Coronavirus: Northern Ireland's Chris Brunt and Gareth MacAuley on playing with no fans
British and Irish sides could play in empty stadiums for club and country in the coming weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak
Thursday 12 March 2020 00:02, UK
Sky Sports News' Paul Gilmour caught up with current West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt and his former team-mate Gareth McAuley to talk through their experience of facing Serbia for Northern Ireland in 2011 with (almost!) no fans.
Home supporters were banned because of poor behaviour in a previous game. The current Northern Ireland team is now preparing to travel to Bosnia & Herzegovina later this month with the status of the game unclear.
Northern Ireland's squad will train at England's St George's Park before flying to Bosnia & Herzegovina for their Euro 2020 play-off semi-final qualifier.
Local health authorities have appeared to recommend all games in the Balkan state to be played behind closed doors, while there has been no official decision taken yet from the Bosnian or Irish football associations.
Gareth McAuley: "It's easy for suits and executives to say play behind closed doors but it's not what fans, players, coaches, managers and those directly involved want, especially with a high profile game and the prize at stake. The louder it was in the stadium the more inspiration I used to draw from it."
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Chris Brunt: "During our Serbia game it was strange for such a competitive match but very similar to reserve or 23s matches."
GM: "They played the wrong anthem when testing the speakers as we had our pre-match walk on the pitch. Maybe they thought with no crowd that would put us off!"
GM: "They also had about 2,000 ball boys! We were allowed a few hundred traveling fans. It was eerie, quiet and different from normal game conditions. The tunnel at Red Star Belgrade is underground and about a mile long. There were riot police everywhere and then you get out on the pitch and nothing!"
CB: "Once the game kicked off it was ok though. I don't think players are overly aware of TV microphones. It becomes a normal game and players don't just change their usual language because there's nobody in the stadium."
GM: "There may be some choice words used and picked up on the mics. The commentators might be apologising most of the evening for player language. I can assure you the pitch language is very different to the words used in the interview!"
CB: I would imagine the majority of stuff you will hear will be from the technical areas. Although for our game in Bosnia I'd say the likes of Jonny Evans, Craig Cathcart and Steven Davis will be picked up giving information to the lads."
GM: "A lot of the time when you're concentrating you don't notice the crowd but when it's not there you actually do notice. Communication between players is better and the instruction from the manager is clear. You can't give it the old hand to the ear pretending not to hear them!"
CB: "It'll be easier to communicate. Information will come mostly off the ball rather than with it. So Jonny and Craig will be letting the midfielders know what side to screen passes. There'll be encouragement when to press or when to stay in shape."
GM: "For the Bosnia game I wouldn't be surprised if the home fans turn up like in Spain recently. It's such an important game and with some of their players based in Italy it could be postponed. Will they make them play without their best players? Probably not."
CB: "Not a lot can be done really. It's not ideal obviously as nobody grows up wanting to play football in an empty stadium. Especially at this stage of the season when everything is coming to a climax."
GM: "If it is behind closed doors being a footballer on international duty is like being in quarantine anyway. Charter flights, buses, private dining, meetings and recreation rooms. The players should be safe from any exposure. Their preparations shouldn't be effected in the build-up to the game, it'll be business as usual."
CB: "In Serbia I remember Nigel Worthington tried to send the goalkeeper coach around the far side of the pitch behind the advertising hoardings to help pass information to Jonny Gorman who was making his first start. I also remember setting up his (McAuley's) goal!"
GM: "It was strange scoring in the game with no reaction when the ball hits the net. There was hardly a cheer or a boo but I celebrated wildly anyway!"
GM: "Whatever happens for the Bosnia Herzegovina game these measures are for public safety and trying to stop the virus spreading so it's understandable why the decisions have been made as more and more cases are being reported daily."
