England away fans have been warned by police to “respect local culture” as the Three Lions prepare to face the Republic of Ireland in a Nations League encounter on Saturday. The match will be played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and is due to get underway at 5pm.
England are set to take to the pitch for the first time since their Euro 2024 final heartache against Spain.
And they will be overseen by caretaker manager Lee Carsley after former boss Gareth Southgate quit his role in July.
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According to The Telegraph, those overseeing Saturday’s game have remained all-but silent on the prospect of ‘No surrender’ or ‘F*** the Pope and the IRA’ being sung in Dublin.
Sources told the publication that the decision to avoid drawing attention to specific chants is a deliberate move by authorities in England and Ireland as it could have the opposite effect to the one intended.
The Irish police force, Garda, will attempt to contain any trouble by enforcing laws that prevent people from drinking alcohol on city streets. Meanwhile, annual leave of police officers has been cancelled in the hope that increased measures will be enough to stop any incidents of offensive chanting.
Law enforcement agencies on both sides of the Irish Sea have remained tight-lipped about the potential subjects that chanting may reference.
But the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit have released a statement ahead of the match, with superintendent Gareth Parkin explaining: “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.
“Thousands of UK residents and sports fans visit Dublin every year, and the Garda and the stadium management team are well used to dealing with large-scale events at the Aviva.
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“Ahead of the match we’ve been in constant dialogue with our colleagues at the Garda 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.”
Thousands of England fans are expected to travel to Ireland without a ticket to soak up the atmosphere in Dublin. And other reports have stated that 350 specialist officers will also be deployed over the weekend.
