GARDAI are on alert for Polish and British neo-Nazi skinhead gangs causing trouble at today's Ireland-Poland European Championship qualifying round in the Aviva Stadium.

Intelligence reports have indicated that far-right groups associated with racist and anti-Semitic violence in the past year are heading for Dublin.

Gardai are concerned at the links between the Polish neo-Nazis and their British counterparts, Combat 18, who were behind the infamous 1995 riot at the Lansdowne Road venue in which 20 people were injured.

The 'friendly' match was abandoned after sustained rioting in which missiles were thrown on to the pitch.

Sports Against Racism Ireland (SARI) spokesman Ken McCue last yesterday said he hopes the game goes ahead without incident, but urged gardai to ensure that no "offensive banners" are allowed into the match.

He told the Sunday Independent: "We hope that the game is not disrupted and goes ahead without incident. We are conscious of the fact that some supporters may intend carrying offensive banners into the ground. We have been in touch with our counterparts in Poland, Never Again, who are concerned about peopple trying to use the match for political reasons. We would call on the gardai to ensure no offensive banners or paraphernalia are allowed into the ground."

One of the main Polish neo-Nazi groups is said to have established links with British far-right groups and was responsible for a number of violent incidents in the past year, including an attack on a free music festival in north London last summer. Earlier this month Polish police broke up one group which they said was planning to bomb a mosque in Gdansk. Thirteen members of the group were arrested across Poland.

Police said this group has close associations with the Combat 18 group which was behind the February 1995 skinhead riot in the old Lansdowne Road stadium during an Ireland-England soccer match. They have also been accused of making and possessing explosives, and incitement to arson. A police spokeswoman said one man was arrested for inciting arson at the main mosque in Gdansk and of plotting to fire bomb immigrants' homes in Warsaw.

In their online literature the Polish far right groups say they support "the national socialist ideals and establishes its main goal as fighting for the Aryan culture, traditions, heritage and the future of our race".

Polish neo-Nazis have become increasingly active in Britain. Last June members of the group were blamed for attacking a free music festival in Tottenham in London during which a 24-year-old man was stabbed. Witnesses said the skinheads hurled bottles and rocks at festival goers.

Sunday Independent