England and Ireland hit with UEFA fines after fans booed national anthems
Supporters of England and the Republic of Ireland booed the national anthems ahead of the match between the two countries in the Nations League on September 7 in Dublin
by Felix Keith · The MirrorEngland and the Republic of Ireland have both been slapped with fines by UEFA for booing each others’ national anthems in September.
The Three Lions picked up a 2-0 win over Ireland in what was Lee Carsley’s first game in interim charge on September 7. First-half goals from Jack Grealish and Declan Rice – two players who had previously represented Ireland – settled the Nations League contest in Dublin.
The build-up to the match was dominated by discussion around the national anthem after Carsley said he wouldn’t sing God Save The King before kick-off. The former Ireland midfielder did indeed stay silent during the anthems, but the Aviva Stadium was filled with noise.
Both the Football Association and the Football Association of Ireland have now been punished by UEFA for their fans’ behaviour. The FA have been given a £10,500 (€12,500) fine for their fans' booing of Irish anthem Amhran na bhFiann, while the FAI received a fine of £8,400 (€10,000) for home supporters booing God Save The King.
The FA’s fine is bigger because they have been deemed to be repeat offenders by European football’s governing body. There was also a £4,150 (€5,000) fine imposed on the FA after serial prankster Daniel Jarvis managed to get onto the field posing as a player.
UEFA imposed further punishment on the FAI, with a £7,800 (€9,250) fine for the lighting of flares and a £5,000 (€6,000) penalty for a pitch invasion by a fan.
The match was fraught with tension due to the many storylines surrounding it and goals from Rice and Grealish only heightened things. Both England stars were booed by the Irish crowd, having decided to change international allegiances.
Grealish represented Ireland up to under-21 level before switching, while Arsenal midfielder Rice swapped Ireland for England in 2019 after making three appearances for the country of his grandparents’ birth. Carsley, meanwhile, took his new team back to Ireland – a country he made 40 appearances for between 1997 and 2008.
Both Rice and Grealish shrugged off the hostile atmosphere to guide England to victory. "My nan and grandad on my dad's side of the family are all Irish, they've passed away and are not here anymore so I think to have celebrated would have been disrespectful, I didn't want to do that," Rice told Sky Sports.
"I had such an amazing time playing for Ireland, in the first team, under-19s, under-21s, they were great memories that live with me. I don't have a bad word to say and I wish them all the best like I do with anyone."
Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package
£46 (was £56)
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.