http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/football-fans-unite-call-peaceful-6129426http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/football-fans-unite-call-peaceful-6129426 So anyone remember the battle of ninian park? I was wasn't there so can't comment but the article paints it as the Swans fans starting the trouble (it is **** online though). By throwing seats we forced the Kairdivs to invade the pitch? Any one here remember this 1st hand? It was 20 years ago that violence most famously overshadowed a clash between Cardiff and Swansea. In December 1993 Swansea fans ripped out seats and threw them at the Cardiff supporters, which resulted in the home fans invading the pitch in what was later dubbed by pundits as âThe Battle Of Ninian Parkâ. There has been less trouble in recent years, however, thanks mainly to heavily organised police operations.
I was there, horrible night and just before Christmas. The stupid fcukers put us in the Grandstand and they didn't have a enough police and stewards for the large numbers of Swans fans. It all kicked off when Cardiff scored because until then we didn't realise that Cardiff fans were in the stand to our left. The idiots started throwing seats and punches and all hell broke loose. Don't listen to any Cardiff knob that says it was all own way because it wasn't, we had plenty of seats thrown in our direction. The rest as they say is history
I was there too.. It was pretty grim I'm afraid. From the moment we were herded onto the 'Football special' at High st, to the end of the game. We arrived at the siding behind the Canton I believe & were under constant attack from them through the police cordons as we were shepherded to the ground... We were indeed, inside the main stand, to the normal away end, Grangetown end maybe?? It was ugly from the start, sure it was an FA cup tie. I've been trying to remember, as it being so long ago, my memory is 'sketchy', but I'm sure when they did score, it was against the 'run of play' & the ref hadn't given us feck-all!! When have we seen that before??!! I mean if there's any a time to go mental it was then, but what happened after that was damn right shameful!!! The ripping up of seats & throwing at opposition fans', no matter who they are, is not defendable I'm afraid. I'm not exactly sure the finer points of what happened in the stand, that people felt warranted it, but I think some of our 'fans' didn't cover themselves in glory that night. It was disgusting!! Women & children were in that stand too!!...
i was there as 13yr old sitting in the family just below the grandstand. it all kicked off when a load of your fans turned up late and started throwing chairs towards the grandstand and the family below. my dad and i were forced to onto the pitch with many others then what i can only describe as a running wave of our lunatics coming from the bob bank onto the pitch and up into the grandstand to get at your lot. absolute chaos!
I'm not usually a conspiracy theorist, but as someone who was there I have become convinced over the years that it was organised violence. Organised by the police. After years of violent clashes between the clubs with some games involving over a hundred arrests and stretching police resources and finances too the limit. Why did they not object to a Swansea V Cardiff derby on the Thursday night before Christmas? Think about it. A train arriving close to kick off with 500+ 'mostly pissed up Swansea fans' and at the last minute decide too re-house them in the Grandstand which was already partly occupied by Cardiff fans! Yes it was bedlam, but it was contained bedlam in one place and all on television for the whole nation too see. Of course the rest is history and away fans were banned from attending games for years after and even after that never allowed to travel under their own esteem since, saving the police a fortune. Job done!
Actually I wouldn't argue with that. I was drinking in the Pullman all afternoon and I was far from alone too. As soon as we arrived at Ninian train station it kicked off and there were just running battles all the way to the ground. That's the thing the Cardiff fans don't want you to hear about. As you say most of the lads on the train had all been on the piss and weren't taking any backward steps. Then we were delayed getting in the ground and some missed kick off. Because of this when I got in the ground I could sense a real air of nastiness in the ground, far worse than other derby matches. I often wondered how Cardiff fans on the Bob bank got on the pitch so easily too. They tried to get in the grandstand but had no chance really because they were at ground level and our idiots were above them just waiting. I saw a few Cardiff idiots get clobbered by the police with their truncheons, to say the police seem'd to be enjoying it was an understatement. All in all after the match being stopped, the ensuing rioting and then the journey home I didn't get in til way gone midnight, put the telly on to find it all over Sky News. This was at a time when TV cameras were not at all grounds like they are today, so we were they there for a game between two lower league Welsh clubs? But the one thing that sticks out was the announcer over the tannoy. As a World War 3 broke out after about 2 minutes of carnage I remember the announcer saying words to the effect of " Urgent, emergency situation code red, main grandstand" (something like that) but it was a few minutes later any police showed up and in those few minutes there were disgraceful scenes and bodies and injured people everywhere. I wonder to this day why the response was so slow A really dark day for Welsh football
