The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) have been hit with a €10,000 fine for Irish fans booing the English national anthem.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) charged both the FAI and the English Football Association (FA) significant fines after both home fans and English fans boo-ed each other’s national anthem at a match in September.

The Nations League game against England at the Aviva Stadium earlier this year saw both ‘Amhrán na bhFiann’ and ‘God Save the King’ sullied by supporters.

The FA was fined a slightly higher rate of €12,500 for a repeat offence.

On The Moncrieff Show earlier today, Irish Daily Star chief sports writer Kieran Cunningham said booing national anthems happens “more than it used to”.

“It was quite notable at the Euros - it happened in a fair few of the games,” he said.

“I think it's chimes in with the rise and a nationalist feeling around the world, that it does seem to be more of a trend.”

'Consider the context'

Mr Cunningham said “you have to consider the context” of what happened before the match.

“England had a manager, Lee Carsley, who used to play for Ireland, who sees himself as Irish and was pilloried by some in the English media over not singing ‘God Save the King’,” he said.

“I think that did contribute - there was a lot of publicity around that in the day or two before the game.

“Over the years, I've been to a lot of Ireland away games and ‘Amhrán na bhFiann’ has been booed - not because of any grudge against Ireland, but because it's often what football fans do to try and make an atmosphere more hostile.”

England interim manager Lee Carsley. 7/9/2024 Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Mr Cunningham said he thinks the players pay “no attention to it”.

“I think the anthem thing is a media creation,” he said.

“It's one of these manufactured rows, and people jump on it then.”

Mr Cunningham said he doesn’t think booing anthems “will be a trend” at the Aviva and that UEFA are only fining the FAI to “be seen to be doing something”.

Further fines were issued to the FAI around flares being lit (€9,250) and a spectator invading the pitch (€6,000).

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Both sides line-up before match between Republic of Ireland and England at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. 7/9/2024 Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile