{"id":639221,"date":"2026-09-29T05:30:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T05:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/639221\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T05:30:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T05:30:16","slug":"they-called-us-irish-bastards-but-then-parrott-scored-one-fans-experience-at-the-israel-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/639221\/","title":{"rendered":"‘They called us Irish bastards, but then Parrott scored’: One fan’s experience at the Israel game"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Journal and The 42\u2019s reporting on the Uefa Nations League matches between Ireland and Israel is available to read here.<\/a><\/p>\n

ONE OF THE few Irish fans who attended Ireland\u2019s match against Israel on Sunday says he wanted to support the players after a turbulent week.<\/p>\n

Frank O\u2019Connor, who is originally from Clondalkin but now lives in California, has been going to Ireland matches since 1987.<\/p>\n

The FAI had previously said no tickets would be sold to Irish supporters for Sunday\u2019s game in Debrecen.<\/p>\n

But O\u2019Connor used his American passport to buy a ticket. His seat was in the section designated for Hungarian fans.<\/p>\n

Three of his friends used Irish passports to buy tickets at the same time. All four tickets were cancelled by Saturday evening.<\/p>\n

However, O\u2019Connor told The Journal that after appealing the cancellation early on Sunday, his ticket was reissued, but his friends tickets weren\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went to lunch and were like, \u2018well, you know what? We have tickets. They don\u2019t work, but we do have tickets to walk in with\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

When they got to the entrance, his friends\u2019 tickets didn\u2019t scan. They told security they were only there for football and didn\u2019t want to cause problems, and they ended up being let in.<\/p>\n

Players were \u2018let down\u2019<\/p>\n

O\u2019Connor says he doesn\u2019t think the game should have gone ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe we should have backed out a long time ago. The problem is, we hemmed and hawed and went back and forth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said to my wife two weeks ago when Trump was in Ireland, your man\u2019s getting treated better than the Irish players are going to get treated in the next two weeks, and I was absolutely right.\u201d<\/p>\n

The men\u2019s team voted on Saturday to proceed with the game<\/a>, following hours of confusion and months of campaigning by activists and some politicians.<\/p>\n

#COYBIG<\/a> \ud83d\udc9a\ud83d\udc9a\ud83d\udc9a\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea\ud83d\udc9a\ud83d\udc9a\ud83d\udc9a pic.twitter.com\/guuO04ik9v<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Franko – COYBIG\/California (@CoybigC) September 27, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

The players on the Ireland squad bowed their heads as the Israel national anthem was played<\/a> before kick-off, and wore black armbands \u201cin recognition of all the lives lost in the conflict\u201d.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Connor said he and his friends chose to go to support them, \u201cbecause honestly, we feel like the FAI and the government have let them down greatly\u201d.<\/p>\n

FAI president Paul Cooke has defended the association\u2019s handling<\/a> of the fixture. He argued: \u201cSome people think it was quite well handled.\u201d<\/p>\n

But O\u2019Connor says players were put in a \u201chorrible situation\u201d.<\/p>\n

Frosty reception<\/p>\n

Being one of no more than a couple dozen Irish fans in the stadium was \u201cstrange\u201d, O\u2019Connor said, but they mainly kept to themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we got inside, the FAI security spotted us, obviously, and came over to talk to us.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were afraid they were going to kick us out, but they said, \u2018Look, you lads are in. We\u2019re not going to question how you got here. Basically, we\u2019re just here to tell you to stay away from these rails\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were told they could still sing, chant and show support for Ireland.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Connor said: \u201cLook our job was to make sure that the team knew there was support there for them, despite everything that\u2019s happened to them all week. And I feel like we did a good job.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Debrecen 11 #COYBIG<\/a> \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea\ud83d\udc9a\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddea\ud83d\udc9a#IsrIre<\/a> 3-0 to the Boys in Green <\/p>\n

A game nobody wanted and never should have had to be played. Shame on @uefa<\/a>, FIFA and the FAI. Everyone bowed to Trump. <\/p>\n

Our players never deserved the abuse, but they somehow came through stronger. <\/p>\n

It was an\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/3ozbUaSv33<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Franko – COYBIG\/California (@CoybigC) September 27, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

There was some tension at the beginning, however.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey (the Israeli supporters) did yell at us \u2018Irish bastards\u2019, and they were giving us the finger,\u201d O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was about 10 minutes into the game, and luckily about 30 seconds later Troy Parrott scored. To be fair, after that they kind of left us alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did congratulate us at the end, but obviously at the beginning they were giving us a lot of shite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked what he thought of goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu\u2019s decision to withdraw from the squad<\/a> for the game, he said: \u201cI have no issues with any Irish player. Everyone has a right to make up their mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also said he wasn\u2019t surprised Ireland lost the game against Kosovo last Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was all going on, and they weren\u2019t being taken care of properly.\u201d<\/p>\n