Cork City have issued lifetime bans to two individuals who admitted singing songs about Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley's nine-year old son following last Friday's Premier Division clash at Turner's Cross.
The Hoops' boss Bradley was targeted by a small group of supporters in the wake of his side's 1-0 defeat to City.
Standing in an area which looks onto the pitch at Turner's Cross, the group chanted songs mocking Bradley's son who has been battling leukaemia.
Following the game, Bradley expressed disgust at the chanting and announced that he would be contacting the Gardaí on the matter. Cork City condemned the chanting and promised swift action.
This afternoon, they reported that the fans involved had received permanent bans.
"Cork City FC can confirm that two individuals have received lifetime bans from Turner's Cross as a result of their actions after last week’s game against Shamrock Rovers," the club said in a statement.
"Both persons have admitted their involvement in directing abuse at Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley and have apologised for their behaviour.
"Investigations into the matter by the relevant authorities are ongoing, and Cork City FC has offered our full support and cooperation with this process.
"The club wishes to reiterate its zero tolerance policy with regard to abuse of this nature.
"We also commend all of those who have shown their support and solidarity with Stephen Bradley and his family in the aftermath of this incident."
Bradley earlier said he believes that the fans should spend the day on a children's cancer ward to gain some perspective on their actions.
Gardai are investigating the incident and while Bradley hopes to see them press charges against those responsible, he praised Cork City and the vast majority of their supporter base for their reaction.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, the Rovers boss said: "A massive thank you to everyone who's reached out to myself and my family with emails, letters, texts and that's from the genuine fans of Cork City.
"People all over the country, whether that's been sport or not, have been fantastic and giving us that support. So massive thank you to them. It's definitely helped me and my family get through a difficult few days.
"It’s disgusting, you don't expect to hear anything like that in any walk of life. We all know when you're in sport there's a certain amount of stick that comes with the game but they crossed the line.
"We can't allow them to feel that that's acceptable in any walk of life.
"Thankfully the support and the backlash has being quite severe because these people need to understand that what they've said is unacceptable."
"If those people that said what they said spent the day in St. John's Ward in Crumlin and saw what it's like to have a kid with cancer and to live with it, I'm sure it would really set them back."
Bradley wants to see those responsible prosecuted to the full extent of the law in order to send a message about what is and is not acceptable when it comes to abusing figures in sport.
Last week the owners of The Corner Flag pub in Cork, where the abuse came from, said that they have identified those responsible and that information has been passed onto the Gardai.
"The guards in Cork have been brilliant and I spoke with them yesterday and they they've identified two of the party and are hoping to identify more of them," Bradley said.
"I'm just hoping that the Gardai in Cork feel there is enough that we can go and press charges, because I don't feel that these people should be let off with a slap on the wrist. I think what they said the lowest of the low for me and they need to be held accountable for their actions.
"It's a nine-year-old kid. It's my kid and as a parent you do everything possible to protect your kids and I'm not different than any other parent in the country.
"If those people that said what they said spent the day in St. John's Ward in Crumlin and saw what it's like to have a kid with cancer and to live with it, I'm sure it would really set them back, you know.
"The Cork people are brilliant people, the Cork community are brilliant people. They're passionate about the sport, which is what you want.
"It's only a small minority, we know that and like I said, the reaction from, Cork as a whole has been fantastic and around the country. So a massive thank you to each and every one of them."
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