A British sportswriter said whoever organised the upcoming friendly between the Republic of Ireland and England is ‘a numpty’.
Martin Samuel, a columnist for The Daily Mail, said the game is a terrible idea, and that, in light of recent football incidents, the friendly fixture is not worth the hassle.
‘Whoever arranged for England to meet the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on June 7, however, is a numpty’.
‘After intense negotiations with police, the kick-off time has now been brought forward to 1pm. Why is it being played at all?
‘There are 209 member associations of FIFA, which means there are 207 countries that England could play without fear of significant disturbance, and one where England’s last visit was abandoned due to a riot’.
Samuel is referring to the infamous friendly in 1995, which was abandoned after 21 minutes, when English supporters rioted after Ireland had took the lead through David Kelly.
4,500 English fans, many of whom were far-right neo-Nazi sympathisers, began throwing missiles and fighting with Gardai.
‘If a free draw sends England back to Dublin, both sides will have to handle it,’ said Samuel, ‘but this is an unnecessary risk, and not worth taking’.
‘If it ends in tears, and tear gas, again, those who came up with this incendiary fixture should not look far for the blame’.
The two national teams have met since the Landsdowne fixture, playing out a 1-1 draw at Wembley in May 2013.
And while the game passed off without incident, as you can see from the picture below, the hooligan culture is still clearly going strong.
Won’t somebody please think of the children?
Hat-tip to the lads at PógMoGoal
