Doors were ripped off their hinges and tables and chairs thrown through windows during the disturbances involving rival fans at Wetherspoons pub in Belfast ahead of Northern Ireland's 3-2 win over Poland on Saturday.

Three Polish nationals who are based in England pleaded guilty at Belfast Magistrates' Court today to charges of disorderly behaviour. They were all given two-month sentences, suspended for one year.

Another Pole, who lives in Belfast, admitted disorderly behaviour and possessing fireworks without a licence and will appear in court again next month for sentencing.

Tomasz Bobrowicz, 30, who lives in Suffolk, Przemyslaw Pawel Kusmierczyk, 28, from Liverpool, Lukasz Szwajda, 22, from London and Tomasz Maciej Jakobik, 26, from University Avenue in Belfast, were all arrested outside the city centre bar on Bedford Street during the unrest.

During the hearing a police officer, who said he could link the accused with the charges, told the court that the men had been on the periphery of the disturbances and had not been involved in organising the violence.

A prosecution lawyer added that the trouble had been started by a group of Polish supporters who planned to go into the bar with the express intention of starting trouble.

"A small number of organised Polish fans orchestrated disturbances within the bar," she said.

The violence at the Wetherspoons was one of a number of clashes involving fans and riot police both before, during and after the match at Windsor Park. Eleven officers were injured in the incidents.

While Northern Ireland has a sizeable resident Polish population, police believe a hard core group of Poles travelled from elsewhere, without match tickets, in order to stir up trouble.

They are examining CCTV footage from across the city in an attempt to identify the ringleaders.

Passing sentence today, Magistrate Fiona Bagnall acknowledged that all four men were not part of the group that orchestrated the violence.

While Jakobik had been released on police bail ahead of today's appearance, the other three men had been in custody since Saturday afternoon.

All appeared in the dock together alongside an interpreter.

Shaven headed Bobrowicz, who was wearing a navy hooded top, has been left with a 13 stitch wound across his forehead as a result of Saturday's fracas.

His lawyer said he had got involved in the trouble after getting struck.

"He was angry but accepts that his behaviour was unacceptable," he said.

The court heard that Szwajda, who appeared in a blue jacket and also had a shaven head, is a full time chef in London.

His solicitor Shane O'Neill said drink had played a part in behaviour that he said was out of character.

"Alcohol played a role and he genuinely regrets his behaviour," he said.

"Hopefully this is a one off."

A lawyer for Kusmierczyk, who was wearing a grey sweatshirt and had short blonde hair, said he had only become embroiled in the trouble when it moved outside the bar.

He pointed out that his client had no previous criminal record.

Niall O'Neill, representing Jakobik, who wore a blue sweatshirt and also sported a shaven head, said he had lived in Northern Ireland for two years and had a good grasp of English.

Ms Bagnall ordered him to appear again in court on April 27th for sentencing.

As well as the pre-game trouble at Wetherspoons, the Tates Avenue area near to the ground was sealed off as police came under attack from fireworks, traffic cones, bricks, bottles and other missiles both before and after the evening kick-off.

A number of homes were also targeted in what police described as racially motivated incidents.

There was trouble inside Windsor Park as well, with the match held up during the first half when a linesman was hit by a missile thrown from a crowd of Northern Ireland supporters in the North Stand just after Poland scored.

Polish fans were also involved in disturbances in the closing stages of the game.

Several tried to climb the perimeter fence after leaving the South Stand to reach the terracing. But again police moved in to stop them.

Emphasising that the majority of the troublemakers on the Polish side were not locally based, the police have called for no reprisal attacks on Poles living and working in the region.

The Irish Football Association (IFA) has imposed a life ban on the fan who struck an assistant referee with a coin.

Fifa has launched an investigation after receiving reports from the referee and match commissioner.

IFA president Raymond Kennedy expects the punishment to be a heavy fine.

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