![\"clifton-ticket\"](\"https:\/\/etims.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/clifton-ticket.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
His recollection paints quite a picture:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dear E-Tims,<\/p>\n
I thought I would put down a few words on the last time I went to see Cliftonville and Celtic in a friendly match in Belfast. It was probably the most exciting game I have ever been at. Exciting, nerve wrecking, tense are just some of the adjectives I could use to describe it. It was also the only sporting event I have ever been at in my puff when I thought I wasn’t going to live to see the end of the day. This all had nothing whatsoever to do with what was happening on the pitch, although I do remember a final scoreline of 4-0 to Celtic but then again I didn’t stay until the end of the game.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What I do remember about the match most clearly was running to the exit as the British soldiers were attacking us. A riot of some sort had kicked off due to the crowd chanting the name of S\u00e9an Downes and the police and army entered stage right. As we ran to the exit I looked around panic stricken trying to find my younger brother who had come along with me and my mates to the game. The plastic bullets were being fired behind us and whizzed over our heads as I thought if one of those yokes doesn’t get me my ma will, for losing the brother in all this mayhem.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We got out relatively unscathed, brother and all, but I remember looking to the jungle as we forced our way onto the street, and seeing the RUC baton charge the supporters and thinking of a friend of mine who had been at the front line (well actually hanging from the meshing behind the goals). As it turned out he only needed 20 stitches as his head made contact with an RUC baton. When we got out onto the Cliftonville Road the whole thing had kicked off. There were fires, bullets, baton charges and we just wanted to get away out of it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fortunately my mate’s da was there to collect us and as we were going to Andersonstown he decided to go back into the city centre and go up the west link. We got about 100 metres down the Cliftonville Road when an army jeep pulled out of nowhere and forced us off the road, up onto the pavement and almost into a collision with a rather permanent looking wall. This was before anyone had ever heard of seatbelts in the rear, so the four of us in the back all went spilling forward trying desperately to break the launch. My mate ended up through the two front seats but fortunately his father’s elbow broke his fall and split his lip.<\/p>\n In one split second the soldiers had surrounded the car and with their rifles raised and pointing at the car they asked us politely if we would mind exiting the vehicle in order for them to verify who we were.\u00a0My mate’s father, who was an invalid, had on the car electric windows, and fortunately had the presence of mind to have his finger on the button and wind the window down without making any sudden movements. He was able to shout at the army “They’re children, they’re children for God’s sake” and even the British army will respect that and maybe also an invalid sticker on a car, so thankfully they lowered their weapons and then politely asked us all to get out of the car for a thorough search of us and the car.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"danny-cliftonville\"](\"https:\/\/etims.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/danny-cliftonville-640x380.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Cliftonville-riots-1990388\"](\"https:\/\/etims.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Cliftonville-riots-1990388.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Cliftonville-soccer-violence-19840098b\"](\"https:\/\/etims.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Cliftonville-soccer-violence-19840098b-470x260.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"prog\"](\"https:\/\/etims.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/prog.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n