A Premier League match was brought to a standstill last night when a supporter handcuffed himself to a goalpost in protest over his air hostess daughter being sacked by Ryanair.
John Foley, 46, halted play at Goodison Park for around five minutes in a one-man demonstration aimed at the airline’s boss Michael O’Leary.
Mr O’Leary was apparently in the stands to watch the game between Everton and his favourite team Manchester City.
Liverpool fan Mr Foley emerged from the Goodison Park crowd with just under five minutes remaining until half-time and shackled himself to the frame of City keeper Joe Hart’s goal.
A message on his T-shirt read: ‘Europe’s greatest training robbers. Ryanair. Lowest wages guaranteed. Stop. Recruitment scamming our children.’
Everton captain Phil Neville tried to convince Mr Foley to leave the pitch but his request was ignored and police used bolt-cutters to remove the handcuffs.
After a five-minute hold-up he was released and led away by police.
Mr Foley, a jeweller, was released on police bail after spending a night in the cells following his arrest for pitch invasion.
After his release he used his blog to apologise to both sets of fans, and explained that his protest was the latest in a series aimed at Ryanair.
He said: ‘Ryanairdontcare Campaign founder John Foley staged a peaceful protest last night at Goodison Park were Michael O’Leary was in attendance, as horse racing and Manchester City is his Passion.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair Chief Executive is a keen Manchester City fan and was apparently at last night’s game
‘Ryanairdontcare Campaign wish to apologise to Everton F.C , Manchester City, Stewards and all fans Except O’Leary the scammer for any upset caused by this protest.
‘John Foley has many family and friends who support Everton but he himself is a Liverpudlian.
‘The issues of young people being recruitment scammed at Ryanair needs to be told…’
It emerged that Mr Foley has staged previous protest against Ryanair over the treatment of his daughter Sarah, who worked for the airline in 2008.
In February 2010, he climbed onto the roof of the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Liverpool John Lennon Aiport brandishing a banner criticising Ryanair’s training programme.
Sarah, who was 18 at the time, was allegedly recruited by St James Management, who train cabin crew for Ryanair.
She paid a deposit to the company and trained for six weeks in Bishop Stortford, before being offered a contract from Crewlink, another recruitment company.
Sarah was then required to move to Dublin, but her contract was terminated along with 20 others after seven weeks.
On his blog, Mr Foley described how the cabin crew were told that they were being dismissed due to ‘the recession’.
He said: ‘They were all terminated and the reason was the recession.
‘This was a very hard time for Sarah and she was alone in Dublin by this time and cried for days.’Mr Foley claims Ryanair refused to give Sarah a flight home, and that he had to get a ferry over to Dublin to collect her. Full story here….
Call out for 2012 week of protest action against Ryan Air…..
John Foley’s blog: http://ryanairdontcarecrew.blogspot.com/
Life is tough and more and more stories of young people like Sarah are being told. But hold the phone, would it be better to layoff a women of thirty something who has given several years to the firm and might have dependants. As always and as set out by goverment guide lines when making redundancies last in first out. the real problem is not the struggling companies trying to keep the core of the employees in paid employment. No the real problem was the banks were too busy making stupid loans to people who couldn’t afford it and spending their bonuses. I bet the bankers didn’t fly with Ryan air!!!!