Friday, November 22, 2024

‘Lizzie’s in a box’ – Ireland fans mock death of Elizabeth II before England game

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‘Lizzie’s in a box’ – Ireland fans mock death of Elizabeth II before England game

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Republic of Ireland fans have been filmed taunting England supporters with an incendiary song about Elizabeth II a day before the second anniversary of her death.

Footage shows a throng of supporters outside a pub in Dublin singing “Lizzie’s in a box” ahead of Republic of Ireland’s 2-0 defeat by England in the Nations League on Saturday.

Other supporters were filmed flicking ‘v’ signs although it was not clear whether this was in the direction of England fans in the pubs and bars before kick-off.

A ring of steel was put in place for Saturday’s fixture, with Operation Dearoil running from Friday until Sunday morning. Around 12,000 England fans had applied for close to 3,000 tickets.

Police urged England fans to “respect local culture” ahead of the showdown in Dublin but stopped short of calling for them to refrain from anti-IRA or sectarian chanting. Meanwhile, The Irish Times reported at least three men were arrested by the Garda public order unit following an incident after the match.

The mocking of the late Queen has overshadowed the aftermath of Lee Carsley’s first match in charge as interim manager. Carsley caused a storm ahead of the game when he said he would not sing the national anthem and he was true to his word on Saturday.

Sources told Telegraph Sport authorities on both sides of the Irish Sea avoided asking fans not to sing specific chants amid fears doing so would have had the opposite effect.

The offensive song echoed Scotland fans’ mocking of Queen Elizabeth at Euro 2024, as fans staying in Düsseldorf sang “Lizzie’s in a box” while others in Frankfurt chanted Harry Kane “licks windows on the bus” when they met English fans in the city.

In scenes that infuriated the majority of the Tartan Army who took pride in Scotland fans being well behaved, other fans chanted about how Kane “licks windows on the bus” and “eats spaghetti with his hands”.

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