6 memorable Irish matches

bijapos

Nice article here about 6 games in Irish football history. It doesn't necessarily take the most well known ones such as Stuttgart in 88 but its a good alternative view all the same. I especially liked the background to the Yugoslavia match in 1955, thankfully things have changed a bit since then.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/nov/18/joy-of-six-republic-ireland-football

1) England 0-2 Ireland (1949)


Ireland didn't make much of an impression on international football before the war. Their greatest achievement came either in their very first match – a 1-0 win (as Irish Free State) over Bulgaria at the 1924 Olympics which set up a 2-1 quarter-final defeat by the Netherlands – or the qualifiers for the 1938 World Cup against Norway, a two-legged affair the Irish lost by the odd goal in 11. That was a brave showing from a team light on stars: their only name was the forward Jimmy Dunne, a title winner with Arsenal, though the future Manchester United legend Johnny Carey made his debut in the second leg. Norway, by comparison, were the real deal, bronze medallists in the 1936 Olympics and, at the following World Cup finals in France, a controversial offside flag away from knocking out reigning champions Italy. Vittorio Pozzo's side scraped through 2-1 after extra time, and went on to retain their trophy.

But the original seismic Irish result came four years after the war, against England at Goodison Park. The first game between the two countries had been played in 1946, in a rain-lashed Dublin, and was won by a single Tom Finney goal eight minutes from time. England were favourites to win the second in Liverpool – not least because they had never lost a match on English soil against a team from outside the Home Nations – but Walter Winterbottom's side were far from complacent. "It would be folly indeed to approach the game in a light mood," thundered the Times on the morning of the match, "and England we may be sure will not make that mistake. But on the face of it, there should only be one ending."

But England were in for a rude surprise. "All the evidence pointed to only one possible verdict," reported the same paper the following day, "yet by the afternoon's end, that evidence was proved not worth the paper on which it was written. For England this was nothing short of a major disaster … though the Eire goal did at times seem to bear a charmed life in the later stages of the afternoon, the solid fact remains that the England forwards had the ball at their command for four-fifths of the second half and yet could not turn their position to account … Every man of Eire was a hero."

In fact, Ireland had started poorly and should have been behind within 20 seconds, but Jesse Pye of Wolves – in his only international appearance – headed a Finney cross wide from close range. Finney then missed a one-on-one with keeper Tommy Godwin. But after 32 minutes, Ireland turned their first attack into a goal: Peter Desmond was upended by Bert Mozley in the area, and Con Martin beat Bert Williams from the spot. Davy Walsh nearly made it two for Ireland before the break. After half-time, England turned up the heat, but Godwin made a series of fine saves, Billy Walsh and Martin took turns to clear off the line, Peter Harris hit the underside of the bar, Johnny Morris and Pye both shot straight at Godwin from close range – and, with five minutes to go, Desmond sent Peter Farrell clear to make it 2-0.
England would have to wait eight years to gain revenge. They did so with a 5-1 win at Wembley during qualification for the 1958 World Cup, Tommy Taylor scoring a hat-trick, John Atyeo pitching in with the other two, Dermot Curtis netting Ireland's consolation. England sealed qualification from the group in the return match, though according to the Guardian they were "outplayed" and "outclassed" in a 1-1 draw, Alf Ringstead scoring early, Charlie Hurley bossing the game, Atyeo heading home an undeserved last-minute equaliser.


2) Republic of Ireland 1-4 Yugoslavia (1955)

On a crisp October morning in 1951, the gardener at the People's Park in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, turned up for work to witness a large truck wheelspinning hysterically out of the gates. Upon further investigation, the reason for the articulated pantechnicon's speedy departure became clear: its drivers had made off with an 18-foot, three-ton bronze statue from the grounds.

Many weeks passed without anybody knowing where the statue had gone. The sculpture had already been something of an enigma before its disappearance – having spent the duration of the war hidden from the Nazis under a haystack in France, it had then sat in the Dublin park for over a year in an unopened wooden crate, the authorities worried about its modernist depiction of a crucifix – but this mystery was something else.

The police claimed not to know what had happened, but were adamant the statue had not been technically stolen. Members of the statue committee on the council were equally reticent. The theft was not reported in any Irish newspaper. Until, three months after the theft, one Sunday paper broke ranks, and reported that the statue was "known to be on the north side of the city, somewhere in Drumcondra". This was shorthand for "at the Archbishop of Dublin's gaff". Turns out the influential churchman John Charles McQuaid fancied a bit of culture in the grounds of his residence, and ordered the statue to be brought to him, telling cops, bureaucrats and newspapermen alike that he was simply in the process of soliciting further opinion regarding its artistic merits, and that they were to shut their faces.

