Anger at sectarian songs after NI game
The Irish Football Association has condemned the actions of a group of Northern Ireland fans who were captured on film singing sectarian songs after an international game in Dublin last week.
Footage was published on YouTube after Northern Ireland’s defeat to Scotland in their Carling Nations Cup opener at the Aviva Stadium last Wednesday.
A spokesman for the IFA has told UTV the organisation is now investigating “the facts surrounding the events” to put together “an overall picture of what happened”.
“We are at the minute collecting all the facts surrounding the events and once we have the facts, we’ll take the necessary and appropriate action,” Geoff Wilson told UTV.
Some of the tickets for the match were not sold, as is normally the case, through the IFA, which could hamper the efforts to identify those responsible for the offensive singing inside the Aviva Stadium.
Mr Wilson said that, although a majority of the Northern Ireland fans behaved impeccably, this type of sectarianism at football matches is unacceptable.
The IFA and the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs have been engaged for the last 10 years in trying to eradicate sectarianism in sport.
Their progress has been so significant that Northern Ireland fans received a UEFA award in 2006.
“There’s been a lot of work done and we will not be resting on our laurels. We will make sure that sectarianism has no place in football”, Mr Wilson said.
In a statement a spokesman for the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs says the inappropriate conduct and singing were not an accurate reflection of how fans behave at international matches.
The organisation insists it supports the Football for All campaign, which promotes a family friendly atmosphere at matches.
The IFA and the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs are now working with the PSNI, Gardai, the FAI and others to ensure the match against the Republic of Ireland, which will take place in Dublin in May, passes off peacefully.
