The Lord Mayor of Belfast today called for water cannon to be deployed in the north of the city following another weekend of violent sectarian rioting.
More than 30 police officers and 10 civilians were injured during two nights of trouble which started when crowds up to 800 strong went on to the streets and started what police described as "ferocious hand-to-hand combat" after the end of the Scottish Cup Final between Rangers and Celtic.
During the violence rival nationalists and loyalists attacked each other, and the police, with axes, iron bars, baseball bats and breeze blocks.
Police fired plastic bullets but Lord Mayor Mr Jim Rodgers said water cannon should be used for riot control and to help identify the trouble makers.
"Anything is an excuse for these people. Football is a sport and whether you win or lose, you certainly don't have to go out and riot and cause mayhem on the streets," said Mr Rodgers.
He added: "What I would like to see now is water cannons with dye used to clear our streets.
"When you have young people of the age of eight upwards throwing missiles at police you can't allow it to continue."
Meanwhile the Police Service today defended itself against condemnation for firing plastic bullets during the weekend violence, saying it had saved lives.
Supt David Boultwood said police tactics had been justified, and denied his men had been more heavy handed in their used towards any one side.
He said: "The use of baton rounds plastic bullets on Saturday night in particular saved people's lives, you can't really look at it in any other way.
"If those rounds had not been available to us I have no doubt that people would have been killed."
Twenty eight police and 10 civilians were injured in the violence, which was repeated on a smaller scale last night.
PA