It's Ireland vs England in the Aviva stadium on June 7th and the realities of the situation are starting to sink in. When the friendly was announced the immediate reaction was positive. A great opportunity to show how much the game and the fans have moved on since 1995.
However, in recent weeks, things have not been quite so bright and cheery. Many fans on both sides of the Irish Sea have raised concerns that the friendly may not be the best idea among increasing threats that crowd trouble could become a reality.
The response from the England has been that every precaution will be taken to ensure that the game passes off peacefully and they have now revealed the measures that will be undertaken.
The 1,875 individuals who are subject to football banning orders have been ordered to hand in their passports four days before the game. As well as that, considering you don't necessarily need a passport to travel between the UK and Ireland, the individuals have also been told to sign in at nominated police stations on the day of the game.
Despite this, it must be said that this alone will not be enough to ensure there is no trouble.
1,875 individuals subject to Football Banning Orders but most relate to disorderly conduct at domestic games rather than international.
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) May 26, 2015
Police 'spotters' will also be in the Aviva to detect any potential trouble while England fans will be forced to collect tickets in person in Dublin with a photo ID.
