Today, thousands of Ireland fans have arrived on the streets of London as The Green Army looks to avenge their 2-0 defeat in Dublin at the hands of England just two months prior.
The match is set to kick off at 5 pm and will be hosted at Wembley Stadium, which will be accommodating up to 90,000 supporters on the day.
If you are one of those Ireland fans who will be in London come matchday, here is everything you need to know to make the most of your time in the city.
On the day
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Matchday is here, so what are the key things Irish fans need to know?
Well, first of all, the game starts at 5 pm at Wembley Stadium, if you weren't aware. General admission opens at 3 pm, however, with hospitality areas opening up at 2 pm if you have a ticket. It is highly advised that fans arrive early, however, with security protocols in place during Wembley matches things can be a little slow.
The stadium will also be doing extra ticket checks, so make sure you have your tickets ready for when you arrive.
For the fanzines, the East Concourse area of the stadium will open from 1 pm to 4:30 pm. Alcohol sales will stop one hour before kick-off (4 pm). As for other pubs, there are home and away restrictions for pubs near Wembley that fans need to make sure they are aware of.
How many fans do Ireland have?
The Republic of Ireland have the privilege of boasting an incredibly passionate fanbase that supports the team well. A country with a population of just over five million, the size of that fanbase is understandably limited compared to bigger countries across Europe.
Despite that, the Republic of Ireland football page on X, formerly Twitter, still has nearly 400,000 followers – and the total number of supporters is likely far higher than that figure.
How many Ireland fans will be in London?
Irish fans travel notoriously well at the best of times, and with a fierce rivalry present between the two sides, they will likely travel better for this match than most.
While there here has been no exact information regarding the ticket allocation for this game, given the close proximity of the two countries involved, expect to see thousands of Ireland fans in London come matchday.
As mentioned, it is unknown how many of those fans will be in Wembley come kick-off, but the Green Army's presence will certainly be felt in England's capital city.
If you are one of the lucky fans who will be inside Wembley for the match, check out our guide on the best Ireland football chants to make sure you have the best experience possible.
Where do Ireland fans sit in Wembley?
As per out Wembley Stadium guide, away fans are usually sat in the lower tier of the East Stand, and that is again likely to be the case for this match too.
With the ground being a 90,000-seat venue, the travelling supporters will likely be massively outnumbered during the game.
Full fans’ matchday guide for England vs Ireland
🏴 🇮🇪 🔜
Two weeks and counting.
— Wembley Stadium (@wembleystadium) November 3, 2024
Ever since the Lansdowne Road Riots in 1995, security for this fixture, regardless of the hosting venue, has been taken extremely seriously and that will likely be the case ahead of this match in the hours before and after kick-off on matchday.
Expect segregation in the ground itself and also for some pubs to offer access exclusively to home fans on November 17.
Where to eat and drink for Ireland fans in London
Wembley is well-equipped for hosting major football matches, both domestically and internationally, and has an incredible track record of doing so.
As such, there is no shortage of options when it comes to finding establishments that provide food and drink in the hours before kick-off.
Boxpark Wembley is perhaps one of the best options, with its combination of close proximity to the ground and varied food and drink offerings making it the perfect pre-match venue. Check out our full guide on Wembley fan zones for more information.
Local pubs in the area are often split into ‘East Side' and ‘West Side' – particularly for major European and domestic cup finals, however, no such limitation has been announced for this fixture as of yet.
Find our full guide to the best pubs near Wembley Stadium here, while some of our top Irish bar suggestions are listed below:
- The Parish Bar, 120 Wembley Park Dr, Wembley Park, Wembley HA9 8HP
- Twomey's Irish Bar, 278 Preston Rd, Wembley, Harrow HA3 0QA
How to get to Wembley for Ireland fans in London
As most grounds in London are, Wembley Stadium is fairly easy to get to – providing you make use of the city's overground and underground services.
The majority of fans in the capital will want to head towards Wembley Park station on the underground. This is a straightforward journey from most parts of London, and you will want to first head towards Baker Street – found on the Bakerloo Line.
From there, change to the Metropolitan Line and get off at Wembley Park. A short 10-minute walk will then see you arrive at the ground.