In other words, whatever McQuaid wanted, McQuaid usually got. In 1952, he bullied the FAI into withdrawing an invitation made to Yugoslavia, incandescent with the idea of the Irish playing a "Godless" communist country. However, three years later, the FAI arranged another game with the Yugoslavs at Dalymount Park. Again the rosary came wheeching out of McQuaid's pram – he cited the "persecution" of a Catholic priest who was on trial for collaborating with fascists – but this time the FAI did not back down. The battle was on. On the Sunday before the match, McQuaid called on the entire country to boycott the event. Schoolchildren were ordered not to attend the game, as doing so would be a "mortal sin". There was no broadcast of the match by Radio Eireann, their commentator Philip Green having declined to report it in deference to McQuaid's wishes. Mass protests were held outside the stadium. President Seán Tomás Ó Ceallaigh, slated to welcome the teams, decided not to attend.

And yet an estimated crowd of between 20,000 and 25,000 fans turned up, a defiant gesture by working-class Dubliners, making what was then an extremely rare public stand against the diktats of the church. Before the start of the game, it was found that the Yugoslav flag was flying upside down. It was hastily winched up the right way. The Irish Army Band, who usually whacked out the pre-match anthems, had been withdrawn, so gramophone music was blasted out over loudspeakers. A hard-tackling Ireland played well and dominated for long periods, but basic defensive mistakes allowed the legendary Milos Milutinovic of Partizan Belgrade to make hay; he scored a hat-trick as Yugoslavia ran out 4-1 winners. Ireland had been thrashed, but the only real loser that day had been McQuaid, whose sacred institution had been defied en masse.


3) Republic of Ireland 3-2 France (1981)

Ireland have their fair share of nemeses when it comes to major tournament qualification. The Czechs, for example. Czechoslovakia put Ireland out of the first-ever European Nations Cup in the only preliminary tie for what we must retrospectively call Euro 60. Ireland had won the first leg at Dalymont Park 2-0, but lost the return 4-0. Liam Tuohy's opener in the first match is claimed to be the first goal in European Championship history, but that's not the case: Anatoly Ilyin of the USSR has that honour, his side's first-round, first-leg 3-1 win over Hungary being played seven months before Ireland's preliminary tie. Ireland were also not, as is sometimes stated, the first side to be knocked out of the Euros; Greece were the hapless groundbreakers there, bundled out 8-2 on aggregate in the first round by France, five months before Ireland kicked a ball in anger.

Anyway, the Czechs as nemesis. No shame: they beat Ireland 3-1 and 7-1 in qualification for the 1962 World Cup, then went on to reach the final. They won 2-1 and 3-0 during the 1970 World Cup qualifiers. They romped ahead of Steve Staunton's side during the farcical Euro 2008 qualification campaign. And they finished ahead of Ireland in the qualifiers for Euro 68, although neither team made it to the quarters, and Ireland at least enjoyed some schadenfreude by scoring two late goals in Prague to deny the awkward Czechs progress.

Nemesis No2: the FAI, which took a financial inducement to play Ireland's 1966 World Cup qualifying play-off against Spain in Paris, where a large Spanish support would be guaranteed, instead of Wembley, where the Irish were a shoo-in to enjoy the loudest backing. Sure enough, Ireland lost 1-0. Well done, everyone!

But France are probably the chief pain-bringerls. Younger Irish fans will have the righteous hot heat over Thierry Henry's handball antics in the play-offs for the 2010 World Cup. Older supporters may remember their side's first match under the Fifa-coined Republic of Ireland banner, a 5-3 home defeat to the French in the 1954 World Cup qualifiers – a proper thrashing, two late Irish goals making the scoreline semi-respectable.

And then there was the qualifying campaign for the 1982 World Cup. Ireland won their last game of their group, a coruscating 3-2 victory over France, Frank Stapleton the two-goal hero in front of 53,000 bellowing fans at Lansdowne Road. It was potentially, as the Guardian reported, "their most significant victory in international football". But it would count for naught. France had two games in their pocket, though Ireland retained genuine hope: the French were on a terrible run, having lost six out of their last seven internationals. But les Bleus went on to beat the Netherlands, and then Cyprus, to pip the Irish on goal difference.

