt we'll ever see that.

I've never seen anything like it, but there's been a lot of root written about this on a variety of websites and french press that is only making matters worse.

BTW WB has some footage on video camera and having listened to it again there is still nothing to back up claims of secterian abuse or any derogatory remarks about his mother. 

Account by Martine (lives in Queaux, France), who was directly involved:
I was in row 13 and the young guy Patrick who Brennan punched the Living daylights out of was in row 7 or 8.

As i am from Newtownards but live in France it was me who took the chap to the Infirmeie with the doctor and the Officials to translate for him. HE DID NOT PROVOKE BRENNAN IN ANY WAY OTHER THAN NORMAL BANTER LIKE ALL THE SUPPORTERS.

HOWEVER because he was the tallest and wearing bright red Brennan decided he was the one going to get walloped.

And wallop him he did.
Absolutely disgusting makes me ashamed that he s a fellow countryman.

Young Patrick (who got punched) luckily did not want to press charges as he had a flight to catch back to London at 8pm but give the French Officials their dues they advised him to do so.

It really ruined the rest of the match for me as i didnt appreciate wearing somene elses blood for the remainder of the game.

I sincerely hope that the Officials invloved finish his game for good. After all Cantona was done for the exact same thing.

Martine Boyce
_________________
MARTINE BOYCE

From "Mr. Frosty"
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 3:42 pm   
Just logged in on a hunch as suspected there may be some of this chat flying around. For the record, I was sat in the seat diagonally behind the guy who was attacked by Brennan and he is a friend of mine. I read jonip's comment with interest, as I am a Catholic and I can categorically say there were no sectarian comments at all (at least not in that section, clearly I can't speak for the whole crowd). It seems to me to be a fairly cynical attempt to justify Brennan's behaviour, which was unjustifiable no matter what was said. There was also no mention made of his mother. The only things being sung were "You're bar is f**kin sh**e" and the point where Brennan snapped was after Paddy shouted that the bar was "below average" and that "O'Neill's is a better Irish bar than it".

Brennan actually had a smile on his face as he came over the barrier....we thought he was popping over for a bit of craic, hence Paddy made no attempt to defend himself - he didn't even realise it was coming.

Another fallacy being bandied around - there was beer and spit being thrown at him. Yes, this is true, but only after he had repeatedly thumped one of our guys in the face, NOT BEFORE. Everyone was having a great time up until this happened and all the banter was in good spirit.

I can honestly say that I have never witnessed a more violent act in my life and even the thought of it now makes me sick. This man is a thug and deserves to be never allowed on a rugby pitch for the rest of his life.

From Peter G Wilson:
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:30 pm   
Quick bit of background. I'm an Ulsterman living in London and supporting Wasps. I was in Toulouse to watch the Castres / Wasps match and the Ulster match. I was about 15 rows behind the incident and therefore couldn't hear everything but I know what I saw. Brennan assaulted a member of the crowd. Water and beer were thrown but only when Brennan was leaving the scene, not before. I spoke to many fans after the match (and well into the night) and everyone was pretty much saying the same thing. The thing that seems to have triggered Brennan was the shout that "his bar was ". That bit is actually true. The beer is expensive and bad. Up to that point everything was very friendly. There can be NO excuse for this behavour. The ERU will probably have no choice to bar him for life to discourage anything like this from happening again.

From "Young Man":
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:56 am   
Just recovered from the trip and now in Ivory tower in a position to comment..................it has now gone from religious hatred to racism, now to having called his mother a wh*re ...........how unbelievable, Brennan was warming up in front of the crowd some were shouting "who are yee" to which he was responding to the crowd and made humorous gestures back............he then walked up through the crowd ( i thought he was wanting a photo with Jamesie  ) He then viciously assaulted Patrick while sitting down and unable to defend himself,This was the actions of a coward or a person that did not have natural control of himself i wonder if there is more to that!!.............. after the assault he calmly walked away without any remorse what so ever , we spoke with many Toulouse fans after the match and they were disgusted with his behaviour. i spoke with Harrison after the game who stated that Brennan had tried to gouge his eyeballs out..............clearly a man that had lost the plot


There was also a very detailed account by "Jamesie" (sitting next to the guy who got hit, he's actually in some of the photos which weren't tightly cropped) which I can't find just now. He actually spoke to Alfie Thomas at the airport and testifies that Thomas was actually shocked at his own conduct and was apologetic etc. If/when I find it, I'll post it separately.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Dinny Breen on January 23, 2007, 11:54:18 AM
In breaking news Ulster Fans defend Ulster Fans  ::)

Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Josey Whales on January 23, 2007, 12:22:52 PM
Don't know what you're trying to prove Evil Genius- it's hardly breaking news that Ulster rugby fans defend Ulster rugby fans. As far as I can see we still have two diametrically opposite views and are still no nearer to finding out what really happenned.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: An Lark on January 23, 2007, 12:45:59 PM
Lads I think it is only natural to defend your own when you feel you are being hard done by. Why should Ulster fans be any different?

From reading the reports above and Brennan's explanation in the Irish Times it is quite possible that Trevor misheard what was said and reacted the way he did.

Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Over the Bar on January 23, 2007, 12:48:08 PM
Maybe Brennan had dyslexic vision and saw Santa as Satan? who knows!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 01:15:52 PM
Quote from: Josey Whales on January 23, 2007, 12:22:52 PM
Don't know what you're trying to prove Evil Genius- it's hardly breaking news that Ulster rugby fans defend Ulster rugby fans. As far as I can see we still have two diametrically opposite views and are still no nearer to finding out what really happenned.

"Ulster rugby fans defend Ulster rugby fans", or "Innocent victims defend their reputation from unfair and uninformed vilification"?

The two need hardly be contradictory.

As for the general point I was making, it was that those Ulster fans who were not only at the game, but in very close vicinity to the incident and/or involved, are all producing a remarkably consistent account of what actually happened.
And considering those accounts mostly emerged very soon after the event, from a variety of people located in France, England and Ireland, and in several forums, it is hardly credible (imo) that they could have got together to "get their story straight".
Indeed, some of those accounts were first posts i.e from people who opened memberships expressly to say what they saw (i.e. not the "usual suspects")

In particular, there is one aspect of the affair which I, as a casual Ulster fan, would like to nail comprehensively. In the aftermath, there were accusations that there was a sectarian element to the provocation. Indeed, it appears that one of the sources for this may have been TB's uncle, who participated in an RTE Radio phone in.
This allegation was alluded to by several posters on this Board.
It is significant that in his first considered statement on the matter, TB himself dismissed this slur completely.

This leaves the remaining question as to whether the provocation was personal (mother) or mere banter (lousy bar). I must confess, I always thought that "Your mother's a whore" is an unusual chant to hear on any sports field, never mind a traditionally well-behaved arena like rugby. After all, it hardly scans like "The Referee's a w**ker" etc.
And by looking at the photos, the people immediately next to Bamford included not only the middle-aged dark-haired woman (and husband?), but also on his left, a young blonde girl (in her 20's?), cropped from some photos. These simply do not look to be the sort who would tolerate prolonged baiting of the sort claimed by TB.

Which has me leaning towards the conclusion that TB, perhaps fearing for his career and livelihood, is exagerrating, even fabricating, his account. After all, if a 6' 5", 16 stone athlete with a previous well-established reputation for violence would repeatedly pummel someone sitting down and therefore unable to defend himself, then perhaps he might not be averse to lying about it, either?
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: sureyouwill on January 23, 2007, 01:30:08 PM
Quote
And by looking at the photos, the people immediately next to Bamford included not only the middle-aged dark-haired woman (and husband?), but also on his left, a young blonde girl (in her 20's?), cropped from some photos. These simply do not look to be the sort who would tolerate prolonged baiting of the sort claimed by TB.
Quote

And what exactly would you expect them to do if such verbal's had taken place?
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Josey Whales on January 23, 2007, 01:54:01 PM
"And by looking at the photos, the people immediately next to Bamford included not only the middle-aged dark-haired woman (and husband?), but also on his left, a young blonde girl (in her 20's?), cropped from some photos. These simply do not look to be the sort who would tolerate prolonged baiting of the sort claimed by TB."

It gets better - keep them coming- i had to read the above a couple of times just to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving. Like are you having a laugh? Hilarious.

Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 02:03:42 PM
Quote from: sureyouwill on January 23, 2007, 01:30:08 PM
Quote
And by looking at the photos, the people immediately next to Bamford included not only the middle-aged dark-haired woman (and husband?), but also on his left, a young blonde girl (in her 20's?), cropped from some photos. These simply do not look to be the sort who would tolerate prolonged baiting of the sort claimed by TB.
Quote

And what exactly would you expect them to do if such verbal's had taken place?

From my experience of rugby crowds generally (and Ulster crowds specifically) I would expect them to have remonstrated with the offender in no uncertain terms. As such, whilst one cannot easily censor an isolated or sporadic comment, I would expect those people effectively to have prevented it becoming prolonged and intesnse, which is what TB appears to be claiming.

But even if you don't accept that opinion, I'll tell you what I wouldn't expect them to do and that is unanimously to lie or deny that such behaviour as TB claims occurred. Not only would I expect that many would have been too ashamed to say anything in the aftermath, or couched their comment in ambiguous terms, but I have no doubt many others of them would have subsequently spoken out unequivocably to condemn the culprit, had he behaved as alleged.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Carmen Stateside on January 23, 2007, 02:08:09 PM
Not only would I expect that many would have been too ashamed to say anything in the aftermath, or couched their comment in ambiguous terms, but I have no doubt many others of them would have subsequently spoken out unequivocably to condemn the culprit, had he behaved as alleged

Just like their buddys in the RUC!!!!! ::)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: GalwayBayBoy on January 23, 2007, 02:19:22 PM
Truthfully nobody knows where the truth lies. Personally I find it very difficult to believe that Brennan vaulted the fence to bash someone just because they said he had a "below par Irish pub" which is what the fella he slapped has said he shouted out. The night of the punch-up a poster on Munsterfans.com who lives in Toulouse and who was at the match and sitting not too far away from the incident said he heard the "whore" comments and two days later we have Brennan coming out and saying the same thing in the paper which leads me to think someone said something out of order.

Trevor reacted to it and ended up chinning yer man (who in fairness might not be the guilty party at all).

Either way it's incidental in a way as you can't go around punching people so Trevor is justifiably going to be facing a long ban.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 02:21:46 PM
Quote from: Josey Whales on January 23, 2007, 01:54:01 PM
It gets better - keep them coming- i had to read the above a couple of times just to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving. Like are you having a laugh? Hilarious.

(http://taipanos.free.fr/Ovalie-on-the-ouaibe/Photos/ST-Ulster-103ret.jpg)

Look at this photo of TB being led away by a steward. Half the fans are female, and half the fans are middle-aged (or above). A few are young kids.

Does that really look like a group of people who would engage in sustained baiting of a player along the lines of "Your mother's a whore"?

JW, have you ever actually been to a rugby match?

Did you even know who TB was before this incident? If you did, you'll know the reputation he has throughout the game for being a nutter. (And in particular, you'll know that French forward play has a well-earned reputation as being just about the filthiest in Europe)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 02:23:43 PM
Quote from: Carmen Stateside on January 23, 2007, 02:08:09 PM
Not only would I expect that many would have been too ashamed to say anything in the aftermath, or couched their comment in ambiguous terms, but I have no doubt many others of them would have subsequently spoken out unequivocably to condemn the culprit, had he behaved as alleged

Just like their buddys in the RUC!!!!! ::)

So you're equating the crowd at a rugby match to the RUC?

p***k.  >:(
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: An Fear Rua on January 23, 2007, 02:24:26 PM
why the butchers aprons? I thought that was 6 county only effort?
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: armaghniac on January 23, 2007, 03:28:50 PM
No doubt, people with sectarian flags might also be capable of sectarian comments.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Over the Bar on January 23, 2007, 03:34:44 PM
Someone, somewhere must have this on video phone, esp. if he was warming up in front of the fans immediately beforehand. 
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: realredhandfan on January 23, 2007, 03:58:00 PM
What Brennan did he will suffer for, he is guilty as charged, his actions were outragaeous, as were  Cantonas and to a lesser extent Zizou, what needs to be determined quickly, did others contribute to this with racial, personal or sectarian abuse because if thats creeping into Rugby then its has to be nipped in the bud.   
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 04:43:52 PM
Quote from: realredhandfan on January 23, 2007, 03:58:00 PM
What Brennan did he will suffer for, he is guilty as charged, his actions were outragaeous, as were  Cantonas and to a lesser extent Zizou, what needs to be determined quickly, did others contribute to this with racial, personal or sectarian abuse because if thats creeping into Rugby then its has to be nipped in the bud.   

Whatever else it was, any abuse was most definitely NOT either "racial" or "sectarian". This was made explicit in TB's Statement issued yesterday.

If my understanding is correct, this slur originated with TB's Uncle, to an RTE Radio phone-in, where he said his brother - TB's Dad - had told him TB had been called a "Fenian Bastard". Since TB himself has now specifically denied it, it would appear that someone within the family is lying. Anyhow, whoever it was, this slur needs to be nailed once and for all.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 06:22:06 PM
Sky Sports News is reporting a Statement from Paddy Bamford (the guy punched by TB), in which he flatly denied that he or anyone seated near him made any remarks about TB's mother (never mind anything sectarian).
Unfortunately, I can't find anything on their website, though I did find this from the B. Telegraph:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article2178286.ece
I just want an apology, says Ulster rugby fan

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

By Gavin Mairs and Claire McNeilly

The Ulster rugby supporter assaulted by former Irish international Trevor Brennan has said he hopes the player will apologise to him.

And Patrick Bamford, who was attacked during Sunday's bad-tempered Heineken Cup game in France, has flatly denied allegations that he made a sectarian remark to the Toulouse forward.

French reports suggested that Dublin-born Brennan had been subjected to " anti-Catholic singing".

The allegation was made by Brennan's uncle George Brennan on a Dublin radio station yesterday.

Brennan has issued a statement saying he regrets the incident.

In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Bamford, who suffered multiple facial injuries after Brennan jumped into the stand in an Eric Cantona-style attack, refuted the allegations of sectarian abuse.

"My best mate is a Catholic and he was sitting in the seat beside me," he said.

"I can't believe there are allegations of any kind of sectarian chanting."

Mr Bamford, who moved to London two years ago to work as an accountant, said the Ulster supporters at the Ernest Wallon stadium had given Brennan "a bit of banter" about his Irish pub in Toulouse, where many of them had visited the night before.

"The chant was something like 'Your bar's a load of rubbish' and I just shouted out 'A below-par Irish pub, Trevor'.

"Brennan caught my eye as he warmed up in front of us and then he climbed over the barrier and started to climb up the steps.

"I thought it was a bit odd and I thought he was coming for a bit more banter. I actually put my hand out to shake his hand.

"I don't remember much after that. I think it must be the shock of it all. The next thing I remember was being in the Toulouse physio room where I was treated by a French doctor."

Mr Bamford made a statement to French police on Sunday night before flying back to London - but has yet to press charges.

He has a suspected fractured skull and his jaw remains very swollen.

"I am still in a state of shock," he said.

"I have heard nothing at all from the Toulouse club. I don't know what I am going to do."

The Ulsterman said he hoped Brennan would at least offer him an apology.

"It is not up to me to decide what punishment Brennan gets, but it would be nice if he at least apologised to me."

In a statement to the Irish Times, Brennan claimed the bust up arose after spectators insulted his mother.

"Just after half-time my coach Guy Noves asked me to warm up, which I started to do behind the try line of Ulster," he said.

Brennan then said he stepped into he crowd after Ulster fans started chanting about his mother.

"At this stage, I approached this group, who threw beer at me. Some supporters told me not to pay attention to what they were saying."

The Toulouse player added : "I regret this incident happened, I didn't initiate it or provoke it - it was the last thing I would have wished for," he said.


Sky also reiterated that PB has a "suspected fractured skull" and "severely swollen jaw".  :o
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: BallyhaiseMan on January 23, 2007, 06:26:44 PM
Im guessing Mr Patrick Bamford will refrain from taunting Rugby players in future  :D   :D  :D  :D

also i didnt know the Stormont Flag represents the Ulster Rugby Team....

No Donegal, Monaghan or Cavan Rugby fans need apply eh?  ::)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: pintsofguinness on January 23, 2007, 06:28:41 PM
QuoteHe has a suspected fractured skull and his jaw remains very swollen.
I'm no doctor but if he had a fractured skull would be no be in hospital? If he had a "suspected fractured skull" you'd think they'd f**king find out if he did or not?  ::)

QuoteNo Donegal, Monaghan or Cavan Rugby fans need apply eh?
so it would seem.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: dodo on January 23, 2007, 06:33:14 PM
Is that Oisin McConville wearing Joe Kernan's trousars moonlighting as a match steward ?  :-\
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Carmen Stateside on January 23, 2007, 06:36:43 PM
Quote from: pintsofguinness on January 23, 2007, 06:28:41 PM

QuoteNo Donegal, Monaghan or Cavan Rugby fans need apply eh?
so it would seem.

Pity for there is some Big strappin lads from them neck of the woods!!! :(
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: GweylTah on January 23, 2007, 07:07:29 PM
Quote from: An Fear Rua on January 23, 2007, 02:24:26 PM
why the butchers aprons? I thought that was 6 county only effort?


THe bigotted red hand.

Oh the irony!!!

Butchers apron? What year are you in?
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: GweylTah on January 23, 2007, 07:09:26 PM
Quote from: armaghniac on January 23, 2007, 03:28:50 PM
No doubt, people with sectarian flags might also be capable of sectarian comments.


You would be well-qualified to know.

Re-read some of your old posts and for goodness sake sell that greenhouse along with the high horse.

Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 07:13:52 PM
Quote from: pintsofguinness on January 23, 2007, 06:28:41 PM
QuoteHe has a suspected fractured skull and his jaw remains very swollen.
I'm no doctor but if he had a fractured skull would be no be in hospital? If he had a "suspected fractured skull" you'd think they'd f**king find out if he did or not?  ::)

Apparently a fracture is not always evident on X-Ray if there has been no actual bone displacement, especially before the swelling has gone down.

P.S. I think most people will have guessed that you're not a doctor...
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 07:16:08 PM
Quote from: BallyhaiseMan on January 23, 2007, 06:26:44 PM
also i didnt know the Stormont Flag represents the Ulster Rugby Team....

No Donegal, Monaghan or Cavan Rugby fans need apply eh?  ::)

I don't know; perhaps you'd better ask Tommy Bowe...

P.S. At least the NI flag is in the Ulster team's colours.  :-*
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: BallyhaiseMan on January 23, 2007, 07:23:46 PM
well in that case...
The Green part of the tricolour is in the Ireland teams colours

Therefore the Tricolour should be accepted as the flag of the Ireland Rugby Team.

:)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: armaghniac on January 23, 2007, 07:47:50 PM
QuoteP.S. At least the NI flag is in the Ulster team's colours.

So is the Japanese flag. Perhaps the team should amend their colours to that of their proper flag.

That said Brennan was well out of line even if they guy he biffed was making sectarian comments. You can't have professional sports players leaping in the stand and clocking people, especially large rugby players who are almost by definition able to beat the crap out of a seated spectator.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Onlooker on January 23, 2007, 08:00:51 PM
I do'nt think that people defending Trevor Brennan on RTE or elsewhere did him any favours by referring to "sectarian remarks", as there does not seem to be any foundation to that excuse.  It reminds me of the Aussie Rules player who was sent home last year after an incident in Galway and then stated that he was the victim of racist abuse.  There was no truth in what the Aussie Rules  used as an excuse for his behaviour and I suspect that the same applies in Trevor Brennan's case.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 08:54:15 PM
Quote from: BallyhaiseMan on January 23, 2007, 07:23:46 PM
well in that case...
The Green part of the tricolour is in the Ireland teams colours

Therefore the Tricolour should be accepted as the flag of the Ireland Rugby Team.

:)

Even for a Cavan man, that's pretty feeble logic.

When I made my original remark about the NI flag reflecting the colours of the team it represents, I had in mind the Tricolour and the Irish rugby team. Imo, this is an inappropriate flag to fly at Ireland rugby matches since the team represents two countries (ROI and NI), whereas the Tricolour only represents one of those. Further, there is no orange in the team strip.

I might add that while people waving the Tricolour at Ireland matches might irritate me mildly, I don't make too big a thing about it, since I am actually there for the rugby.
By exactly the same token, those Ulster fans who dislike the NI flag are entirely free to wave a (Red and Yellow) Ulster flag, a red and white chequered flag, or an "Ulster Rugby" flag, all of which happens at Ravenhill.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 09:02:12 PM
Quote from: armaghniac on January 23, 2007, 07:47:50 PM
QuoteP.S. At least the NI flag is in the Ulster team's colours.

So is the Japanese flag. Perhaps the team should amend their colours to that of their proper flag.

That said Brennan was well out of line even if they guy he biffed was making sectarian comments. You can't have professional sports players leaping in the stand and clocking people, especially large rugby players who are almost by definition able to beat the crap out of a seated spectator.

If Ulster Rugby were to alter their colours, that may actually be a matter requiring permission from their governing body, the IRFU in Dublin.
As for what flags may be waved at Ravenhill, that is likely to be a matter for the ground's owners, the IRFU in Dublin...

Btw, re. Brennan, there is no "if" about it; Bamford did NOT make sectarian remarks, as acknowledged by Brennan himself in his Statement on the matter.

And in any case, if he had said something along those lines, he might not have had to wait for TB to climb into the stands to punch him; Bamford would more likely have been punched by his friend in the seat next to him. A Catholic.

Anyhow, for those people who still either can't or won't comprehend this simple statement of fact, I shall repeat once more that there was no sectarian abuse whatever of Brennan. Comprendez?  ???
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 09:07:27 PM
Quote from: Onlooker on January 23, 2007, 08:00:51 PM
I do'nt think that people defending Trevor Brennan on RTE or elsewhere did him any favours by referring to "sectarian remarks", as there does not seem to be any foundation to that excuse.  It reminds me of the Aussie Rules player who was sent home last year after an incident in Galway and then stated that he was the victim of racist abuse.  There was no truth in what the Aussie Rules  used as an excuse for his behaviour and I suspect that the same applies in Trevor Brennan's case.

Indeed, Onlooker.
Although this is mere speculation on my part, I can't help wondering whether TB might have come out with the "Mother is a Whore" story after having seen what a similar "defence" did in maintaining Zidane's reputation with the French after ZZ was sent off in the World Cup Final?
(It might be nonsense, of course, but who knows?)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Fluffy Che on January 23, 2007, 09:17:07 PM
The fact that it might be nonsense did'nt seem to stop you speculating on it.  A big lad like that would need some winding up to vault 4 or 5 rows to plant one on anybody!!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: stephenite on January 23, 2007, 09:32:27 PM
He'll get the book thrown at him and rightly so, but this nonsense that he was slagging off his bar, and that's all that was said is ridiculous.
Most people won't believe that, and I have no doubt this 'fan' will find out about that when he tries to head to Dublin to support his countrymen in the 6 nations, have a feeling Mr.Bamford will be staying away from Dublin for this years internationals
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: deiseach on January 23, 2007, 09:48:26 PM
I think Trevor Brennan is up the creek on this one. No one around this Bamford guy seems to be substantiating Brennan's story. Sure, it might all be a Billy Boy version of omerta (I wonder will Trev use the "who knows?" defence), but it's up to Trevor to prove it.

Incidentally, I thought rugby was an example of All-Ireland sweetness and light. These were the clowns who were telling us that they should be permitted to go to South Africa during apartheid because Ireland was an example of how rugby brought people together. Looking here (http://www.ulsterrugby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4088), I'd say the cracks are beginning to show
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Bogball XV on January 23, 2007, 10:22:46 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 08:54:15 PM
When I made my original remark about the NI flag reflecting the colours of the team it represents, I had in mind the Tricolour and the Irish rugby team. Imo, this is an inappropriate flag to fly at Ireland rugby matches since the team represents two countries (ROI and NI), whereas the Tricolour only represents one of those. Further, there is no orange in the team strip.
But is the tricolour not the perfect flag to fly at irish matches given the history of the flag??

Once more EG, the vast majority on here think that Brennan is a muppet (i've seen him warming up as a sub before, in front of me (thankfully I refrained from telling him how below par his pub is) and he is a lunatic), i don't think that anyone on here believes that Bamford is not in some way culpable, and no matter how many quotes you give us, nobody is going to believe he is completely innocent until they hear it from someone they know and trust.
We are not saying that all Ulster fans are the same, i've met them at various irish matches and had the craic with them.
In summation:
Not all Ulster fans are idiots.
Brennan was totally out of order.
Bamford was probably a bit tanked up and did a bit too much slagging.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: passedit on January 23, 2007, 11:25:21 PM
Quote'Le Paul' from UAFC

I cannot say with any authority, although I was 4 rows behind the incident, but there was a lot of banter directed towards Brennan which he had encouraged from the off. There were loads of comments about his bar (which to be honest are true it is a doss house) and then it happened. When he started to walk towards the supporters I said to the girl sitting next to me "brad pitt - he's going to whack someone". Over the wall he came looking like the psycho that he preoved once again he was, and all hell broke loose.

