England fans have been warned to “respect local culture” as they prepare for their first game in the Republic of Ireland for nine years.
Just under 3,000 England fans have tickets through official channels for the Nations League game, which is being staged at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Saturday at 5pm (local time).
In 1995, a friendly game between England and the Republic of Ireland at the old Lansdowne Road ground had to be abandoned after visiting fans rioted. England have only played in Dublin once since, a friendly in June 2015 which finished 0-0.
Chants about the conflict in Northern Ireland have been a feature of a section of England’s support for years but the English FA is encouraged by the improved behaviour of the team’s fans abroad over the last few years, and is not expecting anything out of the ordinary this weekend.
The UK Football Police Unit has, however, urged travelling fans to behave respectfully.
“Following on from the Euros in Germany, we’re once again expecting that the vast majority of the England fans attending the match in Dublin will behave responsibly,” said Superintendent Gareth Parkin, the leader of the UKFPU delegation in Dublin.
“Ahead of the match we’ve been in constant dialogue with our colleagues at the Garda (Irish police) and a security visit has already taken place. We will have teams from the UKFPU out on the ground throughout the weekend to assist our colleagues.
“We’ve also been working closely with the Football Association, the Football Supporters Association to ensure that everyone attending the match can have a safe and enjoyable time.
“As always, all fans attending the match are urged to drink responsibly and respect local culture.”
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