Not for the last time in their history, Ireland bemoaned some appalling refereeing decisions. Stapleton had a perfectly good goal chalked off in Belgium, who took a crucial point off Ireland with an 88th-minute Jan Ceulemans winner, from a free-kick earned by an Eric Gerets dive. Then in Paris, Michael Robinson had a goal disallowed, which television later showed to be valid. "After the Belgium game, I called the referee disgraceful and a cheat to his face, and I will not withdraw the remarks," said the manager Eoin Hand. "I am sure that people in authority do not want us to qualify for Spain. They would prefer the more glamorous countries to get there to make sure the tournament is a success. I cannot keep quiet about this, and nothing will change my opinions." The FAI lodged an official complaint with Fifa, much good it did. Ireland had to make do with plaudits from a brave showing in a group containing the 1978 World Cup finalists, and a team about to become the darlings of 1982.


4) Brazil 7-0 Republic of Ireland (1982)

Any momentum from the unlucky 1982 World Cup qualification campaign was immediately lost on a farcical tour of South America. The FAI was hoping to make a massive £50,000 from the trip, which had been described by a spokesman as "the greatest tour the Republic has ever had". The itinerary was indeed mouthwatering: matches against Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Brazil. However, the plans would quickly go pear-shaped when Argentina struck upon the wheeze of invading the Falkland Islands a month before Ireland's visit.

Arsenal, Brighton and Hove Albion, Newcastle United and Manchester United all understandably refused to let their players travel to a country Great Britain was at war with. Ireland pulled out of the Argentina game in the hope of reversing the clubs' decisions, but although some relented, it wasn't enough to get the full complement of first-teamers back, and so Eoin Hand topped up his squad with lower league and League of Ireland players – step forward Johnny 'Jabber' Walsh of Limerick and Mick Fairclough of Dundalk – before heading off for the sun.
The tone was set for a fortnight of farce. Tottenham's Chris Hughton turned up at the airport only to find the FAI had forgotten to buy him a ticket. (Just picture that happening to Roy Keane.) The Peru game fell by the wayside. A match was hastily organised with Trinidad & Tobago; the minnows beat Ireland 2-1. Chile won 1-0 while barely bothering to conceal a yawn. But the hammer blow came in Uberlandia, where Ireland suffered their record defeat. Brazil had been struggling for form, with recent home draws against the Czechs and the Swiss, but here they hit upon the recipe for the team they'd take to the World Cup, one of the all-time great sides. To Ireland's credit, the score was only 1-0 at half-time, Falcão scoring with a deflection after 32 minutes. But in the second half, Serginho and Socrates both scored twice, before Luisinho and Zico added one each to complete a sorry rout.

Brazil followed it up with a 13-3 win over Belenenses in Lisbon as they prepared for a bittersweet World Cup in Spain. Hand would never lead Ireland to a major tournament, but he did at least enjoy the consolation of counterbalancing that record defeat with the Republic's biggest win, an 8-0 trouncing of Malta at the tail end of 1983.

Incidentally, Ireland weren't the only team whose summer plans were jiggered by the brouhaha over the Malvinas. Leeds United also pulled out of a tour to, er, Honduras. "I know Honduras is in central America," shrugged the Leeds assistant manager Martin Wilkinson, idly spinning a globe with his finger, "but we still didn't feel it was right."


5) Scotland 0-1 Republic of Ireland (1987)

Ireland enjoyed many wondrous victories during the heady Jack Charlton era. The joyous 1-0 win over England at the 1988 European Championship. The intense 1-0 World Cup win over Spain in 1989, not long after Hillsborough, John Aldridge too upset to play. The incredible 1-0 win against Italy at the 1994 World Cup. The second-round defeat of Romania, 0-0 at Italia 90, sending the Irish into the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Goals weren't really the point.

This game, yet another 1-0 victory, pales into insignificance alongside those stellar moments, but then without it, none of the aforementioned heights might have been scaled. Scotland, younger readers may be confused to the point of head-spinning queasiness to learn, used to regularly qualify for major tournaments in the 1970s and 1980s. With a squad including the likes of Alan Hansen, Richard Gough, Ally McCoist, Pat Nevin, Brian McClair, Mo Johnston, Gordon Strachan and Davie Cooper, they were heavily fancied to reach Euro 88. But the Scots would face two major problems in this particular quest. One, their previous two managers having been Alex Ferguson and Jock Stein, they were now led by Andy Roxburgh, formerly, according to Billy Connolly, the window cleaner at the SFA. Secondly, the Charlton revolution was beginning to bear fruit over the Irish Sea.

