RTÉ soccer analyst Eamon Dunphy believes that the weekend incidents of coin throwing are not something that would happen in an Irish sporting arena.
West Brom's Chris Brunt was hit by a coin thrown by a Baggies supporter following his side’s 3-1 FA Cup defeat at Reading at the weekend.
The Northern Ireland international had gone over to applaud the visiting fans following their FA Cup fifth-round exit, but went down clutching his face after the coin struck him just below the eye.
Elsewhere a man was arrested after allegedly throwing a lighter on to the pitch at Stamford Bridge during Chelsea's 5-1 FA Cup fifth-round win over Manchester City on Sunday.
Coins were also thrown from the Chelsea supporter’s end.
Dunphy believes that these incidents are a symptom of a wider societal problem in England and that there are no such problems with sports supporters in Ireland.
“We’re lucky in this country we have fantastic fans and the atmosphere around games is brilliant in all sports, so we don’t have that kind of shocking behaviour in football grounds or any other grounds,” he said.
“Going back 50 years, football hooliganism has been there (England) and we see and hear things on the terraces that are racist and ugly.
“Old players come back to their old club and they get booed, whereas if you look at Spain or even here, a player that served the club well will be celebrated and applauded.
“I think what happens in English football is societal, it doesn’t reflect on the sport but it’s deeply shocking, Brunt could have lost his eye.”
Dunphy also pointed to the abuse that Ireland international midfielder James McClean receives on a regular basis from the stands.
"James McClean has had a lot of trouble all around England because he won’t wear a poppy and I watched an FA Cup game last week against Peterborough and he was booed every time he touched the ball.”
“We should really talk more about GAA games here, rugby games and soccer matches and I can never recall anything ugly, racist or vicious.
“There’s a vibe in England that you don’t get here, there’s an edge and a nastiness to it. It isn’t in our culture and it never will be in my opinion.”
