A 32-YEAR-OLD man was critically ill in hospital last night after he was stabbed in Belfast city centre on Saturday following trouble between rival football fans.
Trouble flared in the Castle Street and King Street area of Belfast after the game between Linfield, which traditionally has loyalist support and Cliftonville, which has mainly nationalist support.
The trouble also erupted on the day of the Old Firm game between Glasgow Celtic and Glasgow Rangers, which regularly triggers sectarian tensions in Belfast.
Some nationalists claimed that they were attacked by a gang of up to 40 Linfield supporters near a city centre pub, after the Irish Cup semi-final which Linfield won 2-1.
In advance of the game police informed the Cliftonville manager Eddie Patterson that a letter addressed to him containing a bullet was intercepted at the Belfast sorting office. Linfield manager, David Jeffrey, who has been involved in a number of projects aimed at reducing sectarianism in sport, condemned the threat against Mr Patterson.
Two people were brought to hospital after the disturbances. One man was released after an hour, but the second man was admitted to the intensive care unit in the Royal Victoria Hospital. SDLP Lower Falls area representative Margaret Walsh, condemning the violence, said as well as the PSNI the Irish Football Association must investigate the incident.