One of our party is a translator and she went to communicate between the stewards (who were at a loss as to what to do not surprisingly) and the supporters who were all very fired up and very upset. She also translated for the guy who was hit and the ambulance crew. She was certain that they had diagnosed a fracture to the upper jaw. I understand that there is a conection between Brennan and the guy who was hit. I'm not certain what but there seems to be some sort of history.

Either way it is the behaviour of an animal and not welcomed in rugby. There were nearly 100 kids who had put on a mini rugby show prior to the match and were in an enclosure watching this. Good God what signals does that send out. The atmosphere had been amongst the best I had ever known between the twp sets of supporters and the craic getween everyone was excellent.

Saw this yesterday and no one seems to have followed it up, might explain the singling out, might not who knows.
Any word of the guy pressing charges yet?

Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 11:38:09 PM
More background on Trevor Brennan

The following is an excerpt from a newspaper report of a Heineken Cup match between Toulouse and Edinburgh Gunners in April 2004:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2004/04/11/srtoul11.xml

"Trevor Brennan, Toulouse's Irish lock, was in a bizarre first-half incident, when he took exception to the actions of Edinburgh physiotherapist Stuart Barton in a touchline altercation, and came flying in with a punch, although the only punishment was an Edinburgh penalty
No damage was done, but ERC may take a dimmer view of the former bouncer's attack on a non-player"


I wonder which of Brennan's relatives Barton insulted to warrant that? ???

Mind you, it's hardly something new. The Irish Examiner carries this report from 1998:

(http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1998/03/16/shead.htm)
Old Crescent silent on match violence ahead of meeting 
by Charlie Mulqueen
OLD CRESCENT will not be making a statement on the violence that marred their AIB League clash with St Mary's College ahead of tonight's usual weekly committee meeting.
PRO John O'Riordan told me yesterday: "It's a matter we want to research further. We will discuss what happened at our meeting and if appropriate issue a statement then."   
The game, won 17-16 by St Mary's, erupted into a near free-for-all for much of the final 20 minutes.
Three players were sent off, two from Crescent (Robert Duggan and Anthony O'Dwyer) and Emmett Byrne of Mary's, and five players were yellow-carded.
The ill feeling continued after the final whistle when there was an altercation between Mary's coach Steve Hennessy and Crescent hooker P.J. McLoughlin and much pushing and jostling.
St Mary's declined Old Crescent's post match hospitality which included a meal for the players and left Rosbrien without indulging in any of the customary socialising.
Yesterday's newspaper reports were unanimous in laying the blame firmly at the door of the Old Crescent players.
Three newspaper reports viewed what happened as follows:
Sunday Independent: "Crescent's loss of control was well over the top. The reality is that they were more concerned with the man than the ball ... is Division One survival so important that ordinarily normal players can let themselves down to this extent?"   
Sunday Times: "What got into Crescent, God only knows, but they were a disgrace ... Crescent finished the game with their discipline in disarray and their reputation in tatters".
Sunday Tribune (under a headline of 'Crescent thuggery fuels disgrace'): "The home side were principally responsible for the violence with some of their players intent merely on acts of thuggery. You could understand their desperate desire to survive in Division One but on this performance it would be a better place without them." 
All of which leaves the Old Crescent club with a major issue to confront.
Why would a Crescent side not noted for a particularly nasty streak have apparently let themselves down to this extent?
Yesterday's papers and St Mary's players and supporters had the answer. It was because of their desperate need for the points that would have saved them from relegation.
To be fair, the reports also accepted that Trevor Brennan, the blindside St Mary's wing-forward, started the aggro with a dangerous late tackle. None allowed, though, that St Mary's own desperate search for points that would help them to a top four place might have had anything to do with it.
Or that the failure of any Dublin side to win in Limerick this season before Saturday might have had them more anxious than usual to return with a result. All I know is that of the many people I consulted before writing this piece, and several have no connection with Old Crescent, every single one mentioned "number six for Mary's" (Trevor Brennan) as being largely to blame for starting the violence.
Surely it is no coincidence that Brennan, having been yellow-carded by referee Gordon Black, was then withdrawn from the fray before he could get into any further trouble.
"In Brennan and Steve Jameson, they had two of the worst culprits," said Old Crescent coach Jed O'Dwyer.
"Brennan caused it all and the referee let him away with it and that's why the game got out of control. Brennan should have been sent off two or three times
and while I accept some of our players were at fault, there very definitely was considerable provocation, something the unbalanced reports in today's papers failed to comment upon." 
Doubtless, the report of referee Black, who came in for criticism all round, will receive careful consideration from the AIB League disciplinary committee.
Given the totally unacceptable level of violence and the publicity that inevitably ensued, it can be safely assumed that the three players shown the red card face severe penalties.
But there is also a strongly held view among neutral onlookers that a number of others who were simply yellow-carded should be asked to explain their behaviour as well.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: stephenite on January 23, 2007, 11:40:25 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 11:38:09 PM
I wonder which of Brennan's relatives Barton insulted to warrant that? ???

It was his father, I was there, I heard it. He called his father a Fenian C#%t
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: BallyhaiseMan on January 23, 2007, 11:42:26 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 08:54:15 PM
Quote from: BallyhaiseMan on January 23, 2007, 07:23:46 PM
well in that case...
The Green part of the tricolour is in the Ireland teams colours

Therefore the Tricolour should be accepted as the flag of the Ireland Rugby Team.

:)

Even for a Cavan man, that's pretty feeble logic.

When I made my original remark about the NI flag reflecting the colours of the team it represents, I had in mind the Tricolour and the Irish rugby team. Imo, this is an inappropriate flag to fly at Ireland rugby matches since the team represents two countries (ROI and NI), whereas the Tricolour only represents one of those. Further, there is no orange in the team strip.

I might add that while people waving the Tricolour at Ireland matches might irritate me mildly, I don't make too big a thing about it, since I am actually there for the rugby.
By exactly the same token, those Ulster fans who dislike the NI flag are entirely free to wave a (Red and Yellow) Ulster flag, a red and white chequered flag, or an "Ulster Rugby" flag, all of which happens at Ravenhill.
I
ve been to see Ireland twice at Rugby and Landsdowne Road...and i didnt bring nor would i wave a tricolour in respect that a section of fans may not agree with it.
Waving the Ulster Flag with a white background and crown is inappropriate when supporting the Ulster team because all 9 counties are not represented by such a flag....
im glad you have seen sense and agree with me....  :D

as for the Cavan Jibe  >:(  >:(  >:(  >:(
Its unfair as i dont know what county you are from and cant offer a rebuke  :-\
Title: Two Posts from Ulster Rugby
Post by: passedit on January 23, 2007, 11:49:10 PM
http://www.ulsterrugby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4088&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15&sid=5fad265f4902754444ef44553e79a8cc
Quote
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:58 pm    Post subject:
i posted this in reply to another thread - I think this one is more relevant.

i was at the game on sunday. Not sitting where the main Ulster fans were but behind the two dugouts. We were close enough to the pitch to speak - not shout - and be heard. When Brennan returned to the dugout I asked him was he not ashamed to be Irish and he instantly replied that the guy had insulted his mother.
As the man says there are three sides to every story - both persons and the truth. I do not condone anything that Trevor Brennan did but I am concerned with how we come out of this. To believe that he took this course of action because he heard someone slag off his bar? Is there not also a good chance he heard something and got the wrong guy?
Whatever happened, this game and Ulster rugby in particular is/are being talked about for the wrong reasons.
As another poster has suggested we have to look at ourselves and if anyone did, as Trevor has suggested, insult his mother then we should ensure that that person understands there is no place at either Ravenhill or as travelling support for that behaviour.

