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Gardaí to probe racism claim from Man City player following banana throwing incident

Gael Clichy made the allegation on his Twitter account, saying it was ‘sad to see’.

AN INVESTIGATION HAS been launched after Manchester City defender Gael Clichy claimed he was the victim of racism.

The French international left-back made the claims after a banana was thrown onto the pitch during his side’s friendly win over Limerick.

Gardaí and stadium officials are studying CCTV footage in an attempt to identify a spectator alleged to have thrown the missile onto the pitch during the Premier League champions’ 4-0 pre-season friendly victory at Thomond Park on Sunday.

A statement from Limerick FC and Thomond Park Stadium said: “The gardaí and stadium officials are reviewing the CCTV recordings to attempt to identify an individual involved in the throwing of an offensive object onto the playing field.” The statement continued:

Any individual identified as being involved in an incident of this nature will be banned from future attendance and the matter will be handed over to the gardaí.

“All those involved with the friendly game fully condemn all forms of unacceptable behaviour of this nature.”

It is understood Manchester City made no formal complaint over the incident, which was mentioned by Clichy via his Twitter account.

The French player tweeted: “How sad to see ‘bananas thrown on the pitch’ tonight… Knowing people around the world need food. #nowordsforthis.”

A crowd of over 20,600 football supporters packed into Thomond Park, home of Munster Rugby, on Sunday afternoon to watch the pre-season friendly.

Two goals from Edin Dzeko and one each from Dedryck Boyata and Luca Scapuzi saw Roberto Mancini’s side home as comfortable 4-0 winners.

The incident came as Newcastle asked Den Haag to investigate reports of racist chanting from sections of home fans during the friendly game between the two clubs at the Kyocera Stadium the previous day.

(Additional reporting - © AFP, 2012)

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    Mute Ann-Marie Wallis
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    Aug 6th 2012, 1:32 PM

    That person is an embarrassment to my city and Ireland, hope the guards find out that total wasters name. A bad reflection on an otherwise great opportunity to highlight the positives in Limerick.

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    Mute Brian Leddin
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    Aug 6th 2012, 3:44 PM

    Who’s to say the thrower was from Limerick? Most of the attendance seem to have been from Dublin if the accents heard in the pubs around the city last night are anything to go by.

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    Mute Ben Leahy
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    Aug 6th 2012, 5:21 PM

    worked at game, fella was from limerick.. unfortunetely.. and was subsequently arrested 10 mins after half time..

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    Mute Thomas Hyde
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    Aug 7th 2012, 10:39 AM

    well said.

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    Mute Chuck Eastwood
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    Aug 6th 2012, 1:26 PM

    Well it will say a lot about the people on the crowd if they fail to give the name of this guy to the Gaurds. No place for behaviour like that in sport

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    Mute Deirdre Forde
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    Aug 6th 2012, 1:10 PM

    Bigotry begets bigotry.

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    Mute Deirdre Forde
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    Aug 6th 2012, 1:11 PM

    … In reply to Bandaraboy

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    Mute Stephen McLaughlin
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    Aug 6th 2012, 1:36 PM

    What an idiot whoever it is! Should be lucky to have a team like them come over.

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    Mute Strongbow62
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    Aug 7th 2012, 6:42 AM

    He should be put in a cell equipped with a tyre and rope .

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    Mute BandaraBoy
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    Aug 6th 2012, 1:08 PM

    Typical Munster Neanderthals

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    Mute Elrat
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    Aug 6th 2012, 1:51 PM

    Surprised you can actually spell the word – idiot!

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    Mute Imran Ali
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    Aug 6th 2012, 2:02 PM

    How ironic

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    Mute Conor Power
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    Aug 6th 2012, 2:27 PM

    One idiot in the crowd. I think the mass riots/brawling at the Dublin LOI matches are more prehistoric.

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    Mute Cian O Donnell
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    Aug 6th 2012, 2:49 PM

    ban bananas

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    Mute Tom Keating
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    Aug 6th 2012, 3:12 PM

    Idiot

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    Mute Linda Tynne
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    Aug 6th 2012, 8:14 PM

    Cheek of you that has never happened at any Munster match

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    Mute Bocque d'Robbeur
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    Aug 6th 2012, 9:23 PM

    That, my cerebrally-challenged friend, is the sort of lowlife soccer attracts. We should keep Thomond Park for rugby.

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    Mute Tensing Norgay
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    Aug 7th 2012, 12:01 AM

    As a sports fan , its diappointing to see other supposed sports fans calling soccer fan low lifes .Who ever threw that banana is a moronic simpletion that should be outed,named and shamed ,but also the crowd on here using the action of one idiot in a crowd of 20,000 to attack people who were at a stadium to witness a world class team playing in their home town are nearly as pathetic as the uber fool that threw the banana

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    Mute Eamonn Carney
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    Aug 6th 2012, 1:47 PM

    it’s Bandara Boy….what do you expect?? A really incisive contribution?……no further questions

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    Mute John Travers
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    Aug 6th 2012, 4:34 PM

    This behaviour is shocking. Football is about playing the beautiful game, not about the colour of the skin. By all means slag off players, that’s part and parcel of the game but racism, sectarianism and bigotry has no place in football. I think of all the amazing black players of various nationalities, Pele, McGrath, Mbabzi Livingston, Eto, Eusebio to name but a few. The pleasure I derived from watching these people was immense. I hope the person responsible for this incident is tied to a post and shot with balls of his own shite.

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    Mute Ciaran McMahon
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    Aug 6th 2012, 5:01 PM

    Absolutely awful incident! Big football clubs are not going to want to come to Ireland anymore! Racism has to be kicked out of football! I hope they discover who that eejit in the crowd was and lock him/her up!

