- England played the Republic of Ireland at Wembley Stadium on Sunday night
- The Nations League game was preceded by both national anthems being booed
- Is Harry Kane right to blast England drop-outs? LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Available wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes every Monday and Thursday
Sunday night’s UEFA Nations League game between England and the Republic of Ireland was preceded by booing during both national anthems.
Jeering began in the away section at London’s Wembley Stadium when a large group representing the UK military were paraded on the field ahead of the match.
England fans responded by later booing Amhran na bhFiann. In return, Irish supporters booed God Save the King.
The lack of respect shown to both anthems was the topic of plenty of discussion on social media.
One comment on X (formerly Twitter) read: ‘England fans booing a national anthem is such a scummy thing’.
Another read: ‘Irish fans singing the national anthem louder than the English fans were booing.’
Meanwhile, English journalist Henry Winter tweeted: ‘Jeer we go. Both anthems getting booed. Both associations getting fined.’
Irish journalist Daniel McDonnell added: ‘Spirited booing of both anthems, with the Irish fans not too impressed by the poppy season military ensemble functioning as the backing dancers’
Sunday’s game was only the second competitive men’s international between England and Ireland since the 1990 World Cup.
England won 2-0 in Dublin in the reverse fixture back in September when both goals were scored by players who had previously represented Ireland, in Declan Rice and Jack Grealish.
Both national anthems were also booed before kick off in that game. UEFA responded by fining both the FA and the FAI.
England’s FA were forced to pay £10,500 (€12,500), while Ireland’s FAI were fined £8,400 (€10,000). The FA’s fine was bigger because they were deemed to be repeat offenders.
England interim manager Lee Carsley, who was born in Birmingham but represented Ireland during his playing career, did not sing either national anthem on Sunday.
Carsley has refrained from singing ahead of any of his six games as England’s interim manager.
Explaining why he chooses not to sing, Carsley said ahead of September’s meeting in Dublin: ‘This is something that I always struggled with when I was playing for Ireland.
‘The gap between your warm-up, your coming on to the pitch and the delay with the anthems. So it’s something that I have never done.
‘I was always really focused on the game and my first actions of the game. I really found that in that period I was wary about my mind wandering off.
‘I was really focused on the football and I have taken that into coaching. We had the national anthem with the Under-21s also and I am in a zone at that point. I am thinking about how the opposition are going to set up and our first actions within the game.
‘I fully respect both anthems and understand how much they mean to both countries. It’s something I am really respectful of.’
