The FAI has condemned the booing of Georgia striker Shota Arveladze during Ireland's Euro 2004 qualifier in June and has called on supporters to exercise "peer pressure" to stamp out sectarian and racist behaviour at Lansdowne Road.
Arveladze, targeted because he plays for Rangers, a traditionally Protestant club, was booed by a section of the Irish support prompting a UEFA investigation into the player's treatment after receiving a complaint from a supporter at the match.
While the FAI escaped formal punishment from UEFA, they were asked to respond to the complaint and CEO Fran Rooney has taken the opportunity to call on the "majority" of Republic of Ireland supporters "to exercise their influence on the small minority of so called fans who engage in racist based booing."
"The booing on a racist basis must stop before we find ourselves sanctioned by UEFA," Rooney explained. "The tremendous reputation of the Irish supporters is in danger of being tarnished by the behaviour of some people at our recent games . . . it is unacceptable, unwarranted and unhelpful."
Rooney made his feelings clear at the time and had made a call to Arverladze the day after to apologise for the fans behaviour. Arveladze is believed to have said that it had not upset him.
The booing, which although primarily sectarian in nature is regarded by UEFA as being racially based, is not the first of its kind witnessed at Lansdowne Road with Rangers winger Peter Lovenkrands experiencing similar treatment when Denmark played in Dublin last year.
Indeed, his team mate Peter Madsen was even booed after being incorrectly identified as Lovenkrands by the stadium announcer when coming on at half-time.
