Republic of Ireland v Northern Ireland - Thursday 4th June 2015 - Behind Closed Doors

Republic of Ireland to join Northern Ireland in behind closed doors training game

The Football Association of Ireland today (April 27) announced that Martin O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland side will play a closed doors training match against Northern Ireland at Aviva Stadium on Thursday June 4.The game is intended by both managers as a training exercise prior to important European qualifiers in Group D against Scotland, and in Group F against Romania.

For the Republic of Ireland it will come three days before the Three International friendly against England at Aviva Stadium on June 7, and the EURO 2016 qualifier against Scotland, also at Aviva Stadium on June 13.

Speaking today, Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill said, “With the season ending early for a lot of our players, we see this as a mutually beneficial exercise for both sides. Holding the match behind closed doors will give us the flexibility to make any changes we see fit ahead of the European qualifiers on June 13. The championship season ends on May 2, and if players are not involved in play-offs, that could be over a month without any games. It represents an ideal opportunity to build the intensity of our preparations, leading into the England friendly, and before the important qualifier against Scotland.”

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill said, “It was important for us to get a quality game before the EURO 2016 qualifier against Romania at home on June 13 and this game provides the perfect scenario on the back of the Qatar friendly.

“Having the game behind closed doors will allow both myself and Martin flexibility, which we wouldn’t have under normal international circumstances, and it will also help greatly in terms of our preparations for the important qualifier against Romania the following weekend.”


The training match will be held behind closed doors with no public or media access. The match will not constitute an official friendly international as it is intended to give both managers the flexibility required for training purposes

unusual - i can't remember us playing a training game against another country before.

good to see the two associations seem to be getting on ok, and should be good practice ahead of the scotland match.

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Originally Posted by zero

unusual - i can't remember us playing a training game against another country before.

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pretty sure we played Scotland in Malta in a training match in the week or two before WC 1990

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Originally Posted by zero

unusual - i can't remember us playing a training game against another country before.

good to see the two associations seem to be getting on ok, and should be good practice ahead of the scotland match.

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My guess would be a 30-something man squad with a heap of extra uncapped additions to introduce people to the squad.

Will we at least be able to watch it on teletext?

I think ceefax will be doing updates Danny.

If Northern Ireland qualify for the Euros (and we don't) we may have to ask them to take us back ! ! ! ! !

I suppose we will have to let them win the training game though ! ! ! ! !

Think this is a good idea if it's used to try new formations and new players. Northern Ireland would be similar to Scotland in style of play too.

Martin O'Neill finally gets a chance to play that 4-9-2 formation he's been thinking about.

Good idea. Both teams can claim to have won too, a bit like when Scotland beat Iraq that time.

Will there be anyone in the stadium at all, outside of the players, management, medical staff, etc?

Relieved this isn't a standard friendly with inevitable misbehavior by some of our fans.

Any chance you might call up some Gort Brazilians (see threads passim)? Useful preparation for our later game with Qatar ;)

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Originally Posted by Gather round

Relieved this isn't a standard friendly with inevitable misbehavior by some of our fans.

Any chance you might call up some Gort Brazilians (see threads passim)? Useful preparation for our later game with Qatar ;)

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Congrats on the league title. Doubt if you've had many of them over the years to celebrate although, showing my age here, I do remember the Crues playing Liverpool in the European Cup back in the 1970s ?

"Keep clear of the rats" - Some Northern Ireland fans are not too happy about the June Aviva friendly


When Ireland and Northern Ireland meet in a behind-closed-doors friendly in June, some of the latter team's fan my well be praying for a poor performance from Michael O'Neill's side.

With the likes of James McClean, Darron Gibson and Shane Duffy defecting from the North and choosing to play for the Republic of Ireland instead, there is a strong feeling amongst some Northern fans that the FAI may try and lure more players down south.

"So a behind closed doors 'friendly' in Dublin v the Republic on the 4th June. Why are we still having anything to do with that shower?," read a post on the Facbook page for Our Wee Country - a Northern Ireland fans group.

"Never play them unless forced. Are people serious. Actively stealing our players and a chief executive who revels in party tunes. Disgraceful IFA."

While the game will serve as a warm-up exercise to the crucial June internationals, it is quite clear that there is a bigger picture for many Northern fans with protecting their players higher on their agenda.

Here are a selection of comments on the Our Wee Country Facebook page.

"I guess the U.K. 'C' team need to check up on how our players are coming along to see which uncapped ones they might wanna try and stroke next! Surely plenty of other teams we could play?! Why we still maintain any relationship with the underhand bigoted scum at 'Football Apartheid Ireland' is beyond me."

"The IFA will bleat about foul play when the FAI steal players born in Northern Ireland yet they fall over backwards to agree to this game? Disgraceful."

"Absolute joke! Just a chance for them to try and take our uncapped players! Why there's no fans allowed in is beyond me! Let's hope Micheal O'Neill actually plays a decent team out to avoid an embarrassing defeat when Republic play their A team and we have virtually a C team out. The IFA have done it again."

"We have the same problem in Scotland. Scottish players playing for ROI because their mam's granny's dog was was from Dublin. I think you should only be allowed to play for the country you were born in retrospective of anything else."

"Shocking decision!!! Keep clear of these rats unless we have to in a qualifier."

"Eh? I'd like to see that, a chance to beat our nearest rivals and get their fans to pipe down."

A spokesperson for Irish fans group, YouBoysInGreen, said: "Ireland go into a crucial game against Scotland on June 13 so this run out against another Celtic Nations team is most welcome.

"While we can understand that some Northern Ireland fans are angry because the likes of McClean decided to play for us, it should be stressed that these players are entitled to a choose themselves. Every player has a choice and whatever decision they make should be respected."

Haha, I can only laugh at that selection. Embarrassingly infantile comments that expose to the wider public the hypocrisy and intolerance that riddles that cesspit. The lack of self-awareness (or willingness to take responsibility for themselves) is startling; blaming the FAI for "apartheid in Ireland" when it's NI fans and unionists who have wanted nothing to do with the rest of us for decades, and still don't. If they really want an end to "apartheid", they're more than free to vote for anti-partition parties in the next election...

Stupid language too by whoever wrote the article; "lure"? :rolleyes: Player's make the decision themselves.

No by-line on that link. I wouldn't put my name to a collection of posts from a football forum masquerading as an article either

It's probably more likely at this stage that there'll be one or two members of the Ireland team who are poached by the North.

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Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Congrats on the league title. Doubt if you've had many of them over the years to celebrate although, showing my age here, I do remember the Crues playing Liverpool in the European Cup back in the 1970s ?

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Thank you. As well as the Liverpool game (couldn't get off school alas, no floodlights so afternoon games in those days), I remember letting in 11 to Dinamo Bucharest in the European Cup :D

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

NI fans and unionists who have wanted nothing to do with the rest of us for decades, and still don't. If they really want an end to "apartheid", they're more than free to vote for anti-partition parties in the next election...

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Ouch. Will you be standing for an anti-partition party in Manchester Central?

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

No by-line on that link. I wouldn't put my name to a collection of posts from a football forum masquerading as an article either

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Fore sure, and Facebook is even worse than your average forum. You generally tend to have some tiny bit of interest or knowledge to go to the effort of registering on a forum, but you can like a Facebook page in one click. Nothing diminishes a person's faith in humanity like reading through a Facebook thread. It's pretty sad what The Independent has become even reporting that crap.