Irish Football Association confirms League Cup final sanctions for Cliftonville and Coleraine

The Irish Football association has confirmed that Cliftonville and Coleraine have been fined a total of £2,000 for “spectator misconduct” at the BetMcLean League Cup final.

Both clubs were charged and sanctioned by the IFA’s Disciplinary Committee for breaches of Article 33.3 of the association’s Disciplinary Code.

The charges relate to the League Cup final which was played on March 13 in front of 11,000 spectators at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park.

In an official statement issued today, the IFA said Cliftonville had been fined £1,250 for “several spectator misconduct incidents during the game”.

It was pointed out that this was the North Belfast club’s “third spectator misconduct charge this season”.

The statement also confirmed that Coleraine had been “fined £750 in relation to a number of spectator misconduct incidents during the same fixture”.

This was the Showgrounds club’s second spectator misconduct charge of the season.

It was recently reported in the media that pockets of “sectarian chanting” had marred an otherwise positive advertisement for the local game, while pyrotechnics were also heard in the Cliftonville end of the ground.

Cliftonville lifted the trophy in dramatic fashion, running out 4-3 winners thanks to two goals apiece from supersubs Joe Gormley and Paul O’Neill.