Thankfully, violence among football supporters attending Irish League matches in Northern Ireland is a relatively rare occurrence.
However, the appalling sectarian attack which took place after the north Belfast derby between Crusaders and Cliftonville on Saturday must be a cause of serious concern.
A heavy police presence is always in place for matches between the two teams at Seaview, with Cliftonville supporters taken to and from the ground by bus in a bid to avoid any confrontation.
It is an arrangement that has generally worked well and both clubs have put in considerable effort to reduce tensions and ensure that all fans have a safe and enjoyable day out.
However, it seems that following Saturday's game a crowd of nationalist youths made their way on foot back down Skegoneill Avenue where they targeted a man leaving his grandfather's house.
This was a despicable and brutal assault. The victim was hit on the head with a hammer and suffered a number of injuries. Clearly, using such a weapon could have resulted in this man being killed.
Local unionist councillor Davy Browne said the attackers appeared to target ``the first Protestant they came across.''
There can be no possible justification for this type of vicious sectarian assault which will only serve to heighten tensions in this part of north Belfast.
Mr Browne is correct to say that this behaviour is not reflective of the vast majority of Cliftonville fans and it is important that the actions of a small number of thugs does not undo the positive work which has taken place in recent years.
Given the number of police out in force for the game, it is perhaps surprising that this mob was able to return to the lower part of Skegoneill Avenue and carry out this attack.
In the light of this serious incident, the PSNI may need to look at stepping up patrols in this area on match days. It is also vital that anyone with information about this attack comes forward.
