British police have been deployed to Dublin ahead of the sold-out Ireland-England UEFA Nations League match which will be played this Saturday, September 7 at the Aviva Stadium.
“[English police] will be here and they will be in our control rooms and if necessary then we can also deploy them in our public order units," Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said during a media briefing in Co Waterford on Thursday.
“They have no policing powers.
"In effect, they are there to observe, assist us, and indeed then, if we have to deal with disorder, they may be able to assist us in terms of the individuals, particularly those fans who may have been banned from international travel.
A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána told IrishCentral on Thursday that this operation "will follow the same procedure as other major events across Europe involving English police authorities."
An Garda Síochána further said in a statement on Thursday: "In the 24 hour period of September 7, up to 1,100 Gardaí of all ranks will be on duty in Dublin City, around the Aviva Stadium, Dublin Airport, and any other associated areas.
"Uniformed Gardaí will be assisted by specialist units such as National Public Order Units, Air Support Unit, Mounted Unit, Armed Support Unit, and more.
"The Garda Commissioner has declared this an ‘Extraordinary Event’ in the Dublin area only to allow for the appropriate policing for this event.
"An Garda Síochána has been liaising with numerous stakeholders, including UK authorities during the planning for this event."
Meanwhile, Superintendent Gareth Parkin, the leader of the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) delegation in Dublin, said in a statement on Thursday: “Following on from the Euros in Germany, we’re once again expecting that the vast majority of the England fans attending the match in Dublin will behave responsibly.
“Ahead of the match we’ve been in constant dialogue with our colleagues at the Garda (Irish police) and a security visit has already taken place.
"We will have teams from the UKFPU out on the ground throughout the weekend to assist our colleagues.
“We’ve also been working closely with the Football Association, the Football Supporters Association to ensure that everyone attending the match can have a safe and enjoyable time.
“As always, all fans attending the match are urged to drink responsibly and respect local culture.”
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) previously confirmed that, as usual, five percent of tickets for Saturday's UEFA Nations League match were allocated to England, working out to just under 3,000 tickets in the Aviva.
However, many more England fans are still expected to travel to Dublin for the match.
Last week, England Football posted information for away ticket holders ahead of Saturday's match in Dublin.
Included was a warning that any supporters who are "visibly drunk" may be refused entry to the stadium.
"Drinking is not allowed in the streets or public spaces in Ireland," the notice added, "This will be enforced by local police."
England Football also warned that anyone in possession of a pyro in or outside of the stadium "will run the risk of their ESTC [England Supporters Travel Club] Membership being suspended in addition to the regulations and consequences set by the police."
England Football went on to provide information on how to report "any xenophobic, racist, homophobic or anti-social behaviour before, during or after the match."
It said: "We will not tolerate any excessive behaviour and will be working with all the relevant stakeholders to ensure every fan has a safe trip.
"Any member who does not follow the ESTC membership rules outlined will run the risk of losing their membership privileges and tickets for future fixtures, including the UEFA EUROs.
"Remember, members should act as ambassadors for the England team and act in such a way that will continue to enhance the image of English supporters and the national side."
England fans are able to collect their tickets at the Hilton Garden Inn in Dublin on Thursday and Friday, and at the Grand Canal Hotel in Dublin on Saturday.
Saturday's match is the first time Ireland will play England in a competitive men's soccer match since March 1991 when the two faced off at Wembley Stadium.
The two teams have, however, played four friendly international matches.
In February 1995, the teams played at Dublin's Landsdowne Road venue, but the match was abandoned due to English crowd trouble.
Then managed by Jack Charlton, Ireland were leading 1-0 through a David Kelly goal when English fans began throwing debris at Irish fans in the stands below.
The riots were condemned on both sides of the Irish Sea, with Irish manager Jack Charlton describing it as a "disaster for Irish football" and English manager Terry Venables called the rioting "terrible" and said he did not have words strong enough to describe it.
It was nearly 20 years before another Irish-English friendly was staged in May 2013 at Wembley Stadium, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Two years later, the teams faced off again in Dublin at the Aviva Stadium, resulting in a 0-0 draw.
They last played against each other in November 2020 in a hastily arranged friendly at Wembley during the Covid-19 pandemic, with England running out comfortable 3-0 winners.
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