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4088&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30
QuoteTotally agree that Goa is seriously twisted in his comparisons and there is simply no excuse for Brennan.However there is no doubt that there is a very small but vocal and loutish element creeping into the crowd(not the true support) at ulster matches.As a parent i encourage my kids to play for their school and to support Ulster but after London Irish and Llanelli my 11 yr old has said he does not want to go back.This is due entirely to drunken louts hurling abuse at the opposition,the ref and even the physio.In both instances i asked the guys to watch their language in front of kids but was told to f off and watch from somewhere else.I'd loved to have done that but small kids need to be at the front to see on the prom!
Bottom line is that unless stewards do something my kids wont be back and they have more to offer ulster rugby than these idiots.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 12:12:02 AM
Brennan cited whilst playing for Ireland in the 1999 World Cup:

http://si.cnn.com/rugby/1999/world_cup/news/1999/10/11/indiscipline_roundup_ap/
Posted: Monday October 11, 1999 02:52 PM

LONDON (AP) -- Four players were cited Monday and face World Cup disciplinary hearings Tuesday at Twickenham, where they'll be joined by another player charged with headbutting.

The number of players cited for violent or dangerous conduct has risen to nine after the first 20 games.

An appeals panel which convened Monday at Twickenham supported an official crackdown on violence by upholding suspensions imposed on Welsh flanker Colin Charvis and Tonga's Siua Maulolo after the first round.

International Rugby Board disciplinary chairman Tim Gresson said five citings in the opening 10 games was "far too many."

But his message that "gratuitous violence won't be tolerated" obviously didn't get through to the players as four more were cited and one was sent off in the second round.

Australians Daniel Herbert and Toutai Kefu and Ireland's Trevor Brennan were cited following Australia's 23-3 victory in a spiteful clash Sunday at Lansdowne Road.

No. 8 Kefu and Brennan were cited for punching during heated exchange in the second half which resulted in the Irish flanker leaving the field with facial injuries.


(Both Brennan and Kefu were found guilty and suspended for the next two games. The same Panel dismissed the charges against the other three players cited)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: stephenite on January 24, 2007, 12:21:11 AM
What are you trying to prove with threads showing Brennans history? Most have admitted that he has a bit of form with mixing it up on the pitch.
Title: Third side
Post by: passedit on January 24, 2007, 10:12:59 AM
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/rugbyunion/story/0,,1997350,00.html
QuoteRed hand and a red mist as Brennan furore shows rugby's darker side


Fingers will be pointed at Ulster supporters after the incident in Toulouse

Brendan Fanning
Wednesday January 24, 2007
The Guardian

Even before meat was added to the bones of Brennanbait, the goading of Toulouse's most celebrated publican, it was not hard to picture the scene. Why would Trevor Brennan have been a target for the Ulster fans? For a few reasons: he is a high-profile figure with a history of being blinded by red mist; and he is Irish. Better still, he is from the south of Ireland.

It figured that the sectarian angle would feature early in the equation, even if it was quickly shrugged off by Brennan himself, who maintains that the abuse he suffered in Toulouse's Heineken Cup match against Ulster on Sunday was about his mother. The Ulster fans have earned something of a reputation for themselves.

Article continues
On the one hand this is positive. They are the most loyal in the land and were pouring through the gates of Ravenhill for Celtic League matches while their more celebrated brethren in Munster were cherry-picking Heineken Cup games. So while the 'Low Lies' - as the casual fans in Munster are known (they occasionally come and sing about the Fields of Athenry) - were being selective, the sons of Ulster were marching without question to support the team that represented their identity. Unlike Munster, Leinster or Connacht, for Ulster there is a political dimension.

This was best illustrated by Davy Tweed. Ireland has four provinces feeding into the national team, with one of them doing so from outside the jurisdiction. It is unlikely they would ever refer to Ireland as being the "national team". And certainly not Big Davy. The Ulster second-row, now a DUP councillor in Ballymena, won three caps for Ireland in the mid-1990s, and his first, against France in 1995, was in Dublin. That meant standing to attention for Amhrán na bhFiann, the national anthem of the Republic.

In fairness he did not move a muscle though, as binoculars were trained on him, we wondered what was going through his mind. The quote attributed to him on learning of his first cap was: "After 30 caps for my country [Ulster] I've been selected to play for Ireland!"

Countless Ulster players before and after Tweed have had to endure the same ritual, though when the shoe is on the other foot in August, when Ireland play a warm-up game against Italy in Belfast, the only song getting an airing will be the apolitical, Ireland's Call, a dirge created to cover the gap in the welding job between north and south.

The other side of the Ulster fans' loyal support has been the attraction of a few floating football voters who have abandoned the awfulness of the Irish League in favour of rugby. Typically they would be Loyalists, fans of Linfield or Glentoran, for whom the prospect of a few pints on a Friday night at a packed Ravenhill, watching a winning team, was a whole lot better than what they had following football.

They brought some of the terrace culture with them and it has not been exclusively reserved for visitors. The vitriol that poured on the head coach, Mark McCall, when he was struggling in his early days in the job, was remarkable. The abuse of away teams also exceeds anything one would find in any of the other provincial venues. Last season, as Munster's centre Barry Murphy was being carried by stretcher from the pitch in Ravenhill in obvious agony, having dislocated his ankle and ruptured ligaments, a section of the crowd abused him. Murphy had done nothing to incite such an obnoxious reaction.

Thankfully it has not strayed beyond that small element nor has it come across the fence and on to the pitch in any significant way. Sledging was a part of the game long before it was christened as such and over the years the odd comment has passed in heated moments in inter-provincial matches. The remarkable thing is that it never escalated. It is as if there has been a tacit recognition among all concerned that, without being too precious, rugby was a mechanism for people from different traditions to play with and against each other without losing the plot.

The implications of the Brennan incident are most obvious for him and will cut short the last lap of a career that has thrived since he went to France. Ulster will have to take note as well. Some of their fans could do with observing some of the unwritten rules that have kept things sane for so long.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: venter on January 24, 2007, 10:21:32 AM
The 1999 world cup incident was no more than one of the aussies holding Brennans arms down while Kefou proceeded to box the head off him.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Gaoth Dobhair Abu on January 24, 2007, 10:37:15 AM
Quote from: stephenite on January 23, 2007, 11:40:25 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 11:38:09 PM
I wonder which of Brennan's relatives Barton insulted to warrant that? ???

It was his father, I was there, I heard it. He called his father a Fenian C#%t

If thats true, then Ulster rugby is now sectarian as well as racist, good god next they'll be telling us that rugger buggers in the six are sexist!!!!!!  >:( :D ;D

Seriously if he did call Brennans dad that then he deserves to be horse whipped!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Josey Whales on January 24, 2007, 10:55:50 AM
I actually thought evil genius was genuine- i didn't agree with him but i thought he was genuine. Quite obviously i was wrong.- this is obviously some sort of  a political trip that he gets his kicks out of. Wonder what he thinks of Fanning's article- which i think would be closer to the truth as regards Ulster rugby fans.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Bogball XV on January 24, 2007, 11:05:09 AM
I meant to ask EG what he thought of the booing that Shane Geraghty was subjected to (as I pointed out in the thread on the London Irish game a month ago) throughout that game?  Is that good form in rugby?  See thread below.
http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=767.0
 
I know there were probably women and children in the crowd (for God's sake would somebody think about the little children), so maybe my ears were deceiving me!!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 11:55:41 AM
Quote from: venter on January 24, 2007, 10:21:32 AM
The 1999 world cup incident was no more than one of the aussies holding Brennans arms down while Kefou proceeded to box the head off him.

Ah, so that explains why an Independent Panel gave both players a two match ban... ???
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 12:27:42 PM
Quote from: Josey Whales on January 24, 2007, 10:55:50 AM
I actually thought evil genius was genuine- i didn't agree with him but i thought he was genuine. Quite obviously i was wrong.- this is obviously some sort of  a political trip that he gets his kicks out of. Wonder what he thinks of Fanning's article- which i think would be closer to the truth as regards Ulster rugby fans.

I'm not really bothered what you think of me, JW (no surprise there, I suppose), but you still haven't answered my question as to whether you've ever actually been to a rugby match - any rugby match, never mind Ulster?

If not, then I wouldn't suggest you get your information from Mr. Fanning. I was quite prepared to give his article a fair hearing until I came to his reference to "loyalist Linfield/Glentoran fans" abandoning the Irish League for the charms of Ravenhill on a Friday night etc.
It was at this point that I knew that this has to be the most fatuous, ill-informed and prejudiced article on "sport" I will read in 2007. (And yes, I know it's only January...)