Only three games into Big Jack's reign, Ireland had won their first-ever bauble, a triangular tournament in Iceland, during which they beat both the hosts and Czechoslovakia. Charlton's first competitive game was a 2-2 draw in Belgium in the Euro 88 qualifiers, Ireland twice coming from behind, first through a Stapleton diving header from long range (!) then a last-minute Liam Brady penalty. Ireland were then held by the Scots at home, but next came the return game at Hampden. Mark Lawrenson scored early on, latching on to a quickly taken free-kick by John Aldridge to slip the ball past Jim Leighton. Mick McCarthy, preferred by Charlton to David O'Leary, twice cleared off line, first from MoJo, then McCoist. "If this suggests Scotland were unlucky," reported the Guardian, "they plainly were not." This was the result that made folk sit bolt upright and take notice of what was going on under Charlton's yoke. Until Ireland won 4-0 in Estonia last week, this was arguably their last significant away win.

Roxburgh's side, the Irish will no doubt recall, did have one good performance in them during that campaign, though much good it did them.


6) Republic of Ireland 1-0 Holland (2001)

In their first game of the 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign, Ireland drew 2-2 in Holland. They had been two goals up with 19 minutes to play. Time to celebrate an unexpected point, or fume at two thrown away? "People have suggested my players lack respect for me," said Mick McCarthy, holding court from a leather armchair in an Amsterdam piano bar that evening, "but you can look at that display and judge for yourself. We came to Holland, played them at their own game, and matched them all the way."

Away from Mick's comfortable jazz environment, Ireland's lead soloist Roy Keane was riffing on a theme. "We're good players and we've got to start giving ourselves more credit. People are always saying the Irish will have a good time whatever the result, and I'm sick of that stuff. We're better than that and we should stop underestimating ourselves."

Ireland followed up that result with another superb away display, a 1-1 draw in Portugal. "I know I'm doing a good job," smiled McCarthy after that match, Ireland having now held two of the Euro 2000 semi-finalists on their own patch.

Towards the end of a 3-0 win away against Andorra, Keane was surrounded by three opponents clearly hoping to swap the great man's jersey at the final whistle. When it blew, Keane barged past them all and stomped off down the tunnel, resolutely unimpressed by the lack of commitment shown by Andorra. (It wasn't all slap-bass funk, incidentally: Keane later made a point of taking the time to shake hands and have his photo taken with star-struck youth players in the tunnel.)

By the time the business end of the campaign had been reached, Portugal were shoo-ins for automatic qualification. Holland travelled to Dublin for a game which, in effect, decided who would make the play-offs. Louis van Gaal hubristically announced that his Dutch side were so much more talented than their hosts, even the Irish would want them to qualify. Oh Louis, you know how these things usually pan out.

Within the first 30 seconds, Keane clattered Marc Overmars with a symbolic reducer. It raised the volume at Lansdowne, cranking up the tension. Keane wasn't even booked. Patrick Kluivert, in a blistering funk at the referee's inaction, immediately missed a one-on-one with Shay Given. The more composed Overmars set about destroying Gary Kelly, teasing a booking out of the hapless full-back, who eventually picked up a second yellow card just before the hour.

Despite being under the cosh for most of the match, and now down to 10 men, Ireland responded, Jason McAteer sweeping home on 67 minutes. Van Gaal responded in surreal fashion, by taking off the dangerous Overmars and ordering his men to launch long ball after punt after hoof into the Irish area. Ireland, happy to deal with direct tactics all day, made it home.

Ireland were effectively in the play-offs, Holland as good as out. As the Irish celebrated on the pitch after the final whistle, Keane didn't bother cracking a smile. He did shake hands with McCarthy, though. There's a nice end to the story, eh?

losthorizon

With regards to the Yugoslavia match loads of people who normally wouldnt go to football games turned up at Dalymount Park becuase Of McQuaid I remember reading.

As for the France/Belgian 1982 games. Our 1982 squad was the best Irish team I have ever seen and played some great Football. We were "cheated" against Belgium - even more so than Henry did against us recently. Dark forces. I really think we would have made some impact at the world Cup in Spain and that was the Best world Cup I have ever seen.

BOHtox

Apart from the 6th one I don't remember any of them.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

BOHtox wrote: »

Apart from the 6th one I don't remember any of them.

