10 years ago today...

Benimar

..probably one of the greatest victories by an Irish football team.

Riddled with injuries, down to 10 men, playing a Dutch team who had been to the semis of the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championships. It looked like our goose was cooked, then this happened...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePNST9aczFI

I had tickets for the Dutch end of Lansdowne and have never gone so mental in my life

Het-Field

A very special day for Irish Football, and I think it may even go down as its best day.

The Dutch team came to Dublin full of stars. Most of the players on the Dutch team were worth north of £7 Million, in an admittedly inflated transfer market. We were playing with the likes of Jason McAteer (who was not in the Blackburn Rovers first team), Steve Staunton (who had spent most of the previous season on loan at Crystal Palace), Gary Kelly (who was struggling to hold down his place in the Leeds United team.

While the victory was a shock, it was well deserved.

Mikeyt086

Iconic celebration. G'wan the Trigger!

AgileMyth

Het-Field wrote: »

A very special day for Irish Football, and I think it may even go down as its best day.

Not until Christy Moore writes a song about it!

That was my first Ireland game. I was 11 at the time. My love of football, and particularly live football, probably comes from that day.

LuckyLloyd

A magnificent day. While it won't be anywhere near as impressive an achievement, I'm hoping we can repeat the trick against Slovakia on Friday night.

Mushy

I was 12 and at it, I still remember the West Stand shaking and people falling over the seats celebrating. What a day!

dagdha

10 years ago:eek::eek::eek:

It seems like yesterday! The Dutch were reduced to shots from 25+ yards out after that. Great stuff.

starviewadams

Remember that day well,I was 14 and had hurt my neck in a match earlier on that day,so was watching the match in a haze cos of the painkillers,forgot about the pain for a second when Macca scored and jumped up from the couch to celebrate,and was doubled over in pain for the rest of the night.

Sore but delighted,what a result!

JerryHandbag

Great memories, Holland finished the game with 4 strikers if I remember right.

DM_7

I never appreciated Mick McCarthy when we had him.

Mushy

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Great memories, Holland finished the game with 4 strikers if I remember right.

Think could have even been 5.

The_Kew_Tour

10 years since our last decent win...

wow

Het-Field

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Great memories, Holland finished the game with 4 strikers if I remember right.

Van Nistelrooy, Van Hoojdkonk,Kluivert,Hassilbaink?

£50 Million worth of strikers, and they couldnt breach a 3 man defence manned by a player who spent the previous season at Crystal Palace, and a man who would be released on a free transfer by Coventry City a year later!

The_Kew_Tour

**** its also been 10 years since another nation beat Germany 5-1..

You have been warned;)

James__10

Broke my wrist that day :pac:

The_Kew_Tour

James__10 wrote: »

Broke my wrist that day :pac:

having a **** + watching a massive match at same time=dangerous

James__10

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

having a **** + watching a massive match at same time=dangerous

impossible when your 8 years old

MisterAnarchy

Watched the match on a big screen at Slane castle ,U2 were playing that day.
It was a great day .

PARlance

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Watched the match on a big screen at Slane castle ,U2 were playing that day.
It was a great day .

A Beautiful Day... COAT PLEASE

tolosenc

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Great memories, Holland finished the game with 4 strikers if I remember right.

I distinctly remember that when Kelly got sent off, and Finnan came on to replace Keane a couple of minutes later, the wise and wonderful George Hamilton quipped:

"This, in all reality, is Mick McCarthy deciding to settle for the draw".

That was at 60 minutes.

8 minutes later, Finnan cuts back inside, spots McAteer open at the far post, plays a perfectly weighted ball to him, and Trigg scores the winner.

Third_Echelon

WOW! 10 years ago.

I watched that in an Irish bar in New York. I was on my J1 that summer. Had a nice big fry up and a couple of pints over breakfast while watching it. Great celebrations :-)

We were sitting right up the front of a packed bar and as the game finished, people started to leave/move on to another pub etc and English fans started to come into the bar for their game against Germany. We didn't actually realise how many of them there were until Germany scored the first goal and we jumped up with a big scream of "Yessssss!!!!!!". The place was all english at this point.... Slipped out of our seats down the back after that They were all stock broker/banker ex-pats so we were safe enough. And of course they went on to score 5!

Xavi6

How Staunton's header didn't go in I still don't know.

JerryHandbag

tolosenc wrote: »

I distinctly remember that when Kelly got sent off, and Finnan came on to replace Keane a couple of minutes later, the wise and wonderful George Hamilton quipped:

"This, in all reality, is Mick McCarthy deciding to settle for the draw".

That was at 60 minutes.

8 minutes later, Finnan cuts back inside, spots McAteer open at the far post, plays a perfectly weighted ball to him, and Trigg scores the winner.

...and I remember Damien Duff being too knackered to celebrate despite every other Irish person going mental :pac:

keano_afc

I never thought that day that it would be at least 10 years* until we beat another group rival in a qualifying game.

*assuming we win tomorrow.

A Primal Nut

Can't believe its 10 years. Amazing result, alright. So many of those squad are heroes in hindsight for some of the results we got during that period.

Noo

10 years ago! thats insane. I remember we had a street party that day (complete coincidence, woman who organised hadnt a clue about the football being on). Anyways we all had a good party start to the day, then there was no one outside for a couple of hours, then we all reemerged after to party into the wee hours!

I remember holding my breath and the goal taking aaaaaaaages to go in!

Squelchy

JerryHandbag wrote: »

...and I remember Damien Duff being too knackered to celebrate despite every other Irish person going mental :pac:

And still a starter today.

keane2097

I've been to a lot of stadia on a lot of big occasions, but the atmosphere in Lansdowne Road that day was the best I've ever experienced by a mile.