Cretin.  ::)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: GalwayBayBoy on January 24, 2007, 12:43:30 PM
There is though a perception that a football element has creeped into the Ulster support. That view is quite common on other rugby forums (I even saw it on the Welsh rugby forum Gwlad). Now there's nothing wrong with having a football element at a football match but it can look out of place at the rugby with football style chants (like the awful Who arrr yaa?) or opposition players coming in for something more akin to abuse than banter.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 12:58:44 PM
Quote from: Gaoth Dobhair Abu on January 24, 2007, 10:37:15 AM
Quote from: stephenite on January 23, 2007, 11:40:25 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 11:38:09 PM
I wonder which of Brennan's relatives Barton insulted to warrant that? ???

It was his father, I was there, I heard it. He called his father a Fenian C#%t

If thats true, then Ulster rugby is now sectarian as well as racist, good god next they'll be telling us that rugger buggers in the six are sexist!!!!!!  >:( :D ;D

Seriously if he did call Brennans dad that then he deserves to be horse whipped!

GDU, I don't know whether you haven't understood anything that's been posted on this matter, or whether I'm seriously misunderstanding your post, but no matter.

For the avoidance of any possible doubt in the matter, THERE WAS NO SECTARIAN OR POLITICAL ELEMENT WHATEVER IN THE ALTERCATION BETWEEN BRENNAN AND BAMFORD.

In the immediate aftermath, there was entirely ill-founded and uninformed specualtion from certain quarters (invariably involving people not actually at the match) along the lines of - "Brennan's a Catholic, the Ulster fans are all Prods(!), therefore there must have been sectarian abuse to cause TB to react as he did" etc
This speculation was fuelled (if my understanding is correct), by TB's uncle phoning an RTE Radio station to allege that his brother (i.e. TB's dad) had told him that TB had been called a "Fenian Bastard". :o

Now I don't know which of TB, his Dad, or his uncle was lying (all three, maybe?), but lying it certainly was.

We know that, since in his Personal Statement issued the day after the match, TB specifically dispelled any notion of sectarianism. (He claimed instead, in what is becoming known as "the Zidane Defence", that his mother was insulted, a claim for which TB has produced no witness or evidence and which has been categorically denied by Bamford and those round him)

I can't find the actual Statement just now, but here is a Report from the Irish Times:

Brennan regrets altercation

Johnny Watterson and Gerry Thornley

RUGBY: Former Irish international and current Toulouse secondrow Trevor Brennan issued a statement last night saying that he regretted the altercation with an Ulster fan that occurred during his side's final Heineken European Cup pool game against Ulster on Sunday.

Brennan, who stepped over the divide that separates the pitch from the team supporters and became involved in a physical dispute, now faces a lengthy ban if he is found to have assaulted the spectator.

The incident has led to the European Rugby Cup (ERC) launching an official investigation into the controversy at Stade Ernest Wallon.

Brennan said that some Ulster fans were being abusive and that beer was thrown at him, but that there was no sectarian element involved prior to the altercation.


P.S. For the record, it is inconceivable that Bamford would have said anything sectarian, considering that at the match, he was sitting next to his best mate, a Catholic.

P.P.S. Those at the scene accept that some beer (and water) was indeed thrown at Brennan, but are adamant that this was only after he had assaulted Bamford i.e. as he walked along the touchline back to his own team. It has been proven that the Press photograph widely published which shows beer being thrown can, from the position, angle and direction etc, only have been afterwards, as he returned in the other direction to the bench.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 01:09:06 PM
Quote from: Bogball XV on January 23, 2007, 10:22:46 PM
In summation:
Not all Ulster fans are idiots.
Brennan was totally out of order.
Bamford was probably a bit tanked up and did a bit too much slagging.

1. Not all Ulster fans? What, only some of them? Most of them? What if I were to post e.g. "Not all GAA fans are idiots"? In any case, there is absolutely no evidence whatever to suggest anything more than that Bamford was/is a regular rugby fan.

2. Agreed (though others may differ);

3. Here is an eyewitness account from the Irish girl, resident in Queaux, France who assisted Bamford at the scene:
Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:28 pm 
I was in row 13 and the young guy Patrick who Brennan punched the Living daylights out of was in row 7 or 8.

As i am from Newtownards but live in France it was me who took the chap to the Infirmeie with the doctor and the Officials to translate for him. HE DID NOT PROVOKE BRENNAN IN ANY WAY OTHER THAN NORMAL BANTER LIKE ALL THE SUPPORTERS.

HOWEVER because he was the tallest and wearing bright red Brennan decided he was the one going to get walloped.

And wallop him he did.
Absolutely disgusting makes me ashamed that he s a fellow countryman.

Young Patrick (who got punched) luckily did not want to press charges as he had a flight to catch back to London at 8pm but give the French Officials their dues they advised him to do so.

It really ruined the rest of the match for me as i didnt appreciate wearing somene elses blood for the remainder of the game.

I sincerely hope that the Officials invloved finish his game for good. After all Cantona was done for the exact same thing.

Martine Boyce

_________________
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Gaoth Dobhair Abu on January 24, 2007, 01:15:02 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 12:58:44 PM
Quote from: Gaoth Dobhair Abu on January 24, 2007, 10:37:15 AM
Quote from: stephenite on January 23, 2007, 11:40:25 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 23, 2007, 11:38:09 PM
I wonder which of Brennan's relatives Barton insulted to warrant that? ???

It was his father, I was there, I heard it. He called his father a Fenian C#%t

If thats true, then Ulster rugby is now sectarian as well as racist, good god next they'll be telling us that rugger buggers in the six are sexist!!!!!!  >:( :D ;D

Seriously if he did call Brennans dad that then he deserves to be horse whipped!

GDU, I don't know whether you haven't understood anything that's been posted on this matter, or whether I'm seriously misunderstanding your post, but no matter.

For the avoidance of any possible doubt in the matter, THERE WAS NO SECTARIAN OR POLITICAL ELEMENT WHATEVER IN THE ALTERCATION BETWEEN BRENNAN AND BAMFORD.

In the immediate aftermath, there was entirely ill-founded and uninformed specualtion from certain quarters (invariably involving people not actually at the match) along the lines of - "Brennan's a Catholic, the Ulster fans are all Prods(!), therefore there must have been sectarian abuse to cause TB to react as he did" etc
This speculation was fuelled (if my understanding is correct), by TB's uncle phoning an RTE Radio station to allege that his brother (i.e. TB's dad) had told him that TB had been called a "Fenian Bastard". :o

Now I don't know which of TB, his Dad, or his uncle was lying (all three, maybe?), but lying it certainly was.

We know that, since in his Personal Statement issued the day after the match, TB specifically dispelled any notion of sectarianism. (He claimed instead, in what is becoming known as "the Zidane Defence", that his mother was insulted, a claim for which TB has produced no witness or evidence and which has been categorically denied by Bamford and those round him)

I can't find the actual Statement just now, but here is a Report from the Irish Times:

Brennan regrets altercation

Johnny Watterson and Gerry Thornley

RUGBY: Former Irish international and current Toulouse secondrow Trevor Brennan issued a statement last night saying that he regretted the altercation with an Ulster fan that occurred during his side's final Heineken European Cup pool game against Ulster on Sunday.

Brennan, who stepped over the divide that separates the pitch from the team supporters and became involved in a physical dispute, now faces a lengthy ban if he is found to have assaulted the spectator.

The incident has led to the European Rugby Cup (ERC) launching an official investigation into the controversy at Stade Ernest Wallon.

Brennan said that some Ulster fans were being abusive and that beer was thrown at him, but that there was no sectarian element involved prior to the altercation.


P.S. For the record, it is inconceivable that Bamford would have said anything sectarian, considering that at the match, he was sitting next to his best mate, a Catholic.

P.P.S. Those at the scene accept that some beer (and water) was indeed thrown at Brennan, but are adamant that this was only after he had assaulted Bamford i.e. as he walked along the touchline back to his own team. It has been proven that the Press photograph widely published which shows beer being thrown can, from the position, angle and direction etc, only have been afterwards, as he returned in the other direction to the bench.

I was responding to the post from stephenite, does your last post mean that stephenite as well as the whole Brennan family are liars...!!!
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 01:19:31 PM
Quote from: Bogball XV on January 24, 2007, 11:05:09 AM
I meant to ask EG what he thought of the booing that Shane Geraghty was subjected to (as I pointed out in the thread on the London Irish game a month ago) throughout that game?  Is that good form in rugby?  See thread below.
http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=767.0
 
I know there were probably women and children in the crowd (for God's sake would somebody think about the little children), so maybe my ears were deceiving me!!

