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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Paul O'Hehir

Stephen Bradley considered quitting management after Turner's Cross chants about his son

Stephen Bradley considered quitting management in the wake of the sickening abuse aimed at his son last week.

The Shamrock Rovers boss has revealed that he spent the last few days thinking long and hard about his position.

"Your kids and your family shouldn’t have to hear that or put up with that because of my job, so it made me think about it," he said yesterday.

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"It’s only natural to have the thoughts I had because, as a parent, you do everything possible to protect your kids. Anyone would think like that."

And Bradley added: "I’d love those people to spend a day on St John's ward in Crumlin and see the realities of what it's like to have a kid with cancer and understand it."

Cork City have hit two supporters with lifetime bans for directing chants at Bradley about his son Josh, 9, who is battling leukemia.

Bradley has been in contact with Gardai all week and intends to press charges over the incident at Turner’s Cross, following last Friday’s 1-0 defeat to the Rebels.

Speaking about a difficult week, Bradley said: "It’s been hard. There’s not much that would stop me.

"I’ve seen my mam pass away from cancer after fighting for four years, and that was tough.

"I’ve always said there’s not much in football that can hurt me because of what I’ve seen, with what my son is going through at the moment.

"But that really got to me last week, that really made me think of what I’m doing, questioning everything and doing things, not for me, but for my son."

Bradley continued: "You don't expect that sort of abuse in any walk of life and the hard part was coming home on the bus thinking about how I can protect Josh from it.

"It's on the radio and stuff the next day, so that's a difficult conversation to have with a nine-year-old who can't understand why people would want to speak about him like that and try and hurt him.

"It’s been difficult but I’m lucky that I have the people around me, good family, and you can’t let these people win - that’s important."

The Cork City fans involved in the chanting, who have been hit with those bans, have not reached out to Bradley or his family.

"I’m hoping to press changes," said the Hoops boss yesterday. "I spoke to the Sergeant yesterday from Cork, who has been brilliant to deal with.

"They have (identified) two and they’re hoping to identify another two. They know there is more than that and hopefully they get four or five.

"I’m hoping the Chief Superintendent down there sees enough that we’re hoping to press charges.

"It’s not enough to give them a slap on the wrist and say ‘off you go’. They really need to be held accountable for their actions.

"If we think for one moment - whether in sport or life - that that (behaviour) is acceptable, well then we’re in a dangerous place as a society.

"The club has been good, the majority of their fans have been brilliant. I know a lot of people from Cork, brilliant people, and a real sporting community down there.

"But that small minority, they need to know that’s unacceptable in any ground up and down the country. They shouldn’t just be banned from Cork."

Shamrock Rovers ace Sean Kavanagh labelled the abuse directed at Bradley as "bottom of the barrel" and said the players have rallied around their manager.

The Hoops wing-back said yesterday: "For me, that’s bottom of the barrel, the personal stuff.

"Fans might say stuff but to go for someone’s sick son like that is sad to think people would go that low. I hope they get what they deserve."

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