Few arrests made during huge policing operation for Ireland v England match

There was a massive Garda presence in Dublin for the clash at the Aviva Stadium but only a handful of arrests were made, according to authorities

By: irishmirror.ie

Sep 09 2024
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Few arrests made during huge p

Gardaí made a handful of arrests during the massive policing operation around Saturday’s Ireland vs England football game.

All leave had been cancelled in the city and hundreds of extra officers had been drafted in to police the capital amid fears of disturbances.

“Arrests-wise, it was just a typical Saturday in Dublin,” a source said. And gardai later confirmed there had been relatively few arrests on the day, with a spokesman telling us: “It was a small number.”

Several videos emerged of gardai moving in to small crowds after the game – which ended in a 2-0 win for the visitors. Footage filmed close to the stadium shows officers on horseback patrolling the streets amid clashes between football fans.

As England fans chanted “Football’s coming home” and large groups of people walked along the street, one supporter could be seen on the ground, surrounded by gardai.

There were also pro-IRA chants from some Irish fans – as well as songs about the late Queen.

Gardaí separate Republic of Ireland and England fans near the stadium after the UEFA Nations League Group F match at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin (Image: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)

In one video, a man was dragged by gardai through the street while on his knees as other fans kept walking. It’s not clear if the supporter was an Ireland or England fan.

There was a large Garda presence outside the stadium for what was a hot and sunny day in the capital. England fans gathered at the Grand Canal Hotel, a 10-minute walk from the ground, while Irish fans packed out the nearby Slattery’s pub.

A small scuffle broke out shortly after 4pm as fans began to make their way into the stadium, but a Garda spokesperson said there had been no arrests and no significant reported trouble before the match.

Tensions flared again as gardai escorted the visiting English fans from the stadium, half an hour after the final whistle. The route took them between two pubs packed with Irish supporters. A Garda spokesman confirmed that a number of arrests were made after what they described as a “minor disturbance” after the game.

A Garda ring of steel was put in place for Saturday’s fixture, with 350 members of the public order unit on duty in Dublin. Operation Dearoil has been running since Friday until Sunday morning to cover the game after almost 12,000 England fans applied for the 2,981 tickets they were allocated.

President Michael D Higgins’ arrival on to the Aviva Stadium pitch to greet the Ireland and England teams was delayed due to a pitch invader. The 83-year-old had made his way down with the FAI President Paul Cooke ahead of the Saturday evening kick-off.

But he was made to wait before advancing to shake hands with both sets of players due to an England fan running on the pitch and standing at the end of the England team. The intruder, dressed in an England kit, was quickly removed by security and President Higgins advanced to speak with a number of the players ahead of the game.

Shortly afterwards, the national anthems of both countries were played as interim England boss Lee Carsley remained silent for God Save the King. The 50-year-old former Ireland international had indicated in advance that he would not join in with the national anthem, as has been his practice throughout his career.

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