I wasn't able to make the game v LI at Ravenhill, though I was at the first game in Reading.
As someone who was predominantly a soccer fan, I have to say that both sets of fans were remarkably quiet, docile even, particularly the home support. For people who clearly love their sport, I thought their behaviour remarkably dispassionate. In that respect, I feel they could learn from their soccer counterparts - if only to compose more than one song between them (SUFTU - itself nicked from soccer!)
That said, despite their enthusiasm (and the amount of drink taken), the 14,000-odd who were there were universally affable and well behaved - something soccer could learn from them.
The only discordant note was the booing by some of the Ulster fans of one of the LI players, following what they felt to be foul play (and for which he was sin-binned by the ref). Can't remember which one it was (winger?), but it wasn't Geraghty. In any case, I thought it rather unremarkable, but there you go.

P.S. If Geraghty was booed at Ravenhill, any idea why? Could it perhaps be because he's English?  ;)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 01:28:36 PM
Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on January 24, 2007, 12:43:30 PM
There is though a perception that a football element has creeped into the Ulster support. That view is quite common on other rugby forums (I even saw it on the Welsh rugby forum Gwlad). Now there's nothing wrong with having a football element at a football match but it can look out of place at the rugby with football style chants (like the awful Who arrr yaa?) or opposition players coming in for something more akin to abuse than banter.

Perhaps. The ideal would be if rugby could import some of the passion and humour, whilst avoiding the boorishness and occasional aggression that also comes with football. (Considering the violence inherent in the game itself, it would be a catastrophe for rugby if it were the other way round!).

An example of this humour comes from a recent football match I was at where the home team was well on top, prompting the away support to start a chorus of:
"Three-Nil, and you still don't sing etc"
To which the home support immediately replied with:
"We forgot that you were here, we forgot..." etc etc

OK, maybe it was a "Had to be there" moment, but it enlivened a dull passage of play  ;)

Anyhow, getting back to Bamford and the Ulster support, I don't know the guy himself, but I have met once or twice some of the people who were with him (I think) and I can assure you, they are typical Irish rugby supporters and as such, have little or no interest in football.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: BallyhaiseMan on January 24, 2007, 01:33:05 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 01:28:36 PM
Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on January 24, 2007, 12:43:30 PM
There is though a perception that a football element has creeped into the Ulster support. That view is quite common on other rugby forums (I even saw it on the Welsh rugby forum Gwlad). Now there's nothing wrong with having a football element at a football match but it can look out of place at the rugby with football style chants (like the awful Who arrr yaa?) or opposition players coming in for something more akin to abuse than banter.

Perhaps. The ideal would be if rugby could import some of the passion and humour, whilst avoiding the boorishness and occasional aggression that also comes with football. (Considering the violence inherent in the game itself, it would be a catastrophe for rugby if it were the other way round!).

An example of this humour comes from a recent football match I was at where the home team was well on top, prompting the away support to start a chorus of:
"Three-Nil, and you still don't sing etc"
To which the home support immediately replied with:
"We forgot that you were here, we forgot..." etc etc

OK, maybe it was a "Had to be there" moment, but it enlivened a dull passage of play  ;)

Anyhow, getting back to Bamford and the Ulster support, I don't know the guy himself, but I have met once or twice some of the people who were with him (I think) and I can assure you, they are typical Irish rugby supporters and as such, have little or no interest in football.

Rugby doesnt need to import anything from soccer especially not  passion and humour, If you have ever been in Landsdowne for Six Nations games or big Heineken Cup games you would know theres plenty of that about.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 01:43:23 PM
Quote from: Gaoth Dobhair Abu on January 24, 2007, 01:15:02 PM
I was responding to the post from stephenite, does your last post mean that stephenite as well as the whole Brennan family are liars...!!!

GDU
I am pretty sure that Stephenite was merely attempting to inject some levity into the thread, with a humourous riposte to my post concerning a separate, previous assault by Brennan against the Edinburgh team physiotherapist, a chap called Barton.

If I'm correct, then you have totally misunderstood the whole point and I suggest you go away and lie down in a darkened room.

(But if I'm wrong, no doubt Stephenite will correct me, in which case I will go for a lie-down...)
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 02:04:06 PM
Quote from: BallyhaiseMan on January 24, 2007, 01:33:05 PM
Rugby doesnt need to import anything from soccer especially not  passion and humour, If you have ever been in Landsdowne for Six Nations games or big Heineken Cup games you would know theres plenty of that about.

BHM,
I attended my first Five Nations (as it was then) international at Lansdowne in 1977, and a fair few more subsequently, until I found it progressively harder to get tickets. I have also been to a number of Ireland internationals in Cardiff, Twickenham and Paris, also the 1991 World Cup Final (England v Oz). As for the Heineken, I've not been to so many of those, though amongst other matches, I have been to two finals - Munster's defeat at Twickenham and Ulster's victory in Lansdowne.
There have been some cracking games (atmosphere wise), but there have been many more which had a poor, even downright dull atmosphere - in so far as there was any atmosphere at all.
Possibly the two worst of these was a total capitulation by Ireland at Parc des Princes, where the only reaction of the French crowd was occasionally to laugh at the Irish ineptitude, and another huge defeat at Twickenham, where the English support only became enlivened when Mike Catt came on as sub (they got to boo him!). Admittedly both those were a few years back, but at times at rugby games, there's more fun to be had at a Mormon funeral...
(The pre- and post-match drinking was great, however; I should have sold my ticket and carried on drinking straight through!)

Anyhow, having been to literally hundreds of soccer matches in three continents, from "two men and a dog" games in Ireland, right through to World Cup Finals tournaments, I personally believe that soccer generally wins hands down for atmosphere.
In particular, I shall never forget the crack at Windsor when NI beat England in 2005:
"Oh what Bliss to be Alive..."   
:D
Title: Some good news for Ulster
Post by: passedit on January 24, 2007, 05:18:30 PM
Am I right that his defence was he called him a Spide not a Spade?

Ergo 'Your Bar's a hole' becomes 'Yer Ma's a whore'

Elster Scats has a lot to answer fer.

Quote
McCullough cleared of misconduct
Matt McCullough of Ulster
Matt McCullough denied the allegations made by London Irish
Ulster lock Matt McCullough has had two misconduct complaints against him dismissed by the ERC in Dublin.

The complaints concerned the alleged use of racist and abusive language to London Irish's Delon Armitage during and after two Heineken Cup matches.

After hearing four hours of evidence a disciplinary committee found that a prima facie case was not established.

The Exiles claimed Armitage was a victim of a racial slur in the back-to-back pool games last month.

However, although McCullough admitted directing foul language towards the winger, he denied any racial abuse.

Ulster's chief executive Michael Reid vehemently denied any allegations of abuse by anyone in the squad.

It is thought that a colloquial saying well known in Ulster was possibly misinterpreted as racial abuse.

McCullough sent a letter to London Irish apologising for his use of strong language to Armitage.

London Irish have the right to appeal the decision.
Title: Re: Some good news for Ulster
Post by: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 05:37:56 PM
Quote from: passedit on January 24, 2007, 05:18:30 PM
Am I right that his defence was he called him a Spide not a Spade?

Quote
McCullough cleared of misconduct
Matt McCullough of Ulster
Matt McCullough denied the allegations made by London Irish
Ulster lock Matt McCullough has had two misconduct complaints against him dismissed by the ERC in Dublin.

The complaints concerned the alleged use of racist and abusive language to London Irish's Delon Armitage during and after two Heineken Cup matches.

After hearing four hours of evidence a disciplinary committee found that a prima facie case was not established.

The Exiles claimed Armitage was a victim of a racial slur in the back-to-back pool games last month.

However, although McCullough admitted directing foul language towards the winger, he denied any racial abuse.

Ulster's chief executive Michael Reid vehemently denied any allegations of abuse by anyone in the squad.

It is thought that a colloquial saying well known in Ulster was possibly misinterpreted as racial abuse.

McCullough sent a letter to London Irish apologising for his use of strong language to Armitage.

London Irish have the right to appeal the decision.

