Ireland versus England on a Saturday night in Dublin should be enough to get the blood pumping for home fans heading to the Aviva, especially as the visitors include three of the biggest turncoats in Anglo-Irish football history in Declan Rice, Jack Grealish and interim manager Lee Carsley.
Irish fans are spoilt for choice over who to aim their boos at, so Paddy Power took to the streets of Dublin to see how preparations for the tirade of stick is going among supporters.
“Rice is the one for me! I’m going to boo his ears off come Saturday! I can’t wait!”, one wide-eyed supporter yelled at PP reporters. “It’s going to be like Christmas, my birthday and Ireland winning the Eurovision all in one.”
“Look, we might not have the players and need to hope this new manager is an Icelandic Big Jack, but we’ll have the best boo-boys in the world on Saturday evening,” another claimed.
“We can boo the English off the park, no bother.”
Irish ire towards Rice is based on the Arsenal star doing his infamous switcheroo in 2019 and jumping ship to England after three appearances for Martin O’Neill’s side.
As a FIFA loophole opened up, Rice dived head first into the arms of Gareth Southgate, and a bond was broken with Ireland.
“I’ve not been able to trust anyone since,” another fan told PP News as a queue of anti-Rice agitators began to form on Grafton Street. “He cut me deep, he cut me real deep. I’ve not eaten rice since!”
“The wife tried to trick me with risotto a while back, I told her straight, ‘I can’t do it, I can’t get hurt again’, she told me to get a life.”
Rice is not the only figure expected to be on the sharp end of the home fans on Saturday, with former Ireland U21 international Jack Grealish amongst the England ranks, and former midfielder Lee Carsley in charge of the away side.
“Grealish is the best of a bad lot, but Carsley was just a sh*te Tommy Gravesen, but with no craic.
A new fan group known as the Baggot Street boo-boos told PP sources they have received a spike in membership and they’re prepared to boo themselves to laryngitis if it means a 1-1 against the English.
Aviva Stadium officials have confirmed they are shipping in earthquake springs to support the arena in the event of seismic booing. All rice dishes have been removed stadium food vendor menus and bald fans have been advised to stick a wig on in case they are mistaken for the England manager.
*Paddy Power’s football coverage is pure fantasy – don’t believe it for a second
