Four Nations Football

sapper756 · May 24, 2011

NI prepared for low turnout

Manager braced for slim support against Republic

http://img.skysports.com/11/02/660x350/Nigel-worthington_2559854.jpg

Nigel Worthington admits he must respect the decision of those Northern Ireland fans who opt to stay away from their Carling Nations Cup clash with Republic of Ireland.

But the manager is hoping for a strong display from his youth-inspired squad regardless of the support they receive in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Tuesday night.

Supporters are threatening to boycott the match because of travel arrangements put in place by the Irish Football Association, whereby they can only obtain tickets to the game if they travel there on approved coaches.

The cost - which does not include the ticket price - has been reduced from Â£30 to Â£22 but Worthington is bracing himself for a low turnout.

He said: "There are two sides to it. There are one or two issues that our supporters have got and I've got to respect that.

"Whatever people are there, we will be grateful for. There are others who have issues and I've got to respect what those issues are. That's up to the individuals.

"We had a dress rehearsal for that situation in Serbia and we had a fantastic performance out there so if I can get the same performance again, I will be very, very happy."