I had heard that during (just after?) the first game, MMcC had verbals with DA, during which he called DA a "spide" (amongst other things!). Armitage happened to mention to his Da later on that evening that the Ulster player had called him a spide or spade or something, asking him what that meant. (DA apparently wasn't familiar with either term of abuse).
DA's father didn't know the term "spide", either, so assumed it was "spade" and was naturally enough furious.
Of course, the game having long finished, there was no real point in pursuing it.
Until the next game in Belfast, where the two clashed again in the tunnel after the match and MMcC repeated the term (spide, that is)
This time, DA went ballistic and the two had to be physically separated by teammates.
Consequently, London Irish made two complaints of racial abuse
(This was why Ulster wondered why L.Irish hadn't complained the first time, but only after the second incident, the implication being that L.Irish had won the first game, so weren't too bothered, but had lost the second game, so were sore losers).

I personally have no idea whether this story is correct, but presumably there either were witnesses to corroborate MMcC's story, or it was his word against DA's, so he got the benefit of the doubt.

P.S. Shouldn't this be on a separate thread, since it has sod-all to do with either Brennan or Bamford?
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Josey Whales on January 24, 2007, 06:10:39 PM
who knows maybe he has a below par Irish pub as well ;D ;D ;D ;D
by the way i've attended AIL-ML-HEC and international rugby games regularly over the years so i think that entitles me to an opinion.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: passedit on January 24, 2007, 06:20:02 PM
Who appointed you the thread police?

I'm saying MAYBE DA AND TB misheard?
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: stephenite on January 24, 2007, 09:44:16 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on January 24, 2007, 01:43:23 PM

I am pretty sure that Stephenite was merely attempting to inject some levity into the thread, with a humourous riposte to my post concerning a separate, previous assault by Brennan against the Edinburgh team physiotherapist, a chap called Barton.

If I'm correct, then you have totally misunderstood the whole point and I suggest you go away and lie down in a darkened room.

(But if I'm wrong, no doubt Stephenite will correct me, in which case I will go for a lie-down...)

Evil genius is correct, I was of course attempting to inject some levity into the thread, but can i ask if there is any chance that you will still lie down EG ? ;) :D
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Square Ball on January 25, 2007, 09:20:09 PM
Brennan and Thomas hit by charges 

Toulouse player Trevor Brennan lashed out at an Ulster fan
Toulouse players Trevor Brennan and Gareth Thomas will both face misconduct charges arising from last Sunday's Heineken Cup clash against Ulster.
Brennan faces an ERC charge of assaulting Ulster supporter Patrick Bamford after leaving the playing area at the Stade Ernest Wallon.

Thomas is alleged to have engaged in "aggressive exchanges with spectators".

The Welsh international's hopes of playing in this year's Six Nations are threatened by any potential ban.

The charge levelled against Thomas says that he "aggressively attempted to enter one of the seating areas" and/or "made an offensive hand gesture towards spectators".


Brennan claimed he was provoked by chants about his mother but this has been "categorically" denied by Ulster supporter Bamford.

Former Ireland World Cup forward Brennan and ex-Wales captain Thomas must now attend disciplinary hearings following an initial investigation by European Rugby Cup disciplinary officer Roger O'Connor.

The ERC have also announced further investigation into the behaviour of a section of Ulster supporters, and Toulouse's alleged failure to control their players with regard to the incident.

Disciplinary hearings for Brennan and Thomas will be convened as soon as practicable.

Toulouse mounted a vigorous defence of Brennan but Ulster claimed Brennan had tarnished rugby with his actions.

Brennan appeared to punch Bamford several times leaving the 25-year-old accountant with a suspected fractured skull.



Brenna appeared to punch Bamford several times are they missing something?





Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Over the Bar on January 25, 2007, 09:53:03 PM
To add a further slant I met a fella at the gym tonight who was a few rows away from the unfortunate punch-bag. This fella agrees with  most of what's been said however he says that he didnt hear any shouts about his pub not being up to scratch but that the crowd around him & Bamford were chanting was "Leinster reject!".  He unlike a lot of others have said did not expect Brennan to shake hands, but expected someone was gonna get a smack.
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: passedit on February 01, 2007, 10:32:39 PM
http://www.unison.ie/sportsdesk/stories.php3?ca=15&si=1766534
Title: Re: Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!
Post by: Evil Genius on February 01, 2007, 11:48:13 PM
More background, both on TB and the Ulster Support, from Monday's Belly Telly:


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Leinster supporters stand up for the Ulstermen

Monday, January 29, 2007

By Gavin Mairs

Rugby never ceases to amaze. At the end of last week, in the midst of the fall-out from the Trevor Brennan affair and with Ulster's supporters in the dock rather than the indefensible actions of the Toulouse player who left Patrick Bamford with a suspected fractured skull, a letter arrived on my desk.

It was written by a group of Leinster supporters, who were unhappy at what they perceived as the "negative commentary on the nature of Ulster Rugby and its fans".

The letter was the culmination of a number of messages of support for the reputation of Ulster Rugby on a Leinster fans' website forum following claims on Dublin airwaves and by a number of commentators that although Brennan had denied there was any sectarian nature to his provocation and Bamford's strong rebuttal that he verbally abused the player's mother, there was no smoke without fire.

Considering Brennan is a former Leinster player and has rightly earned something of a cult status for his rise from playing junior rugby with Barnhall to winning two Heineken Cup medals with Toulouse, those messages of support can only be viewed as massive gestures of goodwill.

And the most rigorous sign yet that despite the mud that was thrown and allegations made by people who should know better or by people who rarely have observed Ulster or their supporters either at Ravenhill or on the road, that the spirit of the game in providing a bond between people of all walks of life remains strong.

"We are a group of Rugby fans first and foremost, and are all holders of Leinster Rugby season tickets," said the letter. "Over the past number of days, we have become increasingly uncomfortable with the negative commentary on the nature of Ulster Rugby in general, and Ulster rugby fans in particular.

"We have forged strong links with Ulster Rugby over the past number of years, and in mobilising our own Supporters' Club and away travelling support, we have come to regard our interprovincial derbies as both a rugby, and social highlight, in the calendar. Bus trips to Ravenhill are over-subscribed, and demand for tickets far exceeds supply.

"We have developed friendships with staunch Ulster Rugby supporters, and have always noted the strong "family" ethic around matches at Ravenhill Road.

"We enjoy our differences, and celebrate our similarities, in a spirit of hospitality and good nature. We have always been humbled and impressed by the spirit in which we have been received, at Ravenhill Road. Our tickets, for away matches, are usually designated for both seated Stand, and terrace areas, and it is a testament to the goodwill and general atmosphere at Ravenhill, that we inevitably congregate in the midst of the more vocal Ulster support base, on the Promenade at Ravenhill."

The letter goes on to highlight the standing ovation given to Brian O'Driscoll at Ravenhill in December 2005 on his first return to action following his shoulder injury sustained on the Lions tour and denies that abuse for away teams is unparalleled at Ravenhill or that Ulster's supporters are inextricably linked to sectarianism.

Such sentiments only serve to remind what a positive force rugby has been on this troubled island in giving people a reason to look beyond their differences and make friends and enjoy camaraderie with sections of society that they might not otherwise have done.

There has been a lot of hot air spouted about the rights and wrongs of what happened in the stand at the Stade Ernest Wallon and the spin about what was said or not said has provided a timely distraction from the bare facts that Brennan crossed a line that should never be crossed in sport.

Yes, he was the subject of banter, even if the content of his version of his provocation varies vastly from a vast number of eye witnesses, many of whom I know and trust, in the stand.

And suggestions that photographic evidence shows he was provoked by Ulster supporters showering him with beer are also misleading.

The time on the picture, which has been submitted to the ERC, as do eye witness accounts, confirm the beer was thrown as a reaction to Brennan's actions, not as a cause.

Indeed, if the stand had been such a bear pit that Brennan claims, it seems remarkable that nobody reacted more severely than hurling a plastic cup at him. But that too misses the point. No provocation warrants physical assault. Full stop.

Toulouse's indifferent response to the incident has been appalling and is matched only by the French police's ludicrous claim that it was purely a matter between two individuals. I'm not sure if a supporter had run onto the pitch and hit a player at least six times in the face they would have seen it that way.

Brennan's pleas of mitigation are also undermined by the fact that this wasn't the first time. He assaulted a supporter during Ireland's tour of South Africa in June 1998, which was hushed up by the IRFU, while in a Heineken Cup match for Toulouse against Edinburgh in April 2004, he also hit the opposing team's physio.

Perhaps those victims will also be now blamed for provoking poor Trevor as well.

Of course in every crowd you get idiots who go too far and Ulster are no different. As rugby becomes more popular, so the dynamic of supporters changes and at times the standard of behaviour is unacceptable.

But that is not Ulster's problem alone. As the Leinster supporters will tell you.