Will this make any difference?
Travelling England supporters have been warned about their behaviour at next month’s friendly between the Republic of Ireland and England in Dublin.
The Football Association have threatened to ban any England supporter caught signing sectarian songs at the Aviva stadium, and manager Roy Hodgson has also spoke out against the songs.
A section of the team’s support could be heard singing ‘F**k the IRA’ and ‘No surrender’ at a friendly last year against Scotland at Celtic Park, and last month in Italy. So, with the fixture between Ireland and England just a few weeks away, the country’s football governing body are worried this behaviour will continue.
‘The FA has recently noted an increase in anti-social behaviour from a certain section of England fans that has led to complaints from within our own supporters who, as a result, have not enjoyed the experience of backing their country on the road,’ the email, published in full on The Daily Mail‘s website, reads.
‘The FA has consistently urged supporters to show respect and not chant songs that could be regarded as insulting to others, particularly from a religious or political perspective.’
The association also say they hope for a repeat of the atmosphere when the two nations last played, a friendly at Wembley in 2013, not the friendly at Lansdowne Road in 1995.
‘The Three Lions will pay their first visit to the Aviva Stadium on Sunday June 7th for what will be a reciprocal fixture from The FA’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 2013. That year, the Boys in Green played out a 1-1 draw at Wembley Stadium and both sides will be looking for a repeat of that colourful occasion when the neighbours meet in Dublin.’
The friendly kicks-off at 1pm, and the FA have suspended 18 England Supporters Travel Club memberships, as well as sending the email, in an attempt to curb anti-social behaviour from the team’s supporters.
