Stuart and Duncan Kirk, loyal followers of England football from Ipswich, are reminded of the distasteful incidents of 1995 whenever they think about the Republic of Ireland versus England match that took place on Saturday. They recollect the chaos caused by English fans at Lansdowne Road leading to the termination of the game in less than half an hour, along with the disorder that occurred pre and post-match. This marked the second meeting in Dublin between the two countries in the past 29 years indicating the commencement of their respective Uefa Nations League pursuits.
As Stuart proceeded towards Temple Bar on Friday afternoon, he pondered over the city’s atmosphere the next day, as the past instances of violence come back to him. Looking ahead to the Republic of Ireland versus England game, British police officers arrived in Dublin to prevent potential issues with football hooligans.
Roy Barron of Barnsley believes that the negative image of England fans from the hooligan era is still clingy despite fans now travelling with good intentions. He believes this might be the reason why English police officers have been deployed to Dublin to assist the local gardaí in match security. However, Barron assures that those times have left us behind.
Roy Barron asserts his comfort, sporting a “Three Lions” t-shirt with no reproach from anyone at The Temple Bar.
Alex Perril, a supporter from the Isle of Wight, believes that the times of anti-Irish sentiment among English fans is in decline. As he stood near a Carroll’s gift shop sporting an England t-shirt, he opined that unpleasant chants about the IRA and others are becoming less frequent.
In the aftermath of Gareth Southgate stepping down as manager of the England football team, England supporters we spoke to are more excited about catching a cheeky pint or two and seeing the squad in action under new management. The reins have been temporarily handed over to former Irish player Lee Carsley, following the team’s second-place finish at the 2024 Euros.
England supporter, Barron, expressed positivity saying, “We’ve got fresh leadership now, I am keen to find out whether the approach to the game will be any different from Southgate’s, which in my opinion, wasn’t quite up to scratch.”
The intensity of the England-Ireland rivalry may have simmered down since its heyday in the 90s, but Irish fans are still eager to triumph, especially over English players of Irish descent – Declan Rice and Jack Grealish.
Nonetheless, Stuart Kirk believes that any resentment from the Irish fans would be unjustified. He argues, “They were born on English soil, we never made a fuss when Carsley went over to your side.”