Trevor Brennan does a Cantona!

[An Fear Rua]

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??

[Donagh]

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.

[Over the Bar]

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.

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.

[ziggysego]

He's just a very naughty boy

[realredhandfan]

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

[Donagh]

One Year on was it the same water bottle from the Joe Kernan / Toal / Galvin incident

Galvin is still a dirty **** though... 

[ziggysego]

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

[SlimShady]

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!!

[Donagh]

The ex-Tyrone player was provoked first

How, by 'God' getting sent to the line? 

[ziggysego]

There was a lot of taunting going on

[Over the Bar]

We'd best be careful or this thread will get moved to the GAA board!   

Anyway back to the subject at hand... Is ther any video footbage of the Brennan incident??

[Evil Genius]

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."

[Donagh]

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...

[Evil Genius]

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.

[Josey Whales]

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?