I only have a very vague recollection of the Holland game.

kfallon

Excellent read, I think this one is def one of my most memorable games, Spain came here, got pressured out of it, gave out stink about the pitch but it was this result that really got people believing we were on our way to Italy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix2qc9JnD2Q

starviewadams

Can't beat the auld Fiver!

retalivity

the granuniad's football coverage is topnotch, and it helps having the chief footie editor being irish, so we get articles like this!

when you consider the muck that the s*n/the mail/the star churn out, its miles better.

Neil3030

retalivity wrote: »

the granuniad's football coverage is topnotch, and it helps having the chief footie editor being irish, so we get articles like this!

when you consider the muck that the s*n/the mail/the star/the rest of The Guardian churn out, its miles better.

FYP

parker kent

starviewadams wrote: »

Can't beat the auld Fiver!

This wasn't actually in The Fiver. They just give links to things from the newspaper/website at the end of the newsletter each day. /pedantry :pac:

Anyway I love The Guardian and The Observer. I loved McAteer's goal against Holland more than any other goal I have seen.

K-9

Could be wrong on this but I don't think anybody seen Lawrenson's goal live on TV. RTE missed it, it was taken that quickly!
That Stapleton goal against Belgium was a cracker.

stovelid

LOL.

Symbolic Reducer is a great Guardian phrase for putting in the boot early days.

:pac:

Dotrel

kfallon wrote: »

Excellent read, I think this one is def one of my most memorable games, Spain came here, got pressured out of it, gave out stink about the pitch but it was this result that really got people believing we were on our way to Italy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix2qc9JnD2Q

I'd been kind of half-following Ireland since the run-up to Euro 88 but that was the first first game I ever penciled in my diary and sat down in earnest to watch.

I figured results like this were 'business as usual' and even that there'd always be sunshine at Lansdowne. Little did I know!

The perfect day.

thorbarry

My first football memory is Ireland Vs Romania in Italia 90, i was 6 at the time. I remember everybody running out to the street after we got through.

http://youtu.be/S330x0oi2bo

BOHtox

baz2009 wrote: »

I only have a very vague recollection of the Holland game.

Likewise. I'm not even sure if i do remember it or if i've just seen the replay so many times.

Benimar

I feel old! Can't believe some people are so young they can't remember the Holland game..I can remember 4 of the games listed!!

The one thats missing is the 1989 Spain game. I've never heard Lansdowne as loud (Holland game a close second) and Ireland effectively bullied the Spanish out of it.

We had 2 points from 3 games (all away) at that point and this started a run of 5 straight victories which saw us qualify for our 1st World Cup.

Although I'm sure the cameras missed it, Mick McCarthy gave Butragueno a serious 'reducer' early on too :-)

Kerrydude1981

I thinks its gas,reading about the trip to South America in 82,Chris Hughton showing up at the airport and the FAI had no ticket bought for him

Few games I remember well are during the qualifying group for Euro 92,we went the whole group unbeaten and still didnt qualify,the game against England in Wembley stands out,we played some great stuff that night,also playing Poland in Poland,up 3-1 and we were cruising along but ended up drawing 3 all :mad: and this really was the difference in the end us not making to Euro 92,god only knows what would have happened if we got there

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

Another game I remember well is the 4 nil win over the North,during the Euro 96 qualifying,tore them apart that night,another reason I remember it was that I was in hospital at the time recovering from an operation.

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

Dotrel

Kerrydude1981 wrote: »

I thinks its gas,reading about the trip to South America in 82,Chris Hughton showing up at the airport and the FAI had no ticket bought for him

Few games I remember well are during the qualifying group for Euro 92,we went the whole group unbeaten and still didnt qualify,the game against England in Wembley stands out,we played some great stuff that night,also playing Poland in Poland,up 3-1 and we were cruising along but ended up drawing 3 all :mad: and this really was the difference in the end us not making to Euro 92,god only knows what would have happened if we got there

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

That was the most effective Ireland team ever imho. Not qualifying that time seem to knock the wind out of them after that and they were never as good again. In 94 they almost qualified despite themselves and the 96 campaign came off the tracks after a good start.

However I reckon that 92 team could have done a good job in the finals. It was the first time Ireland showed any kind of overwhelming firepower. They were clearly the best team in the group and finished the group with over 2 goals per game and I reckon they'd have gone far in Sweden.

It's funny that qualfiying for 90 was such a slow start but built momentum whereas 92 94 and 96 campaigns were all about losing momentum after explosive starts and eventually just limping over the line.