Overview
- The Finlay inquiry, summarized in the newly released files, found the serious violence was planned and carried out solely by English fans, forcing abandonment after 27 minutes with more than 20 injured and about 40 arrests.
- Cabinet was told Garda reserve and public order units at the stadium were insufficient, with too few briefings between stewards, security staff and Garda personnel.
- Pre‑match safety decisions and information from meetings between Gardaí and the FAI were not clearly understood or remembered in the absence of written confirmation.
- Intelligence received from the English National Criminal Intelligence Service was not sufficiently conveyed to the FAI, and segregation was weakened by resold returned tickets and reliance on seated spectators as an inadequate barrier.
- The report recommended capping away allocations at under 10% and relocating visiting supporters to a defined area in the lower east stand, measures adopted thereafter and newly reconsidered following recent comments by Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson.