Republic of Ireland's McGrath expects protests to 'heat up'

A friendly match at Aviva Stadium ended 1-0 with Nathan Collins scoring early, but the game was briefly interrupted twice when fans threw tennis balls bearing the Palestine flag onto the pitch. Protesters were ejected after the match, and Jamie McGrath expects further backlash as Ireland prepares to play Israel in neutral venues in late September and early October, including Nations League matches in Dublin. McGrath said protesters have the right to act peacefully and that the situation may “heat up” over the coming months. Seamus Coleman previously said the issue should have been handled above the players. Pressure for a boycott has increased due to the Middle East conflict, and the Football Association of Ireland confirmed the matches will proceed, warning of serious consequences if they were withdrawn.

"The Aviva Stadium game - which the Republic of Ireland won 1-0 thanks to Nathan Collins' early header - was twice briefly interrupted in the first half when home fans threw tennis balls featuring the Palestine flag on to the pitch. After the game, RTE reported that protesters were ejected from the ground, and McGrath expects more backlash before the Republic of Ireland face Israel in a neutral venue on 27 September and 4 October in Dublin in the Nations League."

"“I obviously listened to Seamus' interview and I think he was spot on,” McGrath told BBC Sport NI. “It's obviously a unique scenario. The people [protesters], we have to listen to them, they have the right to do what they do, as long as it's done in a peaceful way, that's all that matters. I'm sure it's going to heat up over the next few months.”"

"“Like I said, we don't want to be put into a position. Hopefully the powers above us can work something out or use it for the greater good, I'm not sure what the process will be as it heats up. “At the end of the day, we're footballers and we don't want to be caught in this, but sometimes we might have to.”"

"Pressure has grown in Ireland for a boycott of those games because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign having held a protest at the Dail (Irish parliament) on Tuesday. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) confirmed the games will go ahead, with chief executive David Courell saying the governing body had “no choice” and could face “serious consequences” if it pulled out of the games."

Read at www.bbc.com