UPDATE: The first chant from the England fans is in and it is underwhelming…
The travelling English support are congregated down at the Havelock Road end this afternoon and, as promised [below], they have cracked out a ditty about the FAI’s ‘loan’ from FIFA.
‘He paid for your ground, he paid for your ground, he paid for your grou-unnd, Sepp Blatter, he paid for your ground.’
Oh Sepp Blatter, he paid for your ground pic.twitter.com/m5M9e3h3kJ
— CJ Joiner (@CJ_covblaze) June 7, 2015
Here is another whimsical beauty, about a chant about a Frenchman wot done us ova’ in 2009.
Thierry Henry, Thierry Henry, Thierry Henry pic.twitter.com/SKLnhQconB
— CJ Joiner (@CJ_covblaze) June 7, 2015
Things can only get better.
John Delaney with his partner Emma English while Sports Minister Paschal Donohoe studies the on-field action.It is not quite Ireland versus England at Croke Park in 2007, but many eyes will be monitoring today’s football friendly closely.
England supporters have been arriving in Dublin over the past 24 hours ahead of their side’s first football fixture in this country since 1995’s infamous Lansdowne Road riots.
Fears have been expressed that some travelling fans will chant anti-Irish songs, following the IRA songs that filled the air at Celtic Park last November.
However, some England fans, on The FA’s official forum, have some much better songs in mind.
A particular favourite is this take on ‘Molly Malone’ and refers to the FAI’s acceptance of a €5 million ‘loan’, which was, ultimately, never paid back, in 2009.
In Dublin’s fair city
Where girls are so pretty
I first set my eyes on an envelope brown.
As I filled my wheelbarrow
With notes broad and narrow
We built the Aviva in old Dublin town[CHORUS]
A-bribe a-bribe O-oh
A-bribe a bribe-o-oh,
Singing thanks to you FIFA
A-bribe, a-bribe oh.
And how about this wif-filled take on ‘Irish Rover’?
We took cash from FIFA for many a year,
And we didn’t waste it on whisky and beer
We built the Aviva, as you see before
And we swear we will take bribes from FIFA no more,And it’s no, nay, never (dum dum de dum)
No nay never no more
Will we take (hay) bribes from FIFA
No never no more.
The other offering on the forum is shorter and not so sweet,
That’s all you’re worth
That’s all you’re worrrrth
5 million Euros
That’s all you’re worth
The poster of the Molly Malone twists has another, which is a take on ‘When Irish Eyes Are Smiling’.
When Irish eyes were smiling
Delaney took the cash
To say it wasn’t handball
Or have another match
Now the story’s broken
And he’s had to tell
Sold Ireland down the river
And Irish eyes as well
Looking forward to hearing these lilting tunes at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.
***Piece first published on Saturday, June 6.