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    Mute Seán Prendeville
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    Aug 6th 2012, 5:22 PM

    Jumping the gun there a bit, this incident is not going to put clubs off

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    Mute Hugh Hicks
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    Aug 6th 2012, 5:45 PM

    Racism in Ireland????????

    You’re kidding me. LMFAO.

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    Mute Seamus Murphy
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    Aug 6th 2012, 5:56 PM

    Hardly unique to Ireland in fairness.

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    Mute Brian
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    Aug 6th 2012, 7:31 PM

    I was chatting to somebody who was nearby when this happened and he said it was a kid who threw it and it wasnt next to near any player never mind a black one! Typical over reaction….

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    Mute Marc Anthony Power
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    Aug 6th 2012, 2:17 PM

    Relic should be jailed

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    Mute tony duggan
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    Aug 6th 2012, 1:59 PM

    Who who ha ha done it??!
    Hat ,jacket back door………..

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    Mute Padraig O'Seasnain
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    Aug 6th 2012, 8:48 PM

    Why do bananas have connotations with racism? If it was an apple or an orange would it have made the news? Was it a drive-by fruiting maybe? Can anyone answer these enigmas?

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    Mute Clare Boyne
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    Aug 7th 2012, 7:06 AM

    Kudos

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    Mute Kevin
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    Aug 6th 2012, 3:09 PM

    Surely it’s a Mid season friendly and not a Pre Season friendly as mentioned.

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    Mute Yiu Fai Lau
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    Aug 6th 2012, 4:06 PM

    Wonder if the Banana was Fyffes or even an Fair trade one!!

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    Mute kerryblue
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    Aug 6th 2012, 10:16 PM

    I was at the game last night and to be honest I saw no banana incident ,obviously this sort of behaviour doesnt belong in sport but I do feel that Limerick FC dont deserve the hype being made out of it on Sky Sports News all day ,I might add that the stewarding was pathetic and the failure to keep the fans off the pitch at the end just showed how poorly it was,plenty of stewards but not one of them with an iota on how to keep over eager twelve year old autograph hunters off the pitch and why could the line ups not be called out to the crowed?I was in the ground 30 mins before the kick off and no team line ups were ever announced.Thomond Park has alot of basic improving to do but hats off to Limerick FC and I hope the alleged actions of some idiot wont stop other top class sides from visiting Shannonside in the future

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    Mute Caia Bright
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    Aug 6th 2012, 6:33 PM

    Read above: “worked at game, fella was from limerick.. unfortunetely.. and was subsequently arrested 10 mins after half time..” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    Mute Caia Bright
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    Aug 6th 2012, 6:32 PM

    Hahaha. A kid. You kidding me? ;-)

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    Mute Ciaran McMahon
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    Aug 6th 2012, 11:04 PM

    This is a bit off topic but I would like to say the stewarding at the match was pathetic and disgraceful. Fans were easily able to invade the pitch after the game and the stewards did not care a single bit. For example I saw a steward beside where some people were invading the pitch and he just watched on not bothered to do a thing. Sorry I know it is off topic but I had to let people know!

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    Mute Eamonn Carney
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    Aug 6th 2012, 2:17 PM

    BandaraBoy and Joey Wagga….a marriage made in heaven…Ye deserve each other!

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    Mute Joey Wagga
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    Aug 6th 2012, 2:34 PM

    Cheers eamonn

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    Mute tony duggan
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    Aug 6th 2012, 6:22 PM

    It’s still a possibility that a kid might have thrown it ?? Let the investigation continue before slating our own!!!

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    Mute John O Halloran
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    Aug 7th 2012, 12:32 AM

    Can not believe that one person out of 20,000 is making the news on a great day for limerick FC in all of the great events of the summer the good performance of limerick hurling and football the great fans that went to the euro,s and now with john joe and Katie and the rest if the Irish team

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    Mute Lex Long
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    Aug 7th 2012, 2:39 AM

    Fecking disgrace. All the usual excuses. It was a kid, I didn’t see it, sure the banana landed no where near a black player etc. If someone makes a comment about pc gone mad I’ll win the journal bingo.

    Sure I’m sure some concerned fan was worried the player was running low on potassium and was in danger of leg cramps.

    6
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    Mute Lisa Jones
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    Aug 6th 2012, 6:42 PM

    Growing up all I heard from other counties about the Dublin GAA team was “dirty dubs”. Is this not a form of prejudism? My country cousins were up for whatever team was against Dublin.

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    Mute Ben Ó Murchú
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    Aug 6th 2012, 7:47 PM

    Is calling everyone from outside dublin ‘country people’ not a form of prejudice, or at least ignorance?

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    Mute Lisa Jones
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    Aug 7th 2012, 3:37 PM

    now don’t be silly, or pedantic! if you read my comment i was refering to ‘my’ country cousins not saying that everybody that lives outside are from the countryside. what else should i call my delightful cousins when they live in the middle of the actual countryside as in they live on acres of land surrounded by fields. thankfully i am quite aware there are many towns and cities in Ireland and in no way was i ignorant or prejudiced.

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    Mute Thomas Hyde
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    Aug 7th 2012, 10:52 AM

    one idiot let’s our team and city down.

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    Mute Clare Boyne
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    Aug 7th 2012, 7:09 AM

    Safe to say no Bananas were thrown in tallaght stadium last nite! #SupportingLOI

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    Mute tony duggan
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    Aug 6th 2012, 8:51 PM

    @ caia bright
    Read Brian’s comment.
    Ps don’t believe everything you read….

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    Mute Tom Callaghan
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    Aug 7th 2012, 1:40 AM

    did you ever hear of the bananna skin prank?

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    Mute jonathan masterson
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    Aug 6th 2012, 2:19 PM

    Sorry I meant to type “great publicity “

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