Strains of “Ohhh the SFC” echoed around terraced streets in Belfast on Wednesday evening as Shelbourne FC fans chanted their anthem approaching Windsor Park football stadium.
Tricolours were carried by the Dublin team’s supporters along a stretch of road saturated with Union Jack and loyalist paramilitary flags in the south of the city.
Police Land Rovers circled the area from before teatime.
Five days earlier, a controversial bonfire with asbestos on the site was set alight in the nearby Village area off the Donegall Road ahead of the Twelfth.
RM Block
For many Shels supporters, this was their first trip to Windsor in what was a second leg Champions League qualifier against Linfield FC.
Eighteen coaches and an estimated 1,400 fans travelled from Dublin for the 7.45pm kick-off.
Under a warm evening sun, a sea of red jerseys cheered and sang their way through the visitors’ entrance on the Boucher Road.
Uniformed police officers were close throughout.
Richie and Emma Deasy from Blanchardstown in northwest Dublin drove up with their two children. It was their first time in Belfast for a match.
“We’re big Shels fans, we’re looking forward to it. There’s a lot of police around but it’s fine; it’s reassuring. There was no issue at the first leg (at Tolka Park in Dublin) last week,” said Mr Deasy.
Segregation remains at Windsor, the home ground of Linfield – the club owns the land the stadium is built on – and the international Northern Ireland team.
Linfield’s entrance gate is at the Lisburn Road end. Despite this, some Linfield fans went through the Boucher side, and sectarian abuse was hurled between a small number of rival fans, causing police to intervene.
Earlier, Dubliner Amy Rooney was among the throng of Shelbourne supporters entering the grounds. She has never been to Windsor before.
“There’s always a bit of nervousness coming up here but it’s good fun,” she said.
Her friend, Adam Leonard, insisted: “we don’t want any hassle. I’ve been following Shels since I was a nipper. I’m 26 now and my dad used to bring me,” he added.
“We just want to get through to the next round.”
Inside the grounds – also referred to as the national stadium – the Linfield stand swelled with more than 4,000 fans.
It was awash with Union Jack and Ulster banner flags.
Once a bastion of Protestantism, Windsor was seen as a no-go area for generations of Catholics.
Linfield did not sign Catholic players until the late 1980s but has signed hundreds since then, from underage through to senior level. This includes current striker Matthew Fitzpatrick from west Belfast who played Gaelic football for Antrim.
High-profile campaigns to eradicate sectarianism from the soccer stands have been ongoing for decades. Yet, as the warm up for teams got under way ahead of Wednesday’s match, a UVF paramilitary flag was held aloft at the Linfield end.
Minutes after Shelbourne scored their goal, roars of “f**k the pope and the IRA” were chanted.
When Linfield equalised with a penalty, part of the West stand – Linfield’s stand – erupted into The Billy Boys, an overtly sectarian song.
Banned by the Irish FA in 2014, the song contains the line ‘we’re up to our knees in Fenian blood”. The club was warned it would face “severe punitive sanctions” if its supporters continued singing any variations of it.
During the final six minutes of extra time an announcement came over a loudspeaker that the Boucher gate would remain closed for an extra 15 minutes (so as to ensure the fans did not clash on the way out).
The 1-1 draw knocked Linfield out of the Champions League
Euphoric Shelbourne fans stayed behind and continued their chants before a loud chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole”.
When they emerged, a queue formed at a George Best statue outside the grounds.
Red and white scarves were tied around the neck of the bronze statue where dozens of Shelbourne supporters posed for photographs.
Another fan, Ger Martyn, was already looking forward to their next game and said he was glad there was no trouble.
“I think 99 per cent of both sides of fans are here for a good time. They want their teams to go on to the next round. No one can legislate for the 1 per cent,” Mr Martyn said.
